Volume 2 Chapter 77 Archbishop Homolka
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Right? Are you really going to stay at that rank? Friedrich would be thrilled, but you can’t make a living off charity. If you have no attachments, prioritize yourself and come to my place. I can give you some vineyards. ──The head of the Western Church in the Franz Kingdom is the king. I would be considered a subordinate institution. My position may be weaker than those in politics, but I believe I can pay you enough to satisfy you. After all, all the believers in my parish are wealthy.”
”──Sir Homolka? Sir McCutchen has left the VIP seat.”
Natasha looked down at her ring as she said this.
She was likely keeping some familiar or something near McCutchen.
The plump archbishop nodded once and turned his back to Kian.
”Well then. Come by anytime if you want to quit being an adventurer.”
”Hehe. Bye-bye, boy.”
Natasha said this and snuggled up to the archbishop.
The two, clearly in a romantic relationship, quickly left the kitchen.
”……”
(Natasha called me to dissuade me from serving Waterman. However, neither she nor Homolka specified why I should stop.)
’She mentioned that if something happened to that old steward, Waterman’s position would be compromised, suggesting that some conspiracy might be brewing beneath the surface.’
(That’s true. I never intended to serve Waterman, but it seems safer to keep my distance.)
”Sir Kian, disinfect.”
”Alright. Natra, stay hidden as you are. ──Someone is coming in.”
After responding to Natra, he turned back to the kitchen entrance.
Soon, the kitchen door opened, and in walked Owl, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.
”Hello, Mr. Owl.”
”Hello, Kian. This is the kitchen, you know.”
Owl said this while wearing a white apron today.
Instead, he had removed the eerie armor adorned with Owl feathers.
He was tasked with serving bread to the guests, so it’s thought he avoided any attire that might raise hygiene concerns.
Nevertheless, Owl without feathers gave a somewhat unsatisfying impression.
”I was just called by someone.”
”Is it Lady Natasha?”
”How do you know that?”
Owl twitched his nose.
”It’s the scent. This fragrance is her blend. On top of that… it also carries the smell of the Archbishop. I’m not particularly fond of him.”
”You have a good nose.”
”It’s simply too obvious what they smell like. ──That aside, Kian, you should be careful. When Oswald started unleashing the Holy Sword of the Sun, I was really worried you might turn to dust.”
”It’s merely an exhibition match. Sir Oswald went easy on me.”
”Yes, that seems true. However, taking a direct hit from the sheath of a holy sword is not something a sane person would do. Even Renaud would surely hesitate. The belief that it’s fine because it’s not a serious fight is just an illusion. Please take better care of your life.”
”Thank you. I will be cautious.”
As Kian nodded sincerely, the Owl smiled gently and nodded back.
”By the way, are you attending the evening gathering afterward, Kian?”
”Baron Waterman has asked me to attend. I’m not sure what Sir McCutchen thinks, but it seems I will participate as it stands. After this, I’ve been instructed to join the guarding adventurers to protect the movement of the nobles attending the gathering.”
”You may not have heard, but after the gathering──come midnight, a magician capable of teleportation, starting with me, will be taking you and Her Excellency Maribel to the fortress near the border. It’s a request from the Nakash family.”
”Ah… I haven’t heard yet, but I might be informed during the evening gathering. Is that so? Then Mr. Owl will jump to the fortress as well.”
”Yes. Even though it’s a discussion venue, we don’t know what they might do. If anything happens to Her Excellency Maribel, I am to guard the area after teleportation.”
”I inadvertently troubled Your Excellency by being mistaken for ‘Azrael’s Death Sword User.’ I apologize.”
After a polite remark, Owl shook his head.
”It was they who made the wrong assumption. They threatened Her Excellency’s safety and tried to cover up their spying activities with vague statements. You have no fault at all. In fact, thanks to your work, the eradication of the villain threatening Her Excellency is progressing well. Take pride in it. You achieved what McCutchen and Waterman could not.”
”Hearing that brings me some ease. Then I’ll take my leave.”
”Yes.”
After bowing to Owl, he walked towards the door.
Just as he was about to exit into the bustling hallway filled with noble voices, Owl’s knight’s usual habit of stopping him emerged.
”Kian.”
