Chapter 163: Heresy Inquisitors (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163: Heresy Inquisitors (3)
They say that in the world of RoFan, complacency is usually rewarded with a knife to the back.
But this time, I had no choice but to let my guard down.
“Take me with you… You said I was an honorary Leonian!”
“Right. That’s why you stay here and work.”
“No… Help! Someone save me!”
First of all, I personally witnessed the RoFan party depart for the Holy Kingdom ahead of us.
I was the one who personally sent off Boradori, who was begging to be taken along, and Sososo, who had completely ignored the Sword Emperor’s invitation to come to Leon.
Naturally, I assumed the Heresy Inquisitors had gone with them.
So why were they standing right in front of my eyes?
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“...?”
“Technically, we are infiltrated into the Academy on a secret mission. It would be strange if we just followed the Saintess’s party back to the Holy Kingdom, wouldn't it?”
He had a point.
But still...
“So you came to Leon instead?”
“It’s an alibi.”
I suppose that made sense.
An agent undercover at the Academy wouldn't exactly go on an overseas vacation just because it was break time.
However, the madness glinting in this man’s eyes told me that wasn't the real reason at all.
You might ask how I could see his pupils when his eyes were always squinted shut, but I just felt it!
“Ah, I see.”
And so, I quickly accepted his answer and made my escape.
My gut was screaming at me.
Don't stay near this man any longer than necessary.
Even Daisy, the RoFan heroine, didn't give off this kind of vibe. He was truly a terrifying individual.
Having escaped the Inquisitor, I went to check on the next group of troublemakers.
“...I thought you said you were going to spend the break alone in your room.”
“It was a perfect plan...”
When I asked Yerisha, the High Elf who was currently moping in a corner to avoid people, how things had ended up like this, she groaned.
“The other elves are all heading back. They said I’d be lonely if I stayed by myself!”
The Elf Delegation, having resolved their business, had all returned home—except for Yerisha, who was scheduled to remain at the Academy anyway.
She had figured it would be dangerous to travel back and forth for no reason, so she planned to stay quietly in the dormitory provided by the Academy and enjoy some quality "me-time."
But then our Ancestor had suddenly barged in and dragged her along to Leon so she wouldn't be "lonely."
“You should have held out a bit longer...”
“She said if I didn't want to go to Leon, we’d go to Dale instead...”
“......”
A trip to Dale for an elf?
What kind of atrocious threat was that?
“I don't want to go anywhere with lots of people!”
Leaving the weeping High Elf to her misery, I went to see the Sword Emperor next.
“It has been a long time since I last visited Leon.”
“......”
“I wonder how much Dike and Kariks have grown. I am looking forward to it.”
He looked ready to pick a fight with the King and the Commander the moment he saw them.
Of course, our King and Commander were looking forward to that just as much.
And finally...
“I’m the only one who couldn't go again...”
I checked on Prince Ellen, who was depressed about not being able to go to the Holy Kingdom.
Well, at least he didn't try to run away.
After checking on everyone, I worked with Elian to prepare for any potential interference from Dark Mages.
“Welcome, Sword Emperor.”
As if mocking our preparations, we arrived in Leon without a single incident.
I return to the Kingdom every break, but I had never received a reception like this before.
“There are humans everywhere...”
Just as our socially awkward elf—no, the High Elf—said, the place was packed the moment we stepped off the airship.
“That’s because we’re in the middle of a parade.”
I wasn't exaggerating; we were literally in a carriage participating in a parade.
The Sword Emperor led the way, followed by our Ancestor.
When you think about it, the Sword Emperor is more popular in Leon than the Goddess herself.
And behind him was the daughter of a legendary Sword Master and hero of Leon.
...Well, even if part of that legend—the Dragon Slayer title—had been rebranded as "Dragon-lover," it didn't erase her past achievements.
“Whoa! A Dragonkin!”
“You’re so beautiful, Lady Irin!”
...Or maybe they just liked her even if she was a Dragon-lover.
