Chapter 297: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 297
"Long time no see, Viscount El Lindger."
Caesar immediately recognized him before even turning around.
"Long time no see, second older brother."
It was Eric Sylvatil. Caesar smiled seeing the tiger-patterned ring on Eric's finger.
"Oh, should I say Viscount Sylvatil instead?"
"Call me however you want."
Eric handed Caesar a small note.
"By the way, you're quite bold. Having a duel in the Vex family mansion of all places."
"You know I've always preferred the direct approach. I deliberately came here to prevent any rumors about using cowardly tactics or bribing witnesses during the duel."
"If that was your intention, you shouldn't have come here. Look around. Everyone here is from the Vex family. They'll call a bear a mouse if Count Vex tells them to."
"That's precisely why we must be thoroughly prepared to prevent such rumors."
Eric approached Caesar and spoke quietly.
"Be honest. What are you scheming by coming here?"
"Just watch from the sidelines, brother. More importantly, are you okay? If you get involved with me, the Sylvatil family might get targeted by Count Vex."
Eric downed a glass of champagne in one gulp.
"I've already been targeted for a long time. Apparently, my communication with you has been discovered."
"Really?"
"Yes. It seems Count Vex's ears have reached even my private chamber. They've cut all advertisements, and the family knights aren't revealing the duel results to magazines. Seems like they think I'm on your side."
Eric, slightly tipsy, grabbed a servant and continued drinking champagne. Then he started complaining.
"I investigated why magazines have been falling apart recently, and it turns out Count Vex's influence was behind it. The banks are threatening to collect debts immediately. Now it seems Knight Night magazine will be taken over by the Vex family."
Eric looked around cautiously and then whispered to Caesar.
"Anyway, I'm only telling you this. I'm planning to settle my affairs and move to Homigraph for a fresh start."
"Hmm? Really? I haven't heard about this."
"This was decided after you went missing. The Arch Duke suggested I come up. He said it would be better to start over in Homigraph than wither away in the Vex province."
Eric casually threw out the statement.
"Well, is that okay?"
How interesting this guy is.
There's no way the Arch Duke would have first suggested Eric move to Homigraph.
Eric must have first begged and used Caesar's name to save himself. Yet, his shamelessness in claiming the Arch Duke permitted his fresh start was truly remarkable.
Caesar shrugged and said.
"Well, it depends on what information you'll share with me."
"Completely bare everything. Well, fine. Since I've been stripped once before, what else is there to strip?"
Eric approached and whispered in Caesar's ear.
"Aurora will die in tomorrow's duel."
Though it was quite an important piece of information, unfortunately, Caesar already knew this.
"I already know that."
"Hmm? How?"
"I more or less anticipated this even before the duel was set. Count Vex wants to exploit my weakness through this duel."
"Do you know how she'll die?"
"I know the picture Count Vex is drawing."
Eric was truly surprised. Just how far did Caesar's intelligence network extend?
"So what do you plan to do?"
"That's why I need my brother's help."
"My help?"
Caesar looked at the Ascension Knights slowly approaching through the crowd. Aurora and Count Vex were among the knights. Caesar handed Eric a note.
"Please leave the party venue immediately and proceed as written here. If you do, I'll actively support you in operating the largest magazine in Homigraph."
"Really?"
"Yes. Can you do it?"
"I'll give it a try."
Eric took the note like a handshake and smiled.
"Then, see you later."
As soon as Eric left, Aurora and Count Vex approached.
"Here you are. Let me introduce you."
Count Vex smiled amiably and pointed to Aurora.
"It's the Morning Star Aurora. Aurora requested an introduction."
Aurora slightly tensed and bowed to Caesar.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Aurora, Viscount El Lindger."
Instead of a knightly greeting, Caesar extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Caesar."
Yes. This is Aurora. The knight scheduled to lose to Gloria tomorrow. No, to be precise, the knight who will 'die' during tomorrow's duel.
'Does she know this duel is Count Vex's playground?'
Caesar used psychometry on Aurora.
-This is Caesar.
-He's the one who will kill me.
This is unexpected. Aurora already knows she will die tomorrow.
-Do not meet Aurora tomorrow.
-Count Vex will poison her drink or alcohol.
-And he'll claim Caesar added the poison.
Caesar glanced to the side.
