46 – A Late Apology (1)
Countless people were visible in front of her.
Nobles dressed in extravagant clothes,
High-ranking clergy.
And the secretaries and soldiers serving them.
Each of them retaining a noble demeanor in an effort to maintain their dignity.
The sight of these individuals reluctantly crowding into the Versha Palace for a tedious power struggle
Made the onlookers feel slightly suffocated.
However,
While observing this,
Young Leona felt a fluttering feeling in her chest.
‘Something… seems remarkable!’
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Honestly, she didn’t know why all those people were here either.
However,
In the eyes of the young girl watching this scene from above the railing,
The sight of people gathering and flocking to one place appeared interesting and amusing in various ways.
‘Everyone wearing either pure white or jet black clothes. It’s like a sheep farm.’
Thinking like a country girl, Leonne couldn’t take her eyes off the procession of the nobles for a moment.
“Little miss, what are you doing here?”
“Pardon?”
A strange voice came from somewhere.
Leonne turned her head and saw the figures of two women.
Based on their attire, they seemed to be Devil Hunters like herself.
Looking at Leonne, who was still young and petite, the two of them spoke with a tone of doubt and slight concern.
“This is not a place for a child like you to wander around. Go to the adults quickly.”
“Fiora, don’t be so stern with a young child. I’m sorry, this friend is a little sensitive right now.”
“Oh…yes.”
Unlike the woman who spoke with a stern tone,
Another woman spoke with a gentle smile on her lips.
“Are you lost? If you need help, we can assist you.”
“Sharlotte, now is not the time for this. We need to find our teacher as soon as possible…”
“If the teacher was here, they wouldn’t leave this situation unattended. It won’t take long, so please wait a moment.”
“…Fine.”
Devil Hunters were conversing among themselves.
Yet, toward them, Leone slowly shook her head and said,
“No, it’s fine. Our group is right over there.”
With those words, Leone pointed with her finger toward the railings in the back.
There stood Napoleon, the queen they had seen before,
And her mentor, Gelard…
“…Huh?”
“?”
*
Gabriel, impersonating the queen’s appearance,
Being guarded closely by someone—it wasn’t a comforting situation.
Honestly, the term ‘stand-in’ was just a nice way of saying it; in reality, it was a situation where someone was being used as a human shield, taking on the dangers meant for the queen.
I couldn’t help feeling a considerable amount of dissatisfaction toward the queen for using someone’s precious disciple in such a way.
‘That queen… The fake Gabriel is inside with Eli, right? As dangerous as it is, for a sovereign to be hiding away in the thick of important events…’
Already viewed as a despotic figure, and what she had done until now only reinforced the worst image.
Feeling displeased at having to serve such a person,
I approached this moment with a heavier sense of duty than usual.
No matter what happens here, I am determined to protect Gabriel…
And to protect my disciples as their mentor.
At that moment.
“Master!”
“?”
A voice came out of nowhere.
It was a voice of unfamiliar women that I’d never heard before, leaving me puzzled as I turned my head in its direction.
Two women running towards me.
They were clad in Devil Hunter attire, both with fairly charming features.
Yet,
For some reason, their faces were marred by the utmost seriousness as they sprinted this way. Instinctively, I began to feel a foreboding sense of doom.
‘Could they be assassins too? If that’s the case…’
Certainty eluded me.
Nevertheless, in my role as a guard, I had to dismiss any suspicious individuals approaching.
Furthermore, the intent in their advance seemed almost vengeful, which led me to fear they might bear a grudge against the ‘Queen’. With this concern, I promptly drew my sword.
But then…
*
That person was looking back at me with a stern expression.
The very individual they had longed to meet,
Their mentor,
Their benefactor,
And,
A presence that desires to receive an apology, even if it means sacrificing their lives.
Geralt of Rivia.
The moment they saw him, their minds immediately filled with a blinding whiteness.
Even the child they were just conversing with.
And the numerous nobles around them.
And… though it was not visible in their eyes,
The sight of the queen seated below, looking down.
Their eyes no longer saw anything, nor did they hear anything.
The only thing they saw and heard was the teacher’s cold expression as he stared this way.
In response to their movements,
Geralt immediately showed a deep sense of caution and drew his sword.
The teacher’s clear hostility,
It was an attitude filled with anger towards them, as Ely had spoken before, rather than forgiveness over time.
If this hadn’t been the situation, a battle could have broken out immediately, such was the ominous feeling.
Seeing his attitude, which treated them not as disciples but as enemies,
Perhaps, if it hadn’t been a meeting, they might have already been beheaded by their teacher, without them even realizing.
However,
They were not perplexed or disappointed by Geralt’s prickly reaction.
They knew their own mistakes better than anyone.
Facing the women who had betrayed them despite giving them so much trust,
It was only natural for that man to feel hatred towards them.
So, even if they were to have their throats slit in this very spot, they thought there was no way around it.
The two of them knelt before their mentor and shouted with all their might.
“Master!”
“Master Geralt!”
“…”
The two of them cried out desperately, their heads pressed to the ground.
There was a possibility that their furious mentor’s sword could come down upon them,
But they gladly accepted even that possibility and begged their mentor with all their might.
“We are truly sorry, Master!”
“We were wrong. Please forgive our anger!”
With heartfelt voices, the two of them pleaded fervently.
Especially Fiole, she couldn’t contain the emotions that surged within her.
A feeling of regret bubbled up inside her heart even at this moment.
The pain and torment she felt in a situation where her once broken heart was barely pieced together.
The only way to escape from the wounds of such a heart was right in front of her eyes,
And tears of remorse began to flow down her eyes.
“We… no, I was foolish. I blinded myself and did such a thing to my master…”
“I know very well what wrong we have done. The sin of not understanding the deep intentions of my master, we will accept any punishment. But please, just give us a chance to repent… a chance to have our master back.”
…”
The two individuals poured out their tears and strained their voices.
However.
Geralt did not respond to this matter for a moment.
Meanwhile, in response to their dramatic scene,
came a heavy silence.
In reality, conversations, both big and small, were still taking place throughout the vast Versha Palace.
Even in the places not far from where they were, conversations unrelated to their situation were ongoing among the nobles.
However,
at least for the two of them, Geralt’s silence felt like the entire world was enveloped in silence.
It seemed as if he was contemplating what fate to pass onto them.
In the silence that was both terrifying and offered a faint glimmer of hope,
the two could do nothing but tremble and wait for the reaction of their great master.
And then, a moment later,
Geralt’s voice reached their ears.
But it was not a voice expressing anger and blame towards them.
Nor was it a merciful statement forgiving them.
“I don’t know who you are.”
The first words from the teacher that they had barely heard in three years.
It was colder than they had expected.
At the same time, those words dragged them even deeper into despair.
“T-Teacher?”
“W-What… What do you mean?”
The two of them asked with trembling voices.
However,
“I’ll say it again. I don’t know who you are.”
The teacher spoke with a clearer and more resolute voice.
As if really seeing them for the first time…
With an unfathomably cold tone.