Chapter 155 – Mice

000

The time when the sun rises in the middle of the sky. The same time as when Cleon and his party acted to rescue Eusthes in the back alley.

Detective Gray was walking through the streets of the kingdom to complete her request her from Layla. What Gray is following with his eyes is Setos Tromeia, the younger brother of Percys Tromeia, Minister of Defense, and the subject of Gray’s investigation. With every step he took, he could see the people of the kingdom around him recognizing him and greeting him. Setos didn’t respond individually, as if he was familiar with it, but he just raised his hand or nodded his head and made his way through the crowd.

“As expected, it’s amazing. Tromeia’s majesty.”

A male voice came from Gray. Very quiet, mechanical tone. It was a voice that would never be heard by anyone else around, but it was clear to Gray’s ears. Gray nods his head and responds to the words of ‘it’riding on his shoulder his.

“Sir Percys is a bit of an amazing person called a hero as Sir Percys, but… Sir Setos is also a formidable person.”

Voice as usual. If so, who is the voice that came out earlier?

‘It’ was a mechanical device in the shape of a mouse. Glass eyes, brass body. Spring on the back. A tail made of iron wire. The power is a mana stone. In terms of temperament, it was similar to an automata, but no matter how you looked at it, it seemed that it did not have any combat ability.

“Is it the suppression of a rebellion? It was an incident in which the three Toss, who were hidden in the shadow of his older brother his, stood out.”

“That’s right. If it hadn’t been for Lord Setos’s efforts, the owner of the throne might have changed by now.”

As the mechanical rat said, Setos was an unfortunate aristocrat who was overshadowed by the too brilliant light of Percys, who was praised as one of the heroes of the country. Even in the war against the Empire, he ran around the battlefield assisting his brother, even though he did not have a holy sword. As a member of the pro-commoners faction, which is rare among aristocrats, he performed various activities, such as cooperating with the volunteer army. In the Volunteer Corps, there is a legendary figure called Palanata. And, the presence of the golden hero, Lesia, who accomplished great feats that surpassed Persis and Palanataia, weakened the impression of Setos.

Although it would be a bit unfair to be buried in the back of history like that without being acknowledged for what should be recognized. Setos simply continued his role as his as a hidden contributor by assisting his older brother his, who was a high-ranking official of the country. While Sir Percys led his soldiers and emptied the royal capital to attack the stronghold where the remnants of the empire had gathered and organized. Because it was Setos who stopped the queen’s brother when he raised an army to take the king hostage. An old friend of the leader of the rebellion, he contacted the rebel commander under the pretext of talking to him, cut him down on the spot, and quelled the rebellion through pre-hired adventurers.

As a result of that incident, Setos also received a lot of praise from the people as a guardian of the kingdom equal to his older brother his, and the Tromeia family came to have the most powerful authority in the kingdom.

“However, the head of the magic department at the academy says that Lord Setho has a relationship with the criminal hero ‘Alvein. “

“I see. According to my calculations, the hero Alvein and Setos Tromeia are related by blood.

The mechanical mouse-Hermes answers Gray’s question like that, and Gray nods his head too. Because he was thinking the same thing.

The figure of Gray following Setos while maintaining an appropriate distance was indeed a detective itself. Hermes let out a sigh from Gray’s shoulder.

“…If it’s an investigation like this, you can leave it to me. You just have to wait for the report I bring to the office.”

“A detective is a sword that runs on its own feet. You are too young to be an armchair detective.”

“…Remember that your body is not yours alone…”

At Hermes’ words, Gray sticks out his tongue and watches Setos enter the building.

“…The Great God. After all, is the Pope to meet…”

Gray, who had been near Setos’ mansion since early morning, saw the temple’s priest looking for his house. Her arms her were disarmed, but she wore a trinity badge on her chest, the symbol of the pope’s priests. She tried to use Hermes to see if the two were conversing, but she silently handed him a scroll.

