Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Summoned Again
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‘What happened, huh.’
I pondered how much to explain to Aurora. If it had just been my own business, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but Minerva was involved now. I had to choose my words carefully.
“Where would you like me to start?”
“Everything from after you left with Lady Minerva, if possible. Every single bit has me curious.”
Just as I’d expected.
I replied flatly that I understood, then drew the Wingless Nightmare from my belt and placed it on the table. The knights’ eyes filled with curiosity at the sight of the new weapon.
“First off, this is why Minerva and I stepped out briefly.”
“That sword?”
“Yes.”
I started by recounting our trip to Ceres’s place. My bloodstained sword had broken, so I needed a new one, and that’s why I’d sought out Ceres, who lived on the empire’s frontier.
“Delta, you said the blacksmith you visited was named Ceres?”
“Have you heard of her?”
“No, she’s unfamiliar to me. If she retired over ten years ago, that means she stepped away when I was still young. Even I wouldn’t know someone who secluded themselves that long ago.”
“You seemed like you knew something.”
“Not knew—wanted to know. Because of that weapon. I was wondering if I could commission more later.”
‘……Can you actually put in a request with that NPC for a weapon?’
As far as I remembered, no, but it wasn’t something I could definitively rule out.
Even if it was a dream that would fade soon, right now, while basking in the effects of the Windbliss Pill, maybe I could even ask her to forge a weapon.
Minerva had said a permanently lasting Windbliss Pill wasn’t theoretically impossible, so if I gathered the materials later, she could make one.
I thought it over a bit more, then gave a noncommittal answer.
“I’m not sure either.”
“Well, yeah. What kind of normal recluse holes up in the mountains by choice?”
Aurora looked utterly unconcerned, as if she hadn’t expected anything to begin with.
The explanation continued from there, covering the light-infused holy water and the Windbliss Pill, until I mentioned the deal where Minerva promised to find the Crystal Scroll for me. That’s when Aurora snorted.
“Crystal Scroll? Ah, that explains why you all pulled off that insane stunt as a group. Acting like you’d all taken drugs, hopping around like lunatics—turns out there was a reason. It basically was drugs. Ancient scrolls are like that for mages.”
“I still didn’t expect them to pull something like that right in front of everyone.”
“Same here. Even if the Minerva Tower is a den of magic-obsessed weirdos, how do they think fighting and begging to be stepped on first in the imperial palace of all places is okay?”
With that exasperated remark from Aurora, I wrapped up the explanation. Everyone seemed to have a grasp of what had gone down.
‘There’s still something I haven’t mentioned…….’
But I didn’t particularly want to voice that part. The person herself seemed oblivious, her mind turned to a field of flowers, so it didn’t matter to her, but it mattered to me.
Everything had been for Minerva’s sake.
How was I supposed to reveal here and now that Minerva, unable to contain her joy upon finding the Crystal Scroll, had climaxed, squirting transparent fluid from between her legs?
“……What in the world is this, my lord?”
“Don’t ask me. Aunt must’ve taken a whim again.”
The very next day after bringing the Crystal Scroll, we received thunderous news that we had to pay respects to the emperor first thing in the morning. We hurriedly prepared and headed to the central hall.
But there were guests ahead of us. The Golden Twilight Knights.
At the forefront stood their knight commander in resplendent golden armor, followed by the vice-commanders and regular knights.
Everyone except the commander wore tight sports bras and leggings instead of armor, their faces fully exposed. They looked just as puzzled about being summoned here.
We couldn’t disobey the order to wait outside the central hall just because there were prior guests, so with Aurora leading, we took up position beside them. The Golden Twilight Knights’ commander turned his head our way.
He stared intently at us—at me in particular—for a long while before gruffly speaking up.
“Why are you here?”
His voice dripped with open displeasure, his tone clearly meant to put us down. It was easy enough to imagine the expression hidden in his helmet.
I wasn’t entirely clueless about why he was acting out like this.
In the game, he started off stern and dignified at first meetings, but the more achievements the player racked up, the more jealousy and inferiority he revealed.
He’d always resented the Silver Dawn Knights outshining his own order, so he’d conspired with the former lord to disband them. Old habits die hard.
