Chapter 229: Agreements and Promises

My stomach rumbled.

It wasn't me, it was Orcian.

This is inside the camp curtain set up by the Levios Army after the defeat of the second demonic beast. Although it is noisy outside due to the aftermath, the rectangular space separated by a cloth partition is reasonably quiet.

Therefore, I could hear her very clearly when she complained of hunger.

At first, I ignored it out of concern. But since she has been grumbling repeatedly since a while ago, I feel rather bad that I don't talk about it, as if she is rather conscious of it.

I look at her sitting opposite me and our eyes meet at the most inopportune moment.

'…… Want me to get you some breakfast?'

………..Yes.”

The first time I saw her, she looked a little embarrassed.

I'm sure you've heard.

Ha.

One of the guards went out of the curtain at my instruction.The only ones left were me, Orsian, and a few of Quardenze's guards, including his second-in-command.

I pick up a cup that is placed on a small temporary table in front of me.

“Can't I go outside?”

No.”

He puts down the cup with a clinking sound. The purpose of this is to emphasize the denial and show that there is no room for negotiation.

We, who should be the first class in the defeat of the demonic beasts, cannot leave the scene immediately.

We had to finish the meeting and take over the work site. It would be insane to just take them down and leave quickly, and it could become a liability issue. It would be like returning to the bench after hitting a home run without going around the bases, or forgetting to step on the bases. In order to leave no room for the Levios family to appeal for the defeat this time, at least two of us, me and Orsian, need to stay here.

If we leave her alone, she is likely to go off somewhere in a daze in her spare time.

Many citizens of King's Landing have come to see the show after learning of the defeat of the demonic beast. If the princess goes out dressed like that, she'll be nothing but a lascivious bitch.”

A princess wearing a dress covered in scars is an exciting element in itself.

Orcian's costume was more violently disheveled and ripped than when she was in the royal castle. Her skirt has deep slits, and depending on her pose, a large portion of her thighs may be visible. And her muddy feet were still bare. Way, she looks like a princess after being raped.

The military officers of the Levios strike team had taken this into consideration and set up a curtain, but she seemed to think that just wearing a borrowed cloak would be enough. Sure, it hides her breasts, but they're not big enough to be hidden…….

I'm not a slut.

I don't know about that. People who accuse others of being naughty, naughty, naughty are actually the naughtiest …….

I'm not naughty!

The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your money is to be a little bit more careful.

The most important thing to remember is that you can't just go out and get a new outfit.I'm not as bad as Orcian, but my nightgown is partially damaged from my violent movements.I can't let the citizens of King's Landing see me dressed like this.

……Totally, the clothes I have worked so hard to tailor are in tatters.

The only thing that is important to me is that I know how many gold and silver coins went into this outfit, so I am filled with a sense of waste.

I can't help it, I fought a demonic beast.”

Although Orcian is unconcerned, there is no doubt that her dress her cost just as much money as the rest of her outfit.The Grand Duke of Mirendorva must have spent a lot of money on it, but alas, it will not be repaired but made over again.

Either way, there was no point in dwelling on it now.

'Well,' he said, 'I'm glad we got it down.

Yeah.

The second hexenbiest, once again, I'm glad we were able to defeat it.

The actual “I'm not sure what to do with it, but I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you. Not only me, but the military officers, knights, and my father thought the same thing. It was true, because the magic-possessing type was a type of fighting that I had never heard of.

The Levios side may not have had enough proof to determine this, but as long as they were not assured, it was only natural to suspect a falsehood. After they withdrew from the fight and everything was over, they said, “I checked it carefully and it was a normal mature demonic beast. I was mistaken and said something unintelligible like “Magic-possessing type. I'm sorry.

I would not say half, but about 30% or 40% of the time, I thought it was probably a lie. In short, I was quite skeptical. I was quite surprised to see that it really did react as if it possessed magical power .

On the other hand, I trusted the information that he was equivalent to the fourth rank of the threat class.This information had been made known to all the nobles in the castle.If the total amount of magical power is not accurate, the ability of Levios's army to defeat the monsters will be questioned.

And if it was a matured magical beast of the fourth rank of the general threat class, a magical attack instead of a sorcery attack would not be so frightening. Was long-range and wide-range, it would be less powerful and less likely to cause serious damage. In other words, as long as they fought at a distance, they would be relatively safe.

What the deputy was concerned about was if the Levios army was more incompetent and underestimated than he had imagined, and the second magical beast was a threat equivalent to the third rank. This is the reason why the second-in-command was tense, saying that in some cases, they would retreat immediately.

The reason why they were able to take Orcian's invitation and carry out the assault attack was because of the conclusion reached by the Quardenze side. Taking into account the information disclosed at the castle, the opinions obtained from the Levios military officer acting as liaison, the status of the engagement with the Levios defeat squad, the visual confirmation by about 100 military officers belonging to the instant unit, and the reaction after the first blow, it was reasonable to assume that the second magical beast had an amazing rank of 4th. It was a good thing

And it was not clear whether he could have played a leading role in the defeat if he had attacked from a distance. In any case, the Levios strike team had repeatedly made what could be called reckless assaults. To show a certain amount of bravery as well.

We were happy that we were able to defeat them with our own hands.

Wilk, aren't you curious about what's outside?

From the other side of the cloth, I could hear the voices of many people shouting all the time.

I'm curious,” He says.

Yay, let's go outside together! I'm sorry she's so eager to say that, but I'm more concerned about something else.

I'm sorry to say this, but I was wondering about something else: “Are the attackers close by?”

