nightmare (1)
After brewing the tea myself, I handed it to her.
A composition similar to ‘that day’ someday. And it was the same action.
That she didn’t even put her finger on the teacup pushed in front of her.
“Was this the first time since I met you in the slash-and-burn village?”
During the time the saintess was living in the royal palace, hardly anything that could be called a conversation took place.
It is because there was no point of contact between the two even if they lived in the same place.
So this conversation lasted as long as the awkward silence.
… … And maybe today will be the last conversation between the two of them.
“Today, I heard that you are returning to your home country with an envoy.”
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“yes.”
“Did you find the answer you were thinking for yourself?”
I looked into her eyes, asking a question I hadn’t even thought of.
Why did she stay on this earth?
In other words, he asked if the verification of the existence of a dwarf had been completed.
Then, the saintess pursed her lips as if hesitating, and nodded slightly.
“… … Maybe.”
“okay.”
I could feel the corners of my mouth rising.
It seemed to me that she was not very good at lying.
Even now, when I finished answering, my lips were trembling so minutely that I couldn’t see them.
“Did the Pope of the Holy Empire say this was enough?”
“… … !”
In an instant, the saintess’ slightly lowered head suddenly lifted.
“… … Did you know?”
In that face of disbelief, that of the person who was stabbed in the middle was clearly revealed.
“You are saying it for granted. There is no reason to keep a saint of the Holy Empire here just to verify the thoughts of the dwarves.”
“ah… … .”
Of course, the previous reason for staying here was just an excuse.
It was as if it had been decided from the beginning.
If you really wanted to verify them in the first place, you wouldn’t have been in the palace anyway.
‘Then there is only one reason left.’
To monitor the land called Esteban that holds their secrets.
Or to validate who I am as a non-dwarf.
And if there is anyone who can ask the saintess for such a thing… … .
‘… … Perhaps the Pope is the only one.’
It must have been a skillful trick behind her free-spirited personality.
Well, in the first place, she wasn’t talented enough to work as a spy, so there was nothing special about it.
I crossed my legs and opened my mouth leisurely.
“That’s why I asked the saintess a question.”
“… … Did you find the answer you were thinking of?”
“Yes that’s right.”
okay.
It was an extension of the question raised in the slash-and-burn village.
From the beginning, such false circumstances were not in my mind.
“Then I will ask again.”
and that moment.
For the first time, the two eyes intertwined head-on.
“The answer given by the saintess is that authority, which has nothing but faults, takes precedence? If not, is it a priority to quell their ambitions?”
“… … .”
A short silence passed.
Finally, at the end of the question, the saintess’s closed mouth began to open.
“… … I didn’t understand it then, but I think I do now. The meaning of the question Your Highness asked.”
“Is that so?”
“Isn’t His Highness asking me to stop it when the Holy Kingdom made the wrong choice?”
“Oh, how did you think that?”
I deliberately asked in a way that made it seem like I didn’t know the answer.
Maybe it sounded like an adult, like giving directions to a child.
Then, the saintess seemed confused, but continued to speak with an expression that firmly organized her thoughts.
“Right now, the enemies of the Holy Kingdom are the Commonwealth Empire and the hardliners you mentioned. I actually saw them in action.”
“Making tricks on slash-and-burn villagers is just the beginning.”
“… … But i know That the high priests of the Holy Land would not think so.”
They were a group thoroughly driven by profit.
It was hard to believe that they were priests who believed in God.
And the one who knows that fact better than anyone else must be the saintess who grew up there and saw many things.
“Maybe they think it’s more worthwhile to catch the runaway moderates than the hardliners do. Actually, they would want to live the rest of their lives quietly, as Your Highness said.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Then I nodded and told him that the answer was correct.
Because it makes it easier and more honorable.
It was said that because everything was judged with profit, the important facts were missed.
In fact, because of such a misjudgment by the future Holy Empire, the power of the hardliners grew day by day, becoming a great power for the Federation Empire.
To make matters worse, the ‘truth’ revealed by them made them lose even the cause of the ensuing subjugation.
Of course, the most damaged was the Holy Empire.
No, should I say the holy ‘federation’?
‘Of course, that’s also just their karma.’
After all, the first act of driving innocent wizards into the devil’s minions was the beginning of everything.
Even so, what happened before the return should not be repeated.
From the moment the moderates join the hardliners, the damage will be revealed as a war.
“If you understand that, that’s enough. At least it means that the answer to that question has been decided.”
“… … Before that, there is something I want to ask Your Highness.”
“Tell me.”
Shall we ask the ‘secret’ of the Holy Empire that we put off a while ago?
If not, should we ask about the identity of the hardliners?
My eyes lit up, anticipating the questions the saintess would throw at me.
But what came out of her mouth was completely contrary to my expectations.
“Did Your Highness really have to cut them down?”
“If they are… … Are you referring to the family members of nobles involved in the rebellion?”
“yes.”
The saintess’ expression when she said that looked very determined.
… … That’s right. Are you asking this with the will of a saint, not the pope?
I said, holding back my laughter.
“They were the ones I should have cut down with my own hands. That’s all.”
“… … .”
“Because that was my wish and duty.”
That was all.
That alone made the saintess nod slightly.
“I will take note of what Your Highness said. So that Seongguk doesn’t make mistakes again… … .”
“You did well.”
