Chapter 803 - Chapter 3: The First Report Arrives
By the end of February, I returned to the Ghost Mansion. Gnome's work was finished, and the waterway was safely connected.
At the end, where the highway was destroyed to connect the waterway, Alex built a bridge, but he was being subjected to unreasonable demands from the spirits to hurry up. I feel a bit sorry for him. But the completed bridge was indeed a magnificent piece of work, and we had a drink to celebrate the completion of the construction, and since the spirits were also praising it wholeheartedly, he looked happy.
In this way, the first phase of construction was completed. While I was consulting with everyone in Nakanohara about what to do for the second phase, I received a message from Eleanor-sama. She told me to come to the palace immediately using the Kingdom Army's [Teleport]. The sun has already set. Until now, it was always 'come tomorrow' or 'I'll come pick you up'. No matter how I think about it, something is up. It's probably the Black Rot. Since it will likely be an expedition, I decided to leave the second phase of construction to Lyudmila and went to the palace immediately.
When I was guided to the waiting room, Beatrix was there.
"Beatrix, you were called too."
"I guess so. Probably [Translate]."
"Jumping magic water?"
"Most likely. If you and I are both called to the palace, that's all it could be."
Beatrix also doesn't seem to have been told the details.
I was told to wait for a while, so while having the drink provided, I talked with Beatrix. The content of the conversation was about Higashinohara.
"Jeanne, Beatrix. Thank you for coming. I'm sorry for calling you so late at night."
I met the King in the audience chamber. It's a formal talk. Despite it being night, the King and Magdalena-sama are there, Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama are next to the throne, and Prince Charles is there too. Prince Charles, I believe, is nineteen this year. His birth is in November, so it's more than half a year away. The younger brother isn't there. I heard he's doing martial training at Roberts-sama's place. Roberts-sama and Gladys-sama aren't there. In other words, the reason for being called isn't a matter of war.
Besides the royalty, Evans-sama and other dignitaries are there. It's quite solemn. Among the dignitaries, of course, Harris-sama is there, but Phillips-sama was next to him. No mistake. It's an epidemic, specifically the Black Rot.
"No. More importantly, did something happen?"
"You can imagine, can't you?"
"Is it the Black Rot?"
"That's right. You understand well. We received a report from the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church. It seems deaths are occurring in a large port town facing the Inner Sea in southern West Liber."
As I thought. It must be a slave ship or something.
The King didn't say deaths 'occurred', but 'are occurring'. The spread must have begun.
"The first report was brought by Richard, the Duke of Roland. It came directly to our country as well. We sent letters of confirmation to Medioland, the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church, and the Northwest Coast Treaty member nations. Then, there was a request for cooperation from the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church. Apparently, it's true."
The Duchy of Roland was the first country to propose taking up Black Rot countermeasures as an agenda item at the Great Unity Conference. Because of that proposal, the story of Anri-sama, who came from southern West Liber, suddenly became effective. The place was in an uproar back then.
"Then, is it an increase in the production of magic water?"
If we go to Finis and make beads, we can make a lot. If Beatrix jumps them to the southern tip of the Duchy of Naonent or Vectis Island, we should be able to set up a spread prevention line inside the continent. If we can transport patients that far, we can save them.
"Most likely. After going to the two northern countries with Beatrix, please go to Primordia. You two will likely receive instructions from the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church via the local Royal Capital Great Church. The Henry Party will handle the transport."
"Does that mean it's a request from the Church? I wonder if the reward is from the Church too."
Beatrix asked. Her reaction in this area is as fast as ever.
"That's right. Regardless of Jeanne, who is a priest, Harris will talk to you later about the details of the request and reward for Beatrix."
In my case as a priest, it's just the sales of the scrolls. Well, the necessary expenses will be covered by that country.
"I'm [Translate], right? I'm jumping magic water, aren't I?"
"Most likely."
Most likely? What else is there?
"Your Majesty, have you not been informed of anything?"
"I haven't heard as far as where to jump it."
"I see."
"Ah, you know the Church's policy toward war, don't you?"
"They're absolutely against it, right?"
"That's right. You know what state West Liber is in now, don't you?"
"They're at war in the east and west... Could it be they won't give magic water until there's a truce?"
"That's right. They won't give it to countries participating in the war."
