Chapter 196
Chapter: 196
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 196
>Chapter Title: Sigismund Territory (5)
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>Seongjin controlled his body temperature with aura as he staggered to his feet in the snowfield.
Lying down face-to-face with the wolf upside down had been quite uncomfortable.
Fortunately, while Seongjin was in a relatively defenseless state, the wolf had taken a step back and sat quietly on the ground. It probably meant it had no intention of attacking right now.
Judging as much, Seongjin brushed the snow off his cloak while busily scanning the beast alongside the Demon King.
‘Hey, what the hell is that thing? Why is a wolf talking?’
[It’s not actually speaking. It’s sending strong thoughts.]
‘Whatever. Is it a demon beast from the demon realm? Or maybe a demon?’
[Hmm. Who knows? I don’t sense any particular demonic energy...]
Even the Demon King seemed puzzled.
Well, there was no choice but to ask it directly.
“Alright, talking wolf. Should I say it’s nice to meet you like this? Let’s start with introductions.”
Having somewhat straightened his clothes, Seongjin opened his mouth toward the wolf.
“I am Mores Klein, the Third Prince of the Holy Empire Delcros. And you are?”
The wolf tilted its head as it looked at Seongjin.
[Are you the Third Prince who received an invitation from the Grand Prince? But from what I’ve heard, Prince Mores is a pig... my apologies. Relatively overweight.]
What a remarkably polite wolf.
[Moreover, I sense an aura from you very similar to my kin. Are you really just a simple human?]
“…Yes.”
Seongjin admitted it a beat late.
Strictly speaking, he was a malevolent spirit possessing Mores’s body, but Mores himself was human anyway. There was no way he could be kin to something like a wolf.
The wolf then carefully examined Seongjin’s face and nodded.
[Understood. It seems my assumption of kinship was purely my mistake. Since you’re accompanied by the Grand Prince, your stated identity must be true.]
What the hell was this thing?
It knew not only people’s rumors but also recognized Orden’s face and even that it had invited Mores?
[I sensed your presence approaching this place a few days ago. I was just keeping watch thinking you were kin, but I never imagined I’d end up having a one-on-one conversation with you.]
The fact that it had kept its distance when Seongjin approached meant this situation was unexpected for it too.
[Since things have turned out this way, I have something I’d like to ask you. Was it you who summoned the magic beast?]
…What?
As Seongjin furrowed his brow slightly, the wolf asked again.
[And one more thing—why are you alone? Where is the Wolf Knight Order that should be with the Grand Prince?]
It knew about the magic beast and the Wolf Knight Order too?
Around that point, Seongjin considered another possibility regarding its identity.
Not a demon beast or a demon. Then could it be another soul possessing a normal wolf, like him?
The comment about sensing kin from him—did that mean it felt a sense of camaraderie as a fellow malevolent spirit or something?
“Hey. I said let’s introduce ourselves, right? Why should I have to explain all that when I don’t even know what you are?”
Seongjin growled without hiding his displeasure, and the wolf flinched as if caught off guard, lowering its head.
Its round eyes and slightly open lower jaw. Even without a human face, its flustered expression was clearly visible—an odd sight.
[I see. I apologize for my rudeness in my haste. My name is ‘Max.’]
“Alright, Max. And?”
[I’m just an ordinary wolf pup living in this area.]
“…What? Ordinary? Wolf pup?”
Unable to hold back, Seongjin snapped.
“Hey, you punk! Are you seriously trying to pass this off as me mistaking you for a wolf pup? Even you must think this explanation is sorely lacking!”
The wolf then drooped its tail and whimpered.
[I’m truly sorry. But if you’re from the Holy Imperial family, I can’t give a detailed explanation about myself all the more. It’s an unavoidable choice for all of us—please understand.]
“Understand my ass! You bastard, tell the truth right now! You’re a malevolent spirit possessing a wolf pup, aren’t you?”
[A malevolent spirit? Perish the thought!]
“Then how do you know about the magic beast? The distance from here to there is no joke! Are you one of the Dark Church bastards? A malevolent spirit from the Penance Church?”
[That’s baseless speculation. I’m not from the Dark Church!]
“Then what the hell are you?”
[Like I said, Max! I can’t give details, but at least I haven’t lied to you!]
The Demon King then whispered to Seongjin.
[That much is true, Seongjin. Though there are some suspicious parts.]
“Ugh…….”
Seongjin rubbed his throbbing forehead and swallowed his anger.
If it wasn’t a demon beast, demon, or even a malevolent spirit, then what the hell was this thing?
At that moment, the wolf turned its head sideways and sniffed the air.
[…Oh dear. It seems we don’t have much time left.]
At the same time, Seongjin sensed presences too—the auras of Masain and Orden rushing toward them in a panic.
The two locked eyes as if by prior agreement.
“If you absolutely can’t tell me your identity, then just answer this one thing. Are you a threat to Sigismund Territory?”
As he asked, Seongjin’s hand had already reached for his walnut chopper.
The wolf then gazed steadily at Seongjin. Its eyes were so devoid of emotion they seemed dry, almost detached.
[At least by my own judgment, I am not a harmful presence here.]
The Demon King whispered.
It’s the truth.
Seongjin sighed in relief as he lowered his hand from the sword. The wolf then asked him.
[Please give me a clear answer too. Did you summon the magic beast?]
