Volume 2 Chapter 80 Maribel Danofen I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The ominous magic power swirling around the blonde witch suddenly vanished.
Noticing Natasha lower her hands, McCutchen let out a large breath.
(I survived. I made it somehow.)
He had faced crises like this many times before.
The many instances he had survived were no mere coincidence.
However, escaping from this witch did not change the situation at all.
The Waterman knights were already gone, and he could not seek help from the noble lords he was close to.
Everything, all of it, had been simultaneously handled on Maribel’s side.
(Facing a trial with naive honesty would play right into their hands. It would be like walking into a trap of his own making. It was about military force. I needed a power to replace Waterman, one capable of taking control within the fortress. For now, I would hire mercenaries using money and connections. If I could eliminate Owl and capture the princess, most of the lords who followed her would likely comply.)
He also needed time to hire mercenaries.
Moreover, he had to find a way to escape from this house under the watch of Archbishop Homolka.
”…Natasha, I will repay your kindness when I achieve victory, so please help me.”
”It’s impossible if you tell my subordinate, the Head magician, to eliminate Owl’s forces from the fortress. We aren’t a martial faction, after all. There are also close subordinates of Her Excellency Maribel, and we can’t leave the main castle unguarded for too long. ──Considering all of that, I can assist you as long as it does not cause me harm.”
McCutchen’s mind raced rapidly.
Buying time to hire mercenaries.
Slipping outside while evading Archbishop Homolka’s gaze.
These were the necessary initial actions.
”…If I recall correctly, Maribel is currently discussing the envoy from Azrael and the Death Sword User, right?”
”Yes, she should be explaining the disturbance caused by entering our country without permission.”
”That settles it.”
McCutchen nodded once and rang the bell on the table.
He voiced his request to the blonde Head magician.
”Send me and my escort to the vicinity of the Châtillon fortress now. Just send us. You’re free to leave afterward.”
”Oh dear, what are you planning to do?”
”I’m not going to tell you. If you want to keep your position, you’ll remain silent about me leaving this mansion.”
”Of course. So, this wish is acceptable? The price will be… let’s say, if you win, you’ll continue to treat me with respect and cede me some territory under Her Excellency Maribel’s direct rule.”
”You want land?”
Natasha nodded.
”Yes. A fine, spacious estate. I won’t accept marshlands or swamps. I’d prefer somewhere with lots of vineyards or gardens. The Westside area sounds lovely.”
”…Is that really all you want?”
”I have money and power, but I don’t possess land to govern. If I had land, I could appear to be a proper noble lord. Even a small estate would allow me to live elegantly. I could buy a title later and become a genuine noble. How’s that? A modest desire for a head magician, wouldn’t you say?”
”……”
McCutchen was left speechless by the lack of sincerity from the head magician before him.
Land, huh?
Though he thought it ridiculous to use Maribel’s name for something so trivial, it was incredibly fortunate at this moment.
(But the head magician remains troublesome. Useful and capable, yet utterly untrustworthy.)
Especially this witch named Natasha, who was at the lowest level of trustworthiness.
He had reluctantly used her until now, but at this moment, she had completely surpassed McCutchen’s tolerance.
”────”
After killing Owl, the old steward resolved to eliminate this woman as well.
* * *
Blending into the night, Kian and his group teleported to the port town of Châtillon.
As they landed on the solid ground, the scent of the sea flooded their senses.
The area was pitch dark, with only the distant torches of the patrolling troops and the lights from the sailing ships occasionally flickering in view.
”From here, we’ll move by carriage. There’s a barrier preventing teleportation.”
Renaud’s low voice echoed in the cold night air.
Kian turned to find himself meeting the eyes of Oswald and Aisha.
Behind them stood Christy and Maribel.
Owl was standing at Kian’s upper right, alongside Renaud.
Together, with Kian, there were a total of 7 people.
This group would set up a meeting with Azrael’s side.
”A carriage… Is there really a horse that can pull one on a night road like this? …Is there?”
Christy, who had spoken, quickly shrank back under Renaud’s sharp glare but managed to finish her sentence.
It seemed this black-haired witch had a particularly poor rapport with the knights, as it was the same with Oswald.
Her style of conversation, bursting through others’ sensitive topics without a care, must have provoked Lord Renaud’s wrath before.
