Chapter 178 – Behind the Scenes

000

The Tromeia family’s mansion, which I revisited after a few weeks.

The interior is very understated except for the size compared to the status of the family or the wealth it has.

Except for Quon, who left her seat her due to the call of her church her, and Sasha, who went with her just in case.

Layla with a large bag in her hand her, and Cleon in casual clothes with minimal manners, were called by Aurelia and found the mansion.

Unlike the previous evening visit, the daytime mansion felt less crowded than expected.

The owner of the house, Sir Percy, of course, must be doing business in the royal castle by now, and even the servants wandering around the house were few in number compared to the smaller mansions.

Even for Cleon, who was not very knowledgeable about the manners of aristocrats, it was a little strange that Aurelia, who had come out to greet her guests, took the two of them to the drawing room.

“Something, is it strange? Cleon.”

Aurelia asked if she had even heard the sound of Cleon’s rolling eyes her, without looking back at her, and Layla poked Cleon’s side her with her elbow with her cook.

“No. It’s just… It felt like there were few people.”

“Ah. That’s right. Some of the attendants are currently away. Even the attendants, the battle attendants… Are my enlisted men.”

Aurelia answers Cleon’s question as if she doesn’t hide it.

Including Ruba, her enlisted organization her.

Not under Sir Percy’s orders, only Aurelia’s.

And, their first priority mission is to drive away the demonic threat from the capital together with the princess ‘Amelia’.

That is-

“Did you go to fight demons by any chance?”

“To be precise, I found the store they were running. I went to rescue people like last time. You can think of it.”

“…If you would have told us too, we would have cooperated.”

When Cleon says that, Aurelia stops her feet and turns to Cleon with a small smile on her face.

“Of course. That’s true. But, Cleon. It’s information from various sources that you’ve been running around the capital day and night these days. Recently, I heard that you’ve solved some problems outside the capital too.”

Arachne in the Forest of Virtue – Anansi, and the bandit in Horseshoe Mountain – Ain.

Three days had passed since I returned from Horseshoe Mountain.

While waiting for permission to enter the land where spirits flow with Iona, so as not to be baptized with documents after entering at will as before.

Perhaps it was because the two lines of dark magic flowing through the energies were reduced, and I could feel that the faces of the people living in the royal capital were slowly returning to life.

If there is another change, Eustes.

Even after that, I was a little concerned and went to see him.

He seems to have completely let go of any hesitation or fear.

As soon as he saw Cleon, he ran to him in good health and greeted him by holding his hand her.

[Cleon. No matter what kind of me I become, Cleon will treat me the same, right?]

… He said the same thing, so of course he nodded.

Moreover, it is said that Mistil Tane, who lost her function, is gradually regaining her power her as a holy sword after recovery.

Even before his body returned, Cleon was convinced that Eustes would be of great help in the fight against demons.

“I appreciate your skill, but you seem to tend to take on too much work alone. We’re working together. I think Cleon needs a break too.”

At Aurelia’s words, Cleon had no choice but to nod awkwardly.

Lila said, ‘Look. Am I right?’ She said, looking at her with the corners of her mouth raised.

“Oh, that’s right. Miss Lila, congratulations on your pregnancy.”

“Hehe!? Ah, ga, thank you… But it’s really spread all over the place…”

“Whoops. You don’t know where and how rumors between women will flow.”

Lila nodded and quietly said, ‘I never said that…’ .` I was thinking the same thing.

When we arrived at the drawing room while talking like that, the three of us naturally sat down on the sofa.

When Layla and Aurelia’s eyes met, Aurelia nodded her head, as if approving of her something her.

And, when Lila accepted it, she took a large iron cage out of her bag and placed it on a large table in the middle of the parlor.

Inside, there was a ‘horned woman’s head’ with eyes closed as if asleep.

“This is… The devil’s head. Is it alive?”

“Yes. I put it to sleep with medicine and magic.

When Layla answered and snapped her fingers, a barrier of magic spread around her iron cage, covering it with magic.

At the same time, Kamala’s eyes blink, and her mind her returns.

“Here… Ah!? Master! You must have given me sleeping pills☆!?”

“It’s noisy… Demons naturally don’t sleep… Mrs. Tromeia. This guy is the demon Cleon has captured. It’s ‘Kamala’. She lost most of her magic power in her, so she ‘s bound by a pact. Now It’s safe.”

When Layla communicates that to Aurelia, Kamala follows Layla’s gaze and moves her head to look in the direction Aurelia is.

“Eh…? Who is that lady? Just looking at it, it looks like the couple hasn’t had a relationship in over 10 years-“

The moment Kamala had said that, Layla snapped her fingers again, and a drill-like object of her magic appeared from within her cage of her.

