Chapter 785 – Absence Case Log -9-

000

The first thing Ilenu and the others did when they returned to Asteris’ mansion was to check if there was anything wrong with Emma’s body.

Since the criminals who kidnapped her were vampires, it was natural to be cautious, but fortunately, the vampires didn’t seem to do much harm to Emma.

One of the more annoying abilities that vampires have is that, of course, subjugating them through blood sucking is terrible, but they also have the ability to imply hypnosis or brainwashing through the use of unique dark magic.

Illenu herself could not and did not want to use it, but Initrad Dan was famous in the underworld for using any means necessary to complete its mission, so she had no choice but to be wary.

Anyway, just thankful that her Emma was safe, Illenu laid her down on her bed and took out her magical tools from her bag.

Now, if it hadn’t been for it, which had become as quiet as an ordinary tool again, I wouldn’t have had any idea where Emma had gone, and I would have had to wander around the hideouts of other Initrad groups without even knowing anything about the Holy Kingdom of Kabalon.

She is still a mysterious person, but this time, she had no choice but to be grateful to that magician.

Illenu carefully placed the magic tool on the small dresser next to the bed where Emma was lying.

No matter what happens, if you have this magical tool, you may be able to protect Emma.

That thought was not an expectation, but closer to certainty.

＂Ilenu.＂

Illenu, who had unconsciously lost consciousness as he looked at Emma’s face sleeping as if she knew nothing and the fatigue that came as the tension was released, suddenly came to his senses and turned his head when he heard a voice calling him from behind.

Then, there was Artis, leaning against the door with his arms crossed, looking at him.

＂Ah… Sorry.＂

“No. If you are tired, lie down in bed and rest properly. Since the body is a mixture of human and vampire, it is certain that the threshold is higher than that of us pure humans. In a mental sense, you are closer to a human… No, you are the same as a human.”

When Artis spoke with some care, Illenu nodded and stood up from where she was sitting.

“What about contact with Cleon?”

“No. I can’t reach it from here. I never heard that a place called Helix is ​​that far away.”

In response to Attis’ question, Illenu replied that even if he tried to reach out his hand towards Cleon’s magical response according to the imprint engraved on him, he would be repelled as if there was a huge barrier between them.

“Helix… Helix is ​​on the western side of the continent. It’s definitely farther than the royal capital. To communicate with a place like that, you need a way to amplify the magic signal.”

Artis said that he had no choice but to borrow the power of that kind of magic tool, but Ilenu shook her head as she looked at Artis.

“If you don’t come back right away, it means that something happened on Cleon’s side as well. … I don’t feel like always getting his help to solve problems because it feels like I’m dependent on him.”

“Indeed… He won’t be by your side anytime, anywhere. It is the same now and in the future.”

Cleon is an adventurer, and a great destiny that even they are not aware of hangs on his shoulders.

It is no wonder when and where he leaves, and it is impossible to call him out and stop him.

It was Ilenuga, who had first carried out a mission with Cleon, and who had separated from him after subjugating his father, who knew him best.

After coming to Asteris, I initially refused to accept Cleon’s help, but I was wary that once I started receiving help, I would unknowingly become dependent on him and his colleagues.

When she came to her senses, Illenu felt that it had really happened, and was caressing the place where the imprint of domination had been engraved on her.

“Anyway, get some rest. There is still one day left until the appointed time with Knight Commander Vedika. If you don’t get into the best condition by then, it’ll be hard to deal with Initrad Dan, right?”

Looking at Artis’s adult attitude, Ilenu sensed that she definitely had the virtue of being a professor teaching someone, and she nodded her head calmly.

001

＂It’s too much!＂

Bang! As she tried to put her hands on the table, Selena quietly put her hands on the table, thinking that it might be too rude, then raised her head again and shouted at Diora.

“No, but the situation was urgent… I didn’t want to do anything that would provoke Initrad for no reason.”

“Even so! What kind of nerve do you have to stun someone by striking them in the neck!?”

After regaining her sanity after Diora snatched her hand, she went to Diora’s tent as soon as she woke up in the morning and interrogated him while he was reading a book about being a vampire.

“Now. Calm down. Would you like to quietly tell the whole story about what happened yesterday?”

＂Trying to change the story again…! But I will listen!”

As Selena puffed out her cheeks and gave off a sulky look, Diora turned over the book she was reading and placed it on her desk.

And, Selena was guided with her fingertips as if to sit on the bed inside her tent.

Selena trudges along with her arms crossed and straddles her butt on the bed, taking care not to let her skirt get out of whack.

Her every action, not taking out her anger on things, made me feel like I had received an education from a good family.

Then, Diora cleared her throat and started telling her story as if she were reading a fairy tale.

＂Once upon a time… There lived a girl named Emma in Asteris… ＂

＂It’s an old story…?＂

＂Listen quietly…＂

And then Diora’s one-person theater begins.

With realistic acting and excellent description, he conveyed to Selena what happened in Asteris yesterday.

The storytelling made you feel as if a bard was reciting an epic poem, and Selena found herself immersed in Diora’s story without even realizing it.

There is no time for detailed descriptions in the text, so I will omit them.

“… That’s how Emma returned to her mansion with Illenu. End of story.”

＂Hehe… It was a touching story… ＂

“No, the situation has not been resolved yet, so problems remain.”

After listening to her whole story, while watching Selena wiping her eyes with her handkerchief, Diora tells Selena that she is overreacting even though she told the story.

