Chapter 291: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (84)
Chapter 291: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (84)
The Elder Sword Duke’s visit was sudden.
Without any prior notice, he simply walked through the front gates of the mansion. At first, the servants were bewildered, failing to even recognize his status.
The Elder Sword Duke did not rebuke the servants who blocked his path.
He merely carved letters into the empty air.
Blood-red mana flowed, etching geometric patterns.
Though no one understood their specific meaning, there was no one who did not know the origin of those characters.
Dragon Blood Runes.
The symbol of the absolute supreme being above the Empire, and the legacy left by the Dragon Clan, the great teachers of humanity.
The servants were struck with terror and had no choice but to fall to their knees immediately.
A possessor of Dragon Blood Runes was no different from a proxy of the Emperor himself.
It was an insolence even to meet his eyes.
To block his path was something they couldn't even dream of.
Thus, the Elder Sword Duke entered the Percus Mansion without further incident.
It was the Percus family who was thrown into an uproar.
They could not possibly mistreat a possessor of Dragon Blood Runes. On the contrary, even doing their utmost as subjects of the Empire to host him felt insufficient.
After all, was the Elder Sword Duke not a senior elder of the Imperial Household?
It was only proper to provide him with the most lavish hospitality.
However, the Elder Sword Duke did not seem to have come seeking a luxurious reception.
This could be inferred from the fact that he summoned me to the reception room the moment he entered the mansion.
From the start, his purpose for visiting was simple and clear.
To speak with me.
Any other business seemed useless to him.
At most, he had shared a few minutes of conversation with my parents, the masters of the mansion.
It was actually a relief.
The Percus family was merely a rural viscounty.
They lacked the capacity to host a member of the Imperial Household who had arrived so suddenly, and the servants were still unfamiliar with the proper etiquette for dealing with royalty.
Rather than risking some unintended offense, it was several times better to stick to practical discussions.
The Elder Sword Duke had likely come expecting exactly that.
He was the Empire's only Master and the Emperor's uncle. If he wished for something, he could have anything in his grasp.
There was no need for him to waste time harassing a humble family.
That was likely why he had come without even sending word.
As I attempted to show my respect by kneeling, the Elder Sword Duke offered a low greeting.
"Dispense with the useless formalities. By the way, this is the second time we've had a proper conversation."
I had to remain silent for a moment at those words.
It seemed he had spoken with me before.
However, no matter how much I searched my past, I had no memory of ever speaking with the Elder Sword Duke.
There was no way I would forget a conversation with such an important figure.
If so, there was only one possibility.
The Elder Sword Duke must have spoken with the 'me' who came from the future.
Why didn't that guy tell me such an important fact in advance?
I felt a sudden surge of resentment toward someone, but I managed to suppress it.
I simply feigned composure and expressed my gratitude to my benefactor.
"Thank you for last time, Elder Sword Duke."
"Think nothing of it. If anything, this old man is sorry for being late. In the past, I would have arrived much sooner than that..."
The Elder Sword Duke's voice trailed off wistfully as he lifted his teacup.
The tea, which emitted a subtle fragrance as it slid down his throat, was made from the few high-quality tea leaves available in the mansion.
They had likely brought it out in a hurry because a member of the Imperial Household was visiting, but even as he drank it, the Elder Sword Duke did not utter a single word of common praise.
It was understandable.
The Imperial Household only handled the highest grade of tea leaves. A man who, in terms of seniority, stood above even the Emperor would not be impressed by ordinary tea.
Rather, what he was impressed by was something else.
"As people age, they become more suspicious and cunning... and so, hesitation always seeps into their actions. That is why I was impressed by you."
Clack. The middle-aged man set down his teacup, his piercing gaze fixed on me.
At the sudden praise, I reflexively lowered my eyes.
To be honest, it was overwhelming.
Whether by status or skill, he was someone incomparable to me.
While it was good to be recognized by a legendary swordsman, I also feared that I might have raised his expectations too high.
Of course, either way, it was a luxury of a complaint.
The continent was full of people who would do anything just to catch the Elder Sword Duke's eye, let alone receive his recognition.
Compared to them, I was incredibly lucky.
The Elder Sword Duke seemed to take my awkwardness as humility.
He nodded with a satisfied smile.
