Chapter 0293 Audience Chamber
-x-X-x-
"Now, we can only hope that nothing out of the ordinary happens, right, Your Majesty Roberto Pirlo."
"Emperor Rupert, you might jinx it by saying something like that at this juncture. The previous country, Ayteke-Bo, was partially destroyed before we arrived after all. As expected of the hero of the Kingdom, his mighty arm seems to be able to crush small countries like breaking twigs."
Emperor Rupert, the head of the Imperial Mission, and King Roberto Pirlo, the head of the Union Mission, were having such a conversation before the audience began.
They were obviously taking a dig at Hugh McGrath, the head of the Royal Mission, who was with them.
(These damn old farts! Going on and on and on without end. Ayteke-Bo turned out the way it did as a result of their lord's foolishness, and had nothing to do with us, goddammit! I'm pretty sure they know that, yet go on anyway. Damn, this is really driving me nuts! Compared to these guys, I'm seriously thankful for having someone like King Abel as our king!)
Such thoughts swirled in Hugh's mind, but outwardly, he completely ignored their conversation.
They were about to have an audience with King Gon of 'Schulz'.
Even though it was an audience with the king, the room wasn't that large.
It was about the size of two basketball courts.
Hence, the number of people from the mission attending the audience with the king was also limited.
Representatives of small countries were not allowed, only the three major powers. And only two from each country.
The Empire was represented by Emperor Rupert and Count Hans Kirchhoff.
The Union was represented by King Roberto Pirlo and Guard Captain Groen.
And for the Kingdom, Hugh McGrath and Chief Negotiator Ignis.
"Delegations of the Central Nations, enter!"
The door opened at the same time as the palace official's words, and the six representatives of the delegations entered the audience hall.
The audience with the indifferent King Gon of 'Schulz' was almost over.
But it didn't end there.
Suddenly, the door to the side of the audience chamber opened.
As soon as it opened, a magic trigger word echoed through the hall.
"
In an instant, flames spread out from the opened door.
Before those in the audience chamber could understand what was happening, the flames spread.
"
The one who inserted himself between the spreading flames and his Lord and erected a barrier with no chant was Count Hans Kirchhoff, Emperor Rupert's right-hand man.
At the same time the
At about the same time, King Roberto Pirlo, himself deployed a
"Count Kirchhoff, I'm going to stack up the
Without even waiting for a reply, he mounted his own
The
Since a single trigger word could deploy a barrier with both properties, it was quite popular among high-ranking magicians.
And such advanced magic were 'Stacked' together.
That was generally referred to as 'Magic Synthesis', and was a technique used by multiple people to increase the potency of magic of the same attribute, but it was an extremely advanced magic technique.
Since
The fact that he was able to execute it without any problem, even in this situation where his life was on the line, showed Roberto Pirlo's great capability as a magician.
A successfully executed magic synthesis of
Since they couldn't be certain of how this development would play out, it was better to keep the consumption of magic power to a minimum.
With that in mind, Hugh McGrath was trying to assess the situation.
The royal castle came under attack.
The assailants appeared somewhere near the audience chamber and targeted it, and no unusual sounds were heard from outside the audience chamber until the door was opened and magic was cast.
No sound of sword fights at the very least.
And the magic chanted was
That was a magic known as the highest tier of fire-attribute magic in the Central Nations' magic systems.
So, it was obviously not magic that some third-rate magicians could cast.
Flames that never go out would spread and balls of fire would fly intermittently from the magician toward their target….
A truly deadly magic that burns everything to the ground.
Looking closely, he saw a young woman chanting….
"Is there really no other way than to defeat that girl…?"
Even Hugh felt a pang of conscience, though he realized that wasn't the time for such loftiness.
Already, the audience chamber was ablaze, but there were two or three places where
That being said…they were all close to their limits.
While distracted by this, another barrier was breached and engulfed in the sea of flames.
At that point, the king and his surrounding area were no longer visible….
"Screw this. I'm taking that magician down."
Hugh announced to no one in particular.
"All right."
Emperor Rupert answered.
King Roberto Pirlo nodded silently, as he was busy maintaining the
When Hugh heard Rupert's reply, he ran through the side of the
In his hand was his cherished sword, Holy Sword Galahad.
When the female magician, who was releasing
Slash.
His sword cut through
It was absolutely inconceivable to slice through the highest tier of concentrated offensive magic, with a sword.
It must have been pretty shocking for the female magician.
With surprise written all over her face.
Then, it quickly turned to fear.
"Sorry."
At that moment, the sword flash may have been weakened just a little.
Unconsciously, of course.
Hugh, with a side stroke, aimed at the female magician's neck…
Clang.
A young man with reddish-orange hair jumped between Hugh and the female magician and repelled Hugh's sword.
"No you don't."
The reddish-orange-haired young man said and stood before Hugh.
Then, Hugh and the reddish-orange-haired young man were locked in a sword fight.
Even Hugh, a veteran, was not as sharp with his sword as usual due to momentary mental exhaustion and impatience with the situation.
It wasn't a matter of reason. But one of emotion.
(He's strong…)
Hugh muttered in his mind.
Not because of his skills.
There may be some openings.
But his mental fortitude, his firm resolve to protect the magician at all costs, was conveyed in the way he held his sword.
And Hugh could tell.
(Men like this are strong.)
He then flicked the sword wide once and stepped back to gain some distance.
The reddish-orange-haired man was holding his sword with a determined look in his eyes.
Hugh, too, was on his guard and ready with his sword.
As a result, it turned into a stalemate.
Crack.
Crack.
From Hans Kirchhoff's right side, which was deploying the
"Your Majesty, we've run out of half of our magic reserves."
Hans's anguished report made even Rupert frown.
But then, a certain man made his move.
He was stunned by Hugh's bold charge, but couldn't bring himself to move.
Groen, the captain of the guard of King Roberto Pirlo.
"I leave His Majesty in your care."
Groen said without any hesitation and plunged into the center of the flames.
The fairly strong swordsman with reddish-orange hair who was protecting the female magician releasing
With a master swordsman like McGrath as an opponent, he should have his hands full.
Leaving only one more person to protect the female magician.
A swordsman with one crushed eye.
He must either defeat or get past the swordsman and approach the female magician.
By doing so, he'd be protecting King Roberto Pirlo.
Guard captain Groen rushed in with that determination.
He must have anticipated that more people would come.
The one-eyed swordsman inserted himself between Groen and the female magician to obstruct Groen's charge.
The one-eyed swordsman firmly received Groen's downward swing.
Again, the mission's assault was fended off….
Or so everyone thought.
Except for one person.
Who used every piece of the action as a decoy.
"Emperor…"
Hugh muttered involuntarily as he caught sight of Emperor Rupert approaching the female magician with a side glance.
-x-X-x-
While the audience chamber was turning into a sea of flames, it wasn't exactly peaceful outside the castle either.
More than tens of thousands of horsemen from the equestrian tribes besieged 'Schulz'.
And the castle gates were about to be closed, naturally….
But the equestrian tribes, who had been lurking in the streets of 'Schulz' for several days, raided the gates and kept them from closing.
