13 (52)

Fragrant tea had been brewed on a neat solid-wood table, and parchments were piled high. The chair for the owner of the table was empty, and in the small chair before it sat a robed person. It was Euclid. When Louis entered, Euclid put down the tea he had been drinking and rose from his seat. His eyes, which felt noble and stubborn at the same time, turned toward Louis.

He immediately took off his robe and bowed to Louis. It was an even more formal attitude than before. There would be only a handful of monarchs in the world worthy of receiving such treatment from a famous mage of the Mage Tower. Looking at his freely disheveled white hair and eyebrows, Louis slowly began walking forward.

He was about to sit in the chair when the young attendant beside him handed Louis a dark-red glowing cloak. Come to think of it, he had not completely changed his clothes. Louis draped the cloak around himself as if wrapping it over his shoulders and sat down. Perhaps because Euclid had seen his clothes, his face became slightly questioning, and after sinking into thought, he began speaking in a calm voice.

“It has been a long time. First, congratulations on becoming king. I believe this is the first time I have seen you since you became Grand Duke.”

“Thank you.”

“I also heard that several more things have happened.”

“It was nothing special. There was one marquis who liked goats. Right now, he is probably praying so hard to the god he served that his hands and feet are wearing out. Though even if he does, what could a goat possibly do?”

“Black mages are not opponents who should be dismissed so lightly. They are still waging a secret war against the Papal Court.”

“What about with you?”

His eyes briefly touched the air before he spoke to Louis.

“If we are being precise, we are somewhere in the middle. Outwardly, we keep quiet about it, but if our interests align, we sometimes help one another. After all, a human’s lifespan has limits, and mages have realms they wish to reach. That is why we do not waste time. Time is mana.”

“………..”

“That is why I have something to tell you. I thought speaking of it immediately would help both me and the king save time.”

“I roughly know what it is. Speak.”

“The Empire conveyed its intentions to me. There is a man named Duke Dorsey Mitchell. Unofficially, he is one of my disciples. According to him, the atmosphere in the Empire has changed.”

Louis nodded briefly and said to Euclid.

“All of it?”

“It is still hazy, but they say it is not raining.”

“The weather is always important in magic.”

“Yes. Exactly so.”

“Well… if that is your will, you may leave. I would like you to responsibly resolve the aqueduct.”

Louis had, to some extent, emptied his heart. No matter how much he increased his investment in Magitech compared to now, it would not compare to the support the Empire could provide. If Euclid left, it would only be regrettable, but whether he was there or not, the main factor that could develop Magitech was in Louis’s hands anyway.

If Euclid left, the losses he would suffer would be the unexpected unique buildings he obtained through Euclid and the acceleration of Magitech development gained from his presence. Louis took a sip of tea, and Euclid smiled gently. It was as if he could not understand what Louis had just said.

“What are you talking about? As if I were moving my residence.”

“Did the Empire not promise you more? I am someone who only recently obtained a country. There are many expenses, so I cannot provide support on the level of the Empire.”

“I will remain here. I am sorry, but even if Your Grace tells me to leave, I intend to stay.”

It was an unexpected result. Ever since receiving the report earlier, Louis had thought there was no reason at all that could make Euclid stay. Louis smiled.

“If you do that, I would truly be grateful. But may I ask why someone who always emphasizes efficiency and the importance of time would deliberately choose this small country? I am asking purely out of curiosity. I believe the survival of the country will depend on Magitech in the future, so there should be no one more desperate than I am for a sage to remain here.”

Euclid laughed heartily.

“It is precisely because of that efficiency.”

“Efficiency…?”

“Gold alone cannot accomplish anything. In the end, it is humans who create great progress. I saw that possibility in King Louis.”

“……….”

“The Empire is wide and vast, but because of that, it is also politically complicated, and a country with much jealousy and obstruction. One cannot simply focus on Magitech with gold alone. In this Eron Duchy, I saw each region concentrating around a single king. It is truly rare to see unique regions gather as one under a single king. I have visited dozens of countries until now, but this is the first time I have seen both the people and nobles want one human this much. And.”

“………..”

“The same is true of me.”

He smiled leisurely and drank the tea before him with a slurp. The rich scent of tea refreshed the mood, but what Euclid conveyed to Louis was more than that.

“You overpraise me.”

“Hoho. How unusual for you to act humble. You may be honest before this old man. I have heard roughly of what has happened so far. Ah, now the answer to my curiosity comes to mind. Judging by your attire, it seems you have been walking around the streets lately.”

“…That is right.”

“It is proof that you are a good king. As far as I know, among rulers of the current generation, there are fewer than three who want to know the truth to that extent. Lord Louis has now been added to them.”

“The fact that I walk around… is a secret.”

“Of course. The friends I might tell are all far away, and besides, they are people with no interest in the secular world.”

After finishing matters with Euclid and resolving his backlogged work, Louis thought about calling Mihoff to practice swordsmanship, but what he sensed behind him was an unfamiliar presence.

Louis turned his gaze toward the three humans who had suddenly appeared. Two were men, and one was a woman.

There was not a single familiar face. That was natural, because judging from the killing intent they released, they were assassins. They were not southern assassins. Southern assassins were flashy, but these people thoroughly hid their bodies in robes.

The woman, whose chest was clearly visible, spoke in a pleased voice.