“Hey, wait! Joke joke! Succubus Joke♡ No, Master, don’t take it too seriously~!”

“It’s okay, Miss Layla. For now, it’s more important to get information out of this demon. Torture later.”

“Ah, later…? Doesn’t it stop? Heh, hehe…☆”

Kamala, who had brightened her face at Aurelia’s words, once again turned pale at her words.

“…I’m sorry. I should have made an additional pledge not to speak carelessly.”

“I heard that the oath is a big burden even for the practitioner. And, this level of provocation.

Layla and Cleon were silently exclaiming at her words.

“Now. Then… Kamala. You must be an evil demon who made a pact with Ishtal a long time ago and took root in this capital, right?”

“…”

“Answer me.”

When Kamala refuses to open her mouth to Aurelia’s question, Layla raises her hand as evidence of her oath her and commands.

Then, because of that oath, Kamala had no choice but to answer as prescribed.

“Keuug…☆ M-That’s right… I signed a contract with Ishtar unnie… I’ve been with her for quite a long time…”

“Then, let me ask you one thing. In the past, the coup d’état that was about to happen in this country… Wasn’t it you ‘Astarote’ who was behind it?”

At Aurelia’s question, Cleon and Lyla both widened their eyes.

A few weeks passed after she reported that she had caught the demon, but the two of them tried to make some predictions about what was the background to her saying that she wanted to talk directly.

Because the words that came out of Aurelia’s mouth were very different from what I expected.

And- her eyes her asking it.

The eyes of a caring yet strict mother towards Aruru.

Kind eyes that look at young people like Cleon and Lyla who lend their strength to protect the royal road.

Unlike that.

Cleon and Layla. The jet-black eyes that show no mercy when they turn to the enemy they need to defeat.

The current Aurelia was looking at Kamala with those eyes.

The murderous feeling felt there, like the point of a spear, made even Kamala, who had lived for a long time and possessed high-ranking magic, turn pale.

The spirit she exuded was such that if a normal person accepted it, she might be able to sit down on the spot.

‘This is the mistress of the Tromeia family… The silver spear that protects the kingdom from the shadows…’

All I heard from Cleon, Aruru, was her performance.

As a knight of her youth, she had said that her performance in the war against the Empire was comparable to that of her legendary heroes her.

“… Lila.”

“… Kamala, answer me.”

“Ah, ugh… Heh, hehe…☆ That’s… Half right, half wrong… Should I say…”

Kamala opened her mouth slowly, rolling her eyes, still pale. Because of her oath her, she had no choice but to open her mouth when Lyla commanded her to.

“Tell me in detail.”

“… Well, to be precise. Before I became ‘Astarothe’ like now… A little bit. I only helped with the coup… In the end, it failed…”

“… The queen’s younger brother at the time was the mastermind behind the coup. With the perception that you did something to him… That must be true.”

Unlike her usual laid-back Aurelia, she’s become a bit emotional and glares at Kamala with her hands clenched into fists.

Then, Kamala would blow up her information without Layla’s new instructions of her.

“Right, ah… Ishtal. With mind-manipulating magic… Let him rebel against-“

Next moment.

The silver dagger Aurelia drew from her bosom her was swung like lightning from her and aimed at Kamala’s forehead of her.

Sudden attack. Only Cleon was able to respond.

Fortunately, just before Cleon grabbed Aurelia’s arm, Aurelia also stopped her dagger right between her eyebrows her.

“Hee, hee…☆ Me, a mithril dagger… If you get stabbed with something like this, you’ll really be evicted…☆”

“…Mrs. Tromeia.”

Not minding her frightened Kamala, Cleon says quietly.

Aurelia also put her dagger firmly into her hand her, and then she sat back in her seat and threw the mithril dagger onto her desk her.

“What was your purpose?”

“Wow, if you cause chaos in the kingdom, Demiurge’s descent will be a little easier. … Said Ishtar-sister.”

“Demiurge… A great devil with power so strong that he is called a god… He summons such a thing to the royal capital. That’s why, for just that reason. How many innocent people…!”

Aurelia took her hand her and placed it on her own forehead, as if to vent her anger her.

Layla and Cleon looked at Aurelia with concern, but she was not without anger at what she heard from Kamala.

As a result of their rebellion, Amelia’s uncle was decapitated by Setos Tromeia. Her queen was imprisoned while pregnant died and giving birth to her baby.

… Amelia, too, inherited her uncle’s sins from her, and although she did not commit them herself, she was ridiculed by the people, and she was forced to live in a tower.

What if she found out about this.