The attacking equestrian tribes didn't pay attention to civilians and focused on the government facilities.
The knights' quarters, the guards' quarters, the ministries, the castle…and the plaza.
"Damn, who the hell are these guys? Get into a defensive formation with the civilian officials at the center. Now!"
"B-But, His Majesty Rupert is in the castle!"
"First, we need to deal with these guys pouring in…"
"There are enemies inside the castle as well!"
"What the hell! His Majesty…"
The Imperial delegation and its escorts were in disarray.
Nevertheless, the escorts were imperial troops, and because of their high individual strengths, they had not completely collapsed and were barely maintaining the battle line.
"His Majesty is inside the castle…"
"You think these mere marauders are capable of killing someone that even Lord Aubrey couldn't kill? How about we worry about ourselves, the ones outside, first!"
The Union delegation and its escorts were incredibly decisive….
Which probably suggested that they thought very highly of former king Roberto Pirlo… no, while they most certainly do….
Is that really how it should be, Union escort detail….
"Ryo, are you all right?"
"I'm good. This level of attack won't even hurt a hair on my head."
The Kingdom delegation and its escorts were all inside an ice wall.
"Dammit, what's with this invisible wall!"
"It's no good. Even magic is useless against it."
"What should we do, Chief?"
The tribe that attacked the Kingdom delegation was completely stopped in its tracks.
They were literally helpless before Ryo's
"We are all good here thanks to the
"Most likely. They're probably fighting in front of the castle door to keep anyone from going in."
Ryo asked, and Niels answered with a nod.
Between the plaza and the castle, for some reason, the equestrian tribes who came out of the castle set up a defensive position to prevent Schulz's soldiers from entering the castle.
And inside the castle were leader Hugh and chief negotiator Ignis.
Including the former emperor of the Empire and the former king of the Union, of course, but well, they're irrelevant….
Hugh McGrath is a former A-rank swordsman and hero of the 'Great War'.
Alone, he would be able to get out of any difficult situation.
But chief negotiator Ignis… isn't one for violence.
Of course, being the second son of Marquis Hope, a great western noble house, he may have received some kind of combat training since childhood.
Which is very likely….
Still, he's no fighter.
"Mr. Ignis…"
"Yeah. He might be in a bind."
Niels nodded to Ryo's concern.
Then, Swordsman DeLong, the leader of 'Coffee Maker', came running to the two of them and said.
"Ryo, you can maintain this ice wall on your own, right?"
"Of course."
"Great. Then, I'll leave the protection of the civilian officials and the D-rankers to you. Niels, we're going to take the B and C-rank parties and storm the castle. We're rescuing the Grand Master and Mr. Ignis."
"Got it."
Niels nodded vigorously in reply to DeLong's suggestion.
Niels was of the same mind.
Listening beside him were those whose faces were filled with determination.
They were Swordsman Harold, Priest Zeke, and Dual Swordsman Gowan, the three members of 'Room 11'.
Seeing this, Ryo called out to them.
"Harold, Zeke, Gowan. Please take care of Mr. Hugh and Mr. Ignis."
Ryo's voice may have surprised them.
Harold's eyes widened a little.
But he quickly regained his determined expression.
"Sure, we got this."
Saying so, he nodded his head slightly.
The three of them then followed Niels and the other members of 'Room 10' and ran to the castle.
Meanwhile, Ryo remained behind to protect the civilian officials.
And for the first time in a while, Ryo heard a voice in his mind.
((Ryo, listen, there is something you should know about 'Schulz'… whoa, what in the world is going on?))
((Abel! And here I was just thinking it's been a while since we connected! As you can see, it's a battlefield.))
The voice coming from 'Soul Resonance' was, of course, that of Abel, back in the royal capital.
((Don't tell me, it's a raid by the equestrian tribes?))
((That's right. Do you know something?))
((Yeah. I received a report from Marquis Heinlein. Saying that the current 'Schulz' government is hunting the children of the equestrian tribes in an attempt to eradicate them. And that there's a plan in the works involving an orphan of the previous dynasty of 'Schulz' teaming up with those equestrian tribes to become the king of the equestrian tribes and attacking 'Schulz'.))
Ryo was surprised.
At the same time, he was terrified.
Wondering how far Marquis Heinlein's intelligence network extended.
His reach extended beyond the Imperial territory to the desolate lands beyond the Pitch-Black Forest where 'Ayteke-Bo' was located.
'Information is Power' indeed….
((I'm really glad that… Marquis Heinlein is on our side. Abel, you'd better butter up to Phelps, the successor to Marquis Heinlein!))
((What do you mean, butter up…))
((I just think it'd be better to avert a civil war between King Abel and Marquis Heinlein that will one day split the Kingdom in two, in advance.))
((Oh…. Should it come to that, my chances of winning are slim, won't you say?))
Abel replied, not taking it seriously at all.
((When that happens, what will decide the outcome will be which side has the support of the premier duke!))
((In other words, Ryo, right?))
Ryo is the premier duke of the Kingdom.
((Then I guess I win.))
Abel made a rare declaration of victory.
((Why would you think so?))
((Do you even need to ask? Well, I'll grant you a weekly basis cake privilege.))
((Damn Abel, you sure know your way around things! In that case, I'll stick with you for the rest of my life, right?))
The simulated confrontation between the king and the prime minister ended with the king's victory.
But as expected, Ryo soon came to his senses.
((Sigh, this isn't the time for foolish talk. Looks like the situation is developing…))
((Yeah, don't mind me.))
Once Ryo had driven Abel out of his mind, he concentrated on the situation at hand.
Until a few moments ago, the other delegations besides the Kingdom had been acting in a rather disjointed manner.
At most, the delegations from smaller countries were clustered in a defensive formation in a corner of the plaza.
And were being protected by Ryo's
Ryo, too, wasn't just chatting away with Abel and ignoring the situation!
The Empire and the Union were, well, opponents with whom he had fought, and he couldn't completely say that there was no hard feelings in protecting them, but the delegations of the small countries were allies to be protected.
Those were his honest feelings.
And be that as it may, Ryo wasn't about to watch the members of the Imperial and the Union delegations die! It hadn't gotten to that.
He wouldn't necessarily call them companions… at most fellow travelers heading for the Western Countries together.
Thus, he watched them as they gathered together to some extent.
And finally, they seemed to have assembled.
(
As he chanted in his mind, a couple of ice walls were generated, protecting each Imperial and Union delegations.
Since he had no intention of revealing it was his doing, he chanted without saying it out loud.
"What's this!? An invisible wall just…"
"Damn, it won't crack at all."
"Even magic is ineffective…"
"Is it… protecting us?"
"I don't know what it is, but we can finally breathe easy."
"It's God's blessing."
Ryo decided to ignore the last words by the priest, although he wanted to vehemently deny it.
Ryo, after hearing Abel's story, honestly had no desire to fight the equestrian tribes.
The Schulz government was doing inexcusable things, such as hunting children to eradicate the horsemen… If that was true, then he could understand why they attacked "Schulz".
Some would call him naive, and that may be so.
But that's just who Ryo is.
As someone who studied history… or rather, who had studied history, he couldn't overlook ethnic cleansing.
