106 – Report on the Fall of Kindness (Complete)
“If you lose, you get hit for losing, and if you win, you get hit for killing the opponent’s spirit. So I worked hard to win even more. If you win, at least you get hit less.
When it became impossible to defeat me with the Imperial Sword, my father appointed as my opponents those who used little-known tactics. Eastern. North. Southern. West… Even distant, foreign technology.
When even that didn’t work, they put him on a horse and burned him. I think he thought I wouldn’t be good at horseback fighting. But at that time, I was already taller than most people. Like my father.
In the end, I defeated everyone in the tournament. That’s how I became a Valkyria. My father didn’t give me the right of succession and didn’t want to make me a knight. He just wanted to keep me as a scarecrow in the training ground…
The white-blooded knights rose up. No matter how much you are a knight commander, you must not ignore the white blood tradition. That’s how I became a Valkyria, and because I was a Valkyria, I became a ‘knight’.
I told you this before. I didn’t want to be a knight. To avoid getting hit. To not get sick. I was just trying not to get hurt and this ended up happening. I just… “
As if trying to gain strength, Lily stuttered and grabbed Cain’s hand.
“I was simply raised to be a knight. Although it wasn’t my father’s intention. Once I was able to decide my future, I came to the capital. My father didn’t object to that either. Entering the academy isn’t bad for your white blood.
It was my will to join the Security Bureau. They said that if you go to the Security Bureau, they won’t ask about your past. However, throughout my training, the story I heard was the story of ‘The Daughter of the White Blood Knights.’ Every time I hear that… Rather than being angry, I was sad. I couldn’t bear to answer.
I’m taller than others, so I’m easily seen. It’s easy to be detected because of the scars on your back. There… Even the background. The only person who ignored all that and looked at me was Cain. “Do you remember?”
Cain remembered. Without asking anything, I said I would pick you because you were the best fighter in this race. It seems like her simple decision wasn’t like that at all for her.
“Just as Cain chose me first, I also chose Cain. I will never leave the castle I found, the home I chose. Never. So, please don’t tell me to go. “It’s something I can’t say and can’t follow.”
I didn’t know what to say. So Cain gently cupped the back of Lily’s hand. As she gently patted the back of a child, Lily’s eyes slowly closed.
“… Do not go.”
Lily fell asleep after saying those words. Her hands tightened, but when Cain caressed her, she relaxed, as if relieved.
“What should I do?” Maria grinned. “It looks like we’ll be together until the end.”
“I’m sorry.”
“The child has no affection.”
Maria lay down, making a sound with her mouth. Cain also laid her body down in his place. But she couldn’t sleep.
“What was Roberta in the end?”
While lying down, Maria muttered.
“No. Heroes. Heroes we met… What on earth? Everyone is weird. “Like people who are broken somewhere.”
“They are not ordinary people.” Cain answered. “They are the ones who broke through the shadow of the devil to the end. “It’s not normal.”
“You know that. But who would have known that I would do something so crazy and over the top?”
“Maybe.”
“Huh?”
Mary lay down and looked towards Cain.
“These heroes. “Aren’t we acting the same way now as we were then?”
“What do you mean?”
“Literally. I guess these people are just like this. The reason they killed the Demon King seems to be some distance from a sense of duty or justice. Right? From what we found, it was mostly desire. Craving. Profit… “Most of them are like that.”
“What desire?”
“The desire to be a hero.”
Maria was silent. The expression ‘Didn’t you want to be a hero?’ Came up quite often.
Let’s become a hero. Let’s be different. Let’s become a better person… Let’s live a different life than before.
Cain recalled the time when she attended the Academy. She remembered a fragment of a conversation she had had with Anna.
“They say a hero is not created alone. Because he was born amidst the applause of countless people looking for a hero. This is the exact opposite of an emperor who reigns and rules whether the people want it or not.
So, there is a way for a hero to become an emperor, but there is no way for an emperor to become a hero.”
“Why?”
“Heroes can be brought down at any time because they were created by people, but the emperor cannot be brought down no matter what people do.”
“Ha. “Once you become emperor, no one can touch you, or something like that.”