Since I have been asking her the same thing in between conversations since a while ago, Orcian only replies in a tedious manner.

That again? I told you, I'm fine. He's not anywhere near here.

One of the reasons he was able to escape from the castle was because of the detection magic he used.

To be frank, my father is overprotective. He is trying to keep me out of harm's way as much as possible.

It's no surprise, but my father knows how much magic I have. He must think it is unlikely that I will be defeated, even if the enemy is the main ancestor. Still, I am worried.

If I were to die, the most likely candidates would be either to die on the battlefield because I let my guard down, or to die inadvertently due to some kind of miscalculation. M going to do it.

In order to prevent this from happening, it would be good if there was someone who could take my place and warn me of my surroundings or admonish me for being careless.I think that Operation Serpent Fang was allowed to go into battle because of the ample Support expected from the elite troops from Quardenze that would accompany me. Of course, there must have been a part of him that thought that some risk was unavoidable in order to protect his grandfather.

Considering this, it was easy to get approval for the mission this time.

After all, the attackers of the main ancestor had appeared, and detection magic was practically unusable in the royal gardens. The nobility's appearance also meant that they could not just run away and scatter as they pleased. Even if they were able to join up with the guards, they were still only followers, and it was doubtful how useful they would be in the face of the Lord Ancestor's surprise attack.

The solution to these concerns was Orcian.This girl uses her own detection magic and is able to detect the presence of magical beings without any problem, even in a place where the ancestors are numerous.It was much safer to work with her in terms of preventing a surprise attack by the ancestors. As long as I know she is lurking, I can unilaterally kill the enemy.

To prepare for the Lord Ancestor's surprise attack with a small number of guards in a situation where detection magic cannot be used, or to go to defeat a mature magical beast of the fourth rank of the estimated threat class while detection magic is still effective. Given the choice between the two, I don't think any nobleman would choose the former. Mature demonic beasts that rampage on instinct to kill and pollute are a formidable enemy to mankind, but from the perspective of the nobility, the warriors of the main Ancestors, who possess wisdom and malice, are a more obvious threat.

The only problem I ran into was the danger of Orcian himself, but I had no choice but to trust my instincts. I'm getting a feel for Orcian's character, and I know she doesn't want to kill me. Yet. It was a great help that my maid tested about the atmosphere and the exchange at the soiree.

I thought that the attackers had already fled somewhere.

I don't believe that the attackers, Efial and his friends, will come to attack us now, either.

If you are really concerned about it, you can just check it out for yourself.

But I knew that and kept asking her.

“Are you sure you're checking? Give me your hand for a second.”

I reach out my arm and take hold of Orcian's right hand.

You know what I mean?

You're properly invoking detection magic, aren't you? And she appeals with her red and blue eyes.

Well, if such a huge amount of magic power is moved at this distance, the activation of magic can be detected by senses without skin-to-skin contact. I already knew that she was serious about detection.

I'm sorry I doubted you.”

However, I did not let go of her hand.

I can never avoid social gatherings with the nobility in my future life, in other words, places where many of our ancestors gather. I will probably hold many meetings to unite the Quardenze nobles, not to mention large gatherings such as the King's Landing Social. We are the legitimate sons of the Quardenze family, a great noble family, and we cannot stop the nobles' diplomacy.

I am concerned. I fear that one day in the future, another surprise attack will occur under similar circumstances.

I knew about the Saarif Rebellion, but that was only theoretical knowledge.I think I was only aware that it must be difficult not to be able to use detection magic.This experience made me realize how much I appreciate detection.

In order to make my life safe and secure in the future, I want to master the Orcian detection magic at all costs. There must be a lot in common with normal detection magic, and I wanted to at least gain some insight that would give me a hint.

The quickest way to learn about magic is to have someone who has mastered it invoke it and understand it through the sense of magic power.

However, there were many hurdles to overcome before he could make a serious offer to the Mirendorva family to rent Orcian for a while so that he could learn detection magic. To be in contact with Orcian with as few extraneous people as possible.

From the time we left the castle until the battle began, and after the battle was over, I was inside the camp curtain, throwing myself into learning. I learn as much as I can before the military officer from Mirendorva arrives here.

Hey.”

What?”

I might have looked strange because I was frozen holding his handhis.

'If it bothers you so much, do you want to go defeat him earlier?'

The tone of the tone was that of a stunned Orcian.

Of course, the answer was obvious.

It's not our thing,” He said. We don't know the area well, so we should leave it to the people of Levios.

'That's right. We don't even know where they ran off to.'

……I don't want to fight with the attacker Efial, to tell you the truth.

The group of marauders that appeared in the garden were releasing very powerful attack magic. That was definitely an attack of the master ancestor level. What was worrisome was that their whole bodies were deformed, and after one attack, they ran out of power.

I have never heard of such a secret technique …… To gain temporary power at the cost of life, but I don't think it is unfeasible.

Besides, magical power is a power that has a strong effect on the body and life. The silkworms that spit out New Nelly silk are like mutations born from continuous exposure to my intense magic power. If I can push that thing further, I may even be able to deform human beings.

Since the assailant Efial is the main ancestor, the wisteria-robed assailants are his followers, if we think about it simply.If the main ancestor gave the order, they would be satisfied with their own deformations.

There are a number of other points of concern.

The sword wielded by Efial, the attacker, and the magic used by the last wisteria-robed assailant to diffuse the filthy earth were also unheard of. Also, considering the fact that they advanced in a straight line through that chaotic field and stabbed King Levios , it is conceivable that they have mastered detection magic or similar magic that is different from normal. Now said to have been lost. I also sense some other artifice in the unknown power of the magic-possessing demonic beasts: …….

