Episode 90 – Opportunity

*

Despite my firm resolution in front of Mena-ssi, I couldn’t find any clues about Banata’s whereabouts.

Whether she soared into the sky or sank into the ground, it felt as if Banata and Piadu had both vanished from the world.

Fortunately, there was no sign of any particular movements from Villard, or even Robin.

I had wondered if Rose might betray me and reveal my identity to Robin, but thankfully, or at least not yet, perhaps.

No, I shouldn’t prematurely dismiss my suspicions.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned from this, it’s that optimistic expectations are dangerous, and I must always consider and prepare for the worst-case scenario.

After continuing a fruitless search for several days, I left a request with Ellie through the music box to keep gathering information about Banata, quietly slipped out of the Imperial capital, Sioland, and disappeared for a week.

And a week later,

Today, with ten days left until the social gathering at the Imperial Palace, I secretly climbed over the city walls as I had when I left, and returned to my mansion.

As I opened the back door of the mansion and stepped inside, Lilli, hearing the sound of someone entering, approached with her bow drawn.

Imagining a possible intruder, Lilli had a stern expression, but upon recognizing my face, she ran towards me with a bright smile.

“Ah, you’re back!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I was surprised when you disappeared without a word.”

“I told Mena-ssi,”

“Mena… Mena-ssi is currently…”

Lilli trailed off.

She had stood before me, urging me on and showing a strong demeanor, but as her daughter’s disappearance dragged on, she seemed unable to hide her growing anxiety.

It was easy to imagine that she was even more deeply immersed in sorrow than before, as this had happened again not long after she thought she had recovered Banata.

Lilli stopped talking about Mena and asked another question.

“Where have you been? For a whole week, too.”

“I needed something.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Lilli’s expression hardened slightly.

She seemed taken aback by my cold tone and evasive answer to her question.

“Ed… are you okay? Maybe you should calm down a bit…”

“What?”

“The Ed right now… you seem a little strange.”

“No.”

“…”

Strange, huh?

No, perhaps it was strange until now.

I had no intention of telling Lilli what I had done over the past week.

Not Lilli, not Lara, not even Mena.

After the Demon King’s horn was stolen, I decided not to share information about my abilities or mysterious items with everyone.

Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t trust them, as they were willing to help me with my revenge, but I became more cautious, as there was no guarantee that something like this wouldn’t happen again.

Perhaps Lilli or Lara might feel a little hurt.

But I didn’t care what they thought.

Sights I wouldn’t have had to see if I had just died peacefully.

Truths I didn’t need to know,

Pain I didn’t have to experience.

And even my own shortcomings that I hadn’t realized.

Unable to bear all those things tormenting me, I brought in, increased, and carelessly let my guard down with comrades to walk this thorny path of revenge with me.

And that’s how this happened.

I was extremely angry.

I ignored Lilli’s words and asked a question.

“Lilli, did anything happen while I was gone?”

“Ah… yes, there was a guest who came looking for you every day for the past three days.”

“A guest?”

At my question, Lilli nodded slowly.

She was cautiously watching my reaction, realizing that I was somehow different from before.

“They’re looking for the Baron-nim, and even though I told them you were away and not here, they still come every day.”

“…”

“…They’re scheduled to visit again in two hours.”

“…Who is it?”

Lilli pursed her lips.

Since there weren’t many people who would come looking for me, I thought it might be Deborah or Ellie, but judging from the fact that they were looking for Baron Salvier and Lilli’s hesitant expression, it seemed it wasn’t either of them.

Lilli hesitated, wondering if she should say it, then closed her eyes tightly and spoke.

“It’s… Edward, Aunt Mella’s son.”

“What…?”

*

“Baron-nim. It’s been a while. You’ve acquired a splendid mansion.”

“It hasn’t been that long.”

“…Ah, so much has happened in the meantime that I must have felt that way without realizing it.”

“…”

As Lilli had said, Edward came to see me.

Wearing a mask and the gloves that Edward had once given me as a gift, I greeted him in the drawing room.

Edward smiled brightly when he saw the gloves he had given me.

“The gloves suit you well. Thank you for using the gift I gave you.”

“You too, those new clothes suit you well.”

Edward was wearing a black priestly robe with blue-dyed collar and sleeves.

Inside the generously sized priestly robe, a white, shimmering chainmail armor could be seen peeking out.

Wearing armor and wearing the priestly robe like a cloak or robe was a familiar sight.

It was the standard attire of the Inquisitors who had joined forces with us to defeat monsters several times during our time in the Hero’s party.

I pretended not to know and asked him a question.

“Wearing clothes over armor, that’s a unique outfit.”

“Ah, this is the basic attire of the Inquisition.”

“Inquisitor? You were an apprentice priest until recently, that’s quite a rapid promotion.”

“It’s thanks to the Baron-nim’s help.”

“What did I do… Ah, now that I think about it, I heard that the Imperial Palace will soon be holding an event to welcome the Inquisitors.”

“Yes, that’s correct. That day will mark the official start of the Inquisitors’ activities, including myself. Of course, we are still conducting investigations unofficially.”

“Investigations, into what?”

Edward froze on the spot as if he had been hit by a freezing spell.

Despite the warm air filling the drawing room, he soon began to tremble all over, his teeth chattering.

Of course, I knew what he was investigating and why he was reacting so fearfully.

But I pretended not to know and waited for him to speak.