Maria burst into laughter.
“Then what was Roberta? There’s something about her that makes her different from other heroes. She wanted to become a dominatrix. “Is she the hero who wanted to become emperor?”
Sparks flew from the bonfire. Cain tapped the tree with the staff he placed next to her. The campfire became quiet again. Suddenly, Cain repeated what the knight in the scabbard had a habit of saying whenever he met heroes.
“『Because you know it’s not yours.』”
“Huh?”
“Maybe she wanted to be loved forever? If necessary, even by turning people into dolls. Like a hero who became emperor… “
Almost all of the ‘heroes’ I’ve met so far have been like that. After everyone became heroes, they didn’t want to come down from that position.
Even though their lives were ruined and twisted, they did not want to come down from their status as heroes.
Arianne. William. Arius. Roberta.
“This is such a stupid thing in the world.”
Maria, who had been listening quietly, pouted her mouth.
“Is there anything more fickle than love? People’s love for others is also fickle, isn’t it? Under. “There is such a thing as unconditional love.”
“What is it?
“To die at the peak of love. “Then it will remain that way forever.”
Cain did not answer. She looked at Lily, who was asleep with a small sigh. As if her body wasn’t feeling very well, she let out moans intermittently.
Cain got up and covered her with his blanket. Although she struggled a little, Lily became more comfortable.
“And you?”
“I can’t sleep. Even though I took medicine. “I guess it’s because I have a lot to think about.”
“Then you will fall off your horse tomorrow.”
Cain grinned and brought her body closer to the fire. The reason she can’t sleep is clear. Now that she’s lost track of the trail, she can’t decide where to go.
Besides, the physical condition of the three people is not very good. I felt like I needed to rest for at least three to four days. Provided that you receive proper treatment and rest comfortably.
“Why can’t I sleep? “Is it because you don’t know where to go?”
Cain nodded to Maria’s question.
“To be honest, yes. I wonder if I should go find other heroes. But that would require crossing most of the empire. It will take quite some time. And here’s the thing… Although it is not our responsibility to take care of it. I didn’t get anything when I came here. “That’s such a waste.”
The goal was to get clues about the truth of the case from Roberta. But the plan failed miserably. I know I should be thankful that my life was saved, but it’s also clear that there was a major deviation from my original plan.
Above all, in this state of stealth, it is difficult to approach the heroes or ask them about the truth. Cain was troubled by the thought that even if he met other heroes, the same scenario would eventually repeat itself.
Cain stirred the embers again. As his sleeves were lifted, some of the bruises on his arms were clearly visible. She let out a laugh. She thought it was just a matter of bad luck, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Bulkers. An officer with a feather on his head… Wild boar flag. Count Wördem.
Cain thought of the count. Really, he didn’t know anything? About what has been going on here for 10 years. Did he not know anything?
“Roberta and Count Wördem. “What was the relationship?”
Cain suddenly asked. Maria, who had been dozing off, woke up in surprise.
“Yes. Uh? What? Ah. Relationship? How do I know that? No. Wait for a sec. You are a security agency agent. “I don’t know much about the personal details of nobles.”
“It’s because I don’t know anything either.” Cain answered. It was really strange.
What we know about Count Wördem is that he is a benevolent old man, serves as Elector Reinhardt’s top advisor, and is financing him.
The internal power and ability to control the territory were very poor, so even when the Black Forest was given to Roberta, there was no backlash.
However, Cain’s information did not include any stories about the thugs who blocked the road or the guards who were dispatched to the unnamed rural market.
The guards’ armament was also strange. The appearance, as if several people were sharing one person’s armor, was awkward in many ways.
It is also a mess in terms of quality. He talks to bullies without hesitation, and even asks for money from travelers in the name of ‘protection fees’.
If it were like before, it would have ended with just the words, ‘They said their control over the territory was poor.’ However, considering what I experienced on the way to Berta Village, I cannot say so simply.
Cain searched through his memories. Things in the capital city that seem so distant. On the way to submit her retirement notice, Lily was holding on to the report, saying she didn’t understand it.
