Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: 14. Youngest Daughter of the Swordsmanship Clan (6)
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“H-His Holiness the Pope…!”
The military police guarding the entrance to Piorene City jumped in surprise.
It was because Johannes, the Pope of the Holy Flame Church, had arrived.
The city guards were just as startled by the sudden visit.
The Pope appeared at the city gates accompanied only by the captain of the Razri Order.
Seeing the military police monitoring the entrance, he roughly grasped the situation inside the city.
“It seems there’s an important guest within.”
“Yes, Prince Oedipus is…”
The Pope nodded.
The First Prince had personally come to track down the remnants of the Anti-Imperial Alliance.
That could only mean one thing.
‘Imperial succession…’
Without delay, the Pope entered the city.
In the distance, the silhouette of Piorene Castle came into view.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Have you already found a new member?”
Vivian asked as she recorded today’s expenses.
Ever since Ian bought her the notebook last time, she had been diligently keeping track of income and expenditures.
Kati—in her cat form—was sitting on her lap, and Vivian had grown accustomed to stroking her naturally.
Of course, right now her hands were busy with meat skewers and grilled bread bought from outside.
Across from her sat Helena, with Mercy perched on her shoulder.
“Probably. Ian’s awfully quick at finding people, after all.”
Mercy answered the question.
“You found Vivian pretty quickly too, didn’t you?”
“Meow?”
Not only Vivian but Helena perked up as well.
Come to think of it, neither of them knew anything about Ian before they met him.
They had only come to know him after he sought them out.
“Was it the aspirant list? Anyway. He was poring over it intently, spotted Vivian’s name, and headed out right away.”
“…Really?”
“Yup, yup. Ian does that sometimes. He’ll be sitting quietly, then suddenly acts like something just clicked. And more often than not, it turns out to be the right solution.”
Listening to Mercy, it almost sounded like Ian received divine oracles.
While Vivian imagined Ian fixating on her name, Helena asked,
“What about me?!”
“Hmm… Yup, yup. That was the case. Helena was one of the first people Ian noticed.”
As they chatted about Ian’s mysterious talent, someone knocked on the door.
Vivian, closest to the door, stepped up.
Since the only expected visitor was Ian, she opened it without asking who it was.
“…?”
Standing beyond the door was a little girl in yellow, like a chick.
Behind her stood a knight clad in stern brass armor.
“Ah.”
Vivian recognized her immediately.
“Y-Your Highness the Princess…”
“Hm.”
Helena scurried over next to greet her.
Mercy, on the other hand, skipped the formalities.
“Oh! Isn’t this the little chick? Ian’s not here, though?”
“Mercy! I’m an adult now too! Don’t call me a chick!”
“Hehe.”
Grace, hands on her hips, puffed out her chest to look bigger, but a girl Helena’s size could only come off as a chick.
“Ahem. Anyway. Mind if I come in for a bit?”
For Vivian and Helena, it was a novel sight to see someone as lofty as a princess politely asking permission.
“Y-Yes…”
“Then, pardon the intrusion.”
Grace stepped lightly inside.
Her lisping pronunciation, high whining voice, and spoiled mannerisms were childish, yet every gesture exuded imperial grace.
Vivian watched Grace like a strutting chick, then turned her gaze to the knight outside.
“Um… Aren’t you coming in?”
Aegis Captain Leon replied curtly.
“It would inconvenience you. Besides, if you’re companions of Ian, that’s enough for me to trust you.”
“Ah, a-ah, I see…”
Vivian and Helena grew confused over whether to marvel more at the imperial princess or at Ian, who enjoyed her infinite trust.
Vivian stared at Leon standing outside, unsure what to do.
Should she close the door?
Wouldn’t that be rude?
Fortunately, Leon resolved her dilemma.
“Then I’ll wait here.”
Leon closed the door first.
Vivian returned to her seat awkwardly.
The food they’d been casually eating lay scattered messily on the table.
She worried the princess might take offense, but Grace seemed unbothered.
As Vivian sat, Grace spoke.