"Though, the ones in the castle are unaware of this…"
Ryo thought of the heads of delegations and their guards, including 'Room 10' and 'Room 11' bunch, who had gone in to rescue them.
-x-X-x-
"Over there! Over there on the left, where the magicians are clustered. Break through there."
The two members of 'Room 10' and three members of 'Room 11' nodded at Niels' instructions.
Priest Etho stretched his left arm straight while running.
and fired.
From the rapid-fire crossbow attached to his left arm, three arrows fired in quick succession and flew in the direction Niels pointed.
"Uguh"
"Argh"
"Wh…"
One step behind the impact, Amon jumped in, followed by Niels.
After a slight delay, Zeke, Harold, and Gowan from Room 11 charged forward in that order.
Although it was within the defensive formation of the equestrian tribes, it must have been a spot with many magicians and priests.
They couldn't hold up against Niels and the other six at all.
The six who rushed in knocked down the equestrian tribe members and started advancing further in.
At other points, perhaps because the equestrian tribes were resisting quite stubbornly, they couldn't break through easily to enter the royal castle.
Therefore, the six of them were the first among the Kingdom escort adventurers and the Empire guard unit that headed for the royal castle from the plaza.
And of note, none of the Union escort units were even heading toward the royal castle…
"Which way?"
"Straight ahead."
Etho answered Niels' question.
They were aiming for the audience chamber.
Mainly to ensure the safety of Chief Negotiator Ignis.
Hugh McGrath, the head of the mission, was probably all right.
Schulz's royal castle wasn't particularly big.
That said, that was compared to the royal castles of the Central Nations, and it was bigger than, for example, the lord's mansion of Count Rune.
The six of them kept running, defeating several likely enemies along the way, without slowing down…
"Ahead is the corridor leading to the audience chamber."
Etho announced.
And there was a group of people coming out of the hallway just as the six of them were entering the hallway.
At the front was a man with one crushed eye, followed by a reddish-orange-haired young man holding a fifteen-year-old woman.
Niels sensed that the two men possessed extraordinary power, but he ignored them.
Whether the two were friends or foes, the current top priority was securing Chief Negotiator Ignis' safety.
For that reason, the five who followed him also continued running without engaging them.
When they were about to finish running down the corridor, they saw the door to the audience chamber open and several people rushed out.
"Guild Master! Mr. Ignis!"
Hearing Niels' familiar voice, Hugh McGrath and Ignis raised their heads and hands.
To indicate that they were safe.
In addition, others appeared from behind them.
The former Emperor Rupert, Count Hans Kirchhoff, the former King Robert Pirlo, and his guard captain Groen.
The top six members of the mission somehow managed to escape from the burning audience chamber.
"'Room 10' and 'Room 11'. Thanks for coming. If it's just your parties, I'm guessing there's a battle outside the castle as well?"
"Yes. After being attacked by mounted fighters, the mission is mounting a defensive battle in the plaza."
Niels answered Hugh McGrath's question on behalf of them.
"The entrance to the royal castle is currently blocked by them and the Kingdom's adventurers and the Empire guards are fighting to break through."
Hugh and the former Emperor Rupert nodded at Niels' additional report.
"Have the Union escort units abandoned us… Hey, Groen, what do you think as the escort captain?"
"I guess they… trust us… If I don't think about it that way, I'm going to tear up."
Former King Roberto Pirlo asked, and Captain Groen replied with a slight shake of his head.
Each country had their own circumstances.
"The equestrian tribes did not attach the citizens of 'Schulz' and instead targeted several government facilities. In addition, they also attacked our delegation in the plaza. I suspect it has shifted from a defensive battle into a deadlock."
Niels reported to the three commanders.
"First, let's join the main force in the plaza."
Hugh said to Rupert and Roberto Pirlo, and they nodded.
In this case, there was no other option.
Some arrived at the entrance of the royal castle one step ahead of the twelve members of the mission who were withdrawing from the burning royal castle.
Juddah, the man with a crushed eye, and King Hahn, a young man with reddish-orange hair holding his unconscious sister Soi.
"Your Majesty! Chief Juddah!"
"You are safe!"
"Soi-sama…"
The equestrian tribe members were elated to see the three of them.
However, when they saw Soi in King Hahn's arms, they were at a loss for words.
"She avoided instant death. But she's still in danger. Where's Bors and the others?"
King Hahn asked about the whereabouts of his subordinates.
"Bors-dono is facing off against the Central Nations delegation in the plaza."
"Okay, then we will evacuate as planned. Including the current King of Shulz, we have buried the influential royals. We'll enter the castle openly once the Central Nation delegations leave."
Messengers ran into the plaza to deliver the words of King Hahn.
And King Hahn and others quickly left the royal castle.
But just once, King Hahn glared at the depths of the royal castle and muttered.
"Former Emperor Rupert… I will never forgive you for hurting Soi. I swear to repay this debt."
The equestrian tribes withdrew and the royal castle burned to the ground.
Since the King and many of his close aides died, the delegation from the Central Nations gave up on negotiations and decided to leave "Schulz".
It was a week after the delegations departed that King Hahn, who led the equestrian tribes, entered the Schulz castle as declared.
And then, King Hahn proclaimed himself as the new King of Schulz, and the situation of the corridor nations took a new turn… but that's another story for a later time.
Author's note:
Destiny was born here.
Former Emperor Rupert and King Hahn.
I'm looking forward to seeing how they will interact with each other.
-x-X-x-
"Have you heard, Niels? Apparently, the government of any country through which the Mission passes always collapses. The people are calling us the Mission from Hell."
"…Well, last I checked, they're not wrong."
Niels replied, shaking his head slightly.
Indeed, the governments collapsed in 'Ayteke-Bo' and 'Schulz' where the delegations from the Central Nations passed through.
Of course, the missions didn't do this intentionally, and they were not involved at all… or could at least make a strong case that they were hardly involved….
((So, Abel, the lesson this time is not to extend boundary lines unnecessarily. Please keep that in mind.))
((Yeah, why call me out so suddenly?))
Ryo was advising His Majesty the King, who was on the other side of the Soul Resonance, as the premier duke of the Kingdom, for the sake of the country.
Despite appearances, Ryo was also thinking about various things.
Like alchemy.
Curry.
Crepes.
((So basically only alchemy and food…))
((Please stop lumping curry and crepes together as something as broad as food! Curry is a kind of drink, and crepe is a kind of drink…huh?))
((Yup, I guess it's different from the curry I know alright, for you to call it some kind of drink.))
Ryo and Abel's opinions were at odds again today.
But then Abel asked about the part that was bothering him.
((Earlier, you said something about extending boundary lines?))
((Oh, yeah. It's about what transpired in Schulz. In the last incident, the king of the equestrian tribes…))
((You mean King Hahn.))
((Yeah him, King Hahn, didn't he basically make enemies out of the three central powers?))
((Well, I guess so. They attacked the delegations after all.))
((Sure, they had their own compelling reasons which was understandable, but even so, it had nothing to do with us whom they attacked…))
((Hmm))
It was nothing but a real nuisance to those caught in the middle of it.
