Chapter 92
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92
Ideally, keeping her identity as a Hero secret was her top priority. But if she was going to be found out, shouldn't she at least display the minimum dignity expected of one?
Just as Uin was thinking she should drag herself out of bed despite the crushing wave of lethargy—
The door opened, and someone walked in.
The visitor’s eyes locked with Uin’s, who was still sprawled across the mattress.
“Lady Uin, have you rested well?”
“Ar?”
It was a familiar voice. Familiar black hair and a refreshing smile she had seen so often she was sick of it. Ar, who had dropped by without a word, greeted her.
“It’s rather messy in here,” Ar said, looking around.
When he looked back at Uin, her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment.
“There’s no need to be so ashamed of an untidy room.”
Even as he said that, Uin remained beet-red, staring at him. With a slightly blank expression, Ar took in her appearance from head to toe.
Her shoulder straps were loose enough to reveal her cleavage. Her dress was bunched up so high it had lost all functionality, leaving her legs completely exposed. Her hair was a tangled mess, as if it had fused with the bed. She was in a foolish posture with a silly expression on her face.
“…”
Staring at Uin with cool, unflinching eyes, Ar spoke.
“You don’t have to worry. I’m not aroused in the slightest—”
CRACK!
The entire building shook.
* * *
“Give me some warning before you come over!”
“I figured it was about time for you to try and run away, Lady Uin, so I decided to drop by unannounced.”
“…As if I would!”
“More importantly, you’re probably the only person who would think of blowing up the floor to block my line of sight. It’s a creative method, but repairing a building isn’t easy, so I’d appreciate it if you’d exercise some restraint.”
When Ar smiled brightly, Uin blushed again. As always, Ar merely narrowed his eyes and chuckled. Only after an awkward silence lingered for a while did Uin ask hesitantly.
“Um, this isn’t a new thought… but it’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”
“Go ahead, Lady Uin.”
“How is… Garot doing lately?”
Ever since the ‘Black Disaster’ incident.
After Uin Historia bought time against Swallow, Ar had rescued her, earning recognition for his achievements and becoming the Deputy of the Dungeon Subjugation Union Headquarters.
While Uin miraculously survived on the brink of death, everyone else had been busy.
Even Garot, who had always stuck by her side, was rarely seen outside of official settings. And even when they did meet, Uin couldn’t bring herself to strike up a conversation first.
“You’re worried about Garot.”
Garot Azaneljia.
The hero who had rescued Uin in the battle against Swallow, and a human with the special constitution of a ‘Pursuer’.
But before any of those titles, she was a mage.
Warriors were trained to cut off a mage’s wrists the moment they met on the battlefield. All mages channeled mana into their staves through their hands; it was common knowledge that a mage’s arms were their most crucial asset.
A mage without arms was no different from a teapot with a blocked spout. No matter what a genius Garot was called, the loss of her combat power was unavoidable.
Yet, to Ar, Garot was still a useful card. Even with only one arm, she was a mage capable of canceling a Demon King’s magic, and above all, she possessed the special constitution of a ‘Pursuer’.
There was no way he could discard her.
Therefore, the time since the incident had been a period of verification.
Those who usually looked down on Ar constantly sought opportunities to belittle Garot. The reason Ar always kept Garot by his side, and why she endlessly assisted him with his duties, was to constantly remind his political rivals and the imperial family of her competence.
“If you’re talking about her arm, Garot is fine. Don’t worry too much, Lady Uin. She has gotten used to it enough that it doesn’t significantly affect her daily life.”
Seeing that Uin still couldn’t hide her guilt despite his words, Ar continued his explanation in a gentle voice.
He had already made several attempts to find a replacement for Garot’s arm. He had commissioned the Imperial Palace Magic Society, ‘Third Eye’, to transplant a homunculus arm, and had even requested a dwarf to craft a mechanical prosthetic.
“We tried various other avenues as well, but every single one of them came with severe side effects.”
They only ended up interfering with her magic casting.
