93. Non-Ferrous Sword (5)
93. Non-Ferrous Sword (5)
- 1 -
"Is it done?"
"More or less."
It didn't take long to bring Orea's injury, the queen of the ant-people, into a recovery phase.
Removing the curse and the mana was actually the easier part.
The more difficult part was changing Orea's attitude, as she didn't want to receive treatment at all.
Of course, it wasn't me who struggled with that—it was her younger sister, Etna, who did the persuading.
'Still, it was quite a remarkable curse. An average curse-user or exorcist would have had a hard time with it.'
Considering it was cast by a curse-user among the wild monsters, even if that caster was the monster leader, their skill level was quite high...
'But still, at this level, even if we had only shown it to Echidna, she would have been able to find a sufficient recovery method.'
If it had been her, even if she couldn't directly dispel the curse, she could have made a medicine to alleviate it.
Once the symptoms could be alleviated, a way to neutralize the injury could be found even without showing it to a mage.
But...
'Knowing this woman's personality, she probably couldn't bring herself to do that.'
Within her common sense, it was naturally absurd for her, the queen, to leave this region during wartime. Yet, asking another queen to come and support her also violated the 'Pact'.
'I wonder if she thinks of war as some kind of life-or-death duel.'
My visiting her personally was, in a sense, a stroke of luck for her.
If it was something even Echidna, who was not a curse-user, could treat, there was no way I couldn't clean it up.
『Trait - ... Specialization: Flame Magic, Advanced Specialization: Curse, ...』
For me, curses were a type of magic I was skilled in, second only to necromancy and shadow magic.
I was learning it myself, and since I was separately teaching it to Sonia, I had delved one step deeper into it than other magics.
I'd be disappointed in myself if I couldn't handle at least this much.
Kiyaaak—!!
Ppajik!
After finally dispelling the curse and completely eliminating the 'residue' that leaped at the exorcist—me—Orea's face could be seen, now at ease.
She had been moved to a bed for treatment, and lying there with her outer shell—which served as armor—removed, she looked far more delicate than before.
Now she finally looked like a queen.
"If your regenerative abilities are as you described, you should recover within two days."
"Thank you, my queen! That's great! Sister!"
"... Thank you, Libertas."
"I'm glad to hear that."
Etna was greatly delighted, and Orea calmly expressed her gratitude.
Especially Orea, who, despite being a patient, forced herself up from her bed, drew her sword, and presented it with both hands, offering a salute that seemed straight out of a martial arts novel.
"Since I have received your grace, I shall surely repay it, upon my honor."
"I won't refuse."
"Please."
No matter how I looked at it, accepting outright was the best way to get her to lie back down quickly.
So I accepted the sword without any polite refusal, and she bowed deeply once more to express her thanks before lying back down again.
"Hmm..."
"Don't overdo it, sister."
Orea lay back down with Etna's support.
Seeing her break out in a cold sweat from that brief movement, I could at least tell that she wasn't trying to deceive me with her injury while feeling no pain.
However, the thought that came to mind as I looked at her in such pain wasn't to her benefit.
'There were no traces of other monsters in the nest, even though some had rebelled against them. Another queen in this region would have subjugated other monsters to use as meat shields.'
There were plenty of other monsters in this region besides the ants and their enemies.
I had heard it was quite a long-established fact that the ants had become the representative figures of this region.
But there were only ants in the nest. Meaning, there were no visible signs of other collaborators.
That was why I doubted whether they were qualified.
'No matter how I look at it, she's disqualified as a leader.'
Though it was a subjective view, these women didn't seem to have the capacity to protect this region.
A stubborn queen, and a younger sister who seemed to think more flexibly but couldn't stop that queen.
If this region was left to them, only two futures came to mind.
They would either be 'domesticated' by humans and turned into 'fertilizer producers' and 'something else' to maintain this region, or they would be conquered by creatures like the other monsters attacking now and become slaves in another form.
'Either way, it would be miserable.'
I couldn't see any vision from them that could prevent such a situation.
All I could see was a vague will to simply respond to situations as they occurred.
In that case.
'Before that happens, I'll have to choose one of the two.'
Whether it was them, or this land, I needed to place it under my influence.
I thought that might actually be better for them, too.
As I had considered when coming here, it seemed I would have to talk to their enemies as well.
- 2 -
"Well then. I shall see you next at the conference hall."
"As much as you have helped us, we will end this war as quickly as possible."
"I wish you victory."
After parting with the Myrmekian sisters, we immediately boarded the carriage and moved south again.
For about a day.
"Now... there are no more watching eyes."
The decision was swift.
Because through this incident, I had become more trusting of Shue's senses.
"Yes. Let us go. 'Dark Veil.'"
Just before we turned the carriage around, I enveloped the whole thing in shadows.
