26. Return to the Capital
26. Return to the Capital
Yuma opened his mouth.
"White Night Clan?"
-The White Night Clan. A legendary clan said to exist between the borders of the barbarian kingdom and the Holy Empire Haillem. Their distinguishing features are hair of a near-sky blue, and eyes close to red. The entire clan is renowned for possessing exceptional talent in martial arts, especially swordsmanship.
Princess Brigitte continued.
-The reason the barbarian kingdom Pyneton hasn't been able to touch the White Night Clan is also said to be because of their powerful strength. I had thought they were a semi-mythical existence, but according to the oracle delivered by the saintess, that appears to be fact.
-That within the White Night between the barbarians and the Holy Empire, there will be a blue-haired Sword Saint. It was a fairly direct oracle, they say.
"Is that so."
The White Night Clan. Yuma narrowed his brow slightly.
He had never heard of such a clan in <Loof Blood>.
If the Blue-haired Sword Saint had been narrowed down to a specific clan, the task had certainly become much simpler.
-The problem is the method of approaching the White Night Clan. The barbarian kingdom is a nation that is completely hostile to the Astes Empire. It is still picking all sorts of fights with the Empire even now. However, ultimately, to make contact with the White Night Clan and find the Blue-haired Sword Saint of the oracle, there is no choice but to infiltrate the barbarian kingdom.
Yuma intuited that the main point of this conversation was about to arrive.
-Actually, a few days ago, a request for elite troop support came in from the forces defending the Empire's southern border. They are currently confronting the barbarian kingdom. They are asking for support troops to be sent so they can gain the upper hand.
So I had to go to the battlefield this time.
Yuma already felt a heavy weariness.
"Are you hoping I will go? Princess Brigitte."
-...Yes, though it may sound utterly shameless. I can think of no one more suitable than you.
Yuma's deliberation was not long.
It was something he had already resolved to handle himself anyway. Finding the Blue-haired Sword Saint.
"Fine. I will go, so tell them to just keep up the provocations properly. Make sure the enemy commander is present on the front lines."
Right after Yuma spoke, a very loud laugh was heard from Princess Brigitte von Astes.
-You mean you'll just blow away their head first without bothering with the small fry, truly. You don't fear even the Conqueror King in the slightest. Though, of course, since you're a being who brought down a dragon....
'It was just annoying, that's all.'
Conqueror King or whatever. It was simply a thought that if he defeated the enemy commander, the enemy's will to fight would be massively diminished, so he'd aim for that.
-The provocations are ongoing, but the probability of war breaking out immediately seems low. So, I was thinking, how about you first return to the capital and be formally appointed to the rank of 'Grand Marshal' of the battlefield? Once victory in this war against the barbarian kingdom is confirmed, I intend to somehow secure the title of Grand Duke for you. How about it, Grand Duke Yuma.
"Will the imperial household and the nobles acknowledge that?"
-Making them acknowledge it is my role, since you are doing absolutely everything. If I can't even manage that, I would have no right to become Emperor.
Quite a commendable thing to say.
Yuma twisted the corner of his mouth.
"Alright, then let's return to the capital first. My party might increase by about one person."
-Any companion you bring is welcome anytime.
The call ended like that.
"Kaizen."
"Yes, Lord Yuma."
Yuma opened the door and called for Kaizen, who was standing at a distance outside. Kaizen would still have business remaining, such as the support request.
Yuma left Kaizen behind and descended from the communication tower.
While descending the communication tower, he organized his thoughts.
Break through the barbarian kingdom.
Find the 'Blue-haired Sword Saint,' who is one of the White Night Clan.
And make Princess Brigitte into Emperor Brigitte.
'Somehow.'
Yuma intended to accomplish all of these things, somehow.
Because if he could succeed in that, he would be able to secure a peaceful daily life.
Of course, his ultimate goal was still the <clear> of this world.
***
Count Luvelt forced his decrepit body to move.
The demonic energy encroaching on his body was not subsiding; it was burrowing deeper and deeper inside. It was to the point where he could feel his spinal cord being consumed by the demonic energy.
The clergy had already declared there was no method of salvation. He had received a terminal sentence of only one week left to live.
He could no longer postpone the succession of the title.
"Thank you. Knight Commander Haiman."
"Not at all, Your Excellency the Count."
Knight Commander Haiman supported Count Luvelt. Count Luvelt sat down in his seat with great effort.
On the left stood the main vassals forming the county family. On the right stood his eldest son Kaizen and youngest daughter Ruine. His second son, who had been in the region just below the capital for his studies, was said to be urgently returning home, but it was said he would be unable to arrive today.
Count Luvelt's dry lips parted.
"I can feel my body dying bit by bit. I can no longer delay the succession of the title. Therefore, I intend to hold the title succession ceremony now."
Count Luvelt, seated in his chair, scanned the members of his household.
"Step forward, Kaizen Pel Rubelt."
Kaizen, the eldest son who stepped into the center, knelt on his left knee. Luvelt raised his body. Pain flared throughout his entire body.
Ttuk!
However, this time he refused the helping hand of Knight Commander Haiman.
A heavy footstep resonated on the ground.
"I, Count Luvelt, abdicate from this moment onward. From now on, the Count of this land is."
Luvelt slowly placed his hand on Kaizen's shoulder.
"You. My son, Kaizen Pel Rubelt."
Teo-eok!
Weight.
Kaizen felt the weight from his father's hand.
"Yes, Father."
Kaizen became the Count.
While the modest succession ceremony was proceeding, Yuma's party was entirely outside the count's castle.
And after the succession ceremony ended. Yuma's party walked back into the tower.
Yuma spoke toward Kaizen, who was before his eyes.
