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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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He openly treated honor as if it were nothing, yet the sting of being insulted in front of everyone would be a different kind of experience.
Contempt of nobility?
Such things were inconsequential if one wasn’t caught.
The simple hand gesture, calculated in angle and gaze, vanished like a fleeting mirage.
“You little whelp… how utterly arrogant!”
“You old codger… how utterly arrogant!”
Mimicry, as always, was a behavior perfectly optimized for provocation.
Perhaps it was the precise timing, mirroring his words, but Count Bosha, unused to such mockery in the high society of nobles, was bewildered, his eyes widening in confusion.
“You…!”
Why was he getting angry?
Was it an indication I had hit a nerve?
Still, he deserved some praise for not raising his voice, considering he was a man accustomed to the tightrope walk of politics.
“Isn’t it you who’s truly arrogant? A blade pierces without regard for status, but a crown is picky about who wears it. If one is unqualified, it snaps their neck.”
Frankly, if I were asked who was more arrogant between a person who believed everyone died when stabbed by a sword and a person who believed they would be king, I would naturally choose the latter.
As if he hadn’t expected me to say such words, his eyes suddenly began to tremble.
“Why do you look so shocked? Are you surprised that a mere brat you thought could barely wield a blade can see that far ahead? Is that all it takes to surprise you? There are other things you should be surprised about?”
“What…”
“I am the connection to Esmee, not Lagnis.”
Count Bosha’s expression shifted to one of puzzlement again, as if my words were quite confusing.
I understood that expression.
It was that ‘Who is Esmee, and why are they talking about a connection?’ feeling.
But naturally, that bewilderment quickly turned into shock.
“In this trial, you will gain nothing but lose everything.”
Always calling her ‘First Princess,’ ‘Iron-blooded Princess,’ or ‘The White Star of the Empire’ in formal settings, her given name was unfamiliar, wasn’t it?
Pleased with his reaction, I raised one corner of my mouth, forming a sinister grin.
“Are you with me now?”
“Do you think I would… be swayed by such… empty words…!”
Of course, I believed he would be swayed, that’s why I was saying it.
If he were someone who could just brush aside what someone who had defeated a hero and rescued an empress said, he wouldn’t have tried such a desperate move as soon as Lagnis returned.
“That’s for you to judge. I’m just giving you a heads up so you don’t come back later with regrets, saying you didn’t know anything. Now, be on your way.”
Though I spoke with a smile, I rested my hand on the pommel of the longsword at my hip.
Of course, I had no intention of drawing it here without justification.
I merely wanted him to feel the animosity, more emphatically and humiliatingly.
Fortunately, Count Bosha was quite humiliated, as I had intended.
“…You will regret this.”
“You won’t even have time to regret it. Ah, how scary. Your family, which worked so hard to emerge from its home, is about to disappear from the kingdom overnight. Such is the impermanence of life, isn’t it?”
Count Bosha simply glared at me in response.
Then, casting a cold look at Lagnis, different from his previous one, he spoke again.
“You have picked up a good watchdog, haven’t you?”
“To insult him…”
“Arf arf, woof woof. Grrr, growl, bark, bark.”
Why was he looking at me with those eyes?
All I wanted to do was leave a source of amusement for the old man’s last moments, who was nearing his end.
Both Lagnis and I were equally bewildered at my antics, but Lagnis chuckled.
And, turning back to Count Bosha, she bowed politely.
“Farewell, Count Bosha. Though I considered you my uncle, I will be unable to attend your funeral, so I bid you farewell now.”
She really had a ruthless side to her sometimes.
Lagnis seemed to have no interest in Count Bosha’s reaction, turning away and walking off, and I followed suit.
It was only a short distance as we would soon be entering the courthouse, but Count Bosha walked in the opposite direction, disappearing among his faction, creating some distance between us.
Once some distance was created, Lagnis looked at me with a peculiar expression and asked,
“…What was that at the end?”
“I wanted to leave a funny memory for someone who’s about to die.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
Lagnis let out a soft laugh, her hand grasping my sleeve.
Although it was intended to ease the tension through humor, her hand was still trembling slightly.
“Was that what you found out yesterday?”
“It’s just one of the things I found out, to be exact.”
He had appeared at a truly uncanny moment, but had he arrived any later, I would have been the first to tell her that Count Bosha was the one behind the attempts on her life.
Then, we would have been surprised in a slightly different way.
Even if they were from different factions, it would still be quite shocking to discover that the mastermind behind the attempts on her life was her own father’s brother.
“When I was kidnapped by Delt… his voice sounded familiar somehow. He also acted like he knew me. I couldn’t figure out why, but if he was a subordinate of my uncle, Count Bosha… that makes sense. I must have seen him a few times before.”