Given how he’d zeroed in on me just now, he must’ve been feeling inferior about the rumors of me fighting a dragon.
‘Hard to believe, but…….’
Could he really be that irredeemable? I hoped not, but recalling his actions in the game, it was entirely possible.
And if he never fixed that personality……
He’d die by my hand.
That’s how the story went.
“What makes you think you can pick a fight first thing in theㅡ”
“Hold on, Claudia.”
Aurora stopped Claudia, who’d bristled at his words and stepped forward. She crossed her arms under her chest, cocked a hip, and glared at him.
“You’ve got a real way with words. Don’t you?”
“…….”
Even for him, bickering with Cecilia’s niece was awkward, so he turned his head back. But Aurora wasn’t one to let that slide.
“Why’d you turn your head again? I’m talking to you. Ignoring me?”
“……No, ma’am.”
“Then look this way. Now.”
He looked back at Aurora. The golden helmet made it impossible to read his face, but it surely wasn’t a pleasant one.
“What did you just say? ‘Why are you here,’ was it? Right?”
“……Yes.”
“Funny. You planning to commit treason against Aunt?”
“What are you talking about!”
At the sudden, illogical accusation of treason, the knight commander practically jumped in place denying it.
We’d been listening quietly from behind, and even his vice-commanders and knights gaped in shock, but Aurora didn’t bat an eye and pressed on.
“Why? Did I say something wrong? Why else would we be here? His Majesty summoned us—that’s the only reason. So what did you say? ‘Why are you here?’ That means you’re questioning His Majesty’s decision. Am I wrong?”
“…….”
It was absurd logic.
But considering Cecilia’s capricious nature and Aurora’s unique status as imperial blood, that nonsense could really cost him his head.
After all, they’d practically disbanded the Silver Dawn Knights with equally baseless reasoning, even if the former lord had helped.
Aurora knew it too, so she was openly nitpicking and throwing her weight around. Like, *You gonna mouth off without apologizing to us?*
“……I absolutely didn’t intend that. My apologies.”
“Why apologize to me? There’s someone else who deserves it, isn’t there?”
For a moment, his clenched fist trembled. Lize, stuck to my side, giggled.
“……Sorry. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Good. Now scram. Watch your mouth from now on.”
“……Yes, ma’am.”
He even apologized to us, and Aurora waved him off like she was granting a favor. The moment he turned, she snickered.
“That guy who came sniffing around to monitor Delta before? Ballsy mouthing off right in front of the central hall. One wrong word and your head rolls—how many in imperial history can attest to that.”
The knight commanders nodded, about to say something, when a dull *thwack* and a short cry rang out. We whipped around toward the Golden Twilight Knights.
“About to meet His Majesty and you’re disrupting the formation? You idiot!”
One vice-commander was staggering. His left cheek was swelling red, like he’d been slapped. A trickle of blood seeped from his gritted lips.
“My apologies, Commander.”
The vice-commander, struck out of nowhere, bowed his head deeply and returned to position. Their side’s atmosphere froze instantly. Eyes darted around, gauging their commander’s mood.
‘That guy’s a complete psycho, huh?’
The nominal reason was disrupting the formation, but I’d seen it clearly. The vice-commander had been standing straight; he’d just lashed out at whoever was closest to vent his rage.
Honestly, when I first saw him at the castle, I thought unlike the game, he was just a musclehead with all stats in strength, since he’d tailed me 24/7 on orders to monitor me.
But now I saw his castle behavior was just because he felt superior enough not to show his true colors. His nature was still rotten.
Aurora muttering that mouthing off and clowning around in front of the central hall could get your head chopped off was just icing.
How long had their side been iced over like that when, without anyone touching it, the doors to the audience chamber slowly parted.
As if that was the signal to enter, the Golden Twilight Knights’ commander stepped inside first. The vice-commanders and knights followed.
We were next. Aurora went first, then the knight commanders from Claudia to Erika in order. Naturally, I was last.
I stepped forward as cautiously as possible.
‘…….’
My eyes met Cecilia’s, who stared openly at me.