"Congratulations on becoming Count. Kaizen."
Kaizen nodded his head deeply at Yuma's words.
"Thank you, Lord Yuma."
The County of Rubelt, which had been thrown into chaos by the appearance of the Black Dragon Acreon, was being restored very slowly.
"I will go up to the capital tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Lord Yuma. The grace you have shown in saving the county is something I will never forget."
Yuma twisted the corner of his mouth.
"It's fine even if you forget."
At Yuma's joke. A deep, dignified voice was heard from beside the two.
"It cannot be forgotten."
It was Count Luvelt. Now declared abdicated.
"The House of Luvelt... does not forget grace. Before being the agent of Her Highness Princess Brigitte. The grace received from you yourself, the person named Yuma. The House of Luvelt will not forget."
At Luvelt's words, Kaizen opened his mouth.
"My father's words are correct. Therefore, should a moment arrive when even the strength of our Luvelt is needed, please speak."
"Understood."
***
Before Hestia, the Cat Tribe swordswoman with scarlet hair, stood Haruk, a young boy with brown hair. The young boy who traveled with the Cat Tribe swordswoman. The young boy saved by the hands of Yuma's party.
"Nuna, you want to follow that person, right?"
Haruk gazed at Yuma, who was walking near the count's castle with Cloné, with a listless face.
And that was the scenery Hestia had been looking at first.
"Follow him. If only I had the strength, the ability. If only I had talent in something, I would want to follow him too, but Nuna, you have that ability."
Haruk's eyes stared at Hestia's green eyes.
"Hestia nuna, you can make beautiful flames bloom on your sword."
The one who can step on the shadow of an extraordinary person is, in the end, an extraordinary person themselves. Haruk had thought that way since he was very young.
So, ever since Hestia saved him from the bandits and they ran away together, he had thought that someday she was someone who would have to leave him.
Her being a Cat Tribe non-human didn't matter.
He thought she was a genius who should be playing in a much, much larger world.
Hestia felt the sincerity in Haruk's words.
"Then, is Haruk going to settle down in this county?"
"Yeah, I will! Thanks to you, Nuna, I've already gotten close to Kaizen hyung, no! I mean, the Count."
"That's a relief."
Haruk looked at the scene where the soldiers and knights were clearing the debris together.
"I should go help them. I'll make sure to settle in well. If you ever pass through the county, you have to drop by. Nuna?"
Hestia nodded her head vigorously.
"Yeah, of course!"
And so, Yuma's party was finalized to a total of 3 people.
The next day came. Yuma's party left the county, receiving a passionate send-off from the count's family.
They took a carriage and arrived at the transit city <Akan>.
At Akan Station of the magical train <Halo>.
They immediately bought direct tickets heading to the capital.
"Unni, this is a sweet red bean bun. It's delicious."
Cloné, the black-haired, golden-eyed young girl magician, purchased sweet red bean buns and placed them in Hestia's hands.
Hestia's nose, covered by her robe, twitched.
Yuma. As a member of the Imperial Princess's agent's party, even if Hestia went around revealing her identity, there would be no one in this Empire capable of suppressing it.
Unless the Emperor lying unconscious on his sickbed were to suddenly awaken. But Hestia did not like the attention of people's gazes itself.
Though it would only be natural for the ears of the Cat Tribe, a minority non-human race with only a very few remaining, to draw people's attention.
"Hwooooh! Wha, what! This violent smell...!"
Hestia opened her mouth wide— and bit into the sweet red bean bun.
***
The tavern in the transit city of Akan was packed densely with people. The second most famous commercial city in the Empire. A place like this was inevitably crowded with people at night.
Secretly. And before anyone knew it, the drug dealers and addicts who had openly run rampant were no longer visible in this city.
Under the thorough reform of Akan's mayor Gelmour. The city took a step further toward becoming a pure commercial city.
"Did you hear the rumor? A massive dragon appeared in Luvelt, right below Akan!"
"They say it was a black dragon."
The topics of conversation among the people were all similar.
The black dragon that appeared in the Luvelt territory.
"And then a crimson flash brighter than the sun erupted, and that black dragon was erased from the sky, wasn't it?"
"They said it wasn't a flash but a red Sword Aura. Anyway, the being who accomplished that is a human, they say. A Dragon Slayer has appeared in the Empire."
And it was talk of the Dragon Slayer who killed that dragon.
"Isn't it a lie? That such a dragon suddenly appeared, and that there's a being who caught a dragon of that scale!"
Someone expressed doubt.
About the credibility of the story.
But that doubt was immediately swallowed up.
"I saw the dragon with my own eyes."
"I saw it too."
"There was definitely a gigantic dragon gliding through the sky. And after a red light spread across the entire sky. That dragon was gone."
Those who had personally seen the dragon were far more than just one or two.
And then a man drinking alone opened his mouth.
"I am from the County of Rubelt."
The gazes of all fifty or so people gathered in the tavern focused on that man.
"It is true that the Dragon Slayer exists. I saw that person directly, though from afar. It was an enormous black dragon."
The man gulped down his saliva.
"The one who attacked first was that black dragon. It was a terrifying dragon breath... The Dragon Slayer blocked it as if it was nothing. And shot back an attack even greater than that. Didn't a sound more powerful than thunderclaps blanket the Empire?"
Starting from the transit city of Akan, the stories of the Dragon Slayer began to spread rapidly.
Deolkeong─ Deolkeong─
And the person in question was currently inside the magical train. Along with the black-haired, golden-eyed young girl dozing off repeatedly. And the Cat Tribe young girl who had fallen asleep with her head tilted back, her robe pulled down firmly over her face.
It was the magical train heading to the capital.