It has such unknown abilities as deformity, demonic sword, defilement spreading magic, special detection, magical beast guiding magic, and magical beast in possession of magical power…… Just to name a few. Skills. If we take into account the possibility that he has other hidden abilities, he is a general trading company.

And if the statement that he is a holy general is true, it means that the attacker, Efial, is a professional fighter. Fighter with special abilities. The only image that comes to mind is that of being framed and killed by a lure move. The number one cause of death on my list of predicted causes of death, death by carelessness and death by carelessness, is becoming more and more realistic.

I am confident that my father would never have given me permission to go out if I had told him I was going to defeat Efial instead of the second demonic beast.

He said, “……We are here to fulfill our duties as nobles and to protect our citizens. Am I right?”

Efial presses on to Levios' army.

That's right!

Orcian, who had no way of knowing how reluctant he was, continued in a happy tone of voice.

I understand a little bit that the Levios people should defeat the beast that was just there. There are some things that are better done by the people of the village alone…….”

Her magic power her fluctuates differently from the magic activation of her.The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of your time is to be prepared for it.

The most important thing to remember is that you can't just look at the monster right in front of you,……

She must have been very righteously indignant, and although it was not loud, it sounded somewhat heavy-handed.

She turned her head to the side for a moment, as if looking out of the camp curtain.

'I bet Agala and Nepio would say the same thing.

'…… Were those the names of the boys who brought the exorcism tools when they left the castle earlier?

Yes, that's right.”

That, she said, standing up and picking up a large cane that was placed in a corner of the camp curtain.

I could not see the face of the guard standing behind me, but he must have been tense. She must be a very rude princess to pick up a weapon in a private discussion. Besides, I was the one who allowed the big stick to be brought here.

'Those girls were so helpful in bringing this in. I can't use that exploding magic that Mr. Wilk used to do.”

The main fighting style of Orcian is basically a brain-muscle fighting style where the body is reinforced and goes on a rampage, he said. The second magical beast was going to be beaten in a super close combat by making full use of body reinforcement and the materializing magic of the great cane. He knew nothing of magic that could attack from a distance or reap a wide area all at once.

'I wonder if those other people can do that magic too? I haven't seen it in the noble war.

'I don't know. But that stuff isn't as easy to use as it looks, so you should assume it's not going to work on the battlefield.'

The long-range bombing magic is a magic that seems to be useful in a siege, but it is not that useful.

The ball of flame that is the source of the explosion is easily interfered with from the outside while in flight, and even with the amount of magic power that is as large as that of the follower, the trajectory can easily be changed, and if anything Therefore, if a fort is packed with a few followers, its usability will be much worse.

The only use for it would be to bomb a fort with only slave ancestors, but such a small fort could be easily taken down with a few assaults by the retinue of retinue soldiers. To bomb it.

But what would happen if Orcian learned long-range bombing magic ……? I can picture in my mind's eye the hellish scene of a ball of flame dancing wildly across the battlefield, unable to change its trajectory or deter an explosion. I hoped she would not be too interested in magic.

The reason why Grand Duke Mirendorva did n't give her a background in magic is probably because he feels the same way as I do.If I let her learn magic badly, she might not be able to stop her outburst her.

I pull the subject back to avoid magic talk.

I'm more concerned about Lucia's demonic tool for her.

I have n't found a chance to bring it back since I called Lucia during the battle of the magical beasts.I called her “Princess Orcian” Once after the defeat of her and she stared at me.

She said, “Fine. Do you want to see?”

Then, as if he was waiting for that answer, one of the guards slinked up to Orcian. He put on a pair of gloves, which he had been holding, and took the large cane from her with an otentatious gesture, as if he were handling a treasure. It was clear that he was careful in handling the weapon.

It is heavier than it looks. Please be careful.

…….. Oh, it's really heavy.”

The great cane is about two meters long and maybe as thick as a can of coffee. When you hold the grip, your thumb and middle finger cannot reach it. The material is metal, but the golden ornamentation that covers the entire cane is eye- catching.

I received it expecting it to be of a certain weight, but it was several times heavier than I imagined. I think the reason is gold.

Gold is a heavy substance. In a previous life, I once held a piece of 500 grams of bullion in my hand, and it had a different weight from what it looked like. If gold exists inside the big cane, it is understandable that it is so heavy.

It is very heavy, isn't it? I usually don't touch it at all.

A commoner alone could never hold this cane. It would take several adults to carry it. That is, the person carrying this large cane was a boy about the age of a first grader in elementary school.

He said, “…… What is the name of the boy who carried this so far? He was quite frightened.

It was Agala who carried it, and Nepio who left on the way.”

The boys were the ones who ran out of the garden and down the hill to the royal castle.

They seemed to be preparing to go with Orsian to defeat the demonic beasts, but when they saw me appear with them, they froze in a pose almost like getting down on their knees. , And he was escorted home by a military officer from Millendorva who was waiting with him.

He was afraid of the nobles. Both of us have been chased since we were born. I think Wilk was scared because he looks like an ordinary nobleman. Please forgive him.”

Just as she said, as soon as the defeat of the magical beast was over, Agara-kun left the scene as if he was running away. I think it's true that I'm not good with nobles.

I don't care about forgiveness or anything.”

That is not the important point. The focus should be on the boys' backgrounds.

'…… It's only natural for a boy like that to be in awe of the nobility.

Agala and Nepio were the main ancestors.

The Blessed Child, the natural ancestor born to a commoner slave ancestor who had no connection to the noble lineage.

