Volume 2 Chapter 65 Chaos
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”So?”
McCutchen spat and shouted.
”The forest around the castle was blown away!? How much will the damages be?!”
”McCutchen, we haven’t been grazing pigs this season, and if we don’t worry about appearances, it’s not a problem.”
”Your Excellency, this is an international issue! We must send a protest to Azrael immediately!”
”But, what about the evidence?”
The blonde Head Magician──Natasha──smelled of perfume today, too.
She looked at Waterman.
”Right now, we only have the assassin’s arm and sword, and the Insect Master’s man, right? Can we protest properly with this?”
”It’s the diplomat’s job to handle that. If we don’t assert ourselves, nothing will change.”
”Ugh, I don’t want to be a messenger. I’d probably get killed.”
”Killing a messenger would be asking for condemnation.”
”Kian, was the opponent really an apostle of Azrael?”
Maribel broke into the tense situation and turned to Kian.
Kian nodded.
”Absolutely. Have you heard the story of the Insect Master’s man?”
”Yes, it seems he was trained by the women who sought to join and was being manipulated in the background.”
”Your Excellency, for now, we should postpone the ceremony.”
Waterman said with a stern face.
He continued.
”We don’t know what Azrael is planning. Until we send a messenger to explain the situation, we risk being attacked again. If we’re not careful, the whole arena could be blown away──”
”No way! I’ve already told the guests that we will hold the ceremony early! Now you want to postpone? What should I say to those pigs?! How will we keep them in the central district of the fortress until the postponed ceremony ends?!”
”However, holding it as scheduled is too dangerous, Sir McCutchen. The enemy blew away the windbreak forest. Only someone like Lord Renaud or Lord Oswald could do something like that in our country.”
”That’s it.”
Natasha tapped her fingers on her crossed arms as she spoke.
”Lord Waterman? Why not bow your head to Renaud or Oswald and borrow their army? Honestly, it’s suicide to rely solely on the Head magician’s barrier against Azrael’s apostle. Your Excellency must think so too, right?”
”…Yes.”
”That’s not going to happen!”
McCutchen raised his voice sharply.
He continued, shaking the fat under his chin.
”Letting Oswald and Renaud’s armies enter the fortress is suicide! What if they don’t follow the order to leave after the ceremony? We would be placing the strongest and largest armies in the frontier just across the moat from our main castle!?”
”We’ll deal with that when the time comes. First, we need to survive the present situation.”
”You say that so casually, but you’re ready to betray us to Oswald if anything happens, aren’t you, Natasha! Right?”
”Oh my, how unfair, Sir McCutchen. Do you think I would betray Your Excellency?”
”Witches can’t be trusted!”
”That’s true. But if I can’t be trusted, I don’t feel inspired to serve loyally.”
”I don’t like your attitude! Are you taking this situation seriously!?”
”Of course. I’m taking it as seriously as Sir Steward said.”
”Stop it! You crazy witch!”
The steward and the Head magician were having a magnificent fallout.
It seemed these two were the ones arguing in the hallway.
Waterman was likely trying to calm them down.
Now, he too was silent, looking exasperated.
’McCutchen is in a panic.’
(The windbreak just next to where he wake up was blown away. No wonder he’s upset. I think it’s more abnormal that Maribel is managing to stay calm.)
’Hehe… you’re speaking as if it doesn’t concern you.’
(────)
Kian looked at Maribel, who was flustered among the adults.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it when she heard the shouting.
”May I speak for a moment?”
Kian seized the chance to interject between McCutchen and Natasha’s breaths.
Waterman turned around.
”What is it?”
”It seems Your Excellency Maribel has something to say.”
The gazes of McCutchen and others focused on the blonde young princess.
Maribel hesitated a bit, but placed her hand on her flat chest to calm herself and began to speak softly.
”…First, I need to know exactly how the women controlling the terrorist organization infiltrated the fortress. The Insect Master’s man said they were brought into the fortress while he was asleep yesterday, but there might be some kind of secret passage. Unless we block that, enemies will keep pouring in.”
