Ch.268Chapter 268 – The Saint’s Information (2)

It was Cara who taught me about the chaotic political situation in the Kingdom of Firenche.

‘What a headache.’

Our immediate destination should be the sea.

But there are rumors of sea dragons roaming those waters.

“…Should we change our destination?”

“Bestia is quite dangerous too, Kay. You’ve heard about the slave hunters roaming around, right?”

Eve said with a deeply troubled expression.

“First, we should discuss this with Miss Beatrice and decide what to do.”

“Let’s do that.”

Whether to change our destination immediately or continue with the original plan—we can decide after talking it through.

As we concluded our discussion, Cara spoke as if suddenly remembering something.

“Oh, there was an interesting rumor at the Gema Port I mentioned earlier.”

“What is it?”

Cara took another sip of water.

Then she spoke quietly.

“There was once an incident at the Order’s facility there.”

“Really?”

“A holy knight guarding that facility went missing and was later found dead.”

I already knew where that facility was.

And I even knew who that missing holy knight was.

The left side of my face aches a bit.

“The priests in the upper echelons ordered an investigation, believing a holy knight wouldn’t just disappear. And Somnus ultimately shut it down. They say he stopped it, claiming unnecessary searches were pointless.”

And so the Order’s leadership terminated the investigation of that island.

“When I saw those records, I thought something was strange.”

Upon accessing those records, Cara knew there was “something” there.

Something the Order’s leadership would rather not know about.

“…In the end, I couldn’t learn anything more.”

“Why not?”

Cara lowered her head somewhat shamefully at my question.

“Because Somnus prohibited anyone from knowing more. …Looking back, I could have ignored that and conducted my own investigation, but I wonder why I didn’t.”

“Is that so?”

“Anyway, Somnus specifically forbade me from learning anything about that place.”

Cara said this, but honestly, the reason was obvious.

He didn’t want the test subjects to be discovered.

Even the rumors about the Red Holy Knights were only known as knights who had abandoned their names, not as experimental subjects summoned from another world.

“Anyway, there was a strange rumor circulating when that holy knight disappeared.”

“What kind of rumor?”

“First, there was a rumor that the Order had a secret laboratory there, and the commotion was caused by a test subject who escaped from experiments.”

That was me.

I noticed Eve and Sarah clearing their throats or deliberately averting their gaze, having heard some of what happened back then.

“This test subject was important to Somnus and Idea, so Idea personally moved to capture or eliminate it, according to the rumor.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I never heard the exact reason, so I still don’t know why Idea went there. I can only assume it wasn’t without good reason.”

Cara spoke quietly.

After observing our expressions, her face seemed to relax slightly, perhaps thinking she was providing valuable information.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that I was the protagonist of that rumor.

‘What should I do?’

Glancing to the side, I saw Eve looking extremely uncomfortable.

Naturally, our companions had heard about me too.

“I… see.”

“But there’s another rumor that came along with that one.”

Cara said quietly.

“A rumor that a once-important figure in the Order was being held captive.”

Cara continued quietly.

“They say the previous Holy Maiden was imprisoned there.”

“The previous Holy Maiden?”

“Yes, the previous Holy Maiden, Platina.”

Platina.

The previous Holy Maiden of the Emiris Order.

For some reason, the name reminded me of Chris, perhaps because it ended with “tina.”

“Let me share a bit of political history. The previous Holy Maiden was a woman who was extremely wary of Somnus and tried to keep him in check, but eventually lost a factional struggle and attempted to go into exile, according to rumors.”

“Exile?”

“Yes. While pregnant… they say she was eventually assassinated.”

Cara added that her body was never found.

In response to Cara’s words, Sarah quietly asked:

“But since a new Holy Maiden appeared, doesn’t that confirm she was assassinated?”

“That would be the logical conclusion. …The previous Holy Maiden was well-respected, and many people missed her. Those who longed for her continued to believe she was alive, holding onto hope. This rumor might be mixed with their wishful thinking.”

Of course, Cara added that Somnus had driven out such people one by one.

“However, I can’t help but think this wasn’t entirely a fabricated rumor…”

“Why?”

