Chapter 127: Catfight (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 127: Catfight (2)
In the blink of an eye, our location shifted from Tiniwell, the capital of the Duchy, to the Dakuren Lord’s Castle.
Levanna, Levantello’s daughter, seemed more gripped by fear than wonder at the sudden spatial leap. It was almost cute how she clung to her father’s back, peeking out to survey her new surroundings.
“Alto…”
“Good work, Diane.”
When it came to spatial movement, Diane far surpassed any ordinary mage’s teleportation. Because it was so convenient, she frequently moved the party to wherever they were needed or summoned them at a moment’s notice.
However, since she was only human, if she performed more than three long-distance jumps a day, she would end up drenched in sweat—down to her underwear—and fall into a death-like sleep.
I had to give her credit. She had almost reached the level Barion was at during her prime. I remember how furious I used to get whenever that woman would suddenly warp our entire large-scale unit far away from the front lines.
“Alto, Donovan is waiting. Also, you need to move. I’ve received a summons request from Yarismal’s side.”
“Oh, right. Sorry, sorry. Let’s get out of the way, quickly. This way!”
I took Levantello’s hand, he took Levanna’s, and we scrambled out of the marked circle. As soon as we cleared it, the space inside the circle distorted, spinning in reverse until Yarismal, Branch Manager Karen, and Eris appeared.
“We did it! Husband!”
The moment Yarismal saw me, she ran over, grabbed both my hands, and started hopping up and down. I really wished she’d calm down. The ceiling here was low; if we both jumped, we’d probably crack our skulls.
“Did it go well?”
“Yes! We’ve obtained the permit from the Church!”
“The Council of Elders actually granted it?”
“Well, Villen of Dependence is an absolute enemy of the Church, after all.”
Yarismal brushed back her bangs, a flicker of discomfort crossing her face. It made sense. Villen didn’t earn the title ‘Dependence’ for nothing. Whenever he wanted to do something, he relied unconditionally on others.
Usually, this manifested as him leaning on a host. Historically, those hosts were almost always priests or clerics. The Church had suffered countless humiliations because of the atrocities he committed under the guise of ‘God’s Will.’
“Furthermore, since the current host, Krima, is not only a priestess but also the woman who betrayed you, Husband, the Church wants her eliminated even more urgently.”
Hmm, I needed to be clear on this.
“Does the Church only want her eliminated?”
“They requested that we perform a purification as well, if possible.”
“Is that true? Purification? The Church actually commissioned a purification?”
Levantello couldn’t help but interject, but no one rebuked him. Instead, a bitter silence hung in the air.
“Yes, that is correct, Lord Levantello. It is as you heard. The Church has commissioned the elimination of Villen of Dependence, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and the complete purification of the Duchy.”
It was Branch Manager Karen who confirmed it for him. When she showed him the request form, stamped with the seals of both the Church and the Adventurer Guild headquarters, Levantello staggered just from glancing at it.
Supporting her father, Levanna asked in his stead, “Elder, is there truly not a shred of hope left for the Duchy?”
“You must be Lady Levanna. I’ve heard much about you from my husband and your father.”
Yarismal offered a slight greeting by lifting the hem of her clerical robes, but then she immediately shook her head.
“Regrettably, the Church has judged the possibility of the Duchy’s recovery to be zero. The deciding factor was a handful of ‘midday air’ sent by the Pastor of Aztera.”
“Midday air? What does that mean…?”
“The concentration of Villen’s corrupted divine power has crossed the point of no return. The Duchy is ruined. Every city except Tiniwell is crawling with undead.”
“How can this be…”
“Even Tiniwell must be considered half-fallen. Because of that, they say the male-to-female ratio in the Duchy has now approached one-to-one.”
“……”
Both Levanna and Levantello stood there, mouths agape at Yarismal’s final words. I felt just as uncomfortable. While the Old Man was looking the other way, claiming it wasn’t our business, the Duchy had reached the brink of total destruction.
A pang of guilt washed over me, but I had already been lectured by the Old Man once before.
‘To save everyone means losing what is yours, you brat.’
The Old Man’s tone had been cold and resolute.
‘The category of “what is yours” includes your wife, your children, and your friends. And once people have secured their own, they rarely spare a glance for those around them.’
