Chapter 242: The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 242: The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort
“To the mages and people of the Magic State.
My name is Teur Rognir, and I have been newly appointed as the Head of the Tower of Control.
It is with deep regret and a heavy heart that, upon ascending to this honored position, the first news I must deliver to you is of this nature. But to conceal these matters would bring even greater shame and sin. Therefore, I wish to confess several truths.
The claim our side previously made, that ‘the Tower of Protection betrayed Great Teacher Orin and sought to steal and exploit her wisdom,’ is false.
The one who betrayed her and inflicted a fatal wound was the previous Head of the Tower of Control, Lotbart Rognir. The ‘Great Teacher’ who joined us in denouncing the Tower of Protection was not the real one, but an imposter impersonating her.
Furthermore, the bandit disturbance that started this whole affair was an incident fabricated in collusion between our Tower of Control and the Lennart Ducal House of the Empire. The Friedel domain’s army, who were sacrificed in the event, were innocent victims caught in the scheme.
Completely atoning for past sins is an incredibly difficult task, but to not even attempt to repay those sins is a greater transgression still.
I offer my deepest apologies to the Tower of Protection, the Friedel domain, and all its people who have suffered because of this incident. I swear on my name, Teur Rognir, that we will provide appropriate compensation. Also, to the members of the other Magic Towers who were indirectly harmed—”
“He's practically groveling to be spared.”
A remark that was hard to tell if it was admiration or sarcasm slipped from the lips of Frandol Herteite, the Head of the Tower of Annihilation, who had been listening with her heel propped on the table.
With a light flick of her finger, the phonograph-like magic tool replaying Teur Rognir’s voice fell silent.
“Even a wilting flower has its own lingering grace. But by selling out his own father, casting his honor to the ground, and rolling in the mud like that, he'll erase what little grace he had left. Was he always a man with so little pride?”
“He chose practicality over pride,” Medir Geldnir, the Head of the Tower of Foresight, replied to Frandol’s words.
“The Tower of Control will certainly suffer a great fall from this incident, but it never gathered followers through virtue or reputation in the first place. It was the desire to trample on others, to command them with a lift of the chin—people gathered because the Tower could satisfy that lust for power. Of course, this incident is so massive that they’ll have to struggle for several decades at the very least…”
“So you’re saying that as long as they avoid annihilation, they can dream of a comeback someday?”
“Exactly. Even you would find it hard to just throw a punch at someone bowing so low, wouldn’t you?”
“Hmph.”
Frandol looked displeased but didn’t deny Medir’s point.
Teur’s apology wasn’t just aimed at the upper echelons of the Magic Towers but at the entire Magic State, and the recipients of his apology included not only mages but commoners as well.
Considering the status of the Magic Towers and mages in the Magic State, a figure equivalent to a kingdom’s crown prince was using polite language to personally beg for the forgiveness of commoners.
Within the Tower of Control, the new Tower Head was condemned for not only leading the Tower to ruin but also for selling its pride. However, among the mages of the other Towers and the commoners who hadn’t been greatly affected by the incident, quite a few looked upon Teur with sympathy and pity.
Enough so that if Frandol and Medir, the representatives of their respective Towers, were to aggressively attack the Tower of Control, there would be those who would frown upon their actions.
“Tsk, I guess we’ll just have to be satisfied with taking a cut and letting it go, just as the Tower of Protection suggested. We’ll have to pretend we don’t see the obvious lies, too.”
“Isn’t that a given? It does us no good for the truth about the relationship between the Great Teacher and the witch Mombi to become widely known.”
‘The Witch of the North was incapacitated by her disciple’s betrayal, and an imposter ran rampant in her guise’ and ‘The Great Teacher herself went mad, resulting in countless victims within the Magic State’ were two entirely different stories.
Of course, the former would still tarnish their prestige, but compared to the latter, which could adversely affect the very legitimacy of the Magic State, the damage was a drop in the bucket.
After settling a few more preliminary matters, the two Tower Heads boarded a carriage bound for the territories of Control, accompanied by their elite mages.
To properly conclude the incident that had shaken the entire Magic State, it was time for the leaders of the four Magic Towers to gather in one place.
Gazing at the ruins of Aeolia’s old capital outside the carriage window, Frandol suddenly muttered.
“Still… I’m quite curious to see how those lions will throw their fit.”
*
“Those foolish lions are running wild, furious and helpless.”
Lydia Empire. Hydrangea Palace.
The Empress, hailed as the most venerable woman in the Empire, burst into peals of laughter, her face like that of a young girl, belying her title.
After the death of the great Iron Blood Emperor, her husband, she had stood tall as a pillar of the Imperial Family. If she had a greatest political enemy, it was undoubtedly the Lennart Ducal House. The current situation, where the Lennart family’s reputation was being tarnished, was like being dealt a winning hand.
Even more so because the Empress herself had put no effort into this, and her enemies had tripped and fallen all on their own.
