Chapter 13: She’s Right Beside Me

The Spirit Temple’s reception room was in a dreadful state, packed so tightly with people that they could barely move. Was this a crowded commuter train?

This was the result of both the frontier count and his knights, and the head priest and his priests, wanting to overwhelm the opposing side with sheer numbers.

Apparently, the rule for meetings like this was to bring only the minimum number of people required. However, both sides had found one reason after another to add more subordinates, and the situation had spiraled out of control.

Thus, in a reception room thick with trapped heat, the head priest leaned back arrogantly and advanced the conversation with complete composure.

“—And that is the situation. Your daughter Judith has caused us considerable trouble by making strange accusations. Naturally, as the daughter of a noble, she has been treated with courtesy… but I question whether returning her to you as she is would truly be appropriate.”

“What sort of… concern do you have?”

“Human experimentation, I believe she called it. She claimed we were conducting experiments that transformed human bodies into monsters or some such thing… Hmm. I fear that even if we obediently return your daughter, she will merely continue spewing the same delusions.”

At the head priest’s needling words, the frontier count released his mana. The head priest responded with mana of his own. Both possessed Special-grade mana, so neither appeared capable of silencing the other through intimidation alone.

Kiko, Judith, and I watched from inside the shadow. The subordinate knights and priests were also locked in their own contests of mana intimidation… Why were they casually slamming mana into one another in a place intended for resolving matters through dialogue?

What a collection of muscle-brains.

The frontier count spoke.

“You must have a great deal of time on your hands, Head Priest. Your response seems remarkably excessive for the foolish words of an eleven-year-old girl… Tell me, do you have something to hide?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, nothing in particular. If my daughter is merely making baseless claims, then I can shout at her, and the matter ends there. But when I observe your reaction, it almost seems as though you’re concealing something. Noble society does involve deception at times, so I’ve developed the unfortunate habit of suspecting people’s hidden motives.”

The frontier count bowed repeatedly with an extremely apologetic air while skillfully offering no apology whatsoever. His forceful mana didn’t retreat by a single step.

“Deception, is it? How terribly sordid the nobility must be.”

“Still preferable to being musty.”

“Heh, heh…”

“Ha, ha…”

The two continued their battle of intimidation, so intense that I could almost hear the air rumbling.

Yes. They ought to have a more constructive conversation. I was beginning to think an outright fistfight might resolve matters faster, though that probably wasn’t how this worked.

“I don’t mean to cast suspicion on the Temple… but rumors have circulated that the human experimentation my daughter described is, in fact, taking place within the Silva Frontier Territory. House Dandelion has been investigating.”

“Oh? And you believe we of the Spirit Temple are responsible?”

“No. I hadn’t suspected the Temple itself of being the mastermind. That’s why I was astonished to hear about my daughter’s actions. I wonder where she obtained her information.”

At the frontier count’s words, the head priest placed a hand on his chin and hummed.

“I see. In that case—”

“Would you bring my daughter here? I want to know what led her to decide the Temple was behind the experiments and to lodge her protest. Until we confirm the facts, there can be neither negotiation nor apology.”

The head priest’s cheeks relaxed when he heard that.

“Very well… Hypothetically speaking, of course. I can’t imagine a daughter of the frontier count being so foolish… but if we determine that your youngest daughter acted rashly and foolishly without a shred of evidence or basis, you will settle the matter properly, won’t you?”

“Yes. If this was my daughter’s reckless behavior, I’ll apologize in an appropriate manner.”

“Heh, heh… I see.”

The head priest certainly looked pleased.

I understood why. In truth, Judith had merely been manipulated by Meia, and it was undeniable that she’d charged in without evidence or justification. If they brought her here and exposed that publicly, his victory in the negotiations would be assured.

“You there. Bring that girl here. Treat her courteously.”

“Yes, sir.”

Naturally, bringing Judith here was impossible.

She was right beside me. She’d become completely subdued and was currently nibbling a cookie while sulking. Rather like a squirrel.

The battle of intimidation continued back and forth without conversation for some time. Eventually, an anxious priest entered the room and whispered something into the head priest’s ear.

I could imagine the contents without straining to listen.

What do you mean the girl is gone? What were the guards doing? What? The guards inside the room were asleep, while those outside noticed nothing? Impossible! Find her!

Something along those lines.

“My, what happened? My daughter is safe, I trust?”

“Enough of this transparent act. Where have you taken the girl?”

“Hmm? Wait. Do you truly not know where my daughter is? I believed the Temple would never mistreat her, which is why I’ve waited here so patiently… You can’t possibly have done something to her. If that child has come to harm, I won’t forgive even you, Head Priest.”

The frontier count’s fury swelled in an instant, and his mana raged through the room.

What an accomplished actor. He knew everything, yet could move his mana with such tremendous force… It truly felt like the mana of an enraged man.

“Calm yourself. My subordinates are searching for her now.”

“Then I’ll assist. You there—are you receiving a signal from the magic tool planted on Judith?”

“A magic tool?”

In response to the head priest’s question, the frontier count displayed a compass-like magic tool handed to him by a knight.

“That girl is forever disappearing somewhere. This needle always points to the pendant around her neck. If you cannot bring her before me, I’ll go there myself. Naturally, you and your subordinates will accompany us.”

The frontier count set out with his knights, and the head priest followed in visible haste.

Incidentally, the location magic tool truly had been planted on Judith. Apparently, it had saved her from danger several times before. Judith herself understood this and had obediently worn the pendant—until a short while ago.

“Frontier Count, the only thing ahead is an old library.”

“Nevertheless, the magic tool points there.”

“Hmm. Did she escape and hide herself?”

The frontier count and head priest, each accompanied by their subordinates, tried to open the library door.

It opened neither when pushed nor pulled. On closer inspection, a lock-type magic tool that opened through mana authentication had been attached to the door. It emitted a faint light, almost as though waiting for someone to unlock it… Yes. This was why I’d registered the head priest’s mana signature when we infiltrated his meal earlier.

“What is this lock? I know nothing of it. Someone come here. Presumably, my mana won’t—It opened?”

“It did. You must have locked it yourself.”

“No. I truly have no memory of doing so.”

The group entered the library. Before them stood—

Six glass cylinders filled with miasma. Meanwhile, the books that ought to have lined the shelves had vanished, almost as though someone had stored them in subspace magic.

Who could possibly have done such a thing?

Five of the six glass cylinders were empty. Inside only one… a small figure lay collapsed and motionless. The location magic tool held by the frontier count appeared to point toward it.

“—Judith!”

Several knights desperately restrained the frontier count as he tried to rush forward, while another approached the glass cylinder to inspect it.

At a glance, it appeared to be nothing more than a goblin’s corpse.

However, soft golden hair wound into drills grew from its scalp. It wore a dress robe and light armor far too large for its body, pieces Judith had specially ordered because she admired mages. Around its neck hung the pendant she always kept on her person.

—Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Along with the frontier count’s anguished cry, mana filled with heartrending emotion spread across a vast area. It passed beyond the Temple’s walls and reached the citizens who’d come to watch, astonishing everyone who felt it.

To think he could expose such profound sorrow before a goblin’s corpse…

Nobles were incredible actors.

That was what I thought.