Chapter 194 - Chapter Seventeen: Ideals and Reality
On the night the Ritual of Purification ended in the small wasteland on the Regnentes border, Eleanor visited the Headmistress's private room at the Nakanohara Orphanage.
After the events had settled, the Lord had suggested she stay at his private residence, but she had politely declined and returned to Nakanohara.
Instead, she had asked him to let Beatrix, who was to become the landowner, stay there. By now, a grand banquet might be underway, involving one Jaeger, the Bishop who had returned to his post as acting manager, Paul, Beatrix, Jeanne, and perhaps even the spirits they had summoned.
"It's been a long time since the two of us talked like this."
"That's true. I suppose it's been since I was still in the Royal Capital."
"Thank you for always taking care of Anne. I appreciate it."
"You don't need to worry about it. Both Anne and I are enjoying ourselves."
Both of them were sitting side by side on Catherine's bed. It was as if they had returned to their younger days.
"Are the slugs usable?"
"If they dry out, the effect is lost. If you pour soapy water on them, they wash away. So, I gave up on defense against physical strikes and tried boiling them with powder mixed in, like making dye. When I did that, I managed to create a dye that exhibits considerable magic defense."
If there were a large amount, they could just smear it all over armor and helmets, but since only a tiny amount can be harvested, the quantity is insufficient. She said they are currently in the stage of capturing and gathering slugs as soon as they find them.
"Does it seem like it will be useful?"
"Well, I'd like to have it ready in time for the Demon Lord subjugation."
"Are you going?"
Catherine's eyes sparkled.
"It's impossible. I could manage as a diversion or in the rear, but I could never be the main force. My stamina wouldn't hold."
"If it's as a diversion or in the rear, will you go?"
"Do you want to go?"
Catherine nodded with a "Yeah."
"You really love monster hunting, don't you?"
"I don't think you're one to talk."
"Well, I suppose so."
The two of them laughed, patting each other's shoulders.
"Henry intends to gather those among our former comrades who are still motivated and energetic to serve as a diversion."
When Eleanor said that, Catherine put her arm around Eleanor's shoulder, thinking it was just like him.
"We have to choose those whose death wouldn't cause problems for their public or private lives."
Eleanor made a cautious statement, befitting a former Queen.
"How many do you think can come?"
"Two have passed away. The mage... the old woman from Lyudmila, and the warrior from Primordia. Those who hold important positions in their home countries are the Priest from Medioland and the scout from Regnentes."
"In other words, it's just us."
"That's how it turns out."
"Let's take Anne with us."
"Is that okay? Will the orphanage be alright?"
Eleanor's face broke into a smile. Catherine had said the thing she wanted to say but couldn't. Henry would be happy too.
"It'll be fine as long as Katherine and Emily are here."
Catherine peered into Eleanor's face, and Eleanor hugged her, saying "Thank you."
"After that, it would be even better if we had Adolf, the Marcelo Company, the Class of 175, and Priest Williams, who can use Sense Living."
"Isn't that quite a lot?"
At Catherine's words, Eleanor counted on her fingers; including themselves, it would be eighteen people.
They had challenged the Demon Lord with seven.
"We are a diversion. We're decoys to make things easier for Roberts. It's better to stand out. Even if we end up in the rear, our endurance will be tested, so it's better to have more people, right?"
"That's true too."
Eleanor crossed her arms and stared at the ceiling.
It was her habit when thinking. Catherine, who knew this well, waited quietly so as not to disturb her.
"Let's take Harris. He's a Priest who can use high-level magic, so he'll surely be useful. Also, we'll leave Adolf out and take Wilson. If both Adolf and Roberts were to disappear, at worst, there would be concerns about the defenses to the south."
After thinking for about half an hour, Eleanor uncrossed her arms.
"Is the vanguard okay?"
There are no veterans other than Henry. Catherine's concern was natural.
"With Sense Living, we won't be caught by surprise. There probably aren't any undead types. Let's have us provide support and leave the attacking to Wilson and Harris. If we do that, we should be able to handle most of the small fry."
"Understood. I'll leave the coordination to you."
Eleanor nodded, and the selection of people was finalized between the two. Henry surely wouldn't say anything.
"By the way, about Jeanne and Beatrix."
"They're good girls, aren't they? Both of them grew up to be fine young women."
"I feel like both of them are suppressing their emotions quite a bit."
"I suppose so. But isn't that just on the surface?"
"I heard about Beatrix's situation this time. It's because of the circumstances of how she came here, right? But Jeanne... even for someone from the 'returnee group' who didn't have much interaction with other villages, she's a bit..."
"Her parents were caught up in the war, and by the time Jeanne was born, both of them had passed away."
