Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 91: “Events in the Imperial Territory (8)”
──Liana’s point of view──
After leaving Noza Town, the group spent the night in a town along the road. The following day—
Liana arrived at the designated meeting point with Archduke Kharon.
“Oh, you’ve returned, Princess Liana.”
Archduke Kharon, who had been swinging a training sword in the inn’s garden, greeted Liana with those words.
“You have a good expression now. It seems your hesitation has disappeared, Princess.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Liana knelt before Archduke Kharon.
“I’m grateful for your kindness, Your Grace. Thanks to you, I was able to see many things in Noza Town. I even met with my sister—”
“If your doubts are gone, then that’s enough.”
Archduke Kharon cut off Liana’s words with a smile.
“You need not speak of your sister. Keep that locked in your heart, so that no one else may know.”
“But, Your Grace—”
“It was my adjutant, Nona, whom I dispatched. If I can hear her report, that’s sufficient. Let us say that Nona went to Noza Town on my orders for an inspection, accompanied by an available guard. We’ll leave it at that.”
“I-Is that really all right?”
“Yes. Therefore, there’s no need to report whom you spoke with or what you saw. After all, things like the identity of the escort won’t be entered into official records.”
“…Your Grace.”
When Liana looked steadily at Archduke Kharon, he responded with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“This is what you call cunning. One can’t survive in noble society by being too honest. Though truthfully, I once wished for nothing more than to master swordsmanship.”
“Why are you doing so much for me, Your Grace?”
“That is… something like my ego.”
“…You call it ego?”
“You have talent, Princess. Perhaps you might inherit my swordsmanship. That makes me want to show you kindness.”
Archduke Kharon’s swordsmanship was something he had developed himself.
Its movements changed constantly: striking an enemy by the fastest route while evading attacks with the smallest possible motions.
While powerful, it was incredibly difficult to master.
So far, no one had inherited Archduke Kharon’s sword style.
That was why a new Sword Saint hadn’t yet been chosen.
“Inheriting all of my sword techniques would likely be too much to ask. If you could just inherit one or two, that would be enough. It would give meaning to my life. In other words, being kind to you is for my own ego.”
Archduke Kharon nodded, gripping the wooden sword in one hand.
“So you need not worry about it, Princess.”
“Thank you very much, Your Grace.”
Liana bowed deeply.
(Your Grace is a little… like the alchemist, Thor Canaan.)
Neither of them sought fame, advancement, or wealth.
They simply wished to hone their craft and leave something behind in the world.
That was why they felt so similar.
(If Your Grace and that person ever met, they might get along well.)
Just imagining the scene brought a smile to her face.
She even found herself wondering what her sister and the alchemist Thor were doing now.
Her sister Sophia was likely thinking about the future of Noza Town.
Thor Canaan had probably returned to the Demon Lord’s Domain to continue his research in alchemy.
Both were probably living peacefully, far from the Imperial Capital.
Liana didn’t want to trouble either of them with concerns about the new species of magical beast.
“Your Grace. I have a request.”
So, Liana deeply bowed again and spoke to Archduke Kharon.
“May I also join you in sword training?”
“Of course.”
Archduke Kharon offered her a spare wooden sword.
“In fact, I was hoping you would say that.”
“Thank you very much, Your Grace.”
Liana took it and assumed a stance.
“Here I come, Your Grace.”
“I can only use my right arm, so go easy on me.”
“You must be joking.”
There was no opening in Archduke Kharon’s stance, even as he casually held his sword.
Even so, Liana raised her wooden sword and stepped forward.
And then—
“──I yield.”
A dozen or so minutes later,
Liana sat on the ground.
Her hands still tingled with numbness.
There were marks on the ground where she had been thrown over and over. At some point, her clothes had become covered in dirt.
Liana had gone all out against the former Sword Saint.
Even so, she hadn’t stood a chance.
“No, that was quite something. As expected of Your Highness.”
Placing down his wooden sword, Archduke Kharon spoke.
“There were three moments when I felt threatened.”
“Only three, huh?”
“If I may offer some advice, Princess Liana, your sword is too straightforward. Your gaze reveals the timing of your strikes, and your movements are too linear. Delay your gaze before attacking, and mix feints into your movements.”
“I understand.”
“As expected of Your Highness, you catch on quickly.”
“So rather than staring ‘intensely,’ it should be more of a ‘glance, flick,’ and instead of charging in with a ‘dash,’ it should be a ‘snap, float’ kind of motion, right?”
“…………”
“…………”
“Your Highness.”
“M-My apologies, Archduke Kharon!”
Liana quickly covered her mouth.
The Archduke wouldn’t understand that way of speaking.
Without thinking, she had spoken as if she were talking to Thor.
Thor understood what Liana meant and always explained things in a way she could grasp.
No one had ever done that for her before. It had been an invaluable experience.
The impression still lingered strongly within her.
“I see. So Your Highness Liana is the intuitive type.”
Archduke Kharon nodded, seemingly convinced. Liana, her face bright red, slumped her shoulders.