To my question, Cara quietly replied:

“What if, after Idea visited that place because of the commotion at Gema Port, Somnus and Idea had a conversation about the previous Holy Maiden?”

Eve and Sarah’s gazes subtly changed.

Ignoring their looks, I quietly asked:

“…Why would Somnus do that?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that after Idea returned from addressing the issue at the Gema Port facility, I happened to overhear them talking briefly. What I’m telling you is what I heard then.”

“What did they say?”

Cara spoke quietly:

“The previous Holy Maiden and her daughters are safe.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yes. That was all.”

But, Cara added:

“The previous Holy Maiden was said to be Somnus’s greatest political rival. I heard she was so wary of him that she even tried to eliminate him directly.”

“I see.”

I nodded quietly at Cara’s words.

“…But why would those two say such a thing?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know. …If she really is imprisoned, she might be a hostage against Somnus’s opponents.”

However, Cara quietly said she knew nothing more than this.

“If such a person existed, she might have prevented the Order from going too far.”

“If she’s alive, and if she could come out now, that is.”

Eve was right.

First, her survival is uncertain, and even if she is alive, as long as she can’t act politically, information about the previous Holy Maiden doesn’t seem particularly useful.

“…I just remembered this when we started talking about Gema Port.”

“I see.”

It’s just a rumor, but she probably told us in case it might be useful to us.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like particularly useful information.

‘But somehow I feel strange.’

I feel like I’ve heard something about the previous Holy Maiden from someone before.

As I closed my eyes to search my memory, Eve quietly asked:

“Kay? What’s wrong?”

“Somehow, I feel like I’ve heard something about the previous Holy Maiden.”

I quietly searched through my mind.

Carefully traced my memories.

It’s not recent.

A relatively old memory.

Something I heard about the previous Holy Maiden of the Emiris Order.

And soon a name emerged in my mind.

‘Diana.’

The general of the Mikea Kingdom whom I met when we defeated the Black Dragon, Yuto.

That old woman who seemed close to Rudger.

I later heard that the old woman was the former captain of the Holy Knights of the Emiris Order and…

‘She said she was the mother of the previous Holy Maiden.’

And on the day we were branded as heretics and fled.

Diana helped us escape and said:

[Somnus once proposed a deal, asking me to grant his request.]

[The deal was that my daughter and granddaughter—the previous Holy Maiden and her daughter—were alive, and if I wanted to know their whereabouts, I should cooperate with him.]

Of course, Diana said she refused, saying Somnus was not to be trusted.

‘If Somnus’s words were true…’

The previous Holy Maiden might still be alive.

“…It might be worth investigating.”

I can ask Asam to look into it when he investigates Gema Port.

“Do you have any other information?”

“Unfortunately, that’s about all the information I can provide.”

Cara apologetically replied to Sarah’s question.

Looking at Cara, I quietly asked:

“What are you going to do now?”

“Well… there are places I want to visit, so I was thinking of heading to the Mikea Kingdom first.”

“Places you want to visit?”

To my question, Cara smiled and said:

“The site of the Origin Festival, the Evgenia Order… there are several places I’d like to visit right away.”

“I see.”

“Though I have no money. I wonder how I’ll make a living now.”

Cara said with a slightly sad face.

Then she glanced at Eve, who quietly smiled and said:

“Try visiting the Ravencha Trading Company in the Mikea Kingdom.”

“Ravencha Trading Company?”

“Yes. I’ll write a letter about you to Rachel, and they’ll provide you with financial support for the time being.”

Cara blinked a few times at Eve’s words.

Then Eve smiled and said:

“Think of it as payment for your information.”

“…I see.”

Soon Cara smiled and said:

“It’s shameless of me, but I’ll gratefully accept.”

As Cara finished speaking, a quiet smile spread across the table.

And finally, Chris and Beatrice, who had recovered from their trauma, began approaching.

“Everyone, you seem to be having quite a conversation?”

“Oh, Helmet. Did you hear anything interesting?”

Soon the two joined our table.

“Hey, I’m hungry. Let’s order.”

“Yes!”

Chris smiled and started ordering food.

‘That’s right.’

Though difficult situations have arisen, for now, I can just enjoy spending today with these people.

Thinking that, I quietly smiled.

