episode_0050

We did not need to go up to the observatory and provide fire support.

The knights achieved victory with simple tactics: destroying the enemy’s walls with magic cannons and charging knights wearing heavy magic armor to wipe out the enemies.

El Kudan’s death soon led to the enemy’s lack of command, and the war ended so dullly that it was meaningless to call it a siege.

None of the enemies surrendered, so they were literally massacred, and even the captured enemies committed suicide by taking poison hidden in their mouths.

In the end, the Knights won a landslide victory, but gained nothing.

All of the innocent people who were captured were killed, and their bodies were so badly damaged that they could not be properly recovered.

So Veronica did not show any joy at all.

Her expression was full of worry, but at least she had the energy to be happy when she saw us.

Because there were so many eyes around me, I couldn’t run to her and call her sister.

“Vice-captain, I am reporting your return.”

“Okay. You really had a hard time.”

“Thank you, vice-captain.”

“For more details, let’s go to my tent and talk.”

Veronica took us to her tent.

It took some time because it was quite far from the fortress.

As soon as we entered the tent, we took off our stuffy helmets and Veronica did the same.

“Rebecca, what did you see in the dungeon?”

“The enemy conducted biological experiments on survivors by feeding them eggs of these larvae to turn people into hybrids with demons.”

I took out a glass container containing larvae from my bag and placed it on the desk.

Then Veronica opened the glass container and took out the larvae and observed them.

Even though I didn’t want to touch it.

“What are the success stories?”

“As far as I know, there is only one case. The head and body were the same, but the limbs had changed to look like birds of prey. And it is possible to communicate with birds of prey and lay their eggs.”

“It’s not normal to have such ridiculous technical skills. So how did you deal with that hybrid?”

“Freely released.”

“Why?”

“Because that person was innocent and wanted to live a new life with his or her loved one.”

I said this to Veronica, prepared to be scolded very loudly.

If you think about common sense, it would be wise to kill all those contaminated by demons.

Still, I don’t regret letting Dorothea go.

“As vice-captain, I have to discipline you, but as a friend, you did a great job! Whether the opponent is human or not, it is not the duty of a knight to kill an innocent person.”

“Sister, are you serious?”

“A knight is a being who protects the weak, not a being who kills them just because they are not human. If demons don’t harm people, there’s no reason to kill them. Killing each other just because they look different is something that only happened in the barbaric era before the United Empire of Humanity was established.”

“I guess I had a misunderstanding about the Knights.”

“That could be true. The first knight you saw in your hometown would have been killing demons. Do you have anything else to report?”

In response to Veronica’s question, I first made eye contact with Iris and asked for her consent.

Iris hesitated for a moment and then nodded to me.

After receiving permission, I took out the white mask, Dominic’s magic rifle, and the box containing his body from my bag, one by one, and showed them to Veronica.

“What are these?”

“This is the equipment Elkudan used and his body. I brought it to you in the hope that it will be helpful in researching those maskers. And on this note, I wrote down the masker’s weaknesses.”

“Masquerade? ah! You are referring to the organization Elkahim mentioned. What else can I say? Anyway, I think this is not a problem to be solved at the level of the knights, but I think I should show it to the lord directly.”

“Surely I don’t need to see the lord in person?”

“Hmm… I can’t give you a definite answer in the current situation. However, in some cases, you may have to go beyond seeing the lord and go to the capital altogether.”

“I wanted to go to the capital, so it turned out well. But do you know what the masked people are doing?”

“No. I can only assume that there is a subversive group lurking in the shadows of the Empire. However, the Imperial Intelligence Department directly under His Majesty the Emperor may already know.”

Imperial Intelligence Service? If you somehow get caught wrong, this is a department where you can feel in your bones how scary it is to say that you know the answer to your question.

I get goosebumps hearing that I might have to go to the capital and that I will meet them.

“For now, all the evidence you brought will be kept by our knights. Did you bring anything else besides these?”

“I brought all the containers with larvae I could. Roughly a little over 30.”

“Really? Instead of leaving it here, can you put it on the cart outside?”

“Okay.”

I went to the cart right next to the tent, took out all the glass containers in my bag, and loaded them on.

I felt relieved at the thought that all the unpleasant items had been cleaned out of the bag, but the faces of the soldiers in charge of the cart gradually hardened.

‘I’m sorry, but I’m taking good care of the bugs.’

Now that I’ve handed over all the evidence and finished all the reporting I have to do, I can just go back to the hotel, right?

I went back into the tent and talked to Veronica.

“Sister, I want to finish the trial membership right away. Is that possible?”

“Of course. Please take off your magic armor in the locker room across from my tent.”

“What gun did you lend to Iris?”

“You don’t have to return that.”

“You said it was a decoration material and you just gave it to me?”

“Losing a weapon during battle is unavoidable. You know what I mean, right?”

“Ah, yes. Okay.”

