episode_0055

000

In the city, the wreckage of buildings destroyed by the previous night’s battle was being cleared.

Meanwhile, temples as well as clinics, which were not usually used much, were crowded with people from morning to treat the wounded.

There were clearly some adventurers in the city who had suffered fatal injuries.

Nevertheless, the fact that there was not a single death was close to a miracle.

Quon and many other clerics came directly to the front lines and put their efforts into healing spells.

It was fortunate that most of the veteran adventurers in the city remained that day.

Lutie, in the absence of the guild master, commanded the city’s residents.

She wanted to finish the work here quickly and return to the mansion.

If she kept staying here, wouldn’t she be saddled with an absurd amount of paperwork?

There was such a fear.

To get straight to the point, the Barrier Tree Schradsel disappeared.

Layla Flamewatch used magic that transcended the limits of human ability.

It was observed in the nearby city of Elesia, as well as in

villages and cities some distance away, and even in the royal capital.

A pillar of flame soared into the sky.

As a result, the kingdom sent additional investigators to grasp the details of the incident.

Since all the masterminds of the incident had died, the Woodknocker Marquis family was burdened with the issue of responsibility.

After that, Eustace was moved to the city by someone, received treatment,

and told the kingdom investigators about the details at the mansion.

His father’s crimes, the work of the returnees.

He kept his mouth shut about Talcheck, perhaps for the sake of Iona Chevalier.

After delivering all the truth he knew besides that,

he decided to wait for his punishment.

Only the silver holy sword, quietly emitting light, remained beside him.

And the lodgings that Iona and Talcheck used when they stayed in the city.

Thanks to the consideration of the investigators who respected Talcheck, Iona had returned to organize his belongings.

Helping her was Cleon, who had returned to the city still hiding her identity.

Since it seemed necessary to move luggage, she was in Leona’s form this time, not the form of a child.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“Everyone’s asleep in the mansion, so there’s nothing I can do anyway.”

Cleon answered indifferently to Iona’s words.

After the decisive battle, Cleon returned to the mansion with the exhausted Layla and Sasha, who had collapsed in the forest.

Layla was unable to get up for a while due to magical exhaustion.

Sasha was also unconscious, with changes occurring in her body as a side effect of releasing the seal of the stigma.

Rubella was asleep, quiet as a mouse, so that her body could adjust after the awakening, just like when Cleon had awakened before.

Lutie and Quon were helping people in the city.

Perdia was also enjoying unprecedented prosperity due to the sudden influx of customers.

So, Cleon, who had free time while waiting for them to wake up, was helping Iona.

“Talcheck doesn’t seem to have much luggage.”

“That’s right. A sword, a liquor barrel, and a whetstone for grooming the sword. That’s standard equipment.”

Nodding at Cleon’s words, Iona held up Talcheck’s old and worn bag.

And if you open it up, sure enough.

Only the liquor barrel and the whetstone are visible.

Is it that nothing other than swords and alcohol is of much value to Talcheck?

However, when Cleon put her hand into the bag.

She felt a slightly unnatural protrusion in the bottom.

The bag was double-layered.

When Cleon lifted the bottom up.

There was an old book there.

“This is….”

Iona’s eyes widened when she saw the book that Cleon had taken out.

[The Empire’s Dragon Lutios and the Hero]

It was a book with the same title as the book that Iona and Cleon had bought together at a store near the school.

Of course, it was even older than that, and it was a tattered book with a lot of handling.

“Actually. This book is the book I read the most as a child.”

“Wasn’t it the first time you saw it that day?”

Iona nodded at Cleon’s words.

“Yes. The story of the Hero Lesia and her companions was like a fairy tale…. There were also many stories about my father.”

Iona closed her eyes for a moment.

She seemed to be reminiscing about her childhood memories.

Iona, who was not treated like a human child in the laboratory and could not enjoy any kind of entertainment.

After coming under Talcheck’s care, she read every book she could get her hands on due to her great curiosity.

And the one she liked the most was this book, which featured Talcheck, who had saved her, and a hero like her father.

She read it many times, but still couldn’t let go of it.

Eventually, when she kept holding the book even when it was mealtime.

Talcheck, who couldn’t stand it, took the book away from her.

It was the first time she had cried and begged her father.

Talcheck looked at Iona and started teaching her swordsmanship from the next day to break her addiction to the book even more.

Clearly, he thought he had thrown it away, but.

He always carried it around without telling his daughter.

Like him, who was not good at being honest and had difficulty taking care of children.

He must have missed the timing to return it.

