How a Wizard Survives (34)
How a Wizard Survives (34)
"Puhahaha!"
The moment Ulysses heard about the Saintess election, he laughed like a madman.
The temple's official announcement was scheduled for the next morning.
It was already late, so we decided to call it an early night and rest.
Violent anger usually burns itself out fast, but this situation was so outrageous that I doubted it would.
The plan was to march on the royal palace in protest as soon as day broke.
The culprit behind the rigged vote was painfully obvious, wasn't it?
The Saintess election was a sacred event, equal for noble and commoner alike.
This time, I didn't care if it was the king himself.
I would see Katrina in a Saintess Robe, no matter what.
"The Inquisition truly does have too much free time..."
"There is that. The heretics around here have dried up, and since the royal palace battle, teacher hasn't shown his face either..."
As I answered Ash's sarcasm, a good idea suddenly struck me.
"By any chance, is there a spell that permanently preserves a subject's image? No, if it doesn't exist, shall I create one?"
"The time has finally come for Jaeger to learn Puppet Magic. Anyway, the king really is an idiot."
"Hm? Why's that?"
While I was busy racking my brain over magic, Ash and Ulysses chatted leisurely beside me.
"With one hundred forty percent voter turnout, claiming he lost by a narrow margin means the vast majority of voters chose Katrina, right? That's bound to be obvious even without a recount."
"Is that so? But even if they know, what can they do?"
"He never should have allowed a vote in the first place. The moment the common people realize their own power, a king can never win."
Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury to pay attention to their conversation.
Ulysses muttered, sounding slightly shocked.
"That's the first time Jaeger's ever ignored me."
"Isn't that a good thing? It means he's found something he can be that passionate about."
"True."
Tormented by fury, I couldn't sleep properly. The next day, I woke before sunrise.
Rumors had apparently spread among the citizens of Reshutal all night.
"This is absurd! Me and everyone from my smithy all voted for Lady Katrina!"
"The king must explain himself immediately! How can voter turnout exceed one hundred percent?"
"Let's all go to the palace!"
The atmosphere felt like a revolution would break out if left alone.
Clerics barely managed to calm the citizens, selecting a few representatives to head to the royal palace.
I wasn't chosen as a representative, but I could accompany them as an escort for the clerics.
"Saintess Robe! Saintess Robe!"
"We want to see Lady Katrina's Saintess Robe!"
United in heart and purpose, the citizens surged forward like a typhoon.
Even the royal palace guards couldn't muster the nerve to stop us.
The king we faced in the throne room looked as though he was prepared for death.
The princess, who was the subject of the scandal, had long been evacuated in case things backfired.
The royal guard and queen also faced the citizens' representatives with grave expressions.
"Welcome. My daughter won again this time, naturally?"
"Your Majesty. Suspicious circumstances have been discovered in the Saintess election, so it seems we must postpone the announcement of the results."
"What? What do you mean? Hurry and tell the citizens..."
Was he going to play dumb even now?
The temple clerics revealed the evidence they had secured beforehand.
"How can we make an announcement when the voter turnout is one hundred forty percent?"
"Th-that... did that many people really participate?"
The king's expression turned despondent as he realized there was no way out.
As I suspected, he had simply miscalculated the voter turnout.
Assuming it would be far lower, he'd thrown in fake votes left and right, resulting in this mess.
The queen, who had been quietly keeping her place, looked at her husband as if she couldn't believe it.
"Dear, why would you go so far... Was five consecutive victories not enough for you?"
Five years, huh.
He'd really been milking it.
One more year now wouldn't dramatically raise the princess's stock, nor would failing to win tank it.
The beauty of the Reshutal princess was already renowned even in foreign lands.
But the king protested with a look as if he'd been stabbed with a sword.
Until now, whatever the content of his words, he had spoken with a sovereign's clear authority. This time, however, he mumbled so badly that he was hard to understand.
"...is what I wanted."
"Pardon? Your Majesty. Please speak a little more clearly..."
"I wanted to see my daughter in a Saintess Robe one more time! You wretches, do you know how much more beautiful the princess has grown in a year? You ignorant fools don't know that and commit such stupid acts!"
"..."
Good heavens.
I'd speculated about various motives since yesterday, but I never imagined there wasn't a single political intention behind it.
'Come to think of it, was that old man such a doting father? They say the worse a bastard is, the more devoted he is to his own family...'
Still, it was hopeless this time.
We had come fully resolved to see Katrina in a Saintess Robe.
Just as the clerics, wearing victorious smiles, were striding forward to force an unconditional surrender, Reinhardt and a group of Holy Knights appeared en masse at the entrance of the audience chamber.
"Y-Your Excellency! You've come to help us?"
The arrival of a reliable ally convinced me victory was ours, but Reinhardt marched in, shot us a sharp glare, and issued a cold order.
"Seize everything."
"Excuse me?"
"Agh, what is this!"
The Holy Knights unhesitatingly snatched the evidence and immediately burned it.
A backstab against the temple, now of all times?
As everyone, myself included, froze, Reinhardt's iron fist flew at me.
"I-I thought we were comrades..."
"Did you think I would let Katrina parade around in those shameless clothes?"
"Shameless? The Saintess Robe is a sacred garment... Guhurk!"
One cleric, who had been particularly groveling, was mercilessly subdued.
But by that logic, does it mean the princess can march around in shameless clothes?
Dodging Reinhardt's iron fist, I planted a kick into him.
Thanks to the Spider Boots, I could evade and counter in ways that had never been possible before.
He blocked it in time, but it nearly got through. A little faster and it would have.