Will she be vengeful, and will she unleash all of her powers as the Saint Princess to fight her demons without mercy?

It was not easy to imagine what Amelia would look like.

A long silence passed in the drawing room.

Aurelia, who had no more questions about Kamala, just kept her eyes down, intimidated by her continued life her.

And, it was Aurelia who broke the silence soon after.

“This demon… Has so many questions to ask. But. Now, I don’t think I can contain myself if I continue to listen.”

“Then-“

“Today… Let’s stop asking her her questions about her. Instead, we got some of the information the two of her wanted her.”

In her words her, Cleon and Layla. The eyes of the two twinkled.

Lila snapped her fingers right after her, and immediately Kamala closed her eyes and fell asleep as before.

Cleon said while covering the sound-blocking cloth.

“Scholar. Information about Tris Megistos.”

“That’s right. I had him go through all the ancient documents owned by the kingdom. Because he was a famous scholar, there were a lot of data left… But exactly where he studied. There was no data left about what happened in his later years.”

When Aurelia said that, Lyla nodded her head, and she said it couldn’t be helped.

“He’s a person from the primordial world. Actually, he left behind a strange amount of material, because there is a wall of thousands of years between us and him.”

“But. It wasn’t nothing.”

Aurelia then spoke to them.

“South of the royal capital. There is a valley called ‘Ceryl Beryl’ which is not well known to the general public.”

“…’Several valleys of beryl’? It’s not on the map…”

“Yes. It’s a kind of sanctuary… Should I say it? It’s a place that only a few people, including the royal family, know about in the.”

When Aurelia answered Cleon’s question like that, Layla’s eyes lit up as well.

“Which place is it?”

“As the name suggests, it is a valley where a river flows with beautiful emeralds surrounding it. There are people who live here, avoiding the eyes of people. According to the story, the canyon existed in the primordial world, and it is an artificial space created as a result of a kind of experiment. In addition to the energies of the water that flows through the land, it is characterized by extremely thick divine magic, so even monsters do not exist.”

Gorge. And, the town that exists in between.

Cleon was a little agitated after hearing such a story, but soon asked Aurelia a question.

“… Mrs. Tromeia, how did you know the existence of that place…”

“Who was my friend – Amelia’s mother… Chariel. Her ex-queen is from a clan in that valley. I’ve never been there myself, though I’ve heard from her.”

Cleon and Lyla were also silent.

“For more details, you can hear from her mother… In other words, Amelia’s grandmother. We met face-to-face once at Chariel’s wedding, and we haven’t seen each other since, but… You probably remember me. I’ll write you an invitation.”

As Cleon bows her head to thank her, Aurelia smiles as if it has just calmed her mind.

“Actually, it’s a place that even the royal family can’t set foot in. Unless it’s really the king… Of course, you will be warned. I don’t want to say this, but Cleon, a clan of dark horses, is even more so.”

“…”

Cleon’s expression her didn’t change much. To some extent, it was what she expected and prepared for.

However, Aurelia holds Cleon’s hand and speaks in her kind voice of hers.

“So, please take ‘Amelia’ with you so we can go inside.”

“…Amelia? But, she…”

As the Saint Princess, what I have to protect the royal road is-

Aurelia answered before Cleon could say that.

“As I told you earlier. It is impossible from the start for everyone to rely on one person to do the job. It’s the same for you…But it’s the same for Amelia. That child also constantly summons demons at night. She goes hunting… Indeed, is that the right thing to do? Anyway, a legendary crusader. She’s said to wield power to protect the people of the royal capital… But she’s a little over 10 years old.”

Cleon listened to her and quietly nodded her head.

There was nothing wrong with her words.

“Besides. It’ll be the first time she’s meeting her grandmother. She’ll be delighted with her too.”

“And one more thing. Due to the location, the ‘water vein’ we were trying to purify was most likely just the middle part flowing from that valley… Since it was said to be a place that is not generally disclosed. If the source is not cut off, the situation will end. It’s not getting better, so it’s just fine.”

At Lyla’s words, Cleon nodded.

“I’ll set off as soon as I’m ready… Thank you, ma’am.”

“That’s what I have to say… I’ve risen to a position like this, and I’ve been forced to attract people’s attention more than necessary… I haven’t been able to properly give Amelia the kind of adult care she needs… But, if you are.”

Aurelia looked at Cleon and Lyla as she spoke.

The guilt she felt, Amelia wouldn’t think so at all.

But, even as an adult. As her mother’s friend her.

If only I could have taken care of her more freely and kindly.

With that in mind, I grabbed Cleon’s hand her tightly.

The feelings transmitted through her hands were obviously precious to Amelia.