In the age of the nobility, the Blessed Child was a potential threat to the security of the territory. In many noble lands, hunts for the Blessed Child are regularly conducted for the purpose of early detection and extermination. Blessed children who are lucky enough to survive will harbor either fear or hatred toward the nobility.

'Are there many like those two in the Luotad soldiers?

Yes. Yes, there are some others. But only Agala and Nepio came to King's Landing together.

…… How many are there?

The toughness of the Luotad soldiers, the Orcian SS, is well-known even in the commoner circles, but it is the first time I heard that it is a unit with the Blessed Child. It may be that the Levios family, the Millendorva family , or both families are colluding to hide it.

Even just hearing that there is a monster named Orcian, and in addition to that, a unit with multiple main ancestor soldiers, is too frightening. In a sense, the Levios army that confronted such a thing deserves respect.

Why did you bring them to the capital?

There's no point in bringing a child who would slink off without an escort, is there? My thoughts were evident in my tone of voice, and Orcian's mouth was agitated.

He said, “Because those children are the most docile.

Most of the Milendorva family members who entered the capital were related to the knight family, but I heard that some of the Luo Tad soldiers insisted on accompanying them. We can't allow our Lucia to be isolated in the capital! So Grand Duke Mirendorva chose Agala and Nepio, who seemed to be the easiest to deal with among the Luotad soldiers, to represent the Luotad.

Since this was a good opportunity, I took the opportunity to listen to what they had to say. Since the Levios and Millendorva territories are far from Quordenze, we want to take advantage of the opportunity to get information. , Orcian is an excellent source of information because he is willing to talk honestly with us.

There were many things I wanted to hear from him, such as how he met the Mirendorva family, the origins of the Lootad soldiers and their relationship with the Mirendorva army, his brother, his life in the Land of Mists, and the comment he made in the garden about the magic that diffused the dirt.

It took a good amount of time to get the full story from Orcian.

Breakfast arrived in the middle of the day, and it was only when I finished eating that I finally got a chance to catch my breath. At the end of her story, she follows up with the boys.

She says, “They're not just scared of ……, Though. You two are really very kind and brave kids, you know?”

Then she begins to tell the story of Nepio, the boy who did not accompany her in the defeat.

It was still before you met me.

Nepio says that by the time he can remember, he was already alive and being chased by the nobility.His biological father had already died, and his biological mother fell ill during his harsh escape of her.

One day, while living a self-sufficient life, Nepio found a small village under attack by immature magical beasts. There is a difference in power between immature and mature demonic beasts that can never be crossed, but that is more of a story from the perspective of the main ancestors and followers.

It is said that the immature demonic beast had the power to destroy a village where at least several dozen people lived.Seeing the lives being lost in front of his eyes, Nepio could n't stand still, forgot about his hiding place him No, and ran out to defeat the beast.

He jumped out of the way, forgetting that he had been living in hiding, and successfully defeated the beast. You did it. It's not something you can do very often.

I would never have done that.

I would never have done it.

The narrative that followed by Orcian was as I had expected.

Nepio, who became the savior of the village, was captured by the army of the lord who came to his rescue later. He was betrayed by the villagers he had saved and turned in.

If the lord thought that Nepio was hiding the Blessed Child, the villagers would make an example of him and kill his entire family. Was spared because he defeated the beast and saved the village.

In the end, Nepio succeeded in escaping after many twists and turns, and fortunately, he met Orcian and found a safe haven as a soldier of the Luotad. Bad-ending option, “Saving the village. He is a man of great luck.

As he spoke, Orcian must have had something on his mind, for he did not hide his indignant expression of his.

If I went to defeat the magical beast, the nobles might find out that I was living in hiding. Would be angry if he ran away without telling anyone, but he fought. Because he had the power. I believed I could help. I don't think that's wrong.”

The two fists are clenched.

The nobles are more cowardly than Nepio.”

The blessed child who had the courage to fight, and the nobleman who didn't fight for a reason. From Orcian's point of view, the latter is just a lazy existence.

It would be fair to say that this is the opinion of a child who does not know the reality, but her indication her also questions the nature of power and what nobility is.

She was scathing.

Because!”

Not to make excuses, but the Grand Duke of Millendorva was going to allow the defeat of the second demonic beast by the Orcians. …… No, or tacit approval. Either way, there is no doubt that he was approving of the departure to battle.

The proof of this is Agala and Nepio's waiting at the castle.

They must have been ordered to join Orcian when he ran out of the castle and assist him in the defeat.

Perhaps a message was secretly sent to the Mirendorva residence when the appearance of the second magical beast was confirmed. Only the Grand Duke of Mirendorva could issue that order.

Orcian himself was unaware of it.

If he were a nobleman, he would have immediately realized the meaning of the boys' waiting, but without the knowledge of the premise, he would not have been able to understand it.

I heard that nobles can be nobles because they fight demonic beasts. Hey, are those people in that garden really nobles?”

This is harsh.”

The diplomatic policy of Milendorva Thurrock, the current head of the Milendorva family, is focused on the Levios family. You could call it a cooperative line.

This is evident in the end of the civil strife between Levios and Milendorva. Despite the fact that the Grand Duke of Millendorva has a vicious joker in his hands in the form of Orsian, he has concluded a very conciliatory peace agreement. Ambition or was a vengeful man, he would have successfully rolled over Orsian and laid waste to Levios territory.

But the reality is that now, a royal social is being held to celebrate the end of the civil strife.

The Grand Duke probably believes that securing a better position in the peace created by the Kingdom of Levios is what will benefit the Milendorva family the most. Or perhaps there is a reason why he is worried that Millendorva is more exhausted than he thinks, and if the House of Levioth collapses, it will be a problem for him.

