Chapter 53: Schemes Unravel One After Another part 2
‘The future has changed so much that I can no longer predict everything perfectly. It’s difficult for me, but it must be the same for Dott. If Saintess Kaphia has gotten involved with verifying a child’s true lineage in some way, then she’s likely planning something based on that, isn’t she?’
The Saintess hadn’t deliberately ruined Morgana’s life just for amusement. If it was out of jealousy toward Morgana, who was born a noble lady, she would have feigned illness and killed her back when they were in the Grand Temple.
If the Saintess had orchestrated the carriage attack, she wouldn’t dare show her face in the capital out of guilt.
The fact that she had come to confirm the survival of the noble lady, whom everyone had assumed to be dead or missing, meant that she truly had nothing to do with the bandit attack.
Then what was her real reason for coming to the capital?
‘Whether by her own will or someone else’s, if she provided ‘assistance,’ then she must be trying to gain something by destabilizing Dott, who has now secured her position as a noble lady. There’s no way she helped for free.’
The scariest thing in the world is kindness given without reason. Accepting such things without question, just because you’re in a hurry, only leads to a steep price later on.
Fay could sense it instinctively.
Saintess Kaphia was neither on Dott’s side nor on Fay’s. Either she had actively taken part in manipulating events to achieve her own goals, or she had knowingly turned a blind eye to the manipulation.
After parting ways with Kassel, Fay pondered whether the Saintess would recognize her.
‘…She definitely will. She even gave me that ruby pendant just to seal my magic. My hair has remained a soft pink ever since, and the color hasn’t faded. The odds of her figuring out the truth are far too high. If she realizes I’ve become a mage, she’ll also deduce that the Grand Temple’s relic has been destroyed.’
A newly discovered fact:
Saintess Kaphia had some kind of connection with the House Orleans. A distant relative, apparently, who had received consistent patronage after becoming a Saint. And then, there was the House Orleans itself.
Fay sighed inwardly.
‘Honestly, every task I’ve taken on since receiving His Highness the Crown Prince’s commission feels like lifting a tangle of strawberry vines. Each clue seems like a separate fruit, but once you start pulling, they’re all connected, making it nearly impossible to trace the root.’
This seemingly endless search for clues would eventually reach its conclusion.
‘Even if it’s difficult, I won’t stop. Once I find the root, I’ll be able to gather every single strawberry growing nearby. Stay strong, Fay. Track them all down and burn everything to the ground.’
「…Hey, Fay!」
Someone called out to her. It was Fine Echo, one of the four she had stationed near the monastery.
“Oh, Number Four!”
She had recently sent them to infiltrate the Duke’s estate to gather information on Dott’s current situation, and she was eager to hear the results. This mission had taken place after the dismissal of Undine’s summoning, and unlike before, Fine Echo had even managed to slip into the main house.
She had a pretty good guess as to how that was possible. It was probably due to the surge in magical power after drinking the elixir Lucius had given her.
Even so, the fact that Fine Echo had accomplished something she couldn’t before was intriguing. So, what had she found out?
「Hmph, the moment I arrived, I uncovered something incredible.」
“Really?”
Number Four puffed up with more arrogance than even the most conceited salamanders were known for.
「Of course! Since Fay loves me so much, I’ll share it with you as a special favor, alright?」
“Sure, sure.”
The information Fine Echo had brought back was unusual.
Apparently, the noble lady had hidden a note beside her bed, carefully reading it over multiple times before burning it with a candle. She had examined it so often that the corners were slightly smudged with her fingerprints.
The message had been too long for Fine Echo to memorize at a glance, but the heading of the note read: <Chionel Territory Northern Situation Report>.
「But that note… it definitely came from outside. I could tell because after she got rid of it, she even checked the empty basket it came in, going through every gap before handing it off to a servant to throw away.」
“She inspected the whole basket?”
「Uh-huh! If it was something she already owned, there’d be no need to check the basket’s condition, right?」
That made sense. She must have ordered someone to bring something back under the guise of scouting Chionel’s surroundings. But what exactly was in the northern part of Chionel?
“The northern Chionel Territory, huh…”
“Fay, instead of overthinking, let’s just go there.”
“Peep, piik, piiiii!”
Lucius’s words were immediately met with Momo’s enthusiastic agreement. Though her chirps grew more erratic toward the end, who cared?
Fay gave him an exasperated look.
“Lucius, do you even know where Chionel Territory is? That’s at the very edge of the Empire. Even if it’s in the north, we’d still have to travel all the way to the Empire’s southernmost region before reaching it.”
“You can just ride that.”
“Pii…?”
Lucius pointed at Momo, who had been lounging in a basket, chewing on jerky.
Momo froze. He quickly scanned the map hanging on the wall, roughly estimating the distance.
Going there was one thing, but if it meant extra work for him? Absolutely not!
As Momo rolled his big eyes and began purposefully ignoring the conversation, Lucius spoke again, his reasoning sound.
“You’re an officially recognized Drakan Rider, appointed by the Crown Prince himself. Why not just get permission and fly straight across the Empire? Plus, Momo’s strong enough to handle some hardship. The saddle can fit at least four or five more people, so we can even bring attendants.”
“Piiieeek.”
Momo flipped onto his back, spread his wings, and pretended to be dead. Unfortunately for him, his little tricks wouldn’t work on them. They had spent too much time together.
In fact, Momo was the type who became more energetic when she had a job to do.
“Lucius, if possible… come with me. Will you?”
……
T/N: Ohhh, the romance is starting, ain’t it? Hihihi
ynabispo
Sim 🩷✨️ Estou muito feliz que (aparentemente) Lucio é o ML