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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Reason.”
“The Church would have information about the Four Dragons, and Adriana… is probably free right now.”
While she was the head of the Church and had many responsibilities, her role was mostly symbolic.
Even if there were administrative tasks, the Pope handled most of them.
I thought there was a high probability Adriana would come to the North if I called for her.
Besides, hadn’t she said she was free for a while?
It would be faster for Adriana to come to the North than for us to go to the capital.
The Saint, residing in the Moon Tower, could teleport to the Church in the North.
But we couldn’t go to the Moon Tower, so we had to resolve this matter here. I had no choice but to call for Adriana.
Adele seemed to be thinking deeply, her tone almost accusatory.
It couldn’t be helped.
Since we were staying here for a while, we had to find something concrete, and Adriana’s help was essential.
“So you’re going to call her and extract information from the Church. I understand.”
She said it and then, glancing at me, added,
“I just don’t like it.”
“…Would it be enough if I apologized?”
“Do you think that’s enough? I hate empty apologies more than anything. If you know you’ve done something wrong, show it through your actions.”
She tapped my cheek with her finger, then gently stroked it, her lips moving silently.
I understood what she meant by “show it,” but I couldn’t refuse, given my current situation.
I smiled wryly.
It was her forehead last time, so should I kiss her cheek this time?
“Then I’ll assume you’ve given me permission.”
“Your confidence is infuriating. I thought we would finally be alone, but now there’s another uninvited guest.”
Another uninvited guest. From Adele’s perspective, Adriana was probably another unwelcome presence.
Perhaps they would view each other with hostility.
But in this situation, I could only hope they would cooperate.
I thought I could control the situation for now, so there wouldn’t be any conflict.
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I left the room to contact Adriana and saw Lothos.
He looked exhausted from his recent workload. He started complaining as soon as our eyes met, as if he had been waiting for me.
Adele would have scolded him if she had seen it, but I tended to listen to his complaints.
…After all, nothing in the North would function properly without Lothos.
“Just kill me.”
“Did you hear that?”
“No, but being in the same room with you two was enough for me to understand. There will be more work, and you’ll probably end up staying here longer. The Grand Duchess will only focus on you, so naturally, the accumulated work will become mine. Isn’t that right?”
The price of understanding too much in such a short time was cruel.
He rubbed his eyes, which were red and on the verge of tears, then ran a hand over his forehead, which seemed wider than before, and sighed.
Perhaps he would be bald by the time I saw him again.
“I’ve started losing hair.”
“Oh dear.”
“My wife asked me why I never come home. She asked if I was doing something else under the guise of work. She cried when she saw how I looked. It seems my wife is the only one who understands me.”
“I understand too. The problem is that I can’t stop the Grand Duchess.”
“How thoughtful of you. But… it seems you’ll be staying longer than expected?”
I hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly.
Lothos chuckled wryly.
He seemed to have given up, and I felt a pang of guilt. He smiled calmly and stroked his newly grown gray beard.
“I see. You’re staying for about a month?”
“I might stay longer.”
“Hmm, a month. Or perhaps longer. Hmm… alright. I suppose I have to accept it.”
“You don’t seem very surprised. I thought it was a rather serious matter.”
“I haven’t been home for about three months, so what’s another month? I pity my subordinates.”
Four months. His words made me feel even more guilty.
Perhaps I should talk to Adele. If I had the time, I should help her with her work.
I smiled wryly at his resigned expression, and Lothos chuckled heartily, giving me a thumbs-up before turning away.
“Then I hope you enjoy your stay. I think I should… head back to my office.”
“I’ll help if there’s anything I can do.”
“No, it’s alright.”
Lothos turned his head slightly, then smiled gently.
“I can handle a few all-nighters.”
His retreating figure looked pathetic.
A father who couldn’t see his family, a veteran losing his hair from months of overwork.
A lot had changed, but it seemed to have only negatively affected Lothos, and I felt a pang of guilt.
Adriana readily agreed to come when I contacted her.
Lothos was once again devastated by the news, and Ilona glanced at me with a strange expression.
Bunta was indifferent to such news.
The Saint and I were quite close, so Ilona approached me and asked if I was alright.
“Are you sure about this? The Grand Duchess will be very upset.”
“I already got her permission. She’s coming because I need her help, so what’s the problem?”
“I’m glad to hear that, but… I’m a bit worried.”
Ilona smiled faintly, her usual languid expression replaced by concern.
I knew what she was worried about, but I didn’t think there was a need to be concerned beforehand.
There hadn’t been much difference in their attitudes when we met in the South.
Given Adriana’s personality, it was unlikely there would be any friction with Adele. They hadn’t seemed particularly uncomfortable with each other when they met before.
It would be fine. I could separate them if they showed any signs of conflict. They would be too busy with the investigation anyway. There wouldn’t be time for any disagreements.
It wouldn’t take long for Adriana to arrive since she was teleporting.
Adele and I had made preparations to welcome the Saint, and we hadn’t brought any other subordinates with us since we had to proceed quickly.
“Did she say she’s arriving soon?”
Adele, who was on a wolf, asked.
She wasn’t dressed elaborately for this unofficial meeting, but she had tied her hair back and was wearing a thin coat, giving her a different aura.
I nodded, and she paused, looking up at the sky.
Adriana might bring several paladins with her.
It was highly likely Verod would be among them, so I wanted to conclude this meeting quickly.
We rode the wolves for a while, then I noticed a distant light, recognizing it as divine power, and looked at Adele.
I had asked her to send a signal so we could easily find her, and she had created a pillar of divine power.
It was a level I couldn’t even imitate.
Perhaps it was possible because paladins lived with abundant divine power instead of magic, but Verod’s power was still formidable.
“…As I felt last time, that paladin is quite powerful.”
“He’s considered the pinnacle of paladins. It’s only natural.”
“I’m still stronger than him. Don’t rely on someone weaker than you.”
I chuckled softly at her out-of-context remark, but Adele, who had said those words, rode forward and bowed her head to the Saint.
Adriana, dressed in her usual white attire, smiled brightly when she saw me.
Verod, surprisingly, remained expressionless, but his hammer trembled slightly, and I smiled awkwardly.
“Robert, I came because you asked for help.”
“I’m truly grateful you came. We should have gone to the Moon Tower, but it’s not easy for us to travel there.”
“It’s alright. It’s quite easy to travel from the capital to the North. Was everything alright in the North? I heard you two were together…”
Adele moved closer to me, and Adriana, sensing her presence, added cautiously,
“You seem to have gotten closer.”
“We’ve spent a lot of time together, so it’s only natural. I apologize for not welcoming you properly, but we need to return to the castle. The matter is urgent.”
Adriana nodded slightly at Adele’s response.
She seemed to be thinking about Adele’s words, but it was only for a moment. Adriana, along with Verod, started moving again, approaching me.
When she was close enough, Adriana touched my hand, confirming my presence, and whispered,
“How have you been?”
Her voice was so soft that no one else could hear.
Adriana, as always, wore a gentle smile.
I had been meaning to thank her for helping me become Duke, but I hadn’t properly expressed my gratitude.
As I was about to speak, Adele stepped between us and frowned at me.
She also whispered, her voice just as soft, but her words made me chuckle.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to talk to anyone else.”
“…She’s the Saint. I was just trying to thank her for her help. And it’s been a while; I can’t even greet her?”
“Greet her later, when I’m not looking.”
Adele said it and then, taking the reins of my wolf, added,
“I get very upset when you’re with someone else.”
Her voice was loud enough for Adriana to hear, and Adriana’s expression turned strange.
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