episode_0066

Episode 66.

The mask he was wearing did not cover his entire face. Only up to the eyes and nose area.

The shape of the mouth, physique, posture, voice, and hair color revealed accordingly, no matter where you look, it is Walter. In the first place, it is an incredibly shallow tactic to lie about one’s identity with a mask like that.

“Wait, wait. Pilgret. Come this way.”

“Yes, princess.”

I left Walter where he was and went inside the room with Philgret. There, he lowered his voice and asked Philgret.

“You said it was a masker? I heard you are the new knight commander? It’s Walter, that’s it.”

“Yes, that’s right. This is Walter Grave. It seems they want to be called Masker now.”

“Why are you doing that? Have you lost your sanity?”

The last I heard of Walter was that he had locked himself in his room after running away from the Battle of the Sword. Has your heart become that seriously ill?

“No, after talking with him, his judgment and intelligence are the same. The same goes for swordsmanship skills. But… he just wants people to think of him as someone other than Walter.”

I glanced in the direction where Walter was. He was waiting there, motionless, kneeling on one knee.

“In short, the loss that day was so painful that it ended up like that?”

The story is that he ran away without a fight because he was pressured by self-loathing, family honor, and the gaze of those around him, so he hid in that way. Under a literal mask called a masker.

“Yes. He’s kind of a fool.”

“…what a pathetic man.”

Ha, I sighed heavily. Then he looked straight at Philgret and said.

“Pilgret. I am the one who entrusted you with the authority to appoint the direct commander. So I have no intention of criticizing your decision. But I’ll just check it once. Are you sure that Will Masker is the right person to take on the role of commander?”

“Yes. He is a talented man. If a problem arises, I will take full responsibility.”

“Okay then. I will trust your judgment.”

Strictly speaking, Walter is also a victim of being deceived by Carmel.

Moreover, the Grave family is royal loyalists. If I let him know that I have accepted his return, I will be able to increase his loyalty even more.

In other words, from my perspective, Walter Grave is the person in the best position to be a direct commander. Except for the problems of humans themselves.

“Thank you, princess.”

Philgret and I returned to our original positions. I said to Masker, who was still kneeling.

“You can wake up, Masker.”

The masker stood up easily and looked at me through the white mask.

“It must be Sir Pilgret’s choice. Congratulations on your inauguration as commander-in-chief, Masker. Please continue to dedicate yourself to the royal family.”

“I will definitely do as you ask. Princess Sera.”

Your voice is more serious than before. It’s a bit pathetic, but if you can do your job that way, that’s fine.

After sending Masker away, Pilgret spoke to me.

“But you said you were going on an inspection?”

“Yes. I had to stop by Teneric Street.”

“If you are a tenor… I understand. Let’s get ready right away.”

Previously, she had visited the Teneric family, escorted by Philgret, pretending to be an ordinary noble girl. To get poison to feed my father.

This time too, Pilgret seems to have thought there was an equally different purpose. His face became even more solemn.

“It won’t get that serious. I’m just going there to ask someone who lives there.”

“Yes. Then, we will let you know as soon as we are ready.”

Philgret bowed his head and left my room.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been outside in the fresh air.

* * *

The appearance of Teneric Street was not much different from when I visited before. People of poor quality are gathered together in groups of threes and fives, mucking about among themselves.

Well, it’s worth it. A young lady from an aristocratic family who walks around these slums without fear. And there is only one escort. Whether it’s kidnapping or robbery, it only looks good to the thugs.

Still, the reason they didn’t attack him right away was probably because he knew full well what it meant to mess with a nobleman. Maybe it’s a fallen noble, but if you mess with the daughter of a powerful noble, there’s a chance that this street itself will be erased.

It seemed like they had no intention of attacking him unless he made an overt provocation like before. This may be because Pilgret is intimidating everyone who looks here with his fearsome spirit.

So I entered the witchcraft shop from before without much interruption. The smell of dried medicinal herbs and an unidentifiable mustiness pierced my nose.

The wrinkled old man seemed to remember me.

