13 (59)

More precisely, Louis had called her in order to hear more detailed information from her. About the existence known as the Wandering Guild. If possible, he had intended to spend some time on internal affairs without starting a war, but now that quests had appeared, he had no intention of leaving it alone.

Now, he wanted to complete the two active quests by any means necessary. Louis looked at her, whose blue eyes were sparkling, and recalled the face of the one who had attacked him. His sturdy body had been filled with mana that would have been difficult to stop one-on-one even with the armaments Louis possessed.

His personality had seemed awful. Well, since he had now made him look the same, it no longer mattered. Louis flicked his hand as a signal, and the waiting royal guard, Bud Norman, brought a box and opened it in front of her. Inside the box lay Sire’s severed head.

The blood had drained completely, making his complexion pale, his tongue was sticking out, and his final eyes contained disbelief. His bandit-like face still held the ferocity he had shown before his final moment. Louis said,

“Do you know this man?”

“Yes. You were attacked by Sire.”

Sire. She immediately recognized Sire. No, she knew the faces of most of the Wandering Guild. That was why she knew better than anyone how strong and vicious Sire was. She barely restrained the desire to spit on Sire. In addition, to confirm one point, she asked Louis,

“May I ask who cut this man down?”

“I cut him down myself. Well, there was no one useful nearby, and though it was troublesome, it was something I had to do personally.”

Bud Norman’s face turned red. At the same time, her pupils widened. As expected, once she thought Louis’s strength was high enough to overwhelm the Wandering Guild, her heart began pounding. Then Bud Norman opened one more box. Inside it was another head. Its face was so damaged that it was difficult to recognize.

“Do you not know who this one is?”

“Yes. His face has been smashed. If you could tell me a little about the situation at the time….”

“He was short and carried a short spear. Ah. He appeared suddenly from above.”

“……All at once?”

“He was not as strong an opponent as I expected.”

“Ben..! It’s Ben.”

Surprised once more, she quickly deduced the situation.

“If he suddenly appeared from above, then it was definitely Oar. He is the only member who knows how to use such a strange method.”

She spoke confidently. The one who appeared next was Euclid. His fluttering robe contained extraordinary mana. The same was true of his staff, whose material was difficult to identify. A blue crystal orb was embedded at its tip. His curved eyes looked at Louis and seemed to say that he was relieved. After catching his breath, as if he had come in a hurry, he said he would do his utmost to strengthen security.

Louis nodded briefly and explained the matter of the man coming out from the air. The air tore apart, and the man with the short spear fell from above. It was fascinating, but if its true nature was an assassin, it was not a pleasant matter. After hearing the story, Euclid’s eyes widened.

“Even for the Spatial School, using such a secret art would be difficult. In fact, spatial transfer is one of the Mage Tower’s difficult problems.”

“What if it is black magic?”

“…..Many things about black mages are kept secret. Since their characteristic is summoning strange things in exchange for sacrifices, it is not impossible. However, considering the price they pay, they must have consumed an enormous number of lives. For the method they desired, that is.”

At those words, the one who choked up was her. She lowered her head so deeply that her blond hair shook greatly, and soon began sobbing. Under Louis’s gaze, she barely raised her face, and tears were brimming in her blue eyes.

The cause was obvious. For instance, the request she had made last time came to Louis’s mind. She wanted to save the people of the territory, and she wanted to save her younger sibling. And she wanted to grant freedom to her father’s soul. Death to the black mage. Revenge against those involved.

The one who possessed such power was Louis. He had already heard the story when her secret was revealed, and he had a record of having rejected her plea. But now things had changed, changed greatly. How should he put it?

“The people trusted me. Even those who died trusted me. The retainers trusted me as well. I swore to God that I would help them.”

“It was not a demon god, I hope.”

“No. Absolutely not that side. It was Arund, the god of healing whom I serve. But in front of him, I pretended otherwise. There are situations where people have no choice, aren’t there? That was one of those times. If I had shown it, something would have happened to me long ago because of him.”

“I understand that this Nestor fellow is a deeply problematic person, but that alone is not enough reason for me to act. You could have brought in the Pope.”

“Yes. But surveillance in that direction was severe, so I could not. The fact that the situation has unfolded like this now was a coincidence. In other words, if things had gone according to his plan, Lord Louis should have marched out according to the operation I told you. But before that, you saw through my secret, and then you were attacked like this. I do not know why, but an unfamiliar brushstroke was drawn across Nestor’s painting.”

“…………..”

Her eyes shone transparently. They were eyes itching to say something. Soon, she opened her red lips.

“And Nestor’s grand design likely included even the fact that I would be exposed to Lord Louis.”

“………..”

This was… an interesting story. She was about to say more.

“He intends to attack Lord Louis just like this. It is as if he waited for his enemy to learn precious information and curl up defensively. That is Apostle Nestor’s method. He likes deception layered over deception. However, what he also should have known is that I am not such an easy woman. What I told Lord Louis about myself when we first met was true. The men who requested strategic matches against me have never defeated me even once.”