Photographers invited to the party were openly photographing him and Aurora. If Aurora dies during the duel tomorrow, these photographs will be crucial evidence.
"Though we didn't meet for a good reason, I personally respect you, Lady Aurora."
"...Is that so?"
"I heard you're working on poverty relief? You even operate a foundation in your name?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"I'm both a nobleman and a businessman. That means I earn quite a lot of money. Yet, operating a welfare foundation is quite challenging. Especially now, with so many orphans and widows."
Caesar looked at Aurora's armor. The armor was neat and polished, but that was all. A classic-style knight wearing a chestplate without shoulder guards, gauntlets that only protect the back of the hand instead of intricate ones that bend at each finger joint, and leg armor with metal plates only on the outer thigh and calf. Incongruent with her nickname ‘Morning Star’, she wore armor that was merely glossy on the outside.
"Are you okay, Lady Aurora? It seems quite difficult."
"...It would be a lie to say it's not difficult."
Originally, Aurora's armor in the Valent Saga was quite famous.
The name is 'Aurora's Armor,' an armor that causes a surge in reputation when worn after receiving it as a gift from Aurora.
However, the fact that Aurora is now wearing only a flashy armor without wearing that armor means that she has no intention of winning this duel.
"To the extent of selling the armor?"
Aurora hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
"That's right. I can work as a knight without armor, but children cannot live without clothes."
"Your spirit of sacrifice is truly admirable. I don't think I could follow your example."
"It's because of my incompetence. If I had managed the foundation properly, there would have been no reason to sell the armor."
"Is that why you're dueling my disciple?"
Aurora's expression hardened.
"I don't understand what you're trying to say."
"When I heard that Lady Aurora would be Lady Olivia's champion, I was a bit puzzled. I was told that a knight with no connection to the Vex Count's family would be the champion."
"That's..."
"But it seems I wasn't very well-informed about the news from Vex Province. You've been Lady Olivia's swordsmanship teacher for about three months? As far as I knew, you hardly do any knight work and focus only on running the foundation."
Count Vex, who noticed that the conversation was taking a strange turn, interrupted Caesar's words.
"I heard about six months ago that the Aurora Welfare Foundation was experiencing difficulties. So I made the first proposal to Lady Aurora. I said I would sponsor the foundation and contribute to living expenses if she would teach my daughter Olivia swordsmanship."
"Is that so? Did Lady Olivia listen well to the swordsmanship lessons?"
"Unfortunately, my daughter has no talent for swordsmanship and is lazy. Even when Lady Aurora tried to make time to teach diligently, she would make various excuses and go out to play. It's truly shameful."
"Interesting. Then, Lady Aurora must not have received proper tuition fees."
"Still, I gave the sponsorship and lesson fees steadily. Just because my daughter doesn't attend classes, how could I not give Lady Aurora compensation for her efforts?"
Caesar looked at Aurora's armor and said,
"Nevertheless, it seems that running the foundation is not easy."
Aurora was too embarrassed to speak. Count Vex glared at Caesar with sharp eyes.
"It sounds as if I didn't sponsor the Aurora Foundation enough."
"Not at all. It seems there was some circumstance. I'm just curious because I also have many difficulties while running a foundation."
Caesar received a glass of champagne brought by a servant and handed it to Aurora.
"So, may I make a proposal?"
"...What kind of proposal are you talking about?"
"I am really busy traveling here and there. My disciple Gloria too. It's impossible to pay attention to the foundation. If possible, regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's duel, I would like to hire you as the director of the Caesar Welfare Foundation. Would that be acceptable?"
Aurora's eyes widened at Caesar's proposal.
"...What? What do you mean..."
"You're saying something that could be misunderstood by listeners, Viscount El Lindger."
Count Vex snatched Caesar's wine glass.
"It sounds like you're making a solicitation to Lady Aurora."
"Would I be crazy enough to openly make a solicitation in front of Count Vex? I'm just making a proposal."
"I think it's inappropriate to make such a proposal the day before a duel."
"I see. I apologize. It seems my thinking was a bit short-sighted. But it means I'm that interested in Lady Aurora."
Count Vex received another champagne from a servant and handed it to Aurora.
"That's unfortunate. Lady Aurora is already under the protection of the Vex Count's family."
