Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Toward the Capital (1)
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The first piece of information Cardron shared was about the Nester Temple.
“Upon investigation, the temple itself wasn’t directly involved. It was just some personnel in charge of the infirmary who were connected. We’ve rooted them all out and punished them accordingly.”
“What was the purpose?”
“Human body enhancement experiments.”
Certain figures flashed through my mind for a moment.
The beast-like people we’d encountered in the communal area.
“They said it could increase an adult male’s strength by up to eight times. The person in charge was a black mage and surgeon, Dr. Jurha. Even under interrogation, nothing else came out.”
“When did he take over as head?”
“He claimed he was in charge from the very beginning.”
No matter how it happened, if he’d been in charge from the start, the distance to the Kterer Mountains made it impossible for it to be the same person.
For now, I set aside the unresolved question.
“Was the backer the Governor-General’s Office?”
“I can’t say for sure, but circumstances point that way.”
They’d built an infirmary inside the temple and created a large space within it. They periodically kidnapped people and conducted horrific experiments there.
From funding to security, it would’ve been impossible without a backing force.
In present-day Francia, the only entity capable of pulling that off was the Governor-General’s Office.
In other words, it had been carried out under Halent Barrein’s control.
Since it was an unethical act that couldn’t escape blame if discovered, it wouldn’t have proceeded without the Governor-General’s knowledge.
If anything, he’d led it.
Halent Barrein.
Going all the way to the end, huh.
“There wasn’t much other information. No records on the experiments either. They claimed Dr. Jurha handled all the research and records, and they only assisted. Even under torture, we got nothing more.”
I looked at him with suspicious eyes.
He spoke as if it were absurd.
“It’s true. Are you suspecting I’d continue those experiments or something?”
“To some extent.”
He was pretending to be an ally now, but Cardron was like a bat.
A sly one whose outside didn’t match his inside, so blind trust was dangerous.
Showing suspicion like this from time to time would keep him on his toes.
“I swear to the gods. There were no such records. Even if there had been, I wouldn’t touch something so unethical.”
“No traces of contact with other places?”
“Damn, you won’t even hear my defense. We’re looking into that, but no progress. That’s how secretive it was.”
I nodded.
“Not much useful information.”
“……Well, on the big picture, yeah.”
Cardron smacked his lips awkwardly and continued.
“The parts about the Crown Prince and the ‘City of Immortality’ aren’t much different.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“First, this Imotel Island the Crown Prince headed to. It’s not marked on any map. Even after scouring documents on the Small Sea, no luck. The Porsen branch is running themselves ragged, so maybe good news soon, but no guarantees on when. Information takes time to flow.”
Porsen was the largest port city in western Francia.
Cardron went on.
“I don’t know if Imotel Island is some code name they use, but either way, that name alone makes it damn hard to find.”
“So you’ve done nothing in the meantime.”
“……Ugh.”
Cardron groaned uncomfortably but couldn’t really refute it.
“What about the ‘City of Immortality’?”
“……That’s a problem too.”
He met my gaze and quickly added an excuse.
“It wasn’t written in runes.”
I’d assumed it was runes since it was a mage’s book, but apparently not.
“We know a wide range of continental scripts from making ciphers, but we couldn’t identify the script or its origins.”
“So it’s like a cipher then?”
“No, it seems to follow certain rules, so not a cipher. But grasping the meaning isn’t easy.”
I stared at him silently.
“So you’ve just been twiddling your thumbs this whole time?”
“Twiddling my thumbs! We’ve been working day and night!”
Cardron’s face flushed red.
He seemed really pissed.
I ignored it and pressed on.
“Then you should’ve produced some decent results.”
After trembling in anger for a bit, he took a long deep breath and continued.
“That doesn’t mean we found out nothing. While digging through records for Imotel Island, we learned about a minority tribe living in the Small Sea. Surprisingly, the script they used matched the one in the ‘City of Immortality.’”
“You said earlier you couldn’t trace the origins.”
“That’s how it was at first.”
“Either way, it points to the Small Sea.”
“Something smells there.”
It might be coincidence, but both pieces pointed to the Small Sea.
I couldn’t be certain, but like he said, something smelled off.
“Couldn’t find that minority tribe?”
“It’s from ancient records. We’re looking, but most tribes that built their own civilizations on islands are gone. Hard to find, and not sure if descendants remain.”
“Guess we’ll have to go check it out ourselves.”
Sitting here wouldn’t solve it.
Even if we got info, we’d have to go to the Small Sea to verify.
Handling it from Porsen Port seemed fastest.
“Heading out right away?”
“No. Detour to the capital first.”
Cardron nodded without much reaction.
He didn’t know I was heading to the capital to cut down Halent Barrein. He’d just think it was Northern White Lion business.
“Then tell us about what happened in Stis City.”
At Cardron’s words, everyone’s eyes lit up with interest. I recounted the events briefly and concisely.
