Chapter 729 – As Expected and Unexpected

000

Based on the information he received from Berlin, Cleon had a lot to think about, but first, he needed to tell Selena about the Flying Fortress and the Exile Church’s plans, so he said goodbye to them at an appropriate time.

Just before they parted ways, Bayerlin said that if the plan to stop them went wrong, she would tell them right away because she had to evacuate Pamela. It seems that Vajra’s power was a threat to the vampire siblings as well.

However, after hearing such a story, Pamela said to Baylin that she should stay in the city and do what she can.

Of course, as Cleon, she thought it would be better to evacuate if she could.

Carl, Hero of the Sky, and Fragarach, the holy sword with the same title.

Considering the rule that a holy sword whose owner is killed runs away, Carol is also alive somewhere, or after she died naturally at the end of her life, the ownership was transferred to the Exiled Church.

Also, I’m also concerned about the story about Quartz, who is said to have been a colleague of Carol’s.

However, at this point, it was difficult to delve any further into their past and present as it was impossible to talk directly with the people responsible.

If there was a hint about them somewhere, we could better prepare for the flying fortress.

With those regretful thoughts in mind, Cleon headed to the Asteris Kingdom military base.

Using the magic of preventing recognition, she knew that she could not be seen as Cleon, so she confidently walked inside, even greeting the people around her, and no one would stop her.

＂Thanks for your hard work.＂

So, when he walked around talking as if he was a high-ranking person in the military, there were soldiers who would salute Cleon.

“… Do you know who that person is?”

＂That… It’s him, right? The company next door…”

Of course, Cleon is not that person, so those two

＇… Is it okay with this kind of security? ＇

Although I was thankful for it, I couldn’t help but feel a little anxious when I thought that their job was to protect the safety of the kingdom’s citizens.

Anyway, as I walked around the garrison as if it were the yard of my own home, among the tents lined up, there was one with an even more sparkly golden flag waving.

… Even from the outside, even though it was made of white cloth, there was no trace of dirt at all, and it was richly decorated with gold embroidery, so it looked luxurious like a royal tent, and on top of it was the emblem of the Regent family. It was drawn.

It was very easy to tell who the owner of the tent was just by looking at her, so it seemed like they would be grateful for the information if they had a terrorist plan in place for her.

Cleon approached the tent, quietly cleared his throat outside the entrance, and was about to open his mouth.

＂Cleon? “How did you get here?”

At the same time as Selena’s voice is heard from inside, the curtain at her entrance opens, revealing Selena in casual clothes.


However, since the casual dress was a dress with a fancy design, no different from that of any other noble lady, one could only get the impression that she was, after all, the daughter of a duke’s family.

The striking red and purple dress contrasted with her blue eyes and golden hair, creating a gap of sorts.

“… How did you know?”

＂Among the magic powers I’ve sensed recently, it’s a magic power I’m not used to, so I figured it out. Hmph. “

She’s a little smug.

Although she was buried because of her usual behavior and the impact of her drill head, there was no doubt that she was also a genius magician.

“I see, it’s amazing.”

“Well, of course this is it? She’s Selena Regent, she didn’t go to the Academy, but she’s definitely confident that if she had gotten into the Academy she would have competed for the senior spot with Lyla Flame Watch over there~! Ohhohoho~!”

She covers her mouth with her hand and laughs.

＂Hot! I ended up laughing out loud without realizing it. But Cleon? “You didn’t answer my question earlier?”

“Question? … Ah, how did we get here?”

She is looking at her with her big eyes, and when her Cleon is wondering for a moment what to say to her, she looks at her Cleon from her head to her toes with those big eyes and then speaks.

＂Oh my, is it a perception-disrupting spell? Indeed, the soldiers who came with us on this expedition are ordinary kingdom troops, so it is inevitable that they do not have much tolerance or knowledge about magic.”

Cleon nodded as she spoke as if he understood her method in an instant.

Then, Selena looked around her, and as she flicked one of her drilled heads down on either side of her own head, she grabbed Cleon’s wrist and dragged him inside her tent.

The inside of her tent was exactly as I had imagined, as if a room had been taken from a nobleman’s mansion and installed.

This is the story except that the surrounding walls are tent cloth.

A luxurious and huge red carpet spread on the floor, a luxurious bed prepared for her, and a desk piled with various magic books.

Aside from him, can her tent, which is fully furnished, really be called a tent?

When Cleon is thinking about such things, Selena is talking while looking at her Cleon.

