Ch.198198. Invisible Mask (4)

In interpersonal relationships, conflicts are bound to happen.

They occur between childhood friends living next door, school peers or seniors and juniors, and even among siblings and family members.

Even in groups that live collectively like guilds, teams, or mercenaries, conflicts aren’t entirely absent.

I’ve often had people come to me for healing after minor frictions escalated to temporary fistfights, and I’d hear about such incidents each time.

But I wonder, has there ever been a case where comrades who share hardships point blades at each other?

There hasn’t been.

I’ve seen plenty of fistfights, but never someone holding a knife to another’s throat. Even in duels, stab wounds were never that deep.

That’s why Erika is still confused.

She can’t deny the fact that Senia, a member of her own party, had pointed a blade at her.

“Why are you protecting Junon so adamantly?”

She couldn’t understand.

Not just Senia, who openly brandished her blade with killing intent, but also Aris who pleaded for her to stop.

The two people she encountered at the hospital were defending Junon excessively.

Upon further reflection, even Michelle, who had reacted sharply, seemed to take Junon’s side with ambiguous wording during the hostage situation. That’s already three members of the Tembris party.

She can’t help but think it might not end with just those three.

‘Come to think of it, Charlotte and Cain didn’t seem that negative during the festival either…’

And finally, Goden, who openly tried to recruit Junon.

Could he already be in contact with the entire Tembris party?

“Lady Erika. Good morning. But… you don’t look well. Are you alright?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Um… shall I give my report then?”

“Report?”

“Yes. You asked me to investigate that person named Junon. I was just about to report to you.”

Ah, she had asked Kelnur to investigate Junon during the faction battle.

Starting with the incident at the hospital, she had begun to think that he might have extended his influence to the entire Tembris party, but she had forgotten about it.

However, she can’t bring herself to ask him to share what he found.

-‘I’m warning you. If you make excuses and defame Junon one more time, then.’

-‘Next time, it won’t be the scabbard but the blade that will pierce you.’

It’s like a broken record.

She recalls Senia’s fierce gaze, which looked ready to cut her down at any moment.

The menacing voice keeps echoing in her head, causing a surge of anxiety that this investigation shouldn’t proceed.

Because she meant it.

“No, forget it. Just… discard it. Make sure no one sees it.”

“What? But you specifically asked me to investigate, saying it was bothering you.”

“I changed my mind… no, it’s just become useless information. I’m not concerned about it anymore.”

“Hmm… I see. Understood.”

Looking at the meticulously prepared documents with disappointment, Kelnur clicked his tongue.

“Ugh!”

Stagger!

If she hadn’t steadied herself against the nearby wall, she might have fallen right over.

Seeing this, Kelnur rushed over to support Erika.

“You really don’t seem to be in good condition today…?”

“Haa, why am I like this today…?”

“I’ll relay messages on your behalf, so please return to the mansion. You’re definitely in no state for combat, and I don’t think you can attend lectures either.”

Stumbling on a perfectly flat path—truly the worst condition.

While her position as a healing buffer is undeniably important, in this state, she can’t focus on anything else.

“…You’re right. Could you please relay that message?”

“Of course I will, but shouldn’t I support you to the carriage at least…?”

“I don’t need support. It was just a momentary dizziness.”

After pushing away Kelnur’s hand and standing up on her own, Erika didn’t fall again.

“Lady Erika…”

But he had witnessed it all.

Stumbling on a clear path, barely managing to hold onto a wall for support. And now, canceling all her scheduled activities to head back to the mansion from the faculty room.

She’s one of the most renowned holy mages in Algenib Province, and such exceptional healers are extremely rare not just in Levrant but throughout the Ardelion Duchy.

In other words, she’s not someone who should show such weakness.

Under her guidance, the Sherpen territory thrived, and countless refugees and the starving who suffered from various diseases were saved.

Due to the deteriorating public safety caused by the appearance of monsters, bandits once ran rampant in Algenib Province.

Everyone knows the story of how a territory that had been neutralized by these bandits was restored to its proper function. Kelnur himself was a living witness who survived those bandits.

Therefore, it doesn’t sit well with Kelnur. It’s evident that Erika is in distress.

“She clearly said earlier that she changed her mind.”

There must be a reason for this change of heart. Such a sudden shift must have a cause.

He needs to find it.