“You two are Ian’s new heroes?”
“Yes!”
“Yes.”
“Ahem. Good. I’ll say what I couldn’t earlier, right here.”
Vivian sensed that despite her willful nature, this princess was remarkably polite.
So different from the nobles and royals she’d imagined, she felt a bit of fondness…
“I’m Ian’s fiancée.”
…which died instantly.
“So you’d better keep that in mind!”
“…Pardon?”
Helena responded with a dazed sound,
while Vivian and Kati silently glared at Grace.
Caught in the middle, Mercy was busy chuckling.
“N-No way…!”
Helena shot to her feet in denial.
“…Helena?”
“How can you say that for sure?”
“B-Because… Urk…! I-Ian belongs to me!”
“…!”
“Or wait, no? I belong to Ian… Ah, whatever! Ian said he’s smitten with me!”
It had been a while since Vivian last saw Helena revving up like this.
Regardless, she noticed Grace’s expression waver at Helena’s words.
‘She’s lying.’
“Did Ian… really say that?”
Vivian interjected gently.
“That doesn’t matter. Anyway… I haven’t heard anything like that from Ian.”
“O-Of course! How could he go around announcing his engagement to Grace?”
“Hmm… But we’re Ian’s heroes, right? For something that important, he’d definitely share it with us. We’re that close.”
“That close…?!”
“R-Right!”
At a loss for words, Grace just opened and closed her mouth.
Finally unable to bear it, she jumped up from her seat.
Vivian and Helena shrank back a little then.
Had they offended the princess too much?
“Urgh…! Gr-Grace doesn’t care about that! You don’t need to know!”
Trembling with fists clenched, Grace stomped out.
Helena blew a triumphant snort at the closed door,
and Vivian grinned.
Even Kati’s tail-wagging slowed a bit.
Separate from that victory, Grace had left one question lingering for Vivian and Helena.
‘…Just what kind of person is Ian?’
No matter that he was the former manager of the 1st Hero Party.
Was it even possible to earn this much favor from the imperial family…?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Have you ever thought about becoming a hero?”
Lucia immediately understood Ian’s question.
“Is that the condition for helping me?”
“Ahem. Saying it like that makes it sound like a cold transaction. I won’t deny it, though.”
Ian admitted honestly.
“I see great potential in you. No, ‘great’ doesn’t even begin to cover it…”
“Oh? Isn’t the flattery a bit obvious?”
“……”
Ian was momentarily dumbfounded into silence.
Did she truly have no idea of her own talent? At all?
His genuine reaction flustered Lucia.
“…You were serious?”
“I’m always serious.”
“I’ve never met someone who says that who actually is.”
“At the very least, right now, I absolutely am.”
Lucia found it hard to judge this man who could be so sly and playful.
She soon decided there was no harm in believing him.
After all, she had nowhere left to retreat.
“Fine. I’ll be a hero. So we leave right away?”
“Probably not immediately…”
He had to assist the prince too, so they couldn’t depart just yet.
More importantly, considering what would happen to Lucia from now on, she needed at least a full day’s rest.
Ian pulled a leather pouch from his bosom and took out its contents.
It was a vial containing a liquid that shimmered with iridescent purple light—clearly no ordinary substance.
Lucia found her gaze drawn to it, even without knowing what it was.
“What’s this?”
“Elixir.”
“…Huh?”
“For now, just take an eighth. Too much at once is bad for the body.”
“Huh…?”
First, he needed to use the elixir to restore her physical condition to normal.
“Drink up.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ian fed Lucia an eighth of the elixir and put her to sleep.
He considered giving her a massage today but held off.
The lesions on her skin weren’t limited to her face.
Pus-filled blisters covered her arms, legs, and entire body, so massaging might only cause pain.
‘She’ll sleep deeply, wake up, we’ll check her progress, adjust the elixir dosage, and she’ll recover in no time.’
He grew excited imagining what she’d look like at full strength.
The others seemed surprised he’d found a companion before the tournament even began.