“Yes. The sword instructor Zagran assigned to me often scolded me as well. He told me not to interpret things in my own way and to follow instructions exactly.”
“It’s not that your way is wrong, Your Highness. You should continue to develop your swordsmanship freely and confidently. However… it may be difficult for you to inherit my style of swordsmanship.”
“…I see.”
“To inherit my swordsmanship, one must understand both instinct and theory. It requires someone who can completely control their own body. Though perhaps creating such a style was my own failing.”
The Archduke gave a wry smile, holding his wooden sword.
“For my swordsmanship to disappear without a successor—that may be my fate.”
“I’m sorry I can’t meet your expectations, Archduke Kharon.”
Liana stood and spoke apologetically.
She could tell from their match: Archduke Kharon’s swordsmanship was on an entirely different level.
She sincerely thought it would be a tragedy for such skill to disappear without being passed on.
“Indeed. The one who could inherit my swordsmanship would be someone capable of completely controlling their body.”
Archduke Kharon murmured quietly.
“For example, someone who can slip through a dense crowd and swiftly capture an enemy. If someone like that existed… then perhaps they could inherit my sword.”
“…If someone like that existed?”
Liana nodded without thinking. That was exactly it.
Liana knew someone who met those conditions.
That person had slipped through a crowd like flowing water and captured a robber without leaving so much as a scratch on the hostage.
(If it’s that person, maybe they could inherit Archduke Kharon’s swordsmanship. But──)
Liana had already told Sophia that she would keep that person’s identity a secret.
She couldn’t betray her sister.
There was no way she could ever anger her gentle sister again.
She already knew from painful experience how terrifying Sophia could be when angry.
To be scolded, or worse, to be disowned by her sister—that was a terrifying thought for Liana.
Adjutant Nona might describe the disguised girl to Archduke Kharon.
But she couldn’t identify the girl, and from her position she couldn’t question Sophia about her.
And even if she did, Sophia wouldn’t answer.
(Even though that person might be able to preserve Archduke Kharon’s swordsmanship for future generations…)
Liana held her head in her hands, deep in thought.
(Whose will should I prioritize… my sister’s or the Archduke’s…?)
“What’s the matter, Your Highness? You seem troubled.”
“N-No, it’s nothing.”
“If you’re tired, rest… No, pardon me. It seems we have business first.”
Archduke Kharon looked toward the inn’s entrance.
Several soldiers stood there.
They quickly approached Archduke Kharon and knelt. As he nodded, they stood and whispered into his ear.
“──I see. Well done.”
“──The ones who remained in the imperial capital will continue the investigation.”
“──Very well. Then, take a day off before returning to the capital.”
“──Understood.”
“──You’ve all done well. I’m grateful.”
“────We’re honored by your words.”
At Archduke Kharon’s words, the lightly armed soldiers’ faces lit up with satisfaction.
They then bowed and left the inn grounds.
The soldiers were lodging elsewhere. They were probably heading back there.
“Your Grace, who were those people…?”
“They’re the investigators I left behind in the Imperial Capital. I had them look into suspicious financial movements.”
Archduke Kharon spoke as if it were a trivial matter.
“Hiring people and feeding them costs money. Keeping their presence hidden costs even more, and magical beasts require food as well. Once sums that large begin moving, they become impossible to conceal.”
“Then, Your Grace, had you already begun investigating the source of the magical beasts…?”
“Yes. I thought the culprits might be revealed through the financial movements, so I took action beforehand.”
Liana was impressed.
Before coming here, Archduke Kharon had already made his move.
And in a way that Liana had never anticipated.
“According to their investigation, funds have recently been flowing into a fortress in the northern Empire.”
“If money was moving like that, wouldn’t the Minister of Military Affairs, Zagran, have noticed…?”
“Most likely, the funds were sent secretly without going through the Ministry of Military Affairs.”
“Let’s head to that fortress immediately!”
Liana instinctively gripped her wooden sword.
She couldn’t stay still.
The new type of magical beast was a threat.
Last time, the forces of the Demon Lord’s Domain and Sophia managed to defeat it, but there was no guarantee things would go as smoothly again.
Sophia could be injured in battle.
“If it’s difficult for Your Grace to move, then I’ll go! I’ll defeat the new type of magical beast with the Holy Sword! So—”
“Calm down, Princess.”
Liana froze at the overly calm voice.
Archduke Kharon was standing with his arms crossed, seemingly lost in thought.
“We’re still dealing in speculation. Besides, there are five suspicious fortresses, and the ringleader is likely at only one of them. What will you do if you choose the wrong fortress and the magical beast appears elsewhere?”
“…”
“Reports from the soldiers I left in the Imperial Capital should arrive soon. Until then, let us patrol the border. That will still help us prepare for the magical beasts, will it not?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“You needn’t worry. The results will come soon enough. Of course, I understand your impatience. Given the situation with the Demon Lord’s Domain as well.”
Archduke Kharon flashed a daring smile.
