54. Only the Two of Us
Afterward, by the time Nilu and I had successively issued “orders” to the remaining candidates for the Saintess, compelling them to forget the recent series of events related to the “selection of a new Saintess,” and dismissed them to leave in a normal manner, it was already quite late.
The fatigue from issuing “orders” did not stem from the power used by the fire fairy, Kiyas, but rather from my constant need to adjust the script, ensuring the content of the “orders” was complete to prevent any future slip-ups. Even though I was exhausted, I couldn’t simply rest; after all, there was a significant problem awaiting my attention—namely, the matter of Lady Jader and her father, whom I had earlier instructed the patrol team to detain. I had kept them under house arrest, but I had no way to resolve the secret of the “Saintess candidates” that had already spread.
At this moment, evening.
When Nilu and I hurried to the location where the two were confined by the Great Yng Empire’s patrol team, I found that my Lady Jader and her father had long since lost the arrogance they had displayed in the morning when they regarded me as just a “trivial pawn.” However, perhaps due to their way of thinking, they still couldn’t comprehend my true identity. The moment they saw us, Lady Jader nearly lunged at me.
“Who on earth are you!? How can you make these knights of the Great Yng Empire listen to you!?”
What do you think, Lady Jader? To put it bluntly, even Her Majesty the Queen of the Great Yng Empire has to heed my words; how could her subordinates not follow me?
In contrast to Jader’s impatience, her father at least retained a hint of judgment. He must have realized something during his day of confinement, as his attitude toward me had subtly shifted to one of flattery.
“Shh! Can’t you be quiet, you troublesome girl!”
He first scolded Jader, then his demeanor toward me was far from the aggressive stance he had taken in the morning. “The things from this morning were all misunderstandings; my daughter is just too impulsive…”
Under normal circumstances, I might have listened to him a bit. For issues that could be resolved through the script, I didn’t want to resort to dangerous and forceful measures. But this time, I simply couldn’t manage it, nor did I have the mood for it.
Lady Jader, who could have just followed the “order” and left without a fuss, insisted on playing the princess card, while her father stubbornly wanted to expose the matter of the Saintess candidates, aiming for a mutual destruction with the church, showing a complete lack of intelligence. The trouble they had caused made it difficult for me to muster any good feelings to face or listen to them.
“Kiyas, come out!”
Kiyas, seemingly startled by my demeanor, flew out trembling.
“First, make them forget everything that happened today, then find out who they told the news to.”
“Y-yes! [Order]!” This time, Kiyas didn’t dare to argue with me and immediately used her ability to quiet the noisy pair.
Nilu, sensing my mood, quietly came to my side to offer comfort.
“Your Majesty, there’s no need to be angry over insignificant humans.”
“Not at all…”
I clenched my fists in silence.
It was just that I felt a bit annoyed with the two of them. This esteemed gentleman held a position within the church’s “faction” and was somewhat aware of the identities of members from other factions. It was understandable for Professor Moriarty to take advantage of him for some benefits. Rather than complain about the professor’s actions, what bothered me more was why this esteemed gentleman had to think about the matter of the “Saint Candidate” and was even prepared to recklessly throw a set of Seven Injuries Fist.
Helpless, given the circumstances, I could only continue to deal with the situation, sealing the lips of those whom the esteemed gentleman had revealed secrets to, one by one.
Moments later, Jias returned to Nilu’s sight, and Nilu’s response came along with the appearance of a script.
“Your Majesty, Jias has found out that these two humans indeed leaked recent information, and a few acquaintances and relatives are already aware.”
[The esteemed gentleman has disclosed the church’s recent secrets.]
The script appeared, confirming Nilu’s earlier words. The esteemed gentleman’s careless revelation of secrets could very well stir up turmoil within the church, which had only just stabilized. Thus, I had no choice but to follow the individuals Jias had identified through her “command” and deal with them one by one.
Naturally, this meant I would have to temporarily leave the church headquarters, and it would also be a hassle for Nilu to accompany me, after all, Jias was her fairy.
Once Nilu had used her “command” to overwrite the memories of both Jader and the esteemed gentleman, and watched as they collapsed, losing consciousness, I spoke up.
“Nilu, the information has been leaked. Can you… come with me to leave the church headquarters and find those who are in the know, then let Jias handle them?”
The only way to prevent the secret from leaking further was to have Jias “command” an overwrite, and it had to be done quickly. Who knew if those in the know would spread the information again? Once a secret spreads, it ceases to be a secret and becomes gossip.
“Of course, no problem.”
Before I could finish my sentence, Nilu had already agreed, her quick response making me wonder if she had been waiting for my words.
“The best way to handle such matters is with Jias. I will certainly accompany you the entire way.”
That’s right, as long as Jias could “command” the target’s “memories” to be altered, and if done properly, the other party would likely never remember the incident, only the content of the “command.”
…
Yes, they would only remember the content of the command, and that content would certainly not reflect their true intentions.
“…”
I turned my gaze, resting it on Nilu’s face.
Noticing my somewhat “daring” action, Nilu was momentarily taken aback, then smiled in response: “What’s the matter, Mr. O’Keefe? You don’t need to worry about me. I’m more than happy to be with you, and I even hope you’ll give me this opportunity.”
“It’s nothing. It’s getting late; let’s leave and rest. We’ll prepare for tomorrow, and then we’ll quickly set off to ‘silence’ the informants. Nilu, you’re coming with me.”
Trouble had arisen, and it had to be Nilu. Plus, since Kephiel had somewhat reconciled with Nilu before, I figured that even if I suggested leaving with Nilu to handle the aftermath, Kephiel would likely agree without hesitation.
It was only natural, a matter of course…
“Nilu, this time it’ll just be the two of us.”
I added, then rubbed my forehead and left the area where Jada and Jader were.
Nilu immediately followed, not making any affectionate gestures, just respectfully trailing half a step behind me, responding earnestly.
“Of course, as long as it’s just you and me, Mr. O’Keefe, that’s enough.”