‘Even so…’
‘Do you think those Archducal and Royal families lacked the power to protect their people? They moved their own children to safety and sacrificed the commoners to the war. And the commoners are no different. They may resent and distrust, but in the end, they follow the words and rumors passed down from above.’
I knew he was right. People hear what they want to hear and act according to their own convenience. But now, the Duchy had reached a state where there were hardly any people left to act at all. Men were already scarce worldwide, and now the entire population was on the verge of extinction.
“If only I, Donovan, and even Yobeste had been there, it wouldn’t have come to this.”
“Father…”
“Those foolish Archducal bastards… they did nothing but mock Yobeste, and now they’ve ended up in a place worse than him. No, they aren’t dead yet, so I suppose they’re just on the doorstep…”
Sadly, Levantello’s words weren’t hyperbole. If Yobeste had been there, then just like the Andantoni Brigade, the combination of Yobeste’s traps, Levantello’s cavalry charges, and Donovan’s command would have prevented the worst-case scenario. That was a certainty.
“But that Prince fellow didn’t seem to regret it at all, did he?”
“That’s because they don’t even have the wits to include Yobeste in their military strength.”
Levantello closed his eyes for a moment, overwhelmed, but after a few deep breaths, he finally accepted his situation.
“My daughter and I will seek asylum in Hus. It might be for the best to settle in the lands of Hus permanently. At least here… you all are present.”
“Hus will certainly welcome you. There are plenty of empty houses. I’ll find one for you.”
“The place we’re staying now is fine.”
“This is the Lord’s Castle. It’s my house. No.”
“Then at least let my daughter live here.”
Is this guy serious? Is he trying to sneak Levanna in as my concubine? And he’s saying this boldly right in front of Yarismal and Eris?
“My husband has a mountain of work to do immediately, you know? Especially regarding the Duchy. How about we discuss that later, Lord Levantello?”
“…I was overeager.”
Sure enough, Yarismal was quick to issue a warning. Levantello frowned slightly, but upon realizing she was the daughter of Mirachi Bichante, he hurriedly changed his tune.
That’s right. Rune, Narupa, and Yarismal are all daughters of the Four Heroes. And Diane over there too—though she’s an exception since she isn’t one of my women.
“Husband, Lady Rune requested that you visit her without fail once everything is settled. Her due date is approaching, so you must personally soothe her mind and body.”
Eris also threw a warning shot at Levantello by mentioning the pregnant Rune. Levantello waved his hand dismissively, but Levanna bit her lower lip, looking somewhat frustrated.
Barely a year ago, I was called a pathetic loser of a man in Lukart, so why have I suddenly become the most eligible bachelor? I’m still the same person I was then.
“Fine. I have to go purify the Duchy within a few days anyway, so I’ll spend tonight with Rune.”
“She will be very happy.”
“Eris.”
“Yes.”
“Under the delegation of Party Leader Airune Dakuren, I, Alto, make a request. Issue the quest. Rune’s party will accept it.”
“So soon?”
“There’s no time.”
“Understood.”
Eris handed the request form, embroidered with the silver thread of the Church, to Branch Manager Karen.
“Ahem.”
Clearing her throat, Karen focused on reading the document with more gravity than ever before.
“From the dark and damp depths of the Duchy’s Aztera Dungeon, things that should never have returned are crawling up to ravage the world.”
As she read the request, which was specially imbued with the Church’s blessing, a silver divine power began to coat the party members.
“The Duchy has failed. It has become a fallen and defiled land that could not escape destruction. You must find the evil nestled in the once-glorious lands of the Archduke and sear it away with the torch of purification.”
The Church’s blessing also applied to Levantello, as had been pre-arranged.
“The quest details: Resolve the failure of the Aztera Dungeon. Locate and execute Villen of Dependence, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and his host, and purify the darkness of the Duchy’s lands.”
And finally, the most important part rang out.
“The Reward.”
This was the reason Yarismal had personally run between the Church’s Council of Elders and the Adventurer Guild headquarters.
“The full support of the Church and the Adventurer Guild for the independence of the Kingdom of Hus. Furthermore, upon successful purification, the total annexation of the Duchy’s territory into Hus, with the establishment of the Church as a priority.”
Finally, the world would know.
Who held the most power.
Who truly cared for the people and reached out a hand so they could live together.
And therefore,
Whom they had to side with to survive.
“That quest—the party of the adventurer Airune Dakuren will accept it alone.”
Now then, shall we save the world once more?