Chapter 272: The Tin Knight and The End of The Banquet (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 272: The Tin Knight and The End of The Banquet (2)
“I have delivered the ‘Pouch of Lilium’.”
“Hmm.”
Dorothea examined the item Alingd had handed her.
It was a small, shabby green cloth pouch, far from ornate or luxurious.
Based on its appearance alone, it looked like something one might find on display in a cheap corner store, but the mana it contained was on another level entirely.
More importantly, the leaf-colored deer that had sprung from the Animal Compass was thrusting its snout toward the pouch without hesitation, leaving no room for doubt.
When Dorothea turned the cloth pouch upside down, mixed grains came pouring out.
And they didn't stop.
“…It’s amazing, in a way, but… hmm. It’s a bit plain.”
The power to create grains from nothing, without any additional mana consumption, was certainly admirable.
But since the pouch was small enough to be held in one hand, the amount of grain it could produce within a given time wasn't all that much.
It was like having a magical gourd that endlessly poured water; if you tried to fill a bathtub with its tiny opening, you’d be left thinking, this will take forever.
“Because we live in an age of abundance,” Alingd said, as if in response to Dorothea’s thoughts.
“If this were an era when the continent was overflowing with the destitute and poor, the value of that single pouch would have been worthy of the title of national treasure. Far more so than a belt that strengthens a person’s body or gloves that can store many items.”
“Anyone hearing you would think you’d actually lived through an age like that. And it’s not like there aren’t any poor and hungry people now, you know?”
Alingd did not reply.
Her face, as always, was as expressionless as a doll’s, but for some reason, Dorothea felt as if Alingd had shrugged and given a bitter smile.
Faced with an attitude like an adult watching a child’s tantrum, Dorothea felt a strange surge of irritation. She didn't say anything, knowing that getting angry here would only make her look foolish.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if the conversation is over!]
“Why?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says it’s time to go take the Witch of the South’s head!]
“What nonsense is this? Why would we take her head?”
“Cough.”
For some reason, Alingd, standing beside her, coughed as if something had gone down the wrong pipe, her expression still blank.
What’s with her now? Dorothea wondered for a moment, but then she understood.
Of course, it would be abnormal not to be flustered hearing someone talk about taking her master’s head. Especially since there were stories that Alingd had been adopted by Glinda Goodwitch and inherited her name, their relationship was bound to be even more special.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ presents the valid point that since they took down the West and the North, isn’t the South next?!]
“We went after the West because that Elphaba ran off with a sacred treasure, and we dealt with the North because our own necks were on the line if we didn't handle Mombi. We have no reason to fight the Witch of the South. Right?”
Her last words were directed at Alingd. Dorothea meant it as a reassurance, but it also implied that if there was a reason to fight, she would pounce at any time.
The black-haired witch from the beginning of their journey, who would have avoided conflict with a major power at all costs due to the aftermath, was long gone. The Tin Knight had a knack for breaking a person’s inhibitions.
Alingd replied with a strangely reluctant expression.
“I suppose so.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that a boss is worth challenging just by virtue of existing!]
“I’m cutting off your sense of taste.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that on second thought, since we beat up the Lion Duke instead of the Witch of the South, that should be good enough!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ praises Dorothea’s wise judgment, saying that when bosses appear one after another in the same region without any delay, it makes each individual boss seem less impressive!]
The Tin Knight did a surprisingly quick 180.
His primary source for sharing a sense of taste had originally been Adelaide, but she had recently been traveling to various places to handle the ducal family’s talent acquisition.
Dorothea’s appetite wasn't particularly large either, but her situation was better than Sophia’s, for whom the act of eating itself had reached the realm of a luxury.
Even the Tin Knight felt it was a bit much to ask someone to forcibly stuff themselves with food they didn't particularly want to eat at every meal.
Having subdued the decisive weapon that had unhesitatingly taken the head of an Imperial hero with a single phrase, Dorothea, showing the dignity befitting a villainous commander, spoke as if she had just remembered something.
“By the way, what ever happened with that recruitment test thing?”
“As soon as the situation is somewhat under control, we will announce the successful candidates and establish a new unit. The candidates currently distinguishing themselves for the commander position are an adventurer named Kumara Cent and his two companions.”
“That’s a surprising choice.”
“It’s symbolic, to show that ‘even a commoner will be appointed if they have the ability.’ It’s also meant to keep the nobles, who have grown arrogant from Lennart’s collapse, in check. If the power of the nobles under our command, including the Empress’s family, grows too strong, the imperial authority will be devoured in turn.”
“I see.”
“If you all decide to remain in the Empire, you could easily obtain a position like commander-in-chief. Care to try for it?”
“No thanks. Politics is a pain.”
Dorothea refused flatly.
Alingd nodded as if she had expected as much.
*
The ducal mansion was destroyed, those involved were taken in for questioning one after another, and the capital was rife with all sorts of unsettling rumors, including talk that the Lennart ducal family would soon be demoted.
Listing it all out made it sound like the members of the ducal family were leading a miserable existence without a roof over their heads, but the lodging where the survivors were staying was not so shabby.
In fact, while it was a bit smaller than the main estate, by normal standards it was grand enough to be considered magnificent.
This was partly due to the old saying, “The rich stay rich for three years even after they go broke,” but that wasn't the only reason.
For while it was a Lennart who caused the incident, it was also a Lennart who resolved it.
“So, in a nutshell, it’s all thanks to you.”
At Maris’s words, Adelaide waved her hands in protest.
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“No, it’s the truth. The entire Lennart family taking part in a rebellion is a completely different story from a few members going rogue and the family suppressing them from within. In a way, you could say that all the survivors are indebted to you.”
