madnovel Chapter 148
Chapter 148
Chapter 148
The second day dawned.
The gathering was scheduled to resume in the evening, so there was a bit of free time until then.
Since I had gone to sleep late, I got out of bed well past noon and headed to the dining hall, only to spot a group of people already seated there.
“Ah, Leios.”
Women with hair of all different colors greeted me.
All of them possessed striking beauty, and the young knights dining on the other side kept glancing over with looks that clearly said they wanted to strike up a conversation. Still, knowing they were with my group, they seemed to be holding themselves back.
“…It feels like you all got close in just one day.”
Esmeralda had blended into the group as naturally as if she had always been there.
Not only Petra, but even Alice and the other girls looked close in no time at all. As I moved over to join them, Yuria subtly shifted her seat to make room.
“There’s just something that clicks between girls, you know.”
Esmeralda spoke to me with a proud air. As I looked at her with an incredulous expression at that baseless confidence, Yuria beside her gave a wry smile and whispered in a small voice.
“We got close quickly by talking about Leios.”
“…I really hope you didn’t say anything strange.”
Yuria averted her gaze with an awkward expression. Feeling a slight chill from that reaction, I lifted my head and saw Petra glancing my way with a visibly restless face.
“…Ngh.”
At the same time, the cold stares from the women bore down on me, leaving me no choice but to scratch my cheek.
Esmeralda had feelings for me.
In that situation, if she met people I was close with, it was inevitable she would steer the conversation in that direction.
As Petra herself had said, she didn’t have many friends. To an outsider, her personality might seem quite cold, but in truth she was soft-hearted. She had probably been unable to withstand Esmeralda’s relentless offensive.
I didn’t know how far the conversation had gone, but judging by the unfriendly looks, it seemed even that hadn’t sat well with them.
“Leios.”
Elysia, seated toward the front, called my name. When I turned my head, she hesitated slightly before continuing.
“If you have some time during this vacation, would you like to go to Britain? My father contacted me saying he had achieved something a few days ago and wanted to see you.”
“King Arthur?”
If someone of Arthur Pendragon Britain’s caliber spoke of an achievement, it was surely no ordinary matter.
‘Did he reach Sword Master.’
He had been someone closer to that wall than I was to begin with. Recalling that in the original story he had already reached Sword Master by the time he met the protagonist, it wasn’t hard to guess that the achievement he mentioned meant advancing a realm.
‘It would’ve been nice if he could’ve attended the gathering. Then again, it must be hard for him to leave his post at this time.’
As the weather grew colder, it was a time when one had to keep a close watch on monster movements. Especially in the mountain ranges around Britain, countless monsters were said to dwell.
They often descended to raid inhabited villages in preparation for winter, so precautions were necessary.
“Tell him I’ll come pay my respects before the vacation ends. I should have some leeway around then.”
“Yes, I’ll let him know.”
At that, Elysia’s face brightened. While I was at it, helping clear out the mountain ranges and gaining some real combat experience wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Taking Werner, or even Gawain who was rotting away at the Academy, along with me also seemed like a good plan.
“My father also contacted me, asking if you could come by once.”
This time, Leysias spoke up. She continued carefully, watching the others’ expressions.
“He said he’s discovered something regarding the correlation between Prometheus’s Flame and holy power that you mentioned after the journey to the Holy Kingdom, and that he wants to meet you in person.”
“The Count of Sheffield.”
That wasn’t something I could just brush off.
After the journey to the Holy Kingdom, I had contacted the Count of Sheffield through Leysias.
The topic had been the relationship between Prometheus’s Flame and holy power.
For some reason, certain demons and Majin possessed unbelievable resistance to those forces.
They could endure not only the power of Excalibur, but even the combined might of the Holy King and Saintess who represented the Holy Kingdom.
What was more, when it came to Agares, he had even withstood Prometheus’s Flame that had defeated Gremory.
Yet when Prometheus’s Flame and holy power were combined, they exhibited extraordinary might.
Both the resistance to holy power and holy flames, and the relationship between the two, were settings that never appeared in the original work, so I had no knowledge of them.
I had asked Chris just in case, but neither of those fields had been her specialty to begin with.
That was why I had sought help from the Count of Sheffield, a scion of a magic noble family with long tradition and history. Hearing that he had found something out lightened my heart considerably.
“Then I should stop by South Yorkshire first before heading to Britain. Pass that along to the Count.”
“Yes.”
At my words, Leysias replied energetically, clearly pleased. Just then, a deliberately exaggerated cough sounded from somewhere.
“Ahem.”
“…Petra?”
She, seated at the far end opposite me, drew attention with an uncharacteristic demeanor. Then, with her face slightly flushed, she looked straight at me.
“Coincidentally, my father also contacted me saying he wants to meet you.”
“…The Count of Leipzig.”
By that point, it was impossible not to notice the peculiar atmosphere filling the room.
