Chapter 123. Faith without power is meaningless (2)
Gigaster, a satellite city under the direct control of Eslow.
Many nobles were staying in this city. I don’t enter the direct control territory early, but in order to be ready to enter at any time.
Even in Gigastar, there was a hotel only for the nobles of the Senate, and luxury hotels usually had massage rooms.
Every word spoken by the high-ranking nobles was top-secret, so the massage therapists were either born or acquired unable to hear. So the nobles who gather in the massage room often share important stories without hesitation.
From noble mtl dot com
“They say that Sephira’s carriage has entered the direct control.”
The middle-aged Earl of Delmore, who was lying on the bed with only the important parts covered, began. He was one of the four nobles to shake Sephira financially through Ultima.
Count Bristan, who was lying across from him, shook his body.
“hahahahaha, you must be locked out of the hotel by now. It would have been worth seeing more if I had seen it myself.”
Earl Iwin said, raising only his hand without raising his face.
“I spent a lot of money buying the manager of the hotel. With this opportunity, you should be able to shake Sephira.”
The Earl of Delmore turned over and raised his voice.
“The Southern Sword Tournament will be the decisive blow that will bring Sephira down. Those who couldn’t find a place in a hotel will end up in an inn. The nicest inn on the outskirts. You can see the operation starting from there.”
“No matter how the highly poisoned Sephira’s clan reacts, it’s to our advantage. On top of that, if they are clearly defeated in the competition, Sephira’s momentum will plummet, and we will share everything with them.”
“It’s been a long, long time. Now I must prepare for the harvest. This really makes me shiver.”
At that time, Marquis Galahind, who was receiving a silent massage, spoke briefly.
“Don’t forget that Sephira’s skills and techniques, including the zodiac sign, are mine.”
The four nobles of the Senate, led by the Ultima Merchants, were brought together by the Marquis of Galahind. As the head of the coalition, he was the first to appeal for his rights.
Others, too, appealed for their rights.
“Sephirah’s territory is mine.”
Delmore is the land of Sephira-
“All the artifacts and relics belong to Iwin.”
Iwin took Sephira’s artifacts and relics-
“I’m Laurel, as long as I get that young lady, everything else is fine.”
Count Bristan, who will turn seventy next year, is Basil’s famous daughter with a flushed face. I put Laurel in my mouth.
The masseuses who could not hear no matter how much they raised their voices silently continued their work.
If I had known that masseuses had mastered the “drip reading” technique of figuring out what they were saying just by looking at the shape of their mouths, they would never have said things they would never have said, nor would they ever find out.
At that time, a knight walked through the tent and came in. He was a knight of the Earl of Delmore.
The knight whispered something in Earl Delmore’s ear. Obviously, the nobles gathered here could be said to be on the same ‘side’, but they also showed that they did not trust each other implicitly.
After the report, the knight left, and Count Delmore jumped up and laughed.
“Uh ha ha ha ha! Good luck, good luck! Wake up everyone!”
The Earl of Delmore even motioned for the masseuses to leave.
Count Iwin, who was enjoying the massage, said with a frown.
“Keep your dignity, Earl of Delmore. How can you laugh so lightly?”
“I have to laugh. I heard that Sephira’s family visited the palace!”
“huh? Isn’t that just too stupid I couldn’t stay at a hotel, and I didn’t want to go to an inn used by commoners, so I chose Eslow’s palace, where there was no blood or tears!”
“If that information is true, it’s like stepping into the jaws of a dragon trying to avoid a lion.”
They ruled out the odds that Sephira could win the favor of Lord Eslow.
Not surprisingly, Eslow has not received any guests in its 200-year history.
Although there are rooms for VIPs in the palace, they are only for envoys of the same monarch and other countries. Not to mention nobles in the Senate, even prestigious families do not accept them as guests. Whichever way you take it, that’s an unchanging fact.
No matter how meritorious he was in the war, even if he was the winner of the sword competition in the south, even if he was the number one sword in the kingdom, even if he was given an artifact as a gift-Eslow never let him stay in the palace even though he would say thank you.
Besides, it is Sephirah.
Sephira, the weakest and most prestigious family in the Lillian Kingdom.
What could Sephira do for Eslow? What can you suggest?
Even Eslow himself was disapproving of Sephira, so going to see Sephira in person was an act of suicide.
Count Bristan muttered as he stroked his beard.
