kscans

Chapter 106 - Interlude: A Report from the Kingdom

The Harg Kingdom, the regional city of Alum.

In the office of the lord's manor.

Two men were present: the city's lord and the Guild Master.

The lord was reading a report he had received from the master.

It was a dispatch from Shinsuke, who was acting as their spy—the latest one, in fact. This particular report, however, had been written not by him, but by Tina. The reasons for this were also detailed within.

The lord clutched his head.

"'Speechless' doesn't even begin to cover it. What in the world… how could things have possibly ended up like this? Can you enlighten me?"

To this question, the Guild Master replied.

"My apologies. I don't understand it myself. The only thing I can say for certain is that he is a hunter, and there was a monster that needed to be hunted. That's all there is to it."

The Guild Master's face was grim.

And for good reason, considering all of Shinsuke's actions so far.

The uprising at the Church, the incident in the Republic, the assassination of the Empire's emperor, and the fierce battle with the monsters…

Any one of these events was significant enough to be recorded in history.

The lord sighed.

"Was letting him leave this country a mistake after all? If he had just stayed put, he wouldn't have gotten involved, and we wouldn't be having this headache."

To the exhausted lord, the Guild Master said,

"That would have been difficult. It was his decision to go on a journey. If we had refused, he likely would have left anyway, even if it meant losing everything. I'm sure Tina felt the same way. Besides, had he remained, it's possible that all these incidents would have occurred here, in this country."

At the Guild Master's ominous words, the lord mused.

"The Seven Demon Lords, you mean? True, it all started with the incident in the rocky mountains. It's certain that they had their eyes on him. Considering that, perhaps this was for the best. Or should I think that? It's complicated."

His final words were spoken with a sense of resignation.

The Guild Master was thinking the same thing. If Shinsuke had stayed in the Kingdom, the events that transpired in other nations might have all happened here. If that were the case, they would have been unable to cope with the successive incidents, and many lives would have been lost.

He briefly thought of it as 'good riddance,' but immediately dismissed the idea.

Shinsuke had saved their country. It was disrespectful to think of their benefactor in such a way. However, for the peace of the nation, it wasn't uncommon for one person to be sacrificed. It wasn't about right or wrong. What mattered was survival.

That was all.

The lord thought for a moment before asking,

"So? When are those two likely to return? The battle at the border… from what I've read, it seems the war is nearly over."

To this, the Guild Master replied.

"That is mentioned in this report. It seems Shinsuke sustained rather serious injuries and has not yet awakened. Even when he does regain consciousness, the report states he will require a long period of recuperation."

He handed the report to the lord.

The lord read it aloud.

"A Minotaur… A type of high-level monster, one you'd never want to encounter. To think he fought something like that… what does it take for things to turn out this way?"

He spoke with a heavy air of resignation.

He couldn't recall ever being this mentally exhausted since becoming a lord.

Would this man prove to be a blessing or a curse? At this point, he desperately wanted to believe he was a blessing.


In the royal castle of the Harg Kingdom. The King's office.

The King and the Prince were reading a certain report.

It had been sent by the Guild Master of Alum—a record of the duo's activities.

Ever since the Kraken incident, the King had given strict orders to be informed of any reports deemed important.

Initially, upon discovering the princess's unauthorized journey, the King had been in a mentally precarious state. It had taken a considerable amount of time for him to recover—his old age slowing the healing process.

Having more or less recovered, the King looked at the report and said,

"Alphonse… I wish to return to my long slumber."

As the King stared off into the distance, Alphonse replied,

"Father, please face reality. It is still too early for you to retire. The succession to the throne has not even been completed. Let us get back to work."

Alphonse's face turned serious.

The King, as if giving up, looked at his son.

Alphonse continued.

"According to the report, they were involved in the incidents in the Republic and the Church. In the Empire, it was thought to be only the battle at the border, but an unknown monster appeared, which they then subjugated. Currently, Shinsuke is unconscious and bedridden. This report was written by Tina. The Empire is in a state of chaos."

