Chap 39-Aimed for the Princess

 

“Then, what about the students who drink water here?”

“Surely the proud students of Schperen wouldn’t drink river water from an area inhabited by monsters.”

“Ah.”

Usually, even knights who subjugate monsters among the nobles bring their own water. Of course, drinking river water is out of the question.

If they hadn’t brought water, they’d rather starve.

I’ve seen many common soldiers mocking those knights.

“And it’s not like this is a forest where you’d get stranded.”

They didn’t tell us how to get back after it’s over.

They’ll probably use the instructors for that too.

So, someone is watching from somewhere, but how many people know that mana poison was released into the river?

Mana poison is easy, but it’s mainly known in the underworld.

Those with decent skills don’t usually rise to their positions using mana poison.

Is there anyone who would come all the way to this river to see the mana poison being poured into it?

I don’t think so.

“Then who are you trying to feed it to?”

“Goblins, of course.”

“Do goblins eat this?”

“Goblins are monsters, so they like magical power. Mana poison, in particular, is made with human malice, so it has properties similar to magical power. Just a little bit, though.”

Of course, half of it is forced.

When mana poison is dissolved in water, it remains like a thick substance for a while before gradually diluting.

I plan to use that.

The goal is to fill the river with mana poison to increase the viscosity of the water and trap intruders.

Given the river’s location, they’ll eventually have to cross it to attack us.

I don’t expect anything more than that.

They wouldn’t eat it, would they? They’re not idiots.

If I tell Arietta now, she’ll worry unnecessarily.

At least until something happens, I need to make excuses and prepare for the worst.

“So, you’re saying if you release magical power, they’ll eat it?”

“Yes.”

I’m thinking of increasing Arietta’s experience with mana poison while I’m at it.

If something really happens, Gustav might be an exception, but the instructors guarding this forest might be connected like dried fish strung together.

They could be from Ailia or Kailon’s faction. Or even further, they might be anti-imperialists.

“Then wouldn’t it be meaningless if it’s released right away?”

“That’s why we’re releasing it in clumps.”

“In clumps?”

“Yes. Like throwing fruit concentrate into water and leaving it as is.”

“Ah, I see what you mean.”

I released the mana poison into the river.

I don’t know what will happen, but if something goes wrong, I can step in myself.

Shriiiiik

First, I kept Riel close by and placed [Mana Thread] on all the trees around us.

If an intruder passes near the thread, I’ll be notified immediately.

We wandered around the forest for a long time.

As if we were stranded. With our backs to the river. Slowly.

“But aren’t we going in circles?”

After walking for a while, Arietta finally complained.

Well, we’ve been around several times, so it would be strange if she didn’t notice.

“It was intentional.”

“Huh?”

“It seems we’re not the only ones here. I mean, besides the other students, there’s something else.”

I deliberately made the atmosphere heavy.

This isn’t just a practice exercise. It’s not Gustav’s practice, but a kind of threat someone is involved in.

After walking for a while and wasting time, I became convinced that it wasn’t just the actions of a simple monster.

If it were a monster, there would definitely be the smell of blood.

There should be the sound of fighting, but there isn’t, and the students have disappeared somewhere.

“What is it, then?”

“Riel, good question.”

“Are you saying someone is involved in our practice?”

“Yes. Furthermore, the instructors guarding this forest are either accomplices or have already been replaced.”

If we delve further into these absurd inferences, if it’s the former, there’s no possibility of factions, given Schperen’s characteristics.

It’s not like Ailia or Kailon have such strong charms that they could captivate the instructors enough to break those unspoken rules.

So, the latter is more likely.

If that’s the case, then who the enemy is is obvious.

No matter how much the nobles dislike the imperial family, they can’t ignore its symbolism.

No matter how abandoned Arietta is, they wouldn’t try to kill her so openly and extremely, unless it was done in a different way.

Anti-imperialists. That’s what I judged.

Looking a little further, Ailia or Kailon might have leaked information to the anti-imperialists through the slums.

“Who is it?”

“We’ll find out soon. First, princess, prepare for battle.”

If things go well, this is a good opportunity to experiment.

The princess has secretly learned a secret technique.

A combat method using daggers. I wonder how effective it will be against this enemy.

“Is something really coming?”

“Um. Then I’ll…”

“We won’t die.”

Our princess is now gripping her sword tightly with a serious expression.

Around that time, I was finally able to see something through the [Mana Thread].

Vision Sharing

Humans in black clothes passing through the [Mana Thread].

They’re wearing grotesque white masks with patterns drawn on their faces.

Several men and women.

“I can see who’s coming.”

“How do you know?”

“I placed [Mana Thread] on the way here. I can immediately recognize intruders when they’re seen through the shared vision.”

It’s a thread placed for quick work and escape.

It’s mainly used to scout around targets with many guards, places where you must steal or obtain information, by placing it on nearby terrain.

Originally, I hate troublesome things and prefer to hit and run like a pro. But today, there might be some killing involved.

“Black humans.”

“Black humans?”

“Yes. They’re wearing grotesque white masks. There’s something drawn on the masks.”

“Does the white mask have a candle drawn on it?”

Yes. It’s definitely a lit candle.

A pure white mask with a candle with a flame drawn on it. Several adult men and women wearing those masks.