"Will they give it to other countries? For example, the Duchy of Naonent."
"Probably. I think they'll give it to the Duchy of Germana too. That country is also a party involved in the war in a sense, but as you know, they have a non-aggression pact with West Liber."
If they don't give it to participating countries, won't they give it to Engrio or the Duchy of Roland? The Duchy of Roland was the same at the time of the Great Unity Conference, but they are issuing early warnings. The first report of the landing in West Liber this time also originated from the Duchy of Roland.
"Engrio, upon receiving this report, declared that they would not participate in the war until the epidemic countermeasures are finished. So they will give it. It might flow from Engrio to the Duchy of Roland, but they will likely turn a blind eye to that."
Turning a blind eye, eh. That's how they get information from the Duchy of Roland.
"In any case, it seems they will start providing magic water on a full scale once East and West Liber have a truce. They will create a breakwater against the Black Rot with magic water. Please prepare with that in mind."
"Understood. I'll hear the details in Finis and Primordia."
The audience ended like that.
Just before leaving the room, Magdalena-sama told me to go see Beowulf.
Beowulf is in the middle of bridal training. Since she's scheduled to get married during the May Festival, she must be in the final stretch now. Jeanne of Sertogne said that learning etiquette was truly difficult. I'm sure Beowulf is the same. I have to go listen to her complaints while visiting her.
Magdalena-sama said she's usually with the lady-in-waiting in charge of her education in a room for that purpose, so one of Magdalena-sama's lady-in-waiting guided me.
"Jeanne, have you ever seen Beowulf in a dress?"
"No. Even at dinner parties, she was wearing the Kingdom Army uniform."
"That girl was wearing a one-piece dress when she came to the orphanage, but before I knew it, she stopped wearing them."
Come to think of it, that's true. Beowulf came to the orphanage when she was ten. She entered the town guard as an apprentice three years later, and she started wearing men's clothes around then. It's probably because she couldn't fight in a one-piece dress.
"Will was wearing men's clothes from the start, though."
"Beowulf was aiming to be a Kingdom Army heavy infantryman from the start. She ate a lot."
She said she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps.
"Wasn't she big from the start?"
"She was big. After graduating, there were times she wore her father's memento clothes."
"Heh, I see."
"Yeah. But was it after she went to the Kingdom Army? She stopped wearing them."
"Didn't she get bigger than her father?"
"Ahahaha, maybe."
Beowulf is probably bigger than the men around her... or rather, average heavy infantrymen. After all, she's a shock trooper. I'm sure her father was a heavy infantryman too. Will is taller, but Beowulf's width, or rather thickness—her torso is incredible. Until I met Roberts-sama, she was the biggest person I knew. Though, she's going to be the wife of someone even bigger.
"It's this way," I was guided into a room that seemed to be where the lady-in-waiting gathered. When I went inside, Beowulf was indeed there. However, she wasn't wearing a dress.
"Ya!"
"Look out!"
"Aaah!"
When Beowulf dodged, a lady-in-waiting with a knife in her right hand came running toward me while staggering.
Eeeh! I haven't heard of this kind of development!
"[Wind Barrier]!"
Beatrix immediately deployed a wall of air in front of me.
Skillful!
I utilized the effect of the Cat's Stone to move to the side and whacked the hand holding the knife with my shakujo.
Clang, a surprisingly light sound echoed as the knife rolled onto the floor.
"It hurts!"
The lady-in-waiting who dropped the knife pressed her right wrist, which must have been painful, with her left hand, but her face became defenseless as a result.
Is she going to crash into the wall like this?
Just as I thought that, Gooh! a sound echoed and at the same time, the lady-in-waiting was blown back in the direction she came from. Beatrix had rapidly deactivated the wall of air.
"Whoops! Dangerous."
Beowulf brilliantly caught the lady-in-waiting who was blown back.
"Are you okay?"
"Ah, yes. I am terribly sorry."
When Beowulf spoke words of concern to the lady-in-waiting with a smile, the lady-in-waiting, supported by Beowulf's sturdy arms, blushed and looked down.
Wait, isn't she misunderstanding something? The roles are different, to begin with. It's like we're the bad guys.
What Beowulf was doing was knife technique training. The ones receiving the training were lady-in-waiting who came from Primordia, and they were the ones who would eventually become Beowulf's lady-in-waiting.
