Ch.91It was all crumpled up.

1.

Unlike what Nahan had worried about, the past few days had been a continuous stretch of peaceful days.

“Your Majesty. It’s time for training now.”

“Hmm. Is it that time already?”

Reina’s days were more ordinary than expected, and the remaining time was entirely spent at the training grounds.

“Come, Golden Dragon.”

“Forgive my rudeness.”

CLASH!

Before he knew it, Nahan was focusing on filling in his practical combat experience that had been lacking compared to his guard duties.

“Your lower guard is open!!”

“I left it open deliberately?”

CLANG!

After stomping down Reina’s sword aimed at his legs, he countered with an almost miraculous attack, spinning his greatsword.

“Your neck is exposed?”

“Kugh!!”

WHOOSH!

As the Golden Dragon’s greatsword flew in a single breath, the Minister of Defense who was watching urgently shouted.

“S-stop!!”

BANG!

The surging auras collided, creating a strong pressure throughout the entire training ground.

The greatsword stopped in front of Reina’s neck, and the rapier halted just before the Golden Dragon’s heart.

Reina threw down the rapier she was holding and blurted out in a rough voice.

“Tch, this really doesn’t suit me.”

“52 wins, 0 losses, 0 draws.”

“Shut that mouth!! Didn’t I say this was a sparring match to test weapons?!”

“52 wins, 0 losses, 0 draws.”

“Grrrr…!!”

People around them averted their gazes, pretending not to notice the two who were whispering closely to each other, their lips almost touching.

Confirming this, the Golden Dragon, or rather Nahan, whispered in an even smaller voice.

“Today too, that thing, please.”

“Grr…! Damn it…!”

Reina’s face instantly turned red.

“Do you dislike it?”

“Ah, I’ll do it…!!”

At the Black Wolf’s urging, she blurted out, then took out a leather flask from her waist and put it to her lips.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

Whiskey that she couldn’t fully swallow trickled down Reina’s snow-white neck.

At the same time, her pupils slightly dilated.

Reina spun her intoxicated body around and wrapped both hands around Nahan’s neck.

“Did you enjoy our sparring?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Good. Then let’s go to my chambers now.”

Was it because she was drunk?

Reina’s acting wasn’t her usual awkward self, but rather revealed glimpses of an overlord similar to Lactea.

‘Her acting is improving more and more.’

Nahan, smirking inside his helmet, spoke just loudly enough for others to hear.

“Y-Your Majesty… there are many eyes watching.”

“What, shall I have them all removed? Is that what it would take for you to roll around with me like yesterday?”

“Your Majesty…! At least restrain your drinking…!”

“Shut your mouth!!”

Reina’s angry outburst.

“I’ve spent my whole life being cautious!! And what was the result?! No matter what I do, it’s all trouble, so I’m just trying to live comfortably!!”

“But…!!”

“Oh? I wondered where you were looking. You’re not watching me, but that fellow over there?”

She shouted again and turned her staggering steps toward the Minister of Defense.

“How does it feel, Minister of Defense? The feeling of being higher than the Emperor in the Imperial Palace.”

“…How could you say such things, Your Majesty.”

“Hah! You cunning raccoon of a human. Do you truly think I don’t know you’re Hallorand Duke’s man?”

The Minister’s eyes widened slightly, but he stood firm and quietly asked in a voice that wouldn’t reach the servants.

“If you know, why do you act this way?”

The air instantly froze.

Reina glared fiercely at the Minister of Defense and blurted out.

“Why? Because I know, yet I can’t do anything about it, and that’s frustrating.”

“That’s a sad life.”

“But what can I do? If you don’t want to die, you have no choice but to live prostrated like now. Oh, tell Hallorand I’m ve~ry grateful for letting me live.”

As Reina’s lips curled up into a grin, the Minister of Defense responded expressionlessly.

“…Excuse me.”

The Golden Dragon, who had approached unnoticed, naturally wrapped his arm around Reina’s waist to support her.

“Your Majesty seems quite intoxicated, so we shall withdraw now.”

The Minister of Defense asked with interest at the Golden Dragon’s respectful attitude.

“The Golden Dragon of the First Rank, was it? How is it that you serve Her Majesty yet ask my permission?”

“It’s only natural. I serve the Emperor, but you, Minister, serve Duke Hallorand.”

“…Oh?”

“Well then, I apologize, but we must go.”

After showing the utmost respect, the Golden Dragon turned away with the heavily intoxicated Emperor who was being dragged along.

Creak,

THUD!

As soon as the Emperor left the indoor training ground, the servants standing around knelt down.

“How does it look to you?”

At the Minister’s question, one of the nearby servants reported in a dry tone.

“It’s not an act.”

“Why?”

“The flushed face, accelerated heartbeat, and above all, the look in her eyes. No matter how skilled a Sword Master might be, they cannot fake the look in their eyes. Or rather, it can be faked, but not enough to deceive us. It’s the correct answer with high probability.”

The nameless assassination unit directly under Duke Hallorand.

According to their analysis, specialized in assassination, infiltration, and machinations, Reina’s behavior was genuine.

The Minister of Defense knew this too, so he nodded and muttered.

“She struggled so hard from the moment of her coronation until now, only to finally break down.”

This was expected.

And it wasn’t based on his own calculations, but Duke Hallorand’s, so it must be accurate.

“Tell Duke Hallorand. It seems the time he’s been waiting for has come.”

“As commanded.”

Whoosh.

No sooner had the Minister of Defense finished speaking than one of the servants vanished.

“Finally, the time has come for him to take the seat of the sun… It took quite a long time.”

“…That’s confidential.”

“Who else is here besides us?”