"You brat, using a Holy Relic for something like this?!"
"You're one to talk, Your Excellency! How can you mobilize Heretic Inquisitors here?"
We just hadn't drawn swords, but the brawl was practically real combat. Eventually, a swarm of other Inquisitors rushed me, and I was subdued.
Justice was broken, and injustice triumphed.
The citizens, full of bluster moments ago, dispersed the instant Reinhardt showed his face.
Seeing the princess smiling awkwardly amidst the protest march, I clicked my tongue softly.
"Damn it!"
"Your Excellency. What should we do with Jaeger?"
"Throw him in the stockade for a few days."
"Gyaaaahk..."
I ended up thrown into the stockade for the first time in my life and was only freed after three full days.
Katrina didn't show her face once while I was locked up.
She was probably sulking.
'Come to think of it, she didn't even come to work properly that day...'
As I was beginning to worry about the aftermath, a passing worker spoke to me.
"Squire Jaeger. Lady Katrina said you are to report to her the moment your punishment is over."
"Ah... thanks."
I'd been released after serving a full working day in the stockade, so Katrina should be in her quarters by now.
I hesitantly went to find her.
'Once Lady Katrina gets upset, she tends to stay that way for quite a while...'
"La... Lady Katrina."
The lights were already on in the quarters reserved solely for her.
I carefully opened the door and stepped inside to look for her, but a familiar voice came from within the bedroom.
"Stop right there."
Was she saying she wouldn't even show me her face now?
As I stood there in genuine consternation, a most fitting scolding flew at me from the other side of the firmly shut door.
"What in the world were you thinking? Picking a fight with my uncle in the middle of the royal palace."
"I-I'm sorry. I just couldn't accept the election results, and I..."
"...Did you really want to see it that badly?"
Katrina asked as if testing me.
I had reflexively been about to deny it to lessen my scolding, but I quickly changed my mind.
Affirming it here might actually be the correct answer.
"Yes. Your Saintess Robe, Katrina..."
"...Then look all you want."
"Excuse me?"
I froze at the unexpected answer. Then the bedroom door creaked open, and Katrina emerged in a different outfit under the dim light.
It was exactly what I'd imagined countless times ever since I first learned about the Saintess election.
As expected, my feeble imagination couldn't match the real thing.
"H-how..."
"The Wizardveins are the top of the Inquisition, so briefly borrowing it is possible. It's only worn once a year anyway... Ahh!"
The black garment, her pure white skin, and her bright silver hair contrasted elegantly and harmoniously.
I couldn't hold back any longer and pulled Katrina into an embrace.
Even the texture of the fabric was passing with high marks.
Katrina flailed in a noticeably flustered voice.
"You fool. Don't dirty it."
"I won't dirty it."
Neither of us took the lead; we simply kissed.
Having been locked in the stockade for three days, staying out for an extra night should be fine.
The sound of thin cloth brushing against skin echoed in the dark bedroom.
@
The next morning.
For the first time ever, I managed to get to work before Katrina. I hopped the branch's wall, then went back around and entered through the main gate.
If I wasn't fast enough, all I had to do was defeat my opponent.
'I didn't expect I'd overtake her like this...'
"Good morning, Squire."
"Uh, Squire Jaeger! Just what did you feed the knights during that camp? They've been making a racket lately saying our fried food is tasteless."
The branch cooks were protesting at me from a distance.
The Holy Knights who'd been to Winter Fortress must have been griping already.
Fried food... right, that.
I smirked and taught them the secret.
"Ah, that? Try crushing peanuts finely and mixing them into the batter."
"Wow. That's guaranteed to taste good. It'll bring out a crispy texture, too."
"You made that while traveling? That's impressive."
Soon after, I arrived at the training grounds and ran into Reinhardt, who was already waiting.
He asked for a spar with a faintly sulky expression.
"Shall we finish what we started last time?"
"This time, I'm not going to go easy on you."
"Oh, is that so?"
We warmed up with some light banter and began the spar.
I actively utilized my Holy Relics, exchanging offense and defense.
My swordsmanship had improved in the meantime, so we managed a proper bout.
Most of my current swordsmanship had been copied from Reinhardt.
Granted, I was the only one using Holy Relics, but it was still a remarkable achievement.
The experience of fighting the demon last time had helped. I now had a sense of how to handle an opponent overwhelmingly stronger than myself.
Even if it was a bit petty, I decided to dodge or deflect every single check, and that prevented me from losing.
Reinhardt nodded with a barely satisfied expression.
"This much will do. As expected, you're included too."
"Included? Where?"
"The dispatch team. A big shot's appeared on the Front Lines, and we've received a support request."
Thud.
I nearly dropped my sword the moment I heard that.
"What? We just got back from an assignment a few days ago... I nearly died every single time I went on one of those missions."
"Of course. The whole point is to send you where support is desperately needed. This time, I'm going too, so don't worry."
"Wh-when do we leave?"
"Right after lunch. We'll just defeat the target and come straight back."
I'd be late at this rate.
I hurried out of the training grounds to pack Katrina's things as well.
In the distance, Angelica, who had just arrived for work, was already finished with her travel preparations.
"Wait, you're going too, Lady Angelica?"
"Jaeger. Do you have any idea how many members of the Eight Swords of Einhold are currently on the Front Lines? We have to go, regardless of the Inquisition."
These are the end times.
Angelica, who had claimed roughly ten percent of the vote in the last election, explained it all with a subtle hint of pride.
At the thought that I might meet my father sooner than expected, I clenched my fists tight.