Originally, they came to deepen their relationship with Beowulf while also conducting an inspection. However, they apparently came after being told by the King of Primordia to receive self-defense training. In Primordia, there was a bad trend for a long time that the role of women was child-rearing, and compared to other countries, women's social advancement was greatly delayed. As a result, the lady-in-waiting serving in the palace have no knowledge of self-defense or combat techniques using knives... Saxburg knew them. With that, they wouldn't be able to protect themselves, let alone the Queen or Princess, in case of emergency. They thought they would learn because Finis, where all citizens are soldiers, and Sertoria, where the Queen is a former delinquent... I mean, a former light cavalry unit commander—are particularly famous for the combat power of their lady-in-waiting.
"Isn't this country a bit special?"
It's just as Beatrix says. It's greatly different from ordinary royalty, with the former Queen being the Magic Corps commander and the current Queen being a former light cavalry unit commander. The only normal ones are Jennifer-sensei and Miana. No, judging by her behavior during the Nakanohara Revenant attack incident, Jennifer-sensei might be of the same kind.
"But I think it's not a bad thing to acquire the means to protect yourself."
Beowulf, who will become the Crown Princess in the near future, says that the lady-in-waiting serving in the palace are all beauties. Since there are times they get involved in various troubles, it's fine for them to acquire self-defense techniques.
"So you were doing training?"
Slashing at the future Crown Princess with a knife, wouldn't that be a death penalty in some places?
"It's a wooden knife painted silver. So it's safe."
She picked up the dropped knife and showed it to me. It's indeed as she says. That's why the sound when she dropped it was light.
Beowulf has, of course, received training in unarmed combat and combat techniques using knives. Not only that, in the last great war, despite being a newcomer as a Kingdom soldier, she performed the feat of capturing the heavy infantry of Engrio who were raging like evil spirits and knocking down their veteran seniors. I'm sure she received a medal. Of course, I didn't see the scene, but since the person caught said Beowulf was amazing, she must be truly amazing.
"I thought that once I get married, I'll use my experience so far to teach self-defense to the lady-in-waiting of the Primordia palace. When I asked, there were volunteers, so we were practicing lightly."
She's already thinking about things like that?
I started to feel foolish for worrying that she might be exhausted from practicing unfamiliar etiquette.
"It's mutual. I learn etiquette from them, and in exchange, I teach them self-defense."
Looking at the lady-in-waiting, they all seem to be having fun. I'm relieved that she's already been able to get along with them.
"Wait? Beowulf, that ring."
I was surprised to see the ring Beowulf was wearing on the index finger of her right hand. It's a ring I've seen before.
"You, that ring..."
Beatrix seemed to remember it too.
"Ah, when I was to marry Edward-sama, a formal messenger came from Sertogne too. I became the adopted daughter of the Sertorian royal family, but they came to give a warning that my original bloodline is Sertogne. Well, I suppose it's necessary for diplomacy."
The ring she showed me again is the ring the King of Sertogne gave to Beowulf's grandmother. It's something that shows she is of the legitimate Sertogne royal bloodline. Sertogne joined the Northwest Coast Treaty. And they are being provided with magic water made with my [Anti-Sepsis], a Sertorian, from Primordia. Now, they have used that magic water as a diplomatic card to sign a non-aggression pact with West Liber. Sertogne probably wants to continue a close relationship with Primordia.
"My children won't have the right of succession to the Sertogne throne, but I did. But I renounced it when I became the adopted daughter of Sertoria. So, I think they said it's okay to wear this openly."
She's laughing brightly.
During the orphanage days, I was surprised when I first heard that Beowulf had the hope of following in her father's footsteps and becoming a Kingdom Army heavy infantryman in the future. No girl had such a hope. It's heavy infantry, which competes with physique, rather than magic soldiers or light infantry. She was big from the start, but there were times I thought she was overconfident. But thinking about it now, she might have wanted to escape from the bloodline of her mother, who drew the blood of the Primordia royal family, by following in the footsteps of her father, who was a pure Sertorian. Now everything has come to light, but she remains Beowulf. And she has officially become a Sertorian who draws the blood of the Sertogne royal family. Beowulf's grandmother who left the ring, and the former King of Sertogne who gave the ring to the grandmother he loved, would surely be happy.