kscans

Chapter 157 - The Luncheon and the King of Heilon (Part 2)

The man said he wanted to talk for a bit, and we were led to a small room. It looked like a conference room, furnished with a luxurious wood-grain table and chairs, but it seemed we would be talking while standing.

"I am Jolt, King of Heilon,"

the man announced.

"The gentleman behind him is Lord Holty,"

the priestess whispered to me. I wondered what kind of person Holty was. If he was the priest of Heilon's church, I was supposed to have met him already. But Myra had said the letter she'd given me was written by the priest. Could he teleport?

"He serves as the Chancellor. You would not have seen him at the church in Heilon,"

the priestess explained, seeming to have sensed my confusion.

"And you must be Mash. Who are these individuals?"

We hadn't broken our triangular formation with Aira at the center. Dressed like a Paladin, Aira would naturally appear to be our leader.

"This is Aira-sama."

Aira gave a slight nod. Her shoulders were trembling a little, perhaps from being overly nervous. Before meeting me, she had dreamed of a future married to Reed, becoming a noble herself. I decided to chalk this up to warrior's tremors and hoped she would persevere. However, pushing her past her limit would only earn me her resentment. It might be time to take over.

"...I see."

The King of Heilon nodded, but I wondered what he and the female knight from before were thinking. Did they believe Aira was an otherworlder too?

"I thank you for accepting our invitation to this luncheon. We could have held it at the castle in Heilon, but we both have our positions to consider. Besides, Holty insisted that this castle was the most fitting place for us to meet,"

the King of Heilon said, glancing at his chancellor, who gave a slight bow. A meeting at the castle in Heilon would carry official weight. Any statements made there could not be taken back. He probably wanted to gauge our intentions informally. For an informal meeting, though, a luncheon with twenty nobles seemed rather grand.

"But how did they know Uta was an otherworlder?"

Cecily muttered. It was true. Because I had summoned Laciel, anyone who saw it would at least think I had a connection to the goddesses. But according to Myra, no one had seen a god since the Great War of the Gods. I should be the only one with the Goddess Summon special skill.

"Otherworlder heroes possess three Divine Graces. In particular, those summoned by Lady Laciel are bestowed with a special grace upon their descent into this world. Namely..."

"The Yata no Kagami, the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, and the Yasakani no Magatama."

I finished the priestess's sentence. Sweat beaded in my clenched fists. We were searching for the lost staff, mirror, and Jar of Holy Oil, said to have been housed in the Ark. The mirror had been taken from Uta's coffin by Isaac. The Jar of Holy Oil was likely lost, as it was said that the goddess Rishal destroyed it during the Great War of the Gods, scattering mana across the world. And the staff was believed to have been in the possession of the old Empire's emperor. From the similarities between the monotheistic legends and the creation myths of my world, I had assumed the Three Sacred Treasures were one and the same. Based on the monotheistic myth that there were two stone tablets, I had thought Isaac's mirror and Famu's special skill, the Yata no Kagami, were a set. But the Three Sacred Treasures from the creation myths existed as separate special skills. Neither Mizuki nor I had been given any purpose or hints as to why we were transferred here. But I had believed that gathering these items would open a path for us. Yet, in the original myths, they weren't things to be gathered, but things that were bestowed. In both the monotheistic and creation myths, the hero wields the sacred treasures to found a nation. If the sacred treasures themselves were special skills—Divine Graces—then Mizuki and I had made the wrong choice from the very beginning. We weren't even at the starting line. By some stroke of luck, Famu had acquired the Yata no Kagami special skill. I wondered if there was anyone who had the other two. Even so, I vaguely recalled Laciel mentioning a higher-tier skill that combined special skills. Perhaps that was the skill needed to face the Demon Lord or the God of the End. But if Famu couldn't acquire all three special skills, then that skill was now unusable. Being expected to choose these three from that enormous list was an unreasonable demand. This was definitely something to protest to Laciel about, but Uta had chosen them without fail. And though she had defeated the Demon Lord, nothing in the world seemed to have changed afterward, and her life didn't appear to have been rewarded. There was no salvation in that. The stone tablet Isaac had taken was also a mystery. From now on, I would have to track the monotheistic sacred treasures and the creation myth treasures as separate items.

