Chapter 106: Queen Maker (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 106: Queen Maker (6)
There was nothing to fault in Katarina’s sword dance.
Sometimes heavy, sometimes swift.
Her ever-changing style could adapt to a variety of opponents.
If there was a problem, it was Katarina herself, the one using the techniques.
“As you probably realized during yesterday’s spar, you’re not good at applying your skills.”
No matter how brilliant a technique is, if used thoughtlessly, it’s worse than a simple horizontal slash used at the right moment.
The spar between Katarina and Neria the day before yesterday was proof of that.
Katarina had unleashed a constant barrage of flashy sword dances, but she couldn't even graze Neria's skin. Neria, on the other hand, had subdued her with minimal movement, having cast aside not only flashy techniques but even her sword and shield.
This was the difference between knowing how to properly utilize one’s skills and not.
“There’s nothing better than gaining experience to learn how to use your skills properly.”
I placed three pieces of parchment on the table.
Shedia, Neria, and Katarina’s eyes were fixed on them.
“What’s this?”
“A rough map showing the locations of some dungeons,” I answered Katarina’s question.
The dungeons marked on the map were where the armaments used by the former heroes of the Prona Kingdom lay dormant.
They had told me themselves, so there was no doubt it was true.
Though they couldn't answer why they went so far as to create dungeons to hide them.
It seemed strange now, but I guess they thought it was the best they could do at the time.
Still, thanks to them, it had become easier to raise Katarina’s level, so it wasn't a bad thing.
“The three of you will form a party and go explore these dungeons.”
“The three of us? You’re not coming?”
“I have to stay and guard this place. I’m the only one who can handle any unexpected situations that might arise.”
“That’s true, but…”
Knowing the city’s situation, Katarina couldn’t voice her complaints, even though she didn’t like it.
I chuckled and continued.
“I’ve already packed all the equipment and consumables you’ll need for the dungeon crawl, so you just have to take them. Inside the dungeons, listen to Neria. She knows more about them than you do. Neria, you’re the leader of this party. Please take good care of them.”
“…Okay, I understand.”
Neria nodded.
Things moved quickly after that.
The women gathered their pre-packed belongings and headed for the dungeons. I watched their retreating figures as they left the city, then turned away.
My steps came to a halt in front of a large building in the city center.
This building had belonged to a merchant guild, but the guild master and his entire family had died during the Four Heavenly Kings incident, so it was currently without an owner.
We were using it as a temporary administrative office.
Opening the door, I saw mountains of paperwork piled everywhere and people reviewing them. They were the former employees of the merchant guild; we had hired them temporarily after they lost their jobs.
Having worked for a guild, they at least knew how to read and write.
“Ah, Hero, you’re here.”
A woman carrying documents spotted me and bowed her head.
“What brings you here today…?”
Anxiety flickered in her wavering eyes.
I waved my hand.
“Don’t worry, I’m not here to give you more work. I just came to see Leslie.”
“Is that so…”
She let out a sigh of relief.
The fresh-faced impression she’d given when we first met was gone.
All I could see was the face of an office worker completely worn out by their job.
Ugh, look at those dark circles.
She looks like a zombie.
“If you’re tired, take some breaks. If you work without resting, you could die from overwork.”
“This is the work you brought me yesterday, Hero.”
She gestured with her chin at the heavy stack of documents in her arms. The pile reached from her navel to her chest.
“Your sacrifice will be long remembered.”
I patted her on the shoulder and went up to the second floor. I felt a sharp glare on my back but ignored it and opened the door to the room where Leslie worked.
“Who’s entering so rudely without knocking… Ah, it was you, Cloud.”
Her furrowed brow smoothed out when she saw me.
I glanced at the heap of documents on her desk and tilted my head.
“The amount of paperwork looks the same as yesterday. Am I mistaken?”
“You’re not mistaken. As soon as I finish one, another one comes in.”
Leslie said, rubbing the dark skin under her eyes. Her pale complexion made the dark circles stand out even more.
“Looks like there’s more work than I thought.”
“Yes. From money to be donated to the church, to funds for the displaced citizens, to the costs of rebuilding the city. Just calculating the budget is overwhelming enough, but now we’re getting civil complaints… I don’t have a moment to rest.”
“You’re getting complaints?”
“Yes. Mostly from citizens who used to be wealthy. They were the ones who suffered the most damage, weren’t they? Thanks to the incident, they’ve been unceremoniously knocked down to the commoner class, so they’re whining for us to do something about it.”
Leslie sighed and pressed her temples as if her head ached.
“Want some help?”
“I’d be grateful if you would. Could you sit here next to me?”
“Alright.”
I pulled up a chair and sat down beside Leslie.
The moment I turned my head to ask what I should do, a soft mound of flesh pressed against my lips. Before I could react, her tongue slipped past them.
“Hah… I feel like my head is finally clearing up.”
Leslie pulled away, a satisfied expression on her face.
“Was this the help you wanted?”
“Yes. Just sit next to me and offer me your lips whenever I want. That’s fine, right? It’s my ‘payment’.”
“…Fine. Do as you please.”
When I raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, she smiled and pressed her lips to mine again.
After another kiss, she lowered her head, licking the nape of my neck as she spoke.
“Come to think of it, Katarina isn’t here today, is she? And she’ll be gone for a while.”
“That’s right.”
“Then there shouldn’t be a problem if I spend the night with you, Lord Cloud?”
“How did you arrive at that conclusion?”
“Well, as long as Katarina doesn’t find out and we don’t cross the line, it’s fine, right? Hehe. I’m looking forward to tonight.”
