Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 62. In the Darkness
The Prime Minister, was slumped in his office at the royal castle. He hadn’t been able to sleep lately.
“… Really, is everything really going to be okay?”
He mumbled, reviewing the viewing subjugation scheduled in two days. An indescribable anxiety would not go away, causing him to hunch over.
Even though he was the one who approved the repair plan for the arena and the costs, a feeling of dread was creeping up on him right before the event.
Just a few months ago, undead monsters were a terrifying threat to everyone. But now, he realized that the excitement and joy he felt at the fact that the holy sword had manifested in his country had paralyzed his thinking and inflated his ego.
The Prime Minister was from a count’s family that had traditionally held important positions in the imperial court. He understood better than anyone that he had obtained this position due to his family’s power rather than his own ability. Before the mass outbreak of undead monsters in the north, the country was in a peaceful state. And even though he had no outstanding talent, he spent his days maintaining the stability of the country without causing any trouble. He should have been satisfied with that.
–We’ve gone mad, both me and His Majesty.
The reason why such thoughts began to creep into his mind was because of the petition on his desk.
The Bishop of the Royal Capital Church and nearly half of the clergy had disappeared. The news reached him from his aide only a few days ago. The Knights ignored it, and his aide had coincidentally overheard about it.
When he questioned Dylan Agreas Ziemeld, who was the head of the Kingdom’s Knights, he got the same answer as the Knights had given him.
── Should I really trust that man…?
It seemed insane to him to overlook the mass disappearance of the clergy at this point. Seeds of doubt began to quell the excitement he had felt over the holy sword. But he had the feeling that even if he had realized this by now, it was too late.
He had been carried away by the glorious fact that a historic miracle had occurred during his term as Prime Minister, and he could feel he had made a huge mistake, a chill running down his spine.
The thoughts he had had only a little while ago were terribly frightening. The holy sword could also become a key to keeping other countries in check – when Count Agreas whispered those words to him, his eyes lit up just like the king’s.
It was frightening and he still had a long way to go before he could fully understand it. Still, as long as he was in his position as Prime Minister, he told himself that he should not ignore the anxiety he was feeling now and rather, take whatever measures he could.
“… I’m sorry, but please relay a message to the Crown Prince. Privately, though. And you will stay with the Crown Prince.”
He summoned his aide and told him so. The King was still completely infatuated with the holy sword and Agreas’ plan, he would not listen to the Prime Minister’s concerns at this point. He didn’t have time to examine which of the influential nobles in the country were not under his control.
He thought of the Crown Prince, who still was quite young, as his lifeline.
–If all goes well, Your Highness could even get the Marquis of Beresfold to act…
The Prime Minister then rested his elbows on the desk in his office and held his head in his hands. If his premonition was right and something were to happen, then he and the King would share the same fate. He understood what that meant and shivered his shoulders.
◆◆◆
Dylan Agreas Ziemeld was receiving a report from a messenger along with his subordinates at his Duke’s mansion in the royal capital.
His usually composed expression now showed a hint of irritation.
“…Even if a new holy sword appears at this point, it will do much against ‘that’. It’s troublesome that they are getting in the way.”
The report that had arrived from the Ziemeld dukedom in the northern part of the country had exceeded his expectations.
“The prototype didn’t have a defensive mechanism, so it is expected that they will take care of it if time is taken. Most likely, the reported lightning strike gave them an opportunity and they took advantage. It can’t be helped.”
At times like these, he found the slow pace of information transmission to be troublesome. Events that occur in distant lands can only be confirmed through the eyes and ears of others. They are influenced by the knowledge and opinions of those who see them, and when other people are involved, it is distorted by unconscious interpretation. It is impossible to eliminate information gaps during the transmission process, and so the information lacks accuracy.
“In time, once the ‘undead mud’ covers the country, this kind of trouble will be eliminated.”
He muttered as he looked out the window at the royal capital spread out in the darkness.
“If the goddess loses her faith, she will no longer be a threat. But, at this stage, it would probably be safer to eliminate the wizard first.”
“I apologize, my lord… Even after that, I sent my subordinates there, in case they remained in Ziemeld, but for some reason, it’s taken more time than expected…”
Hearing the dejected voices of his subordinates, Agreas sighed.
“We can’t even reach that village ourselves. Perhaps the wizard himself is under a similar wretched power.”
Agreas exhaled, then put on his usual calm expression.
“There is nothing to be done but for them to realize that it is too late and despair. Well, I will do what I can. Even if the holy sword was here now, it may be able to get in the way, but I doubt it will be able to completely eliminate it. If that happens, the world will be completely transformed into one ruled by an undead conqueror.”
He smiled, knowing that nothing could be done in time.