"So, you do possess them after all."

As I fell silent, she misinterpreted it and gazed at Aira with dazzling eyes.

"First, allow me to express my gratitude for your recent subjugation of the Demon Kingdom's privateer ship,"

the chancellor said. What was his position here? If he was from the church, that would make him a hardliner. But why was the church trying to confront the Demon Kingdom? Why did the Demon Lord have to be struck down by an otherworlder hero?

"No thanks are necessary. It was also a request from the Star Union Family of Miglutt,"

Aira replied. The King and the chancellor nodded.

"Control of the waterways is the lifeblood of our city. For a privateer ship to so easily sail upstream is a grave situation indeed."

The chancellor sighed and looked at the king. If they showed clear hostility toward the Demon Kingdom, it could become a pretext for an immediate military response. That was why Heilon couldn't send its navy to sweep them out. At the very least, they needed the solidarity of the surrounding cities, and above all, the Empire to be united. That cooperation was being disrupted by the Demon Kingdom's machinations. And the emperor was slow to act, showing no overt moves like dispatching troops to this city or Miglutt, which were on the front lines against the Demon Kingdom.

"The Demon Kingdom deployed an army of two hundred thousand to take the old imperial capital. We would be lucky to gather ten thousand soldiers. This city's strength alone cannot stand against the Demon Kingdom,"

the king replied. He seemed to be a moderate, while the chancellor appeared to be a hardliner. Of course, it was unlikely they belonged to clearly defined factions; I could imagine they were making difficult decisions from a complex set of options.

"So, I hear you heroes are heading to Miglutt. May I ask the purpose of your journey?"

the chancellor asked.

"A companion of ours is under a curse. We seek treatment at the Great Temple."

"...I see."

The chancellor nodded at Aira's answer. What he wanted to know was whether or not we intended to take military action against the Demon Kingdom. Specifically, he wanted to know about the possibility of a Holy War. The fate of Heilon would change dramatically based on that. But we had no intention of leading an army into the Demon Kingdom. Aira hadn't even considered it, so her honest answer unintentionally deflected the chancellor's question.

"We hear that Lady Laciel descended during the recent battle. We have also heard rumors of her descending on other occasions. Would it be possible for you to do so before us?"

"It is possible. However, there was once a person who wished for a descent to hear Lady Laciel's words. I granted their wish, but that person collapsed and was unable to even behold her form."

"The gods do not like to be tested, do they?"

The person who had collapsed should be cheerfully bouncing her breasts around Heilon today, but of course, Aira didn't mention that. It was better to let them think that anyone who wished for a descent would receive a fitting reward. In any case, Aira, who had been trembling at first, was now conversing with them with great composure. Myra was also composed, but perhaps due to her awareness of being a divine proxy, she had a tendency to speak intimidatingly, especially to those of high status. Aira had no such airs; her demeanor was soft. It seemed she had a talent for this kind of negotiation. However, upon closer inspection, I saw she was holding her hand out behind her, and Cecily was gripping it. I had been cruel to her. It would be too much to leave the negotiations to her any longer. I stood in front of Aira.

"We have no intention of openly declaring war and marching into the Demon Kingdom."

"So, you intend to march into the Demon Kingdom without a declaration of war?"

"I cannot say whether that will produce the result the Empire desires. In the first place, would it be so bad if Heilon became a city of the Demon Kingdom?"

The king and chancellor exchanged bitter smiles.

"It would not be bad, no. However, should that happen, the Empire, with its feet to the fire, would surely send its army. If that happens, any means of ruling this land peacefully would be lost. Our ideal is to have the Demon Kingdom withdraw from the old imperial capital."

This time, it was my turn to give a bitter smile. As I thought, the chancellor was not a complete hardliner. He was searching for a way to navigate the current situation. In that case, there was a possibility they would surrender the moment the Demon Kingdom sent its army to this city.