“By the way, Kay. Are you spending tonight with me?”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have the right to refuse.”

Eve, who was somehow licking her lips slightly while looking at me, pressed her body against mine as she spoke.

And that night, Eve visited my room wearing thin clothing.

+

At a location in the Trigiena New Kingdom.

“It failed.”

Somnus tapped the desk with displeasure.

“Again, it failed.”

They failed to eliminate that man again.

Not only that, but an even greater threat has appeared.

And Somnus muttered with a dark expression:

“How humiliating.”

A god was expelled by that man.

Somnus found the whole series of events extremely unpleasant.

And behind him, someone approached.

“Lord Idea.”

“You seem to be in a bad mood again today, Somnus.”

Somnus nodded slightly at Idea’s words.

“As always… the fact that things don’t go according to plan is extremely unpleasant.”

“Is that so.”

Idea nodded lightly.

“The losses?”

“…We lost Cara, and Phobia too. We also lost the remaining Red Holy Knights. Honestly, the damage is severe.”

Somnus sighed heavily as he spoke.

And Idea looked at him with emotionless eyes before saying:

“All disposable pieces.”

“Yes.”

Somnus smiled and said:

“Ah, Cara wasn’t a disposable piece.”

“Couldn’t she be replaced easily anyway?”

“That’s true.”

After saying that, Somnus smiled brightly and said:

“Cara can be created as long as we have a Holy Maiden.”

Somnus said this to Idea with a smile.

Then he clasped his hands together and said:

“Still, raising a new Holy Maiden is quite troublesome.”

But there’s no need to raise a new one right away.

“Since I’ve already prepared replacements and used them where absolutely necessary, there’s no need to create a new Holy Maiden for the time being.”

Somnus said with a comfortable expression.

And Idea, looking at Somnus, said:

“What happened to the remaining Red Holy Knights?”

“Used them well. Down to the last bone.”

Somnus said with a smile.

“Since we can’t summon them anymore, we must extract everything, down to the marrow.”

“I see.”

“Ah, the Regent will be annoying for a while. The external damage is severe. He’ll push that ridiculous plan he’s so proud of.”

Somnus clasped his hands together and said:

“Well, let the Regent play as he wishes.”

We’ve already used everything we needed to use, Somnus added.

And looking at Somnus, Idea quietly said:

“So it’s completed?”

“Yes.”

“May I see it?”

“Did you come to check?”

Idea quietly nodded.

And then, Somnus…

-Clap!

Smiled and clapped his hands.

Soon a dimensional rift appeared in the air, and Somnus pointed to it, saying:

“Let’s go in.”

Idea entered without waiting for him to finish speaking.

And upon entering, a brutal room appeared.

A total of ten tanks were arranged around the perimeter.

Five were empty, but the remaining five were filled with solution.

Idea thought that these tanks must have originally contained contents.

Of course, those contents would have been consumed down to the marrow, as Somnus said.

And in the center of the room was a massive tank.

Inside was the naked body of a man.

“Is this it?”

“Yes.”

Somnus smiled and clasped his hands together.

“The complete body of a hero.”

Pointing to the male body, Somnus trembled with excitement.

And soon, clasping his hands together, he quietly said:

“Let us offer a prayer of praise to those who willingly became sacrifices.”

Idea showed no reaction.

He simply quietly looked at the body, then soon turned to look at some weapons and armor hanging on one wall.

“…Have those been adjusted for use as well?”

“Not yet for the hero’s equipment.”

Somnus said with a smile.

“Would you like to use them?”

Idea shook his head.

And Somnus smiled and said:

“The equipment seems to respond to the soul. It can’t be used without any measures.”

“I see.”

“But it’s just a matter of adjusting the items themselves. It’s not difficult… if only minor issues are resolved.”

“Minor issues?”

To Idea’s question, Somnus smiled and said:

“Magic stones. We’re a bit short.”

“I see.”

Idea quietly nodded.

“The Kingdom of Firenche?”

“Yes.”

Watching Idea quietly identify the cause, Somnus quietly said:

“So, Dragon Slayer. Would you grant my request?”

Somnus asked with a benevolent expression.

Idea’s head nodded quietly.