Chapter 62 The White Lily Knight’s Vengeance and the Lord’s Great Plan
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Demon Forest is one of the few regions on this continent that is home to demon monsters. In some areas, miasma¹ also accumulates. Although it borders several countries, none of them have invested in developing it.
For one thing, the forest is simply too vast. Moreover, if one carelessly intrudes, there is a risk of being unknowingly poisoned by the miasma. A sorcery² master who is even slightly exposed to the miasma will no longer be able to use sorcery.
It is an uncharted sanctuary. There are rumors that a Holy Sword sleeps somewhere in this forest, but… no one truly believes it. A place such as this is not something that can be easily developed.
Yet, any who have received mercy from Viorga-sama—even if they are a traitor—would surely move on behalf of the kingdom, compelled to answer that compassion.
I do not know if Cleonora was truly robbed of the treasure sword by a young girl… but if she was, I shall laugh heartily at her expense.
If they had earnestly worked toward development, they would have received further support from Viorga-sama. Those rebels would have wept with joy, and in gratitude to Viorga-sama, they would have worked like dray horses. She is a woman who moves people with a heart of mercy³.
The future of the relationship with the Empire remains unclear, but with Viorga-sama, the Emmeld Kingdom will surely prosper even further. I… no, all of us believed the traitors were diligently working on development while offering thanks to Viorga-sama. But.
”What in the gods’ names are you doing…?”
There were twenty of them. I had thought we might have to search deep within the forest, but the traitors were found unexpectedly quickly. This is because the wretches were not inside the forest.
They were living on the plain that stretched between the nearest village and the Demon Forest, closer to the latter. Simple, prefabricated houses, and foodstuffs arranged with no sign of a farm. It was obvious that a merchant, with whom they had struck a deal to pass this way, had brought them.
Though they had been reduced to commoners, all were former nobles. They must have used their old connections to employ merchants. Alternatively, it is possible that former First Queen faction nobles, knowing Cleonora was here, had secretly sent support.
In any case…
”Despite having been shown such clemency⁴ by Viorga-sama…! To have lived in comfort all this time without doing any development whatsoever…!?”
This fact could not be changed. Not even Viorga-sama herself could stop this rage!
I swiftly drew my sword. Feeling my fury, everyone, without any signal, drew their swords in the same manner.
”That banner…! The White Lily Knights!?” one man shrieked.
”Viorga’s lapdogs!” another spat out.
”W-Wait!” a third stammered.
”What business do you have here, you people!?”
I made a mental note of the faces of those who had used Viorga-sama’s name so carelessly, then I opened my mouth, my face a mask of anger.
”Where is the traitor, Cleonora!?” I bellowed in fury.
Shaking, a man answered the question, which was laced with unconcealed killing intent.
”S-She hasn’t been back for months! She went into the Demon Forest for an exploration, and that was the last we saw of her!”
”It’s not a lie! It’s the truth!” another man pleaded.
A delusion struck me—that the blood rushing to my head was about to burst through my veins.
”You sent her alone into the Demon Forest, and with her not returning, you all sit here doing nothing…?”
There are two possibilities. Either the man speaks the truth, and Cleonora is already dead. Or, the former First Queen’s faction nobles have already secured her.
In either case, I will have to deliver a report that will sadden Viorga-sama: that the Cleonora you worried about has vanished, and the traitors you showed mercy to were merely enjoying idleness.
”Leave at least one alive for questioning! Kill these disloyal wretches!” I commanded.
”Ooooh!” the knights roared.
”Wait! Hear us out!” a rebel pleaded.
”Calm down! I am Viorga-sama’s…” a rebel stammered.
There was no room for discussion. We cut down the traitors.
* * *
”Alvia-sama…”
”………”
Upon thoroughly questioning the one man we left alive, it seemed true that Cleonora had entered the Demon Forest. She had apparently been seeking a route to exit to the Republic through the forest. This is a suicidal act. Such a route could never be established.
Even if one could be established, twenty people would not pass through the forest unscathed. The threat of the forest is not limited to demon monsters. No paths are maintained at all, and one must push through overgrown vegetation to advance even a short distance. The physical exhaustion is incomparably greater.
Furthermore, it is said that there are many fast-flowing rivers. At night, it becomes a world of darkness where no light can penetrate; there are records that state one will go mad after three days of living there.
There is no possibility that Cleonora is alive. What should I tell Viorga-sama?
But if that is the case… where did the girl who kidnapped Liliarette-sama get the Holy Sword, Miseric?