“Garot doesn’t mind it much, either. I believe that is her way of showing consideration for you, Lady Uin. For her sake, I hope you won’t feel too guilty.”
“…Still.”
“Please don’t try to shoulder the entire Empire’s burdens on your own, Lady Uin. Every member of the Edelbreas Black Wolf Knights is willing to sacrifice themselves for the Empire. Garot simply sacrificed her arm for the Empire.”
Uin lowered her head.
Waiting for the right moment, Ar quietly brought out the box of sweets he had carried in and spoke.
“Haven’t you always worked hard on the front lines? Think of this as a reward for all your efforts.”
“…Okay.”
Conflict was evident in Uin’s voice. This was exactly the reaction Ar had intended. Given her personality, there was no way she could feel at ease doing nothing.
“Actually, I came because I figured you would be worrying like this.”
As Uin raised her head slightly, Ar placed the sweets into her hand.
“I came today because I have a favor to ask of you, Lady Uin. It’s something that absolutely requires your help.”
“…What is it?”
“It concerns the artificial lifeform research that the Empire has been conducting.”
Uin nodded. Just looking at the skies above Riaze, one could see the homunculi known as Heavenly Wings. She was well aware that the Empire conducted research on them.
—She just didn’t know how inhumane those experiments actually were.
“Remnants of the homunculus research conducted in the past still remain throughout the Empire. There was a research facility in the mercenary city of Knecht, as well.”
Pausing deliberately to build tension, Ar continued.
“A report came in that an anomaly was detected at one of the experimental factories in Knecht.”
“An anomaly…?”
“It seems they didn’t clean up properly when the project was shut down. The surviving lifeforms left in the experimental factory have reportedly escaped.”
Uin’s eyes widened.
“A-any casualties?”
“None have been reported yet, but we suspect that’s only because the factory is quite a distance from the town.”
“T-then we have to warn Knecht immediately—!”
Uin trailed off. Ar, who had been smiling brightly just moments ago, was now looking at her with an expression full of complex emotions.
This incident was a disgrace to the Empire.
As someone who held the Emperor’s trust, Ar needed to resolve this disturbance quietly. Realizing his true intentions, Uin nodded.
“…It has to be handled quietly. We have to move with a minimal number of people. A secret order.”
“In that case, Ar, let’s leave right away. I’ll just change my clothes and head out.”
“There’s no need to rush. Besides, it would be difficult for you to head to the front lines right now, Lady Uin. If we travel together, the imperial family and their associates will surely become suspicious.”
“Then what should I do…?”
“I’ve already spoken to the inspector at the Teleportation Hub at the palace’s west gate. I’ve also provided the coordinates, so please use it to come over in three hours. I’ll be monitoring the situation with the vanguard until then.”
“…Understood.”
“In three hours, then. I’ll see you there.”
Nodding, Uin immediately left the room. A series of loud clatters from nearby suggested she was moving in quite a frantic rush.
“…Three hours.”
Only after confirming Uin was gone did Ar mutter to himself and rise from his seat. There was much to do before she arrived. There was no harm in hurrying.
He opened the door.
The Pope was waiting for him.
“It has been a while, Sir Ar.”
It was an encounter without any warning. When he threw open the door to leave Uin’s room, the old man was standing right before him.
“I suppose I should call you Deputy now.”
Although the voice was infinitely gentle, Ar’s reaction was anything but. He froze in the middle of opening the door, remaining still for a few seconds.
“To think you would drag your weary body to a place where you were neither invited nor welcomed.”
Soon, Ar’s expression shifted. A brief moment of shock was instantly overwritten by composure, and finally, his usual sly smile. However, his eyes were narrowed more than usual, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly higher.
“What brings someone who serves an entity other than the Emperor to this place?”
“The Deputy always hides a blade in his words. Am I not also a citizen of the Empire? This old body merely wished to see if the Empire’s Hero had recovered…”
“I was under the impression that the ‘Hero’ Uin Historia and ‘Pope’ Yuranesia III have never met.”