Elysia and Leysias exchanged glances and swallowed dryly. Only Esmeralda and Alice, who couldn’t use their parents as an excuse, crossed their arms with openly displeased expressions.
Petra nodded with an attitude that seemed to drive a wedge right into the middle of it all.
“In a few years, we’ll both be graduating from the Academy, won’t we? And with what His Majesty the Emperor said, we can’t remain in an engagement indefinitely. So I thought we should start preparing for marriage in advance.”
Compared to the previous two, it wasn’t as urgent an issue, but its impact was incomparable.
At the mention of engagement and marriage, everyone’s faces twitched. Esmeralda had gone so far as to grip the handle of her fork as if it were about to shatter.
…For a mage, that grip strength was something else.
“…Ah, right.”
Faced with an atmosphere that had turned strange in an instant, I hurriedly nodded. Then I chose my words carefully.
“Then let’s take care of the urgent matters first. We’ll go to South Yorkshire, then head to Britain, and after that, to Leipzig.”
Even using Teleport Gates, we’d probably need to start moving at least two weeks in advance. That way, even if something unexpected happened, we could handle all those schedules.
The meal continued. However, unlike earlier when it had been lively, a slightly uncomfortable air now hung over us. It spread to other tables, making everyone else steal glances our way and hold their breath.
Still, our group of women simply continued eating with somewhat complicated expressions.
“…Ah, so you were here.”
Just then, a lifeline appeared to save me.
At the entrance of the dining hall, Philip spotted me and hurried over. He said the Sword Saint had summoned me and asked me to come along.
“Let’s go.”
I had nearly finished my meal anyway, so I stood up without hesitation. I bid my companions a brief farewell, saying I’d see them later, and quickly left the dining hall.
“You saved my life.”
“……?”
Philip tilted his head, asking what I meant. I shrugged and said thanks anyway, and only then did he seem to catch on, giving a wry smile.
“Even popularity can be exhausting.”
“It wasn’t like this before. So, what did you mean about the Sword Saint calling for me?”
At that, Philip’s expression changed as he glanced around. After confirming that we were alone, he spoke in a low voice.
“There was information that several people from the list you gave me met secretly overnight.”
“…That.”
He handed me a piece of parchment from his pocket, listing the personal details of several individuals.
People from neither the same kingdom nor the same school, with no apparent connection whatsoever. And yet, they had gathered overnight.
“So these ones are confirmed. What about the others?”
“They’re quiet. As you said, even among demons and Majin there should be factions, so we can’t let our guard down. We’ve got eyes on all of them.”
“As I mentioned, they’re sensitive to those kinds of signs and energies. So—”
“Don’t worry. Do you know how many eyes this territory has? Even without sending people directly connected to us, there are passersby on the streets, shop clerks, cleaners. There are endless ways to gather information.”
‘I see.’
All those we suspected had reached at least the realm of Sword Master.
Even for seasoned experts, they’d be dangerous, and it was impossible to monitor all of them at once.
But if information was gathered from people who were already there, it was hardly difficult. After all, no one living in this territory would dare go against the Sword Saint’s name.
“We’ll talk in more detail inside.”
When I entered the Sword Saint’s office, several people greeted me. All of them were either his direct lineage or core members of the knight order—experts who wielded tremendous influence in this territory.
“Hey, has the thief arrived!”
“…Who are you calling a thief?”
Of course, to me they all felt like uncles with a big age gap.
At first, I had thought there might be some subtle territorial behavior.
The fact that I had become the Sword Saint’s disciple was something everyone involved here knew. I assumed they’d naturally harbor some resentment toward someone who had appeared out of nowhere and taken a place among them.
But their attitude was simple.
One after another, they challenged me to spar. Then, once they were satisfied, they welcomed me.
If anything, I was the one who felt bewildered.
Watching me, the Sword Saint burst out laughing heartily.
“You heard from Philip, right? A few of the ones on the list you handed over met overnight.”
“What do you plan to do?”
Whether we would move first to deal with them swiftly and warn those hiding, or wait until they made their move and wipe them out all at once.
Each option had its pros and cons. Moreover, since we could prove their identities, we could even steamroll any diplomatic issues.
With so many distinguished figures here to serve as witnesses, what was there to hesitate about?
“Do you have any idea what means they might use to cause trouble?”
At the Sword Saint’s question, I fell into brief contemplation.
They usually used insiders to stir up chaos. If they offered people as sacrifices, creating lesser monsters would be easy enough.
Up until now, they had avoided that to leave no traces while operating under the surface, but with rumors spreading from the Holy Kingdom to every nation, there was no longer any need for such restraint.
“But if they’re thinking clearly, they won’t disperse their forces. Given the strength gathered here, at most it’d be a diversionary tactic……”
And besides, wasn’t there a tempting piece of prey right in front of them?
A man bearing the title of ‘Hero’.
“If it were me, I’d aim for myself.”
Of course, I had no intention of going down without a fight.