This was a barrier magic that consumed all sound and presence within the barrier. It was a simple technique, only requiring attention to the fact that all the presence it had been holding would be released when the barrier was dispelled.
Sswaaa!
With a sound like a snake crying out, the darkened head of the carriage turned east.
The destination was the battlefield once more.
Probably the border where the Myrmekians and their enemies were clashing.
From there, I intended to figure out what kind of faction the enemies were.
"My Queen. May I ask you one question?"
"Speak, Serha."
After we had been traveling for a long while, Serha's voice was heard.
She was looking up at me with a very cautious look in her eyes.
Having briefly met her eyes, I felt I knew what she was worried about, even though I hadn't yet explained my intentions.
Probably...
"May I ask what Your Majesty desires?"
"Did you not already see? I intend to maintain friendly relations with the one who will become the ruler of this forest."
"You don't intend to annihilate both kings?"
She must be worried that I might wipe out all the monsters living in this forest.
As if to prove that assumption, the look in Serha's eyes as she spoke to me revealed a firm resolve to get an answer.
"I don't understand why you would think I'd eliminate them. Did you not see that I have already bestowed grace upon Orea and Etna, the two women?"
"Because Your Majesty... knows the benefits that can be gained from 'pretending to be friendly' very well."
"Hmm. Do continue."
Saaa...
Looking around the coniferous forest still filled with white darkness, I listened to Serha's answer.
"Because there is much for Your Majesty to gain here."
"Oh ho."
A forest that was difficult to observe properly from the outside, and where it was hard to distinguish one's surroundings once inside.
If maintained by having my soldiers secretly deal with any adventurous or brave humans entering this forest—excluding those who merely cut a few outer trees as humans currently did—this place could be used as a second dungeon, while simultaneously all the ironwood present could be utilized as material.
Probably until my entire army was armed.
That way, I could secure a useful commodity—one that would allow for trade with humans or the Demon World, or arming my own forces.
"However, in this case, the monsters of the forest are an obstacle."
"That they would be. Since their existence is already known."
The kings here had no time to hide themselves, as they were fighting a war.
And as the threat posed by the monsters of this forest grew, the likelihood of me—who had a base nearby—also being troubled increased.
It was a good situation for me if the war ended first.
"To stop the war..."
"Cutting off two heads, or one of them, is the fastest way. You thought so, didn't you?"
"Yes."
And the easiest way to end that war was assassination.
After saying this, Serha went on to assume the benefits that could be gained afterward.
"Benefits, you say?"
"Soldiers."
Unlike the forces of other leaders here, there were a great many soldiers dying, and also many soldiers that could be produced on both sides.
They could become my soldiers, alive or dead, and they were also resources that could be used as laborers here.
So, she must have thought that killing two kings would be a fair price to obtain both.
"... Serha."
When I met her eyes again, a hint of anxiety now subtly revealed itself in them.
It seemed that, having seen me try to meet the leaders of both sides without telling her my true intentions, she had gotten lost in thought.
However, this question wasn't necessarily asked to preserve the lives of those kings.
Proof of this was the sharp glint I saw shining at the corner of Serha's anxious eyes.
In the end, I couldn't help but smile.
"I am truly satisfied that you, the heir to the alliance, are so bright."
"Then, really...?"
"But that is merely one of the options."
This small child had correctly guessed all the benefits I sought to gain from this forest.
It was just that she had been thinking 'too rashly' about the process.
"When you say options...?"
"I mean I haven't yet decided what to do with this place."
"Hoo..."
A shallow sigh that spread out, losing its sense of anticipation.
The relief of someone who is, at least, acquainted with some of the monsters here and is reassured about their safety.
Yet on the other hand, it was also a sigh tinged with the anxiety of an advisor, who had not received a definite answer from her allied lord about the benefits her faction could gain.
'It would be fine to reassure her here.'
My relationship with her was still merely an alliance.
Wouldn't it be considered rude to say nothing while receiving help from that ally?
I still didn't like her trying to gauge me so freely, but her cleverness was still useful.
There was no need to crush her potential.
"However, Serha."
"Yes...?"
"I never forget Kamaya, who was my first sworn ally, and you. So do not worry."
"Ah, yes! Hic!"
Immediately realizing her thoughts had been seen through, Serha's voice cracked, and she covered her mouth with her winged hands, her face flushed with embarrassment.
A considerable amount of worry had already faded from that face.
What remained was probably concern for her acquaintances fighting the war in this region.
'It's just that I haven't confirmed who to kill yet.'
Whether it was the two ant queens, or the king who was the ants' enemy.
I hadn't even met them all yet, so the full calculation of profit and loss hadn't even begun.
"It's the presence of blood. Lady..."
"Right. Let us walk."
Now it was time to decide that.
- Kyaaak!!
- Kirrrrr...!
And before me, the battlefield was becoming visible again.
The battlefield of ants and 'spiders'.