This is my own country, but I really don't understand it sometimes.
“Ugh... so many humans... so damn noisy...”
Behind me, our "Bocchi" elf—no, the High Elf—kept muttering something, but I ignored it.
By the way, I ditched the Holy Kingdom’s Inquisitor at the airfield and ran for it immediately.
The parade was supposed to end with us arriving at the Grand Territory in half a day...
“...?”
...But it didn't.
“Whoa! Sword Emperor!”
“If you have the time, please visit our dojo!”
On the morning of the second day.
As soon as we finished breakfast at the estate, we were back in the carriage for another parade.
“We’re doing this again...”
Ignoring the moping loner beside me, I quickly sent an emergency contact through the communication device.
And then.
—Of course we’re doing this until you reach the royal palace. It’s the Sword Emperor, after all.
“I thought you wanted to see him as soon as possible?”
—I do. But the Sword Emperor is here. If the royal family monopolizes him, the nobles will make our lives miserable.
“......”
—Besides, the Sword Emperor isn't complaining, is he?
“He seems quite used to it...”
—That is simply who the Sword Emperor is.
I suppose even if he dislikes dealing with nobles, he’s willing to help out with political events like this.
“Actually, no.”
That thought was debunked by the man himself during dinner at a noble’s house that afternoon.
“I don't usually do this in the Empire. I’m only doing it because this is Leon.”
“Because it’s Leon?”
“You heard them on the way here. They want me to visit their families or dojos.”
“...?”
“I’m not going to stay cooped up in the palace the whole time. I might as well decide where to go in advance.”
“Mm. Mm.”
In short, he was planning to go on a dojo-crushing tour of Leon if the royal family bored him.
“Ancestor, why are you nodding along...?”
“Because I’m going with him!”
“......”
Why are two outsiders making agreements in someone else’s country?
If I said that out loud, I felt like our Ancestor would just drop the "I’m royalty, this is my country" card, so I kept my mouth shut.
To make matters worse...
“In that case, please start with our House Regless!”
“Would that be alright? Actually, your skills seem quite decent...”
“It would be an honor.”
Even the Count, the head of the household where we were staying, was looking at them with sparkling eyes, ready to host them.
“...I give up.”
If they were all happy with it, what could I do?
I just hoped we could get back quickly, but my precious vacation time was devoured by the parade for an entire week.
The final destination of the parade, the Leon Royal Palace, was in full festival mode.
It didn't pale in comparison to the Empire’s Founding Festival.
Compared to the Kingdom’s founding celebrations I remembered, this was on an entirely different level.
“Won't the ancestors be offended by this?”
As soon as we arrived at the palace, I slipped away and asked the Commander.
“We’re literally celebrating one of those ancestors right now.”
“Ah.”
The Commander persuaded me with a very plausible-sounding bit of nonsense.
“You have to take care of the living ancestors before the dead ones.”
“...That’s true, I guess.”
It was something that could only happen in a fantasy world—no, even for a fantasy world, this was practically unheard of.
“Anyway, the Ancestor seems to like it.”
Perhaps to welcome the Dragonkin, the sky was filled with brilliant magic even though it was still broad daylight, and the dragon illusions created through illusion magic were quite impressive.
“...How much money did you spend on this?”
“A lot...”
That confirmed it.
Since that wasn't the kind of magic our Magic Tower mages could pull off...
They had borrowed mages from the neighboring country again.
“I feel like we’re single-handedly funding the budget for the Duchy of Lellia’s Magic Tower.”
“You’re probably half right.”
“If you’re going to do that, you might as well just bring their Magic Tower here...”
“I know. It’s truly a shame.”
In terms of pure combat power, our tower wouldn't lose to Dale’s Magic Tower.
However, what Leon needed from its mages were utility and convenience... but since the very first button was pushed incorrectly during the tower’s founding stage, the whole thing had gone to ruin.
That was why, despite having a Magic Tower, they had to spend exorbitant amounts of money to hire mages from neighboring kingdoms or stateless towers for every event.