I stood up from my seat and raised the corners of my mouth.
“Always think about your priorities. If you only pursue the desires in front of you, you will be in big trouble someday.”
“… … craving.”
“Then, someday, I’ll wait for the day to see you again.”
That was my last piece of advice to her.
To be precise, it was advice to the pope behind him.
* * *
kiik-
“Here you are.”
After a long silence, it was George who came to the office.
George stared silently at the two teacups on the desk, then came over to me.
“The envoys of the Holy Empire?”
“I just got back. The saintess is also with us.”
“Right.”
They will soon arrive at the Holy Empire and discuss their feelings here in earnest.
Garden ambassador system. And the saintess too.
And it would soon become a device that would make them imprint their existence as me.
In Esteban, I, who designed all these situations, exists… … .
“Well, it must mean that no matter how much the intruders rampage, it’s useless.”
Took-
I lightly pushed the cup with my finger as if playing a prank.
Then the glass rolled down the desk and the liquid in it spilled out.
That was the moment.
Swoop-
Surprisingly, the desk and the carpet on the floor where the liquid touched began to turn black.
Anyone could see that the liquid was not what could be called tea water.
But George’s and mine’s eyes didn’t waver at all.
“How did the investigation of the maid who brought the tea leaves go?”
“It was treated as having already quit the maid’s job two weeks ago and left the palace. I was actually enjoying my time in my hometown.”
“That means someone has disrupted the information from within or… … .”
“It’s like impersonating the head maid with magic.”
George, who intercepted the back talk, grinned.
“Well, anyway, it’s undoubtedly the work of the Second Prince faction.”
corrosive poison.
It was obviously poisonous, but there was no way a person would die from eating it. It was clear from the fact that the carpet did not melt.
However, damage to the internal organs would not be preventable.
‘A level of injury to a saintess who had a conversation with Prince 1.’
… … Just that kind of fatal injury.
That was probably the level of ‘Happening’ that they were eagerly aspiring for.
Only then would it have been able to solve the problem even if it caused a big stir.
‘Did you try to damage my position by making it an issue?’
It was a childish, yet very cunning idea.
In a situation where I can only go this far because there is nothing left.
To the extent that it makes me laugh out loud.
“Anyway, the ploy of using poison didn’t work, so it’s obvious what to do after that.”
“I guess so.”
In fact, it was a declaration of defeat that politics could not do anything about.
As I said that, secret signs began to be detected.
number five.
All of them were at least skilled enough to handle Auras proficiently.
I touched the other glass I hadn’t knocked over and slowly raised the corner of my mouth.
“Has it finally started moving?”
… … Duke William.
“Slowly prepare to welcome guests. to get out.”
“Just don’t make it difficult to clean up.”
kiik-
George left without a word.
Apparently, tonight’s night at the royal palace was going to be longer than usual.
* * *
“His subordinates have left.”
A distance where the inside of the office window could barely be seen through.
The five assassins lowered their stances, blinking their eyes hidden behind their masks.
It was so stealthy that even the knights passing by where they were were not noticed.
“Then, who are the people around you?”
“does not exist. Not one.”
Assassination of the royal family in the palace is accompanied by a very large risk.
Moreover, it is easy to point out the culprit behind the situation if the opponent is static.
So the easiest way to assassinate was to retrieve the body without leaving any witnesses.
In other words, you will be lost.
‘… … Not bad.’
In that sense, this situation could be said to be the best time.
1 The prince was just sitting leisurely, unaware of his imminent fate.
Swoop-
Shuk-
The assassins exchanged hand signals.
Then he slowly began to move through the darkness.
It was a sign of an attack.
“… … .”
Shasha Shock-
The eyes of the assassins, who were closing the distance from the office window in an instant, were already burning with desire.
‘Advance money 100 million gold. And did he say that he would give an additional 100 million gold if the assassination was successful?’
‘It’s definitely an astronomical amount. Enough to buy one manor… … !’
From noble mtl dot com.
‘But it must be easier than expected.’
I heard that the guild’s killers who attempted an assassination a year ago were wiped out.
So I was even advised never to be vigilant.
However, it was a mistake that was made because it was a small party of the back alley assassination guild.
On the contrary, they were the continent’s strongest mercenary killer group, all of whom were ‘senior experts’.
‘It means that I can’t even compare to those guys.’
As evidence of that, the first prince had not yet noticed their existence, having arrived in front of the window.
There is already an overwhelming difference in skill.
‘Rush in.’
The bodies of five adult males flowed through the cracks in the small open window.
It was like a shadow movement.
Soon, the movement of the dagger towards the target did not create even the slightest noise.
‘die!’
hooked!
The tip of the dagger pierced the boy’s torso.
Until the moment the dagger that penetrated to the root was pulled out, no sound could be heard from inside the office.
The assassination was successful without leaving any evidence.
‘… … !’
But it was strange.
The touch of the skin, which should have been felt, was nowhere to be found, and no resistance was felt, as if waving through the air.
The moment I closed my eyes and opened them with a very strange feeling, the image of the first prince in front of me had already disappeared.
squeak-
… … And at the same time, the heads of the assassins flew through the sky.
The last thing they saw before their consciousness remained was the figure of the first prince appearing like smoke and the words uttered from his lips.
“You waited a long time.”
What he had been waiting for was the moment when the 2nd prince faction started moving in earnest.