After confirming the contents of the scroll, Setos immediately threw it into the fireplace and burned it, then prepared to leave the mansion.

“Wait, I’ll go alone from here.”

Saying so, Hermes climbed on Gray’s arm her and descended into her hand her. Gray pondered for a moment, then she nodded and took from her bag a reptilian exoskeleton of the same brass color as Hermes’s. If you remove the original exoskeleton attached to Hermes’ body with natural hand movements and replace it with a new one. Hermes disappears as if merging into the surrounding landscape.

[Then. Come back.]

After Gray feels her invisible partner fall from his hand her, she herself goes to the alley near the temple to focus her attention on her. She believes that the passage of magic between her and Hermes transmits to Gray what Hermes sees and what she hears.

Hermes moves forward, avoiding people’s feet, and confirms that Setos has reached the Pope’s office. After talking for a while with the guards standing in front of the office, the door opened and they went inside. Hermes succeeds in entering the office by moving his foot at his at the timing that was open for him, albeit briefly.

As always, the Pope-Virgin Esca was sitting in front of her desk her, welcoming Setos with a benevolent expression.

Her hair her, the color of blue like the clear sky, was tied up differently than usual, and the Pope’s clothes were also taken off, which was a little cumbersome for him to sit down and do his work his. The vibe she felt from her, and the waves of divine magic that she could n’t hide, made her tense even if it was Setos or Hermes with a mechanical body.

“His Eminence, may I ask the reason why you called me like this?”

Setos seemed to be about to get right to the point after a brief greeting, as if she was a little uncomfortable somewhere. In this country where the kingship and the priesthood are separated, no matter how much the pope is at the top of the Holy Order, the relationship between the two is horizontal, not vertical, so there is no problem with Setos’ attitude. It may be that Setos does not have the slightest respect for her, prompting her to speak quickly against Esca, who even her king is wary of opening her mouth her.

“Why are you being so unkind to me? Aren’t they friends who fought for peace in the kingdom together? And aren’t they still cooperative in many ways?”

Esca talks a little sadly, but Setos doesn’t mind and replies.

“It was more than 30 years ago. Now… We are cooperating, but our goals are different.”

“…Whoops. Well, that’s good. Today, Lord Setos had me come here to deliver good news.”

Sophia said, leaning back in her chair and opening her mouth. Her expression was really amused, and she was smiling. Feeling a little offended by that, Toss let out a sigh.

It was a three toss, which she had learned from her past experience her, that when this woman displayed this expression, it was when things were going the way she wanted.

Ignoring Setos’ reaction, Sophia opens her mouth.

“Rejoice, the news that you have a son.”

“…What-“

At Setos’words, Esca put on a suspicious look, as if her ears had gone awry for a moment. Then she thinks Esca is joking and she lets out a chuckle. But as she watched Esca’s face not change, she slowly hardened her face.

“The miko from the remote village you ended your relationship with about 20 years ago … Was it Setsuna-san? She returned to her hometown and gave birth to a blonde-haired child.”

“Setsuna…!?”

Setos reacted to Esca’s words without realizing it and repeated her name.

Esca was still smiling, but with her eyes narrowed, she observed the reaction of the three toss as if it were funny.

This woman—the pope said she had eyes that could penetrate the human heart to some extent.

You probably know what I’m thinking right now.

Setos thinks of her and answers her in a cold sweat.

“… Thank you, His Majesty the Pope.

“Yes, but unfortunately, he is in a difficult situation right now.”

Esca suddenly speaks with a sad expression. She sighs and sighs a little, as if she’s really sorry.

Setos feels intuitively. This is obviously not a pleasant story. It was not difficult for him, who had gone through her long political career her, that this woman was conveying this to him and that she was trying to use herself as her chess piece her.

However, even so, human curiosity sometimes overwhelms reason.

“Why?”

Setos clenched his fists and asked Esca, with the painful sensation of having his mouth pierced by the baited fishing hook that swayed in front of her eyes.