“… …”

Iona quietly held the book in her arms.

And the tears she had been holding back streamed down her cheeks.

Cleon didn’t say anything.

She packed up the liquor barrel and whetstone left by her master.

The liquor barrel will be offered at his grave made in the forest.

She felt that Talcheck’s red sword, which hung on his waist, definitely needed this whetstone.

The loss of her father and master certainly left footprints of memories and sorrow deep in both of their souls.

However, what they had received and confirmed.

It clearly showed the path forward from those footprints.

Cleon would quietly engrave in her heart his promise to the Hero Lesia.

Iona would quietly engrave in her heart the definite connection that the Sword Saint Talcheck considered her as his daughter.

001

Organizing the luggage did not take long.

Most of Iona’s luggage was local specialties sold in the city.

Some of them were things she bought during her previous travels with Cleon.

“Now all that’s left is….”

Cleon said, turning her head to the drawer in the lodgings.

A drawer that could be locked was basically provided in the lodgings.

Iona said that Talcheck had kept the `Memoria Cube` in this drawer.

When Iona put the key she had received from Talcheck into the hole and turned it.

With a click, the lock was released.

Then, with a rattling sound, the drawer opened.

Inside,

there was a `Memoria Cube` rolling around like an ordinary stone, without any protective measures,

and a letter that seemed to have been written by Talcheck.

“G, a relic that can only be obtained by spending the national budget….”

Iona first looked at the Memoria Cube and handed it to Cleon.

Cleon quietly accepted it, stored it in a small box used to protect magical tools, and put it in her arms.

And regarding the letter.

“This is, Father’s will.”

“I thought it would be.”

Cleon nodded at Iona’s words.

Cleon could not read the contents due to Talcheck’s poor handwriting.

Iona naturally read it to confirm the last will left by Talcheck.

1. If Iona Chevalier is alive, she will be his successor.

2. Half of his inheritance will be given to Iona, and the remaining half will be given to the city of `Elesia` as reconstruction costs.

3. If Iona wants to quit the investigative agency, he demands that it be granted.

4. The returnees are a subordinate organization of the Order, so he has collected evidence, so deliver this to the [Kingdom] (crossed out with two lines). Use it well.

“… The first three are normal, but.”

“He left behind an outrageous bomb.”

Iona swallowed as she checked the other documents inside the envelope containing the will.

It contained detailed records of various evidence connecting the Order and the returnees.

If Talcheck had delivered this to the kingdom as he had originally written.

The royal family would not be able to overlook the fact that the Order was running a terrorist organization.

This incident could become the starting point and cause a conflict to explode between the Order and the royal family.

Talcheck must have considered such things and revised his will.

“What are you going to do?”

Iona closed her eyes for a moment at Cleon’s question.

Clearly, the existence of the returnees was unacceptable.

“Right now. The kingdom’s political situation is such that the balance of peace is slowly being shaken by the conflict between the three organizations.”

When Iona said that, Cleon quietly waited for the next words.

“First, the royal family. They have a definite track record of defeating the Empire, so they are receiving unprecedented support from the people.”

Iona held up her first finger.

The previous king fought on the front lines in the war against the Empire.

His son also had a knight’s title and fought on the front lines following in his father’s footsteps.

But after losing his father to the attack of the Demon Sword Emperor, he succeeded to the throne and has been ruling the kingdom to this day.

“Next is the `Order of the Saint’s Blessing`. This side is also advocating salvation through the hero, the holy sword, and the saintess, and many people have converted to the doctrine.”

In particular, since the Hero Lesia played a dazzling role in defeating the Demon Sword Emperor and the Empire.

Naturally, those who support her also trust the Order.

“And the Academy. This side has a shorter history than the royal family or the Order. But through numerous knowledge and research, it has the best technology in the continent.”

The Academy is a huge educational institution that Layla belongs to.

Cleon also knew that the power of the Academy was beyond imagination and that it was committing various evils behind the scenes.

In particular, it seemed to have connections with nobles other than the royal family.

It was said that all the children of slightly wealthy noble families became students of the Academy.

There was no way it could be weak.

“These three forces are outwardly working together. But in reality, you can think of the balance being maintained by checking each other.”

“… Then. If this information is revealed to the world.”

Iona nodded at Cleon’s words.

“The balance of the three groups will collapse. In addition, the returnees are a group that is at odds with the Academy. They will think this is the time to attack the Order.”

The wounds of the war with the Empire had mostly disappeared.

But there were still many problems on the continent that arose even if humans did not fight each other.