It is highly unlikely that Viorga-sama made an error. The interrogated man’s story suggests that Cleonora did indeed enter the forest carrying the Holy Sword Miseric. I, too, believe this to be true. Surely, she would not attempt to enter the Demon Forest with an ordinary sword.
”What shall you do?” a subordinate asked.
”…We will return to the village once. There, we shall display Viorga-sama’s magnificence and authority to the frontier folk while awaiting Barnail⁵.”
Barnail… is the only man in our kingdom who can ride the back of a Skygoon⁶. The only way for a person to soar through the sky is to be accepted by the magical bird Skygoon and be allowed to ride on its back.
Because Barnail can move freely through the sky, he has been entrusted with important duties such as conveying information between different regions. He is scheduled to arrive at a nearby village soon to preemptively deliver the White Lily Knights’ report to Viorga-sama.
”Prepare a report for Viorga-sama to be handed over to Barnail. We will then remain in the village for a while.”
”Are we not returning to the Royal Capital?”
”Our compassionate Viorga-sama might request us to search for Cleonora’s belongings so that she may be properly mourned⁷.”
It might already be too late, but if we are to enter the forest to search for her belongings, the sooner the better. Our current force is the only immediate asset Viorga-sama has ready for deployment. We shall include a note in the report stating that we will remain here for the time being, should she desire it.
Besides, we still know nothing about the Holy Sword. There is a possibility that Viorga-sama will issue us a new command.
”Then let us return to the village.”
”What shall we do with the corpses?” a subordinate inquired.
”I would like to say, ‘let the wild dogs feast upon them’… but it would be troublesome if demon monsters were drawn out of the forest by the scent of blood. Though it is a bother, we will pay the villagers to bury them.”
The burial of traitors is not the work of us, the proud White Lily Knights. Thus, Viorga-sama’s knights, numbering forty in all, returned to the village.
* * *
Hee hee… Just as I intended, Alvia appears to have disposed of the settlers. Such a good girl.
I was reading the report from Alvia, whom I had dispatched to the Demon Forest, in my office. The event occurred on the frontier yesterday, yet the report reached me here in the Royal Capital the following day. Barnail, the rider of the Skygoon, is indeed a valuable asset.
”Viorga-sama. What shall be done with Alvia-sama and the others who are currently staying in the village?” my aide asked.
”Please wait a moment. I shall compose a letter.” I dipped the pen tip into the ink and quickly scribbled instructions for Alvia.
I knew all along that Cleonora was not among the settlers… but those who remained were, nonetheless, fools who defied me. The mole⁸ I had infiltrated was also a former attendant of the First Queen’s faction… I am pleased that I was able to eliminate them all.
Alvia surely believed that Cleonora was mixed in with the settlers, sweating and diligently working on development. Yet, it is absurd to think that people who were nobles in the central region until recently would take on development work.
Now then… However, this situation has led to a dead end regarding Liliarette’s whereabouts, as well as the relationship between the girl and Cleonora.
Liliarette’s kidnapping was truly unexpected. Thanks to that, I could not sell her to the Republic. How much trouble has she caused me?
Even so, I had initially believed Liliarette’s location would be immediately grasped. I thought it would be easily discovered by observing the flow of people and supplies to the former First Queen faction nobles I had marked. After all, they would be harboring an unmarried royal princess, even if only temporarily. The location and the caretakers would be quite limited. Yet, no such movements were visible at all.
It appears that Egrest, for example, still believes Liliarette is living in the castle. I could not have foreseen this situation…
Furthermore, the identity of that flying girl remains unknown. Only a limited number of sorcery masters are researching high-level flight sorcery. However, none of them had perfected it.
It is not a zero-percent possibility that flight sorcery has been completed in another country… but in that case, the worst-case scenario must be considered.
If the airspace were controlled, we would currently have no recourse. No country has considered anti-air sorcery warfare. This is evident from the fact that a single girl was able to kidnap Liliarette.
It is difficult to hit a sorcery master who soars freely through the sky, and once distance is established, they are unreachable. Even attack sorcery can only hit a target if it is unleashed at close range, unless it is a large-scale spell activated by multiple people.
That is how great a threat a sorcery master who can fly is. If they were to launch an organized attack, we would suffer enormous damage.
I must devise a countermeasure just in case… but this makes the situation even more perplexing. Why did that girl possess the Holy Sword Miseric?
It is a unique treasure sword, one of two in the world. Could the girl have found the mortally wounded Cleonora in the Demon Forest? Perhaps she was asked to kidnap Liliarette in exchange for the sword?
No… there is no reason for the girl to accept that proposal. The possibility is less than one in ten.
