Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 17 - Chapter 98

Ninety-Eighth Chapter: Secret Talks and Honeymoon

In a prime spot in the noble district, a stately mansion stood on a vast plot of land. The veil of darkness had fallen long ago, and the artificial moon cast silver light between the gaps of the thicket.

Morwald was changing his clothes in a private room in the back of the mansion and spitting out his pent-up anger. He’d just finished inflicting pain on Noir in the basement, but it hadn’t been enough.

Tsk... To think my greatest forces, the Kruelsaith, would fail to take down a single rat. Especially since Vizaist went through the effort of coming all this way.

Morwald frowned as he wiped the blood from his hands onto a handkerchief with golden embroidery. After that, his expression returned to normal, like he’d just wiped away some sweat after a light workout.

His inner thoughts aside, he did need to change gears on the surface. An important guest was waiting for him in the parlor.

Morwald personally opened a thick wooden door and called out to the person inside with a bright smile.

“Dear me, I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

A man nearing old age, wearing white clothes with gold thread, politely bowed to him. His hair and beard were white like his clothes, and he had dignified features. In the neighborhood, he was famous.

“To think you would come yourself, Archbishop Silvette... Excuse me, but are you alone?”

The archbishop smiled at Morwald’s polite display.

“Yes, with what time it is, I was reluctant to bring any followers with me. More importantly, I hope I am not intruding by appearing so late,” answered the archbishop.

“Not in the slightest. It is nothing but an honor to have the archbishop personally visit. I am ashamed that we cannot give you the hospitality that you deserve... Ha ha ha.”

Seeing Morwald’s high spirits, Silvette’s smile deepened.

However, what followed would be a secret discussion. Morwald whispered to the accompanying servant and had them leave.

As the archbishop looked on, Morwald folded up his stole and deliberately put it on the bar over the window, as if to shut out the moonlight. It was an act as if to keep his beloved god from witnessing the dark talks they would be having. He then sat down at a seat for visitors, his golden medal hanging from his neck swaying as he did.

“Now then...I am a rather busy person. So I would like to wrap this up quickly,” Silvette said.

And Morwald nodded as he sat down on the chair on the opposite side of a table between them.

The Einhemmil Sect was a religious power that was starting to gather both domestic and foreign believers. Normally the archbishop should receive a lavish welcome, but considering the contents of the request, Morwald couldn’t do anything too major.

“Regarding the request I made about refereeing the Tenbram between the Fable family and the Womruina family...”

Morwald put a briefcase he’d prepared earlier on the table.

After confirming that it was full of money, the archbishop smiled brightly. “Yes, of course. You have taken such great care of me... I came here to respond in kind.”

Morwald had played a part when the Einhemmil Sect first formed in Alpha. He wasn’t a believer himself, but the donations that the sect had brought were very appealing. Moreover, when trouble had appeared that he couldn’t combat with the military, the believers could be used to put out the fires.

Therefore, Morwald colluded with the sect to gather more believers and donations, leading to the eventual construction of a cathedral.

Their doctrine was not to despair at this small world surrounded by Fiends, a path they could walk without getting lost.

Ever since the calamity half a century ago with the appearance of Cronus, focus had been put entirely into the study and spread of magic. And in response to the people’s fear and the suffering of their souls, the number of new religions grew.

The Einhemmil Sect, in particular, didn’t perceive Fiends as a direct threat but rather as messengers that delivered the fate of death to those whose time had come. It primarily preached how to live and die in a gloomy world that held a constant threat of Fiends.

The doctrine matched well with the current state of the world, and with Morwald’s assistance, there were now many veterans among the followers. The faith was even spreading to the nobility.

“With Your Excellency’s consideration, we have been able to construct several orphanages in Alpha. We are able to grant salvation to the destitute children who have lost their parents to Fiends. You are truly the light who guides our teachings throughout this nation.”

While the Archbishop’s flattery shook Morwald a little, he didn’t outright refuse it.

“That is more than I deserve. I have experience in taking in children with nowhere to go...and I was only hoping to aid your salvation of misfortunate children,” Morwald said, referring to Noir.

He didn’t mention that the Kruelsaith was an organization that had gathered and trained such people.

Suddenly, Archbishop Silvette’s face turned gloomy.

“However, I don’t believe the Einhemmil Sect has been fully accepted in Alpha. Tenbram is a tradition of old... If we were to referee it, would there not be many who would object to our involvement?”

“There is no need to worry about that. After all, it is my recommendation! And as you know, the Tenbram has the implication of a sacred duel as well. Naturally, priests have been witnesses since the old times.”

As Morwald enthusiastically spoke, the archbishop nodded.

“Our Einhemmil Sect originates from teachings from ancient times as well. However, that tradition has become obsolete in modern times... That is what I was worried about.”