Catherine told her the story of how the mother had given birth to Jeanne at the orphanage in exchange for her own life.
"I know. You and Anne are her mother figures, right?"
"That's right. We hired a wet nurse. But we didn't give her special treatment compared to the other children. On the contrary, I subtly asked her to be the caretaker for everyone. That's why she became a child who thinks of everyone. A girl who treats everyone and everything the same way."
"I see."
Eleanor murmured. She could understand the positions of the two since their orphanage days.
In public, Jeanne acted as everyone's caretaker, and in private, Beatrix would pull the hand of Jeanne, who could sometimes seem even indecisive.
Catherine spoke to Eleanor about how Beatrix, who had in a sense become desperate, actively built up her self-discipline so she could use magic. How Jeanne supported her and constantly encouraged her. How Catherine, along with Eleanor's daughter, had provided guidance to the two of them while scolding and advising them.
"From the age of five?"
Magic is activated by eliminating emotional fluctuations, through instantaneous mental concentration and a vivid image of the magic to be manifested. An overflowing free imagination and a composure that is unmoved by anything. It is necessary to control seemingly contradictory emotional movements. For those who seek to learn it themselves, the discipline of mental cultivation, like the training of a Priest, is required. It must be hard for a child.
"That's right. Until the time she finally became able to use magic at the age of ten."
"That's stricter than a royal education. Even royal children start after they've learned magic."
"But Anne and I only knew that method. Besides, you were trained from a young age too, weren't you? It's fine."
"Were there no others?"
"There were children who mimicked the two of them out of curiosity, but it didn't last. Neither Anne nor I told them to continue."
The catalyst was Beatrix. She had come to Catherine to ask for the method to learn magic. Jeanne was by her side.
When she told them "It's strict," the two of them, holding hands, looked Catherine straight in the eye.
"Whether one learns magic depends on their aptitude; whether they can master it depends on their sensitivity and effort."
"Yes, it's the result of believing they could do it from a young age, receiving guidance from me and Anne, and piling up efforts to be granted it by the Goddess. At least regarding whether one learns it, I don't think the factor of whether the parents can use magic is actually that decisive. You'd agree with that too, wouldn't you? But that's not how the world sees it. Therefore, a child who feels anxious because their parents couldn't use magic won't be able to learn it. If there's a parent who uses magic, there's a basis for believing they can do it too. Surely, that confidence is important. Beatrix built up enough discipline, turned her anxiety into peace of mind, and climbed over that wall."
Magic cannot be used until the body has developed to a certain extent. In Sertoria, ten years old is used as a guideline for showing a child to an oracle master. In other countries, fifteen, the age of adulthood, is the standard. In other words, the two of them had been training for five years in a state where they couldn't use magic at all, without any results appearing.
"What on earth do those girls want to do? It seems they're buying land here and there."
"I think they want a place to call home."
"A place to call home?"
If it's a place to live, they already have one, even if it is a rental.
"No famine, no war. Overcoming monsters, the Demon Lord, and plagues. No difference in status or wealth. Fair, equal, and free. An ideal home where they live with spirits that aren't even defeated by natural disasters. Well, that's just Anne's and my imagination, though."
"Isn't that the utopia the first King dreamed of in his old age? It's impossible. No matter how hard you work, it's unobtainable. I heard the first King also realized it was impossible to achieve and died in despair."
"But they are Anne's students."
Eleanor sighed at Catherine's words.
"I see. So that's how it is."
Catherine pulled Eleanor, who had dropped her shoulders in disappointment, close to her.
Eleanor remembered how her daughter, who had been the first in line for the throne, had argued at the age of fourteen that the entire national treasury should be released to save those in need. She had been stunned by those words, which held no falsehood.
Eleanor feared that when her daughter became Queen, she would pursue ideals so much that she would ignore reality, bankrupt the treasury, and lose the trust of the people.
She consulted Catherine, and before her daughter reached adulthood, the two of them told her to aspire to the priesthood and make it her life's work to teach and speak of ideals. Four years later, her daughter, who had become a Priest, left the Royal Capital with Catherine and began construction of an orphanage that could be managed independently in Nakanohara.
"It's okay. I believe I've firmly taught Anne the ability to think realistically, which she lacked, through the construction and management of the orphanage from a penniless state. Those two are the ones that I and your daughter trained. They're reliable and good girls. As you say, ideals aren't realized. Even if it seems they've been realized once, they just keep getting higher and higher. But you know, it's possible to get closer to an ideal. Instead of just dreaming, you think of a methodology with your feet on the ground. You do what you can at the time and build it up. The residents of that village will surely be able to have a better life. Isn't it something to look forward to?"
"So that village is the prototype?"
"It would be nice if it turned out that way."