Evidence of her impact was clear in the disgust seeping from Renaud’s dark eyes.
It was Owl who answered Christy’s question.
”The carriage part was provided by Renaud, but I arranged the horses. Here they are.”
A clear sound resounded.
It seemed Owl struck the tip of his wand against the ground.
In front of the two parked black vehicles, a black mist swirled.
”──────!” “…Sir Oswald, this is──” “Hmm…”
A moment later, the one who appeared was ‘Shield Cain’, the boss Kian had faced during the Lower-rank adventurer promotion test.
Clad in a full gray armor, it resembled a giant praying mantis, a type of vampire being.
Indeed, it was larger than a bear and remarkably muscular in the limbs.
It looked capable of pulling a carriage without issue, yet they were enemies of humanity──a monster.
Owl, having put away his wand, slowly approached the two Shield Cains.
”Don’t worry, this is an individual I’ve trained.”
”No way… You can tame a monster? That’s… like what Kian does.”
”Can Kian also tame vampire species?”
Oswald turned his golden eyes toward him.
When Kian smiled at Christy, she shivered and tucked her chin, saying, “I-I’m sorry.”
”Oh? You use monsters? That’s an interesting thing to hear.”
”……”
”Is it possible to tame monsters?”
Oswald asked Aisha.
The dark elf lieutenant had a serious expression.
”In Azrael, there are practitioners who handle insects and snakes. …however, I’ve never heard of anyone taming intelligent and powerful creatures like vampires. For them, we humans are merely a meal, and it’s nearly impossible for them to become attached like bears or lions.”
”Researchers in the royal capital have also attempted to tame monsters, and many have died. They say taming monsters is fundamentally impossible.”
”There is a trick to it, Aisha, Christina.”
Owl smiled brightly.
Owl spread his arms from his cloak and let out a strange sound towards the crescent moon in the sky, baring his jagged teeth.
Hoo…
It sounded almost like an owl.
In an instant, a horrific monster’s roar echoed back from the sand dune forest.
Holding up his hand to stop Oswald and Kian from going on guard, Owl continued.
”They are Sword-Cain and Wing-Cain. Shield Cain is as heavy as it looks, but Sword-Cain moves swiftly across the ground, and Wing-Cain can fly. Their weakness is their sensitivity to sunlight, but on a moonlit night like tonight, it’s their garden. They will excel at both scouting and hunting.”
”That’s amazing. How many are there?”
”About 50, Oswald. Please be careful not to accidentally burn my lovely vampires. I will charge you 30 gold coins for every single one you burn.”
”I understand. But 50 lower-rank vampires? Isn’t that a better army than your soldiers?”
”──Neither McCutchen nor I will permit the entry of vampires into the Izerland fortress. If you wish to use them, please do so outside, as stated in my knightly contract with Owl.”
Maribel, draped in a yellow coat over her light pink dress, interjects.
”Of course, that’s true.”
”…Your Excellency, shouldn’t we move soon?”
”As Kian said, Aisha and I will start our patrol along the seaside now. Owl, please cover a wide area from the forest to the fortress.”
”No need to mention it. Here, I’ll lend you this whistle. When blown, Wing Cain will come. Use it to contact us if anything happens.”
”Understood.”
”Everyone, let’s move. We have 2 carriages available, so I and Kian will ride in one. Renaud and Christy will take the other.”
”Whaaaaaat!?”
”Christy, what’s wrong?”
Christy mumbles, looking adorably perplexed at the young princess.
”Well… it’s not that I dislike riding with Lord Renaud, but in terms of space, it would make more sense for Kian and me to share one carriage, leaving Manon and Lord Renaud in the other.”
”I want to ride with Kian. Renaud, please ride with Christy.”
”As you wish.”
Renaud nonchalantly replies.
Christy, unable to say anything, glances nervously at the intimidating dragon man.
”Kian, let’s go.”
Maribel says this and strides confidently toward the carriage.
There was no sign of fear regarding Shield Cain, who awaited before her.
”I’ll rely on you to get us to the fortress, Lord Renaud.”
”What exactly do you want me to do? I have no intention of talking to the witch.”
”…You’re talking right now.”
”Huh?”
”Eep!? I-I’m sorry…”
Christy falters in front of the dragon man.
Kian, glancing at this scene, follows Maribel, who has already opened the carriage and boarded.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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