Chapter: 610
After René left, the first thing I did was tidy up the situation.
You might wonder if there’s even a need to clean up once the source of the problem is gone?
Oh, there is! If I don’t sort out the fools that need punishment right now, they’ll just forget about it later!
I blocked the way of the knights who were ready to return to training, and asked the one with a clearly troubled expression:
“Are you really running away because you’re scared of me right now?”
“Of course not, Young Lady! It’s just that we have things to do!”
“Is that more important than me?”
“W-Well… nothing is more important than you, Young Lady!”
“Right?”
I smirked and nodded, then made Possell kneel with a swift motion, whispering in his ear:
“If you promise to become a loyal little puppy, I might let this timid coward off the hook.”
“What do I need to do?”
“I said loyal, not brainless. Huh, our little pup, were you very scared?”
As I patted his chin with a chuckle, Possell trembled.
“I’ll show them a hell they’ve never experienced before.”
“Better not to mess it up or it’ll be punishment!”
“I understand!”
Deciding he wasn’t worthy of being a man for running away, I warned him I would turn him into someone fitting of that label, then moved on to the clumsy fox.
She clearly knew I was angry, yet excitement shone in the eyes of the clumsy fox.
“Daddy, my big fool?”
“What? What is it, Lucy?”
“I have something only Daddy can do, and I need to ask. Will Daddy listen to me?”
“Of course! How could this Daddy refuse anything you ask?”
“Then stay glued to this for a week.”
The clumsy fox, who had been fumbling around, mulled over my words before glancing at Benedict in horror.
Benedict seemed equally flabbergasted, but that was no concern of mine. He had a hand in this mess too.
“If you miss this chance, I won’t show my face to Daddy for a whole month.”
“Don’t worry! This Daddy is the best knight on the continent!”
“Yeah, I’m counting on you, Daddy. Just try not to make me say you’re disgusting, okay?”
“Wait! How does this end up being a punishment? Punishment should come with pain!”
Clearly unprepared for this situation, the clumsy fox raised her voice, but I didn’t even flinch.
“Oh? Silly Daddy, why do I still hear barking?”
“I understand! Lucy! I’ll take care of this!”
“Let go! Don’t touch me! I must stay beside Lucy! Lucy! Luuucy!”
Even the clumsy fox should have been aware that with Benedict’s eyes burning like that, escaping wouldn’t be easy.
Although if she managed to slip away again, I wouldn’t know what to do. I’d like to think she won’t have that much sense, but counting on a clumsy fox to catch that seems a bit much.
Whatever, I’ll just think about that when it happens.
Now, the only ones left were the two old men stuck in my mace, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t punish them both at once.
For now, I’ll just jot it down in the Book of Grudges. I will make sure they pay later!
“So, what brings you and the useless prince here? If it’s merely an insignificant matter like your appearance suggests, I’d appreciate it if you simply disappear.”
“Just a little is enough, Employer. I don’t know about the prince, but it won’t take long for me.”
Karia, who was always hurriedly moving, wouldn’t have come here without a significant purpose.
Nodding, I led them to the reception room of Alrn.
Thanks to the clumsy fox and René’s brawl, the reception room was a mess, but surprisingly it was restored neatly, with a warmly steaming tea waiting for us as if they had anticipated our arrival.
“It was prepared by the Butler,” Erin said.
Hearing that, I was touched to find there still was a conscience left in this mansion.
With Benedict and the clumsy fox, not to mention the knights who all had brains made of muscle, and a stupid dog, Erin was increasingly trying to put me in frilly dresses while the collateral branches working under house arrest fled at the sight of me.
Thinking it over, why do I feel so pitiful in this situation? Is this really how it is?
“Let’s get to the point, so focus, Employer.”
Ah, yes. Please, go ahead.
“I’ve tracked down the whereabouts of the missing pope. He seems to be roaming outside the continent with strong hunters. It doesn’t seem like mere sightseeing. Do you know anything about it?”
There’s no way this is just sightseeing, as no one would waste time when their wish is about to be fulfilled.
It’s definitely linked to the pope’s objectives.
Hmm, the info is a bit sparse. Do you have anything else?
“The only thing I know is that he’s dealt with some fools who targeted his neck. He might be doing something quietly, but we only just got the lead on him, so there isn’t much to go on.”
I didn’t have anything logical to guess. With the pope absent from the church for a long time, it’s already irregular.
How can I predict the thoughts of a guy who seems ready to ascend to the heavens at any time?
“Oh, wait. I do have one thing. The pope bought a bunch of jewelry from the Art Guild. That’s how we were able to trace him.”