”Indeed.”
”But, Your Excellency, teleportation cannot occur inside the fortress. We checked the barrier, and there’s been no sign of it being broken or slipped through.”
”What about the sewers? Especially the upper waterway with few monsters. There should be an unused area west of the fortress that was missed in the map during the sectioning.”
”I think it’s fine. Probably.”
”Probably?”
”Definitely! I don’t make mistakes!”
”…If the enemy isn’t using secret passages like waterways, they must have passed through the fortress’s checkpoints.”
”Seriously… Did my subordinates mess up?”
Maribel shook her head at Waterman’s words.
”You must have someone you bow your head to, even as your knight, right? Like the executives of the merchant guild that pays hefty ‘taxes’. Please create a list of the merchant guilds connected financially to Azrael that showed the permits around yesterday noon. One of those might be the enemy’s hiding spot.”
Maribel licked her lips and looked around at everyone.
”It’s about requesting reinforcements from Oswald and Renaud, but… I agree with McCutchen on this. If they disobey the withdrawal order and we end up besieged in our own castle, it would be disastrous. I… I don’t completely trust Oswald and Renaud. I’m trying to trust them, but…”
She continued.
”If the enemy plans to stay in the fortress until the day of the ceremony, they are likely using underground passages or merchant guilds related to Azrael as their hiding spots. If we investigate these and find their locations, we should be able to determine whether the enemy is truly an apostle of Azrael from any evidence left behind. We can send a messenger after that. Until we have evidence, keep the Head Magician as the messenger stationed at the border fortress. Natasha, you can handle this smartly, right?”
”Of course, Your Excellency.”
”Everyone here is relying on you. Please do not overlook any details. Waterman, continue overseeing the security on-site. Natasha, please double-check the passages inside the fortress.”
”Hah, what about the companions of the Insect Master?”
”I saw Christy earlier when McCutchen and Natasha were fighting, so I told Liam to go and retrieve the insect master.”
”Oh, quick to act…”
”McCutchen, you will greet and explain to the guests. I will follow after Oswald, who got angry and left for his home.”
”Huh? He left?”
Waterman widened his eyes.
Maribel nodded.
McCutchen clicked his tongue, and Natasha chuckled quietly.
”During the rehearsal, he faced Lord Guillaume, and at that moment… it seems something like a terrible-smelling oil was splashed on him. It was clear, so we didn’t notice at first, but his cloak suddenly caught fire──”
”That was a masterpiece! Kuku. That handsome man had his hair all messy, and the flames burned his cloak…! Hehe, Oswald’s face was something you rarely see.”
”Lord Guillaume might get killed later. Well, that’s what knights’ promotions are for. It’s not a problem if a foolish adventurer dies. But, I must apologize to Oswald later. If the princess can handle that, I’d be grateful… Honestly, I don’t want to go.”
”Are you serious?!”
Waterman shouted with a pale face.
”Guillaume is the knight we prepared! That he caused such great disgrace to Lord Oswald!”
And McCutchen affirmed it.
”That’s right; the guests may think it’s entertainment, but Oswald must be seriously angry. What is Guillaume thinking?”
”I will go to Oswald and apologize directly. Somehow, we must avoid provoking him.”
”What is Lord Guillaume doing now?”
”He is chatting with the nobles. Those who don’t hold Lord Oswald in good regard.”
Natasha shrugged her shoulders.
Waterman froze and dropped his shoulders.
Maribel looked at the bald knight while receiving a coat from the guard.
”Waterman. There’s no time to stand around. Please, return to your duties immediately. You may speak to Owl. Request cooperation from him and his knight order.”
”…Huh, is Lord Owl on security at the VIP seats?”
”No, he’s in the kitchen. Today, their merchant guild is generously providing bread and wine.”
”Understood.”
”Kian.”
Maribel’s dark blue eyes caught his gaze.
She continued in an effort to sound businesslike.
”Please take care of my supply. It’s still dangerous outside.”
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply