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nChapter 343

n-Flash!

nWith a burst of light, Lucinil and I returned to the outskirts of the Imperial City.

nBefore I knew it, Lucinil had transformed from a vampire with snake-like eyes to a young girl with silver hair and blue eyes.

nI, too, had assumed my Reinhardt form instead of being Valier.

n“Hmm, so this is your disguise?”

n“Yes.”

nLucinil looked me up and down in my Reinhardt form and crossed her arms.

n“You do look quite like your true self.”

n“What do you mean?”

n“Never mind.”

nThere was no one around us.

n“It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Imperial City.”

nLucinil gazed at the sprawling landscape of the city in the distance.

n“Do we have a place to stay?”

n“Hmm… We should find a man called Count Argon Ponteus. He said he’d help us out somehow.”

nIt seemed that Lucinil was entrusted to Sarkegaar. Sarkegaar was a competent man, so he believed he would take care of things.

nLost in thought, Lucinil kept her arms crossed.

n“You mentioned you’d also be in contact with the Black Order, right?”

n“…Yes.”

n“I don’t know how you’ve been managing up until now, but things are about to get really dangerous. So try to stay within a range where I can help you.”

nAs I became more deeply involved with the Holy Knights and the Black Order, I was bound to face dangerous situations more frequently. It seemed that Lucinil intended to provide close protection.

nShe was right.

nI had to admit Lucinil had a point.

n“…I need to go to the temple?”

n“…The temple?”

nI knew this wasn’t the right time to mention it.

nCompared to our previous conversations, this was something that shouldn’t have been said.

nBut I really need to go to school! It’s winter break now, but even the Vampire Council had aligned their schedule with the break!

nThe temple is my priority!

nStrictly speaking, that place is the most important! In many ways!

n“Oh, you… you were infiltrating there, right?”

nLucinil tilted her head, seemingly having heard something from Eleris.

nInfiltrating… is that right?

nIsn’t it?

n“Forget it. Now’s not the time for that, is it?”

nLucinil stated the obvious as if I had lost my mind wanting to play in water during a typhoon.

nIt was a bit disconcerting to be lectured by someone who appeared to be a child, even if she wasn’t really one.

n“No, I must be at the temple. I have so many things tied up there…”

n“…Are you serious?”

n“Yes.”

nLucinil looked at me, then bit her lower lip with her index finger.

nIt felt as if she was desperately holding back a torrent of curses.

n“No, there are reasons for this!”

nHonestly, my staying at the temple wasn’t an absurd idea.

nI had explained to her how important it was to build relationships with influential people at the temple under the pretext of rebuilding the Demon Realm. Moreover, my classmates would become the successors of the empire, and I had told her about the influence I held over them.

n“…Now that I hear it, you’re right.”

nLucinil nodded as if it made sense when I mentioned that I had infiltrated the temple to forge connections with the empire’s influential figures.

n“It’s quite risky, though… I won’t interfere that much.”

nLucinil crossed his arms and looked at me.

n“If you die absurdly, it won’t hurt me. Just be careful for Eleris’s sake.”

nIt seemed that Lucinil had no intention of meddling with me more than necessary.

nIf she had dug a little deeper, she might have realized that I was living a temple life for a slightly different purpose.

nIt would have been complicated to explain if that were the case, but fortunately, it wasn’t.

n“For now, I’ll follow Eleris’s advice and seek out Count Argon Ponteus.”

nThat meant I could contact him through the Rotary Club, and when Lucinil was needed, I could send a messenger to Sarkegaar. Alternatively, when Sarkegaar visited regularly, I could ask him to call for Lucinil.

nI parted ways with Lucinil for now.

nAnother archmage. Lucinil, the Lord of Wednesday.

nEleris had said that Lucinil was more versatile than herself, but I still couldn’t understand what that meant.

nAfter Lucinil entered the Imperial Road, I also began my journey along it.

nHarriet would be researching dimensional magic through the Imperial Palace’s magical archives. However, it would be difficult to expect significant results in just a few days.

nThe progress came from my side.

nFor just a few days on the Imperial Road, the results were quite significant.

n——

n“Your Majesty, it seems that our investigation has not found any traceable evidence.”

n“I see.”

nBertus was reading the written reports in his office at the Winter Palace.

nThe royal and Holy Knights’ investigations into the recent death of Riverrier Lanze were now over. The funeral had already taken place, but they were still investigating the demons who had attacked them.

nIt was certain that non-human beings had attacked.

nThough most of the bodies had been blown up and carbonized, there were some torn apart corpses.

nIt appeared they had died while fleeing after the defeat.

nBertus was looking at the magically recorded photos of the battle scene.

nThere were no pictures, but there were multiple accounts of witnesses seeing something in the shape of a demon flying in the night sky.

n‘Why did they do that…?’

nBertus became lost in thought.

nThere were more than enough reasons for the demons to attack the Holy Knights.

nMoreover, the demons that attacked this time were believed to be the same ones that had attacked the Holy Knights before.

nPreviously, a powerful mage, a Lycan, and a dragon had appeared. Of course, it was not believed to be a real dragon, but they still didn’t know what kind of demon it was.

nDuring the last attack, they had activated a warp gate, leading the demon prisoners in their escape.

nHowever, there were no casualties at that time.

nWith this attack, it became clear.

nDuring the previous attack, they didn’t fight the Holy Knights because they couldn’t, but because they chose not to.

nSoon, it was evident that the demons at that time had no intention of killing.

nHowever, this attack was overflowing with malice. Not only were all the Holy Knights killed, but also Riverrier Lanze.

nAt that time, escaping as a prisoner had been their priority, so they didn’t fight.

nBertus felt that his thoughts were becoming increasingly tangled.

nIt wasn’t just suspicious, there were too many strange things.

nIt was understandable that large-scale destruction magic had been used, but there were multiple witness accounts of something in the shape of a demon wandering the night sky.

n‘Why?’

nIt seemed as if they were advertising that this was an attack by the demon race.

nIt would have been better to disguise it as a human conflict, but the demon flew through the night sky, flaunting its presence.

nDid the demons really know about the nameless religious order?

nDid they not know anything about the current state of the continent?

nIf they did, the demons should have disguised this as a human conflict rather than flaunting their presence.

nAlthough there are actual witness accounts of demons, some people suspect that the royal family or the pro-imperialist faction assassinated the nameless religious order and its leader, Riverrier Lanze, by disguising it as the work of demons.

nIf there had been no witness accounts of demons, this incident would have been a powerful event that would have triggered an explosion of resentment from the Holy Knights and the five major religions.

nKnowing that, they shouldn’t have attacked in such a way.

nIf one were in the position of leading the remnants of the demon realm, they would never have done it this way.

n‘It can’t be that they’re stupid.’

nThis was the most foolish action the demons could have taken.

nThis would only help the empire.

nOne must not make the mistake of thinking that the remnants could be so foolish. It may have been emotional, but it just so happened that everything fell into place for the empire.

n‘Did they really intend to help the empire? Why?’

nThere was no reason to do so, but it seemed that the demons attacked the nameless religious order to help the empire and intentionally revealed their presence.

nWhy did they have to do that?

nWhy were the demons doing this, risking themselves to do something that would only benefit the empire?

nSeeing this as the remnants’ mistake was overly optimistic.

nThe demons had helped the empire.

nAlthough the situation was such, Bertus was increasingly confused because he couldn’t understand why they had to do it.

nHe couldn’t comprehend their intentions at all.

nWhile Bertus was furrowing his brow and trying to somehow unfold his thoughts alone,

n“Your Highness… About the matter you ordered last time…”

nThe subordinate who was reporting cautiously intruded on the prince’s concerns.

nBertus, who was in the midst of deep thought, furrowed his brow even more.

n“Before? What are you talking about?”

n“Well… You asked us to investigate the silver-haired girl…”

n“Ah… That.”

nDue to the enormous incident, Bertus had completely forgotten about that matter.

nAs the memory of the great rudeness he had committed, spewing tea on her face, came back to life, Bertus’s face turned slightly red.

n“Um, yes. Did you find out anything?”

nThe girl with silver hair of unknown origin.

nShe vaguely resembled Reinhardt, so it was merely a fleeting thought that they might be siblings separated in childhood.

nThere was a time when he had encountered a silver-haired girl who bore a striking resemblance to Reinhardt, a classmate, and he wondered if she might be a family member.

nHaving forgotten about the incident, Bertus felt a renewed sense of nostalgia.

nTechnically, this is stalking.

nThe empire belongs to the emperor, and the first prince is one of the most powerful contenders for the imperial throne.

nSo, if the prince were to openly stalk someone, it would cause a tremendous uproar.

n“First, I looked into the personal registration information of the imperial citizens…”

n“And?”

nIf the first prince decided to, he could turn the entire empire, or at least the imperial capital, upside down.

n“There was no personal information matching the criteria you mentioned.”

n“You said the silver hair could be dyed… I thought there would be none.”

nIt’s not like they had a detailed montage, so it would be difficult for Bertus to hope for a match with the identity information he remembered.

nSilver hair, golden eyes, and a beautiful face.

nThe information was sparse.

nSo, even if the person were an imperial citizen, it would have been difficult to find someone who fit the criteria.

n“So, for now, I looked into Reinhardt, who you said was your classmate. I tried to start by finding his personal registration information…”

n“Um, that would have been the most likely possibility.”

nReinhardt came from the streets, but he had personal information.

nIf they started with his place of origin and worked their way up, they should have been able to find out. However, his subordinate scratched his head as if he were having trouble.