“Were you okay yesterday? She suddenly realized that she was kidnapped by a dragon. Diora chased after her even though she was struggling.”

“Ah. As you can see, it’s fine. Even Dio must have returned to his tent safely yesterday.”

If her predictions are correct, she probably won’t be able to wake up until late today.

“I know. Last night, she suddenly felt a huge magical pressure that appeared in Asteris. To be able to create such magical pressure is impossible even on this continent unless you are at the level of a dragon.”

Her head hurt because of the pressure of that magic power. Selena continues.

Indeed, did she also experience the phenomenon that Lila talked about?

“I see. It flew right in front of Diora’s tent, so of course Selena, you must have felt that magical pressure.”

Selena nods her head at Cleon’s words. But soon she answered with a sigh.

“Anyway, I still can’t believe it… Diora is that Lord Drake. No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t match in her head…”

Come to think of it, while listening to Diora’s story about her past at the teahouse yesterday, she realized for the first time that Diora was Drake…

Certainly, Diora, wearing Drake’s armor, feels like an intimidating alien being, as her voice is also modulated and the shape of the armor makes the lines of her body completely invisible.

Moreover, with her overwhelming force combined with her menacing spear skills, one would never guess that what is inside her is a woman.

Thanks to this, Selena still looked confused, but Cleon shrugged her shoulders and answered.

“What. I think so too… But I say that’s the way it is, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”

＂She really can’t help it… Besides, she, she says, is part of a group called Babel that is trying to overthrow the monarchy? A person like that is a knight who protects the royal family.”

Selena shook her head as if she couldn’t understand, but she felt the same way about Cleon, so she sympathized.

“But thanks to that, I didn’t have to risk my life and death with you. If Diora hadn’t been there, one of us would have been dead or close to it by now.”

Once the kingdom forces, including Selena, arrived, it would have been impossible for her to completely escape their pursuit no matter how hard she tried to hide.

So, through Diora’s suggestion, it was a decisive move to form an understanding relationship with Selena with the same purpose.

“Am I truly grateful for that part? Cleon is not a lolicon rapist villain like I heard, but a proper warrior. And thank you for letting me know that she is a respectable adventurer.”

“… Wait, that’s what you were thinking of me?”

I guess that’s the reputation of the kingdom’s people who don’t know the truth about Cleon.

It seemed certain that disappearing with Princess Amelia had given him the stigma of being a lolicon.

“Of course, it’s just a rumor. If you meet in person and learn the truth, your perception will definitely change.”

So, looking at her as if asking for her to be patient, Cleon could only shrug his shoulders.

He also appealed that he does not care much about such reputation.

“… Are you okay? Because I don’t really care.”

When Cleon said that, Selena nodded her head and spoke to him.

“If Cleon says so.”

She nodded, saying, ‘Yes, yes.’ While enjoying the lingering sound of Cleon’s words.

But finally, something clicked in her mind.

“… Huh, I stopped talking midway. So Cleon? What brought you here today?”

Finally, the opportunity has come to speak as I originally intended.

As Cleon thought so, he also told her about the secret weapon of her exiled church, Vajra.

001

“The bombing of a city with so many civilians is unforgivable~~!”

Selena listens to Cleon’s large-scale story and shows exactly the reaction Cleon expected.

Then, as Selena manages to catch herself from running straight outside, Cleon talks to her.

“Calm down. I told you, it’s impossible to destroy the fortress.”

＂But…＂

＂If we stop them from attacking, a lot of things will happen depending on the results. What we have to do is to prevent the region called Asteris from becoming a page in the history books.”

＂Ssssscht too

Selena does not forcibly shake off Cleon’s hand and becomes calm.

If Cleon hadn’t caught him, would he have flown all the way to the sea off Eratus like he said?

I was a little afraid of her actions, but I was glad that she seemed to have calmed down somehow.

“… I understand. But after all, the massacre of civilians is absolutely unacceptable. No matter what happens, this Selena Regent will make sure not a single innocent citizen gets hurt, so you can rest assured.”

Speaking of it being her own noblesse her oblige her, it had such a noble purpose that it felt as if her dazzling halo her was shining behind her.

Diora was an attractive woman with a gap like Diora’s, but even with her slightly over-the-top attitude of Selena and her stereotypical drill head her, she was a noblewoman so good that she was almost a perfect specimen.

If Aruru and Diora, the daughters and next heads of the two duke families, are all like this, then the kingdom they will lead in the future will surely be ideal nobles who put citizens first.