“The Demon Lord’s Domain will investigate the new species as well. But if the Empire is involved, then resolving the matter is the Empire’s responsibility. We can’t allow the Demon Lord’s Domain to uncover the truth first; it would disgrace the Empire. From this point onward, it’s a race.”
“Y-Yes, Your Grace.”
“The Demon Lord’s Domain has no way to trace money moving within the Empire. They’ll have to search for the culprit without that lead. We should reach them first.”
“…That’s true.”
Liana couldn’t nod in agreement.
Archduke Kharon had his own investigative team.
They could probably track down the new type of magical beast’s associates through the flow of money within the Empire.
But the people of the Demon Lord’s Domain had no access to information from within the Empire.
They would be forced to search blindly for the culprit.
No matter how she looked at it, Archduke Kharon and Liana should be able to find the culprit first.
(Then why do I feel like we won’t win…?)
The thought that Sophia and Alchemist Thor might overturn that disadvantage wouldn’t leave her mind.
She could sense it instinctively.
They might not care about the lack of information and would reach the culprit in no time.
“Understood. Let us patrol the border, Your Grace.”
For now, that was the only thing she could do.
At the very least, she could pray that Archduke Kharon’s intelligence team found the culprit quickly.
And that Sophia and Alchemist Thor wouldn’t be placed in danger.
“Yes. We’ll depart by afternoon. Until then, rest, Princess Liana.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
With that, Liana began her preparations for the magical beast investigation.
──Somewhere in the northern Empire──
“The experiment was a success.”
In the darkness, a voice was heard.
“Soon, we’ll begin the practical test of the magical beast. Prepare yourselves.”
“…I have a question.”
Another man interrupted.
“…When will we receive our reward?”
“You haven’t been forgotten. The reward will be paid after the familiar’s field test.”
“…We’re following you in secret for that reward.”
“I understand.”
“…It’s because of the reward that we’re following you. Don’t forget that.”
“I said I understand.”
The sound of a sigh could be heard.
“The higher-ups haven’t forgotten about us. See for yourself. The supply carriage has arrived.”
In the darkness, distant flames could be seen.
Faintly, they could hear a horse neigh and the rumble of carriage wheels.
“The familiar’s food has arrived. Feed it, and be careful not to let it go berserk.”
“…I understand you have the power to move both people and supplies.”
“Of course. The Empire trusts us.”
“…Is that so?”
“That’s why we have collaborators and an escape route. The country intends to cultivate more units like ours—intelligence, infiltration, investigation… units that operate in the shadows.”
“…Is this part of that plan?”
“Yes.”
“…Summoning magic, huh? Even though heroes no longer come when summoned.”
“Heroes don’t come. That’s why another trump card is necessary.”
“…I hear that the Archduke and the Holy Sword Princess are heading toward the border.”
“We’ve left almost no clues. The beast merely devoured another magical beast near the border. They’ll never find us.”
“…I hope so.”
“The conversation is over. Go to the supply carriage.”
“…Understood. But…”
“Is there something else?”
“…We don’t know everything about the new magical beasts. They’re creatures from another world. It would be unwise to let your guard down.”
“I’m not seeking advice. Do your job. Tell your subordinates the same. That’s all.”
“…Understood.”
Faint footsteps could be heard as the speaker moved away.
A large shadow began to move in pursuit.
It let out a cry no creature of this world could produce and moved with eerie, unnatural motions.
Yet every movement was controlled by the summoner.
It wouldn’t go berserk or attack people recklessly.
At least, not for now.
“How arrogant for someone hired with money.”
The man in the black robe spat out.
“Through group magic, we have succeeded in controlling the magical beast. But we need more achievements before we can become a permanent unit. The experiment must continue. It’s difficult, but we must endure for the sake of our success.”
The sound of the magical beast devouring the food from the supply cart could be heard.
For now, it was manageable, but if several were summoned, feeding them would become a serious problem.
It would be costly to keep them permanently.
It would be better to summon them when necessary and dispose of them once they’re no longer needed.
“The problem is how the Demon Lord’s Domain will respond…”
The spider-type magical beast and the giant centipede-type magical beast hadn’t withstood the army of the Demon Lord’s Domain.
The strength of the Demon Lord’s Domain was beyond measure.
As expected of those who were once humanity’s enemies.
But…
“If we’re defeated by the Demon Lord’s Domain… then even having summoned a familiar would be meaningless. That’s why I summoned the next one.”
Something stronger. Harder. More powerful.
That was the desire behind the summoning.
And as a result…
“…That one should be able to overwhelm the forces of the Demon Lord’s Domain. If it ever comes to a fight.”
The magical beast they had prepared was strong.
Without the Hero’s great spell, “Meteor”—no, even with “Meteor”—it would be difficult to defeat.
They had succeeded in controlling such a powerful magical beast.
“Please wait. We’ll return with great achievements. In doing so, the country will continue to prosper. Under the next plan…”
The figure standing in the darkness muttered such things.