At the continued praise, Adelaide fidgeted shyly.
Looking at her innocent and somewhat dazed appearance, it was hard to believe she was the key figure in resolving the rebellion.
In fact, when the Duke handed her the Lion Duke’s treasured sword before he was imprisoned (in reality, he was just acknowledging her ownership of something she already possessed), not a few people were displeased, even if they couldn't say it out loud.
It was tantamount to declaring that Adelaide was qualified to lead the entire Lion Duke’s bloodline.
However, Maris did not think her father’s judgment was wrong.
Because she had seen it.
She had seen Adelaide, facing off against the Lion Duke, fighting fiercely without a hint of fear or hesitation.
She had seen the girl, who had proudly taken her place as one of the main actors in a mythical battle that they themselves hadn't dared to intervene in.
There were too many suspicious parts about the Lion Duke’s revival, and plenty of people dismissed the revival itself as a lie, but among those who had witnessed the battle and its conclusion, including Maris, there were no blood relatives who did not recognize Adelaide’s qualifications.
In truth, Maris had long since inwardly accepted Adelaide as the new head of the Lion Duke’s bloodline.
She only maintained her old attitude because Adelaide herself would have a fit if she tried to use honorifics or show respect as a subordinate.
“Grandfather Werner has decided to take responsibility for this incident by helping to stabilize the military, and Uncle Conrad has decided to stay by Father’s side. We’ve all gone our separate ways. And that goes for me—no, for us—as well.”
After saying so, Maris gestured with her eyes toward the window.
There, members of the Lion Duke’s bloodline, with their golden hair and violet eyes, were waiting as if for Adelaide’s decision.
There were about fifty of them.
The number seemed small at a glance, but considering that each one possessed strength of at least a knight’s level, they were a force that could not be ignored.
It was enough to instantly fill the military void of the all-but-annihilated Friedel domain with change to spare.
Moreover, considering that many of them possessed administrative or other special skills honed to survive the fierce competition of the main family, they were a group of high-quality talent that any lord would drool over.
And every single one of them was now looking at Adelaide with fervent eyes.
They were asking her to take them in.
“Thanks to the Imperial Family’s surprisingly lenient response, there are no particular obstacles to moving over to Friedel. Most of the ducal family’s assets and territory will likely be confiscated, but they won’t touch personal assets, so we can help in that regard. Also, um…”
Feeling like a job applicant trying to sell herself to an interviewer, Maris hesitated for a moment.
She wondered whether saying this would help or not.
“…Someone has to manage that ruffian, right? You can’t just keep her by your side forever.”
“Hmm.”
Within the Lennart family, the Elder faction and those under its influence were effectively finished after this incident.
This was true not only in a political sense but also in a physical one.
The core members of the Elder faction had all died in the aftermath of the battle. When the black-haired witch investigated to understand the circumstances of the Lion Duke’s revival, she confirmed that their very souls were trapped and suffering in something like black mud.
It might have been possible to release them with a concerted effort at purification, but the black-haired witch was lenient with her allies and fair to neutrals, but merciless to her enemies.
They would suffer, slowly fading away over a very long time, paying for the sins they had committed.
In a way, it was a punishment left behind by the Lion Duke.
While even the remaining forces far from the main family were being turned into pools of blood amidst massive arrests and purges, Hilda’s treatment was special in many ways.
Even considering she was more of an enforcer who just followed orders rather than a mastermind of the plan, the fact that a main conspirator like her was walking around outside instead of being in prison or beheaded was entirely due to the Imperial Family’s deference to the Tin Knight’s party.
It was also noteworthy that she had survived that battlefield, a hellscape where all manner of sword energy, malice, curses, and attack magic ran rampant, with all her limbs intact. Even Werner von Lennart had to sacrifice his left arm.
But Maris didn't consider it particularly unfair.
It wasn't some soft-hearted thought like, Hilda is young, so we should go easy on her. It was because, from the looks of it, Hilda would have been better off in prison or losing a limb and ending up in a hospital, given that Adelaide was beating her to a pulp day in and day out.
“It’s a bit much to see you making excuses about an equipment gap, so let’s both just go bare-handed.”
With those words, Adelaide would set aside the Lion Duke’s sword and the Belt of Amaryllis and beat Hilda with her fists and feet. The sight was nothing short of brutal. The fact that she beat her with a deadpan expression, without any sign of anger or irritation, as if it were just a task, made it all the more so.
Few knew that the reason Adelaide had recently been acting separately from her party, under the pretext of cleaning up the Lion Duke’s bloodline, was because she didn't want to show such a merciless side of herself in front of the Tin Knight.
Hilda, with her stubborn grit, continued to charge at Adelaide, not yet seeming to have lost her will to fight, but it was plain to see that her attitude was growing more polite by the day.
After continuous persuasion, Adelaide finally nodded.
“In that case, please wait just a little longer. I received permission from the others to stop by the Friedel domain, but there’s something I have to do first.”
“Something you have to do?”
“The dojo challenge. The last dojo is near the capital, so I have to finish it. Then I’m going to prove my skills to Miss Giselle with my head held high.”
Maris looked at Adelaide with a complex expression, as if at a loss for words, before asking if she could use a messenger pigeon.
Adelaide agreed with a look that said, Why are you asking me for permission?
And the next day.
Adelaide received the pass token for the final dojo via messenger pigeon post.
“The representative instructor there asked me to pass this on,” Maris said.
“He said, ‘Please consider my position, having to test someone like you.’”
“……”
And so, Adelaide was ‘passed’.