*Rustle*

Documents spread across the table all at once.

He pulls out two sheets from the list of Tembris party members’ movements that he had organized as a scribe.

When examining the timeline of Erika’s movements, the only period when such a sudden change could have occurred was during her stay at the hospital.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, at the same time.

After receiving a certain letter, Senia gathered Aris and Charlotte in a secretive location.

“Aris. What’s with this weird mustache? Don’t tell me you think this counts as a disguise?”

“You said to come secretly, so I thought I shouldn’t be recognized…?”

“This makes you stand out even more. Haah… you idiot.”

Senia ripped off the awkwardly crooked mustache that was obviously fake.

Pointing the mustache at Aris accusingly, Senia unleashed another barrage of nagging. Today was no different.

“And I told you to be on time. Charlotte managed just fine, but you… sigh.”

“Well, while I was disguising myself… ugh.”

Despite his excuses, the fact that he was late remains unchanged.

“Was anyone following you? None?”

“N-no, there wasn’t.”

“You sound emotional, which makes me uneasy…”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

Charlotte, who had been meticulously monitoring the surroundings even in this situation, reported that she had gathered people from the trading company to confirm there were no trackers.

She wasn’t the head of the Eshelet Trading Company for nothing.

“Okay. Then let’s get to the main point. This is the first time the three of us have gathered like this, but… you already have a guess, right?”

“Huh? A guess?”

I don’t know anything about that.

While Aris genuinely seems confused, Senia’s gaze is fixed on Charlotte.

“Yes. This is about Senior Junon, isn’t it?”

Even Aris, who would normally make a fuss with an “Eh?! That’s what this is about?!”, falls silent at the mention of Junon’s name.

Senia, who had been nagging the latecomer just moments ago, also turned serious.

If an outsider had been watching, they might have thought they were about to fight… but for them, they were just now ready to begin the conversation.

After a brief silence, confirming that everyone was prepared, Senia slowly pulled a letter from her pocket.

“Is it from Junon?”

“Is it from Senior Junon?”

When both asked simultaneously, she nodded briefly. Aris and Charlotte, swallowing hard, focused intently.

These three are aware that Junon remembers the past.

Therefore, his knowledge is essentially a glimpse of the future.

“We need to receive a mental interference immunity buff from Erika before we fight. Without fail.”

Without fail.

That one phrase imprints itself in their minds like a blaring horn.

It foretells the appearance of a formidable enemy.

Moreover, it’s not about reducing or mitigating mental interference. He’s not asking to dispel status ailments once they’re afflicted. His point is complete immunity.

It means they can’t face the enemy without that buff.

There were other precautions as well, but some seemed a bit puzzling.

Nevertheless, they remain vigilant, firmly embedding every detail in their minds. Without missing a single word.

Because it’s a letter from Junon.

***

The Shanbereshu of the plague that I exterminated in Shute Province.

It relentlessly engaged in wars of attrition and endurance, and when exterminating it, we had to fight until our bodies were on the verge of crumbling.

Then what about Algenib Province?

It was the place where I fought the most mentally challenging battle.

A person’s body can be strong, but the mind is another story. As the saying goes, “strong outside, weak inside,” no matter how physically strong or magically adept, those with weak minds went mad one by one.

‘To face such an enemy, asking people to evacuate would be the best option.’

The problem is that even if we try to engage in close combat, we’ll still need an army because we have to face lycans simultaneously in this extermination battle.

We can’t just target the named monster while evacuating people, and if we gather a massive army to deal with the lycans, the number of victims from mental interference attacks will grow like seaweed soaked in water.

In other words, humans have a time limit when facing this enemy.

“Phew. What should I do?”

My head started to throb.

Defeating it with a small elite force. I can’t see any other solution.

This time, I have no choice but to coordinate with the Tembris party.

Resigning myself to this, I stuffed a pile of letters into the mailbox and turned around.

“…Huh?”

-Chirr!

One might lose a pet lizard in the middle of Levrant Academy, but… would there be another lizard that would charge at me with such ferocity?

“Whoa.”

This lizard, charging headfirst towards my abdomen, was no different this time.

Phew. Having experienced it before, I’m not completely unprepared.

-Chirr!

“Hey, hey, hey… you’re getting saliva on me. Don’t lick my face, you.”

-Chirr! Chirr!