“Indeed. In order to capture Ini Traddan, did she end up collaborating with a place called the Holy Nation of Kabalon?”

“For now, that’s how it is. Honestly, I have a feeling that the queen and fanatics of that holy country would be more troublesome than Initrad Dan.”

“If you just listen to the story, you will agree. However, when comparing Initrad with that side that has not yet caused any problems, I think it is the right decision to first deal with Initrad, which has been doing things that are no different from a criminal organization for a long time.”

After saying that, Selena suddenly looked at the mountain of books that Diora had read and piled up next to the desk and blinked her eyes two or three times.

“Indeed. So, Dio was reading books about vampires like that… If that’s the amount, she must have slept properly!?”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Because my body can’t survive even if I don’t sleep for a day. Because it’s a dragon knight.”

“The term ‘Dragon Knight’ is used as a synonym for superhuman… Well, it’s fortunate if you don’t overdo it…”

＂It’s because I’m careful not to overdo things~＂

Although Diora spoke so carelessly, Selena seemed to be contemplating something with her hand on her chin.

“Is it okay if I participate in tonight’s operation?”

“Eh. … Are you coming?”

“It’s obvious! Speaking of Cleon’s colleagues, they are also my colleagues, so it’s natural to help! And even if you are not a colleague, it is the duty of a daughter of the Regent family and a court wizard to seek goodness from injustice.”

Although she didn’t think that a court mage was a hero of justice, Selena once again tried to convince Diora, who looked worried.

“Although light magic is different from holy magic, it can attack vampires who are weak to light like direct sunlight from the sun, so the fight will be very easy!”

＂But…＂

Diora also evaluated Selena’s magic of light, so it would be true that she would be reliable in battle if she supported her, but she also seemed to feel that her reckless personality was a problem.

“I will no longer run out on my own or shout loudly in the sky! Are you okay? Yes?”

＂… If you go that far…＂

As if she had no choice, Diora nodded her head and allowed Selena to participate.

And she had no idea that this decision would be a major turning point in matters related to Initrad and the Holy Nation of Kabalon.

002

Time passed quickly, and it was the night that Selena received Diora’s permission to join the war.

The party moved quickly in the dark, avoiding the eyes of Initrad Dan, who was hiding in the city, and headed to the hideout in the north, following the map received from Vedika.

The place we arrived was in front of a cave that looked huge at first glance.

There, the knights of the Holy Knights, including Vedika, were lined up armed and waiting for the group to arrive.

What was noticeable was the ashes of vampire remains scattered around and their weapons.

‘Now that I think about it, I wasn’t in the mood to ask yesterday, so I couldn’t ask… Are these guys able to exterminate vampires even without sucking them?’

＂Are you here? There are five of them.”

Ilenu glanced at the scene, but when Vedika greeted her, she turned around.

“What. Yes. The knights there…”

＂There are 20 elite people. The knights are all made up of strong and loyal people, but since there may be a leader of the Initrad Order, we did not bring in those who lack practical experience yet.”

I think the number of knights I saw in the underground Holy Kingdom was at least 50, but I only brought about half of that number.

Of course, if too many people are taken out, it will become impossible to escort the queen or monitor the assistants, so Ilenu nods, thinking it is an appropriate decision.

And she also looked back at her group.

Illenu’s party is Diora, Schrödinger, Selena, and Kanan.

Pamela, Berlin, and members of the Banguidae remained at Pamela’s mansion to prevent any possible burglaries.

Of course, Emma was with them too.

＂A person who is more polite than I expected has arrived…? From what I heard this morning, I thought they were all people who sympathized with radical ideas.”

Selena whispers to Diora, but Diora nods her head and speaks to her.

“You said that the knight commander is someone you can communicate with.”

＂Keuhum.＂

Selena may have said that she was whispering, but she gave a shocked and shocked look when she cleared her throat, as if she could hear everything.

＂D, is that what you were hearing!?＂

“Because your voice is unnecessarily loud…”

Schrödinger reprimands Selena, but before her mission begins, Vedica, who did not want to create a bad atmosphere, looks inside the cave.

“I found out by capturing and interrogating the gatekeeper, but it is said that the leader of Initrad is inside.”

Then, Illenu responded with a huff and crossed her arms.

“You succeeded in guessing 1/2, right? Should I call it luck?”

“It is clear that the mission will become dangerous, so we cannot just assume that. … It’s going to be a tough fight. Are you ready? “

＂Of course.＂

When Ilenu answered like that, Vedika also nodded and drew her weapon.

At the same time, when the subordinate knights drew their swords, it could be seen that the handle of their swords had a slightly unusual shape.

It had something like a red stone embedded in it and was pulsating like some kind of living thing.

＂… That sword-＂

＂It is a sacred sword handed down to the Knights Templar. It’s called the Living Sword.”

‘No matter how you look at it, it looks like a cursed sword… Could it be the secret to killing vampires?’

Illenu thought so and pulled out her holy sword.

＂That magical power… That is a holy sword too.＂

“It’s a bit unexpected to be called ‘that way’.” This is real.”

＂Heh.＂

Vedica smiled slightly at Illenu’s words and looked back at the knights.

“… The number of people has increased, but we proceed as usual. Quietly and quickly. Our goal is the annihilation of the vampire mercenary group Initrad and the elimination of its leader.”

The knights responded to Vedika’s instructions with a sharp and silent salute.

“Let’s go. For the well-being of Her Majesty the Queen and the Holy Kingdom. Burn your lives.”

With that slogan, the party and the knights walked into the cave.