“…”
“If someone who usually lives in hiding suddenly claims they came just to check on Lady Uin’s well-being, surely no one would look upon that favorably.”
“You are highly guarded, Deputy.”
“So, please get straight to the point.”
The exchange was rapid, leaving no room to breathe. Ar didn’t engage in his usual benevolent-sounding conversation. And for good reason—to the Empire, religion was merely a tool. It was nothing more than a decorative scarecrow used to show ‘we also tolerate religion’ in order to minimize friction with the Holy Kingdom.
The Pope’s standing within the Empire was rock bottom. There was no need to treat him with respect.
At Ar’s aggressive response, Pope Yuranesia chuckled. It was the smile of a gracefully aged man, yet it felt as if he were mocking Ar.
As the Pope waved his hand, the three priests who had been standing steadfastly behind him stepped back.
Only after everyone had cleared out did the Pope speak.
“Let us have a brief chat.”
* * *
The conversation did not take long.
Perhaps out of consideration for Ar, who claimed to be short on time, the words they exchanged were blunt and stripped of fluff, getting straight to the core.
…And the Pope made Ar a proposal.
The proposal was absurd. It sounded as if all context had been stripped away, making it impossible to discern his true intentions. Ar replayed the Pope’s words in his mind, turning them over and over.
In cases like this, there were generally two possibilities: either the other party was truly a fool, or he, the listener, was so ignorant of the situation that he perceived a reasonable proposal as absurd.
‘…The Pope.’
Defying Ar’s expectation that he would cower in fear, the Pope had instead approached him first. Though his faction was weak, he was still its supreme leader; he wouldn’t be foolish enough to say such things without a thought.
What scheme was he harboring?
“…”
Ar’s contemplation was forcibly cut short. A deafening explosion, loud enough to penetrate his thoughts, shook his eardrums.
At the sudden blast, Ar turned his gaze toward the source of the sound.
An area slightly away from the city center.
Amidst the hearty laughter of the crowds filling the streets, a series of explosions echoed. It seemed a grand welcoming party was underway to celebrate the safe return of the dungeon subjugation team.
The fifth floor of the Magic Tower Polaris in Knecht.
Looking out over the panoramic view of the city, Ar closed the book on his lap.
“A place brimming with energy,” he murmured.
True to its name as a mercenary city, Knecht was vibrant and full of life. It was also quite vast; from the fifth floor, he couldn’t even take in half of the city with his gaze.
A land of humans where peace and vitality coexisted.
On the surface, it certainly appeared to be.
‘But Swallow is here right now.’
—Within that crowd was an ancient monster. And the clue to finding him, the Demon King Melju de Limp Agrea, was also here.
Every time he looked at the view, his mind filled with questions. Why had Swallow come to Knecht? Was it an extension of what happened in Riaze? Or had another problem arisen?
“Commander, there are ninety minutes left until Lady Uin’s arrival.”
“Thank you for the update, Sir Sturman.”
As Ar replied, the well-built old knight named Sturman bowed his head. Soon after, the green-haired escort knight who always guarded Ar joined them.
Just the two of them.
Aside from Ar and Uin, these two were the only support from the Edelbreas Black Wolf Knights. Garot, in particular, would surely arouse suspicion if she disappeared along with Ar, so she had no choice but to remain in Riaze.
Soon, scholars from ‘Third Eye’ approached from behind. The leader of the Magic Tower Polaris also followed them, keeping a low profile. Without Ar even needing to ask, the tower leader bowed his head and introduced himself. As expected, he was a lackey who followed the orders of ‘Third Eye’.
“All preparations are complete,” a magic scholar from ‘Third Eye’ reported to Ar.
When Ar nodded, the scholar, carefully reading his expression, asked hesitantly, “I heard the subject of the experiment is also a Demon King.”
As if determined not to delve too deeply into other matters, the scholar asked only what he was curious about, remaining highly attentive to Ar’s reaction.