224. Aftermath (1)
Rene Philippa couldn’t gather her thoughts. Even though she was known as a fearless heroine who wouldn’t bat an eye at most things, the series of shocks she had experienced at the tender age of seventeen was overwhelming.
The palace mage suddenly changed his face and imprisoned her. Magic erupted everywhere, and her long-standing home began to crumble.
Just as she was contemplating whether to scream, the sound of fighting reached her ears, and soon the hall fell silent. Antaen… or perhaps not Antaen. An assassin disguised as him… or a spy sent by the Emperor.
Why me? Pondering such things is a calm but foolish act. Rene was wiser than that. Why was I the target of this kidnapping? The answer to that question was clear.
Kidnapping the Duke’s daughter and imprisoning her, then occupying the Duke’s residence. Such a thing could never happen under normal circumstances. If simply occupying by force could transfer the Duke’s position and title, then the powerful vassals would have already attempted it.
Therefore, this is not a normal situation. To do such a thing, there must be a powerful backer. Acting against the Duke in this manner implies that the opponent is stronger than the Duke.
In this vast continent, this great civilized society, this world. Such an existence is only one under God.
“The Emperor…!!”
Rene is a clever person. Numerous hypotheses and conclusions flooded her mind. The Emperor is manipulating the Duke to secure permanent power.
A large-scale undead incident, heresy accusations, her kidnapping and imprisonment… It means he is confident. Even if exposed, he is confident he can handle it.
That was driving her to despair. As an ambitious woman, she believed she could resolve the political strife between the neighboring border nobles and the Duke given enough time.
But the Emperor. A meticulously prepared one. Even if this matter is publicly discussed, he is confident he can handle it. Such an existence desires her death, the death of Ribue.
The reason she wasn’t killed but imprisoned. It must be because she still has use. The only heir to the Duke. And a woman. A politically powerful card.
She quickly envisioned her future. Her father would probably be assassinated. Or perhaps already has been. Her heart felt torn, but her mind remained coldly rational.
And she herself, perhaps. She would be married to a match chosen by the Emperor. The completion of a puppet government. Swearing eternal loyalty to the imperial family, becoming the Duke who would usher in the era of hereditary emperors. No, in that case, she would no longer be the Duke. Only the Emperor and his vassal.
How many Dukes have faced such a situation? Not all the Dukes of the Empire were falling like Ribue. In fact, Ribue was a special case. The Duke’s family does not fall behind the imperial family…
As she was thinking this, a strange sound reached her ears.
‘Kill me, and burn my corpse.’
‘Brother Pascal.’
Brother? Pascal? The Inquisition Officer who came to investigate heresy accusations. Inquisition Officers refer to each other as brothers. A tight-knit organization, but… brother…? There’s another Inquisition Officer!
Antaen. Or rather, the spy disguised as him, is he dead? He was also a highly skilled mage. Did the Inquisition Officers eliminate him?
But the conversation was strange.
‘May there be a place for brothers in heaven.’
‘It is said, my life shall be a cornerstone of the bright world.’
‘May the Temple of the Gods bless us.’
-Crack.
A chilling sound of rupture was heard. As if a sword was crushing a person’s spine. A desperate and horrifying sound. The Inquisition Officer killed the Inquisition Officer. And then, footsteps approached her place of imprisonment.
What expression should she make? She barely calmed her trembling body. Fear always breeds in the unknown. She prepared to face the one who killed the Inquisition Officer. A murderer? Does that brute intend to kill her?
-Click.
The sound of the doorknob turning was heard. The door was sealed with a powerful spell. But soon. With a crack, a greatsword was wedged into the doorframe. She almost screamed. A gleaming blade protruded through the door.
Again, crack, crack. Mechanically. Like a woodcutter chopping logs. Crack.
-Bang!
As the door was half destroyed, the man outside roughly kicked the debris away. A familiar face appeared amidst the wreckage. Rene barely managed to wipe her trembling lips and spoke as calmly as she could.
“Albert of Dane.”
“Are you alright?”
“Fortunately, yes. Thank you for your concern. Have you come to kill me?”
“What…?”
“You’ve slain the Emperor’s spy and butchered the Inquisition Officer. Have you come to kill the witness now? Heretical Inquisition Officer?”
Her words made the man pause. He briefly looked at his blood-soaked sleeve. Soon, he sheathed his sword and shook his head.
What expression should she make? Rene Philippa was clever and arrogant. She would never show fear, even in the most terrifying moments. Facial acting is a basic skill in the palace, and she had been a palace person since birth.
But. Looking at those desperate, sorrowful, gloomy blue eyes, she couldn’t hide her expression. Unknowingly, her eyes reddened.
“You’ve come to save me.”
“That’s right.”
“Albert, yes. It’s the operation name of the Inquisition Officers.”
“Correct.”
She examined the man’s body. Half-rotted clothes, scars from fierce battles, and dried blood. A pale face and slightly trembling legs. Firm muscles and numerous scars visible under the torn clothes.
Rough…
Scar-covered hands. Trembling.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
That one sentence was all she could say. It wasn’t just a simple thank you for saving her. She genuinely wanted to commend his life. Even though she didn’t know his true identity or his beliefs. She meant it from the bottom of her heart.
You’ve been through a lot.
“Wait, shall we sit?”
Rene tapped the spot next to her. She was confined in a detached palace building, in her own room. The high-quality bed was large enough for two people to lie down comfortably.