“It’s the Duke’s order. If you misspeak again, your head will fall.”

Under the pressure from the Nameless unit members, the Minister of Defense smirked and waved his hand.

“Fine, withdraw your killing intent. I’ll celebrate alone when I return.”

After the Nameless ones withdrew their killing intent, the Minister of Defense, who was about to leave, suddenly turned back.

“Ah yes, about that Golden Dragon. Doesn’t he seem to want to join our side?”

“The fact that he was forcibly employed by the Emperor, that he always secures victory in every sparring match, that despite serving the Emperor he bowed his head and showed respect to you asking for understanding, and that he mutters about wanting to be employed by Duke Hallorand when walking alone. With high probability, that is correct.”

“Hmm… So it is as I thought? Are you sure neither of them is acting?”

“If their behavior is an act, all members of Nameless will take their own lives.”

“Well, I suppose that’s impossible.”

The Minister of Defense turned away with a sinister smile.

“Can I have a private meeting with him the day before the operation, three days from now? He’s too valuable a talent to kill.”

“Ask Duke Hallorand.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll do that.”

Creak…

THUD.

Today’s sparring session was over.

.

.

.

“Would they just die if I revealed it was all an act? Anyway, look. I really messed with that bastard Minister of Defense.”

“…So even the Minister of Defense has turned against us.”

“Why are you acting disappointed as if you didn’t know? He has the face of a traitor. Anyway, just make sure to put him on the purge list. And keep pretending to be drunk.”

“The drunkenness, hic, isn’t an act, hic, it’s real, hic.”

“Ugh, just don’t throw up like last time.”

Anyway.

【Bad Ending 11 – <Mastermind – Duke Hallorand> is accelerating.】

【Bad Ending 12 – <Appearance of the Solar Eclipse> is accelerating.】

Finally, I’ve found a clue.

‘He said three days from now… Should I deal with Pedro tomorrow or the day after?’

When Duke Hallorand’s true intentions and the hidden Solar Eclipse reveal themselves, it would be a headache to worry about Pedro too.

So,

“Huh…? Why are there two of you…?”

“…Let’s rest a bit today.”

To be fully prepared.

“Nngh, marriage… take responsibilityyyy…!!”

“Alright, I get it.”

“Hehe, you said, hic, you get it…”

The heavily intoxicated Emperor and the Golden Dragon who had caught her fancy clung together as they entered the Emperor’s chambers.

“Thank you for your hard work, Sir Golden Dragon.”

“Yes, well. Please cast the soundproofing magic again today. The same as before. At maximum strength.”

“……Yes.”

Such was the event of an early evening.

2.

A request posted at the Mercenary Union.

【Request.】

-Buying information about vile and lowly ‘trash’ at high prices.

-Higher rewards for more evil individuals.

-Buyer: Saint of the Back Alleys.

At first, everyone was skeptical, but now it had become a way for all mercenaries to earn pocket money.

Today too, a mercenary going to sell information about ‘trash’ muttered with a smirk.

“Saint of the Back Alleys? No matter how much money he pays, isn’t that title too grandiose?”

Saint.

It was a title given to those who reached the ultimate level of faith and attained enlightenment, one that even the Pope of the Aria Church could not easily obtain.

So the mercenary’s muttered words were understandable, but,

“Grandiose? If anything, it’s insufficient. That person, I hear, reforms all the trash we report information about.”

“Reforms them!? Those pieces of trash?”

The man who suddenly appeared in the back alleys a few days ago and reformed numerous pieces of trash, or criminals, was truly a saint.

“He caught and reformed vicious criminals who couldn’t even be caught? Does that make any sense?”

“If you’re so doubtful, see for yourself.”

Flutter.

The accompanying mercenary pulled back the tent of a shabby house, revealing the interior.

One man who looked like a receptionist and a firmly closed door behind him.

“Look.”

“Look at what?”

“The receptionist’s face. Doesn’t it look familiar?”

Eyes moving as directed.

The moment he faced the smiling face, the mercenary collapsed to the ground.

“S-serial killer Rick…!!”

A-rank serial killer – Rick of the Blade.

This skilled criminal, whom even the institutional guards had given up chasing, was sitting at the reception desk in the ‘Saint of the Back Alleys’ house with a smile.

“What are you doing!! Run now!!”

“There’s no need.”

“What!? Have you finally lost your mind!? We’re just D-rank mercenaries—”

“Look closely.”

Only then did Rick’s appearance register.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

The moment the mercenary was startled by him, Rick began to cry while holding his murder weapon, a kitchen knife, in reverse grip.

“W-what is this…?”

“I’m sorry that the sins I committed have made you afraid…”

Right after.

STAB!

Rick plunged the kitchen knife into his own heart.

“Gurk, sor…, gurk, sorry……”

His eyes instantly clouded over.

Only after he had completely stopped breathing did the closed door open and someone walked out.

He grabbed the dead Rick’s hand and murmured in a pitiful voice.

“May you regret eternally, even in death.”

The mercenary who had been there before folded his hands in prayer and whispered devoutly to the surprised mercenary.

“That’s him.”

“…What?”

“Questions later. First, let’s pray.”

“What…? I’m not religious—”

【The First Apostle <Pedro(SSS+)> activates – <Faith Harvest(SSS+)>.】

【Harvest Rate: …98%】

“Ah… Yes, I should pray.”

After finishing his prayer, Pedro looked at the dazed mercenary who was bowing his head and muttered.

“…Tomorrow night, Ria.”

Then ‘she’ said unto Pedro,

【What I believe in is your good heart.】

And through this, what Pedro gained was,

“……Ria.”

A very short,

dreamless deep sleep.