“No, not me. I have some guesses about who did it, though.”
[…….]
The wolf stared at Seongjin for a moment with its pitch-black eyes, utterly devoid of flecks, then nodded.
[Yes, understood. I’ll trust you.]
With a swish, it wagged its tail a couple of times, then turned away from Seongjin. It seemed intent on leaving before the other two arrived.
Suddenly curious, Seongjin asked.
“Hey, Max. What would you have done if I’d said I was the one who summoned the magic beast?”
[…….]
The wolf, having taken a couple of steps, turned its head and replied.
[Wouldn’t it be the same as you? I would have made sure you could never do it again.]
“…….”
Though they’d conversed as if both were calm on the surface, in truth, they’d both been prepared to fight to the death.
Just then, voices desperately calling for Seongjin came from that direction.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Highneeeess!”
Taking that as a signal, the wolf lightly pawed the snow.
By the time Seongjin confirmed the two’s positions and turned back, the wolf had already vanished completely beyond the forest.
* * *
“Hoo…….”
A small sigh echoed softly through the training grounds.
Lilium’s holy knights halted their training in unison and turned toward the platform.
There stood their idol and spiritual pillar, Prince Logan, fondling the hilt of Arjuna with a gloomy expression. It was a sort of habit that appeared whenever his mind was troubled.
And Lilium’s impression of the sight was this.
‘Ah, that visage full of worries! It’s like a holy painting in itself!’
The prince’s deep blue eyes brimmed with worries of such a high dimension that mere mortals couldn’t even fathom them.
What misfortune had befallen their noble prince, who always thought only of the empire’s subjects, to make him brood like this?
“He must be thinking of the subjects suffering from the sea blight.”
“No, he always worries about the subjects. Lately, hasn’t His Highness been leading by example in aiding the monster task force? He’s surely mourning the subjects of the imperial capital lost to that horrific plague.”
“Such short-sighted thinking won’t even let you follow in his footsteps! His Highness is surely agonizing over the empire’s distant future!”
Of course, none of them dreamed that Logan was making such a sorrowful face while thinking this.
‘I want to make one too. A pouch for little Saint Aurelion... Never has this saintly bald head felt so cold...’
‘Sister Amelia’s petal embroidery was so cute. It’d look lovely with lace like Sisley’s. But how am I supposed to make that?’
‘The more I think about it, the more embarrassing it is. To reach this age without ever properly learning sewing or knitting...’
Sister Amelia has good intuition as always. And Sisley has exceptional precognition abilities too.
If those two said something was off, then there must be something. So Logan figured he should at least put some effort into his little statue, like they did.
Above all, Logan couldn’t shake the worry that his small saint was being neglected compared to theirs.
He pulled out the wooden statue he’d kept in his bosom and silently gazed at the saint’s face beaming with a warm smile.
‘I’m truly sorry, old timer. I’m a worthless soul with no real skills, unable to even make you a little hat for your head.’
It was the lament of the continent’s youngest swordmaster.
And the Lilium holy knights watching him whispered busily among themselves.
“Not content with upholding Saint Bastian’s legacy, is he now seeking to emulate Saint Aurelion’s virtues as well?”
“How can he be so exemplary! Isn’t it the right idea? Though divided into various orders for convenience, we are knights of the Lord, meant to uphold His will and pursue all His virtues!”
After Lilium’s training session ended that way.
The knights finally heard the full story of his worries from Logan.
And they were deeply moved once more.
‘How can his heart be so warm! To show such deep affection even to a brother who’s tormented him for years!’
“I’m sorry to burden you all with such a pointless worry.”
As Logan spoke bashfully, the Lilium knights cried out one after another.
“No, Your Highness! It’s only right that we help!”
“I know the perfect place to enshrine the little saint. Please entrust him to us!”
“The perfect place?”
As Logan tilted his head, the knights slapped their hands over their light armor and affirmed.
“We swear by the Lord, we’ll place little Saint Aurelion in the safest, most holy place!”
“No place in the imperial capital is more blessed than it!”
Toward the reliable Lilium knights, Logan—rarely—broke into a bright smile.
“Thank you all! Thanks to you, this inadequate me can finally breathe easy.”
Ah, to his followers, it was a sacred smile like a ray of the Lord’s glory.
That evening, at Saint Bastian Church.
Archbishop Wesker, who had come to the prayer room to offer evening prayers, flinched at the somehow altered scene and scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
And soon, she was flabbergasted.
Where the beautiful statue of Saint Bastian should have been, a small bald old man was plopped there, grinning!
“……?!”
What the hell?
At her dumbfounded mutter, one high priest spoke with an awkward expression.
“Well, you see... It seems to be Saint Aurelion...”
“Yes. Why on earth is Saint Aurelion here? Isn’t this the church’s most blessed place, dedicated to Saint Bastian’s will?”
“That’s... The Lilium knights earnestly requested it. To at least keep the little saint here until Prince Mores returns.”
“Lilium?”
“Yes, apparently it’s for Prince Logan...”
Those blockheads who don’t get it!
Wesker clutched her throbbing forehead and let out a low groan.
At the same time, in the main palace’s office.
Having received his usual report on the children’s whereabouts from Louise, the Holy Emperor quietly pondered while gazing at the small saint on his desk.
‘Is daily blessing not enough? My devotion for my child is so lacking—I still have a long way to go...’