Veronica seems to be a person who secretly uses a lot of shortcuts.

I don’t know if this is the original atmosphere of the Knights of Franca or if she is just an unusual person.

We changed our clothes in the locker room and briefly washed our bodies in the shower room right next to it.

Then we returned to Veronica’s tent and said goodbye to each other.

“Veronica, thank you for helping me this time.”

“Thank you. On the contrary, I made it more difficult for you.”

“No. Still, there were some results.”

“Then I’m glad. Once I finish this job, I’ll invite you to my mansion, so I’m waiting for you. And Iris, your father is certainly a sinner, but there is no need for you to blame yourself for that. Always live confidently.”

“Thank you, vice-captain. I wanted to live like that, so I decided to hand over my belongings and body to the Knights Templar.”

“It’s really amazing. It would be okay to keep it as a keepsake.”

“No. I don’t want to have any more regrets.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure to do it right so you don’t have anything to regret.”

Veronica held both of Iris’s shoulders and gave her a truly trusting look.

Then Iris’ face turned red and she said thank you in a hushed voice.

“Laura, you did a great job too. I heard that Rebecca successfully completed her mission thanks to you.”

“I just did what I could for Rebecca.”

“That is truly a knightly answer. The more I see you, the more I like you. It would be great if there were more people like you in the Knights.”

Veronica looked very disappointed when she saw Laura.

It must be his intention to get Laura to join the Knights.

I’m sorry, but I can never lend Laura to you because she’s my girl.

“Rebecca, we cleaned up the route as we came up, but just in case, be careful when you go back. Ah, that’s right. Should I give you an escort?”

“No. There’s no need to do that. Power should not be used for personal purposes.”

“Oh my, you sound just like my lieutenant. Hehe, okay. Then let’s meet again next time.”

Veronica hugged me tightly and unexpectedly kissed my forehead.

You’re also really good at making people excited.

Oh, no. Come to your senses. Laura is glaring at us with her fierce eyes.

Before Laura caught me, I hurriedly left Sister Veronica’s tent and quickly walked away from the knights’ camp.

We went down the mountain along the familiar path we had used before when completing promotion requests.

As I walked through the pure white snow field with the cold winter wind, I felt empty.

Still, we felt relaxed as we lit a bonfire at a suitable place along the way and the three of us sat down together to relax while sharing warm drinks.

“Iris, are you okay? If you’re having a hard time, tell us honestly.”

“It’s sad that my dad died, but I also feel more relieved than before.”

“Relieved?”

“Yes, I knew for sure why my mom sacrificed herself for me. And I no longer have any regrets about my dad.”

“Aren’t you just pretending to be fine?”

“Of course. You know that a slave cannot lie to his master.”

“You are a really mentally strong person.”

“Because I learned to be that kind of person from my dad. Maybe my dad looked into the future and taught me a lot. Even so, he is just a selfish person who killed as many innocent people as he could and then committed suicide without taking any responsibility.”

Iris harshly criticized her father.

I accepted this as the way Iris chose to deal with her grief.

So, without saying a word, I stroked Iris’ head as she leaned on my shoulder.

Fortunately, Iris didn’t cry and just relied on me.

“Rebecca, please take care of Laura first when you return to the hotel. There is such a thing as order.”

“Why don’t you enjoy this opportunity too?”

“I still want to have sex with Rebecca alone. So please be patient a little longer.”

“Okay.”

I gave cute Iris a light kiss.

I also briefly kissed Laura, who was sitting next to me in the empty space.

As if Laura wasn’t satisfied with just that, she grabbed my face with both hands and kissed me deeply.

Meanwhile, Iris hugged me from behind and chewed my ear.

My body temperature rose and every part of my body became sensitive.

I felt like if I were stimulated a little harder here, it would easily go away.

But my loves stopped at a precarious line.

I let out a sigh of regret as I looked at the transparent string leading from my mouth to Laura’s mouth, but Laura just walked away from me.

“Rebecca, let’s take a break now and go down the mountain. We have to get to Mr. Karlsran before the sun sets.”

“That’s right. I’m sure they are eagerly waiting for us to arrive.”

Laura and Iris shamelessly dragged me down the mountain before I could protest.

It’s definitely a problem that the master-slave relationship keeps reversing, but it’s cute what they do, so I decided to just watch it.

We came down the mountain, boarded a knightly carriage that was waiting for us, and returned to Franca.

News of the Knights’ victory had already spread throughout Franca, and everyone was talking about it.

Judging by the good atmosphere, it seems that the story that the bodies of the dead adventurers have not yet been recovered is not known.

Since this incident is not something that can be passed over through information control, there is a high possibility that public criticism will arise.

Well, the Knights will take care of that.

What is important to me now is not the reality that the knights will face, but the natural lie to Calthran and Minaterin.

I feel sorry for the two, but for Dorothea’s new start, it is best to announce that she is dead.