Eleanor took the hand of Catherine, who was holding her close, and looked into her eyes.
"Won't they be treated as rebels in Regnentes?"
Regnentes is one of the countries where the class system remains most deeply rooted. Seeking fairness means making enemies of the nobles. She worried that the two were being strongly influenced by her daughter, who, although not yet an adult, was serious about realizing the utopia that the first King of Sertoria had sought in his old age.
"It's okay. those girls know what they can do themselves. Your daughter raised a child who chases high ideals while thinking about things very realistically. It's okay, it'll work out somehow. Rest assured."
Catherine gently hugged Eleanor, who had returned from being a hero to being a single mother.
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The trees in the forest had completely turned red, and on the plains, forests colored in vivid yellow were dotted here and there. Due to the unexpected defeat and the unforeseen rumors, the farmers were looking up at the watchtower of the Engrio Royal Capital's castle less often.
"Servetus. We were outplayed this time."
Seldic, the King of Engrio, looked down at Servetus, who was prostrate at his feet in black robes.
Thanks to the Forbidden Magic users manipulating the Gargoyles, the soldiers of the Demon Lord's army, and using them in the war, the Kingdom's army was cursed by the Demon Lord. While saying that, the nobles had pressed the King to tell the truth.
It was as if the situation had been saved thanks to Mortimer, a heavyweight, acting as a mediator and protecting the King by pointing out the lack of evidence. Of course, the nobles' resentment could not be wiped away. From now on, they had said they could not promise to participate in battles in places where the King and his direct army were not present.
"It is likely the work of Sertoria."
"Umu. I think so too. However, there is no evidence. Moreover, I do not even know how they carried it out. They erased a fortress, collapsed cliffs in several places to crush mountain paths, fired many kinds of ultra-high-level magic, and on top of that, a fireball apparently caused a massive explosion. Even with the Gargoyles, they have betrayed your people. The ships carrying the soldiers dispatched to Primordia were also all sunk by Gargoyles and vanished as foam on the sea. The movements of Sertoria's available ultra-high-level mages were being monitored. There had apparently been no movement since last winter. Each one aside, when so many things are gathered in a short period, the nobles' arguments start to seem correct."
Engrio had dispatched troops to four locations for the Regnentes conquest.
The King's direct army led eight thousand soldiers to the Medioland border, and eight thousand soldiers were attached to the nobles at the Regnentes border for the Regnentes conquest; for Primordia, thirty military ships were led by nobles near the border with five hundred soldiers. Among them, only the eastern front was safe, and as many as three thousand five hundred soldiers were lost at once. They were all soldiers belonging to great nobles, and naturally, many knights—that is, nobles—had died.
"However, Mortimer's troops directed toward Cantas were safe, and we were able to cut away half of Cantas. Mortimer should have the deepest connection with you all, more than anyone else."
The Sertorian army will absolutely not attack. This was Servetus's strategy, which took advantage of that fact. The three thousand soldiers led by Mortimer at the Sertorian border were dispatched to the east, and they were made to attack Cantas from the eastern coastline. The Cantas army could not respond to the sudden change of course and forced march of the Mortimer army, which had initially shown signs of setting up camp with the King's direct army, and villages were taken one after another.
At the same time, Morandine attacked Cantas from the east. Engrio's basic conquest policy was the mining area in the western part of the island, and they had informed Morandine—which was wary of Medioland, which had placed a garrison in the port of Gram—that they would sell the mined ore at a low price upon occupation, and they had made a pact. Then, the Cantas Royal Capital was handed over to Morandine.
They attacked without a de facto declaration of war, hiding behind the Regnentes conquest, for which they had declared war and deliberately slowed their marching speed. The reason for the outbreak of war announced after the conflict was that a stone monument mourning the war dead, which Engrio had previously erected in Cantas territory, had been destroyed by someone from Cantas. By the time the sudden messenger met with the King of Cantas, they had already attacked. Of course, it was a complete fabrication through the work of Engrio's agents.
In this war, Mortimer, who secretly maintains coordination with the Ruined Town, has increased his voice in the Royal Palace, and his control over other nobles has become more effective. The Mortimer army remains at the newly drawn border even now, coordinating with the Morandine side. Half of the newly acquired land belongs to him. He has strictly ordered them to behave thoroughly as a friendly nation, saying he doesn't mind making some concessions.
Thus, one kingdom disappeared from the White Island, and stone monuments mourning the war dead were newly erected in various places in the former Cantas territory.
"I do not know what kind of trick they used, but Sertoria is entertaining us quite a bit. How about it, Servetus? After defeating the Demon Lord, can we attack Sertoria and win? The hand you thought of, cutting them down from the west, doesn't seem usable. The nobles at the border would likely object."