"It was like watching my younger self... Charging at an enemy when victory isn't guaranteed is reckless, but it is also a virtue a young swordsman should possess. If you hadn't been there, my arrival would have been even later."
It was then that the Elder Sword Duke gestured for me to take the seat opposite him.
I couldn't help but hesitate for a moment.
No matter the circumstances, the man was royalty.
Sitting across from him was as good as saying we were speaking on equal footing. With any other royal, it might be different, but with the Elder Sword Duke, even speaking while kneeling would have been insufficient.
However, my deliberation didn't last long.
It was the Elder Sword Duke's invitation.
The option to refuse his suggestion did not exist for me.
I had no choice but to carefully sit across from him.
The Elder Sword Duke was even kind enough to pour tea into the cup set before me.
I never thought I'd see the day I'd be served tea by a member of the Imperial Household.
If I were to receive such a thing, I thought it would have been from Princess Cien.
With me sitting there in a daze, the Elder Sword Duke continued.
"Originally, I planned to enter with the White Wing Knights. It would have only been a few days' difference, but once that monster starts rampaging, a whole territory can be destroyed in an instant... You saved this territory."
I had saved the territory.
Since it was the Elder Sword Duke's statement, it couldn't be empty talk.
So, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a relief.
To me, the Percus Territory was not just some rural countryside.
It was the home where I was born and raised, and the foundation upon which the people of the territory lived their lives.
If this place had been ruined, countless people would have been forced to scatter as displaced refugees.
And the future of refugees with nothing was obvious.
Most would lose contact and die.
To prevent such a tragedy, it was worth risking my life.
Seeing my look of relief, the Elder Sword Duke wore a bitter smile.
"But regardless of that, Imperial Intelligence agents will be staying in the Percus Territory for a while. Considering your merit, the Percus family won't be punished, but as you know, this involves the Dark Cult..."
"I understand."
Fearing the Elder Sword Duke might actually apologize, I answered quickly.
The Elder Sword Duke's gaze turned peculiar.
No one would be comfortable knowing that intelligence agents were being stationed to monitor their family.
While one might be glad to avoid punishment, it was normal to feel a lingering bitterness.
Yes, that would have been the case in a normal situation.
I went a step further and bowed my head again to express my gratitude.
"In fact, thank you. For going out of your way to look after us..."
"...You're a clever fellow."
The Elder Sword Duke let out a soft chuckle, his smile growing even more satisfied.
Right now, there might be an unidentified person staying in the Percus Mansion.
The Masked Assailant.
Since his identity hadn't been revealed, the possibility that he was still in the mansion couldn't be ruled out.
Therefore, the surveillance by Imperial Intelligence was a decision I should actually welcome.
Saying they would watch meant, in other words, they could also protect us from danger in an emergency.
I felt as though one of my worries had finally been lifted.
To be honest, Imperial Intelligence was more reliable than Sir Irene.
I could tell just by looking at the skills of Senior Neris, who was only an intern.
Though she seemed airheaded at a glance, she was someone who knew her specialty well.
In this way, Imperial Intelligence was fundamentally a group of competent individuals.
They were a bit unhinged, but at the very least, they were more suited for escort duty than any force I could mobilize.
It was a relief in many ways.
This was how useful power could be when kept close.
However, it seemed that wasn't the end of the Elder Sword Duke's business.
As if his true purpose was still to come, he appeared to hesitate slightly.
I could only wonder why.
I couldn't imagine a reason for someone of the Elder Sword Duke's stature to hesitate.
But the words that soon escaped the middle-aged man's mouth were enough to throw even me into confusion.
"...She might be alive."
It was a sudden remark.
My questioning gaze turned toward the Elder Sword Duke. But he only looked back at me with eyes that had grown even deeper.
With a sigh, he handed me several documents.
They were documents that had been tightly sealed.
It meant they were classified.
My confusion deepened even further.
But at the words the Elder Sword Duke added immediately after,
"Your 'real' younger sister."
My thoughts came to a halt.
My mind went blank, and for a moment, I couldn't think of anything at all.
I could only stare blankly at the Elder Sword Duke.
The Elder Sword Duke let out a deep sigh, as if he had expected this.
"...Refer to the documents for details. Though even then, her exact whereabouts haven't been found."
Suddenly, the few sheets of paper in my hand felt incredibly heavy.
With trembling hands, I looked down at the documents, which were barely three or four pages long.
My 'real' younger sister?