Kays Translations

Chapter 91: “Events in the Imperial Territory (8)”

──Liana’s point  view──

After leaving the town of “Nosa,” they spent one night in a town along the way, and 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 am grateful for your kindness, Your Grace. Thanks to you, I was able to see many things in the town of ‘Nosa.’ 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 is sufficient. Let us say that Nona went to the town of ‘Nosa’ on my orders for inspection, and someone available accompanied her as a 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 look.

“This is what you call cunning. One cannot survive in noble society by being too honest. Well, truth be told, I too originally only wished 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 were ever-changing—striking down the enemy at the fastest speed, dodging enemy attacks with minimal movement.

While powerful, it was incredibly difficult to master.

So far, no one had inherited Archduke Kharon’s sword style.

That’s why a new Sword Saint had not 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 said this and deeply bowed her head.

(Your Grace is a little… like the alchemist, Thor Canaan.)

Both of them neither seek fame nor promotion, nor money.

They simply wish to hone their craft and leave something behind in this world.

—That’s what made them feel 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 the town of “Nosa.”

Thor Canaan had probably returned to the Demon Lord’s territory to continue his research in alchemy.

Far from the imperial capital, peacefully, and with a calm heart.

Liana didn’t want to trouble the two of them with concerns about new species of magical beasts.

“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 was sitting 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 about three moments where I found myself in danger.”

“Only three, huh?”

“If I may give some feedback, Your Highness Liana’s sword is too straightforward. Your gaze gives away the timing of your strikes. You should also be careful of your linear movements. I suggest you delay your gaze when striking and add feints to your actions.”

“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.

That way of speaking wouldn’t make sense to the Archduke.

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.

It was the first time anyone had done that for her—an invaluable experience.

The impression of that 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 that Zagran arranged for me often scolded me too. He told me not to interpret things on my own 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 grasp both instinct and theory. It requires someone who can fully control their own body. Well, perhaps it’s my own failing for creating such a style.”

The Archduke gave a wry smile, holding his wooden sword.

“To disappear without a successor—that may be my fate.”

“I’m sorry I cannot meet your expectations, Archduke Kharon.”

Liana stood up and muttered apologetically.

She could tell from their match: Archduke Kharon’s swordsmanship was on an entirely different level.

It would be a shame for such skill to vanish without being passed on—she thought so earnestly.

“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 instinctively. Just as she thought.

Liana knew someone who met those conditions.

That person had slipped through crowds like flowing water, captured a robber without leaving 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 report the girl to Archduke Kharon.

But she wouldn’t be able to find out who the girl was. From her position, she couldn’t inquire with Sophia.

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, please take some rest… pardon me. It seems we’ll need to talk 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 renting a different lodging from Archduke Kharon and Liana. They were probably headed in that direction.

“Your Grace, who were those people…?”

“They are the investigation soldiers I left behind in the Imperial Capital. I had them investigate suspicious financial movements.”

Archduke Kharon spoke as if it were a trivial matter.

“Hiring people and feeding them costs money, you know. If you’re hiding their presence, it costs even more. And if you’re using magical beasts, their food expenses add up too. When such large sums of money move, it becomes impossible to hide it.”

“So, Your Grace, have you already investigated 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, it seems that recently, money has been flowing into a fortress in the northern part of the Empire.”

“Then, if something like that happened, 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 Demon lord’s territory and Sophia managed to defeat it, but there’s no guarantee things will go as smoothly this time.

Sofia 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 in the realm of speculation. Besides, there are five fortresses under suspicion. The main one is probably one of them. What will you do if you head to the wrong place and the magical beast appears somewhere else?”

“…”

“Reports from the soldiers I left behind in the Imperial Capital will be coming soon. Until then, let’s patrol the border areas. It will still help with dealing with the magical beasts, won’t it?”

“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 territory as well.”

Archduke Kharon flashed a daring smile.

“The Demon lord’s territory will also investigate the new type of magical beast. However, if the Empire is involved with that beast, it’s the Empire’s responsibility to resolve it. We don’t want the Demon lord’s territory to learn the truth. It would be a disgrace for the Empire. From here on, it’s a race against the Demon lord’s territory.”

“Y-Yes, Your Grace.”

“Well, the Demon lord’s territory won’t know the flow of money in the Empire. They’ll have to search for the culprit without any leads. 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 territory couldn’t obtain information from inside 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 “Sofia and the alchemist Thor could overturn this 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’s head to the border area for security, Your Grace.”

For now, that was the only thing she could do.

At the very least, she could only pray that Archduke Kharon’s intelligence team would find the culprit quickly.

And that Sophia and the alchemist Canaan wouldn’t be put in danger.

“Yes. We will depart by afternoon. Until then, rest, Princess Liana.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

With that, Liana began her preparations for the magical beast investigation.

—In a certain place in the northern part of the Empire—

“The experiment was a success.”

In the darkness, a voice was heard.

“Soon, we will begin the practical test of the magical beast. Prepare yourselves.”

“…I have a question.”

Another voice, a male voice, interrupted.

“…When will we receive our reward?”

“You haven’t been forgotten. It will be paid after the practical test of the familiar.”

“…We are secretly following you for that reward.”

“I understand.”

“…It is because of the reward that we are following you. Do not forget that.”

“I said I understand.”

The sound of a sigh could be heard.

“The higher-ups have not forgotten about us. See for yourself. The supply carriage has arrived.”

In the darkness, distant flames could be seen.

Faintly, the sound of a horse’s whinny and the movement of the carriage wheels could be heard.

“The familiar’s food has arrived. Feed it. Be careful, so it doesn’t go berserk.”

“…I understand you have the power to move both people and supplies.”

“Of course. The empire trusts us.”

“…Is that so?”

“That is why we have collaborators. There is even a place to escape to. The country intends to nurture more units like ours in the future. Intelligence… infiltration… investigation… they plan to develop units that will operate in the shadows.”

“…Is this part of that plan?”

“Yes.”

“…Summoning magic, huh? Even though heroes no longer come when summoned.”

“Heroes do not come. That is why another trump card is necessary.”

“…I hear that the Archduke and the Holy Sword Princess are heading toward the border.”

“They have left almost no clues. At most, they have only eaten a magical beast near the border. They will not reach our location.”

“…I hope so.”

“The conversation is over. Go to the supply carriage.”

“…Understood. But…”

“Is there something else?”

“…We do not know everything about the new magical beasts. They are creatures from another world. It would be unwise to let your guard down.”

“I am not seeking advice. Do your job. Tell your subordinates the same. That is all.”

“…Understood.”

Faint footsteps could be heard as the speaker moved away.

A large shadow began to move in pursuit.

A cry that was impossible for any creature of this world, accompanied by eerie movements.

However, all of it was controlled by the summoner.

There would be no rampaging, no reckless attacks on people.

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 beasts. However, we need more achievements before we can become a regular unit. The experiment will continue. It is difficult, but we must endure it for the sake of our accomplishments.”

The sound of the magical beast devouring the food from the supply cart could be heard.

For now, it was manageable, but if multiple were summoned, the problem would lie in feeding them.

It would be costly to keep them permanently.

It would be better to summon them when necessary and dispose of them once they are 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 could not withstand the Demon lord’s army.

The strength of the Demon lord’s domain was beyond measure.

As expected of those who were once humanity’s enemies.

But…

“If we are 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 magic ‘Meteor’—no, even with ‘Meteor’, defeating it would be difficult.

They had succeeded in controlling such a powerful magical beast.

“Please wait. We will 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.

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