It was bravado close to boastfulness. However, because Louis knew of her Strategist trait through the information window, he knew even better than she did that her words were not simple childish pride. Minister Richard frowned.

“Your lies increase the further this goes. Christina, not only have you added to our kingdom’s confusion, but you have also disrupted many of the internal affairs originally planned. And the most important truth is that you placed Lord Louis’s sacred body in danger. I cannot trust you. Strictly speaking, if not for Lord Louis’s mercy, we would have killed you immediately inside the prison.”

“I am… telling the truth. I do not know how I can prove it to you. I have now told you everything I can say. Shall I swear to God? I will swear to the god Arund whom I serve. That day on the terrace, before Lord Louis’s sword, I told everything truthfully, and the same is true now.”

“I told you to realize your place as a woman, Christina. Though you are a noble, what you are proposing is a ruthless matter that will mobilize an enormous army. Can a woman bear that weight? There has never been such history. Moreover, you, Christina, who brought an ominous matter from its roots, are no different from a witch. What is different?”

“No. I am not a witch. I am absolutely not a witch. If I were a witch, I would be able to use black magic. I would be able to maliciously manipulate people, curse them, and even bring them to death. But I do not know how to do even a single one of those things. What I know is a different method.
If I were a witch, my heart would be lighter instead! With that method, I could save my people. But that is impossible. Because I do not know such methods. Please trust me just one more time. I beg you. There is definitely a path in my mind to kill Nestor. For example, it would be a posture of counterattacking through the very method he believes he used to deceive us. War is coming soon!
Right now, tremendous slaughter is taking place within the territory, and they are all falling into corruption. They are becoming something that is not human. Nestor needed time. He merely used me to buy that time. He will certainly create something terrifying and invade the Eron Duchy, which has entered defense in an obvious posture. For one single reason!”

Her eyes clearly turned toward Louis. For a moment, the hall fell into silence. Then, breaking that silence, she opened her mouth again.

“I do not know what he is trying to do, but Nestor is obsessed with Lord Louis right now. It is certainly related to the summoning ritual he is trying to perform.”

Minister Richard repeatedly stroked his beard and said in an irritated voice,

“Is that supposed to be definite proof? Can you not tell from the fact that he sent assassins? Christina, right now Nestor is trying to assassinate Lord Louis in order to seize the Eron Duchy. I must agree to some extent that he is aiming for this country. In any case.”

Minister Richard’s gaze turned this way.

“I oppose placing Christina back in an important position. There is no need to trust her. What do you think about this matter, Sir Euclid?”

At Minister Richard’s sudden question, Euclid kept stroking his white beard. He had been watching the situation with an interested face, but it was not the atmosphere for him to intervene in anything. To begin with, he was not that type of person. Even his clothing was less like that of a sage and more like that of a wandering mage, somehow carrying a free-spirited air. That was his personality. In any case, he said,

“Hoho…. I am someone who did not even properly involve myself in the Mage Tower’s affairs. Whatever I say will not help in matters like this. The only opinions I can give the king are scholarly views related to magic. I will not state an opinion beyond that.”

It was one neutral vote. Now the time had come to decide. In truth, though various matters were unfolding in this issue, the decision had already been made after he received Sire’s laughably absurd attack. Namely, to cut off Nestor’s hands and feet and smash his head. However, the other problem involved here was whether he would accept her opinion again and proceed efficiently, and what he actually had to judge now was the substance of whether she was telling the truth or not. And on that, he had now made his judgment.

“I will appoint you again to a major duty. Draw up a plan and report it. We will attack first from this side. Rather than saying I am saving the people of your territory, I decided that my duty to protect my people from a visible danger comes first. In the end, if Nestor is going to invade my country, there is no longer any need to endure it. That is all. I have made my decision. Everyone, withdraw.”

Minister Richard, as well as a considerable number of retainers and nobles inside, showed dissatisfaction with the decision, but not a single one immediately put forth their opinion.

Late in the afternoon, Louis was surrounded by six knights. This was the exclusive training ground within the castle that only the king could use. Its broad size was one thing, but the overly large fountain and elegant trees, far too much for something called a training ground, entered the eye at once.

Behind it spread the vast sea, and above it, the space was wide open, giving the place a sense of vastness. When it rained, there was no place that looked as desolate as this, but when it did not rain, the view was good enough that one could simply stand still and enjoy resting. The only people who used it were Louis, a few armed men Louis had permitted, and his blood relatives.

The knights were all armed men of reputable noble standing and considerable skill. In order, they were Matter, Finik, Norman, Ian, Brunte, and Fridzin. In preparation for injuries, a young high-ranking priest waited nervously in the corner, while three attendants who would serve them and the squires brought by the armed men each stood properly in place.

There were about two squires, while the rest waited outside because they were not of suitable rank. Each knight was someone with considerable mana, and blue mana flowed from their bodies. Louis stood calmly in the middle of such men.

It was daily training, and Louis had no intention of skipping it today either. The reason he could grow terrifyingly every single day without fail was partly his body, but also because he put in terrifying effort to a degree ordinary people could not even imitate.