“I didn’t know Sephira could be so ignorant. I thought I would throw myself into the abyss of destruction.”
“Not by myself. That’s all because we controlled the hotel. Even Sefi will notice. Even if you avoid the hotel and go to the inn, you can’t escape our pressure. That’s why I’m going crazy. I couldn’t do this either, so I went to see Eslow with a gambling heart.”
“It’s like blowing your nose without touching it. I prepared thoroughly for the competition just in case. Even though Ultima said that it needed to use more manpower, it was squeezed because it was trying to assess. Eh, tsk.”
“No, wait. Everyone please wait. Isn’t this maybe we’re in crisis? What we want is the downfall of the Sephira, but isn’t it meaningful only when the Sephira collapses under our leadership? If Eslow directly destroys Sephira… Wouldn’t all of their property belong to the country or be taken over by Eslow?”
“omg?!”
Everyone was impressed by the Earl of Delmore’s words.
If that happens, years of effort will go to waste, and a major disaster will occur in which the invested amount cannot be recovered.
“It wasn’t the time to be like this. We must prevent Sephira from being ruined by the ruler.”
“Let’s dispatch an agent right now and send it to the lord castle. I must save the idiots of Sephira.”
“The damn Sephirah complicates things.”
“Everyone, don’t make a fuss. I will go myself.”
“Ohhh, if Marquis Galahind steps forward, we can believe and wait.”
Galahind gave a relaxed smile.
Eslow Palace, where no one entered as a guest. But if you’re just going in and out for a while, it won’t matter.
After all, the Galahind are not just senatorial nobles. He was the richest aristocrat in the South.
‘No matter how lord he is, he won’t ignore me, the best supporter of this tournament.’
Galahind set out to save Sephira from the hands of an evil lord.
* * *
Miles asked the butler who guided the party by name, but the answer that came back was the number 52, which he said while showing the number on his shoulder.
Does it not have a name, or is it more comfortable to be called by number than by name? No matter how many butlers there are, is it really right to call someone by their number… … .
Miles shook his head vigorously. No matter how much I thought about it, it was a useless idea. When I thought about why, it was because of the tension.
everything was unfamiliar
What was expected did not happen at all.
At its center was Kether.
‘There was definitely a chance that the whole hotel was bought out. I even foresaw that I would eventually have to use an inn. I was trying to figure out how to stop the sabotage at the inn, but I never expected to enter the palace of the monarch.’
Anxiety and fear of unexpected situations. that’s shaking me
‘You can’t. If I, the elder, and I, the leader of the party, falter, neither my younger sisters nor Catherine nor even Keter can do their jobs.’
Miles took a deep breath in silence. The sights that had not entered the eye began to be seen only then.
‘There are weapons everywhere. These decorations really go well with Mr. Eslow, who has the title of Weapon Master.’
As I felt in the office, the weapons scattered everywhere were decorations, but not ornaments. They were luxury items that could be used in real combat right away.
‘The palace itself is like a huge arsenal.’
Although he could be calm, he couldn’t help being intimidated by the bloody atmosphere. The only thing that can keep my composure in this place… … .
‘There must be only Keter.’
Miles smiled at the thought of Keter. Keter’s recklessness in doing something unimaginable casually made me laugh out loud.
“Im here.”
Butler #52 stopped in front of a garden. The garden with a circular corridor was surrounded by three five-story mansions.
“This whole place is your guest room. Please feel free to use the room you want, and ask any questions or needs to the attendants and maids you can see.”
“You mean we use all of this?”
The enormous gardens and mansions were all guest rooms, so it was an amazing scale. It is a size that is not lacking even if 100 people live. Even Miles, who boasted that he was born into a noble family and lived an affluent life, opened his mouth wide.
“yes. Other than that, you are free to roam around the palace as you please, but a word of caution. Even if you are an honored guest, there are four things you must abide by.”
Deacon number 52 must have wanted to emphasize that it was an important word, and spoke in a clear tone. Miles was also nervous.
First, if you see a being wearing a ‘helmet’ while walking around the hallway, immediately turn around and go the other way.
Second, if the decorated weapons ‘talk’ to you, never respond.
Third, if you find a silver coin that has fallen on the floor, do not pick it up and pass by.
“The fourth is the most important. There are no blind spots in this palace, but there is one. There are areas without sentries. Never go near it.”