“…Th-that is, Baron-nim… haven’t you heard the rumors?”

“What rumors are you talking about?”

“…Last time, with the item you gave me… I…”

Edward had discovered Jennifer’s laboratory using the key to the secret passage I had given him.

Certainly, the horrific sight of that laboratory was etched in my mind and wouldn’t disappear for a long time, so it would be even more so for ordinary people, never less.

Edward slowly explained what had happened to him.

Discovering the laboratory, being caught by Jennifer and almost killed, and awakening his divine power at that moment.

I was genuinely a little surprised by Edward’s words.

Edward said that Jennifer had tried to kill him, but having already seen Banata’s case, I immediately realized what Jennifer was trying to do.

She was trying to revive Daniel.

“To think you had to go through such a thing because of the item I gave you, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s thanks to you that I was able to catch such a terrible and unholy heretic… But, to think that Aunt Jennifer was such an evil heretic… I still can’t believe it.”

“…Magicians are basically people who crave knowledge, so she, being a great wizard, must have been corrupted by her desire to obtain forbidden knowledge, not with the sincere intention of opposing the goddess’s will.”

“Yes? What do you mean…”

“Don’t worry too much, as she wouldn’t have been deceiving and deceiving you since you were a child.”

“…Thank you for your comfort, Baron-nim.”

Edward bowed his head to me.

I let out a small sigh behind my mask and said.

“Anyway, what brings the Inquisitor here?”

That’s enough with the greetings, it’s time to get to the point.

He usually came to me when he had something to ask, so it was clear that this time would be the same.

Frankly, his request was nothing but a nuisance at this time when I was so distracted by Banata’s disappearance, but I could understand.

Edward, who was at odds with his father, Robin, had no one else to turn to for help.

I didn’t have a bad opinion of him either, as he had a kind personality like Mella, but the timing was just too bad.

Edward cautiously opened his mouth.

“Baron-nim… um,”

“You must have something to ask. You always do.”

“…I’m really sorry.”

“Speak.”

When I interrupted him, his face turned red and he lowered his head.

It seemed he was aware that he was being shameless.

And that these gloves alone weren’t worth it.

As if to flaunt that fact, I deliberately tapped the table with the hand wearing the gloves and waited for him to speak.

“My younger sister, whom I mentioned before. Do you remember?”

“Yes, you said she was sickly. The glass box I gave you was also given to you to find something ominous in your mansion that was weakening your sister’s body, according to that doctor.”

“Yes, thanks to that, I was able to catch Jennifer’s, no, Jennifer’s evil deeds, but my younger sister’s condition still hasn’t improved.”

“That’s…”

I stopped speaking for a moment.

I had almost said, ‘That’s right.’ without realizing it.

Because Jennifer had nothing to do with Mella’s daughter being sick.

That was just my lie to make Edward witness that laboratory.

Fortunately, Edward didn’t seem to hear me and continued speaking with a troubled expression.

“A few days ago, as soon as I arrived in Sioland, I went to see my sister…”

“…Was she very ill?”

“…Yes, she can’t even get out of bed anymore… The doctors say that it wouldn’t be strange if she died at any moment, so I should prepare myself.”

“…That’s unfortunate.”

“…”

Ed’s eyes started to tremble as he recalled his sister’s appearance.

“Wouldn’t someone in the position of an Inquisitor be able to ask a priest with healing divine power for help?”

“…Baron-nim.”

Edward continued in a voice filled with tears.

“This is, a top secret… There isn’t a single priest with healing divine power in this world right now.”

“…”

“Except for ‘that person’.”

“That person?”

Edward jumped up and strode towards me.

He came to my side and knelt down on the floor as if he were about to shatter his knees.

A sound like a large stone falling echoed through the drawing room.

Edward finally shed tears and grabbed my leg, prostrating himself.

“Baron-nim! Please, I beg you. Could you call that doctor again?”

I was taken aback by his sudden actions, but I had anticipated his request from the moment he started talking about his sister.

I shook my head as if I were troubled and said.

“The other doctors said there’s no hope, and what can I do…”

“Baron-nim! You may not have known, but that person clearly has healing divine power! My mother, who was once in the position of a saintess, guaranteed it!”

“…”

Edward shouted almost as if he were wailing.

“Baron-nim! Please, I beg you. I can’t lose any more of my family. Not my sister, not my sister! I’ve kept it a secret from the Pope about that person!”

“Edward…”

“I, a priest of the Goddess Church, an Inquisitor who should judge the enemies of the Order more than anyone else! She’s my family that I want to save even if I have to lie in front of the Pope. Please… please, I beg you! Baron-nim! Please help me…”

I nodded.

I expected it.

Because I expected it, I can use it.

According to Ellie’s investigation, Robin hasn’t shown any particular movements, but Ellie couldn’t have directly entered Robin’s mansion.

From the moment he casually suggested assassinating the Demon King to me, he didn’t show any signs until right before he tried to kill me.

Robin was a skilled liar.

Considering the worst-case scenario, Rose might already be hiding in Robin’s mansion.

This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, who was struggling to find a way to find her.

And if I find Rose…

I put my hand in my pocket and fiddled with something inside.

The ‘reason why I was away for the past week’ that I didn’t even tell Lilli, and my secret weapon that can definitely make Rose suffer no matter what she’s planning.

I slowly took my hand out of my pocket, grabbed Edward’s shoulder, and said.

“I’ll, I’ll do my best.”

.