Caesar snatched the glass of wine that Aurora had received. Then he drank the champagne in one gulp. The servants and knights behind, including Count Vex, flinched.
"Then I'll make the proposal again after the duel is over. I hope there will be a good outcome."
With those words, Caesar left. Aurora's eyes, looking at Caesar's back, were filled with many thoughts.
***
Caesar entered the room and saw the bright full moon illuminating the room.
"Well, they put in a strong poison."
Caesar could feel the aura tangling in his dantian. It seemed that Pio was right about the ‘Dinon's Tears.’
The Dinon's Tears is a poison that twists the magic circuit of the consumer the more they use aura, and decomposes the aura stored in the dantian.
Knights addicted to this poison do not last long before their magic circuits become entangled and they die of shock with terrible pain, but... It means nothing to Caesar. Caesar had resistance to most poisons due to the elixir made from basilisk's poison blade.
The Dinon's Tears would be completely detoxified after a night's sleep.
'Well, this doesn't mean Aurora won't take the poison.'
Count Vex must have prepared other countermeasures against such accidents. He would use any method to make Aurora take the poison. Of course, Aurora also knows that he has taken poison.
Caesar lay down on the bed. More than that, he feels a little nervous.
Today is a night with a full moon. It's the day to meet Agatha.
'I hope she's not too upset.'
Originally, I should have met Agatha last month, but I couldn't because I was protecting Giggs. Considering we barely meet briefly in dreams once a month, and I didn't show up without any contact, I have no excuse even if she scolds me.
Caesar took a deep breath and closed his eyes. And he thought of Agatha.
"Caesar, are you okay? Did anything happen?!"
Caesar felt dizzy from the rose scent rushing toward him. Agatha touched Caesar's face and body.
"I was worried when there was suddenly no contact. I really couldn't sleep wondering what happened..."
Agatha worried about Caesar with tears welling up in her eyes. Since this was a completely unexpected reaction from Agatha, Caesar felt a pang of guilt.
"Yes, I'm fine. Agatha, were you okay?"
"What on earth happened? I was seriously considering flying to the continent if you didn't show up today either."
"I'm sorry. I can explain everything."
"You didn't get seriously injured or anything, right?"
"No, nothing like that."
Agatha let out a big sigh of relief.
"That's a relief. So what happened?"
After Caesar explained everything that had happened, Agatha nodded as if she understood to some extent.
"So you're saying you couldn't fall asleep because you were protecting a blacksmith named Giggs?"
"That's right."
Agatha's eyes suddenly turned sharp.
"Now that I think about it, this is unfair. I couldn't sleep properly for a month because I was worried, but it seems like I was the only one worrying."
"Ugh... Sorry."
"Well, it's fine. You'll understand how anxious this feels when you experience it yourself someday."
Suddenly, what if I called Agatha and she didn't come? Thinking about it that way, it would probably be quite worrying.
Especially since communication isn't easy to begin with.
"How have you been, Agatha?"
"The demon realm is surprisingly quiet. I thought that guy Elijah would attack Luxhope, but he's nowhere to be seen. The Steel Fortress side is just defending, and it seems they aren't even patrolling much."
"It's probably because the north is quite noisy. I'm in Vex Province now, and it's almost on the verge of war here."
"From Elijah's perspective, it must feel like being squeezed from both sides."
"Something like that. He probably won't move carelessly for the time being."
"Then I can rest easy for now."
"How are Yan and Mitchell doing?"
Agatha snapped her fingers and displayed the current situation of Luxhope in mid-air.
"They're training soldiers based in Luxhope. Almost all the marauders in the demon realm have been eliminated, and internal organization seems to be wrapping up."
"Have they adapted to the new sword?"
"Yes. Well, Yan handles swords well, so it seems he adapted quickly."
A hero freely using the Demon King's sword. Isn't that an interesting story?
"Ah, right. And there was something I needed to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Those guys looking for the holy maiden? They left the demon realm almost 50 days ago."
"What? Really?"
"They should have arrived in Homigraph by now. Haven't you heard any news?"
"I haven't heard anything yet."
"The eastern sea has been strange recently, so they might have become fish food. Check it out in detail."
Caesar didn't think the problem would be solved so easily as Agatha suggested. The Holy Grail knights must have arrived in Homigraph and are probably heading straight here now. This might require moving faster than expected.