In the Shadow of the Holy Nation (3)
A few days had passed since then. Our Veronica had finally succeeded in learning Spatial Teleportation after days of dedicated research.
“My beloved! Let us depart at once! I have no desire to remain here any longer!”
Adelaide had probably helped her, but it seemed Veronica was desperate to be rid of that screeching female Bicorn who carried on like a foul-mouthed chef. The way she clung to me and sobbed pathetically left no room for doubt.
【Miss Adelaide, Elka. Take care.】
【Yes. It was an honor to serve you.】
【Bye! Safe travels!】
Behind the deeply bowing Adelaide and Elka, the fairy Anne waved her tiny hand. The little brat had stayed completely out of sight the entire time we were staying there, only popping out now that we were leaving. She must have been avoiding me.
Franc gave a small smile and said, “Everyone, please stay healthy. I hope we’ll have the chance to meet again.”
“Thank you. Hearing the madam say that, I suppose I must make the most of whatever lifespan I have left.”
“You talk like you’re going to die when you probably won’t even age…”
With Veronica’s muttered words as our farewell, we stepped onto the magic circle. According to her, this would let us teleport to a border region of Romania she had visited before.
I didn’t distrust Veronica, but the fact that Adelaide was calmly watching over the process suggested there was no real danger.
“Everyone, prepare yourselves. There will be dizziness.”
It seemed she couldn’t replicate Sleipnir-grade quality, because Veronica gave us that warning. We watched the light burst forth, said our goodbyes to the three sanctuary residents, and three seconds later found ourselves standing in an unfamiliar forest.
It wasn’t entirely free of dizziness, but it was perfectly bearable. About the same as stepping off a long-distance express bus.
“──Perfect! Success! It worked!”
—Hop! Hop!
Veronica bounced with joy. Did Bicorns have a racial trait of jumping in place when they got excited? It was a little funny that the one who had cast the spell was the happiest of all, but at least we had reached the outskirts of the city without losing anyone or anyone falling ill.
Larilura glanced around the forest and plucked a single flower.
“But sister? Is there a reason we’re not heading straight into the city?”
“That would count as illegal entry, wouldn’t it? There are proper immigration procedures, and cities keep strict records of who enters and leaves.”
“Ooh♡”
When Franc explained, Larilura clapped her hands together. Illegal entry was a serious crime no matter which country you were in. Since we needed to investigate Tirsi’s whereabouts in the open as well, we couldn’t afford to leave any criminal traces behind.
That was why we approached the border and crossed through the massive gate.
“Please pass through.”
The inspection was quite strict, as expected of an imperial metropolis, but other than the Bicorn currently transformed into a cat, we had nothing to hide. We cleared it without issue and entered the city proper.
Veronica, nestled in my arms in cat form, let out a sigh.
“Pet registration again, I see.”
“Sorry. Making a proper ID for you is pretty difficult.”
To forge an identity, we would need a lord-level figure to register her as one of their citizens. Naturally, asking for that kind of favor back in our hometown of Sargadis would be risky. We might end up on Lord Henesis’s bad side.
“Mmm. Speaking of which, my dear.”
Veronica swished her tail lightly.
“This is something Adelaide told me about once the curse was lifted, saying it would prove useful. It seems there is a way for me to obtain an ID right away.”
“What? Really? What kind of method?”
Even Dana, who had only been half-listening, turned around in surprise. Veronica hesitated for a moment.
“Well… by transforming into an elf.”
“…An elf?”
“Y-yes. The elf race did establish a nation in Kitai, but unlike dwarves who are mostly born in Nidavellir or their ancestral cities, many elves are born and raised in forests, correct? So apparently there is a naturalization process prepared for them.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
Elves were a long-lived race. Like the reclusive masters in martial arts novels, some of them emerged from the forest after decades of seclusion. If they proved their worth, the nation would accept them as citizens. It was a convincing explanation.
Veronica hurriedly added an excuse.
“This is according to Romanian law. B-but it is not a very good idea, is it? If I obtained an ID that way, I would have to appear as an elf in front of others at all times. That would clearly displease my master.”
“Huh? No, not at all.”
I shook my head. I was already too incompetent to even secure my own wife a proper ID. I couldn’t afford to push my own stubbornness here.
“I do have plenty of prejudice against elves, but I wouldn’t dislike you just because you looked like one. Isn’t that obvious?”