Whatever the case may be, the memory of the invasion of his domain by the Levios army is still fresh in his mind, and it is true that he is moving more for the future of his family than for his feelings. A very strong sense of responsibility as the head of the family.

He has a strong sense of responsibility as the head of the family. ……The aristocracy has many ties. They can't always do what they want.

That is why Orcian was easy to use.

It is easy to imagine that the appearance of the magical beasts and the attackers' commotion this time are very unwilling for the Grand Duke of Millendorfer.

Since he had been able to bring the civil strife to an end by selling his favor, he must have been hoping to stabilize the kingdom after this. It would have been extremely annoying to have a terrorist attack occur at a large social gathering that was supposed to be peaceful. We should assume that he wanted the situation to be resolved as soon as possible.

When the first magical beast appeared, Orcian called on aristocratic families everywhere to fight together.

It is a strange story when you think about it. If he really wanted to stop them, the Grand Duke himself would have come out and made sure of it.

The timing was right, he heard about the matured magical beasts coming toward the capital, and he might have felt something bad about it.

I think this is an insurance policy. The prestige of the Levios family would not be shaken if the Mirendorva family lent a hand, and they were foreshadowing in case the situation worsened to such an extent that they could make a judgment. An emergency, we would be able to send Orcian out as quickly as possible.

Perhaps the original plan was for the Grand Duke to appear and admonish Orcian in a storyline around the time when the Zeldmitra, Aterahan, and Quordenze families refused to participate in the war. In fact, he was lectured by the Marquis of Aterahan and became quiet , but that is within the margin of error.

The call for a joint struggle by Orcian was not very complimentary for an aristocratic daughter, and I think many people questioned her integrity. Is not a fatal mistake for a noblewoman. Some may take it as a mutual sympathy, since it is no one else's business for a young nobleman's daughter to run amok with such a sense of versatility.

If you talk about failure, it would be even more irreversible if you unleashed a threat against the next head of the Kuordenze family.

Is it a good cause?

Yes, that's the point.

It is very difficult to make a logical argument for Quardenze Wilk to defeat the demonic beast that appeared in the Levios territory. I could claim the same thing as Orcian, but if he really jumped out and defeated it on his own, my father would be accused of lack of supervision from all over the place.

The Grand Duke was able to take out insurance because Orcian belongs to the Millendorva family.

If a demonic beast is rampaging in an adjacent territory, it may attack its own territory next, so reinforcements may be sent out from time to time. Since the Levios and Millendorva territories are adjacent to each other on the map, it makes sense to send out reinforcements. The Quardenze family cannot do it, it is too far away.

A good example is when the magical beast Elsinia raged in the Loushna region. The Levios family sent reinforcements to the Loushna region to defeat the beast, based on the same logic.

When the Levios family unexpectedly faced a difficult battle against a magical beast and were unable to get out of the way, Orcian jumped out and killed the beast in an instant. At that time, Grand Duke Mirendorva offered a backdoor deal to the Levios family. The Grand Duke of Milendorva made a backroom deal with the Levios family, saying, “The Levios family will send reinforcements to the Milendorva family. Although it was an after-the-fact agreement, the Levios family, saved in a difficult situation, had no choice but to agree to the deal. Once the conversation was concluded, Orcian's outburst would be nothing more than an exchange of reinforcements, and the Millendorva family would not be at fault. The royal nobles said, “They say the Levios side requested reinforcements They said they were going to fight. They have a good reason, but to be frank, it was an after-the-fact agreement. The Levios family's reputation is also less likel y to be destroyed as a result of “No one is going to say anything.

…… Maybe the Grand Duke was thinking of something like this. If you are thinking about the stability of the kingdom, it is a good insurance policy to have. Well, I made the mistake of getting a little greedy at the end.

But Wilk, you fought with me.

That's because I'm a noble, brave, kind-hearted, true nobleman.

……”

Orcian raises his eyebrows and looks at me with still eyes.

Yes, I could move this time.

The Grand Duke was asking for too much.

If things got really bad, he should have asked for reinforcements himself, instead of leaving it up to Orsian. In that way, the Grand Duke could have taken control of the situation.

The reason he did not do so was probably out of consideration for the Levios family. If the reputation that the head of another family had extended his hand out of concern spread, it would have affected the prestige of the House of Levios and eventually lead to the destabilization of the kingdom.

Orcian had approached many houses here and there. It may have been a foreshadowing regarding the outburst, but it was a fatal mistake to give the other houses room to intervene. Even if the Aterahans or the Zerd Mitras had announced their participation, the Grand Duke would have intervened and made it a blank slate. At that time, only the first magical beast had been confirmed, and there were any number of ways to destroy it.

As for the invitation to the Quardenze family, the Grand Duke let his guard down completely. He must have thought that they would never accept his invitation because they had just had a threatening battle just the other day. The attack on Efial coincided, so he probably didn't have much time for that.

Thanks to this, I was able to accept the offer of Mirendorva Orsian. It was not an offer from us, but a request from the Mirendorva family to defeat the demonic beast that had appeared in the Levios territory. A good cause indeed.

The Grand Duke of Mirendorva has to wipe up Orsian's mess, which in turn means he has to wipe up my mess as well.

“I'm…… Kidding. I fought for a good cause.

And above all, there was an advantage.

Without it, even if there was a cause, there would be no point in defeating a demonic beast in another territory.