Even if you actually think like this, if you stand in front of parents who are despairing of losing their child, you might spit out the truth.

When we arrived in front of the magic weapon shop, there was silence on the street.

The magic weapon shop, like the restaurant across from it, had a closed sign posted.

I cautiously knocked on the door of the store and called out to Karlsran.

Not long after that, a haggard-looking Kalthran opened the door.

“Ah, Rebecca. Even if it wasn’t, I was waiting. Please come in.”

Kalsran, whose mood was so pitiful that we immediately felt pity upon seeing him, welcomed us.

And Minaterin, who was making something in the blacksmith shop, also greeted us.

She didn’t look much different from usual, but looking at the meaningless shapes of metal lying around in the forge, I felt like I knew what was going on inside her mind.

“Have you found my daughter?”

Kalthran and Minaterin gave me earnest looks, and I couldn’t open my mouth because I was so choked up and sobbing.

But since he had promised Dorothea, he mustered up the courage to say what she wanted him to say.

“Your daughter passed away. It’s unfortunate, but since the body couldn’t be recovered, I at least cut off the hair and brought it with me.”

I showed Dorothea’s hair to the Karlsrans.

Then the two people shed hot, thick tears and took the hair with trembling hands.

I moved my fingers very carefully and very cautiously, afraid of spilling even a single strand.

Kalthran sobbed while holding her hair in her hands, and Minaterin hugged her husband.

“My daughter gave her hair to you. I want you to pretend I’m dead.”

“Mr. Minaterin, how on earth did you do that…”

“When my daughter first became an adventurer, she asked us for something. If I cut the hair and send it to you, an unavoidable situation will arise, so I ask you to bury it in my chest. My husband got angry and told me not to say such nonsense, but I said I would understand that being an adventurer is a dangerous job. But when I actually received the hair, it was really hard to accept.”

Minaterin told me what had happened in the past in a trembling voice.

She suppressed her overflowing emotions as best as she could and tried to accept the path her daughter had chosen.

After seeing that, I finally thought I should tell you a little about Dorothea’s situation.

“Your daughter is no longer able to live with people. Nevertheless, she set out to find a new life with a man who loved her. I’m sorry for lying.”

“It’s okay. Because we know how hard you worked for us. Thank you so much for delivering the hair to us.”

Miraterin even bowed to me, and Karlsran followed suit and expressed his gratitude.

I felt like I didn’t deserve to hear them say thank you, so I ended up shedding tears.

“Rebecca, don’t cry. We all did our best.”

“Laura is right. I told you that Dorothea is alive, so that’s enough. So cheer up.”

Laura and Iris took turns giving me words of comfort and hugging me.

I hugged them both and cried like an idiot.

I don’t know why I feel so sad even though Dorothea is not dead and I have relayed to Kalthran and Minaterin that their daughter is alive.

This is all because of those damn maskers. I will definitely get revenge!

After some time had passed, I was finally able to calm down and said goodbye to the Karlsrans and headed back to the hotel.

However, Kalsran made an unexpected proposal.

“It’s late, so why not eat with us?”

“Yes? Oh, no. Even if it wasn’t, it would be difficult…”

“Now that I’ve cried enough, I won’t cry anymore. My daughter wouldn’t want that either. And since you risked your lives for us, I would like to treat you to a meal.”

“Thank you, Mr. Karlsran.”

“Then Iris, could you guide Rebecca and your friend to the restaurant?”

“Yes, Mr. Karls.”

I had no choice but to accept the request for a meal, and together with Laura, Iris led us up to the second floor of the store and sat in front of a table that clearly showed signs of age.

The dish that Carls and his wife made together was literally a feast, but it was a dish that brought tears to the tears of the parents who had buried their daughter in their hearts, so they could not eat it with joy.

However, considering the sincerity of the Carls couple, I enjoyed it as much as I could and eventually emptied the plate, but I couldn’t even eat the egg dish, so I didn’t even look at it.

After finishing our meal, we drank coffee and tea and chatted briefly, and soon night fell and it was time to go back to the hotel.

“Rebecca. Can I sleep here today?”

“Okay. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow, so be nice to both of them.”

“Thank you, Rebecca!”

Iris was happy as she kissed my cheek.

I headed to the hotel with Laura, hoping that the couple who lost their daughter and Iris, who lost her parents, would comfort each other.

As time was running out, there were hardly any people on the street and most of the lights in the buildings were turned off.

When I was starting to feel a little bit naughty, Laura suddenly spoke in my ear with a seductive voice.

“Rebecca, you said you would provide service when you return today, right? You can look forward to it. Huhuhu.”

Laura smiled seductively at me and licked her lips.

what? The atmosphere is a bit harsh? The blue eyes shining in the dark seemed to see me as prey.

I quickly checked Laura’s libido and realized that it had reached its highest level of 100.

Oh my! I think we need to take action on this quickly.