Leslie spoke as if it were a foregone conclusion that we would sleep together tonight. I was about to say something, but I shut my mouth when I saw the pile of documents on her desk and the dark circles etched onto her face.
Sensing this, she chuckled.
“I knew I made the right choice accepting this job.”
Her arms wrapped around my neck. Her pink lips were about to close in once more.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked from outside.
“…Who is it?”
Leslie’s voice was laced with irritation.
Startled, the person on the other side trembled as they spoke.
“I-It’s Meria.”
“I’m busy right now, so unless it’s important, could you come back later?”
“W-Well, I think it is important…”
“What is it?”
“The princess has returned… But as soon as she arrived, she said she will not inherit the throne…”
She’s saying that after seeing the state of the city?
It seemed the princess was spoiled too much growing up and was a bit immature.
“Lord Cloud? Where are you going?”
“To meet our dear princess.”
If she’s immature, then I’ll just have to make her grow up.
*
The morning after the Four Heavenly Kings were subjugated.
“The Hero, Cloud, has returned Creas, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, to nothingness.”
The Pope and the Saint Candidates received an oracle with this unbelievable message.
Naturally, the Papacy was thrown into an uproar.
Although the Four Heavenly Kings were under the Demon King’s command, they were each veritable monarchs of the Demon Realm.
And not monarchs who reigned through law, wealth, or politics, but through pure strength alone.
To hear that such a being was defeated by a hero—and by Cloud alone, no less—was simply too difficult to believe.
But they could not dare to doubt an oracle, so the Papacy announced it to the continent even before sending an investigation team.
That the Hero Cloud had defeated one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
That one of the great evils threatening the continent had vanished.
Upon hearing the news, Lorian, the First Prince of the Carta Kingdom and also a Hero, summoned his vassals and held a council.
However, Lorian, the one who had called the meeting, remained silent with a grave expression, and the other vassals could only watch him in suspense.
After a long while, Lorian finally spoke.
“Do you believe Frillite could stop one of the Four Heavenly Kings on her own?”
Why was Frillite being mentioned all of a sudden?
The vassals were puzzled, but they soon began to consider the question seriously.
“…It is difficult to presume, Your Highness.”
Someone spoke, and the other vassals nodded in agreement.
They knew Frillite was a powerful hero.
It was said that she had single-handedly hunted an ogre after Lorian’s party had been incapacitated.
But no one here knew the true extent of her limits.
They knew the Four Heavenly Kings were a great evil threatening the continent, but they didn’t know just how menacing the monsters were.
With insufficient information on both subjects of comparison, they dared not offer an opinion.
Lorian nodded as if in understanding and posed another question.
“Then do you think Frillite is weaker than Cloud?”
Silence fell once more.
This time, however, the vassals began to shake their heads one by one.
Everyone acknowledged that Cloud had become a different person recently.
But comparing him to Frillite was another matter entirely.
She was fundamentally different from the other heroes.
Comparing him to her would be like comparing a newly adult dragon to an ancient one a thousand years old.
At least, that’s what they thought.
“Which means he must have used some other method. Whatever it was, if it was enough to defeat one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the price must have been steep. What are your thoughts?”
“We believe Your Highness’s words are correct. It would be impossible to defeat a being like one of the Four Heavenly Kings through ordinary means.”
“I heard the Four Heavenly Kings descended upon Lupus, the capital of the Prona Kingdom. It is highly likely that the city has collapsed as well.”
“In any case, this means the Prona Kingdom must be in chaos. Excellent.”
Lorian smiled and gave his vassals an order.
“Demand that all lords of the kingdom conscript soldiers within three months. Our army will march to the Prona Kingdom.”
The vassals were stunned.
“To the Prona Kingdom, Your Highness? If we do so without a proper cause, the Empire will not stand idly by.”
“We have a cause. Isn’t the Harvest Day approaching?”
The Harvest Day.
An annual event, like a festival for the orcs, where a great orc army toured the kingdoms to collect food.
“It’s about time we put an end to that as well. We will march to the Alitia Kingdom to stop the orcs. We will simply request that the Prona Kingdom open a path for us to get there.”
“Ah…!”
A gleam appeared in the vassals’ eyes.
“That would certainly solve the issue of a proper cause. And once the Carta Kingdom begins to move with a justification, the other nations will move as well. The Empire will be no different… In the end, the Prona Kingdom will be absorbed by other nations.”
“Ultimately, it is a race against time. I ask that you strive for the prosperity of the Carta Kingdom.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The vassals bowed their heads and left the council room.
Left alone, Lorian leaned back in his chair and pictured that bastard’s face.
Cloud… I still haven’t forgotten the humiliation I suffered at your hands.
He probably never would.
So I will return it all to you, doubled.
Just as Lorian was about to grind his teeth—
Bang!
“Brother! Is it true you’re going to the Prona Kingdom?!”
Lorraine burst into the room, throwing the door open violently. Lorian was slightly startled but quickly composed himself and answered calmly.
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“No. No problem at all. I see. When are you planning to depart?”
“We will depart in three months at the earliest, four at the latest.”
“…That’s longer than I thought.”
“You know as well as I that an army is not so easily assembled.”
“That’s… true. I understand. Oh, brother. Are you free this evening?”
“This evening? I don’t have any other plans, but…”
“Then could you spar with me? I feel I’m lacking in some areas.”
“If that’s the case, I’d be happy to.”
“Thank you, brother! I’ll see you this evening, then!”
With that, Lorraine disappeared.
Lorian felt proud of his sister for her desire to improve.
But at the same time, for some reason, he felt a strange sense of unease.
Am I missing something?
He sank back into his thoughts.