“Still, safety comes first.”
“True.”
Considering the disasters that happened whenever they left things to the Royal Magic Tower, it was better to just pay for outside help.
“By the way, Commander, aren't you going? You were so eager to see the Sword Emperor.”
“He’s booked for official events for the next three hours anyway. Even if I met him now, we’d only exchange a few words. I can monopolize him once the event is over. I can wait. Besides... that’s not what’s important right now.”
“......”
I realized that the moment of reckoning had finally arrived.
“So. What happened?”
No other explanation was needed. What happened?
With a heavy heart, I had no choice but to explain the events that had transpired at Akensom.
“Hmm... so. You turned every mage at the Academy into an enemy? Why?”
“It was annoying. Fire and ice come out of a sword, yet they refuse to acknowledge it as magic.”
“Hmm... I agree. If fire and ice come out of a sword, it’s magic.”
Seeing the Commander take the "if you don't like it, win" stance, I felt certain that the problem wasn't Leon, but the Academy.
“But then those Dark Mage bastards used that to lure everyone into an emotion amplification magic circle. And the Head Professors intervened to clean up the mess?”
“That is correct.”
“And in the process, Prince Ellen watched the Sword Emperor’s blade... gained some strange enlightenment, and scattered his Aura like falling cherry blossoms?”
“That is correct.”
“Does that even make sense?”
“It happened, didn't it?”
“Really?”
The Commander, who had been alternating between looking at me with his arms crossed and watching the footage I’d brought with Uncle Aeryun’s help, asked with a serious expression.
“Is that even possible?”
It was an abbreviated question, but I knew exactly what he meant.
“Here is my answer.”
Instead of speaking, I quietly pulled out the resignation letter I had tucked in my pocket.
“It’s not possible?”
“Do you think it is?”
“Fair point.”
Perhaps thanks to Senior Lucia, the Commander naturally tore up the resignation letter and nodded.
“Right. No matter how shameless one is, telling someone to become a Sword Master just by following along is nonsense.”
“And the royal family will say they have no shame.”
“Exactly. The royal family has no shame, and an instructor must do his best in his assigned role. I was the King’s instructor too, and that’s how I became a Sword Master, isn't it?”
“...You were already one before that, Commander.”
“...I suppose so.”
In the first place, it wasn't common for a King to become a Sword Master.
While it looked cool to outsiders for the King of a nation known for its swordsmanship to be a Sword Master, it wasn't particularly useful.
“If not, at least give me some secret tips for becoming a Sword Master.”
“I’ve given you everything I can. You’ve received several times more support than I ever did.”
“I apologize for my lack of talent.”
“You say that with a face that doesn't look sorry at all, which makes it strangely convincing... And as I’ve told you many times, becoming a Sword Master isn't a matter of talent. How should I put it... it’s a miracle granted by the gods?”
“Should I start praying like a dog to the Goddess right now?”
“Go ahead. Maybe the Saintess’s boyfriend will get some extra help?”
If it were that easy, I would have become a Sword Master long ago.
Honestly, if the Goddess had any conscience, she should have granted me enlightenment considering all the Dark Mages and demons I’ve taken down.
“If I were to give you one tip, don't overthink it. As I said before, you reached the wall a long time ago. It wouldn't be strange if it broke at any moment.”
“It also wouldn't be strange if it never broke for the rest of my life.”
“True. But if you think too hard about it, even things that should break won't. If you only look up at the top, you’ll never find the doghole at the bottom.”
“That’s a very unrefined way of putting it...”
“Maybe. But the person who manages to squeeze their body through that doghole is the one who moves forward.”
As expected of a man who was officially one of the strongest in the Kingdom and unofficially the leader of the knights supporting the royal family.
Seeing him give serious advice for once, the Commander actually looked impressive—
“Commander! The event is over!”
“It’s over? Woo-hoo!”
“......”
“Nothing else to say, right? I’m off!”
“...Go ahead.”
But the way he shattered the illusion immediately was just like him.