Seeing the Empress, who looked as if she might clutch her stomach and roll on the floor laughing, her friend and political ally, Glinda Goodwitch, let out a sigh.
“Please, maintain your dignity.”
“It’s just the two of us, what does it matter? So, how is it? How much damage will the Lennarts suffer from this?”
“…There won’t be any immediate, visible losses. There’s no physical evidence for the Tower of Control’s claims, and the Empire and the Magic State are semi-hostile to begin with. If the Magic State spreads accusations against the Empire, plenty of people will react with defiance before even questioning the truth.”
Despite Glinda’s seemingly disappointing words, the Empress did not let the smile leave her lips.
“So, no problem now, but there will be later. Is that how I should take it?”
“If the Tower of Control had accused the Lennarts while it was still powerful, it could have been dismissed as baseless slander meant to disparage an enemy nation. But the Tower of Control has fallen, and they’re shouting about the process from the rooftops. To dismiss this as a simple fabrication… there are too many awkward points.”
“Indeed. To break one of your own country's limbs just to add a bit of credibility to a rumor… no matter how you look at it, the math doesn't add up. And I see no reason for them to provoke the Empire with false information when the Magic State’s internal affairs are in turmoil. As time passes, more and more people will harbor doubts.”
A moment of silence passed.
The Empress, who had been stirring the contents of her teacup with a teaspoon, spoke as if a good idea had just struck her.
“—The Friedel domain, was it? I should send some aid there.”
“…What are you plotting?”
“Well, right now, if you talk about the Friedel domain, most people in the Empire wouldn’t even know where it is or whose land it is, right? It’s even more likely since the Lennart family has been intentionally suppressing the rumors. To put it another way, the more people become interested in it, the more uncomfortable it will become for the Lennarts.”
“You don’t have a pretext.”
“A pretext is something you create. Let’s see, didn’t their deceased lord and soldiers rescue a few of our citizens? We can do it as a gesture of gratitude. It would be even better to select someone who had a connection with the late lord to act as our representative. Besides, according to your plan, that group of adventurers is the dagger you're honing to stab Lennart with, aren't they? I don’t see the harm in earning their goodwill.”
Glinda seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.
“Well, they’re the type to secure their material desires as long as it doesn’t compromise their beliefs or pride, so a gift offensive isn’t a bad strategy. It would also serve to settle our past ill-fated encounters.”
“Ill-fated encounters? Ah—the ruins? Or Maximilian? If it’s the latter, should I make him go and kneel before them? He was rendered quite useless after that last incident anyway, and I was wondering what to do with him.”
“A move like that would only provoke more backlash, so please refrain. As for the ruins, we’ve made our first transaction, so it’s more beneficial to maintain a cooperative relationship and receive their help with experiments in the future.”
“To think the Empire’s Crown Mage is so wary of a mere band of adventurers. The people of the world would be shocked if they knew. Then again, there’s no need to needlessly provoke competent madmen who, when crossed, would charge a Magic Tower and actually manage to bring it down. And seeing as they have material desires, they aren’t unsuitable as business partners.”
The two women continued their conversation, mixing simple pleasantries with conspiracies that could shake the entire Empire.
In the middle of it, the Empress suddenly asked.
“By the way, where are those adventurers now, and what are they doing? According to your plan, they’re supposed to stay hidden and out of sight until everything is ready, right?”
At the Empress’s question, Glinda let out a somewhat amused laugh.
The Empress tilted her head, surprised by this unexpected display from her friend, who rarely showed her emotions.
“As for them… they’ve had a very busy journey until now. I showed them the way to a warm and gentle island in the northern part of the continent, so they could enjoy a brief vacation.”
“Oh my, is there such a place?”
“It’s a place most people don’t know about, but it’s a truly wonderful resort. Yes.”
Glinda Goodwitch added with a slightly mischievous smile.
“So wonderful, in fact, that it tends to attract… a wide variety of guests.”
*
The northern part of the continent.
On the coast of an unnamed island, reachable after a three or four-hour boat ride.
“I’ve found you, Vampire!! The Dragon King requires your liver, so come with me at once! If you do as you’re told without resistance, there will be no bloodshed!”
A bizarre-looking fish-person, who looked like a cross between a human and a turtle, aimed a harpoon-like spear at Sophia.
The party, who had been enjoying a seaside vacation to lie low until the commotion died down and to help Adelaide rest her mind, stared blankly at the fish-person with a collective ‘what is this now’ expression.
Dorothea, dressed in a black swimsuit that revealed her figure, placed a hand on her forehead and let out a deep sigh. She then spoke to her knight, who was busy preparing a barbecue.
“Hey. Handle it.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ expresses his admiration for the appropriate placement, remarking that at the beach, one naturally fights sea monsters!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ declares his ambition to try making turtle soup!]
“Wh-what are you! How dare you challenge me, the greatest warrior of the sea—Ack! Urk! Aaaargh!”
The tenderizing process that began on the blue shore took a reasonably long time.