Ch.81Interrupting NPC. (1)

“Prime Minister, what on earth is going on? What exactly fell onto our imperial palace?”

“…It is as Your Majesty predicted.”

“A person? Are you saying a person fell from the sky and ended up in that state?!”

“Regrettably, yes, that is correct.”

The Imperial Palace of the Empire.

The Emperor of the Empire, Ragni’s father, suddenly heard a sound like bombardment at dawn today. He got up barefoot, summoned the Knight Commander and all the guard knights, and was now waiting for a report in the throne room.

The Prime Minister had appeared at the palace on the Emperor’s early morning order, personally verified the scene, and after examining the flesh and meat chunks stuck to the palace walls—and nearly vomiting in the process—was now reporting to him.

“Hah! How could such a thing happen!! Are you saying someone from the celestial realm, which only exists in legends, has fallen down?!!”

“Well, about that…”

Although the guards and escorts had already confirmed it, the Prime Minister had conducted all inspections in the shortest possible time to gather everything the Emperor wanted to know. Now, with the sun high in the sky, he had confirmed most of the facts.

Yes. The two corpses that fell there were assassins he had sent with the Emperor’s permission.

“W-what are you saying? The assassins sent to deal with ‘that thing’ fell from the sky?”

“Yes. It’s incomprehensible, but certain.”

“……”

The Emperor was simply terrified. His daughter, Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman.

A [monster] who had established her own identity at the mere age of 3, acted perfectly as a ‘royal’ by 4, and was already exerting tremendous influence on state affairs by ‘5’. Now that she was causing bizarre incidents like making people fall from the sky, the mind of an ‘ordinary’ person could only be filled with fear.

And several weeks after that incident.

“…What did you say?”

“Your Majesty. The one by her side, that forest keeper, is truly a ‘monster’!! We must not interfere any further!!!”

Only two people. Just two assassins returned, with one reporting to them while the other was being treated at the palace infirmary.

After hearing the whole story of what Jack had done, how he had casually killed even the assassination team leader, the Emperor truly began to tremble with fear.

“How, how could such a monster be drawn to another monster?! This is, this is…!!”

“Your Majesty. Please calm yourself.”

“Prime Minister!! Is this something to be calm about?!!”

The Prime Minister knelt before the increasingly frantic Emperor and began to speak.

Because he judged himself to be relatively more composed in the current situation.

“Your Majesty. Forgive me, but doesn’t the current situation seem too artificial no matter how you look at it?”

“…What?”

“The first man ‘it’ encountered after escaping was that forest keeper Jack from Ponia. The possibility that he happens to be a ‘monster’ too—do you really think that’s mere coincidence?”

“……”

The Emperor quietly listened to the Prime Minister’s monotone yet firm words.

“My humble opinion is this: Perhaps from the beginning, ‘it’ was connected to Ponia.”

“…What? Are you saying the princess sold out our country?”

“Yes. Isn’t it too perfect how the timing of its escape coincides with the Monster Parade in Ponia, and even the actions that led ‘the Empire’ to aid Ponia? Don’t they match too perfectly?”

“B-but. Didn’t it clearly say to observe the situation in Ponia?”

“What if even that was a calculated move to make us act in the opposite way?”

After hearing explanations about how she deliberately made inhuman decisions to guide their movements, and how through aiding the Monster Parade, the Empire “suffered losses rather than gaining benefits,” the Emperor—who was still an emperor after all—responded.

“No, isn’t that too much of a stretch? If Ponia had failed to stop the Monster Parade, wouldn’t they have suffered tremendous damage, losing half their territory?”

“Even that wouldn’t have mattered to her. If that had happened, attention would have shifted to her during the Empire’s land acquisition process. Moreover, the Empire, thinking the Monster Parade wouldn’t be stopped, would only lose the budget spent on moving troops. Don’t you think she acted with such calculations? If we consider that she used even Ponia as a chess piece, all her actions were indeed calculated.”

It was nothing more than a far-fetched fantasy built upon more fantasies. However, the Emperor, paralyzed by fear and unable to think clearly, could no longer ignore the Prime Minister’s words.

“Send a letter of protest to Ponia!! Demand compensation for what that forest keeper Jack did to us, and for the ‘illegal’ abduction of ‘our’ princess!”

“Furthermore, tell them that if it becomes evident that Ponia itself has interfered in the Empire’s internal affairs in this matter, we will not hesitate to wage war! If they want to prove otherwise, they should capture that forest keeper Jack and send him to me on his knees!!!”

Gorga’s declaration of war. And Jack’s response was driving the Emperor and the Empire, who feared Ragni, increasingly mad.

*

Moving a bit forward in time.

“…What nonsense is the Empire spouting?”

“I don’t know. After reading this, I couldn’t understand what kind of delusion would lead to such a stupid conclusion. I actually debated whether to even bring this to Your Majesty.”

Yet he reported it anyway, because the Empire was still one of the continent’s hegemonic powers. That was the implication in the Ponian Prime Minister’s words.