The creature wags its tail vigorously, ignoring my protests. Quite an enthusiastic greeting.

I’m not sure when it arrived, but if it’s here, then surely…

“I’d like to have a word with you.”

As expected. The Elder must be here too.

Postponing my trip to the newspaper office, I ended up having a conversation with the Elder.

“Hey, come on. Calm down so we can talk, okay?”

-Chirr! Chirr! Chirr!

If I try to put it aside for a moment, it immediately starts licking my face.

“Fascinating. In a way, it seems Chirr follows you even better than Senia.”

“Didn’t you say all Kalixes follow their summoners well?”

“No, I’ve seen how it follows Senia often enough. There must be something different about you.”

“Well, if you say so— Hey! Phew. I don’t know much about it myself.”

I finally managed to leash Chirr. Now I can talk more comfortably.

“More importantly, what brings you here? I heard the Seirens haven’t yet integrated with humans.”

“Hmm. That’s right. I came to the duchy regarding that matter. But I also have something to tell you.”

“Me?”

“First, it’s about your Kalix rune. With the help of the Grand Duke and Minister Muniher, we discreetly investigated if anyone else across the Kempryton continent has summoned a Kalix, and it seems no one else has.”

“Hmm…”

A rune is essentially a mark that gives a summoner absolute command over their Kalix.

However, whether to use it or not is up to them.

While a summoner might use this compulsion for personal gain, they might also choose not to use it at all, as in the case of Senia and the Seirens.

The way to distinguish this is by the presence or absence of the rune, and whether it has been used.

‘But I don’t have one. Nowhere to be found.’

This confirms what I heard before. It’s assumed that the rune has already been consumed, meaning some command is being carried out, but I still don’t know what that is.

“Second, it’s about the Rakan tribe.”

“The Rakan… tribe?”

The Rakan tribe. Like the Seirens, they are Ain, and I’ve heard they have the form of werewolves.

But why is this name coming from the Elder’s mouth? Due to their significant friction with humans, they were designated as monsters and treated as the same species as the lycans. They shouldn’t be referred to as the Rakan tribe anymore.

“This is just speculation, but it seems the Rakan tribe has helped us. Moreover, they seem to have contributed to clearing our name.”

The Rakan tribe… helped the Seirens?

The werewolves who appeared in hordes in Algenib Province and mercilessly slaughtered humans, who are nothing but a nuisance in this battle?

It was hard to believe. After hearing the Elder’s full account, I had to completely revise my information and plans regarding the Rakan tribe.

***

Algenib Province.

Located to the southwest of the capital Levrant, while the Seirens had friction with humans in Shute Province, this area had friction with the Rakan tribe.

The situations were similar.

Like the Seirens, they were accused of harming humans and are currently exiled. On charges of a different race harming humans.

But there was a clear difference.

The Seirens were driven out due to a noble conspiracy without concrete evidence of harming humans, but the Rakans actually attacked humans.

The image of them becoming monsters and attacking humans is still unforgettable.

However.

“This is just speculation, but it seems the Rakan tribe has helped us. Moreover, they seem to have contributed to clearing our name.”

Significantly, such speculation came from the Elder of the Seirens.

Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. Not until I confirm it myself.

-Click.

“W-who are you? Why are you suddenly locking the door!”

As the shop owner headed towards the storage room, a man who had followed him immediately locked the door, causing the owner to visibly panic.

He could be a thug, a robber, or something worse could happen.

Amidst these complex thoughts…

Thud.

A newspaper was thrown in front of him. It seemed ordinary, but one thing was marked.

It was the name of the person who wrote this newspaper.

“!!!”

“Is this article written by you?”

The stranger asks if this newspaper belongs to the owner with the bushy beard.

“I-I don’t know. I never wrote such an article.”

“Your name is clearly written on it, yet you deny it?”

“It’s an article defending the Rakan… no, the lycans! I wrote it carelessly, not knowing the matter would escalate like this. It’s a false report!”

What would happen if it became known that he had taken the side of the Rakan tribe, now considered enemies of humans and designated as monsters?

At best, he’d be exiled from the duchy; at worst, he’d be killed.

In such a state of fear, a positive answer was unlikely to emerge.

So the hooded man changed his approach.

“Ah, no…! You are…!”

“Then let me change the question. Why did you help the Seirens?”

Revealing the black hair hidden under his hood, Junon continued his questioning.