For about an hour, the talks continued, but we achieved nothing concrete. That's not to say my impression of them was bad. In fact, I found them more approachable and easier to talk to than the other nobles. I didn't have a strong impression of the King of Heilon. It seemed he had ascended to the throne at a young age, and the chancellor, Holty, had held the real power. He seemed to have gradually strengthened his authority as he aged, but I got the impression that the chancellor's influence was still strong. That didn't mean there was friction between them; it felt more like the chancellor was watching over the King of Heilon's growth. The impression was that of a master and student. Of course, this was just a feeling from a short time, so I didn't know the actual situation. And contrary to my initial perception, it seemed the King of Heilon was more eager to fight the Demon Kingdom, perhaps wanting to assert his presence both at home and abroad. Conversely, I found that the chancellor was more reluctant. But there was no reason for us to engage in any maneuvering. In the first place, I had no intention of getting involved in a conflict between the Empire and the Demon Kingdom. And though I wouldn't reveal it to them, my mission to defeat the Demon Lord and my desire to lift the ten-year time limit imposed on otherworlders were likely not topics that would interest the King of Heilon or the chancellor. The King of Heilon was surely not speaking his true mind either. It seemed I didn't have the ability to read their true intentions. However, we did agree on the desire not to provoke each other, and we confirmed that we would not become enemies, no matter the situation.

"Then, please let us know if you decide to undertake a Holy War."

"Understood. When that time comes, we will make our declaration in this castle,"

I replied to the chancellor's words, and the King of Heilon raised his wine glass.

"In that case, you can leave the military matters to me."

I couldn't tell if the King of Heilon's words were serious or a joke, but I nodded. I didn't think that time would ever come, but I couldn't imagine myself leading an army into battle, nor did I have the resolve to be responsible for others' lives. I wondered if the King of Heilon did. I felt uneasy. Perhaps Aira, the only one here in gallant attire, could do it. Misinterpreting my gaze as a request for her opinion, she frantically averted her eyes.

"I-In that case, we'll be counting on you."

Her expression was strained. I doubted she knew what she was supposed to be counting on him for.

Afterward, we received a full set of equipment from the King of Heilon as a reward for the pirate subjugation. It was made of the same material as the chainmail Aira had been wearing. He explained that it was made by infusing silver with mana using Mana Seeds to increase its strength and lightness. They had apparently researched our party beforehand, as there was equipment for everyone. For me, a breastplate and a greatsword. I'll use the breastplate, but a double-edged sword is awkward to use, so it'll likely be gathering dust in my storage for a while. There were breastplates for Famu and Mizuki as well. Additionally, they each received a one-handed sword and a shield. For Myra, Cecily, and Aira, there was chainmail to be worn underneath, two maces, and a staff. Marmi probably told them, but it was impressive how quickly they prepared everything. We would need to test out the usability of each item as we went. But if they had prior information, why was Aira perceived as the central figure? By the way, the outfit she was wearing was apparently genuinely Uta's, so we couldn't receive it, but we were told we could take the clothes and accessories Cecily and I were wearing home with us. I was grateful, but I declined. It would be a problem if we took them, as they seemed difficult to sell or give to someone else. There might be another occasion like this, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And so, we returned to the courtyard luncheon with the King of Heilon. Our formation once again returned to a triangle with Aira at the apex. The nobles became more proactive in approaching and greeting us, which was quite a hassle, but the position in the back was still comfortable. I casually browsed the food while watching Aira's flustered state.

"Aira-sama, we have to ride horses on the way back, so perhaps you should refrain from any more alcohol..."

I couldn't tell if it was due to nervousness or her usual behavior, but I grew worried watching her down glass after glass of wine.

"I'm staying here tonight."

"...I'm going back."

I couldn't get Famu out of my head. And, though I had almost forgotten my purpose, today was my date with Cecily, and I had to succeed and somehow convince her to stay in the party. We had to continue where we left off that night. I thought it would be difficult to stop her from going to the magic academy. It was probably for my sake. But that didn't mean I wanted this to be the end of our relationship. I wanted to keep her connected to me.

"I'm going back, too."

Cecily agreed with me. Come to think of it, she had only touched her wine to her lips, not actually drunk any.

"..."

Hearing my and Cecily's reply, she fell silent. And drank her wine. I felt like her eyes were gradually becoming glazed over. Was she really going to be okay?