If someone is decent and kind-hearted, hating them simply because they have the appearance of an elf is racism. Think about it. If your girlfriend came back from a tanning salon and you screamed, “What the fuck?! My girl turned into a [slur]! We’re breaking up, damn it!” what kind of pathetic bastard would that make you?
“Even if our Veronica loses her horns and gains longer ears, that beautiful face and personality won’t change, right? Let’s keep it in mind as one possible option for now.”
“…Hmph, hmph. Is that so? I believed that even if my appearance changed slightly, my master would not come to hate me!”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course not. Got it, so hurry up and draw the magic circle again. We need to move.”
We headed deeper into the forest and set up another disposable magic circle. Since it would vanish after use, there was no need to worry about leaving traces.
Flash—!
Once the location was set, we teleported again. This time our destination was the vicinity of the great Romanian city that Lady Henesis had asked us to visit.
Veronica lowered the Burning Branch and announced, “We have arrived. From here, Lucregens is only two or three hours away.”
“Oh, really? That’s incredibly fast!”
Perhaps because it was the forest of her homeland, Larilura seemed briefly lost in nostalgia before she shook off the sentimental feeling and took the lead.
“Then today’s guiding duties fall to me☆! Let’s go~!”
“Sure, sure.”
Following the energetic Larilura, we reached our destination exactly as Veronica had promised.
“Oh? It’s quite expansive.”
I couldn’t help but admire the cityscape. It possessed the splendor one would expect from a nation with such deep history. The roofs of the buildings shared a unified color scheme, and the streets were wide. High-rises were common, yet they didn’t feel cluttered or ugly. Still, not every district gave off that refined impression.
Inconsistent with its name as a Holy City, some sectors were filled with distinctly decadent buildings. On the left stood the massive headquarters of a major religious order. On the right… was that a casino? The entire city seemed split between two extremes.
“Hehe~♡ How is it? What do you think of our nation’s proud metropolis?”
Larilura smiled, showing an unusual burst of patriotism. I spotted several buildings on the right side that practically screamed “circus troupe” and let out a soft chuckle. Satisfied by my reaction, Larilura spread her arms wide.
“Welcome! To the city of faith and pleasure, decadence and pilgrimage—Lucregens!”
Lucregens was the last place where Tirsi had left any traces. Naturally, it became our highest-priority destination. Under normal investigation methods we would have had to start from the first city she arrived in and painstakingly trace her steps, but someone had already done that legwork for us.
“Nice to meet you.”
A middle-aged man who looked and dressed exactly like someone who would introduce himself as a detective gave me a small bow. I, who had been waiting at a tavern table, returned the greeting with a nod.
—Clink.
I swirled the single drink I had ordered.
“Nice place. Regular here?”
“The owner’s got a heavy mouth—that’s the main advantage. Though a loose-mouthed owner can become a useful connection too, depending on how you handle him.”
The middle-aged detective smiled while making coins dance between his fingers. In a busy tavern like this, a little under-the-table money could buy you plenty of customer gossip. He had the seasoned air of a true veteran.
Well, that’s probably why Lady Henesis trusted him with the investigation.
Just the fact that he spoke fluent Britannian was proof enough.
—Click.
The detective uncle sat down and ordered a drink. The moment it arrived, he reached into his coat. I sensed the flow of mana surrounding our table.
“Silence magic?”
“One of my business tools. Detectives and thieves are two sides of the same coin, after all.”
Thinking of Franc, I had to admit it was completely true. I took out Lady Henesis’s letter.
“The lady said you were skilled and that I could trust you. I see what she meant.”
“Thank you. Hmm. It says the explanation is to be left to me.”
“Letters carry too high a risk of information leaks.”
“A wise decision.”
True to his earlier comment about thieves, the detective immediately verified that the letter wasn’t forged before he began to speak.
“Now then, where should I start… You already know that the target, Miss Tirsi, is the eldest daughter of a fallen noble house, yes?”
“Only the broad strokes.”
“Then let’s begin with the details. I trust you’re familiar with Romania’s power structure. Miss Tirsi’s grandfather was one of the highest-ranking members—a senator in the Elder Council.”
My eyes sharpened at those words. A senator in the Elder Council. Among nobles, they stood at the absolute peak—the highest echelon of power in Romania. Not quite equal to the emperor, but figures ordinary nobles couldn’t even dream of challenging.
