Chapter 158: The Tin Knight and The Interlude Story
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 158: The Tin Knight and The Interlude Story
“Have you all heard? They say an angel appeared in Justitia.”
“An angel… you mean one of those messengers from the heavens? With wings?”
“Why would one suddenly show up?”
“I heard some necromancer was running wild in Justitia and killed the lord. The incident injured many and threw the city into chaos. They say the angel appeared to punish the evil necromancer and comfort the soul of the dead lord.”
“Ah, I heard about that too. The necromancer was turned to ash by the holy light, and a healing rain fell upon the city, right? They say the rain not only healed the injuries of those it touched but also cured all their illnesses.”
“Come on, that’s too far-fetched. Isn’t that just a made-up story?”
“Ha! You must have been swindled your whole life. If you don’t believe me, go near Justitia. They’re selling the rainwater from that day in bottles, and it’s practically a panacea. Countless people are willing to pay an enormous premium just to get their hands on it!”
The series of events in Justitia sent tremendous shockwaves across the continent.
However, among the stories, there was almost no mention of the coercive trials held throughout Justitia or the broken scale.
The only stories passed from mouth to mouth were of the ‘angel’ and the healing rain it had brought.
This was partly because the miracle the angel had shown was so powerful, but it was also the result of the upper echelons in various regions taking it upon themselves to keep mouths shut.
“—It’s laughable. The Kingdom of Heaven itself has made no official statements or announcements. The way they grovel on their own just to curry a little favor… These are the same fools who normally prize their dignity and authority above all else, yet in times like these, they’re all the same.”
The scornful words, mocking the noble bloodlines scattered across the continent, poured from a man’s lips.
It might have sounded like the back-alley gossip of a drunkard in a tavern, but even if those ‘noble bloodlines’ had heard him, they would have found it difficult to show their anger.
It couldn't be helped.
The meaning of words changes drastically depending on who speaks them.
It might be different for others, but there were extremely few who could talk back to the most powerful man in the Empire, Duke Lennart, just because he’d made a few disparaging remarks.
No, forget talking back; one could count on one hand the number of people who could even hold a casual conversation with him.
And unfortunately, Maris von Lennart was not among that small minority.
Thus, Maris’s body instinctively stiffened under the Duke’s gaze.
“Maris.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Do you have anything to say about this matter?”
It was a question she had anticipated.
Therefore, she presented the answer she had prepared.
“It was undeniably my mistake not to have properly assessed the capabilities and audacity of the Kingdom of Heaven. However, I do not believe the operation itself was a bad one.”
“Your operation resulted in the deaths of two clan members. And you still say that?”
“If we had stayed there without acting, the damage would have been far greater. In any case, we were able to pull out thanks to this opportunity, and the damage to our prestige was kept to a minimum.”
The original plan to tarnish the honor of the Kingdom of Heaven could hardly be called a success.
The targeted hunts carried out by her kinsmen had been buried in the chaos that followed, their impact lost.
But on the other hand, almost no one cared about the Lennart dojo leaving Justitia.
The instructors and students of the Justitia branch, who could have seen it as a blow to their pride, were so shaken by the incident that they didn't press the issue of their honor any further. There was still some chatter from the main family, but that was something she had anticipated anyway.
Maris’s goal of ‘relocating the dojo without any further unnecessary investment’ had, in a sense, been achieved.
“That was merely a consequential outcome. You were lucky and happened to land in a decent spot. It’s difficult to call it your own achievement. Would you deny it?”
“…I admit it.”
As Maris conceded with a frustrated look, the Duke did not press her further.
It was as if there was no need to berate her for what she already knew.
“There will be no special reward. Likewise, you will not be held responsible for the repercussions of this incident, whatever they may be. I will tell the Council of Elders as much.”
“Yes.”
“All that remains is the matter of the new sprout you discovered…”
A feeling akin to interest flickered in the Duke’s calm eyes.
“Is it true that the girl, Adelaide, her mana transformed into the shape of violet lightning? Is there no chance you were mistaken?”
“I saw it clearly.”
“Interesting. Conrad, my good man. How old was Elsa when she first manifested it?”
“She was twenty-two, Your Excellency.”
The one who answered the Duke’s question was empty air.
No, that wasn’t quite right.
It was only Maris who had unthinkingly perceived it that way; the man had been there all along.
His presence was faded to almost nothing, as if he had assimilated into the background.
The man who appeared had an incredibly simple and honest-looking face.
He appeared to be slightly younger than the Duke.
Whereas the Duke could intimidate others with his unique aura alone, without any threatening words or expressions, the man called Conrad looked as if he had never known violence in his life.
The sword at his waist looked so out of place that one might think a farming tool would suit him better.
Of course, Maris did not underestimate him.
Conrad von Lennart.
He was one of the martial artists whose name was always mentioned when discussing the strongest swordsmen of the era, and he was the bodyguard knight his lord, the Guardian Lord of the State, whose political enemies feared him to no end.
“So she’s about four years faster? How old were you?”
“I was quite lacking in talent, so I was in my mid-thirties.”
“Stop with the false modesty. Wasn’t it you, Uncle, who proved that the manifestation of ‘it’ doesn’t necessarily correlate with one’s level of mastery?”
“Still, it’s true that having it is helpful. Mana can be trained, but being born with a lot is still an advantage. They say a master doesn’t blame his tools, but I’ve never met a master who would refuse a good weapon.”
Watching the Duke and his bodyguard knight continue a conversation only they understood, Maris quietly observed them.
After a short while, the Duke suddenly asked.
“So, where is the child now? Knowing your personality, you would have invited her here at least once to have her meet me, wouldn’t you?”
