Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Back to the Capital (2)
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Duke Gail, whom I hadn't seen in ages, looked far more radiant than before.
It was as if he'd finally set down some heavy burden.
The way he looked at me sparkled like he was gazing at a priceless treasure.
“It's been a while, Duke.”
“Indeed. Almost half a year now?”
Strictly speaking, it had been even longer. The last time we'd met was right before I left for the Imperial Founding Festival.
“What brings you here so suddenly?”
“Heh. With all the commotion in the south lately, I just came to check on things.”
“I wouldn't have thought it was something requiring you to come in person...”
“One count's bankruptcy is reason enough to stir.”
The Bellun Count family had collapsed cleanly, and most of the lands they controlled had fallen under the Banheart family's domain.
What became of Count Bellun afterward, I had no idea.
Whether he'd retreated to his capital estate or fled to some quiet countryside village.
Either way, the Bellun family was no more in these southern territories.
“Sir Nior Bellun had a bit of a personality quirk, but he was useful talent. Shame to lose him.”
“His personality was a big part of the problem.”
“You're right.”
Duke Gail chuckled and took the teacup Mona offered.
“Anyway, how does it feel to be the undisputed overlord of the south now? Your father would surely be proud.”
“...You think so?”
I had no clue what emotions the man who'd suddenly possessed my father in this world felt toward the family.
“And you're the successor to the Single Moon Divine Sword now, too?”
“Yes. I stumbled into some fateful encounter.”
“Heh, I set out to make you a hero, but I never imagined you'd do it all on your own like this.”
Duke Gail broached the subject, then laid out just how massive the name 'Clay Banheart' had become.
War hero who felled demons, hero of the Imperial Founding Festival, honorary noble.
And now, successor to the Single Moon Divine Sword.
“Plus, the man who liberated Aintban.”
“...”
I quietly shut my mouth. That was supposed to be a state secret.
But I figured it would come out eventually. With so many witnesses, leaks were inevitable.
Especially now that Aintban had opened its borders and begun active exchanges with the Talua Kingdom—the story must have spread even faster.
“The Timons Merchant Guild's growth is terrifying. Monopolizing the trade routes with Aintban makes it inevitable, I suppose.”
Most goods exported from the Talua Kingdom to Aintban passed through the Timons Guild.
The same went in reverse.
They even had exclusive rights to rare Aintban trade goods, fueling their rapid expansion.
It started with mithril, but now they were so vast that even without it, they'd thrive.
And all this in a mere half year.
“Which brings me to a favor I'd like to ask.”
“A favor... you say?”
Duke Gail was someone who could command me outright.
For him to phrase it as a favor left me puzzled.
“That's right. Just a favor. Who else has the authority to command you these days? Not with the Empire's princess right at your side.”
Duke Gail smiled as he replied.
He knew full well that Riya was staying in this estate.
Not that I'd ever tried to hide it. Her presence openly was a massive boon.
The Bellun and Deolic families hadn't dared act rashly because of her.
“Anyway, my request isn't anything grand. I just hope you'll come to the capital sometime.”
He took a sip of tea to wet his throat.
“You returned before the last Founding Festival, didn't you? Plenty of people are counting the days to see your face. If it's not too much trouble, could you time it for His Majesty's birthday celebration?”
The Talua Kingdom holds a grand festival every year in the capital Shiouten to honor the great king's birth.
On that day, the kingdom's top nobles all gather without fail.
'Right, the king's birthday celebration is when...'
A simple way to approach Lavanteira flashed through my mind—one I'd somehow overlooked until now.
If I used 'that place,' I could surely find the key to solving my problem.
I nodded with a pleased smile.
“Understood.”
My concise reply drew a satisfied smile from Duke Gail.
“I was worried you might refuse.”
“Come on, how could I turn down a request like this?”
“Exactly. We're in this together, after all.”
His smile carried layers of meaning, and I felt a twinge of guilt.
Just as he'd used me to his advantage, I'd done the same to him plenty of times.
Now that the family's power was restored, it was less so, but back when I first returned to the territory, I'd leveraged his name for countless deals.
Above all, the Timons Guild's swift network expansion owed much to his aid.
So fulfilling a few of his requests was only fair.
“Then shall we move on to the next matter?”
“More business?”
“Didn't I mention? I'm here to settle southern territorial issues.”
Duke Gail gestured to the servant standing quietly behind him.
The servant placed a towering stack of documents before us—so massive it made our teacups rattle.
“You'll have your work cut out for you, Count Banheart.”