‘Not just that—something was off about how they looked at me… Oh, probably that scene of me laying Lucia down and feeding her potion. Ugh, even if I explain…’
With Lucia asleep now, formal introductions could wait.
Anyway.
Ian was currently being led by a military policeman.
Around the time Lucia drank the elixir, the military police had come with a message.
The prince was summoning him.
‘What on earth is this about…’
The place they arrived at under the castle’s guidance was a hidden banquet hall.
A long rectangular table draped in a white cloth.
Over it lengthwise lay a red one.
Compared to the grandiose table, only simple refreshments and tea were set out.
At its end sat First Prince Oedipus.
Lorenzo sat beside him, and across was a noble youth.
The prince raised a hand in greeting first.
“Ian. Come on in.”
Lorenzo gave a casual nod, while the noble seemed too preoccupied to bother.
“Sit.”
As Ian took his seat, the prince pointed to the noble.
“This fellow’s told quite the amusing tale.”
“A story amusing enough for Your Highness? I couldn’t possibly miss it.”
The noble trembled even harder.
Not just from the prince’s words,
but because he couldn’t fathom the identity of the man daring such flippant jests before the First Prince.
“Ian, allow me to introduce: Henry Somerset. Somerset, this is Ian.”
They exchanged light nods.
Ian immediately recalled where he’d heard that name.
‘Anti-Imperial Alliance…’
The prince finished introducing Ian.
“He’s the former manager of the 1st Hero Party.”
Only then did Henry remember where he’d heard Ian’s name.
He was definitely the man Edgar was looking for.
“So, care to repeat that story?”
“What’s this about?”
“Kaily, Beatrice, Aria, Sylvia. The tale of those four joining your cause.”
At those words, Ian raised one eyebrow in confusion before piecing it together.
Simultaneously grasping why the prince had called him here.
‘It’s an obvious lie, but he’s being cautious. And if needed, he wants pretext to rein in the 1st Hero Party. I’ve heard the rumors of them being out of control lately.’
Ian had heard the rumors too.
Something about the 1st Party’s dark beer, Kaily stabbing someone…
He’d just been too busy with Vivian and Helena to pay attention.
‘But whether it’ll work, I’m not sure. That lie must have some basis. If it’s direct evidence, it could have legal binding. Or more incidents… Both would be ideal.’
Right after Ian sorted his thoughts,
the banquet hall door opened cautiously, and one of the attendants entered trembling.
All eyes turned to him.
Following was an elderly man in neat priestly robes and a holy knight in platinum armor with a red cloak.
Pope Johannes and the Razri Order’s captain.
“Fading embers, Johannes greets Your Highness the Prince.”
The Pope approached with a gentle smile.
Though surprised, the prince and Ian quickly deduced his purpose here.
They also thought the timing was hilariously perfect.
“Your Holiness the Pope, the Empire is ever grateful for the blessing of light upon us.”
The prince returned the formal greeting.
Meanwhile, Henry sensed things going from bad to worse.
“It seems everyone fitting for this gathering is now assembled.”
Lorenzo also began to sense something amiss.
“Let’s continue that story from earlier.”
The First Prince of the Pride Empire’s imperial family.
The Pope of the Holy Flame Church.
The Pope’s companion, the Razri Order’s captain.
The prince’s companion, the military police captain.
The former manager of the 1st Hero Party.
Just listing them was intimidating, and now they all stared at Henry in the same room.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Gurgh…”
A man spat blood with a gurgling sound.
A massive hole gaped in his torso’s center, his right arm clutching a sword and left a shield flung far away.
Thud.
Finally, the man collapsed.
Around him lay his comrades, fallen.
He was better off than them.
The mage’s upper body was gone entirely.
The priest lacked her entire left side.
The archer had only body and head left, both with holes punched through.
Four members of an SS-rank hero party—one of the Empire’s key forces—had just perished.
The perpetrator.
Beatrice, archer of the 1st Hero Party.
“Ugh…”
She scratched her head irritably and glared at the corpses.
“What now…?”