((What we do is the absolute right thing… many people adopt that mindset when they are trying to achieve something of note. Now, putting aside whether it's right or not…. It doesn't justify doing whatever you want. If you go about it the wrong way, you can turn even those who may have become your allies against you. So, please be careful, Abel))
((In this incident, the wrong way would be burning down the audience hall without a second thought.))
((Yeah. If they hadn't done that, or roped us into it, I think the Central Nations would have been at least favorably neutral, even if not on their side, since the equestrian tribes who were about to be ethnically cleansed had already taken up arms. But even that is no longer possible. And this whole thing started with Schulz hunting the children of the equestrian tribes. Which goes to show that doing things the proper way is for the best.)
Ryo shook his head slightly in his mind.
((…If it were you, Ryo, how would you go about it in a proper way like you said?))
((If I were the equestrian tribes, you mean? Well, simple. I'll just assassinate the King of Schulz!))
((Eh…))
The King of the Kingdom of Knightley was immensely shocked by Ryo's not-so-subtle approach.
((If after assassinating him, the new king also continues the ethnic cleansing, I'll assassinate him as well. If the next king continues, off he goes. You do that enough times, believe me, even the Schulz key figures will start to come around. Even if it wasn't the king himself but those around him were the ones leading the ethnic cleansing, they'd probably back off. Since they'd think that they might be the next to be assassinated instead of the king if it came to light that they were the ones actually spearheading the ethnic cleansing. Problem solved!))
((Well… assassination is a bit extreme…))
((Purging a great evil with the sacrifice of only three people. I can't think of any way more just!))
A completely terrorist mindset and approach….
((Or so, some people might come up with. Since It's efficient.))
((…I guess you have a different opinion then.))
Abel was a little relieved.
((Duh! What do you take me for…))
((A psychopath.))
((What a thing to say! But honestly speaking, I don't see any clever solution to it.))
((Really…))
((To begin with, Schulz's crazy method of trying to eradicate the equestrian tribes by ethnic cleansing was preposterous, to say the least. A bloodless revolution would have been nice, but that's easier said than done. At the end of the day, strong-arm tactics will be needed down the line…. Talk about a single deplorable policy leading to so many misfortunes…though if you study history, you will come across such cases to a sickening degree.))
After Ryo said that, a thought occurred to him.
He wondered if this incident surrounding the equestrian tribes would also lead to another set of misfortunes.
Hopefully, the Central Nations won't be implicated….
The premier duke was also done giving his advice to His Majesty the King.
Ryo and the others were in the rear of the Kingdom delegation.
And the Kingdom delegation was currently at the tail end of the missions to the west.
They were proceeding according to the order of advancement that had been initially decided between the Central Nations.
That was, the Imperial delegation, the Union delegation, the smaller countries delegations, and the Kingdom delegation, in that order.
However, since the distance between the delegations was sometimes quite wide, they didn't particularly communicate with each other as they advanced.
Hence, it was very unusual for a liaison from the Imperial delegation to come to Hugh McGrath, the leader of the Kingdom delegation.
"You mean to say that the next country we're passing through, 'Baudelin', is no more? What do you mean no more?"
"Yeah. When we, the Imperial delegation, got there, the gates were open and the building that was supposed to be the castle was half destroyed. And as at the time I was ordered to deliver this report, no one had been found alive."
The Imperial liaison officer's answer to Hugh's question was astounding.
The nation was no longer in existence.
And not the demise of a regime, but even the people were all gone, which was remarkably rare.
Hugh turned to Delong, the leader of 'Coffee Maker', who was listening beside him.
Delong must have thought the same thing as Hugh.
He nodded and opened his mouth.
"I don't know what's going on, but something very out of the ordinary must have transpired. I think it would be best not to go into the city."
"Right."
Hugh nodded and agreed with Delong's opinion.
He had endless questions and concerns about how long the country had been gone and why it perished, but the situation wouldn't permit personal curiosity to take precedence.
That said, it was a straight road.
They had no choice but to follow the road until they reached 'Baudelin'.
When they got there, they wouldn't enter Baudelin, but pass through the side of the city walls and proceed ahead….
"I suppose we should pass the information amongst ourselves."
Hugh said and ordered the scouts to pass the information to the rear.
The Kingdom delegation formed a group that could be called a scout party, centered on Lasrino, the 'Coffee Maker' scout.
When the Kingdom delegation was leading the way, these scouts were constantly gathering information as they advanced.
But now, there was no need for that.
Since they were simply taking the same path that the other three delegations took earlier, a few days or even hours later.
Of course, they were still collecting information as they move, but much less frequently than in the beginning.
That in turn gave the scout party some leeway.
Hugh personally went to the second carriage to consult and report to chief negotiator Ignis, while the scouts went to the other carriages to report.
"The Mission from Hell indeed…"
The members of 'Room 10' and 'Room 11' in the rear heard the report from Scout Lasrino.
And the one who made the last comment needs no mention obviously.
It was none other than the magician of the attribute that commands water….
"Surely, it's not our fault that the country is no more before we arrive, right?"
"Still, weird shit keeps happening, every time."
"All these troubles just to get to the Western Countries."
Niels, Etho, and Amon each expressed their thoughts.
Harold, Zeke, and Gowan, the three of 'Room 11', didn't open their mouths, but when they looked at each other, they gave a small shake of their heads.
Then, Ryo suddenly had an idea.
"Etho, in a ruined city like this, won't you usually find zombies or wraiths or something?"
Ryo's question was based on his usual fantasy knowledge.
"You could find zombies if there are dead bodies. Wraiths too, probably. But even in a large city, you can only find a few wraiths at most…"
Etho seemed to answer while recalling his memories.
"Oh, so a single dose of Turn Undead from either Etho or Zeke would clean them up nicely."
Niels said with a nod.
"Well, you're not wrong…. Wraiths found in ruined cities and villages are those who died with regret…. The city or village itself is like their graves. If push comes to shove I'll do what I have to, but honestly, I'd rather leave them be."
Etho looked a little sad as he said this.
As a priest, he must have had many opportunities to come in contact with such departed souls.
He looked like someone with quite the extraordinary tale with such spirits to Ryo and the others.
"When the time comes, let's offer Niels as a sacrifice to appease their spirits."
"Like hell! "
Ryo's proposal was rejected by Niels himself….
It was three days after receiving the report that the Kingdom delegation arrived at a place where the walls of the ruined city-state of 'Baudelin' were visible.
"So we are more than two full days away from the leading Imperial delegation, huh."
Hugh McGrath, the leader of the delegation, muttered to himself.
They were further ahead than he thought they would be.
"From tomorrow, I'll have a few more scouts ahead."
He may or may not have heard the cries of the scouts in his head….
It took about an hour from the time the walls came into view until they arrived in front of them, during which time Hugh's expression grew grim.
And sure enough, Delong, the swordsman beside him, noticed this as well.
"Mr. Hugh?"
"Hm? Oh… Sorry, it's just, the smaller countries delegations that are ahead of us…I'm not seeing them, do you?"
The order of the mission was: the Empire, the Union, the smaller countries, and the Kingdom.
