Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: 15. Realization (1)
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Before Beatrice found herself amid the corpses.
The incident began at the entrance to the A-rank dungeon.
“Oh, isn't that Beatrice?”
“What brings the great 1st Hero Party to a place like this?”
The 1st Hero Party, nurtured by Ian, was undoubtedly humanity's hope.
But that didn't mean everyone respected or admired them.
Especially heroes ranked S-class or higher—they even saw them as rivals.
A mountain to one day surpass.
A wall to shatter.
The members of the SS-rank Hero Party who had entered the same dungeon as Beatrice were one such group.
“There've been a lot of nasty rumors flying around lately. You sure you're okay? Is it really fine for you to be in a place like this?”
“As expected of the elite. I guess a spot like this is no big deal—you could handle it solo, right?”
Beatrice recognized the four faces, but not their names.
She wasn't curious, nor did she care to know.
Ian had just warned her a few times to steer clear of them.
They were total scumbags, rotten to the core, he'd said.
Even though she'd never crossed paths with them, Ian had spoken as if he knew them inside out.
“Shut up.”
Beatrice brushed them off with casual disdain.
The dungeon held just one member of the 1st Hero Party and the four from the SS-rank Hero Party.
These two groups were the only ones who had entered.
The dungeon was a dense jungle terrain with high ceilings, towering trees, and thick vines everywhere.
With only a single straight path ahead, Beatrice and they had no choice but to stay close.
In stark contrast to the sniping at the entrance, they each silently went about their business.
The four from the SS-rank party were the first to sense the change.
They confirmed that Beatrice was weaker than before.
Their gazes subtly crossed in the undergrowth.
All four nodded with conviction, conspiring betrayal with a glance.
Oblivious to it all, Beatrice pressed ahead.
She ignored the faint off-kilter sense of balance, the rough, discordant mana gathering and releasing in her bow.
She was also preoccupied with the fact that Henry Somerset still hadn't replied.
Though Aria was barely holding the party together by force, Beatrice knew the 1st Party was finished.
So she needed to find some group or faction to join within two weeks—and one option was the mercenary venture Henry Somerset and his comrades were planning.
Her initial invitation had been for a mere guest instructor role, or perhaps just lending her name to the founding team.
She hadn't cared much back then.
But now that she had to leave the 1st Party, she decided to invest in the group and teach what she'd learned.
Not just riding on her fame, but becoming a full-fledged member.
'What did Ian say about business investments back then... No, don't think about that guy.'
Beatrice shook off the name that surfaced all too often.
As she pushed forward, lost in distracting thoughts—
—Slip.
Beatrice misstepped on a branch and slid.
'Damn it...'
To Beatrice, it was just embarrassing and annoying.
But not to the other four from the SS-rank Hero Party.
—Thud!
Her fall to the ground was their signal.
“Wood Binder.”
The mage chanted, and the tree trunks split open, their branches snaking out to bind Beatrice.
The other heroes, lying in wait, all charged in.
To kill the weakened archer of the 1st Party, Beatrice.
—Slash!
Beatrice twisted her body, using an incoming sword to sever the vines.
The moment she broke free, she leaped back and scanned them.
“...I knew you were all insane. You got the guts to deal with the fallout?”
“Why bother dealing with it?”
“We can just flee across the sea or far to the east—they won't chase us.”
“Exactly. As long as we kill you, that's all it takes.”
Beatrice realized anew.
Among the skilled, famous high-rank heroes, the ones with sound minds were the rarity.
“...Fine. I was in a foul mood anyway. Let's do this.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Idiots...”
Beatrice muttered as she gazed at the four dead SS-rank heroes.
It had been dangerous at first, but the crisis of possible death had temporarily restored her old prowess.
Thanks to that, she'd taken them all out unscathed.
But she couldn't exactly celebrate.
Beatrice scratched her head amid the total devastation around her.
“Damn it...”
No clues were left behind.
With an SS-rank hero party of four and a member of the 1st Hero Party clashing, it was only natural.
All that remained were bodies proving they'd been killed by something.
Not a shred of evidence about what happened before the fight.
No one else had entered this dungeon but them and her—no manager either.
No witnesses.
“What do I do...?”
They might be lower than her, but they were still SS-rank.
SS-rank heroes were big names across the continent.
Plenty of people would come looking if they vanished.
'Ian... Ah, no.'
Faced with the problem, she reflexively thought of Ian first.
