Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Accidental Reunion - 1
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Count Acain de Hoffman was a member of one of the Four Great Heroes' parties and came from the bloodline of Bedrake Hoffman.
Bedrake had reportedly been the captain of Alcahad at the time.
However, after dealing with the Withering Demon King alongside the hero Padania, he retired from Alcahad.
He was then granted the title of Baron Dronore and its territory by the emperor of that era, leading to the present day.
‘But.’
Acain’s jiggling belly fat made it hard to believe he was descended from such a hero.
I spoke up.
“Greetings, Count. I’m Maide Mohan.”
“......”
“Count?”
“Hmph.”
He shifted in his seat as if uncomfortable with the situation and spoke.
“Speak.”
“Yes?”
“If you have any excuses, let’s hear them.”
“......”
“You’ve dragged Lord Kaild’s reputation through the mud. And you’re seducing the northern fools to sow division in the empire. Did you really think anything good would come out of your mouth?”
It had been a long time since my rising fame had earned me treatment like this.
Even the emperor, the master of the empire, had at least maintained decorum, whatever his true feelings.
Neril’s eyebrows twitched in irritation at the hotheaded remark.
But I spoke first.
“I have no excuses to make.”
“What?”
“What happened in Hasfil territory was undeniably Kaild’s doing. I merely protected the territory from his misdeeds.”
Bang.
Count Acain slammed the armrest of his chair.
I continued without missing a beat.
“But I share your desire to prevent the empire’s division. So please give me time to persuade you.”
“Hmph. And what words do you think will sway me? Lord Kaild saved me.”
“No. I know it was my companion who treated your illness.”
“Your companion?”
Only then did the count glance around.
Serein bowed her head with an ambiguous smile.
“Hello. We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“S-Serein Magnus. Why in the world are you with this con artist?”
“Hmm. Because I rate Maide higher than Kaild in every way.”
“What nonsense is that!”
“I’m the one who treated you, Count. And yet I left Kaild and joined Maide’s party. Doesn’t that prove Maide is right?”
The count shook his head vigorously.
“It only proves you betrayed Lord Kaild.”
“Count.”
“Lord Kaild didn’t just heal my body.”
I narrowed my eyes.
‘So there was something more after all.’
Risel asked.
“What do you mean?”
“He healed my son’s illness too.”
Serein tilted her head.
“Your son was ill as well? You should have brought him to me too.”
“It wasn’t a physical illness. It was a sickness of the heart.”
At that, Offense nodded emphatically.
“You mean the thing that afflicted Adwin.”
“I’m perfectly fine, you know? It must’ve been Serein sis who was sick, not me.”
“I’m even finer.”
“If you’re both fine, that’s the real problem.”
I asked the count.
“May I ask what exactly this sickness of the heart was?”
“Hmph. Why should I tell you?”
The answer came from an unexpected source.
It was Jenia.
“David couldn’t forget Ophelia.”
“......! And who are you?”
“Jenia Side.”
“Jenia... of course.”
“Yes. Of the Knights of Light. But more importantly right now, I’m Ophelia Mace’s one and only friend.”
The count pressed his forehead.
“Even my son’s prospective bride’s friend fell for Maide’s silver tongue.”
“Putting aside your rebuttal for now, my guess was right, wasn’t it?”
“Sigh. Yes. David truly loved Ophelia. My wife and I felt the same. We were always ready to welcome her into the family.”
“......Ophelia was a commoner. An orphan, even.”
“David was so stubborn about it. But after meeting her a few times, even I changed my mind. She had such outstanding insight and character that it made the difference in status irrelevant.”
He added awkwardly.
“Of course, I did think it would help if she joined the Knights of Light.”
“Ophelia joined the Knights of Light at a pretty young age. Meaning...”
“David brought her home at fourteen, declaring he’d make her his bride.”
“Impressively precocious. Both of them.”
The count nodded.
Hmm. So that’s how it was.
‘Wonder what line Kaild used to fool David?’
[The usual pattern, right? “If you help me kill the Demon King, I’ll find Ophelia for you.”]
‘Yeah. Probably went on about some grand search magic circle like he did with Offense.’
Well, I’d used similar words to reassure Offense and Jenia, so we’re in the same boat.
[You actually plan to follow through. That guy was just paying lip service.]
‘Yeah. Thanks.’
Anyway, not the time.
I examined the count’s Blood Letters.
Time to find a suitable sin and... persuade him. Not blackmail.
That’s when it happened.
Bang!
The parlor door flew open without a knock.
“Count!”
“Steward! What is this rudeness!”
“F-Forgive me. I just—”
“......No. In thirty years under me, you’ve never done this. It must be something major.”
My ears perked up.
“Tell me what happened.”
“It’s... You said to inform you immediately if we found ‘that person,’ no matter the situation.”
“That person? D-Don’t tell me?”
“Yes!”
The steward practically shouted with joy.
“It’s Ophelia. Miss Ophelia has returned!”
For a moment, it felt like a bell rang in my head.
I hurriedly looked at Jenia, but she was already gone.
“Where? Where is she?”
Jenia was shaking the steward like she’d wring him out.
“Ugh. At the territory entrance... David’s there too.”
“Maide!”
She turned to me with desperate eyes.
No need for that look.
“Let’s go.”
I need to see for myself.
“Waaah. Ophelia, Ophelia...”
“David. Sob sob.”
The territory entrance was already swarming with people.
In the center, a young man and woman clung to each other, sobbing.
It was quite the spectacle, but no one in the territory complained.