The sun was setting and they ought to be preparing to setup camp….
"The scouts reported a few hours ago that they weren't too far ahead, right?"
"That's right. A few hundred meters, if I recall correctly."
"I thought they would be in front of the city walls, getting ready for the night, so it's a little odd that they aren't here. I hope they simply picked up their pace and joined the Union delegation further ahead…"
"You don't think they went into the city…or something?"
Hugh's concern finally occurred to Delong.
It was only natural that it took Delong a while to reach such an alarming conclusion.
Since no adventurer would dare to enter a city like this at night, as a matter of course.
Much less think of passing through it.
And the last thing they would do is think of spending the night inside it.
"Well, I doubt they would want to camp here at night. I just hope they're moving along the side of the city walls to the other side…"
Hugh, too, thought that they wouldn't actually set up camp in the city.
The smaller countries' delegations also had adventurers among their escorts.
They would've probably stopped them.
"Well, I can't ask the scouts to go take a look inside at this hour…"
"Nope…Lasrino would just break into tears."
Delong is the party leader.
And Lasrino, the scout of the party 'Coffee Maker', was undoubtedly one of the best scouts in the Kingdom, but even he wouldn't want to enter a ruined city when it was almost nightfall.
So, the more experienced they were, the more they would be against it….
And for some reason, Delong was beginning to feel that he didn't want to enter this city, either.
-x-X-x-
The sun had completely set, and the Kingdom delegation was spending their time as they pleased.
Normally, even at such hours, there'd be guards standing watch in shifts.
But there was no one on watch.
They were only given a single instruction, "Don't go too far".
Because the ice wall only covered a hundred meters….
"Only in times like this does it truly dawn on me. Water-attribute magic is super useful."
"I know, right?"
Ryo nodded repeatedly at Niels' honest impression.
He was pleased with the praise.
"Nah, I feel it's not so much the water-attribute magic, but just Ryo being amazing…"
"And that includes his disciples."
Etho said with a wry smile, and Amon added, recalling the
Such a peaceful, leisurely time came to an abrupt end.
After sighting a man running over from the direction of the city gates.
He was running, but staggering.
He didn't appear to be injured, but… he looked as though he was scared shitless to move properly.
Then, Ryo opened the ice wall just enough for the man to pass through, and closed it again when he got in.
It would be a disaster if some kind of horror followed him in….
"What happened!?"
Hugh McGrath, the leader of the delegation, emphatically asked the man who came running in.
His voice awakened the entire Kingdom delegation.
The adventurers quickly rose to their feet and equipped themselves.
The civilian officials quickly entered their carriages and were out of sight so as not to interfere with the battle.
That was the protocol for the Kingdom delegation during breaks.
So, because they knew exactly what they had to do, they could take things slow any other time.
"T-The delegation…is under attack. Please help us."
"Tsk. So you guys went inside. What attacked you?"
"Spirits…"
Hugh clicked his tongue at the report of the man who had come running.
The smaller countries' delegation that was ahead of the Kingdom had entered the city.
"Niels! Go to their rescue with 'Room 10' and 'Room 11'. If you need additional reinforcements, release flare magic. Etho, Zeke, you know how right?"
"Yes."
Niels, Etho and Zeke replied.
Etho and Zeke's flare magic is based on light-attribute magic and is especially visible at night.
A coordinated party with two priests in six members.
The ideal selection to be dispatched to a ruined city.
"Mr. Hugh, what about me?"
"Stay behind, Ryo. Only you can open and close the ice wall."
Ryo's question was immediately answered by Hugh.
Hugh's words were so well-reasoned that even Ryo could not argue with them.
All he could do was turn to the six and nod.
The six nodded back.
Then they ran towards the city gates.
The six members of 'Room 10' and 'Room 11' passed through the gate.
There was a fairly wide road that ran straight through the city.
The so-called main street.
"There!"
Amon pointed to the far end of the road.
A group of carriages and horses seemed to be surrounded by something.
"Let's go!"
With Niels' command, the six of them ran toward the group.
Meanwhile, the group in question….
"Dammit, damn, damn…guhaa…"
"
"There's no end to these things…"
"No, help me…"
There were about ten wraiths.
However, no matter how many they defeated, new ones kept spawning….
It was totally bizarre.
Typically, once their souls are purified by
Wraiths are formed from the souls of those who died with regret.
Or more accurately, the spirits of those who couldn't properly pass on…
Hence, they wouldn't be able to 'Reincarnate' or 'Start a New Life'.
But…something very out of the ordinary was happening there.
"May thy tainted souls return to thy spirits, and I hereby ask for thy sins to be forgiven.
Priest Etho chanted
Since it had an area of effect on the entire group, all wraiths were purified and extinguished.
However….
"They've spawned again!"
Niels announced, and Etho frowned.
Meanwhile, Priest Zeke, who had arrived at the location of the smaller countries' delegation, prodded the wraiths with the staff in his hand.
With a single thrust, the wraiths vanished.
Staffs carried by priests have all received holy blessings.
And are especially immensely effective against the undead, such as wraiths and zombies.
So much so that they can often be extinguished with a single blow, as was the case with Zeke earlier.
But then….
"It respawned, as I thought…"
Priest Zeke muttered with a frown on his face.
"Our goal isn't to defeat them! It's to rescue the delegation!"
Etho and Zeke's minds were brought back to the situation at hand with Niels' words.
Of course, all the while, Amon, swordsman Harold and dual swordsman Gowan were fighting the Wraiths.
Harold, Gowan, use your swords to cut off the areas where mana is most concentrated on the wraiths. No need to use force."
"Okay."
Both Harold and Gowan replied sharply to Niels' instruction.
It was a bit tricky for physical attackers to defeat wraiths with weapons.
With a priest's staff, they could be obliterated by simply damaging their 'core area', but that wouldn't work with a sword.
To be precise, one would have to cut the 'core' where they accumulate mana.
Otherwise, it would be like cutting through smoke….
Cutting off a wraith's mana is akin to slashing through magic with a sword.
Amon, on the other hand, was steadily eliminating every wraith with a single swing.
It wasn't so difficult for Amon, who could even cut through oncoming magic with his sword.
Nevertheless….
No matter how many he cut down, they still reappeared….
When the party of six led by Niels arrived, they surrounded the survivors of the smaller countries' delegation and defended themselves in a circle. That said, there was only one survivor….
"Hey, are you alright?"
Niels called out to the sole survivor of the delegation, a man dressed in what looked like a priest's uniform.
"Welcome."
The man replied with a grin.
And the next instant!
The ground glowed.
"What the?"
"A huge…"
"Magic circle?"
After Niels, Etho, and Amon's uttered those words respectively… everyone's vision went dark.
-x-X-x-
It was complete darkness.
They couldn't even see ten centimeters ahead, let alone one meter ahead.
But suddenly, in front of their eyes, a light appeared. The resulting light rose and stood still at a height of about five meters.
Based on that light, Niels intently explored his surroundings and pondered.
(Etho and Amon are here. Harold, Zeke, and Gowan are also here. There aren't any others. The man who was wearing something like a priest's uniform? Where did he go? He said welcome, but what did he mean… )
At the very least, the six people from 'Room 10' and 'Room 11' were there.