"The former emperor has passed away, and the new emperor, Lady Grine, transformed into a monster, according to the testimony of soldiers within the castle. This information is top secret, but Tina apparently overheard a conversation in a hallway while Shinsuke was resting in the castle's medical room for his meritorious service in defeating the unknown monster."

He finished reading the report.

The King, his earlier demeanor gone, was now thinking with a serious expression.

Alphonse felt a sense of relief.

When his father had this look on his face, he was dependable. At least he wouldn't need to borrow his sister's wisdom. Olivia would undoubtedly handle the situation appropriately, but if she did, the calls for her to be the next monarch would only grow louder. And she herself had no desire to be queen.

To resolve this peacefully, it was up to him and his father.

The King spoke.

"Alphonse, order a trusted soldier to investigate the Empire to confirm the facts. If the report is true, it is highly likely that Princess Yorune will become the new empress. That princess should be reasonable in negotiations. After all, it was Princess Grine who fed the former emperor unnecessary information and knowledge, causing confusion and steering the situation in a negative direction."

"Well, Emperor Dion was a wise man, so it was fortunate he did not sever ties or invade the Kingdom. But with Princess Grine gone, it should be possible for both sides to move in a better direction."

At this instruction, Alphonse replied.

"In that case, sending an official delegation would be the most prudent course of action to avoid any issues. And for that… Glad is the most suitable candidate. His strength is among the best in the Kingdom. Furthermore, the two individuals in the Empire know Glad. I can think of no one else."

To this, the King said.

"Hmm. Then, Alphonse, tomorrow you shall order Glad to serve as an envoy to the Empire. It's pointless to keep secrets from Olivia, so we will conduct the ceremony in the audience chamber during the morning assembly. Do you have any objections?"

Alphonse replied.

"None. If we make it this official, surely even Olivia will not be able to act selfishly."

He smiled, relieved.


The next morning, in front of the royal castle.

A large crowd of citizens was watching a certain procession.

About thirty soldiers, led by the shield knight, Glad.

And in the center of the column was a lavish carriage.

A figure appeared from its window, and the crowd erupted.

"Kyaaa—♡! Lady Olivia—♡!"

"Lady Olivia—! Good luck—!"

"Please take care of yourself—!"

In response to the cheers, the person in the carriage, Olivia, smiled back.

In the driver's seat, the maid Sakura skillfully handled the reins, a wide grin on her face.

The King and Alphonse, watching from a castle terrace, both had the same thought.

How did it come to this?

It had all happened in the audience chamber during the discussion about dispatching the delegation.

When Glad was chosen as the head of the envoy, Olivia had spoken up.

"Father, I believe it would be disrespectful to the Empire for a member of the royal family not to participate in this delegation. That country has lost two emperors, and its situation is unstable. If a delegation from the Kingdom arrives without a single royal, some nobles might take it as an insult. Therefore, I, Olivia, am the most suitable envoy."

Naturally, the King and the Prince objected to this.

But there was some logic to Olivia's argument.

When it was suggested that Alphonse go instead, Olivia retorted.

"Brother is the next king. While it is unlikely the Empire would do anything, we must consider the worst-case scenario. For the good of the country, I should be the one to go."

Her attitude was completely unyielding.

This display left the nobles deeply impressed.

The princess was concerned for the well-being of the prince, the next in line to the throne, and was prepared to embark on a dangerous journey herself.

More than anything, they saw an illusion of a formidable royal aura radiating from the princess herself.

Many nobles supported the princess's proposal. If the King and Prince stubbornly opposed it, they risked creating a strange misunderstanding among the aristocracy.

Reluctantly, the King appointed the princess as the envoy.

Inside the carriage, Olivia was inwardly overjoyed.

Now she could see the places where those two had been active with her own eyes, hear the stories with her own ears, and write a poem of their heroic deeds.

She set out on her journey, determined to complete the greatest poem of her life.