“With only the Poria territory remaining and almost a year passing without recovery, instead of offering help, they’re writing fiction at their desks. It seems the era of the Empire as a hegemonic power has ended.”

“I agree. However, from what I’ve learned, that forest keeper Jack is indeed currently traveling with Princess Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman.”

“Oh?”

The King of Ponia, Grend Ponia, became genuinely curious about the man called Jack the forest keeper—the one traveling with that blue-haired, beautiful princess who had seemed so intelligent and prescient when he had seen her during his one visit to the Empire.

“How fascinating. Not only did this man help discover exceptional talents among [forest keepers], but he’s living a life of such influence. I truly wish to meet him in person.”

“I hear his next destination is [Nati].”

“Hmm? Nati? Could he be seeking knowledge? Ha, isn’t he not even twenty yet?”

“Yes. He’s nineteen this year.”

“To wander away from his country yet still pursue learning—how admirable. If only he had stayed with us, how wonderful that would have been.”

The story that the Monster Parade in Ponia happened because of the forest keeper had long since disappeared. Rather, thanks to the excellent forest keepers, they had successfully reclaimed all the territories that had been lost in just half a year. The people were praising the forest keepers, and moreover, the King had established [Professional Forest Keeper] as a national position rather than leaving them as mere forest keepers, discovering talented individuals and recruiting more.

And in the midst of strengthening such powerful talents, only Poria remained.

“Isn’t that right, Johnson? What do you think?”

“Yes, that young forest keeper was undoubtedly a strong and foresighted forest keeper far superior to this old man.”

The man in his late thirties who had become the captain of the [Sherpa Corps] sincerely evaluated the young man called Jack the forest keeper.

Because of him, many people lived safely, and because many were harsh to him, a third of the country’s territory was lost.

But thanks to his actions, the lives of forest keepers had changed, and many ‘professionals’ who had been oppressed and ignored began to find normal lives.

Perhaps he was a true hero and visionary who had single-handedly held back the ‘magical realm’ of Poria. The old forest keeper, who had spent nearly two years serving by the Emperor’s side, living only on meals provided, was simply impressed by both the King’s magnanimity and the young man’s actions.

“Your Majesty. However, we cannot simply ignore the Empire’s words. If the Emperor of the Empire has gone mad, he might truly draw his sword.”

“Hmm. That’s true. But, Prime Minister.”

The Emperor leisurely stroked his beard after listening to the Prime Minister’s words, continuing as if it were no big deal.

“We have the talents we’ve discovered this time, and they’re holding back that magical realm. If, let’s say, a war breaks out, do you think their forces could cross our mountainous borders with our [Guide Corps] in place?”

“…Absolutely impossible. Even Johnson here is a match for our Knight Commander.”

“That’s too much praise, Prime Minister.”

“No, too much? I’m the Knight Commander and I’m listening! Johnson! Isn’t that going too far?! You and I have a record of 6 wins, 1 draw, and 6 losses out of 13 matches!!”

The Knight Commander’s expression, despite his outburst, showed a smile with upturned corners.

Yes, he had personally experienced the tremendous power of the forest keepers on the front lines.

And even Johnson here was the captain because he was the oldest with the most career experience, not because he was the ‘strongest’.

The King, the Prime Minister, and even the dazed Johnson all burst into laughter at the Knight Commander’s seemingly angry response, and eventually Grend Ponia spoke.

“Anyway, didn’t we say we owe him nearly 20 million kan?”

“Yes. Looking at the monster level of that ‘magical realm’, it’s actually closer to 30 million.”

“However, he shows no signs of returning to our country. And there’s a country that views his movements unfavorably.”

“Then.”

“30 million kan. Let’s support him at exactly that level. Pretend to listen to the Empire’s talk, but let it all slide, making sure other countries know too. If we can get information to reach him, let’s do so. You said he’s heading to Nati, so we can send someone from our intelligence department there.”

“If the Empire draws its sword…”

“We’ll just have to show them whose blade is sharper. Right, Captain of the [Guide Corps]?”

“If an opportunity comes to serve the country with loyalty, we will once again swear to be the path-breakers (Sherpas).”

The monster level in Poria was extremely high.

That’s why Ponia is currently gathering strength and only holding back the monsters flowing out from there with forest keepers and the military, not yet focusing on reclaiming territory.

And because of that, legends are spreading there.

The legend of the 15-year-old young forest keeper who alone held back that mountain, that magical realm.

Forest keeper Jack. And the path his father who raised him had walked. It was gradually growing within Ponia, which had not perished.

*

And now, in the present.

“…This is Miho?”

“I’ll take responsibility and go to Nati to return her to normal.”

“If you just wanted a Miho, why not get one normally? Why are you turning the child into something like a dog?”

“I really didn’t mean to do that…”

The forest keeper who was becoming a legend in Ponia was bowing his head before an elf, making excuses.