As if to say that he was right on the mark, Morwald started speaking with barely a breath between words.

“That is why presiding over this grand stage will lead to the Einhemmil Sect spreading further. It is an opportunity to further increase your influence. Not to mention that you can get closer to the Womruina family through me. It’s not a bad deal is it?”

“I see, indeed,” said Silvette. “I am greatly obliged by your consideration. We cannot intervene in problems between nobles, but this must be the guidance of the heavens. However, I hear that it is the second son, Aile, who has the most influence in the Womruina family. I am of the understanding that he is not very interested in religion in general or of the path to save the world. I can only hope that I would be of aid to you, Your Excellency.”

“Indeed, Aile still has a precarious side to him because of his youth. That is especially why I asked for your aid in this regard. That said, he is wide-awake to his interests, so there will be no mistakes as long as you have my support. There is nothing more reassuring than being able to borrow power, ha ha ha!”

After laughing in a theatrical manner, Morwald formed a serious expression.

“...By the way, I have another request of the archbishop. Can I ask for the Einhemmil Sect’s aid in the punishment of a heretic?”

Morwald’s request prompted Silvette to raise an eyebrow. “Let me hear the details,” he calmly responded, opening his wrinkled hands.

Morwald had pushed aside multiple obstacles to set up the archbishop as a referee, but he was a cunning and cautious man. If Aile lost in the Tenbram, he himself would be in danger, so he had wanted to take a preventive measure.

Considering the worst case, he wanted to cut down on the enemy’s power. And when he thought of that, there was a clear top priority: a boy by the name of Alus Reigin, Berwick’s ace up the sleeve.

His previous mistake was very regrettable, but he’d likely not get another chance to take down Vizaist anytime soon, so he wanted to at least get rid of Alus. Looking at the long term, if he could eliminate Alus, it was only a matter of time before he took full control of the military.

After meeting for nearly one hour, Morwald leaned into his chair and, looking satisfied, said, “Archbishop, if everything ends well, I will be sure to support your sect in the future too. And if my authority were to increase even further, I promise to give the Einhemmil Sect the right to search the Outer World. And I believe this will be of interest to you.”

Morwald pulled out a small box and placed it on the table.

“Hmm...?” murmured Silvette.

“This is something that one of the escaped prisoners that made a stir in Alpha yesterday possessed,” said Morwald. “The intruders used these in the Institute and displayed tremendous power.”

He had been fortunate to retrieve it when he went to the Second Magical Institute. The archbishop nodded meaningfully and took the box to confirm it.

“Allow me to check. Oh, it certainly feels impure. Something like this would stain the soul. It cannot be allowed to touch the eyes of the innocent masses. And to think they took it into their bodies... How pitiful,” the archbishop said and took out the Ambrosia inside of the box.

But when he returned it to the box, Silvette’s expression was back to normal.

“Would the Einhemmil Sect be able to take care of this? I don’t know if it is the divine artifact that you are looking for, but at the very least it would be a clue of sorts,” Morwald said, calmly.

The Einhemmil Sect worshipped a singular god and their familiars, but there was also an article in particular that they considered sacred as a sign of their miracles and glory—the divine artifact granted by their god—and the sect was obliged to find it for safekeeping.

“Hmm, very well. However, Minerva is not something that should be in the hands of people either. There are rumors that it coming to the surface is the reason tragedy befell Alpha. And regarding this, the sect will do everything in its power.”

After that, Archbishop Silvette refused Morwald’s offer to have a servant bring him home, and he walked home through the night on his own, his stole hanging over his shoulder.

His figure eventually disappeared into the night... Not even the light of the artificial moon illuminated his back in the end.

◇◇◇

Two weeks after the events at Morwald’s mansion, the silvery veil of the artificial moon shone down on the Fable mansion, just like it had during those secret talks.

As the light filtered in from the window, Alus flipped through the pages of an old book in his room.

They had already finished choosing what Guardian to stock into the orb. With the final steps done, there wasn’t anything in particular to do tonight. The Tenbram was tomorrow, but the atmosphere in the mansion was unexpectedly relaxed.

The participants in the Tenbram had been spending all day training, so the night was quiet. There was a sense of fullness from doing everything they could every day. Dinner was excellent as well, and the warm hospitality was enough for everyone to relax.

The adults and branch family children’s attitude had changed, and the somber atmosphere had disappeared. The incident between Tesfia and Theresia had solved a lot of things, for better or worse.

However, Lucille alone seemed restless. Theresia would often give him stern warnings about the mindset of a noble. On each occasion, Theresia looked like an older sister, and perhaps that was what she was usually like.

There, in the silent night, Alus stopped flipping through the pages of his book and yawned.

It was about time to go to sleep, but he couldn’t help but feel restless in the unfamiliar room. Loki would normally help serve as a conversation partner, but...