“Hehe, you’re back again. Did you use the items you previously brought well? It’s probably like that. I saw that Shinsu was clear.”

“Today’s business is on the other side. Do you know anything about these items?”

I took out the sketch and held it in front of the old man. The old man, who was looking through the note with his small eyes wide open, said in astonishment.

“Now, wait a minute. W-Where did I get this…?”

“It seems like you know. Please tell me what it does.”

“…I can’t do that.”

“This is also for the aspirations of your people. If you know anything, please tell me.”

The maxim of the Carcass had already been confirmed to this person. Those words that bring about cooperation from fellow countrymen. But still, the old man shook his head loudly.

“No matter what, that’s not enough. Because that object is related to our deepest secret wish and deepest taboo. Moreover, I can’t tell Lustier Inn.”

“Are you saying you can’t tell me anything? I can give you as much compensation as I want. Much better than last time.”

“It’s not that kind of problem. I don’t intend to say more than what I can’t say.”

Hmm, is this coming out uncooperative?

Of course, I had this possibility in mind. No matter how powerful the maxim of cooperation is, it is not absolute.

The old man’s attitude showed stubborn refusal and a little fear. I don’t know what this object was, but it didn’t seem like it would be easy to get cooperation.

In that case, we have no choice but to use a slightly drastic method here.

“Now that I think about it, I didn’t reveal my identity during my last visit, right?”

I said that and turned over the hood that I had pressed deeply. Rich blonde hair flowed down as if bursting out.

“My name is Sarah Lustier. Have you ever heard of it? I am the princess of this country. Old Man, I will arrest you for attempted murder against His Majesty the King. Pilgret, pull him out.”

“What?”

Before the old man could properly understand the situation, Philgret went inside the stall and grabbed the old man. The first thing I did not forget was to bend my arms back and tie them up to prevent them from using any suspicious techniques.

“What, what? Wow, a princess? Princess Sera?”

The desperate resistance of the scrawny old man was like a mole dragged out of the ground to Pilgret.

“Well, then, no way, that poison… Eup, eup…!”

The old man continued to look at me in astonishment until a gag was put on his mouth and a hood was placed over his face.

* * *

“Huh, huh…!”

It was after he was brought to the basement of the palace that the old man’s eyes and mouth were freed. His body was still tightly bound so that he could not move.

“Now, old man.”

I looked at him with my chin resting in front of the desk he was tied to. He already seemed very scared.

“I already have proof that the drug used to poison His Majesty the King was sold by you. Do you know the situation you are in? I promise in the princess’s name that you won’t have a comfortable death?”

“I, Ihiik…”

Of course he knows. Who actually used the poison? But that makes me even more afraid.

“But I also don’t want such an unfortunate and cruel thing to happen here at the Palace of Lustier. There is only one way to avoid it. All you have to do is tell me honestly everything you know.”

Even though the old man was trembling with fear, he gathered his last will and shouted.

“Is this Lustier’s way? Even if this old body has to die, I can’t sell my compatriots!”

Ha, I sighed deeply and said.

“I think you don’t understand it well enough. Think about it carefully? If you become a regicide and are executed, what do you think will happen next?”

It’s not hard to imagine.

There was an attempt to assassinate the king using poison sold by northerners living within the royal capital. Once that’s revealed, what happens next…

A massive purge. The northern peoples living within the royal capital will dry up flax seeds. Of course, it won’t end with the royal road.

The old man must have been thinking the same thing, as the color drained from his face. Betrayal even if you say it, betrayal even if you don’t say it. It must be a dilemma.

“Do you understand? If you truly care for your compatriots, please speak to me obediently. That’s the only path you can choose.”

“Ugh, uhm, uhm…”

The old man lowered his head. And then the old man slowly raised his head and looked at the face of Philgret standing next to me.

“Da, you are the knight commander, right? Boo, clearly loyal to the kingdom itself…”

“Don’t talk to me. Concentrate on the princess’s interrogation.”

A light of determination flashed in the old man’s eyes. And he shouted at Philgret in a voice filled with evil.

“This, this bitch, get better! Everything that was bought from me and given to the king! This is what this damn princess did!”