Furthermore, he noticed that below his feet were cobbled stone.
(The streets in 'Baudelin' was just hardened soil. In that case, this place we are now is not Baudelin…?)
Thinking up to that point, even Niels began to break into a cold sweat.
If they were moved in that split instance…
(Was it teleportation …)
Teleportation isn't an ordinary occurrence.
An example of teleportation in the Central Nations would be the case where the investigation teams were forcibly teleported to the 40th floor of the dungeon after the Great Tidal Bore … and there is a Baron from the Empire capable of using some sort of teleportation.
That's it.
(That's right. Come to think of it, in the Western Countries we're heading to, I recall there's a dungeon with teleportation traps…?)
Just as Niels' thoughts diverted, a man appeared in front of the six.
"Ah, the man from earlier…"
Niels stopped Harold from instinctively reaching out.
The man who appeared was dressed like a priest, one of the survivors of the small country mission.
However, that was just his appearance, and the atmosphere it emitted was completely different.
"What the hell are you…"
Involuntarily, Niels muttered.
Not 'who' but 'what'.
That was how peculiar it seemed.
It was an atmosphere that Niels and the others from 'Room 10' had never experienced before.
Or should it be called presence?
It looked human, but in reality, it is a completely different thing.
"Demon Lord?"
Was it Priest Zeke who muttered that?
Instinctively, Niels wanted to agree.
Its presence was so isolated from that of a human being.
But….
"Kuhahahahahaha"
The 'priest' in front of them burst out laughing.
"Demon Lord? Demon Lord huh, I see, Demon Lord. Kuhahahahahahaha. No, I'm not such a weak being. The Demon Lord is just a 'King of Demons'. That said, normal humans can't tell the difference. Kuhahahahaha. Okay, that's rude of me. Demon Lord huh …. that's really funny."
Of course, the six had no idea what was so funny.
"Hmm… as expected, you don't know. You two are priests of the Goddess of Light, right? Still you don't understand… Well, I guess you don't learn about it from the temple doctrine of the Central Nations?"
The 'priest' in front of them said with an ominous smile, but also with a sense of disappointment.
There, Priest Zeke opened his mouth with a sense that he made up his mind.
"Necromancer?"
At that answer, the 'priest' looked slightly surprised and opened his mouth.
"That's an interesting answer. I see. Did you decide by looking at the wraiths that keep springing up, despite defeating them over and over? Interesting. Necromancers should have died out hundreds of years ago in the Central Nations, but… that's good … Is that an answer you came up with in your head? I'll award you strong points for not fixating on the doctrine of the temple."
The 'priest' took a breath there and continued his words.
"But no."
"I kind of sense he's using light attribute magic."
Priest Etho murmured softly.
"No way! I've never heard of a priest that can control wraiths…"
Priest Zeke said while shaking his head slightly.
The 'priest' looked on with interest.
"No, it's not at the level of a priest… but… a once sacred, but has become evil…? Fallen?"
Etho whispered the word 'Fallen' that he heard from Ryo previously.
In response to that, the reaction of the 'Priest' could even be described as intense.
"Fallen! Fallen!? This is a surprise!! How do you know of that concept!? There shouldn't be anyone in the Central Nations with that knowledge. No, even the Western Countries no longer have that concept either. This is intriguing …"
The eyes of the 'priest' who said that were wide open.
Then he started thinking about something.
A small whisper leaked out of his mouth.
"Hmm, this… well, it'll be a shame to kill them here. It's really a shame. But, those who know about 'Fallen'… should I restrain myself…? Hmm, right, I'll do that."
Then, he declared in a voice that carried far.
"First of all, I'm not an angel. Also, the truth is, I was going to take your lives here as well, just like the other guys. But I decided not to. Since you all gave me an interesting experience. By all means, let's have you go to the Western Countries."
At that moment, the vision of the six people cleared.
When the six looked around, they were at the crossroad of 'Baudelin'.
Furthermore, adventurers from the Kingdom mission were running around the area.
"Niels, Etho, Amon, everyone!"
Niels and the others heard a familiar voice.
A water magician hugged the three with a crying face.
"I'm glad …"
A small mutter escaped from Ryo's mouth.
Author's note:
Just an introductory appearance.
One of the themes throughout 'Water Magician'
'Energy supply' or 'endurance', 'fatigue'…
I have always wondered.
How does an angel who has left God (that is, a fallen angel) continue to exist…
In the first place, is it possible to continue to exist?
Ah, but as he says in the text, this person (?) who appeared this time is not an angel.
What he is will come out in the next few hundred thousand words, maybe.
-x-X-x-
"I suddenly felt the reactions from all six of you disappear…"
"I heard about it from Ryo and rushed over to help."
Ryo and Hugh explained what had happened.
Of course, they were now outside of Baudelin.
Since there was no telling what might happen in the city again…
"We started looking around the area where the six of you disappeared… after about ten seconds, you all suddenly reappeared."
Ryo recalled and explained.
Then he smiled and said,
"I'm glad you all are okay…"
Somehow, all six of them were embarrassed by those honest words.
After that, Niels and Etho took the lead in explaining to Hugh what had happened.
"In other words, the small countries mission is already…"
"Yes. Probably annihilated…"
In response to Hugh's question, Niels nodded while frowning.
That hurt Ryo's heart.
After all, compared to the Imperial and Union missions, he felt a relative sense of camaraderie with the small countries mission.
One-sidedly, of course.
That's why in Schulz, his first Ice Wall was cast to protect the small countries mission.
After several other confirmations, Hugh bowed to Niels and the other five.
"I'm sorry. It was my error of judgment."
"Eh? Grand Master?"
Niels started, and the other five tilted their heads as well.
"I didn't imagine there would be such a monster, and it was my mistake to let the six of you enter on your own."
"No, that's… No one knew that there would be such an entity, and in the first place, that was… probably an opponent nobody could win against."
Etho answered Hugh's words.
"Grand Master was there too, we once met a Fiend during the request in Kona village previously. The entity this time was on par with that Fiend, or perhaps even stronger than it." (TLN: Shall translate魔人 as Fiend for now, given its strong denial of being a Demon Lord)
When Niels said so, Etho and Amon nodded in agreement.
The three from Room 11, who had never seen a Fiend before, were surprised.
However, Harold was the only one with a visibly pained expression on his face.
Of course.
Harold was on the receiving end of a condition caused by a 'Rupture Spirit Curse' from a Fiend...
He couldn't remain composed.
After finishing the report, the six from 'Room 10' and 'Room 11' were instructed by Hugh to "Take a break for now".
"Phew~, I'm glad you all came back safely. There's no other way but to celebrate with a coffee party. Ah, but it's already night and we won't be able to sleep…"
While saying that in a good mood, Ryo made an ice coffee grinder and was about to put coffee beans in it.
He was really happy that the six of them returned safely.
Etho decided to ask Ryo, who was in a good mood preparing a coffee party, what had been on his mind.
"Ryo, there's one thing I want to ask you in detail."
"What is it, Etho?"
