Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 62: In the Darkness
The chancellor slumped in his castle office. Lately he had been unable to sleep.
“… Really, is everything really going to be okay?”
He reviewed the staged extermination scheduled in two days, but indescribable anxiety left him hunched.
Although he had approved the arena repairs and their expense, dread now crept over him.
Only months earlier, undead beasts had terrified everyone. Now he recognized that excitement over the holy sword’s appearance had numbed his judgment and inflated his pride.
The chancellor came from a comital family traditionally entrusted with court offices. He knew family influence, not personal ability, had secured his post. Before the northern outbreak, the kingdom had been peaceful, and he had maintained that stability without notable talent or incident. That should have satisfied him.
—His Majesty and I both went mad.
The petition on his desk had awakened that thought.
Bishop Powell and nearly half the capital’s clergy had disappeared. An aide told him only days ago after overhearing that the Royal Order had ignored the matter.
When he questioned Commander Dylan Agreas Ziemeld, the count repeated the Order’s response.
—Should I truly trust that man?
Ignoring the mass disappearance of clergy now seemed insane. Doubt began to extinguish his excitement over the holy sword, but he feared his realization had come too late.
He had reveled that a historic miracle occurred during his term. Now a chill told him he had made an enormous mistake.
His recent thoughts terrified him. When Agreas suggested the holy sword could deter foreign countries, the chancellor’s eyes had gleamed exactly like the king’s.
He remained far from fully understanding his error. Still, as chancellor, he couldn’t ignore his present anxiety and must take whatever measures remained.
“Forgive me. Deliver a private message to the crown prince, then remain with him.”
The king remained enthralled by the holy sword and Agreas’s plan and wouldn’t listen. The chancellor lacked time to determine which powerful nobles remained outside Agreas’s control.
The still-young crown prince became his lifeline.
—If all goes well, His Highness may persuade Marquis Beresford to act.
The chancellor leaned over his desk and held his head. If his premonition proved correct, he and the king would share one fate. Understanding what that meant, he trembled.
◆◆◆
At his mansion in the royal capital, Dylan Agreas Ziemeld received a messenger’s report before his subordinates.
Irritation faintly disturbed his usual composure.
“…Even a new holy sword can do little against that now. Still, their interference is troublesome.”
The report from Ziemeld exceeded his expectations.
“The prototype lacked defenses, so given enough time, they were bound to destroy it. The reported lightning strike probably gave them an opportunity. It can’t be helped.”
At such times, slow communication frustrated him. Distant events reached him only through others’ eyes and ears, colored by their knowledge and opinions. Every retelling added unconscious interpretation, creating unavoidable gaps and inaccuracy.
“Once the Undead Mud covers the kingdom, such inconvenience will disappear.”
He stared from the window at the darkened royal capital.
“If the Goddess loses the people’s faith, she’ll cease to threaten us. At this stage, however, eliminating the guiding magic user would be safer.”
“Forgive us, my lord. I sent subordinates to Ziemeld in case the target remained there, but for some reason the search has required more time than expected.”
Hearing the dejected voices of his subordinates, Agreas sighed.
“We can’t even reach that village. The magic user may be protected by the same wretched power.”
Agreas exhaled and restored his usual calm.
“Nothing remains but for them to realize they’re too late and despair. I’ll do what I can. Even if the holy sword appears now, it may interfere, but can’t completely eradicate the Mud. Then the world will be remade under the rule of undying conquerors.”
He smiled, confident no one could act in time.