Fernandez hesitated, then approached and sat down. Rene smiled mischievously and said,
“It’s the first time an outsider has set foot on this bed.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, of course. My body isn’t worthless enough to be ruined for fun. Seeing how casually you sit on a noble lady’s bed, you must be quite used to it, huh?”
“Does it seem that way?”
“Hehe, yes. Really. You look like quite the playboy.”
Fernandez silently looked at Rene’s face. She soon reached under the pillow and pulled out a short dagger.
“Do you usually keep such a thing under your pillow while sleeping?”
“It’s a basic skill for a noble lady!”
Rene stood up abruptly, leaving Fernandez sitting on the bed. Fernandez also tried to stand up, but she placed her hand on his shoulder.
“It’s okay. Is that mage dead?”
“Yes.”
“Then from now on, I’ll protect my own body. And yours too. So, well. Let’s rest for a while! Sometimes it’s okay to do that.”
There were many things she wanted to ask. But how could she ask with that face? Rene laughed self-deprecatingly. Hearing her words, Fernandez slowly unbuckled his sword belt and leaned back against the greatsword, sitting comfortably.
“Do you always hug your sword even when resting?”
“Not usually.”
“Then why now…?”
“Because you’re not usual.”
“…Are you joking now?”
“Yes.”
“Who jokes like that?”
“An Inquisition Officer.”
“You’re annoying.”
Rene said with a laugh. A faint smile also appeared on Fernandez’s lips. The spring breeze blew through the broken door and collapsed walls. The day was slowly dawning. The sun was rising.
“I am Rene Philippa de Carvelier. The legitimate child of Duke Erbe de Carvelier of Ribue, the rightful heir to this territory, and the only daughter of a noble Elector with the right to elect the Emperor of the Empire. And you?”
“Fernandez Sernerd. The eldest son of the Sernerd Barony in the outskirts of the Dane Kingdom, the Archbishop of the Vaitas Church, a second-class Inquisition Officer, and the Religiosa Diemonica.”
“Now that we know each other, we’re friends, right?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve been through a lot, Baron Sernerd.”
“You too, Lady Carvelier, have suffered greatly.”
“There’s a lot to say. But, well, let’s rest for now. We’ll solve the curiosities on a better day in a better place.”
With those words, Rene smiled brightly under the first rays of the morning sun.
* * *
Sometimes it’s okay to rest. Maybe that’s what he wanted to hear. Fernandez felt the bed was comfortable and laughed self-deprecatingly. Do I deserve such a thing?
I’ve never lived a life of comfort… Fernandez dozed off for a moment, just a brief moment. He was tired. Diemonica can fight for three days without sleep, but not sleeping doesn’t mean not being tired.
Most Diemonica live very regular lives. They sleep on time and wake up sharply. They believe a regular life builds muscle, but also, there’s no reason to endure fatigue unnecessarily.
Not needing to eat doesn’t mean not feeling hungry. Not needing to sleep doesn’t mean not feeling sleepy.
What’s lacking is just the qualification. The qualification to allow even a brief moment of comfort in a life full of regrets.
So, maybe that’s what he wanted to hear.
The Empire’s politics, the Emperor’s schemes, the shifting situation, the dead… brother. Fernandez put those aside for a moment and closed his eyes.
And Rene looked at the sleeping young Inquisition Officer’s face and smiled softly. His true identity, the current situation in Ribue, the collapsed Duke’s palace. She put those aside for a moment, purely.
The night that seemed eternal passed, and it was morning again. A spring morning like yesterday. In the distance, beyond the outer walls, troops were seen returning. At the forefront, the Duke’s banner was waving.
Her father was proudly commanding the troops from his horse, as vigorous as he was during the 50-year war.
Many challenges remained, and perhaps Ribue’s future wasn’t bright. With the Emperor targeting the Electors and revealing his ambitions, hardships were a given, a calm fact.
But for now, let’s celebrate today’s victory. Let’s celebrate driving out the greedy border nobles and the robe nobles, and the united, albeit weak, Duchy. The beginning is always humble for anyone.
“Thank you.”
Rene said, looking at the sleeping Inquisition Officer. Thinking about it, this man had saved not just her but the entire Duchy. For such a man, a noble, an excellent knight, well. It wouldn’t be entirely mismatched for a Duke’s daughter.
Can’t priests marry? She remembered the Vaitas Church doesn’t make a big issue of priests’ marriages. Of course, she had never heard of an Inquisition Officer marrying. But at his age, being a bishop-level figure, he had enough power. She was a follower of Shield, but the Temple of the Gods, well, they’re all in the same boat.
It wouldn’t be bad to bring him in as a son-in-law to continue the Duchy. Being the Duchess of Carvelier is better than being the Baroness of Sernerd, right? It didn’t seem like a bad condition for him either.
Father would be furious if he knew. But he also said he was friends with the Chieftain… What can you do? Without the Beastman Nobility’s military support, Ribue couldn’t stand against the Emperor anyway. Whether they wanted it or not, they were in the same boat.
‘Hmm. But didn’t the Chieftain call this man his favorite…?’
That’s another new problem to ponder. Carvelier chuckled. A woman who wears a dress well is more attractive than a woman living in a tent in the wasteland, right? Men are all the same.
Thinking such thoughts, Rene Philippa quietly waited for her father. Without making a sound, so the sleeping young man wouldn’t wake up.
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