n“But Reinhardt’s initial personal registration was made at the beginning of last year. I couldn’t find any information prior to that, no matter how hard I looked.”

n“…Huh?”

nAt those words, Bertus cocked his head.

n“Such cases are not uncommon. Some people from lowly origins live without registering their identities… As you said, some lifelong street beggars have no personal information at all. You mentioned that Reinhardt came from the streets, so…”

nReinhardt’s personal information was registered for the first time last year. This means that before then, he had been living as a person of unknown identity.

nIt’s not unusual.

nCertainly, it’s not that strange.

nHowever, Bertus once suspected that Reinhardt might be a successor raised by a criminal organization.

nReinhardt denied it, and although Bertus didn’t believe his words, he didn’t conduct any further investigation.

nHis subordinate said that tracking down Reinhardt’s birthplace was virtually impossible since he had lived as a person of unknown identity for quite some time.

nAs time had passed, Bertus now understood that some of the misunderstandings he had about Reinhardt were not true.

nThe Rotary Club to which Reinhardt belonged was merely an organization of beggars.

nReinhardt was just a beggar. He was sent from the Rotary Club to the temple.

nHis personal registration was made at the beginning of last year.

nNo sooner had he registered his identity than he entered the temple and enrolled in the Royal Class.

nSo, it must have meant that he had obtained an identity to enter the temple.

nBertus thought that Reinhardt might lack refinement, but he did have discernment.

nHe knew quite a bit for someone who came from the streets, but it was possible to develop discernment from picking up bits and pieces at the club since childhood.

nHowever, Bertus suddenly became curious.

nWas Reinhardt really from the royal family?

nWhere was he born and how did he grow up?

n“Just ask him directly, I suppose.”

nWhere he came from.

nIf he had any siblings.

nHe could ask when he had time to stop by the temple.

nPutting Reinhardt’s matter aside for now, Bertus began to ponder the demon group once again.

nHis head still felt like it was going to explode.

n——

nSeveral days had passed since returning from the Vampire Council.

nNothing had changed significantly. The Magic Research Society was, of course, busy, and so was Harriet.

nSo, I spent my days busily training with Olivia and waiting for Ellen to return, as usual.

nBut then.

n“Where are you from?”

nWhen Bertus, who had returned from the palace, suddenly asked that out of the blue, it felt as if my heart had sunk.

n“Um… the royal family.”

n“Which part of the royal family?”

nWhat is it?

nHas something been discovered?

nMy heart pounded like crazy.

nBut I desperately maintained a calm facade through self-suggestion.

n“Well, I’m not exactly sure. I was abandoned when I was very young. How would a street rat like me remember something like that?”

n“…I see.”

nI had thought about how he had grown up all this time.

nBut if Bertus had discovered something and knew my true identity, I would have to leave the royal family.

nBut so suddenly?

nIf he knew the truth, he wouldn’t be so calm asking me, would he?

nIt was just a casual attitude asking something trivial. Bertus crossed his arms and looked at me as if contemplating something.

n“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

nIn the end, I asked. Bertus seemed to hesitate for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.

n“…It’s a bit awkward to say this, but… well, alright.”

nBertus placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke quietly.

n“Do you have any siblings?”

nAh.

nCould it be?

nWas it that?

n“No, not at all. At least, not in my memory… I think…”

n“I saw a girl who looked very similar to you during the last festival. So, I thought she might be your sibling and tried to find her, but it’s hard to find someone you only know by face.”

n“Oh, I see…”

nI feel dizzy.

nI feel like I’m going to vomit.

n“So, if I knew where you’re from, I could look for her, so I checked your identity, but your first identity registration was last year?”

nAt those words, goosebumps ran all over my body.

nI couldn’t believe that my encounter with Bertus while disguised as a woman had led to an investigation into my background.

nBertus was still unaware of anything, and he didn’t seem suspicious of the fact that I had registered my identity for the first time last year, without any prior records.

nDangerous.

nIt would be truly dangerous if he dug any deeper.

n“So… it’s a bit awkward to say this, but your parents abandoned you, and then… If you had a sibling born after that, you might not even know about them, right? So, I don’t want to do it if you don’t want me to, but if you want, I’m thinking of looking into it personally…”

nI can’t let that happen.

nHe might find out.

nI have to stop him.

nWhat began as a favor might lead him to discover my true identity.

nThis is no joke; my life is genuinely at risk.

nThere’s no other choice.

nAlmost as a reflex.

n“That’s me.”

nI had no choice but to tell the truth.

n“…Huh? What?”

nBertus seemed unable to comprehend what he had just heard.

n“It’s me, I said.”

nI was curious about the expression I must have had on my face.

n“What…? Huh? What did you say?”

nBertus started to doubt his own ears.

nI had escaped death, but…

nI felt like dying.

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