They’re walking this way now.

If they can’t recognize the [Mana Thread], they’re just low-level grunts.

But how does our Riel know that?

Unlike a moment ago, her eyes are filled with strength and determination.

“Do you know them?”

“Are their outfits uniformly black?”

“Yeah. Do you know who they are?”

Riel’s eyes, which couldn’t even lift her head until just now, trembled.

“Anti-imperialists. They’re called the Latin Commune. An organization also known as the New World Order on the surface.”

“Ah.”

Latin Commune, New World Order.

A group that aims to overthrow the monarchy in the Latin region of central Empire and makes promises to win over the poor, including freedom and equality.

It’s a collection of anti-imperialists.

They have rapidly increased their power as the war with the monster and the Demon King has continued for decades.

They act as if there would be no war if they took power.

“My family also became poor because of them.”

“Because of them?”

As if barely squeezing it out.

Riel began to speak as if she was barely squeezing out something she didn’t want to imagine or remember.

The scene was so pitiful. Sadness was felt in Riel’s eyes.

“Yes. My family was relatively wealthy in the area where we lived. We had several businesses and a farm.”

“But?”

How did such a place collapse?

If those guys brought it down, it seems like an obvious development, but looking at Riel’s pale face, it must have been terrible.

“That was five years ago, when the entire Empire was in a bad situation due to famine. There was a bad harvest, and my family’s income was low, so we were delaying wage payments a bit. We were planning to receive support from the central government within a month anyway, so we could give the workers their wages all at once.”

“They must have taken advantage of that.”

“Yes. They incited the workers working at our business. They gave them scythes and hammers and came to my father, saying that if he was a commoner, he should share his wealth with the needy.”

It’s sophistry.

They’re just trying to win the hearts of people living in difficult circumstances by inciting them.

If it has been operated for generations, it means it was a relatively stable business. The Cardroel or whatever family is not an evil aristocratic family.

To suddenly give everything inherited in that way to the workers is absurd. I would understand if the situation was really difficult and they had no choice but to share it with the workers. But the Latin Commune preempted the problem that could be solved.

“Your father obviously didn’t give it to them, right?”

“Of course not. Those businesses were prepared and cultivated by our family over several generations. It was something that would be resolved quickly even if the situation was a bit difficult. But those who were incited by the Latin Commune went on strike and destroyed everything. By the time the imperial army came to support us, it was too late, and our family lost a lot, including my father.”

So, for Riel, those guys are enemies to be avenged.

She experienced such a thing at such a young age. It’s understandable.

“That. But if there was such an incident, it should have been known?”

“They must have kept it quiet because they were afraid that people like those guys would increase in number due to the war and the bad harvest.”

“Yes. What happened after that was obvious.”

Since the war was going on, the Empire must have been unable to make it public.

Even when I visited the Empire, there was a knight order that caught anti-imperialists.

That means they’re secretly catching anti-imperialists.

“Is your goal to avenge your family?”

“Yes.”

A hint of hatred could also be seen in Riel’s eyes.

Those anti-imperialists probably don’t know this.

That those who hate them and those who despise them will increase every time they do something.

Family revenge. If you can do it, you should definitely do it.

Riel has chosen a good day today.

She’ll probably be able to take the first step in that revenge here.

“If you do well here, you’ll be able to take that first step.”

We should start preparing to fight.

“But why are the Latin Commune? Anti-imperialists here? Are they killing students?”

“Judging from the fact that there’s no smell of blood, it doesn’t seem like they’ve killed anyone.”

Considering those guys’ goals, they can’t recklessly eradicate them, even if they’re nobles.

Unless they’ve become so extreme and violent that they’ve increased their power to the point of killing people all over the world.

“Is there a possibility that they kidnapped them and killed them elsewhere?”

“There’s something else they’re aiming for in this class, so there’s no reason to increase their enemies by killing them.”

Since they’re receiving study abroad opportunities, Schperen even has nobles from foreign countries.

That means not only the Empire but other countries can also get involved.

There’s no reason for the Latin Commune to bother not only the imperial nobles but also foreigners from the beginning.

They’re probably only targeting the princess.

Arietta’s face turned pale, as if she vaguely guessed it.

“Then, could it be.”

“That’s right, they’re targeting the princess”

“Why me?”

I pretended to be thinking while rubbing my chin for a moment.

Because the answer was very simple.

Considering those guys’ ideology, it’s time for them to achieve something, some kind of achievement, even if it’s not too extreme. I’m worried that the princess might get hurt if I say it.

But we’ll meet them soon, so I have to say it.

Arietta needs to know the truth.

“Because Your Highness is the easiest royal to deal with when it comes to those guys’ regime overthrow. They must have thought it was worth a try.”

They must have thought that they had to catch a royal to unite within their group.

Right then.

A large number of monsters were detected through the [Mana Thread].

Groaaaaaaaar!!

Goblins burst out of the bushes.

About dozens of them.

Steam was rising from their bodies, so they must have crossed the river.

Their bodies were quite damaged by the mana poison.

Not just one or two, but a group of them gathered. They were rushing in as if they were about to kill us.

What does this mean?

The fact that the goblins, who should have either died from drinking the river water or died while crossing it, survived means.

There’s something controlling them from behind.