Considering it a bad habit, Beatrice decided to figure it out alone.
'...No idea. What the hell do I do?'
With no answers, Beatrice shifted her line of thought.
After surviving mortal danger, her skills had returned to their former glory.
'Good thing, actually. Shows I don't need a guy like Ian.'
Cleanup could wait—she'd clear the dungeon first.
But as she soloed it, the earlier illusion shattered.
The instant the death threat passed, her skills rusted back to normal.
“......”
Beatrice paused in front of the four corpses while gathering magic stones on her way out.
No matter how she racked her brain, no solution came.
Only she and those four had come to this dungeon.
Only she could have killed those four like this in this dungeon.
And not a single clue remained about what had happened here.
Beatrice finally gave up thinking.
'...They attacked first, so it'll be fine.'
She was still 1st Hero Party, even on the brink of disbandment.
No matter how valuable SS-rank heroes were, they didn't outrank her.
Self-defense, accidental—ultimately just an 'incident'.
'It's not like I did anything else wrong... It'll be okay. Fine... If I don't say anything, maybe no one will ever know.'
Beatrice talked herself into it and left the dungeon.
Deciding for now to tell no one and keep it to herself.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The prince. The Pope.
The military police captain. The Razri captain.
The former manager of the 1st Party.
Feeling suffocated under their gazes, he glanced at the door.
“Henry. Won't you repeat that story you just told us to His Holiness the Pope?”
“What grave matter could this be?”
“The four from the 1st Hero Party are supporting Henry Somerset's family's cause.”
Naturally, no one believed it.
It was absurd.
What could the 1st Hero Party possibly lack?
If they wanted to help, they'd step in themselves—faster and easier.
So Henry's words were a lie.
But how much of a lie?
Daring to invoke the 1st Hero Party in front of the prince meant it wasn't entirely false.
There had to be at least some minimal basis for the claim.
'So they want to verify, just in case. How solid that basis is. Or if it's true, what proof he has.'
Ian grasped his role immediately.
'Use my position as former 1st Party manager to pressure Henry psychologically. And as ex-manager, it's easy to prod him further. My job is to draw out whatever evidence Henry has.'
Having sorted his thoughts, Ian spoke up.
“Hmm. One thing I'm curious about. Those guys aren't as diligent as their reputation suggests. So how'd they get roped into something this huge?”
“Hmph. What would a fired manager like you know...?”
Lorenzo snorted from the side.
He'd never liked Ian much.
Ian didn't bother responding.
Someone else would answer for him.
“Lorenzo.”
The prince said quietly.
Lorenzo realized his rudeness and clamped his mouth shut.
“Watch your mouth.”
“...Yes.”
“Is that how you treat the man who saved your life when Kaily nearly killed you?”
Ian smirked obnoxiously, backed by the crown prince's protection.
Lorenzo, with no retort or standing to make one, flushed red.
Gazes shifted back to Henry.
He'd been hunching his shoulders, staring at the door, but turned at the attention.
“What's with all the hesitation? You convinced the 1st Hero Party, for god's sake. Shouldn't you be bragging to high heaven?”
Ian pressed relentlessly.
“If you didn't do it yourself, just name the go-between. I mean, I don't know your family's plans, but if His Highness is this curious, it must be crucial, right? Unless...”
Ian eyed Henry and Lorenzo alternately.
“You're lying to His Highness? Oh, wait—with His Holiness here too, that's lying right to the crown prince and the Pope.”
“I can't listen to this anymore!”
Lorenzo shot to his feet rudely.
“What the hell do you think you're doing?! Insulting my friend—I won't stand for it!”
Wolfgang the military police captain and the Razri captain rose, watching the situation.
The prince and Pope observed calmly.
Ian just shrugged.
“What'd I even do? This is unfair—treating me like the bad guy.”
“You grilled my friend like he's some criminal! If you have questions, ask straight! And Henry!”
Lorenzo turned to Henry.
“Why are you clamming up? What's so hard to say...!”
Henry hunched further, staying silent.
From Henry and Lorenzo's reactions, Ian, the prince, and the Pope gleaned several things.
One. Lorenzo truly knew nothing about the anti-empire coalition.
Two. Henry's evidence wasn't very direct.
Three. Henry was carrying that 'evidence' on him right now.
And four.
Henry was waiting for someone.
His constant glances at the door while keeping quiet were proof.
Ian had no intention of letting things go Henry's way.
