Volume 2 Chapter 40 The Crisis That Is Now Right There
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
*Milly perspective
After arriving at the mansion, I parted ways with Kent and brought Feria to the Hunter Guild’s counter.
”So, Lady Miriallia, how did the expedition go? Feria didn’t cause any more trouble, did she?”
Suzy was standing at the counter.
”Well, I’d say it was moderately successful. Feria… well, she got through it safely.”
”Ms. Miriallia, that’s awful! I put my body on the line for that!”
Feria protested while placing the magical ancient tree she was selling onto the counter.
”I see, as long as it wasn’t too troublesome. Now, Lady Miriallia, please touch the Transfer Stone (Quest Check).”
Prompted by Suzy, I touched the stone for the settlement.
”Yes, all 9 quests have been completed. First, there are 6 gathering quests, and the rewards for these are one large silver coin and 8 silver coins. As for the remaining hunting quests, there are 70 swamp lizards and 5 forest lizards, and the reward for hunting each swamp lizard is 2 large copper coins, so 140 large copper coins. Each forest lizard has one silver coin, so 5 silver coins. Next, there is a rock boar, so 3 silver coins per rock boar, so 30 silver coins for 10 rock boars. Finally, each wonderwood has one large copper coin, so the total number of hunts is… 105 rock boars, which is 105 large copper coins. Is there anyone who would like to collect the materials?”
I pointed to Suzy the bag that Feria had placed on the counter.
”It’s a magic tree, isn’t it? I’ll take it for 2 large copper coins, so it will amount to 2 hundred and ten large copper coins. When we add the rewards together, it comes to one large silver coin, 43 silver coins, and 4 hundred and 55 large copper coins. Should we exchange only the large copper coins?”
”I think Kent and the other girls would prefer to use silver coins, so let’s distribute this reward in silver coins.”
”I see, please exchange everything for silver coins.”
”Understood. If we exchange, it will come to 5 large copper coins and 98 silver coins. Here, this will be the settlement amount.”
I received the bag without checking its contents.
It’s a hassle to check each time, so I gave the leftover large copper coins to Feria as a tip for carrying my things.
”Yay! Ms. Miriallia is wonderful! So cool!”
Feria was extremely happy.
”By the way, Lady Miriallia, I’ve heard that the kingdom’s army hasn’t been seen at all in the outskirts recently. Are they conducting some kind of large-scale extermination operation? Haven’t you heard anything from Margrave Heidou?”
Suzy pretended to make small talk while probing for information, but since this was news to me as well, I had no way to respond.
”Huh? That’s the first I’ve heard of it. I don’t go to the castle much, so I’m out of the loop on those matters.”
”I see, I thought Lady Miriallia might know something, but I hope nothing serious is going on.”
Suzy looked disappointed.
”Next time I go to the castle, I’ll ask. Then make sure to buy it at a high price as important information.”
”Oh, yes… I can’t beat Lady Mirialia. I’ll buy it from you at a fair price then.”
I had no intention of giving away the information for free out of curiosity, so I told her I would sell it depending on the content.
I had a feeling of unease after hearing from Suzy that the Royal Army was not present at the garrison, so I left the payment with Feria and decided to go to Uncle Arbalest’s castle.
”Hey, Miriallia, what brings you to the castle at this hour? Are you here to help me with the paperwork?”
As usual, my uncle was checking documents with his 6 arms, stamping and signing at a speed that I could barely follow.
”I got the Secretary job the other day, so I can help a little… but that’s not what I came here for. I heard there’s no kingdom military at the garrison, is that true?”
When I spoke up, my uncle stopped his work and subtly gestured to the nearby secretary officials and guards to leave.
Once it was just the two of us in the office, my uncle leaned closer and asked me in a hushed voice.
”Where did you hear such a thing? This is technically a military matter, so depending on the source, we might need to consider disciplinary action.”
”I can assure you it’s not from the military. I heard it from the Hunter Guild. I only told you because you’re Uncle Arbalest. Keep it a secret, okay?”
When I revealed the source of the information, my uncle made a face as if he’d just tasted something bitter.
”So the Hunter Guild already has this information… Even though we gathered people from the suburbs and set up a disguise.”
”So, where is the kingdom military that’s supposed to be at the garrison?”
”They’re at Felward Fortress near the Abyss Gate.”
”Wait! Why is the Abyss Vena garrison at Felward Fortress? Doesn’t that seem strange?”
”Milly, lower your voice. This is a matter related to military regulations. I’m only telling you because of our relationship.”
”O-Okay, I got it. But… what is the Abyss Vena garrison doing at Felward Fortress? Is it an exercise? Or maybe… an extermination operation?”
”Before I tell you, Milly, do you know who the current garrison general is?”
My uncle suddenly asked me the name of the garrison general, but unfortunately I didn’t remember it.
”Who was it? I remember he was from Asura… but I can’t remember his name… no good.”