At the warning from the 52nd butler, who seemed like a ghost story, Miles felt cold for no reason.
“Can you tell me why?”
“It cannot be said. Ask anyone, including me, and you’ll get the same answer. The precautions I mentioned should not be leaked to the outside world, and we are not responsible for any accidents caused by ignoring or violating them.”
“… I knew.”
“As long as you abide by the four rules above, you can do anything in the palace and I promise you that you will be safe.”
It didn’t look like a story made up to scare you. However, it wasn’t a hard rule to follow, so Mile regained his composure.
“Rooms. I have no intention of using multiple mansions. Our Sephira will only use the mansion in front.”
“All right. Then I will guide you to the third floor. That way has a good view, and there is an elevator directly connected to the gymnasium.”
“Is there a gymnasium here?”
“yes. Equipped in the backyard. All weapons and armor are provided, and soldiers or knights can be used as practice partners. If you wish, you may use the servants or maids as targets.”
The expression on the butler’s face in #52, who told him to use a living human as a target, was so emotionless. The sight of countless servants and maids around them not blinking an eye made Mile feel uncomfortable.
“… There is no such thing as that.”
Subsequently, the Galactic Knights arrived, and only then did Mile and the others relax. With more people, there was a sense that the doll-like attendants’ attitudes were somewhat diluted.
After unpacking and changing clothes, the group gathered together and sat around.
Miles told me the caveat that I had heard from the 52nd butler.
“Hearing that, something creeps me out.”
Katherine, who hates silence the most, spoke first, and Tarragon responded.
“Somehow, all the servants here have dead eyes. Could it be that they are not undead?”
Anis also nodded in affirmation. Even though he was quite strong-hearted, the atmosphere here was overly artificial and uncomfortable.
It was the same for Mile, but as the party’s representative, he said it resolutely.
“Everyone calm down. It’s an opportunity that Keter risked his life to create. Let’s not waste time.”
Everyone nodded at Mile’s words. In particular, Anise and Tarragon, who had to participate in the competition, immediately took their bows and arrows.
“A while ago, the butler said you could ask the knights. Shall we ask for sparring? I wonder what kind of swordsmanship the knights of the direct control will use and how they will deal with archery.”
“let’s do it. Since we decided to participate in the competition anyway, our archery skills are bound to be revealed. They say they will support you with potions and elixirs, so feel free to fight.”
nothing can only benefit Knowing the logic of the world that if you try not to lose something, you lose something bigger, Mile boldly gave up the mystery of Sephira.
Anise and Tarragon packed up their equipment and headed to the gym, while Miles and Catherine waited for Keter. Of course, I didn’t wait blankly.
Coincidentally, the two had something in common. There was a special feature that was different from the archers of other Sephira.
Miles was learning ancient magic, and Catherine was learning archery from Keter, a combination of material magic and archery.
Katherine, who was allowed to know the existence of magic archery by Keter, first told Miles about the existence of magic archery, and did not hide that Miles also learned witchcraft.
“Wow, sorcery is very strange. Aura, but not mana, but a miracle made only with mental power. Isn’t that great?”
“The magic archery you are learning is just as amazing. It’s not the circle system known as the standard of magic, but the technology of a new school called the realization system. The magic banned by the country is limited to circle magic, so it seems amazing that it doesn’t violate the kingdom’s laws.”
Katherine is friendly and Miles is tolerant.
The compatibility between the two was pretty good. Tips were generously shared, and it became an opportunity to objectively grasp each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Just as the conversation between the two was in full swing, there was a knock on the door.
Miles, thinking it was butler number 52, told him to come in as soon as he heard it.
However, the person who entered was not the butler number 52. It was Geoffrey Edmund, the 22nd Squad Leader of the Immortal Knights, seen in front of the castle gate.
“Princess Miles. Excuse me, but I came because I wanted to ask you something.”
“Sir Geoffrey. I also have a question, so let’s ask and answer each other. Where is my brother Keter, and when will he return?”
At Mile’s question, Jeffrey’s eyes widened slightly.
“The question I want to ask is the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“Brother Keter was on his way to this place after finishing his errands, knocking out the guide butler and nearby soldiers before disappearing. I guessed it, but it wasn’t an action agreed upon by Prince Miles.”
Hearing that Keter had disappeared, Miles, who had been struggling to keep his composure, almost went into a daze.