The most troublesome thing about this case is the fact that the main culprit of the attack claims to be the Holy General. Depending on how one looks at it, it could be seen as a military action against the kingdom by the Holy Army, a powerful organization of the Zesu-kyo Holy High Society.

The problem here is the joint retaliation agreement. It is an obligation to retaliate against a third party's act of aggression, which was concluded for a limited period of time during the Royal Social.

Royal nobles basically dislike being told to “Do this,” And with few exceptions, there are few rules that demand some kind of performance.

Here we consider whether or not it can be said that the assailant Efial invaded the Kingdom of Levios. Frankly speaking, I think it is a very fine line. We attacked, but I doubt if it can be called an invasion. Say we did, and I don't think we can say we didn't. I don't want to invade the Holy City.

As someone who does not want to invade the Holy City, I would like the story to end with “It can't be said.

However, there is a vague obligation in the Kingdom to “Unite the nobles of the Kingdom in the event of an attack from the priestly forces. Whether to unite in defense, to unite in retaliation, to unite in holding an orgy, or what in particular to do is not specified. Generally, it is interpreted as a sentence to show the mindset and norms of the nobility of the kingdom, but in this case, the sentence is very inconvenient.

Since it is an obvious fact that the priests were attacked, the nobles of the kingdom must unite. This would make it easier to move on to the next stage, the invasion argument.

Therefore, a stopper was needed.

The first thing that comes to mind with the recent uproar over the attack that began with the appearance of the magical beast is the magical beast terror attack that occurred in New Nellie City. This is a trump card that our company has secured as a counter to the growing argument for the invasion of the Holy City.

However, it is doubtful whether we can use it effectively this time.

What would happen if the Levios family succeeded in capturing the attacker, Efial, alive? Depending on the torture, the extra crimes will come out in droves. It was also conceivable that the Newnery case would then be revealed. Family would be holding the same cards as ours. In other words, it would be a guessing game as to which one of us would get to the field first. It is not impossible to use it even if we continue to hold it, and it will have a certain effect, but it should no longer be thought of as a trump card.

In that case, why not play the card while we still have the initiative?

Although the scale of the problem is unknown, there is no doubt that the priestly forces are involved. The Levios family will attribute the entire incident to a conspiracy by the priests and will be determined to retaliate. The Levios' pride has been trampled on, and they may be inclined to the theory of a forced invasion.

They may not be able to respond with the frontal opposition they initially thought they would have to face. So they will pretend to be in favor and secretly act as a stopper. That is why they cut the cards. Speaking of the appearance of magical beasts The same must be true of the current attack. I see, it was all a malicious attack based on the aggressive intentions of the priestly forces, and this can be considered the subject of a joint ……This is the premise up to this point. We affirm ahead of time what the Levios family will claim. And the main one is the next. Therefore, the Quardenze family and the noble families who agreed with they will carry out retaliation in accordance with the joint retaliation agreement. Of course, no clear statement will be made.

The object of retaliation here is the second demonic beast.

Since the priests are the creators of the magical beasts, the second magical beast can be regarded as a warrior on the priests' side.The kingdom, and the nobility of the kingdom, must evaluate its defeat her as one of the retaliatory activities.

The instant troops we have brought this time are composed of the guards of the noble families of the Quordenze faction, borrowed little by little. It is not possible for the Quardenzes to send out nearly 100 military officers on their own, and it is only natural that they needed to keep some guards for their fathers who remained in the garden.

In other words, the appearance is that the noble families of the Quardenze faction jointly retaliated.

It is all sophistry.

But two psychological resistances to the invasion theory arise here.

The first is the concern that one's own field might be invaded by priestly forces.

The other is the doubt that the Quardenze nobles, who have already fulfilled their duty of retaliation, will participate in the invasion of the Holy City.

If the Quardenze, one of the five major noble families, does not participate in the invasion of the Holy City or provides only minimal support, the burden on the other Kingdom noble families will surely increase. Like all the nobles to participate, and if that is not possible, then they would like it to be cancelled.

Just defeating the second demonic beast does not mean that they have fulfilled their duty, and Quardenze can't say that they should contribute more ……. Because if they said that, they would have to contribute more than they did. All kingdom nobles believe that less duty is better, so it is hard to condemn the non-participation of the Quardenzes, who have already shown a certain amount of work.

If the Quardenzes recognize the conspiracy of the priestly forces and insist on the application of the joint retaliation agreement, then, on the contrary, the number of Kingdom nobles who are reluctant to fight a war of retaliation will increase. Situation.

And even if the invasion of the Holy City were to begin, the Quardenzes, whose contribution has been high from the start, would still have the possibility of leaving the country at an early stage.

Even if the Levios family's centripetal force is low and they decide not to fulfill the joint retaliation agreement, I cannot be blamed for my actions. In that case, the official view of the Quardenze family would be that “The defeat of the second demonic beast was merely a response to the Milendorva family's request for reinforcements and had nothing to do with the joint retaliation agreement.

I have consistently said only that I will fulfill my aristocratic duties.

One is the responsibility to fulfill the joint retaliation agreement.

If he asserts that he went to the aid of the Millendorva family in order to fulfill his duty as the guardian of the land, it means that he has not yet retaliated against the priestly forces, and the suspicions of the nobles of the kingdom will be On the other hand, if he asserted that he had fulfilled his duty of retaliation, the nobles of the Kingdom would be cautious about invading the Holy City.

Father can sway the nobles' diplomacy depending on how he interprets this “Duty. He could change the height of the balance with a single thought of the Quardenzes'. The Levios family would have to make major concessions to the Quardenzes, and it would be easier for them to take the initiative in the future.