”――――?”
”I won’t inquire about what you discussed with Homolka and Natasha here. However, Natasha is fundamentally a dirty woman who only thinks of her own interests, and Homolka is an enemy of *ours*. Please be cautious when dealing with them.”
Although he didn’t understand what enemy meant, considering Homolka’s position, it might not align with Kian, the warrior monk of Azrael.
Moreover, Owl’s opinion of Natasha was too severe.
Well, she probably looked exactly like that, but still, couldn’t he have phrased it a little differently?
(By the way, the curse hasn’t activated. Does it only activate if I reveal it myself, or is the curse itself just a fabrication? ‘Glasses’, am I under a curse?)
’I do not know, but the medium, saliva, has been applied.’
(The fact that you don’t know means that, at least for now, no curse has manifested.)
’There is no need to be unnecessarily fearful. If a curse comes flying at you, I can either eat it or return it. With this one, we can even detect the position of the caster who cast the curse.’
(I see. I’m counting on you.)
”Thank you for the advice. I’ll see you again tonight.”
”Yes. It might be a long night. During the evening party, please refrain from heavy drinking and make sure to consume nutritious solid food. There’s no need to hold back for the other participants.”
Owl, who was overly talkative to the point of being bothersome for some, continued to offer advice.
Kian simply replied, “Thank you,” and left the scene.
* * *
After that, he joined the adventurers who were on guard duty.
He had a brief conversation with Serena.
Of course, he kept the fact that he participated in the ceremony as the ‘Thorn Demon’ a secret.
He only explained that he had been doing another job during his absence.
Serena was aware of the clash between the magic swords and, unusually for her, spoke excitedly about what had happened at that time.
For 3 hours, he guarded the path from the arena to the main castle where the party was to be held, alongside the knights of Waterman.
Finally released, Kian was led into the main castle by Serena, following Waterman.
Witnessing the changed terrain of the water moat outside the main castle, he was once again amazed by the power of the Windsong Blade, while simultaneously feeling a sense of awe at the single strike of the Holy Sword of the Sun’s sheath that had surpassed it.
If Oswald had unleashed that strike towards the main castle, would the barriers set by the head magicians and the stone castle walls be able to withstand it?
To an amateur’s eye, it seemed suspicious.
It seems that McCutchen was reluctant to let Oswald’s army in to that extent.
With the power of the holy sword and Oswald’s subordinates from the Knights of the Sun guild surrounding the moat of their fortress, the Margrave side would be powerless to resist and would be overwhelmed.
Currently, the Margrave family is barely maintaining a precarious balance.
”Kian, are you going to the night gathering in that attire?”
Waterman asked him this while they were crossing the drawbridge of the main castle.
”I was planning to, but is it not suitable?”
”No, it doesn’t seem dirty, and it looks like high-quality clothing, but the color is a bit dull since it’s black. Would you like me to prepare some other clothes for you?”
”Is it really alright?”
”You did a great job today, consider it a token of my appreciation.”
”Thank you very much. Then I will gladly accept your offer.”
”I think it would be better if you took a bath, you can either use the bathing area in the guard station or go back to Lady Christy’s house.”
”Since it’s convenient, I will use the bathing area in the guard station.”
”Alright, I will make the arrangements.”
”Then I will head back first.”
”It’s funny, we were allowed to stay in the high-class residential area within the main castle.”
”Yes, and now we’re familiar with the guards, but this is not something that would normally happen.”
”Baron Waterman, is there any precedent for us to be living in the main castle like this?”
”Officially, there isn’t. It’s not proper to let ordinary people enter the main castle freely. However, servants and merchants come and go, and the head magicians bring in men and animals as they please. I would like to scold them, but I am powerless to do so, and if they say it’s for their research, I have no choice but to back down. Honestly, it’s stressful enough to make my scalp hurt.”
”Huh?”
”Hey, Serena.”
”This is something to laugh about, you know.”
”Huh!?”
With a sullen expression, the bald knight said this, and Kian and Serena could only exchange glances with each other.
The outpost is located just beyond the drawbridge.
Serena was to be accompanied by Waterman’s subordinate to Christy’s house.
Kian was to wash off the day’s grime at the outpost’s bathing facility.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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