However, while the king of this country was strongly ruled by Adam, he continued to hide the truth from the citizens and offer up the people as sacrifices for Adam.

＇… If it were Amelia, it wouldn’t be like that.’

If Amelia becomes the queen of the kingdom, Cleon thinks she might be the ideal king.

Of course, it is not the seat that makes the person, but it is important to sit in a place where people fit in.

Amelia is still young and will need assistance from those around her.

However, the side she shows on a daily basis and the thoughtfulness she shows will definitely be for the benefit of the citizens.

＂Cleon?＂

So, when Selena, who sensed that Cleon was thinking about something because she suddenly became quiet, called his name her, Cleon suddenly came to her senses and turned to look at her.

“I was surprised that you suddenly closed your mouth. Anyway, I know about the flying fortress, but I think I need more information about the Sky Champion and the Sky Holy Sword. If he has been brainwashed and is collaborating with the Exiled Church, it is clear that by removing the brainwashing he will become a powerful ally!”

“… I think so too. There are almost no records left about Carol, the Hero of the Sky…”

If there had been information left, we would have been able to track his whereabouts and take more definitive measures.

However, upon hearing Cleon’s answer, Selena blinked her eyes and tilted her head as she spoke.

“Is it okay to ask the church?”

“… There’s no way you can answer. They are our enemies.”

When Cleon spoke as if asking what he was saying, Selena tilted her head again for a moment, then exclaimed ‘Ah!’ And spoke to Cleon.

“You said it was the Church of the Protection of the Saints, not the Church of Expulsion.”

＂… Ah, that’s it.＂

Generally, when we say ‘church’ on the continent, it refers to the Church of the Guardianship of the Saint, but as Cleon has only recently become associated with the Church of Expulsion, the formula of Church = Church of Expulsion has been established in his head.

Actually, I wouldn’t say that she’s on very good terms with him.

＂The Church of Saint’s Protection is serious about securing warriors, holy swords, and saints. And if they are recognized as warriors and even have a title attached to them, then the Saint’s Protection Church will definitely have information about them.”

＂Indeed… Is this information about the hero that only the church knows? If that’s the case, there might be a key to finding out what happened to Carol.”

The problem is that they are now unable to enter the church archives in the royal capital, which can be said to be the headquarters of the church…

＇… No, maybe… It’s possible?’

As Cleon thought carefully, he thought he needed to find a little more method, and came up with a route as if he was putting together the faces of a Rubik’s Cube that popped into his head.

“You’ve entered your own world again. While talking…”

Selena let out a sigh as she said that.

Since she was so concerned about resolving the situation, she thought that it was inevitable.

“Anyway, since it happened like that, I think I need to check if I can use a barrier magic that can block Vajra’s attacks… I’m going to create a ceremony now, so could you take a look at it?”

“Huh? Ah. Yeah, I understand. If I can help…”

“It won’t work,” Added Cleon at the moment when she was about to approach the desk where she was going to sit.

At that time, the sound of music was heard from somewhere.

When Cleon was confused by the sudden sound of old-fashioned classical music, Selena, who was equally embarrassed, searched for something in her bag.

And what she took out was a hand-sized stone tablet-shaped magic tool that was made by processing her communication crystal and was capable of two-way voice communication.

When she lifts her square to her ear with her sigh, her voice, heard only by her, will be heard from beyond her.

“Ah, yes. Hey, are you at peace? Of course, I’m doing well here~. Yes. Yes. The residents are friendly, and the city is clean and safe. Yes. “You don’t have to worry.”

Apparently, the person on the other end of the line was Selena’s superior, and Selena seemed a little embarrassed and answered with a trembling voice.

＂Yes… Ah, yes… Ah, this, you mean the mission? Oh, of course, everything goes smoothly! I think I’ll be able to give you some good news soon! Ohhohohohohoho~!”

Just now, it was hard to believe that these words were coming from the girl who was trying to research magic with the target of the mission.

＂So, please rest assured and wait a little longer… Yes!? Now, wait a minute…!”

However, as if the answer from across her was not all positive, Selena pulled her ear away from her magic tool, tapping it a few times, then turned to face Cleon.

＂… Above, something dangerous is coming…＂

＂… Why are you doing that?＂

She looks at Cleon and speaks with a hollow laugh as if she has lost her mind.

“… Your mother is coming! Mother! You’re coming right around the corner!? Uh, what should I do…!”

＂Haa!?＂