This is the advantage I showed my father, a new diplomatic card to play.

'Did you have a good cause, Mr. Wilk?

'Don't worry about the hard stuff. Quardenze Wilk responded to the voice of Millendorva Orszán, isn't that enough?

Yes, it is.

Thank you, Orcian. If you hadn't called on me, I wouldn't have had such a convenient situation and wouldn't have found the material to convince my father.

I was able to persuade my father just in time to secure my safety, learn Orcian-style detection magic, gain an advantage in defeating the magical beast, dispose of my trump card and secure a new card …….

It was really hard to convince my father in that short time.

'But maybe I understand a little of what Mr. Wilk was talking about in the yard. He said there are no boundaries to the territory.

Come to think of it, that's what he said, too.

In order to buy time to deploy information to the Quardenze nobles and call for military officers, he was struggling to put together as many beautiful phrases as he could think of anyway.

It would have been nice if there had been other nobles who would have come.

That would have been impossible.”

I said that with my mouth, but not with my head.

Some of the young aristocrats were staring at my speech as if they were watching me intently. Were saying, “I want to stand up and fight demonic beasts too! They might have thought that I had truly stood up as a guardian of the earth.

Frankly, that was an unexpected reaction. If they had been inspired to join the fight, it would have ruined everything. It was a close call. I'm not sure if that's what I'm really trying to do, but it's delicious. ……

There might be a next time. The next time, it will be important to know that Lucia and I have fought together. This time, it would be enough if the nobles of the kingdom would remember our name.

I wonder if that's so.

Not ours. I'm not talking about us, but about getting my name in the heads of the nobility of the kingdom.

That was my true purpose.

The reason I am so motivated in the first place is to prevent Fanny from getting married. And the highest obstacle I have to overcome to achieve this is my father, Quardenze Rouxse.

No matter how well I do in the Quordenze territory, I am no match for the orders of the head of the Quordenze family. To defy him, I would need to take a lot of countermeasures, and even if I did, there is no guarantee that I would be able to completely prevent him from doing so. As long as I am inside the box called “Quardenze,” I will always have to fight a war of attrition.

Then I have no choice but to attack my father from outside the box.

Wilke is in Kuordenze. Only when I can make other families think that way will I be able to compete with my father on an equal footing.

The name of Quordenze Wilk has spread thanks to his military exploits in Operation Serpent Tooth, but that alone is not enough. Rumors are not enough to make an impact. After all, one can only believe from the bottom of one's heart what one has actually seen and experienced.

In this light, the King's City intimidation battle was effective. It was because we were able to make Wilk's existence known through the sense of magic power.

Now that we had made ourselves known through the senses, we wanted to see tangible results next time.

The next head of the family, Quardenze Wilk, was able to move sufficiently even after leaving his father his, who was his protector his.

The next head of the family, Quardenze Wilk, who leads a mixed force gathered from the Quardenze nobles.

The next head of the family, Quardenze Wilk, who can defeat mature magical beasts in a short time, which the Levios family struggles with.

The next head of the family, Quardenze Wilk, who has established a good relationship with the hot stock Milendorva Orsian.

It is indeed a great achievement.

The rest of the family will think, “The next generation of the Kuordenze family is going to be stable. At the same time, if there is an opportunity to take advantage of the Quardenzes, it is the relationship between the current generation and the next .

Father cannot ignore the influence. The Quardenze family would be shaken up by a disagreement with the next generation, which has a proven track record outside of the box. In order to reassure the Quardenze nobles, and to avoid showing any openings to the opposing nobles , my father needs to be more attentive than ever to my good mood.

I wonder if my father is even aware of my true intentions. ……I think he probably does. He was amused when I threatened him a little before, so maybe he's enjoying my growth.

Either way, I've served my purpose.

I only stood up for what I thought was important.

It really means what it says. I'm not going to let anyone take Fanny away from me.

Neither will I.' I wonder if ………… The rest of us didn't think it was important?”

His anger his subsided as he continued to speak, and his voice his take on the color of pure doubt.

When he is angry, he is angry, when he is troubled, he is troubled, and this is refreshing and likable.

When I see young girls who are wondering, not understanding, or wondering why, I want to teach them a lesson.

I'd like to teach her something. “………There was a time, long ago, when the nobles were at war all over the continent. Do you know about that?”

I've been exploring the inner workings of Millendorva a lot, so it's okay for me to tell you some of the story.

If I don't, they will only report that I talked a lot to Mr. Wilk. I felt that if I reported that I had learned a lot from Mr. Wilk, it would offset the loan and borrowing.

She nodded her head in response to my question.

She nodded her head.

It's over in some areas,” She said. There are still some conflicts going on in various parts of the continent. The era of warfare is not over yet, more than two hundred years later.

I see,” Said Orcian, a little surprised.

For those based in Millendorva territory, the western and southern parts of the continent may not feel much like a distant land.

200 years……, She mutters.

Once a battle has begun, it is not easy to end it. You can't just sit back and let your family and loved ones get killed, kill, get killed, kill again, and as you repeat the process, the hatred grows endlessly , and the unfulfilled grudge is passed on to your children and grandchildren.

I thought it would be difficult to understand this area without the sense of an aristocratic family, but surprisingly, Orcian nodded her head yes.

She is from a small village in the land of mist, but it seems that many of the conflicts between villages were caused by past relationships, so it was easy for her to understand. Besides, her village had been destroyed by Eve and her tribe. She would naturally understand their hatred.