It was a story that made Cleon frown as well.

“But we can’t pretend it didn’t happen. This is…. For now, let’s keep it as one of our trump cards.”

Cleon also agreed with Iona’s words.

She picked up the remaining luggage.

“Then. Let’s go to the mansion.”

002

The two of them quietly passed through the living forest and returned to the mansion.

The scars left by the Barrier Tree were clearly still there.

The path the Barrier Tree had walked was completely scorched, including the uncharted territory.

And a huge crater was left behind due to the aftermath of Layla’s magic.

In addition, there were concerns about the pollution of the other-dimensional magic still remaining around it.

It was said that clerics would later carry out a large-scale purification operation.

“It can’t be helped. But they will come to Count Gordian’s mansion as well.”

“Ah. That’s right.”

Iona also nodded at Cleon’s words.

The mansion was in a place far from the center of the incident.

But it was necessary to purify the entire forest with the utmost caution.

“Then should we leave the mansion?”

“I guess so. I was planning to leave from the beginning.”

Iona and Talcheck came and that was pushed back.

They were gradually preparing to leave.

Soon, when they returned to the mansion.

No one seemed to have woken up yet.

Since only about 12 hours had passed since the incident ended.

It would take a little more time before they woke up.

“I’ll go check on Layla’s condition for a moment.”

“Then I’ll check on Sasha-ssi and Rubella.”

Since the two of them had physical injuries, it would be better for Iona, who has divine magic, to see them.

Quietly opening the door and entering the room she was staying in.

The smell of various herbs and medicinal herbs stung her nose.

The entire room had a red tone.

It was still an unorganized room, but.

Layla, who was sleeping quietly in the middle of it, making a slight breathing sound with her eyes closed.

She was not a genius girl, nor was she the top student of the Academy.

She was just an ordinary girl befitting her age.

When she checked her body condition with magic vision.

She could see Layla’s magic power recovering little by little.

There was a high probability that her magic organs would be damaged due to the use of magic that exceeded her original limits.

Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any side effects of that kind.

“Hoo….”

Cleon sighed and sat down on the chair next to Layla’s bed.

She took out a box containing the Memoria Cube from her arms and placed it on the table.

And after confirming that she hadn’t opened her eyes.

She quietly opened her mouth.

“Thank you. Layla. If you hadn’t been here, many people would have lost their lives.”

The Barrier Tree Schradsel was an existence beyond the norm.

If Layla, who happened to be good at fire magic, had not remained here.

If she hadn’t listened to Quon and killed her.

Clearly. A lot of people would have died.

She could not completely forgive Layla for what she had done to her.

But shouldn’t she be a little kinder to her?

Cleon thought so and got up from her seat and turned around.

“…Cleon.”

A voice calling Cleon.

`Was she awake?` Cleon turned around.

There was Layla, looking at her with her eyes open.

“Could you stay by my side a little longer?”

Layla spoke without any change in expression, keeping her body still.

Cleon looked into her eyes for a moment and then sat back down in the chair.

Silence flowed between Layla and Cleon.

“With this, has it been atoned for a little?”

It was Layla who broke the silence.

She had an expression as if she had put down a heavy burden a little.

Her research on magic was not in vain, and she was able to protect Quon and other precious people.

“…No, that’s not something I can judge. It’s up to Cleon, Quon, and Sasha to decide.”

Layla said self-deprecatingly.

Cleon looked at her without saying anything.

Then Layla looked into Cleon’s eyes and said.

“Cleon. There’s something I want to confirm.”

“…What is it?”

Layla raised her upper body and quietly took Cleon’s hand.

“I want to be sure how I feel about Cleon. And how Cleon feels about me. I want to make that clear.”

“…I.”

Cleon tried to answer Layla’s words.

But she trailed off a little at Layla’s voice, which was more serious and gentle than ever before.

“If Cleon still hasn’t forgiven me, I want to be forgiven.”

“… …”

“And if I become sure that I love Cleon. I also want to be loved by you, like Quon, Sasha, and Perdia.”

Layla quietly began to take off her clothes.

Cleon did not stop Layla from doing so and quietly remained as if she was thinking about something.

“…This is an experiment for proof. Does Layla Flamewatch deserve to be loved by others?”

Eventually, she brought Cleon’s hand to the area near her heart.

A warm and soft sensation.

Still, her body temperature was slightly higher than that of an ordinary person, so a pleasant warmth rose on her palm.

“Cooperate with me. Cleon.”

And quietly pulling that hand, she fell onto the bed.