No, I’ll leave it at that, he thought.

Loki had been helping with the training as well as gathering information, so Alus would feel guilty about putting any further strain on her.

Still, why did he feel an urge to drink some tea when it was time to sleep?

It was just before midnight. Deciding to ask a maid for a cup of tea or coffee, Alus opened the door to the hallway.

It might have been late, but the maids were fully intent on offering a warm reception to the guests, and if he poked his face out, one of them would probably show up.

The moonlight leaking through the window created a mysterious shadow, as if a corner of the room was cut out of a painting.

Suddenly he noticed a figure standing still by the door.

It was a girl in nightclothes, with a thin negligee peeking out from a silken gown. She had the beautiful profile of a noble lady, but there was a shadow of grief over her face. Alus suspiciously narrowed his eyes.

“U-Uhm, good evening?”

In the next moment, she faced him with a forced smile, ruining everything.

Alus let out an exasperated sigh. “Fia, huh. What are you doing?” he asked the redhead.

In return he got an embarrassed laugh.

“Uhm, I just couldn’t sleep. I just happened to pass by your door. It was just a coincidence.”

So she said, but the timing made it seem like she’d been waiting.

As Alus gave her a doubtful stare, she awkwardly corrected her posture.

“I was just thinking about enjoying the cool air by the balcony,” she said.

“Is that so? Then wrap it up quickly and get to sleep. We can’t have the general suffering from a lack of sleep on the big day.”

“I know that. Actually, why are you acting like you own the place? This is my house, you know,” Tesfia said with a pout, but even her usual attitude seemed a little meek today. “I’m just cooling off a little. It’s not a big deal. In fact, why don’t you come with me, Al? You know, uhm...”

She struggled to finish, looking away. It was a very roundabout way of asking, so perhaps there was something on her mind...but Alus reluctantly complied.

“Fine, I was just thinking about asking for something to drink anyways. But I have no intention of going along with any nonsensical talks.”

“That’s about the reaction I expected. But that’s fine. Come with me.”

Leaving his dim room, Alus was taken to a small balcony sticking out from the wall of the mansion. Perhaps because the trees were so close, it seemed it wasn’t used often; chairs and desks were left like it was something like a storeroom.

“This is so nostalgic,” Tesfia muttered as she touched the stone rails beneath the moonlight.

“Don’t tell me this is your special place you come to when you want to be alone or something,” Alus said, immediately destroying the mood, prompting Tesfia to narrow her eyes and let out a sigh.

“That’s not it,” said. “It’s just that this was the farthest place from my mother’s study. This is where I’d hide when I was a child.”

That’s what you call special, Alus retorted in his mind.

“Who— Wh-What does it matter?!”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Tesfia frowned and wordlessly leaned over the rail. Her eyes downcast, she seemed to be lost in thought.

“I’ve had so much to think about these past few days, no, these past few months.”

“And worries,” Alus said as if to get closer to her emotions.

Tesfia nodded with the first natural smile in a while.

“Most of that is related to you, though.”

“And that is regrettable.”

“The incident at the Institute in particular got me thinking. Ah.”

As she turned back, her gown opened up a little. While concealing the bosom of her negligee, she gave Alus a suspicious glance with her cheeks red.

Her reaction was correct for a noble lady, concerned about the eyes of the opposite sex.

However—

“Talk about rude. If you’re going act like that, you shouldn’t be walking around in such a relaxed outfit,” said Alus. “Don’t worry, I’m used to seeing it.”

In fact, there had been several occasions where Alus had seen Tesfia’s body. It wasn’t like she was readily doing it, but inseparable relationships were scary.

“Hmph. What, you mean you have no ulterior motives?”

Her tone was surprisingly provocative, and the strange emotions in her voice made Alus fall silent for a while.

Tesfia fidgeted while looking at Alus with somewhat teary eyes, and he felt strangely restless. This might have been the first time he was at a loss for words when talking to her. As if to erase the mood that had suddenly sprung up, Alus cynically spoke.

“If you’re going to use those kinds of tactics, you should wait until you have the nerves to pull it off.”

Compared to Felinella and her resolve, Tesfia lacked that kind of knowledge as well as allure and courage.

“Hmph! That’s exactly what you’d expect from someone used to sexy events.”

“Well, you’ll have to get used to it whether you like it or not in the military,” said Alus.

“What kind of life were you leading?! It must have been a lot of fun being surrounded by older military ladies!” Tesfia spat out with a frown.

“There wasn’t anything fun about it. If you want to know, I can tell you about it sometime.”

Alus had answered with no expression. Perhaps because that was so unexpected, Tesfia looked flustered and answered in a quiet voice.

“Huh? Uhm, well...if you’re going to tell me, I suppose I can hear you out?”