‘We spent a lot of money on hiring new soldiers and purchasing weapons, but actually reduced unit maintenance costs. ‘Isn’t this a declaration that the quality of conscripts will be lowered with one’s own hands?’
‘What did Bohemond I say?’
‘There were so many bandits that we had to increase the number of patrol guards. It is said that quantity was prioritized over quality. It seems plausible, but there aren’t actually many bandits in Taranto.’
‘It’s because of the day robbers, right?’
‘Yes. Men like Goetz attracted the bandits to their side, which is why the bandits often fall under the command of standing armies or knights.’
Of course, this happened in Bohemond I and the Kingdom of Taranto, not in the territory of the County of Wördem and Elector Reinhardt.
But then, Anna said this.
‘It’s not just the Kingdom of Taranto. Cain. It’s happening everywhere. The same thing is happening in every Elector’s territory.
The knights are doing the work of maintaining order that soldiers should be doing, and instead, the electors are hiring them like mercenaries. ‘Like building a small fiefdom within a fiefdom.’
“A small territory within a territory… “
Those words stuck like a thorn in her throat.
The maintenance of order that soldiers are supposed to do is being done by gangsters. However, although the electors are increasing the number of soldiers, they are not providing proper equipment or sufficient manpower.
Then, that money was spent to hire soldiers. Where did it all go?
‘Did Count Wördem really have no idea what Roberta was doing?’
Even when the gangsters told him they were going to Berta Village, didn’t he hesitate and apologize? The story is that they already knew.
From Noble mtl dot com
There is no way the Count would not know that even the local bullies knew about what had been going on for not just a day or two, but for a whopping 10 years.
“Maria. The knight of this scabbard. “Do you think it has something to do with the Tree of Life Church?”
“In many ways.”
“What Roberta was doing was modifying the sacred sites and doctrines of the Tree of Life Church to suit her own taste.”
“That’s right.”
“The Black Fire Order. Unlike the doctrine of the tree of life, it overemphasizes only revenge and revenge. “Different from its original meaning of purification and protection of purity.”
“Everything is correct. “What do you want to say?”
“What if someone designed all of this intentionally?”
Maria took in her breath. Cain took a moment to collect her thoughts.
“William also wrote this in his letter to Arianne. ‘Either the seal wasn’t as strong as we thought, or someone broke it.’
A lot of strange things have been happening recently. The Elector Counts are embezzling money, a heretical religion that reveres the Black Fire is spreading, and the Knight of the Scabbard began his activities less than half a year ago.
And the actions of the knight of the scabbard… Anyone can see that it’s a bit irrational. If you think about his power and influence… It wouldn’t be surprising at all if he completed his revenge right now. But move slowly. They even keep pace with us. He even waited for me this time.
If even the knight with the sword is part of some chess piece… “
“Cain.”
Mary stopped Cain.
“Huh?”
“I know what you are trying to say, but if you think that way, there are no limits. Above all, don’t forget that you just took Asas grass medicine. You know that delusional acceleration is one of the side effects, right? “Is there even a single basis for what you’re saying?”
“Nothing.”
“Then let’s find the evidence first and then speak. “We need to rest.”
“… “I see.”
Maria cleared her throat.
“Slowly. Let’s do it one by one. I’m equally disturbed. But for now, let’s just focus on recovery. “After my thoughts become calmer.”
“Thank you.”
Mary looked at Cain with her proud eyes.
“Did you see it? But what? Go home? Under. “That’s ridiculous.”
After her words, Maria fell into a deep sleep. Cain also fell into a deep sleep. When dawn passes and dawn breaks. Until the dew on the leaves falls on my cheek and wakes me up.
Cain lifted her body up. Since her bed was a bed, her body wasn’t doing well, but she was feeling much better. She had no unusual signs. Her horses were in their rightful places, and Maria and Lily were fast asleep.
And a pair of brown eyes peeking at them from behind a tree.
Cain muttered and relaxed her body here and there. This is a simple stretching movement. As she did so, she gently picked up a stone that had fallen on the floor. Pretending to slightly twist her upper body, she quickly threw her stone.
“Hundreds of millions.”
Someone has fallen. With her Imperial sword drawn, Cain took her steps towards the bush.