No questions allowed.
Once the story ended, I said,
“You all head back first. I have private words left with Cardron.”
“Our White Lion is busy right from the start, so busy.”
Nederman grumbled as he stood, and Liriel rose with an anxious glance.
Once the three left the room, Cardron smiled slyly and spoke.
“Changed your mind about marriage?”
“I didn’t stay for useless talk like that.”
He tilted his head.
Seemed he thought that was the only thing left to discuss.
I said,
“One question. Why is a traitor pretending to be with the independence army?”
I’d wanted to ask this long ago.
I hadn’t only because I had to leave Allen and Liriel here while rescuing Lordr.
“Pretending to be independence army? What kind of harsh words.”
“Cut the ‘for Francia’ crap and tell me your real goal.”
I wasn’t clueless about the reason.
It was for his own house.
What I meant was, what benefit did his house gain from playing independence army.
A traitor like him wouldn’t move for Francia.
Moreover, Cardron hadn’t joined the war with the empire and had chosen neutrality from the start as the ‘first traitor.’
I needed to clarify relations with him.
He saw through my intent and grinned.
“A betrayer of the nation playing independence army. Even I think it doesn’t make sense.”
He continued.
“To be frank, the ‘Coiling Strait’ never did independence activities. Others just called us that.”
He laid out the facts honestly.
“I was just anti-Halent, needing info to check him. Somehow it turned into this.”
Meaning the ‘Coiling Strait,’ hailed as the west independence army’s representative, was just Cardron’s personal force, not a group working for independence.
Ultimately, an intel org made to check the Governor-General’s Office and Barrein House, misunderstood because its direction resembled independence.
“But that doesn’t mean the Coiling Strait isn’t independence army. It’s just how it started.”
Seeing his sly smile, I knew he was actively exploiting the misunderstanding.
It didn’t start as independence army, but now it was acting as one fully.
There must be calculations in that choice.
“Didn’t expect playing independence army would bring this luck.”
He laughed long, looking at me.
He knew well that winds of upheaval were blowing through Francia now.
And he’d face another choice at the end.
Like ten years ago.
As traitor and independence army, he’d choose empire or Francia again.
That’s why I was conveying my stance on it.
That I knew.
Choose carefully.
But my attitude wouldn’t affect him.
He’d choose based on his gain again.
“You seem to predict what I’ll do, asking like this—half threat?”
“Threat? Threats are for pushing a choice. I’m not forcing any on you. Just reminding that whatever you choose, consequences follow.”
With that, I stood.
As I said, choice was his.
I wouldn’t force anything. Force doesn’t persuade types like him.
They’d bow in front, stab in the back.
But conversely, he was solidly ours up to a point.
Until I took Halent’s head, say.
Whether he’d aim for new Governor-General then or maintain status quo and watch more was his call.
My part ended here.
Harboring bat-like guys was exactly Lucian’s job.
Our talk ended there.
He saw me off with smiles to the end.
But next meeting, enemy or ally would depend solely on his choice.
* * *
“Did you have a good talk?”
Not long after Jenes left, Nederman sneaked into Cardron’s office.
He could guess parts of what they’d discussed.
Cardron shrugged at Nederman.
“Don’t know if it was good, but nothing to hide.”
“That bastard—his brain isn’t a sword, you know.”
Nederman grumbled, pulling a chair and sitting. He’d caught on to the talk. He asked,
“What’s your plan?”
“Too early to decide. Time to choose will come soon, no?”
Ten years ago, Cardron chose empire over Francia.
Expecting empire’s victory.
Same this time.
He’d bet Tainan Marquisate on the side he thought would win.
“Haven’t decided yet?”
“Can’t decide on sword alone.”
“True. Agreed.”
Nederman nodded too.
Couldn’t deny Jenes was a sharply honed sword.
But he was just a sword.
A sword’s use depends on its wielder.
Ultimately, Jenes was the sword gripped by the Northern White Lion’s leader.
Would need to meet that guy to decide.
“Whatever I choose, you’ll follow?”
Cardron gazed steadily at Nederman.
At the serious attitude, Nederman recoiled, waving hands.
“Ugh, what’s that. Save that face for underlings. Joking?”
“So what’ll you do.”
“You idiot. What can I do. I’m just a sword too.”
He wasn’t much different from Jenes.
A sword sharpens its edge for its master.
Cardron nodded and spoke.
“While together, try sweet-talking Jenes a bit.”
“Lost your senses? That work?”
“Just saying.”
Cardron knew it was impossible now too.
Who could persuade that guy.
Made him more curious what the Northern White Lion’s leader was like.
How he’d lured that sharply honed guy in personality and power.
“What a joke.”
As Nederman rose, having achieved his goal, Cardron shot him a fierce glare.
“Come back safe, you damn bastard.”
Nederman chuckled and left without looking back, waving.