“Ah, um.”
Maris stammered for a moment.
Then, with an awkward expression, she answered.
“I did intend to. Adelaide and her master, the knight, seemed quite willing as well. However, the party’s leader objected, saying they didn’t have time for that.”
“Hoh, the leader of that group… the apprentice of the Witch of the East, was it? She must have a strong say within the party, for such capable people to obediently bend their will and follow their leader’s policy.”
“…No, she just beat the protesting knight with her staff and dragged him away. She said they’d stop by later, but, well.”
“…Is this ‘witch’ different from the witches I know?”
*
[The ‘Tin Knight’ grumbles that he wants to go to the Lennart Ducal House!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ grumbles that he wants to have a bout with the Duke’s bodyguard knight!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that if they go to the imperial capital, there’s bound to be a terrorist plot, an assassination, or something, and they need to get involved!]
“Shut up, you crazy tin can!! You’re still not satisfied after all that chaos?!”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ protests that, honestly, it was Sophia who caused most of the chaos and he was just a supporting character this time!]
“Hmm, I can’t deny that.”
A single carriage was traveling down a road somewhere in the Locria Federation.
The carriage was quite large and ornate.
Its basic structure was similar to a cargo wagon, but the cargo bed itself was unusually large, spacious enough for several people to lie down comfortably. It even had a second story.
Above the driver’s seat was a roof to block the rain and sun, and it was connected to the cargo bed, allowing for easy passage between the two areas at any time.
It even had a space inside with a cauldron and a place to build a fire. At this point, it was less a carriage and more a mobile base.
Not only that, but despite its immense size, the carriage left almost no wheel tracks, a result of using the highest quality parts and engraving them with weight-reduction magic.
The carriage was pulled by a single horse, which was not a real horse but a golem in the shape of one.
It looked like a large horse on the outside, but beneath its hide was solid metal. It was a remarkable creation that could move without eating or resting as long as it was supplied with mana. It even had a function that allowed it to follow the road on its own, as long as there were no forks.
Truly an extraordinary carriage, and an extraordinary horse.
It was one of the fruits of the party’s labor in Justitia.
No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the original purpose of their visit to Justitia.
It just wasn’t obvious because while Adel and Sophia were busy breaking things, rampaging, and making a mess, she had quietly bought what she needed and slipped away.
The Tin Knight’s gaze swept over the carriage.
Then he looked at Dorothea.
He stared at her—intently, deliberately, and overtly.
“What is it? You got something to say?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ wonders if you didn’t spend too much money!]
“……”
Dorothea fell silent for a moment, her eyes darting around.
It was a rather unusual reaction for the witch, whose default state was confidence.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if you didn’t say you were only going to buy a horse at first!]
“Well, we needed a carriage anyway, so I just got a new one while I was at it.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if you didn’t say you hated flashy things that draw attention because, as long as it’s usable, that’s all that matters!]
“…It had to be this big to match the horse’s size. It would be weird if the horse was that big and the carriage was tiny, wouldn’t it?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ points out that even considering that, a two-story carriage is excessive!]
“……It’s a hassle to set up a barrier at our base every time we stop in a new city. It’s more rational to have a mobile base so we don’t have to set up a new barrier, right?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ comments that your way of speaking sounds like you’re just repeating a sales pitch someone gave you!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ comments that, come to think of it, the carriage’s particularly black design seems to be exactly Dorothea’s taste!]
“………”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ expresses his understanding that when a person suddenly gets their hands on a large sum of money, it can lead to overspending!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ warmly advises her to be moderate, as it’s hard to fix your sense of money once it’s gone!]
Dorothea lowered her head, her face slightly flushed.
She trembled, but couldn't bring herself to swing the staff in her hand, as if even she felt a pang of guilt.
It was a sad sort of honesty that prevented her from pointing out others’ faults while applying a double standard to herself and resorting to violence.
“Ahem, but Miss Witch. Didn’t you originally say we would be heading toward the imperial capital together? I’m curious as to why you suddenly changed the schedule.”
Adelaide, who had been watching from the side, interjected with a cough.
It was a shame for the Tin Knight, who was excitedly seizing the initiative, but if she let this continue, the next time the Tin Knight caused trouble, he would likely be turned into scrap metal. She couldn’t just stand by and watch her master accumulate death flags.
At Adel’s question, Dorothea’s expression changed as she replied.
“That was the original plan. One of the compasses was pointing there, and unlike the other sacred treasures whose owners are unknown, we knew Algind had that one. But this recent incident made me change my mind.”
Dorothea’s gaze turned to Sophia.
“You know that what happened was incredibly dangerous, right?”
Sophia did not deny it.
“Yes.”
“Hah. Well, you kept your promise not to let them see you using holy power, so I won’t say much, but you destroyed one of their sacred relics, of all things. And even if we didn’t do it directly, the lord ended up dead, so the fallout will be significant. It’s fortunate that the rumors are spreading in a distorted way, but those who need to know will know.”
“I suppose so. They won’t say it openly, but they’ll be listening through their spies.”
“So what do you think will happen if we’re seen working with the Lennart Ducal House in this situation?”
“We’d be treated as accomplices. We could even be framed for having planned the lord’s murder from the start.”
Dorothea shrugged as if that was all that needed to be said.
“So, for the time being, we’re going to keep our distance from the Lennart family. Adel, you might be a little disappointed, but.”
“No, well, I already got the token, and Miss Maris said I could visit anytime, so it’s fine. But in that case, where are we going next?”
Dorothea answered simply.
“The Magic State Aeolia.”