The entire continent was stained with blood, and many nobles were scattered. Naturally, the number of defenders of the land is also decreasing. Those without power were either killed by demonic beasts or driven from their homes by the filth that had invaded their homeland. ……

I am so glad I was not born in that era. The Quardenze family was able to make great strides during that era, but I think the head of the family at that time had a hard time.

The nobles were only thinking about protecting their own domain. They did not have time to worry about other territories. Even if a magical beast appeared, they could not fight together with the nobles of other families to defeat it. Be betrayed.”

But……

I stop her words her with my palm facing her.

The aristocrats are powerful people. But their power is not infinite. Don't you think it's unreasonable to ask them to go beyond their limits?

Orcian still didn't seem to be convinced. I wonder if there is a better way to put it.

I think the story of the second hexenbiest just now is a good one. Can you say that the citizens of King's Landing alone can defeat the hexenbiest, and since they are the ones living in this land, they are obligated to defeat it?”

That's impossible.

Yes, it is impossible. The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the most out of the system is to be able to use it. That is the limit of these citizens.”

She nodded.

Likewise, for the nobles who lived through the hard and painful turbulent times, the limit was to protect their own fiefdoms. “

There is a sense in which Orcian overestimates the power of the nobility. He says that the nobles can do anything because of their power, and therefore they should do everything.

Give me a break. Is this guy a black company?

The aristocrats and citizens are the same people.

Don't think that nobles are all-powerful.

She remained silent and stared at me. Yes, I am a petty citizen at heart.

The kingdom of Levios is at peace now, but there is still warfare on the continent. That is why the nobles, as has been their custom up to now, put their own territory first. Even if a magical beast appears in the Levios territory, it is inevitable that the Levios family would consider it something to be dealt with.”

Orcian is silent and thoughtful.He does n't deny it with his emotions his.

I think he is taking my words seriously, and he kept mmmm for a while.

Does lessening mean that everyone will start cooperating to defeat the demonic beasts?”

She leaned forward so much that she almost stood up on the spot and looked into my face. I could see her breasts clearly because of the way she was bent over. She was not without tits, but they looked less developed than Plume's. To know, tell me.

I want to know, tell me, she said, her eyes blazing.

'On the contrary, I ask you, how do you think the nobility will be able to cooperate?

I didn't mean to be presumptuous. I wanted her to think a little about the nobility.

Orcian is pondering in a very obvious pose, holding his temples with both hands.She is not only asking, she is using her head her.After a few moments of pondering, she came up with an answer.

She says, “I'm sure we just need to end the …… War.”

It seems that she understands what is being said.She is not stupid.Her “I don't understand” She might be similar to “I don't want to understand.”

She's right……. But it is not enough. We need an order in which the aristocracy can trust the nobility.”

The emperor who was most likely to do that was Emperor Jingkaen?

The hegemony and charisma of the first emperor had won over the imperial nobility, and a new power structure, a cooperative relationship with the emperor at the top, was being built. If the reign of Emperor Zincaen had continued, or if Emperor Arginis had been in office longer, the turbulent times might have ended and a new order of things might have been realized.

King Levios was going to try to establish a new order in a different way. It seems that he was quite seriously injured in this surprise attack, but I wonder what will happen to him in the future.

'Hmmm……I don't really understand.'

If it were that easy to understand, there would be no trouble.I said a new order, but this is already like creating a new era.I don't really know either.

I hope it is a little bit clear that the nobles are thinking about a lot of troublesome things.

The warfare is coming to an end, and the nobles are beginning to interact with each other more. Eventually there will be trust between the nobles. Like this time.”

This time?

I trusted Lucia and went out to defeat her.

Even though there were many advantages to going into battle, I wouldn't have come out if I didn't trust Orcian.

I trusted that she was not the type of person who could be fooled. I felt safe because she is the type who would kill you head-on if she really got mad.

I wouldn't do that!”

'You can say whatever you want with your mouth. Even if Lucia said so, most of the nobles in the garden would not believe her. They would be wary that she would lure them out with a lie and kill them. Do you have any ideas?”

“I have……, But…”

'You should be grateful? You trusted Lucia unconditionally.'

Trust, muttered Orcian.

I'm not trying to seduce her.I am appealing to her conscience her.It is hard to betray someone who says he trusts you.It's because my conscience aches.

If we are talking only in terms of combat ability, the biggest threat to me is Orcian. I want to steal her heart, or if I can't do that, at least tie it up. The heart.

If small trusts like this accumulate, there may eventually be a future where all the nobles can cooperate to defeat the demonic beast. I hope today is the first step toward that goal.”

When I said this, for some reason she straightened her back and straightened her posture.

I looked at her, “…… Mr. Wilk. Thank you.”

Without waiting for my reply, she continued.

I've been worried for a long time. Ever since I came to Mirendorva, I have never understood the way of thinking of the nobility. This time, too, I didn't understand what Wilk said about the cause. You fought with me, though. Thank you …… For helping me.”

The girl is a commoner born in the misty lands, an unexplored region separated from the aristocratic society. The world of the nobility must have been a place of anxiety for her, where she didn't even know what was right. She is still a young girl, even though she possesses a power that surpasses that of her ancestors.

My own words that I had just uttered come back to me.

Commoners and nobles are all human beings, so there are limits.It is the same for her as it is for the ancestors of her.

Mr. Wilk.

Saying this, Orcian holds out her right hand to me.

This was the first time she had ever asked me to shake her hand

I exhaled lightly and looked at her.

I said, “I'll call you at…… Someday if I need help.”

Then, with a deliberate grin, I took her hand in mine.

'Lucia will help me out then, won't you?

She smiled a smile as bright as the sun and squeezed my hand back.

Yes! I promise!