Volume 3 Chapter 30 That's a Necessary Battle
Seven days after the attack from Goldmont, my sisters and I found ourselves summoned to the estate of Lord Reichner by His Excellency Duke Hoffman.
He had requested to share his thoughts regarding our future course of action.
Considering the time that had passed, it seemed His Excellency was quite eager to discuss the matter.
"First of all, Ryuuji, I must thank you for saving this town once again."
He said this, bowing deeply in gratitude.
I hurriedly tried to stop him.
It was truly daunting for someone of His Excellency's status to act that way.
"Please, Your Excellency, I merely did what I could to ensure my family remained safe."
"No, this is my failing as someone who leads the army. It's my lack of understanding that has allowed Sartzstadt to become such an important stronghold for our nation. Ryuuji has compensated for my shortcomings. I cannot thank him enough."
It seemed my protests fell on deaf ears as His Excellency continued to bow deeply.
If anything, I felt that his actions reflected not gratitude towards me, but rather regret towards himself.
So, Sartzstadt had transformed into such a captivating town.
At the same time, it had also become a target.
Especially for maritime countries like Goldmont.
If that were the case, His Excellency bore significant responsibility for allowing it to be targeted so defenselessly.
"Shall we discuss what lies ahead?"
"...Yeah, let's do that."
As I forcibly changed the topic, His Excellency couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
There's no point in regretting what's already done.
"Regarding the treatment of the captives──we've received word from His Majesty that due to the emergency, he'll overlook the methods used this time."
"...In that case, that's a relief."
With a sigh of relief, I nodded in agreement with my sisters, making sure they understood.
If anyone tried to pin the blame on Minori for the suggestion or on Suzu for carrying it out, that wouldn't be cool at all.
The captives are currently in a state of servitude to Lord Reichner, bound by Suzu's magic.
In other words, they're in a state of slavery.
As for food supplies, we're having some of the captives work in Lana's fields to boost production and cope with the situation.
It worked out because there were parts of the field that we hadn't been using yet.
We're also having Lene's apprentices work hard to produce fertilizer for us.
Regarding the rest of the captives, we had heard that as soon as the inquisitors arrived from the Capital City, we would begin the hearings──
"Today, His Excellency and the inquisitors have arrived, and the hearings have already started──so, let me know if there's anything you're particularly concerned about."
"Something I'm concerned about?"
I leaned in, eager to hear what Lord Reichner had to say.
Could he have found out something about the Beistein Kingdom's invasion plans?
That's what I thought, but the content was completely different.
"So, while it's true that they intend to invade, the reason behind it is rather peculiar. It seems they've come under the pretense of 'liberating Sartzstadt, a land afflicted by Dark Mages.'"
"...What?"
I couldn't help but widen my eyes at that explanation.
A land afflicted by Dark Mages?
Sure, there have been plenty of incidents related to Dark Mages, but even so, that seems far-fetched.
...Wait a minute.
Why do they even know about the Dark Mages?
They were supposed to keep a tight lid on the fact that Adiliana was leading the stampede; did some rumor leak out from somewhere?
"Why does Goldmont know about the Dark Mages?"
Minori seemed to be curious too and asked the question.
Only the Defense Corps and the Knight Order should have known that the Dark Mage was pulling strings in that incident.
If that information slipped out, then we were dealing with something serious.
However, the implications of that suspicion were already beyond what we had been contemplating.
"It's not Adiliana; there's a Dark Mage named Emerada who has been spotted in this town. Apparently, this individual has wiped out a unit in Goldmont and is currently wanted in their realm. They've come under the guise of sheltering that person."
We could only process the shocking explanation from Your Excellency.
* * *
"I'm home!"
"Welcome back!"
When I returned to the couple's room, I found Lene, who had been sleeping before I left, sitting in a chair and knitting.
Although her technique was still rather clumsy, she was currently attempting this challenge after some instruction from one of her students.
"Hey, is it okay for you to be awake?"
"If I just sleep all the time, it'll actually make me feel worse. You know?"
Lene said with a wry smile, but her complexion still looked less than ideal.
What on earth was going on with her?
"Guess I should really call for a healer this time. Either a physician or a priest, I don't care. One way or another, if we leave Lene like this, she's going to die."
"Come on, you're exaggerating. Both doctors and priests charge a pretty penny for their services, you know?"
"For Lene, I'd spare no expense."
I said it with a straight face, though I kept to myself that I'd just received a reward from Lord Reichner.
I couldn't let it slip that I single-handedly took on a fleet, not with Lene finding out.
"...Ah, right. Did I tell you about Goldmont attacking this town recently? They're rumored to strike again, and they've been asking for people to join the guard."
"I see... More fighting, huh?"
Lene murmured quietly, sounding so lonely.
But unless we defend, there's no protecting her family.
This is something that must be done.
I walked around to Lene's back and, without a word, embraced her from behind, holding her tight.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)