To find the truth, several pieces of information are likely missing. However, a fragment of that information might remain in the Demon Forest.
I shall have Alvia build a base near the Demon Forest and wait for a while under the pretense of searching for Cleonora’s belongings. Besides, the White Lily Knights have not been getting along well with the Heroes lately. Keeping the two groups apart will serve a purpose.
Alvia and her people will enthusiastically begin the search for the belongings. They probably won’t be able to explore too deep into the forest… but I can keep them away from the Royal Capital for a few months by giving them an excuse. With any luck, they might find something that leads to that girl.
If I constantly send them support supplies, they will simply burn with loyalty, feeling that they are being relied upon. If only Liliarette had been so easy to handle, everything would have been much simpler.
”Now, Barnail. Deliver this letter to Alvia.”
”Yes, ma’am,” Barnail confirmed.
Well… I suppose it’s time to have the Heroes direct their strength domestically.
—
Author:
Barnail is the soldier who dropped Shimizu into the Demon Forest. In this world, he is a rare individual who can ride the back of the Skygoon magical bird. There is also one person in the Empire who can ride the Skygoon magical bird, but we’ll get to that as the story progresses…
—
Summary:
The loyal White Lily Knights, led by the furious Alvia, found the rebel settlers near the Demon Forest to be lazy and disloyal. Alvia, outraged by their perceived ingratitude to Viorga, executed them all, but confirmed that Cleonora had vanished into the dangerous forest with the Holy Sword Miseric. Viorga, the kingdom’s true power, reveals this entire event was a planned culling of her political enemies, but the mystery of the flying girl and the missing sword remains a key problem for her grand strategy.
—
Character Insight:
Alvia is a fanatic, driven entirely by Viorga’s approval, making her an easy tool for Viorga’s dirty work. Viorga is a patient, cold-blooded manipulator who views people as assets or problems. She is annoyed that a simple girl’s actions have complicated her entire political and trade strategy, showing that her control is not absolute.
—
Behind the Scene:
This chapter confirms Viorga’s ruthless nature and her role as a primary antagonist who is actively consolidating power. The White Lily Knights are her personal, fiercely loyal executioners. The ‘Demon Forest’ is not just a monster zone but a political tool to scare and eliminate unwanted elements. The Holy Sword Miseric is now the central mystery, linking the disappeared traitor Cleonora with the flying girl who kidnapped Liliarette.
—
T/L:
¹ Miasma (瘴気) is a common fantasy term for a toxic or corrupting spiritual or magical fog, often associated with demon monsters and making the area dangerous for sorcery users. ↩
² Sorcery (sorcery) is used in the text as the general term for magic in this world. ↩
³ Mercy is Viorga’s key political tool. She uses a facade of ‘compassion’ (慈悲) to make her subordinates fanatically grateful and loyal, which justifies their ruthless actions. ↩
⁴ Clemency (慈悲) reinforces Viorga’s use of ‘mercy’ as a political weapon to manipulate her followers. ↩
⁵ Barnail is the unique individual who can ride the Skygoon, making him the kingdom’s fastest messenger, a critical piece of Viorga’s centralized power. ↩
⁶ Skygoon (Skygoon) is the name of the magical bird used for flight and rapid communication in the kingdom. ↩
⁷ The idea of ‘mourning’ (弔う) Cleonora is clearly Viorga’s manipulative way to keep Alvia busy and away from the capital, under the guise of an ‘act of compassion.’ ↩
⁸ Mole (草) is the direct translation of the Japanese term kusa (grass/plant) when used as slang for a spy or informant, reinforcing the political nature of Viorga’s operations. ↩
Notes:
• Viorga – The First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is a beautiful, young woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes, always dressed in an elaborate crimson and gold royal gown. She is utterly ruthless, viewing all people—including the summoned Heroes and her own family—as disposable assets in her political games. Looks like Aileen Lauren from certain series.
• Cleonora – The second princess. Have a yellow blonde hair. Usually styled as hairbun. D-cup.
• Alvia – A Captain in the White Lily Knights, a private military force loyal only to Princess Viorga. She is deeply devoted to Viorga and views all others, especially the exiled Cleonora and the incompetent Heroes, with disdain and suspicion. She is on a mission to verify Cleonora’s safety and the progress of the exile camp.The protagonist’s classmate and long-time crush since middle school. She is charismatic, a bit strong-willed, and has strong leadership qualities. She is considered one of the ‘idols’ of the high school. Her hair is black long haired. Daddy’s girl.
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Barnail – The only man in the kingdom capable of riding the Skygoon magical bird. He is a crucial asset for fast information delivery between the capital and the frontiers.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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