Chapter 89

“You’re a bit late, Princess Hasalleur.”

When I returned to the lodging, Nigel, who had been training, greeted me.

This guy is really consistent.

At the level of a master, the body itself is already somewhat perfected, so the efficiency of training probably isn’t that high.

“I was chatting with another student. Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet. Shall we head to the dining hall now?”

Did he wait for me again? Even though thirty minutes had passed since meal time.

I told him he didn’t have to do that.

“Let’s go. I wonder if Freide and Asha are already eating.”

“Probably so.”

As we headed to the dining hall, I told Nigel about today’s lecture.

When I mentioned training with magical tools engraved with nightmare magic, she also showed considerable interest.

“That’s an interesting method. If it becomes commercially viable, it might be worth introducing to Randenburg as well.”

“Well, I think non-combat losses might increase a bit.”

Although the pain is reduced, if mental strength is low, PTSD could linger quite a bit.

“But more than that, I think the loss of new recruits due to combat would drastically decrease.”

Hmm, is that so? Well, they do say half of the new recruits die in their first battle.

Taking the opportunity, I also vented about Damien’s situation.

It was great that he captured the Corpses Raised by Magic, but of all things, the last nightmare that popped out was my own appearance.

“Hmm… I see. That makes sense.”

Nigel, you too?

—

The inside of the dining hall was so quiet you could only hear the sound of breathing.

The only students left were Freide and Lacey.

The two didn’t exchange a single word, quietly focusing only on their meals.

Lacey’s escort knight also silently brought dessert to his mouth.

It felt quite distant. They seemed a bit uncomfortable with each other.

They were even using completely separate tables.

I thought they’d get along since they both dislike beastmen, but I guess not.

Has Asha already left?

Or is she skipping meals again, engrossed in her work?

It’s better to go to Freide first.

Lacey is a bit intimidating, and I should help out the lonely Freide, right?

“Ah, you’re here? You’re a bit late.”

“I was chatting a bit after the lecture. Why are you eating alone again?”

I pulled out a chair and sat down, leaning back. Today’s lunch is lamb, huh?

Lamb’s not bad. I like the slightly crunchy texture—it’s unique.

“Well, there’s no one to eat with, right? Asha seems pretty busy, and Calix is probably still grazing on grass. The only ones left are that fairy or Evian… I’d rather starve than eat with them.”

“That’s true. Thinking about it, this dining hall is such a waste of space. There are over thirty chairs, but there are never more than ten people using them.”

“Actually, it’s a good thing. Eating with people you’re uncomfortable with would be unpleasant, right?”

So she’s saying Lacey makes her uncomfortable. Why?

I’ll have to ask later. It’s not something to bring up in a space where Lacey might hear.

As if she had finished her meal, Lacey got up and headed out of the dining hall.

The knight looked a bit regretfully at the remaining piece of cake before quickly following Lacey.

I didn’t see him when I visited Lacey’s room before.

Did he join recently?

Now that Lacey’s gone, I can ask.

“So, the Saintess candidate of Elpinel makes you uncomfortable? I thought you’d get along since you both dislike beastmen.”

“Hmm… how should I put it? That woman’s ideology is too extreme. Even compared to Failune. If given the chance, she wouldn’t hesitate to send troops into the northern snowfields. It would cause massive casualties.”

She did say that invading the northern snowfields was her goal someday.

She just said it wasn’t feasible right now.

“And… the targets she wants to eradicate aren’t just beastmen. Officially, she only criticizes so-called ‘evil heteromorphs’ like beastmen, but it’s clear she despises all heteromorphs. Fairies, demi-humans, dragonkin—all of them.”

Well, if she only hated beastmen, she wouldn’t be called a Laceyist.

“If she fought all those races, how many people would die? The Holy Kingdom would never allow it, even if the Empire might. That’s probably why, despite having the skills to be elected as a Saintess, she remains only a candidate—because of her extreme ideology.”

Freide frowned.

“If she just dropped her extreme ideology, she could become a Saintess right away. But instead, she’s becoming even more extreme, blaming her lack of faith… It’s ridiculous.”

“I see, I get it now.”

By then, my meal had arrived.

I sliced into the steaming lamb and brought it to my mouth.

Beyond the crisp, snapping texture, rich juices flowed out.

It didn’t smell gamey at all—probably from a fresh lamb.

It’s delicious.

Enjoying the aroma of the spices, I chatted with Freide.

I didn’t bring up Damien at all, though.

Because she’d probably just tease me about it.

—

When I returned, there were a few new letters waiting. From the imperial family, no less.

At this point, new letters… probably not good news.

I checked the sender’s name.

The first letter was from Leonor.