His grinning face made my head spin.
The burdens of ruling the south were far heavier than I'd imagined.
* * *
Days had passed since Duke Gail departed.
In that time, I'd cleared most of the pressing issues.
...Though it felt like it shaved years off my life.
“Whew.”
I wiped sweat from my brow while organizing the estate's study.
I'd have delegated simple tidying to the servants, but this room was special, so I handled it myself.
My late father's belongings were scattered everywhere.
“Clay, need a hand?”
“I couldn't possibly exploit Her Highness for labor.”
“You say that, but you sure use me plenty.”
Riya had slipped in unnoticed and was looking around with a soft laugh.
Father's study overflowed with books—from scholarly tomes to novels and essays.
I'd only just realized he was a voracious reader.
'In that way, both of them were alike.'
The trivial realization drew a smirk from me.
I rummaged thoroughly for any other info my possessing father might have left, but found nothing.
“By the way, I've been thinking about the problem you mentioned.”
“Problem?”
I'd asked her to help with so many that I had to clarify.
Having her by my side was a true blessing—I felt it anew.
“The disasters.”
“Ah...”
After the Aintban incident, I'd felt the urgent need to spread what I knew about them.
The emperor had already announced them to the Empire, but most folks still didn't grasp the gravity.
'We've minimized damage so far, but...'
I couldn't guarantee it would last.
If a disaster slipped past my Synopsis escaped my notice, we'd face it defenseless, with massive casualties.
To prevent that, people needed to recognize disasters clearly and understand the risks.
“So, thought of a good way?”
She giggled, eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Clay.”
“Yeah.”
“Want to try writing a novel?”
“Cough.”
Her abrupt words made me choke.
A novel?
“...What brought that on?”
“I figured the key is how widely we can spread the story.”
Her idea boiled down to this:
Publish a novel under my name—whether I wrote it or just lent it.
A tale of a hero entangled with disasters.
“...You want me to write my own heroic saga?”
“Well, you could change the character's name. The point is to make people see it as truth and feel the danger.”
With my fame spanning the Talua Kingdom and the continent, a novel from me would spark huge buzz. Her logic held water.
Direct influence abroad was tricky, but a book made it easy.
“So, your thoughts? Write it yourself, or...”
Lend my name to someone else.
She already seemed half-decided on the latter.
Distribution via the expanding Timons Guild across nations would be simple.
I pondered, then spoke slowly.
“...I'll do it.”
“Really?”
She looked stunned, clearly having suggested it in jest.
“There's someone I want to feature as the protagonist.”
I closed my eyes.
The Synopsis I'd seen countless times unfolded in my mind.
Curious at my reaction, Riya tugged my sleeve gently.
“The protagonist? Not you, Clay... so who?”
I opened my eyes and smiled faintly.
“Fabian.”
Master of the Seven Heavenly Swords, the savior who hears their call.
Now, I would tell his story.
* * *
“I shall ask Michel Atel.”
The all-white temple—no, the Pure White Citadel suited it better.
A colossal monument to opulence and splendor.
Michel couldn't fathom how this place passed for a temple.
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“Anything unusual on your pilgrimage?”
The Supreme God's proxy, Pope of the Holy Kingdom Setram.
Violet Ganessia Setram.
He regarded Michel with serene eyes.
“No, nothing at all.”
“There were rumors you stopped by the Talua army camp during the Kainzel-Talua war?”
“I merely treated their wounded briefly.”
“Hmm.”
Violet stroked his chin thoughtfully, then spoke slowly.
“There was an oracle.”
“...From Supreme God Altair?”
“Indeed.”
Oracles from Altair came once every few decades.
Michel grew uneasy at the pope mentioning it now.
“The oracle was simple.”
He pointed to the pristine casket behind Michel.
The casket of the saintess called Altair's daughter.
Gransesia Atel, the greatest among them.
“Move the saintess's remains to Setram's seal.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“Exactly as I said. Altair commands her remains be kept in the seal for the next century.”
“Impossible!”
Michel shot to his feet in outrage.
Even for the pope, this crossed the line.
It utterly dismissed the Atel family, pillars of Setram for centuries.
“And... yes, find the sword's master.”
“The sword's master?”
The sudden mention halted his fury.
A chill gripped his heart.
“What will you do if you find him?”
“Isn't it obvious?”
Pope Violet smiled with boundless mercy.
“If he's a heretic, then we kill him.”
Anyone defying Supreme God Altair's will—even the world's savior—had no place here.