And. Esca responds with a smile inwardly at the taste of her shaken hand.

“Sir Setos, do you know the name of the hero Alvein?”

“…? Albein…? Ah, are you the hero who was escorted to the royal capital a few months ago and put on trial? Despite being a hero, he harmed his comrades and caused damage to the city by running wild swords…”

As Setos spoke, he recalled the outcome of the trial that took place a few months ago. The trial itself was a formality, and because the crimes of the hero Alvein were so certain, even when forced labor was decided, there was no emotion.

However. The question is, why did the name of Albain come out of her mouth now? Doesn’t that have something to do with this incident?

“-No way.”

“That Albain is your blood relative. My mother said that Setsuna… Went on an adventure with Quon, a priest from the same village, and spent time in Ellesia.”

In Setos’ mind, the face of the girl who looked exactly like Setsuna’s, whom he met not long ago at her brother’s mansion, appeared.

“…”

Setos couldn’t say anything. In her head his, there were any number of answers she could give her.

That alone does not prove that Albain is her child her.

She could be her child she got with another man after she broke up with him.

But- before he even said that, he instinctively understood it. What she’s talking about It is an undeniable truth.

Setsuna. It was her own who had dumped her, but she could n’t imagine that she would entrust her body her to another man.

Too bad for herself, she was a devoted woman. So, I didn’t want to drag her into her aristocratic world her anymore, so I broke up with her …

“…Oh God…”

Setos unknowingly called out the god’s name and covered his face. Esca looked at it and she just smiled with her crescent eyes and mouth open. With her back to the light-filled office window, the expression on her shadowy face was joy itself.

“…Why, tell me this…”

“As the Pope, I only practiced the teachings of the church. If there are families who do not even know each other’s existence, isn’t it God’s teaching to connect them?”

‘A good word… ‘

Setos clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and looked at Esca.

“How is it, are you interested in meeting me?”

“…Even if Alvein is my own son. He broke the laws of the kingdom and became a criminal.”

“But the woman you abandoned, she must have raised him alone.”

“Kuh…”

At Esca’s words her, Setos barely held back her trembling fist. If there had been a sword, he might have drawn it on this spot. This woman, she sees herself suffer and she enjoys it.

Various ominous thoughts kept popping up in Setos’ mind. The younger brother of the Minister of Defense of the Kingdom had an illegitimate child and threw out a pregnant woman. And, the boy born that way became a hero, but his holy sword his went wild and he is now doing forced labor. That fact itself was a politically fatal weakness for Setos.

If this woman who hates herself comes blackmailing herself with this-

“Well. I was just trying to convey this.”

However, Esca laughs and speaks in a kind voice as if to reassure him. With that, the tension in the room was blown away in an instant. Setos looked at the Pope and put on a disbelieving expression for a moment, but then he shook his head… Nothing has changed. She was still holding on to this fact.

Setos calms her trembling body and bows her head to pay respect to Esca.

“Valuable news, thank you for letting me know… His Eminence, Pope.”

“You’re welcome. Like I said, I just wanted peace for my family.”

Setos turns and leaves the Pope’s office. Esca still looked at his back with a smile, and the moment the door closed-

“Pooh-“

And laughter broke out.

“Ahahahahahaha!! Setos Tromeia! What an amazing face…! They don’t know what to do because they want to cut me right now…!”

She burst into laughter enough to put her back against her backrest her, she laughed tearfully for a long time, then seemed to calm down for a moment as she let out a sigh.

“… I can’t believe I found out about this while researching that bug… I feel a little better… I should be grateful for this time, Miss Quon… Whoa…”

Just as Setos hates her, she hates Setos too. It was because there was a relationship of resentment between the two that could never be washed.

That’s why, seeing Setos’ desperate face in her, Esca, who was slightly relieved, called her aide her in a kind voice.

“Verastor.”

“…Yes, yes.”

