Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 468: Experiments and Dangers
Tauro and Aeris continued their dangerous experiment in a secluded corner of the territorial capital.
Tauro had gone so far as to stab himself in the abdomen with a dagger. A man watching from the top of a distant tower stared in disbelief.
“What’s that boy doing…? Wait, did he just stab himself!?”
Tauro had disabled [Presence Detection] so he could concentrate on the experiment, leaving him unaware that anyone was watching.
The observer saw an opportunity. Using [Hawkeye], he kept Tauro and Aeris in view while sending a complex series of flashes with light magic to accomplices hidden among the distant pedestrians.
At once, several disguised figures began closing in on the pair.
“Tauro, are you certain you’re all right? You’re losing a lot of blood.”
Aeris had healing magic and potions ready, but watching him deliberately injure himself was plainly painful for her.
“I underestimated the bleeding. This hurts in a completely different way, so let us finish quickly… [True Eye]!”
The moment Tauro invoked [True Eye], information appeared over the approaching figures. Red warning text identified them as special operations soldiers of the Northern Empire and revealed their objective: abduct the Saint.
Tauro immediately understood why they were surrounding this particular pair.
“They have mistaken Aeris for the Saint.”
“What’s wrong, Tauro? May I heal you now?”
“Not yet. Northern Empire soldiers are surrounding us, and they’re targeting you.”
Breathing hard, Tauro pulled Aeris into his arms.
“Tauro!?”
“You’ll get blood on you, but I’ll clean it off later. Please bear with it. [Levitation]!”
His critical condition activated [Adversity Ability Enhancement], greatly strengthening [Levitation]. Carrying Aeris, Tauro rose high above the square, cleared the city wall, and flew into the forest beyond the capital.
The sight of the city falling away beneath them might ordinarily have filled Aeris with wonder. Instead, all she could think about was the pale, bleeding boy holding her.
Tauro barely managed a safe landing before collapsing.
“Tauro! Are you all right!?”
Aeris immediately used high-level healing magic and the advanced healing potion he had entrusted to her. Together with [Super Recovery and Regeneration], the treatment restored his color before he lost consciousness.
“Phew… That was miserable whether or not it was going to kill me. I’m never testing it that way again. If I die, you’ll probably hit me.”
Tauro tried to joke when he saw how worried she looked.
“Even the old me wouldn’t have hit you. Still, if you can joke, you must be recovering.”
Aeris was covered in his blood, so Tauro used [Purification] on her and then cleaned himself as well.
“The real problem is that the Northern Empire believes you’re the Saint and intends to abduct you.”
“They must have misunderstood after the fires. Does that mean the Empire started them?”
“Probably. The fires may have been a way to observe how the city guards reacted and create an opening for an abduction.”
“What about the attempt to seal the Saint’s [Blessing]?”
“I doubt the Empire was responsible for that. Disrupting the ceremony wouldn’t help an abduction. My guess is that the seal was meant to humiliate Duke Barriera, so someone connected to Marquis Halagoura’s faction may have been behind it. But that’s only a theory.”
Aeris sighed.
“So I’ve been pulled into the Saint’s troubles because the townspeople mistook me for her. What should we do?”
“We should report the Northern Empire’s plan to Viscount Musai and Marquis Donaissun. Whether the Crown Prince is informed should be left to Viscount Musai. If we report directly, we may draw unnecessary attention.”
“Agreed. I can already imagine what they’ll ask of me afterward, but I’ll keep quiet for now.”
Using [True Eye] to avoid the imperial agents, Tauro and Aeris returned safely to Duke Barriera’s residence and reported the situation to Viscount Musai.
Musai responded immediately. He discreetly summoned Marquis Donaissun and explained that the Northern Empire was attempting to seize Matilda.
“The Empire is after our Saint!? Viscount Musai, what will you do? If anything happens to her, the Kingdom of Luwan will suffer an irreplaceable loss. Relations with the Kingdom of Sart could collapse, and this could even lead to war with the Empire!”
“Please calm yourself, Marquis Donaissun. Lord Tauro says the enemy doesn’t yet know that its plan has been exposed. Is that correct?”
“Yes. They intended to disguise the abduction as another country’s work, but they mistook Lady Aeris for the Saint and revealed themselves. Since their objective remains unfulfilled, they’ll probably try again elsewhere.”
Viscount Musai turned to the marquis.
“We must settle this before the delegation leaves my father’s territory. Once you depart, I’ll no longer be in a position to protect you. For that reason, I must ask for Lady Aeris’s cooperation.”
Aeris sighed inwardly. It was exactly the request she had expected.
“You want me to act as the decoy so we can capture the imperial unit in one operation, correct? I understand. I’ll do it.”