He quickly ground the beans in the mill, put them in an ice French press with hot water, and turned the ice hourglass upside down. Ryo then turned to Etho.
"That 'priest'-like being was really surprised and impressed by the word 'fallen'… or rather, 'the concept of fallen'. He wanted to know more in detail about how we knew about 'fallen'."
"Ah..."
Hearing Etho's question, Ryo placed his finger to his temple and thought.
Certainly, he remembered explaining to Etho that 'fallen was when something holy becomes evil'.
But that wasn't really accurate…
"Hmm… Etho, do you know about the existence of angels?"
"Of course. Ones who are by God's side and enforce God's will."
The role of 'Angels' on 'Phi' seemed to be the same as the role of 'Angels' on Earth.
Strictly speaking, though not always true, but basically when 'angels' are mentioned on Earth, they are beings that appear in Christianity, Judaism, or Islam.
Since these three essentially believe in the same 'god', the existence of angels and the role they play are almost the same.
In other words, they exist between God and man and are spiritually positioned between God and man.
And the word 'angel' seldom appears in other polytheistic religions…
Ryo, who graduated as a Western history major (although he took a month off from school), was very knowledgeable in that area.
"Yes, that's true of angels. Hmm, I'd like you to listen without getting angry… What would happen if an angel left God and started doing evil?"
"Ha..."
Priest Etho and Priest Zeke were at a loss for words at Ryo's question.
It was like being hit on the head from behind.
By the way, during that time, the rest of the muscle-brain quartet… Niels, Amon, Harold, and Gowan sat quietly listening.
...He looked like he was listening, but Ryo knew that Niels only cared about the coffee.
Etho and Zeke also came to their senses around the time the brewed coffee was divided to the muscle-brain group.
"That is impossible. An angel cannot exist apart from God…"
The priest Zeke said so while frowning.
Yes, Ryo had predicted that a priest would say so.
That's why, when he explained it to Etho before, he blurted it out.
"I see. That might explain that 'priest'-like existence… But that entity said he wasn't an angel…"
While frowning, Priest Etho nodded slightly and said so.
Ryo was a little surprised at that answer.
From that, he understood that the influence of the 'priest'-like entity was so great that it changed the way Etho thought about it as a priest.
"It means to fall from heaven, fallen. Originally, it was not a word used for humans. It is a word for spiritual beings in Heaven. To be honest, I don't know if we humans can do anything to an entity like an angel."
Ryo honestly answered.
In his head, he was thinking of Michael (pseudonym) who he met in the white room when he was reincarnated.
Clearly different from humans.
A being from a different dimension.
So far, he has encountered beings that were overwhelmingly different from humans, such as dragons and griffons, Akuma and Fiends.
But even so, they were probably … 'creatures'.
However, Michael (pseudonym), who called himself "something like an angel", was probably not a 'creature'.
'Spiritual Being' was probably the closest term.
In the first place, they are not opponents with whom humans can compete against…
But....
Yes, but.
Would something called a 'Spiritual being' bother to intervene in the human world?
Even if the entity was a 'spiritual being', he could understand if the entity was an Angel.
It may be possible they would intervene in the human world to carry out the will of God in this world.
However, for a Fallen Angel to intervene… Ryo couldn't figure out why.
If this was Earth, then there would be the existence of Devils/Akuma as an adversary to God.
Many of these Devils are said to be fallen angels.
All sorts of conflicts go on between God, angels, and devils with humans in between … that was an easy concept to understand.
However, on 'Phi', Ryo felt that the 'Devil/Akuma' didn't seem to be that kind of existence.
Of course, the only 'Devil/Akuma' Ryo knew was Leonor.
Leonor is an existence that is hostile to gods and angels?
That felt strange.
Furthermore, the entity they met in Baudelin called themselves "not an angel".
Some are not angels.
Some are Fallen Angels.
Are those two entities fighting?
Is that why he let Etho and the others go to the Western Countries?
They don't seem to be on friendly terms, but…
The more he thought about it, the less he understood…
It was another moment where the number of mysteries that Ryo could not solve increased.
The next day.
"Hey, Ryo. Can't you do something about this …?"
Niels asked Ryo, who was walking by his side.
Hearing that, Etho, Amon, Harold, Zeke, and Gowan nodded with wry smiles.
"It would be a problem if everyone disappeared, so it can't be helped."
Ryo nodded vigorously and answered.
Chains of ice were wrapped around the six people's waists.
And that chain was connected to the ice chain that Ryo wore around his waist.
It seemed that Ryo thought up a plan to keep the six of them from disappearing…
"But, with this, Ryo will just disappear with us, right?"
"Crap!"
Ryo suddenly realized what Niels pointed out.
"I-I'll think of another way…"
"No, you don't have to think about it…"
Ryo started to think, and Niels replied with a sigh.
"I've got a good idea! Let's chain the whole envoy together with chains of ice!"
"Yeah, don't do that."
While that happened, the Kingdom mission was aiming for the last country of the corridor countries, the 'Sufouh Kingdom'.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0300 Kingdom of Sufouh
-x-X-x-
"…The mission's journey to the West was horror-packed with challenges. The earth opened up and swallowed people, flames rained down and burned the surroundings, or they were even devoured by a horde of dragons…. One by one, the mission thinned out. By the time they arrived at the last of the corridor countries, the 'Kingdom of Sufouh', their number had dwindled to ten…"
"Yeah, that's some eerie story…"
"The bit about the dragon, I can't even imagine us surviving just one, let alone a horde…"
"I want to be strong enough to be one of the last ten."
Ryo came up with a story, Niels chimed in, Etho divulged his fear of dragons, and Amon set his aim for higher goals.
The three members of 'Room 11' listening in the background looked at each other with indescribable expressions on their faces.
The rear of the Kingdom delegation was usually like that.
Ryo added some fictional narrative, but the fact remained that ever since the ruined city of 'Baudelin', they had passed through the extremely difficult and dangerous areas of the Lanci Gorge and the Hunsun Mountains.
It was also true, however, that Ryo's water-attribute magic helped in no small part in overcoming those difficulties….
"The 'Kingdom of Sufouh' is a five-day walk across the Hunsun Mountains, so it looks like we'll be able to make it today after crossing these hills."
Priest Etho said, looking at the 'Travel Guide'.
Seeing that, Ryo realized something.
"Etho, the details of the destroyed country, Baudelin, was also written in that 'Travel Guide', right?"
"Yes, it is. It says 'it's the smallest of the corridor countries, but the city is well maintained'."
"In other words, Baudelin became like that fairly recently…"
Ryo uttered while nodding repeatedly in response to Etho's answer.
"I guess so. I don't think there were any corpses or anything other than those of the smaller countries' delegation…. It's all very strange."
Etho replied, remembering what he had seen in Baudelin.
That's when it happened.
Harold of 'Room 11' pointed ahead.
Ryo followed suit and looked in that direction….
"Oh, it's finally come into view!"
Harold pointed to the walls of the 'Kingdom of Sufouh', the last of the Corridor countries.
As they approached the Kingdom of Sufouh, they witnessed a scene unlike anything they had seen so far.
