Chapter 729

“Nidhogg, huh…”

Leopold pressed his temples as if the mere mention of the name gave him a headache, then downed the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp.

“…Things have gotten quite troublesome.”

Setting down the empty glass, Leopold sighed and began talking about Nidhogg, who had fled.

“The thing flew non-stop toward the northwest of the Sky Mountain Range, and then its trail vanished. It’s probably hiding somewhere around there.”

Leopold pulled out a map, placed it on the table, and circled a spot on the Sky Mountain Range with a pen.

The western part of the massive mountain range stretching across the northern Empire. Close to the borders of the Dragon Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom.

“Quite a troublesome place to hide.”

“Indeed. Extremely troublesome. Of all places, it had to be the Sky Mountain Range, which doesn’t belong to any nation, and on the western side at that. It’s practically the perfect condition for other races to get involved.”

Leopold sighed and explained the situation in detail.

It wasn’t a long story.

Because Nidhogg had hidden in the Sky Mountain Range, the Dragonkin hunting dragons, the hastily dispatched Paladins, and even the Fairy Guardians were now entangled in a tense standoff.

Since Nidhogg’s hiding spot hadn’t been discovered yet, they were all just keeping an eye on each other. But the moment its location is found, it wouldn’t be surprising if they all drew their swords to claim the dragon’s corpse for themselves.

What a mess.

“Wait, the Dragonkin getting involved makes sense, but why are the fairies meddling? What’s their justification?”

“One of their ancestral enemies, apparently.”

“A dragon that died—I mean, was killed eight hundred years ago?”

“That’s right. A dragon that wounded the roots of the World Tree two thousand years ago and planted a deadly poison, causing it to rot and crumble, or so they say.”

Two thousand years ago? For a human like me, that’s ancient history.

Then again, dragons and fairies live ridiculously long lives, so for them, it’s probably more like a grudge from their grandfather’s era.

“Our records don’t confirm any of this, so we can’t even verify if it’s true, but that’s what they’re claiming.”

Yeah, I guess we wouldn’t have records. Humans back then were more like livestock, barely able to write, let alone keep records.

Hah, who knew Nidhogg had such a backstory? If it really damaged the World Tree, no wonder the fairies are furious.

This is a problem.

“Whether it’s the Dragonkin or the fairies, we can’t let them have the corpse of the Insect-Dragon.”

Leopold declared in a low, heavy tone.

“Think about the blood the Empire shed to weaken that thing. The only ones who have the right to its corpse are us.”

…So, you’re saying I should go and beat them all up, right?

Well, it’s not like I have a reason to refuse.

Even if the Empire gets the dragon’s corpse, it’ll just be used for weapons or armor. But if the fairies or Dragonkin get their hands on it, who knows what kind of crazy stuff they’ll pull off.

Those magic-wielding freaks always come up with the most outrageous schemes.

“Dragonkin and Fairy Guardians… We’ll need to prepare for anything.”

I glanced at the empty space where my left arm used to be and spoke.

Whether it’s Dragonkin or Fairy Guardians, they’ve probably sent forces at least on the level of heroes. To persuade or subdue them, I’ll need to be in top condition too.

I doubt they’re as strong as Or-han, but even so, fighting with one arm missing and my energy drained would be a hassle.

—

After finishing the conversation, I headed with Leopold to where Eleonora was in hiding.

“To that mansion.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The coachman driving the carriage was a rough-looking man with shaggy hair.

Despite his well-trained body, his aura felt ordinary, so he was probably not a knight but a member of the Emperor’s covert operations unit.

Since Eleonora being in the Imperial Capital was a secret, they must have disguised him to avoid drawing attention. The carriage itself was also plain, with no decorations.

Still, the interior was somewhat comfortable. Except for the fact that there were no windows, making it feel like being trapped in a box.

It would take about thirty minutes to reach Eleonora’s hideout. At least it was close. I really didn’t feel like staying in this box without being able to smoke a cigarette.

On the way, I asked Leopold about Eleonora, but there wasn’t much to gain.

Maybe because they had been separated for so long, but for someone who cared about his sister, he didn’t seem to know much about her.

He couldn’t stop her from being sold off to Panam, and despite her being the child of King Danon, he still felt guilty for forcibly separating her from her own son. Even after bringing her back, they hadn’t had any deep conversations.

It seemed like he didn’t even know how to handle the fact that he was reunited with his sister after over a decade.

It was true that he cared for Eleonora, but… his way of caring for family was a bit too one-sided, I guess.

Taking her away from her son and practically confining her, or trying to hand her over to me out of concern for her safety—it was clear that he was prioritizing her safety over her own wishes.

I’m not sure if Leopold realized this, though.

Well, it’s kind of funny for someone like me, who never had a family, to comment on someone else’s family matters. Especially the royal family’s.