Like her shadow her, her armored crusader escorting her appeared at her call her.

She was the only person who could hear the voices inside the office, even from outside the office.

“There are mice.”
“…Is it a mouse?”

When Vera Stoll tilts her head, as if not quite sure what she’s talking about, Esca looks at her laughing. Then she open her mouth-

“Outside the Great God Temple, behind the stacked boxes in the eastern alley. It’s a gray-haired boy.”

[Gray! Run away!]

The next moment, her lightning-like spear flew and pierced Hermes’ transparent body. Dismissed! Hermes, who raised a spark, was completely charred on the spot.

“I’m in a good mood today, so you don’t have to kill me. I just want you to know what it’s like to spy on the pope’s private life.”

“…All right.”

001

Brestol uses teleportation magic to instantly move to the place the Pope talked about. Although she was clad in heavy armor, her special skill her, the teleportation magic of her Shadowless Spear, was able to protect the Pope no matter which enemy appeared from any direction, and she did not miss any enemies of the Pope.

The place I transferred to was an alleyway to the east. When it falls to the ground like a thunderbolt, a powerful shockwave is generated, blowing away nearby objects. Through the gap in the helm covered by her head, she peered around with mad eyes, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.

At that time, the exit part of the alley. When she gazes at her swaying hair of her, she once again catches up with the owner of the hair with her teleportation magic her and seizes her hair her-

“Kyaa, evil…!”

The girl raised a scream.

What she grabbed was her hair, which was not grey, but closer to silver. The owner was also a girl, not a boy. A dress was worn on her body. Silver pendant around the neck of her. Anything like the scion of an aristocratic family, she looks back at her full-armored crusader who held her with her face in horror.

“W-what are you doing…!”

“…”

Vera Stoll’s eyes quietly watched her, then she let go of her hand her and bent her waist.

“…I’m sorry. I was trying to catch a rat that sneaked into the temple.”

“Are you saying I look like a rat!? You’re a crusader under the direct command of the Pope!?”

At the girl’s voice her, which sounded like she was firmly angry, Vera Stoll took off her helmet and bowed her head even more deeply. Her pink hair her tumbles down her gravity her, and the eyes of those around her gather.

“…Sorry.”

“… It’s done. I’ll tell my father about this and make a formal protest.”

The girl walked with hatchy steps while placing the vera stole in front of her shrine. Vera Stoll despairs that she has not fulfilled her master’s orders to her.

And at the same time, with her excitement that if so, she could be ‘punished’ by her master her, she was immobilized on the spot for a while.

002

“… Ha…!”

Gray walks away from Vera Stoll for a while, then goes into her back alley and quietly presses the button on her pendant her. Then, as magical energy passed through her whole body her, her silver hair her turned gray again. Her dress turns into suspenders.

“Up, it was dangerous… I can’t believe it was transferred…”

“Ah. I also didn’t know that the optical camouflage would be discovered. As expected, the Pope is of a different class.”

Even Hermes, who had been destroyed by the pope, was able to get out of there safely thanks to his mind his transferred to the pendant jewel, which was a spare body right before his body his was destroyed.

“The Pope, he was a more dangerous person than I thought. And the things about Lord Setos, as expected… “

Gray sweeps his chest, pulls his hat over, and walks toward his office. The pendant sparkled and seemed to agree with Gray’s words his.

“But, there were other things that bothered me. They said that they were cooperating even now. They don’t seem to be on good terms, but… Is it important enough to bury those things?”

“…Is that also the sword we should investigate?”

“Yes. I could feel the aura of `dark magic’ from Setos, albeit weakly. …It is clear that he was involved in something bad.”

“…Why does he know?”

“Because I was created to prevent such things. Now, let’s go back to the workshop. I need to replenish my damaged body and prepare for the investigation.”

At Hermes’ words, Gray walks down the street with a tired voice like ‘Uh-heh’.

‘Should I rather be an armchair detective?’

Same, while thinking lousy thoughts.