The Elder Council itself exists to advise and support the emperor, but it is indeed one of the most powerful institutions among the nobility.
Simply put, only the highest-ranking nobles could enter the Council. Senators were representatives chosen from among them, yet the power they wielded surpassed that of ordinary dictators.
Or perhaps I should say the opposite.
It was more accurate to say that without substantial backing, territory, and foundations, one could never claim a senatorial seat. Of course, the senators kept one another in check, so they didn’t possess absolute power. Still, damn. I never imagined Tirsi’s origins reached that high into the heavens.
—Clink.
The detective holding his glass continued, “Are you familiar with the Elder Council collapse incident from ten years ago?”
“Yes. Wasn’t it the case where three out of only eight senators were assassinated?”
“It seems the story spread overseas as well. Well, it was quite the uproar.”
He smiled bitterly and paused to moisten his throat with alcohol.
“Huu… The Senate of the Elder Council cannot function without at least five members present. With fewer than four, coordinating opinions becomes meaningless, and they cannot use the ancient civilization relic housed in the council chamber.”
“That much is common knowledge even among civilians.”
The ancient relic of the Elder Council. I had heard of it. Naturally, being a military secret, I had no idea what it actually did.
“Correct. But at the time, three councilors had already lost their lives and a fourth lay on his deathbed. With the central power of the Council incapacitated… it was the perfect opportunity for His Majesty to wield the blade of purge.”
The detective gave a hearty laugh.
“Of course, I hold no personal grudge regarding that matter. You understand, yes?”
“I feel the same.”
In other words, don’t even think about coming after him for speaking behind closed doors. Well, I had zero desire to get into a political fight with this man anyway.
“But in that case, Tirsi’s grandfather…”
“He remained unharmed during the purge itself. However, several years later he was named as the mastermind behind the Elder Council collapse.”
…What the hell?
Isn’t that basically treason?
Of course, from the emperor’s perspective it had created the perfect chance to expand his own power. But the Elder Council collapse ten years ago in Romania had been the spark that led to this world’s equivalent of an IMF crisis. If a noble had truly caused such an event, even his granddaughter Tirsi would never have been able to protect her own neck.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Was it a false accusation?”
“It was.”
This country really runs like a well-oiled machine, doesn’t it.
I could practically see the emperor dancing with joy while the core forces of the Elder Council were cut in half. I’d bet even our house cat Theresa’s balls on it.
“But if it was a false charge, why wasn’t he reinstated? Even if the grandfather died before his honor could be restored, the family should have been able to reclaim their noble title— Ah, I see.”
“I was going to explain, but it seems you understood on your own.”
“Yes. Well, a man with that much power couldn’t possibly have been completely clean.”
Anyone could be dug up if you looked hard enough. Unless the person was insanely incorruptible, there would always be something to find once a warrant was issued and the house was torn apart. How could anyone at that level have zero interest in bribes or land speculation? In fact, if he truly had none, he probably never would have reached the pinnacle of the Council’s internal power struggles.
Whether the charges were false or not, once a public institution pushed with the full weight of its power, a fallen house had no path to recovery. With neither power nor money left—only sins—how could they possibly rise again?
Or maybe even that false charge was arranged by the emperor…
Damn it, enough. I became a field archaeologist precisely to avoid these kinds of sensitive matters. How was I supposed to know or bear the truth behind a great empire’s political warfare? Time to stop caring. Stop caring.
“I understand the general picture. But what does any of this have to do with finding Tirsi’s current whereabouts?”
“It has everything to do with it. People do not move without motive.”
“…Motive, huh.”
At those words, Tirsi’s past actions rose in my mind. It was something I had already considered during the previous ogre subjugation quest. Tirsi had been a woman utterly obsessed with advancing within the Mage Guild and reclaiming her noble status. She had rarely said it out loud, but it was unmistakable. In every single request where our paths had crossed—sewer patrol, thesis review postponement, retrieving a stolen paper, black mage subjugation, promotion request, and everything else—her life after the fall had been entirely centered on returning to nobility.
“I was unable to discover where Miss Tirsi is now or what she is doing, but I was able to uncover why she set foot on her homeland once more.”
The middle-aged detective pulled a letter from his coat.
“She has returned to the empire to reclaim what she lost.”