—

“Eleonora, there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you.”

And so, I finally met Eleonora von Wettin.

She looked to be around thirty. Her flowing blonde hair resembled Leopold’s—no, actually, it didn’t anymore. She was wearing a classical black dress.

“Brother…?”

Her voice sounded oddly familiar. I couldn’t place where I’d heard it before.

“Someone to introduce? Who could it be that you’d come personally… Huh!?”

Eleonora turned her head with a listless, gloomy expression, but the moment she saw me, her face was instantly filled with shock and panic.

Her wide eyes and pale face. It was a bit of an overreaction, even if she was surprised to see a famous person.

What’s this? Her reaction makes it seem like she just met a blood-soaked human butcher.

Well, technically, I am a human butcher… but still, this level of surprise seems excessive.

I’m not exactly covered in blood right now, and I’ve never drawn my sword against someone who wasn’t an enemy.

“Why is… no, why is this person here…?”

“This is Marquis Median of Landenburg, the Empire’s Greatest Sword, the Starry Sky’s Median, Marquis Ha-shal-leur Ai-shan Gi-or. You must have heard of his fame, right?”

“Ah, yes. The hero who slew the witch…”

Eleonora, who was about to point at me and call me “this person,” quickly adjusted her expression and clasped her trembling hands below her navel.

“Nice to meet you, Marquis Median. I’m Eleonora von Wettin. It’s an honor to meet the Empire’s Greatest Sword.”

She didn’t look happy to meet me. Not at all.

She was forcing a smile, but her stiff eyes and trembling lips made it obvious she was barely holding back from making a disgusted face.

…Alright, I get it. She doesn’t like me. I don’t know why, though.

I mean, not to brag, but I’m practically her savior. I helped her escape from King Danon’s grasp and even took his head.

But this reaction? It’s not the kind of face you make toward someone who indirectly saved you.

Is she a Ka`har discriminator or something? Otherwise, this doesn’t make sense.

“Marquis Median?”

Ah, right. I should greet her first.

“Pleased to meet you, Your Highness Eleonora. I am Ha-shal-leur Median.”

I placed my right hand over my chest and slightly bowed my head.

If she’s a Ka`har discriminator, I’ll just omit the Ai-shan Gi-or part of my name.

“Please call me Marquis Median.”

“…Very well.”

Eleonora, who seemed to have calmed down a bit, gestured toward the small tea table she had been sitting at.

“Please, don’t just stand there. Have a seat. You too, Brother. I’ll have tea and snacks brought out right away.”

“Thank you.”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

As Leopold and I sat down at the tea table, Eleonora clapped her hands lightly and called for a maid.

A moment later, there was a soft knock on the door.

“You called, Miss.”

A low, soft voice that sounded quite young.

The knock came from a low position, and the presence felt young too. It must have been a fairly young maid.

“Yes, please bring two cups of black tea and some snacks. My brother and Marquis Median… have come to visit.”

“…Understood.”

After a brief silence, the maid gave a short reply and retreated down the hallway.

While the maid was bringing the tea and snacks, we engaged in some light conversation before getting to the main topic. Well, more like Leopold and Eleonora did.

I didn’t have much to say and didn’t feel like intruding on their sibling conversation, so after excusing myself, I leaned against the window and lit a cigarette.

*Knock knock.*

About five minutes later, there was another knock on the door. Probably the same maid.

I put out my cigarette and returned to the tea table.

Five minutes should have been enough for small talk. It was time to get to the main point.

“Miss, I’ve brought the tea and snacks.”

“Good, come in.”

“Pardon the intrusion.”

The maid, who had politely greeted us, slightly opened the door and stepped inside. I glanced over without much thought.

As expected, she was a young girl who still looked quite childish.

Her long, gray hair looked like it had been washed a thousand times, and her green, lifeless eyes gave off a ghostly, pale, and expressionless impression.

Her formal attire didn’t suit her at all.

…Judging by her appearance, she looked more like a trainee assassin than a maid. Her physique seemed well-trained too.

“Hmm…”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the maid.

Aside from her unusually fierce appearance, there was something… something oddly familiar about her face and aura.

Have I seen her somewhere before…?

No, I don’t remember a character like this appearing in the original.

“…Is there something bothering you?”

Perhaps because I was staring so blatantly, the maid, who had just set down the teacups and snacks, turned to me and spoke.

“You look familiar… Have we met before? What’s your name?”

I decided to ask directly.

“Belnesia.”

A name I hadn’t heard before.

“No last name? If you’re a maid serving Her Highness Eleonora, you’re not a commoner, right?”

“…Belnesia Valenstein.”

After a moment of hesitation, the answer came. I was momentarily stunned. It was a name I hadn’t expected at all.

“Valenstein…?”

Why is that name here?