Instead, they discreetly wiped their eyes and whispered.
“Never seen David cry like that.”
“You idiot. He’s crying from joy!”
“Well, Ophelia’s back.”
“Where the hell was she? Heard she was behind the Witch of Atrocities stuff with the Knights of Light.”
“You’re slow on the news. It was their captain’s scheme. The Witch was framed, probably.”
Neril grumbled.
“She’s the Saintess of Coercion now.”
“Not the time.”
“Hmm. Fair.”
Neril glanced at Jenia as she said it.
Jenia was staggering toward Ophelia.
Meanwhile, David spoke.
“Where the hell have you been all this time? Do you know how much I suffered?”
“Sob sob. I’m sorry, truly sorry.”
“No. I’m not mad. I’m just so grateful you came back. Ophelia.”
“David.”
“Let’s not do this here. Let’s go home. Father’s waiting too.”
That’s when it happened.
Step.
Jenia stopped about five steps behind them.
She took a deep breath and spoke.
“Ophelia.”
“Hm? That voice... Jenia? Jenia?!”
“Sob.”
Tears streamed down Jenia’s face.
She all but collapsed into Ophelia’s arms.
“Yeah. It’s me.”
“Aaah. Jenia. How are you here?”
“How are *you* here? No, you *should* be here. Yeah. You belong here!”
“Waaah. Jenia... I’m sorry. For making you worry.”
“No. Don’t say that. Just don’t leave again. Don’t go anywhere. Sob sob.”
Their sea of tears rivaled David’s.
Risel wiped away a tear and said.
“Jenia. I’m so happy for you. You found your precious friend.”
Serein asked.
“Did you have friends like that too, Risel? Back 1,500 years ago?”
“Of course. Everyone I partied with back then was my friend! ...Well, we split up for various reasons when founding the empire.”
“So I’m your friend too?”
“Hmm......”
“No. Why are you even thinking about it!”
Unfortunately, I had no room to share in their touching moment.
I was too busy processing the shock right in front of me.
“Sniff.”
Neril blew her nose into a handkerchief, noticed everyone staring, and quickly added.
“What. I’m just feeling a bit under the weather.”
“We didn’t say anything.”
“You’re saying it with your faces.”
“Heh heh. Even the Saintess of Coercion makes faces like that. Right? Mai... de?”
As Offense trailed off, the group looked at me.
More precisely, at the cold sweat beading on my face.
“Maide bro? What’s wrong?”
I delayed my response and checked Ophelia’s Blood Letters again.
Black.
The Blood Letters were black.
[Black? That means...]
‘Yeah.’
Ever since that bizarre dream, I could see the Blood Letters of the dead too.
But there’s one difference between the living and the dead.
The living: red.
The dead: black.
‘Ophelia is dead.’
[No. She’s right there, alive. Does she look dead?]
‘I don’t know what’s going on either. But I trust my Blood Letters.’
Doubting them would shake my foundation.
Ophelia is dead. More precisely.
She’s dead right now.
[But common sense...]
‘Idria.’
[Huh?]
‘It was Idria who kidnapped Ophelia to begin with. Damn, why didn’t I think of it sooner?’
[Calm down. There’s no proof it’s Idria.]
Of course, no proof.
So let’s find some.
‘Use Eye of Omniscience. The secret between Ophelia and Idria.’
[O-Okay.]
A screen soon appeared.
[Used Eye of Omniscience.]
[Current Eye of Omniscience level is 3. Viewable secret rank is B-rank.]
[Selection condition: ‘Secret between Ophelia Mace and Idria.’]
[Error. ‘Secret between Ophelia Mace and Idria’ is A-rank.]
[Viewable from Eye of Omniscience level 4.]
Current rank wouldn’t let me see it.
And that in itself was proof.
‘If there was no connection between Idria and Ophelia, it would’ve said no secret exists.’
[Got it. What kind of trickery is this?]
‘We’ll find out. Starting now.’
I let out a deep sigh.
Jenia and Ophelia were now wiping each other’s tears and smiling.
Now I had to tell that happy Jenia her friend was already dead.
I’d need a drink tonight.
This was her hometown, but as an orphan, Ophelia had no home to return to.
So she headed straight to Count Acain’s residence.
We followed a few steps behind.
Jenia sniffed and said.
“Sniff. I can’t tell if this is a dream or reality.”
“......”
“Ever since I started traveling with you, Maide, everything’s been going right. My father’s situation, and now Ophelia.”
“Is that so.”
“Your reaction’s so dry. Is something wrong?”
I consciously relaxed my expression and spoke.
“How did you and Ophelia become friends?”
“When I was going through squire training for the Knights of Light, I was really struggling.”
“Was the Knights’ training so grueling it wore you out mentally?”
“Not physically, but emotionally. Around then, my mother passed away.”
“Now that you mention it, you did say something like that before. That Ophelia comforted you when you were hurting.”
“Yeah. She understood because she was an orphan too.”
I couldn’t say more.
Then Neril spoke up.
“By the way, Jenia.”
“Yes?”
“Instead of sticking with us, go to Ophelia. You must have tons to talk about.”
“Ah..... But David got there first.”
“So you’re just gonna let him hog her?”
Determination flashed across her face.
“See you later!”
Jenia strode forward and wedged herself between David and Ophelia.
Neril had successfully pried Jenia away and now stared at me intently.
“She’s out of the way now. Spill.”
“Hm?”
“Your face earlier was off.”
Neril, as expected.
So perceptive.