She asked how I was doing and where I’d like to have a friendly spar after recovering.

She suggested her villa if coming to the palace was too burdensome. Not a bad consideration.

Then… how about three days from now?

By then, I should be mostly recovered, and it’s about time to check my combat readiness.

I wrote a reply saying we’d meet at her villa in three days. I’ll send it later.

I picked up the second letter.

Among all the royal letters I’ve received so far, this one was uniquely extravagant.

At the bottom of the envelope, the sender’s name was written in elegant calligraphy.

Even the ink seemed to sparkle a bit, as if mixed with powdered gemstones.

*Isabella Benes Wittelsbach.*

…Finally, it has arrived.

I put down the envelope and let out a sigh.

Surely, she wouldn’t have coated the letter with poison or embedded some magic in it, right?

She did openly write her name, after all. Probably.

I pulled out the letter and read it.

Though the letter was ornate, its content was straightforward, devoid of any flowery language.

Not that Ernst is the type to be overly blunt, but she probably didn’t feel the need to add any embellishments.

—

*Princess Ai-shan Gi-or, Baron of Median.*

*Before the banquet celebrating the restoration of the capital, I would like to have a conversation with you.*

*I would be delighted if you do not refuse the Empress’s goodwill.*

* – Isabella.*

—

At first glance, it was a sentence so polite that one might mistake it for genuine goodwill.

But of course, that’s not the case.

Refusing this invitation would mean declaring myself her enemy.

In other words, this was an ultimatum disguised as an invitation.

The moment I refuse, she’ll consider me an enemy and try to eliminate me.

Though she probably won’t resort to blatant methods right from the start.

Still, I had no intention of accepting. Am I crazy to go there?

If I set foot in that den recklessly…it’d be straight into drug-induced hypnosis, brainwashing, and training.

I might enter as myself, but I certainly wouldn’t leave as the same person.

I exhaled cigarette smoke and glanced at the longsword hanging on the wall.

Yes, the time has come.

As Ernst said, it’s the moment to make a choice.

The banquet six days from now will be the stage to reveal it.

…I sent a reply, thanking her for the goodwill but declining.

======[Baryakrus]======

The frozen citadel’s throne.

The king of the beastmen, Ryurik, looked down at the small human before him with cold eyes.

It was astonishing.

A human, in the heart of the beastmen’s land, a place where humans are despised.

The moment he was spotted, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to be torn to pieces.

Dressed in a thick robe with a hood pulled low, his face was hidden.

From his height and build, one could only guess he was a sturdy man.

The man stood confidently, unflinching before the anger of the giant snow wolf.

“So, magician. Your confident plan ended in failure, didn’t it?”

Ryurik growled, his voice filled with irritation and rage.

It was a natural reaction. While the loss of other warriors wasn’t significant, losing three great warriors was quite a blow.

If they had been sent out, they should have returned with corresponding results.

But what was the outcome?

While killing dozens of humans was satisfying, they barely weakened the enemy’s main forces and failed to achieve their primary objectives.

For the effort put in, the results were rather ambiguous.

“Well, I didn’t expect two great warriors to die so pitifully either. I even provided them with tools to conceal their presence and infiltrated the capital for you.”

The man answered slyly, as if the failure was entirely due to the beastmen’s weakness.

“Grrrrr…”

The wolf’s throat rumbled, as if warning him to choose his words carefully.

He looked ready to leap from the throne and crush the man’s skull at any moment.

“My, my words were out of line. My apologies. In a way, it’s not even a failure.”

“What do you mean? The plan to worsen the Empire’s diplomatic relations ended without even killing a single person, thanks to that Ka`har woman.”

The man slightly spread his left arm.

“Wasn’t the goal to destabilize and weaken the Empire? In that regard, we’ve achieved more than planned. It wasn’t expected, but…this incident has escalated what would have been a trivial succession dispute into something much larger.”

“A succession dispute?”

“Yes. The Empire’s two princes. Originally, the third prince had an overwhelming advantage, but…now their forces are evenly matched. So, a major conflict is inevitable. Compared to slightly worsening diplomatic relations, this will cause far greater damage!”

If a civil war breaks out, it would be the best outcome.

The Empire would fall by its own hands.

“Isn’t succession decided by combat?”

“…That’s your way, beastmen. Humans usually decide based on lineage, status, and the number of followers.”

“Hmm…”

Ryurik’s aggression subsided.

He didn’t fully understand, but he seemed somewhat convinced.

“Just wait a little longer. The results will soon start to show.”

“We’ve already waited too long…enduring the world’s harsh cold like a blizzard. So, results must come before we freeze, magician.”

The man bowed deeply.