“Oh my… you are handsome.”

“Is your defense not far too lax? To think you have only one guard.”

It was the one in the middle. The third said nothing. Louis looked at them coldly. Each of them was not bad in skill.

“Grand Duke Louis. Receive heavenly punishment.”

The man in the middle muttered that and charged at Louis. It was a short sword, too light to be called a unique weapon. The mana loaded into it was not trivial. The sound of mana bursting spread right before his nose. He saw the back of Mihoff, who was standing guard today. Mihoff coldly spat,

“How dare you draw a blade in this place.”

The reason Mihoff did not take the next action immediately was that she was waiting for Louis’s answer.

“Do not kill them. Bind them.”

“How laughable. You cannot stop the three of us with only one…”

At the same time as he spoke, a dagger lodged in his thigh. As he cried out, Mihoff broke his leg. Seeing him roll around noisily, the woman behind him exclaimed, “Laplant fell that easily!”

“The man we are facing is an incredible swordsman!” The silent third man exploded with tremendous mana and shouted as if barking an order, “Focus on the king.” The two split left and right. In an instant, mana so great that it almost made Louis dizzy spread out.

There were four sources of mana in total. Those two were rushing toward Louis as if bending, and two overlapped. Soon, the two passed Mihoff. The man with the broken leg desperately grabbing her had a large effect. The hoods the two wore fluttered violently.

And they were completely thrown back. The woman’s pupils, fixed black circles, were trembling. Her features were distinct, and there was a small mole beside her nose. The sound of metal colliding and the sound of flesh being pierced rang out at the same time. The woman’s voice came after that.

“I-I cannot believe it. A mere king possesses more mana than we do.”

“Cough… cough.”

“Adrian!”

She had turned her gaze to the side. Beneath it, her neck and arms were trembling subtly. A bead of sweat formed on her chin, and when it finally fell, Louis sent her flying together with her sword. She lost her balance as she flew away, then landed at an angle. In front of her was Adrian, who had been struck by a dagger and was barely standing while bleeding.

A dagger set with a sapphire was embedded in his abdomen, and blood had pooled thickly over it. The robe he wore had turned red before they knew it. Drops of blood formed and fell one by one onto the white marble. His face reddened. His hand quickly entered his chest. He was trying to take out a potion. Mihoff said.

“Are you all right?”

“I am fine.”

“I will tear these things’ limbs apart right now.”

“No, there is no need.”

“…Pardon?”

“This is perfect, since I needed practice.”

Clatter. The dagger fell onto the marble. Blood spattered and stained it. Red bloodstains were drawn over the blue gem. A fragrant smell rose, and the sound of skin joining could be heard. Even so, Adrian’s complexion was not good. It was a fairly fatal wound. When Louis smiled gently and released more mana, the two assassins’ complexions worsened. In the meantime, Mihoff had completely broken both legs of the man she was facing.

“W-Wrong. The information was completely wrong. The information about him was actually understated.”

“Damn it… There is no method. We failed.”

The two met each other’s eyes. Knowing what that meant, Louis said.

“Suicide… It is not always a good method. Your objective must have been me, and your next-best option would be to survive. What do you say? If you surrender to me, I will guarantee your lives.”

“Y-You will spare us?”

“Hmm. If it had been not long ago, I would have killed you according to principle… but after killing an assassin last time, I found myself with regrets. There were many things I was curious about, but in the end, all I learned was the direction she came from.”

Hearing the commotion, the door opened. Six royal guards entered, and after grasping the situation, they immediately drew their swords. Just as they were about to charge without question, Louis raised his hand. The royal guards stopped where they stood and assumed a rigid stance.

“They are practice partners.”

“Is everything… all right?”

It was Bud Norman. His expression quickly became complicated. Louis, enjoying his expression, gave a slight nod. Bud Norman and the five royal guards saluted Louis, then went back out the door.

A bright, splendid room made of white marble. A giant masterpiece painting hung there, beautiful sculptures stood here and there, and an extraordinarily ornate carpet was laid out. The ones who awkwardly occupied this place were the three assassins. They were hunched over.

Mihoff said, “If you entrust them to me, I will obtain information from them by any means necessary.” The three were startled and looked at Louis. Until just moments ago, they had been triumphant as if the matter had succeeded, but now they looked like drowned rats.

“If their cooperation is poor after I see how they behave, that will have to be done. First, take off your hoods.”

The three took off their hoods as soon as the order fell. Three hoods dropped with soft thuds. The woman was in a rather chilly state. It seemed she had simplified her outfit in order to climb walls. Aside from a short sword and simple protective gear, her voluptuous body was exposed as it was. Her skin was bronze, perhaps because she often received sunlight, and because she had not neglected physical training, her body was well-defined here and there.

In a word, she was a healthy woman. She looked to be around her mid-twenties, but somehow did not seem to be an assassin, and sure enough, when he opened the information window, she had no assassination-related specialty at all, but rather a swordsmanship specialization trait that mercenaries might have.

“Place the weapons you are armed with in front of you.”

Aside from a sword and a few daggers, she was lightly equipped. The same went for the others beside her. Louis’s thought that they were mercenaries rather than professional assassins was accurate. The woman was a female mercenary named Iris Jay, the man struck by the dagger was Adrian, and the man whose two legs were broken was a mercenary named Laplant. They were now regretting accepting this request to death.