Whether she had a lot to say or nothing at all, Lagnis simply wore a troubled expression.
It wasn’t something I could comment on, so I simply patted her shoulder in response.
“Don’t worry about your safety, above all else. Everything will be fine.”
Lagnis, forcing a smile, already looked worn out.
Just dealing with the demon race was enough of a headache, but having to deal with such treachery was enough to drain anyone’s energy.
So, before she became more exhausted, I had to smash everything I could while I still had the chance, and just as I was resolving myself, a heavy bell began to toll.
-Dong… Dong…
A preliminary bell, signaling the start of the trial preparations.
It was unfamiliar to me, but the others here seemed accustomed to it, gathering in groups of three or four and starting to enter the courthouse.
I knew that the Royalist faction had entered much earlier to make preparations, so I was starting to feel a bit peeved that these people were all from the Noble faction.
Lagnis also seemed a bit daunted, not seeing anyone around her that she could call an ally, so I decided to see her off with the most cheerful voice possible.
“Go on, then. Let’s meet at the Ogatorf mansion today. I’ll tell you a tale of the fun and chaotic adventures of Eldmia.”
“Pfft. Okay, see you later.”
The trial would continue for several days, but Cheryl, who had returned at dawn, had told me it was likely that today’s proceedings alone would be enough to prove her innocence and allow her to be released from custody for her own protection.
And should that happen, the Ogatorf family would take it upon themselves to protect her from the faction that had framed her.
Telling her the story of how Count Bosha’s financial channels were additionally destroyed should lift her spirits a bit.
After watching everyone enter and the doors close, I turned to find Asirye had already arrived.
“Shall we go now, Eldi?”
“Yeah. But did you really have to step away from that spot?”
“Of course. Even if we agreed, we’re still rivals, for now. It’s better to have just the favored man around in a setting like this.”
It was truly moving to see her taking care of everything, even while calling me a rival.
It was clear that my luck with women in this life was innate.
Full of that conviction, Asirye and I began to walk towards the nearby forest.
“Eldi, look over there.”
“Oh, they’re entering now, it seems.”
What we found approaching the city gates were the victims we had rescued yesterday.
They were wearing the clothes and equipment of the slave hunters who had died yesterday, and not the rags they had been wearing before.
They were being escorted by the beastkin and were now just entering the city.
And among them, I met the gaze of Krul, who was particularly noticeable due to his missing canine tooth.
There was no conversation.
He and the others also seemed to remember what I had said yesterday, only smiling and nodding in greeting, without making any attempt to acknowledge me.
“It’s a relief. I’m glad they were able to enter the city without any issues.”
Asirye, smiling while leaving them behind and passing through the city gates, elicited the same smile from me.
“Indeed. It’s rewarding to know those we killed were worth it.”
Even to my ears, what I said sounded psychopathic, but who cared?
It was enough if I was killing those deserving of it, while saving those who had to live.
My actions were without shame.
And just as we reached the outskirts of the forest, Asirye, grasping my hand, began to explain.
“Before entering the forest, I must warn you beforehand, no matter what happens, don’t let go of my hand, okay? The spirits of the forest assist the elves, not their allies. There isn’t a concept of helping an elf’s companions or anything of the sort.”
“Are these spirits of yours not able to talk?”
“Mmm. They’re called spirits, but they’re more akin to different beings than normal spirits… I don’t think we’ll be able to communicate. We also don’t exactly ‘talk’ to them; it’s more like conveying our intentions. They’re not even visible, and I don’t feel any particular presence. It’s more like a feeling, something closer to instinct?”
“That’s a shame.”
While talking, we had entered the forest, but I didn’t feel anything different or out of place.
I didn’t feel anything even after taking ten or so steps, and looking around casually, I almost let go of Asirye’s hand despite the warning when I looked behind me.
“Wow, after just ten steps?”
Where the plains and the city walls should have been visible, there was only forest.
“Eldi, you need to look straight ahead. You’ll suffer if you get lost.”
“You’re amazing, sis! I really don’t feel anything.”
“Hehe. It’s mostly possible in interconnected forests. Of course, it requires a legitimate deal to be made.”
“That business of doing things that are beneficial to the forest?”
“That’s one of them, and sometimes we grant their requests, whatever those might be.”
Divinity was mysterious, magic was mysterious, but this phenomenon, which did not belong to either of those, was even more mysterious.
It was so interesting, that I wanted to travel around the world just to see more of it.
Despite being in a dense forest, we arrived at our destination with no difficulties, as if we were walking on a flat plain.
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[Lagnis the GOAT and Eldi the MOAT]
Eldmia the Mocker Of All Time?