Chapter 246: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (39)
Chapter 246: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (39)
Arthur, the Administrator of the Empire, spoke in his usual drained, lifeless voice.
"…It is impossible."
"What do you mean? A Dark Priest has been discovered, and the Central Army isn't coming?"
The meeting room of the Percus Mansion had practically become Arthur’s office by now. It was also where I was currently speaking with him.
One noticeable change since Arthur had taken up residence in the meeting room was the presence of a sleeping bag in one corner. It was a high-end item made from the down of the 'Silver Duck,' a species native to the North. I had heard that even among adventurers who practically lived outdoors, only a select few could afford one.
To think that the result of an Imperial Administrator—one of the empire's greatest minds—splurging was a mere sleeping bag. It just went to show how often he had to eat and sleep away from home.
Then again, Arthur was famous for staying cooped up in the meeting room even here at the Percus Mansion. His excuse was the need to maintain confidentiality. Naturally, he never stayed in the comfortable guest rooms. He always fell into a heavy sleep in that sleeping bag tucked in the corner. Lately, it seemed his sleep hours had grown even shorter; the dark circles under his eyes were getting deeper by the day.
It was undeniable that Arthur was suffering in many ways.
Nevertheless, I had no choice but to ask for more effort. I simply couldn't accept the situation.
"Does this mean you don't trust my testimony? As you mentioned before, there are few people on the continent as at odds with the Dark Cult as I am—"
"That is not what I meant, of course."
Arthur’s assertion was firm. His resolute tone made it clear that he trusted me, at least regarding matters involving the Dark Cult.
That meant there had to be another reason.
When I turned a questioning gaze toward him, Arthur sighed and began rummaging through a mountain of paperwork. Before long, he handed me a single sheet. I took the document in silence.
At the top of the report, the title was printed in large, bold letters:
[Dark Priest Sighting Report]
"I don't know if it's a coincidence, but since you left, Sir Ian, reports of sightings of this Dark Priest 'Mitram' have been pouring in from all over. We have dozens of cases compiled so far."
Normally, this would be impossible. For the same person to be spotted in dozens of far-flung locations was the stuff of ghost stories, not something you'd find in an official Imperial report.
Unfortunately, the subject of these sightings was Mitram. As a man who defied common sense by hopping between bodies he had modified at will, it wasn't strange for him to show his face in dozens of places at once.
A low curse escaped my lips.
"…Damn it."
I should have known it was too easy for him to reveal himself.
If the sightings were this scattered, the forces available for deployment would naturally be scattered as well. Even if the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the United Kingdoms joined forces, chaos was inevitable. They likely didn't even know where to project how much power right now.
It was difficult to request reinforcements for a rural area like the Percus territory. Even if they dispatched the Central Army as a precaution, it would only be a small number.
That wouldn't do.
The disaster described in the letter seemed like an opponent that would be hard to defeat even with full preparation. While a small force was better than nothing, I needed more.
The problem was that I had no physical evidence. Among the Mitrams sighted in dozens of places, I had to prove that the 'real' Mitram, the one plotting a conspiracy, was here in the Percus territory.
But I had no immediate means to do so.
Arthur, sensing my predicament, let out a sigh of his own.
"I will do my best, but there is a high probability that any request for additional support will be rejected."
For a moment, my thoughts turned to the 'Dragon Blood Runes.'
If I brought them out now and used them to request additional forces from Arthur, the situation might flip instantly. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
This was a matter where even an Administrator had been dispatched by the Emperor's special order. If I used the Dragon Blood Runes as leverage to request troops, word would surely reach the Emperor's ears.
And my Dragon Blood Runes weren't given to me by the current Emperor. They were given to me by my future self, who had received them from the future Emperor. The chances that the current Emperor fully trusted me were low.
If so, the chances of him handing over military authority to me were also extremely low. In fact, it might turn into a decisive blunder at a time when I needed to earn his trust.
Biting my lip a few times, I eventually had to return to the most basic solution.
"…I'll have to gather evidence."
"Yes, that is for the best. Fortunately, you have talented individuals gathered here, including the Lainella Magic Corps."
It would be easier if I could mobilize the private army of the Yurdina family, but that was impossible. A foreign army crossing a territory's borders was no small matter. It was only possible through official requests and permission, as was the case with the Lainella family.
Still, the only consolation was that I could mobilize nearly a thousand troops in an emergency. Also, just guarding the borders of the territory would help prevent Mitram from escaping in advance.
Though I didn't think for a second that Mitram intended to run away.
"I should go meet Sir Reynold and my friends. If we investigate the forest where Mitram was spotted, something is bound to turn up."
"Be careful, Sir Ian," Arthur advised in a worried tone. "If the Dark Priest's main body is truly there as you say, there must be a reason why he revealed himself."
"…I'll do my best."
With those words, I left the meeting room.
It was obvious I had to be as careful as possible, but with a crisis looming over the territory, I couldn't exactly avoid the risk. The best I could do was take the strongest force available with me.
I really needed to see Sir Reynold. It would also be good to consult with Reto while I was at it. He was brilliant and would surely have some advice. Especially regarding the 'Percus family secret' that had been weighing on my mind.
Lost in thought, I soon found myself at the reception room.
Because there were so many guests, the rooms in the Percus Mansion were often occupied. The reception room was one of the few exceptions. It was so large that one or two people barely made a dent in the space.
I sat in the reception room and quietly looked over the documents.
There were many dots marked on the map. Some were near major cities, so the Empire would likely be in an uproar for a while until Mitram was caught.
For something orchestrated by a single Dark Priest, the scale was far too large. How many Dark Priests like Mitram were there in the Dark Cult? And among them, there were surely those who held even higher positions.
According to records from the God-Demon War, the Dark Cult also had Archbishops and a Saintess.
They were an enemy whose full strength was still immeasurable. I felt as weary as a hunter tracking a beast in the dark.
It was then that I felt a sudden gaze.
Through the crack of the slightly open reception room door, long hair cascaded down like a shadow.
There were many people with black hair in the Percus Mansion. However, hair long enough to reach well past the hips was rare. There was only one person in the mansion with hair like that.
Ria Percus, my younger sister.
She was observing me with wide, sparkling eyes.
"What is it?"
"…I was just checking if you're really the brother I know."
What nonsense. I shook my head and replied.
"If I'm not the brother you know, then who am I?"
"A swindler in my brother's skin!"
With that, Ria began to whine at me as she always did.
"M-my brother isn't that strong! He doesn't look at documents with such a serious face! And he definitely doesn't come home with a string of beautiful women with high status and good looks!"
I clicked my tongue at Ria's grumbling and had no choice but to recite a universal truth of life.
"…Ria, all humans are meant to grow."
"Your growth period ended a long time ago!"
Huffing as she entered the reception room, Ria looked utterly indignant. Since she adored her brother so much, it seemed she found it hard to accept that I had left the family's nest and become an independent adult. It might have been even harder because we hadn't had a chance to be alone together for a while.
I gave her a bitter smile and said, "You seem to have grown quite a bit yourself compared to before."
"…Hmph, of course."
Then, as if something had just occurred to her, Ria covered her mouth and gave a seductive, eye-curving smile. She sidled up to me and perched on the armrest of the chair I was sitting in.
Then, she thrust her hip out, pressing it against my arm. I felt the sensation of a supple woman's body pressing against me.
"I'm at least grown enough to enchant you, brother, don't you think?"
At her suggestive voice, I let out a deep sigh.
"…Move this lump of meat."
"L-lump of meat?!"
It was the moment I had provoked Ria's temper once again.