…What? That madman bought jewelry from the Art Guild!?
I shivered involuntarily at the memory of the pope’s maniacal laughter.
That was a truth I didn’t want to know. Sometimes, you really do need a little lie, don’t you?
“If you can’t even speculate, I’m done here. Prince, if you have anything to say, go ahead.”
Arthur took his turn and paused for thought before directing his voice at Karia.
“This is complicated to explain, but Karia, how much do you know about the first queen’s birth and upbringing?”
“That madwoman? I know enough to get by. I was in a position to verify things back then.”
“Could you please tell us? Of course, I’m willing to pay for any information.”
“No, that’s fine. If I take money from your friend, I’ll probably hear something nasty about it later.”
Karia waved her hand at Arthur’s serious tone, confirming once again that the sound was well blocked before she spoke.
“First Queen’s origin is a mystery. There’s no information available.”
“…What? Isn’t she from the Bolosi family?”
“That’s what is commonly thought. But back then, the current king, who was close to the Rahbi family, made the first queen adopt into the Bolosi family, so aside from the king, no one knows her true origins.”
Arthur’s expression was one of clear shock. Anyone would react like that when they realized the truth they knew was distorted.
Even I was.
Wait, was there a secret about the first queen!?
So that madwoman had a backstory that made her a fantasy trump card!?
She wasn’t just some crazy lunatic!?
“Originally, she shouldn’t have been able to rise to that position because of her origin, but she was incredibly talented, and the current king strongly insisted he would vouch for her origins, allowing her to become the first queen.”
Moreover, it was the king who was proactively pushing for the marriage to the first queen!?
No way! The theory that circulated in the Soul Academy community was that the fantasy trump card had devoured the king!
That strong woman someone had mentioned? Was the twisted lust for power a real thing!?
In the face of this shocking truth, my eyes bulged.
Arthur cleared his throat and brought up a different question.
“Then, let me ask something else. Do you have knowledge of a being called the Watcher?”
“I don’t think it’s a metaphorical meaning. Please explain precisely?”
“They are the ones who supervise whether the king of Soladin fulfills his oath.”
“…I don’t know about that. I’m sorry. Even when I worked in the Kingdom’s Information Department, I never heard of such a thing. You seem to not know either, Employer.”
Of course I wouldn’t know! That wasn’t in the game!
The Pathetic God! Don’t you fumble around making a game properly?! Why is there so much omitted information!?
With all this additional lore, you should’ve released a DLC! Why were you torturing people with modding?!
I can’t forgive this! I’m going to lock you up afterward and feed you only dumplings while I make you finish the game!
“Employer, can you contact Erginus through the fairies? Asking him could yield some answers.”
Hearing Karia’s words, I looked up, and the fairies hiding in my hair revealed themselves.
– We can do it!
– The queen always listens to us!
– Queen!!
“Stop shouting! I can hear you!”
Suddenly jumping out from the shadows was Erginus, who pressed down on the fairies’ heads gently.
Maybe because he’s like a consort of the Fairy Queen, the fairies excitedly stuck to Erginus.
[What’s that? Why is that guy still alive?]
[That isn’t the Erginus who was with us. That’s his puppet.]
[Puppet? That thing?]
[Not right now. It’s earned divinity.]
[…What kind of crazy talk is that.]
As Garad incessantly poured questions, Erginus looked over at the air beside Arthur and nodded. I had heard that Arthur had some fairy-like thing following him.
“I’ve understood the situation. Her origin is suspicious and the thoughts are similar, which raises doubts. For now, I can determine it seems unrelated to the Watcher. There was no trace of magic.”
Erginus stated that it seemed unlikely, but there was an uncertainty in his voice. When we which made us question further, he let out an awkward smile.
“I was going to say I will check again, but it seems there’s a restriction. This divinity becomes quite bothersome at times.”
Apologizing for his inconvenience, he took out a cloak from his personal space and handed it to me.
Oh? If my memory serves, this was worn by a hero of the past.
“I heard through the fairies that Luel’s puppet was damaged. So, I brought the repairs from there.”
“Don’t you know there are proper procedures for this, you soft-hearted person?”
“Were you talking about the process of being recognized? For you, it’s unnecessary. The hero would never deny you.”
Taking the cloak from him left me with an indescribable feeling as I gazed at the relic, letting out a chuckle.
Well, fine then. I’ll consider it a hassle you’ve handled for me.
Then is that it? Am I now prepared to head to the island?
Alright. Let’s go.
I need to find out what happened in Lucy’s past.
Why does René cling to Lucy like that?
I’ll uncover it all!
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