”General Karvai. He’s the man who rose to the rank of general from a non-commissioned officer without any military achievements, solely through kinship, due to the current Demon Lord’s Asura preferential treatment policy. It’s no wonder Milly doesn’t remember him. When General Karvai heard rumors of a beast monster appearing at Felward Fort, he led the entire garrison to battle for his own military achievement.”
What a useless general Karvai is, using the precious defenders of Abyss Vena for his own glory.
According to what I heard from my uncle, Abyss Vena is currently defended only by my uncle’s private soldiers, the guard team, and hunters.
Just hearing this is enough to give me the creeps; it’s such a terrifying status.
What on earth is he doing?
If there were a large-scale monster attack right now, we would likely run out of people even if we fought from the city walls.
”Uncle! Why aren’t you calling him back? We need to get General Karvai back to the base quickly as per the lord’s orders…”
*Bang!*
My uncle, banging on his desk, has an angry or perhaps sad expression as he speaks.
”If I could, I would… That Karvai has received a royal order to prevent me from stopping him. He’s currently hunting the beast monsters under the king’s command. I cannot stop him with my authority alone.”
”Royal command… What is His Majesty Shifa thinking? To hunt beast monsters at the risk of exposing Abyss Vena to danger… Is there no reinforcements from the central army?”
”The talk of my Brother coming was also nullified because of your engagement, Milly. Moreover, Brother removed Lady Lila from the line of succession and divorced her, and it seems he has taken Lady Estelle—who gave birth to His Majesty Shifa’s wife, Irmgarde—as his new first-ranked wife.”
”M-Mother has been removed from her position and divorced… Is that so… Was Father that angry?”
I never thought my father would go as far as to divorce my mother over my engagement to Kent, but it seems he was furious that I, not becoming His Majesty Shifa’s wife, got engaged to some unknown man of lower status.
I have been disowned by my father.
”According to a letter from my brother, Lady Lila will be sent to Abyss Vena.”
”I see… I’ll take care of my mother at my mansion.”
”Is it okay? Kent is in the mansion. He’s a real magnet for women, so maybe one day Lady Lila will fall in love with him.”
”If Kent likes her, there’s nothing I can do about it, but even as my mother, she’ll have to obey the hierarchy of succubi.”
I think my uncle’s advice will probably become a reality.
My mother is beautiful, and her feminine figure is exactly the kind of woman Kent likes, so if he sees her without her glasses, he’ll probably fall for her instantly.
But if that happens, it can’t be helped.
I think I can get the ultimate revenge on the father who abandoned Mother.
That’s the kind of thing my father has done; I can understand divorcing her, but removing her from the hierarchy of succubi is an act of abandoning ownership.
In other words, it’s the same as directly telling my mother that she’s unwanted.
I can’t forgive that; if that’s the case, I believe my mother will be happier being owned by Kent.
No matter if she’s the property (master) of her daughter’s husband, the sorrow of a succubus discarded by her owner (master) must be immense…
Just thinking about being thrown away by Kent makes me feel sick.
”My brother made a foolish decision to protect himself. Lady Lila is coming here by carriage from the royal capital, so I think she’ll arrive in about ten days.”
”Thank you for telling me about my mother. To get back to the topic, the reinforcements from the central army were declined, right?”
”Yeah, they flatly refused. The reason is quite a story; they found a large-scale monster nest near the royal capital, so the army is fully focused on extermination and has no spare forces for reinforcements. It’s laughable, isn’t it?”
”A large-scale monster nest near the royal capital? That’s a pretty fishy excuse, even for a child to doubt. It’s been decades since the monsters were cleared out from around the royal capital, so there’s no way that’s the reason now.”
”Yeah, His Majesty and the central army executives don’t want to spend a single copper coin on protecting Abyss Vena.”
”That being said, even if it’s in the name of the True Demon Kingdom…”
”There are no large-scale monster attacks in the royal capital, so perhaps the king’s aides don’t notice, or maybe they’re doing it on purpose.”
I don’t think His Majesty would do such a thing, but it is true that no reinforcements came from the central army and the garrison went to Felward Fort by royal command.
It’s an undeniable fact that Abyss Vena is completely exposed.
I can only pray that the garrison will swiftly return after defeating the beast monsters without any incidents.
”Uncle, I’ll keep this matter to myself.”
”Ah, I appreciate that. If this leaks to the Hunter Guild, it could become quite troublesome. Well, recently, monsters have been more active, but there haven’t been any large-scale attacks. Our worries are probably just unnecessary.”
I decided to say goodbye to my uncle and leave the castle.
Still, between His Majesty and my father, the people of the royal capital know far too little about the current situation here…
Do they intend to overlook the fact that the southern city of Abyss Vena in the True Demon Kingdom is being ravaged by monsters?
The issue of my mother’s divorce had already shaken me, but now a new worry has taken root in my heart.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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