“Hiding a love letter in your pocket or something?”
“...?”
“Not that cold in here—why hunch like that? And why keep pawing at your chest? Treasure map, maybe?”
“Th-that's...”
Henry glanced nervously around.
Seeing his agitation, Lorenzo began feeling uneasy too.
“Hmm. And seems like you have a guest coming. Important enough to keep checking the door like that?”
“No...”
“Wouldn't be polite to just sit. I'll go greet them.”
Even as Ian rudely stood, the prince and Pope said nothing.
But castle lord Lorenzo was different.
“What do you think you're doing? This is my land, my castle. A punk like you...”
“Hmm. Should've let Kaily finish you off back then?”
Lorenzo's face burned red.
The prince broke the tension.
“Enough.”
He set down his empty teacup and rose, face resolute with decision.
“I tried being lenient, but no more. No need to drag this out. Henry Somerset. Lorenzo di Fioreene.”
All eyes fixed on the prince.
“I arrest you both on charges of high treason for plotting to overthrow the empire.”
“...Pardon?”
“......”
“Seize them.”
No matter his ignorance, Lorenzo bore some responsibility.
“And search their possessions.”
“Yes.”
“Y-Your Highness...! What is the meaning of this?!”
Lorenzo protested his innocence.
“Henry! What the hell is going on?! Did you say something...?!”
But Henry, already pale as a ghost, couldn't respond.
Seeing his face, Lorenzo finally grasped the point of this gathering.
The prince and Pope, the military police and Razri—why they'd all come.
“N-no... This can't... Wait, just a moment...!”
Lorenzo drew his sword, pointing it around wildly.
Instinctive panic.
“F-fuck...! Everyone back off! Henry! You bastard...! Urk...!”
As Lorenzo's mind overloaded trying to process, he fell silent.
SS-rank hero or not, there were too many powerhouses here.
Military police captain Wolfgang, Razri captain.
The guards outside had rushed in at the commotion.
“You sons of bitches—!”
Lorenzo was swiftly subdued, and the defenseless Henry restrained soon after.
Wolfgang found a letter in Henry's pocket and handed it to the prince.
The prince read it quickly, sighed, and passed it to Ian.
“...Hmm.”
Sender: Beatrice.
It pledged her investment and support for Henry's mercenary band founding.
They both realized this was no simple mercenary venture.
'To gather forces for the anti-empire coalition...'
Whether Beatrice knew or not.
This was no small matter to overlook.
“The 1st Hero Party will face trial.”
The prince said, handing back the letter.
“You okay with that?”
“No reason I wouldn't be.”
“...Understood.”
As the prince conferred with the Pope, Ian let out a scoff.
'What a mess.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Upon arriving in Fioreene City, Kaily headed straight for Fioreene Castle, where the tournament was underway.
Along the way.
She sensed a familiar presence amid the distant crowd.
First she spotted Wolfgang dragging the unconscious Lorenzo.
Behind him trailed the noble youth—Henry Somerset—looking like death warmed over.
Gustav, accompanying Kaily, gasped in shock, but she had no attention for him.
Her gaze was locked on one spot.
Ian, trailing alone at the rear of the procession.
'...So you're here.'
Her heart pounded fiercely.
The duty she'd hesitated on, it was finally time to fulfill it today.
Thinking of Ian, who was soon to die, Kaily drew mana through her body.
'You have to die. Only if you die can I...'
Of all times, the technique Ian had taught her now sprang to mind.
Without a moment to think, Kaily decided to use on Ian the very technique he'd taught her, begging her not to die.
Everyone turned at the wild surge of mana pouring from her.
It was so violent and immense that even Ian, far off, looked her way.
The moment Kaily swung her sword, their eyes met.
'...Ah.'
Only then did Kaily realize.
She could never kill Ian.
'What am I doing right now...?'
People only realize after they've lost something.
Until now, Kaily had never thought she'd lost Ian.
She'd just shoved him out of sight, figuring she could deal with him anytime.
Ian was going to die soon.
His power couldn't handle this force, this technique.
In other words, Ian was as good as dead already.
Which meant Kaily had now truly lost him.
Her thoughts reached that point, and Kaily realized her feelings for Ian.
'What I feel for you is...'
But by the time she did, her mana had already become sword energy and launched.
'No...!'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Rushing eagerly to see Ian, Sylvia ended up witnessing it.
“Kaily...?”
The moment Kaily unleashed sword energy at Ian.