"There's a crowd of people in front of the city gates…"
"It's the Imperial delegation and the Union delegation. Grand Master said that the three countries would go in at the same time. As usual, you weren't paying attention, were you, Ryo…"
Niels said dumbstruck at Ryo's muttering.
"What do you mean by as usual! How rude! I was busy trying to grasp the truth of the universe. So you can't really blame me!"
"Yeah right, truth of the universe…. You were just too busy eating your little rindo fruit in the middle of it all."
"Ugh…"
Ryo was unable to refute Niels' accurate retort.
He then turned to Etho for help, but…
"Ryo…just give it up."
Ryo gave up his rebuttal when Etho also chuckled and declared his loss.
"Ughh…"
In life, sometimes, it's good to know when to give up….
The group consisting of the Empire, the Union, and the Kingdom passed through the gates in that order and proceeded down the main street.
At both ends of the street were flags of the Kingdom of Sufouh, and many of its citizens were out waving to the group.
It was an amazing reception.
"The whole country seems to be welcoming us."
"Well, there's certainly a world of difference compared to the three countries we've been to…"
Niels nodded his head in agreement with Ryo's impression.
In the first country, 'Ayteke-Bo', the arrogant king ordered them to investigate the forest as a condition to seal the deal.
In the second country, 'Schulz', they got caught in a raid by the equestrian tribes.
In the third country, 'Baudelin', the country itself had ceased to exist….
Compared to those, the difference was understandably astonishing.
"Now, we just have to hope that the King is not just another oddball."
Niels looked at Ryo with a very affronted expression on his face upon hearing that.
Etho and Amon chuckled.
And Harold, Zeke, and Gowan nodded vehemently in agreement.
However, since these seven did not appear before the King, they didn't get to learn of his character directly.
In the audience chamber, the leader of the Imperial delegation, former Emperor Rupert, the leader of the Union delegation, former King Roberto Pirlo, and the leader of the Kingdom delegation, Hugh McGrath, were standing side by side as they received an audience with the King of Sufouh, King Bullard IX.
"Welcome, honorable Missions of the Central Nations, we are very delighted to have you. It's exactly as the angel foretold. We have prepared an inn where you can rest your weary bodies, so you may relax at your leisure."
"Thank you for your kindness and generosity."
Former emperor Rupert answered Bullard IX on behalf of the missions.
But it did not end there, as one would expect from a former emperor who had led a major power in the Central Nations.
"Your Majesty, forgive me for asking. Earlier, you said, 'exactly as the angel foretold', what does that mean?"
"Oh, right. An angel appeared to me in my dream. He said, 'Welcome the missions that will arrive in five days'. And today is the fifth day. Truly a mission under the protection of an angel! How glorious."
Bullard IX said with a thrilled expression on his face.
(An 'angel' informed him…? Is the distance between the people here and angels different from the Central Nations?)
Such thoughts were going through Hugh's mind.
Of course, there are revelations from God and angels in the Central Nations, but it's not something that happens regularly.
About once every few decades, and only to saints and saintesses.
Hence, it is common knowledge in the Central Nations that people rarely speak directly with God or angels.
But that didn't seem to be the case here….
That evening, the missions received a warm reception.
That was especially evident in the refreshments.
The three countries combined numbered close to a thousand, but the food was surprisingly luxurious and bountiful.
That may have been because the country was the largest among the corridor countries and conducted trade with the Western Countries, making it more affluent.
The members of the missions, both civilian officials and guards, ate their fill.
And drank to a stupor.
After filling their stomachs, the missions fell asleep.
In the midst of all this, a magician wandered outside.
The members of 'Room 10' saw him, but did not call out to him.
They knew what Ryo was going to do having traveled together.
As for Ryo, it was like moving to a deserted place to answer a call…sort of.
Not like anyone could eavesdrop on the conversation, to begin with.
((Abel, can you hear me~, can you hear me~, can you hear me?))
((Loud and clear, geez. I'm the one who made the connection in the first place…))
Ryo would never squander the King's precious time for his convenience.
He sometimes forgets, but as the premier duke, he performs his duty of supporting the king properly.
Incidentally, Ryo was preparing coffee while at it.
If they were going to talk anyway, might as well have a cup of coffee on the side.
And coffee after a meal is especially satisfying.
((Oh yeah, Abel, you were about to say something earlier.))
((Right. You know how this mission to the Western Countries was proposed by the Empire right…well, a new intel has come to light that may lead to part of the reason why.))
((What a tawdry way of putting it. You mean you don't know for sure, but you can take a guess, right?))
Ryo shook his head, but then thought that even such information was better than nothing.
((There's nothing we can do about it. Even Marquis Heinlein's information network doesn't have a clear grasp of it.)
((In that case, I believe you. If it was just you, Abel, it could have been a simple error, but with Marquis Heinlein in the picture, I guess not.))
((…I'll make sure you eat those words when you get back.))
Abel snorted as he said that.
Ryo, too, took him up on it.
And not even a shadow of that dutiful heart that supports the king as the premier duke can be seen….
((Baron Hagen Venda has not been sighted in the Imperial army since the departure of the Imperial delegation.))
((I see…))
((…Hey, Ryo.))
((W-What is it?))
((You don't remember who Baron Hagen Venda is, do you?))
((Ughh.))
He was right on the mark.
He remembered hearing about him.
And felt like his name came up in a lot of subjects.
((H-Hey, it's not that I don't remember, it's just that it may or may not possibly take me a little while…))
When Ryo spat out a bunch of nonsense that didn't make sense, Abel let out a sigh. And began to explain.
((Baron Hagen Venda is the man who manipulates 'space-time magic' and always works with the Imperial army as an Imperial attaché.))
((Oh, I remember now! That guy who can use
Ryo finally remembered.
((Yeah, that guy. It is hardly conceivable for Baron Venda, who plays a vital role in the logistics of the Imperial Army's operations, to be missing from the Imperial Army. But the fact that he hasn't been sighted since the mission left…))
((Means he's probably mixed in with the Imperial delegation. Like me.))
((It's very likely. We still don't know why, though.))
It was a very interesting piece of information.
Baron Hagen Venda's
But he can't
If he really was among the members of this mission… there was a possibility… that in the future he will be able to move instantly from the Imperial territory to the Western Countries.
And the reason why it's still a possibility is that the Kingdom doesn't have information regarding the distance he can actually
Even in a straight line, the distance between the Imperial territory and the Western Countries is about 4,000 kilometers.
Whether or not it's possible to
So many fascinating things to keep track of.
((Well, just thought you should know. I'm not saying you should do anything about it, but keep it in mind.))
((Understood.))
As Ryo said this, he sensed the presence of someone approaching.
And braced himself a little.
"Sorry about that. The rich aroma of coffee was wafting through the air and couldn't help myself…"
An elderly man in his mid-seventies appeared.
However, his eyes were especially sharp and his back, straight.
He walked in the manner of the so-called upper class….
It wasn't surprising.
Since the old man was someone even Ryo was familiar with.
Only his face and name, of course….
"Your Majesty Roberto Pirlo?"
It was the leader of the Union delegation, former King Roberto Pirlo.