"It is as you say. Due to our blunders in this war, we can only deeply apologize for causing Your Majesty so much trouble. However, if you ask whether we can attack Sertoria and win, I answer, 'Yes.'"
He raised his face slightly, but he still didn't try to look at the King's face.
"How will you do it?"
"I would like to ask for a little more time. We cannot match them in the quality of mages, but we can gather numbers. War is about numbers. There is no one like Eleanor, but even in Sertoria, there should be only four ultra-high-level mages, including the elderly Eleanor and Catherine. Of the remaining two, one is a Priest. Besides, once the Demon Lord is defeated, the yoke of the cursed land will also be released. If that is the case, first, Your Majesty, please advance your horse yourself to Regnentes, which is still in a state of war. If you do so, you can start a war with its ally, Sertoria. Then, you draw both countries along the northern border of your country. On top of that, if we attack the Sertorian central army and the Medioland army, which will be dispatched as reinforcements, from behind with gathered monsters and Revenants, we should surely be able to win."
They would certainly be able to win. If they realize reinforcements aren't coming, unrest will spread in both countries. If they can just break through either the Regnentes or Sertorian border, they just have to kill everyone. As in the Great War, if they coordinate with Morandine, Gram, and Northern Gram to keep Medioland in check, they will surpass the opposing countries in national power. Servetus pledged to Seldic that he would refine the art of handling monsters and thoroughly train them so they would never turn against him.
"However, there is something that must be done before that."
"What do you intend to do?"
Here, Servetus raised his face and looked into Seldic's eyes.
As always, they were beautiful and charming eyes that seemed to draw one in. And he always had a smile on his lips.
Servetus realized that the King had no intention of removing him from his side and felt relieved.
"Probably next spring, the entire island will exchange a pact of non-aggression and send a small unit to defeat the Demon Lord into the cave. Of course, the Hero of this country will also participate. During that time, we will kill the Heroes of other countries with my people."
"Hero Hunting? Will you kill Roberts?"
"No, let them defeat the Demon Lord. Otherwise, we cannot start a war with Sertoria. Our targets are the other volunteers, especially the mages representing those countries. In that way, we will shave away the military power of each country, and while each country is floating in the commemorative ceremony for the Demon Lord's subjugation, this country will solemnly proceed with preparations and attack Regnentes the spring after next. How about it?"
Seldic cast his gaze into the air, went "Hmm," and after thinking, looked steadily at Servetus.
"Yes. It is a good idea. However, will it not be found out?"
"It will not. If we win against the Heroes, we just kill them. If we lose, we just return to the earth. It will only become a story of the surviving Heroes' achievement, saying they struck down the impure Revenants manipulated by the Demon Lord."
"Will you not betray me? Have the people who were placed in the Primordia fortress not already fallen into the hands of Sertoria?"
"I am terribly sorry. If I may say so, those I will send for the Hero Hunting are not ordinary people like those placed in Primordia, but my direct subordinates. I am sure they can produce results."
"I see. Then do it well."
"Ha! I will surely show you results that meet your expectations."
Leaving Servetus prostrate as if rubbing his face against the ground again, the King is staring far to the north.
"Servetus. I will unify this island. Because it is divided as it is now, conflicts occur, and each time we must kill. I have grown tired of fighting over villages. If I kill all those who oppose me and make this island mine, silly disputes between countries will not occur. There only needs to be one person looked up to by the people. Do you not think so?"
Those were the words he had been waiting for. He had thought that was likely the case.
However, being told in words meant "Lend your strength to the unification of the island." I wonder how many people have been able to hear that until now.
What Servetus's eyes caught as he reflexively raised his face was the owner of charming eyes with a gentle smile on his lips, unchanged as always.
Protagonist Subjugation Reward: 121 gold coins for 30 months
Chapter Eight: End
Part Two: Complete
Thank you very much for reading this far. This is the end of Chapter 8. And with this, Part 2 is concluded.
As the subtitle of the first episode of this Chapter 8 indicates, it became a time to look back at the past. Aside from the usual high word count, with this, the Class of 175 has finally emerged from its early stages.
In terms of bookmarks, it was a crushing defeat. Writing novels is truly difficult. It's a thought that has hit home.
Even so, to those who maintained their bookmarks, those who newly registered, and those who gave evaluation points, thank you very much. Thanks to you, I was able to do my best.
Also, I apologize for posting at different times than usual and for the chronological typos. I will be truly careful from now on.
Here is the future schedule.
I will post one side story on Friday, and after that, I will post Chapter 9 starting from Monday of next week.
Well then, I look forward to your continued support.
If you like, please register a bookmark or give evaluation points.
And please, by all means, send me your impressions.