Alus fell silent and closed his eyes for a while. If he wanted to be accurate, he couldn’t say that he had any memories of his time in the military worth mentioning. Only very objective and comprehensive scenes remained in his mind. There was nothing to emotionally accompany them.

Nothing at all.

“Well, I know I said it, but it’s probably better to ask someone else if you want to know,” he said.

“I see.”

Tesfia nodded, but after faltering, she timidly looked up and asked him, “But if I said that I wanted to hear it from you directly, would you be angry? Sometime I mean.”

With a clinging atmosphere and with Tesfia’s words trembling at the end, Alus relented.

“Sometime,” Alus muttered heavily.

As if that was exactly what she wanted to hear, Tesfia smiled brightly in relief.

“Yes! Sometime. Oh and let me tell you this while we’re at it,” Tesfia said and paused.

Alus sarcastically spoke. “What now? A confession?”

With a tit for tat, an energetic retort came flying back swiftly.

“Whaaat?! You’re very self-conscious aren’t you? Do you think you’re popular with the ladies? It’s about time you realize that you have a problem with your personality!”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, but I guess I’ll ask. What else is it that you want to say?”

With a red face, Tesfia pressed her head into her arms on the rail. As if to follow her example, Alus leaned his back against the balcony. He also put up his forearm against the smooth stonework railing.

“You’re so self-important, sheesh,” said Tesfia.

“Frankly, I’ve mostly given up on being on the same wavelength as people my age,” said Alus.

As if to say that he was being brazen, Tesfia stared at Alus from the corner of her eyes. She could see his fingers on top of the railing. She somewhat nervously gulped and, removing her cheek from her arms, timidly moving her fingers towards Alus’s.

However, she didn’t have the courage to grip them, so instead she poked the back of his hand.

“But maybe you’re better that way. Always so aloof and full of composure. So it’s not like you’re unreliable.”

Tesfia turned red up to her ears, mumbling, “Besides, if you weren’t like this, I wouldn’t be like I am now. And thanks to that mana expansion training, I have more mana than before.”

“Ah, so you’ve come to get a feel for it these past few days.”

“I guess so. That’s thanks to you, isn’t it?”

Tesfia scratched her cheek, which was as red as her ears, and looked directly into Alus’s eyes and spoke clearly. “So I wanted to say thank you.”

Her scarlet hair fluttered as she spoke.

“In the end, it’s thanks to you that the problem with the branch families was settled too. Mother and Selva were really grateful, and I was too.”

Suddenly a bright smile, very much like her, bloomed on her face. So instead of making fun of her for being so meek, Alus faced her straight on.

“Yeah. I thought it might have been some unnecessary meddling at first, but I guess everything worked out. Besides, I didn’t do anything. You were the winner.”

Tesfia repeatedly nodded at Alus’s unusually kind words.

“At that time, I wanted power from the bottom of my heart. No, I’ve thought I’ve wanted the same thing so many times before, but this was the first time I’ve wanted it so badly,” she revealed.

It wasn’t just the battle against Theresia.

The biggest factor had been the deadly battle against the escaped criminals that they encountered at the Institute.

The enemies weren’t Fiends but humans with clear ill will. Her friends had been exposed to extreme danger, and she herself had been seriously injured as well. Since then, Tesfia had started to grow without even realizing.

Defeat forced a change in Magicmasters, especially for innocent people like her, who were moved by emotions.

That growth had shown itself during these past two weeks of training for the Tenbram. From what Alus could tell, she’d been unsteady at first, but after facing Theresia, she had undergone considerable growth.

Like she was getting stronger with each passing day.

“I realized that I was much weaker than I thought. That even though I thought I’d worked so hard, I was just depending on my efforts. And I could feel just how scary it is for everything I took for granted to suddenly disappear. So I thought that there is meaning in putting my gratitude into words while I can.”

Her glistening gaze accidentally met with Alus’s eyes.

“I see,” he said. “And you’ll need to be aware that you’re going to become the next head of the family.”

“Yeah, but, you know, I don’t have to do that on my own. Uhm, sure I’ll have to show my abilities as the head of the family and educate myself more in the ways of nobility, but there’s also the method of doing like my mother and marrying someone special and, uhm, protecting the family...”

Tesfia was faltering a lot, but she managed to keep herself from completely failing.

The feverish words wrapped in sweet dreams escaped her lips without her control. Whether consciously or not, when she thought about him as a candidate, she realized there was no one else but him.

But these were just one-way feelings.

Besides, she knew next to nothing about Alus. Everything she knew about him was since he came to the Institute, and that was only a fragment of him. So if he would accept her self-indulgence, she wanted to know more little by little. She wanted to hear it from his mouth.

His thoughts.

And his past.

Half aware that she was losing her self-restraint, Tesfia still wanted to touch on all of it. It might have been too hard for her to be as devoted as Loki or to gently embrace him like Felinella.

But she felt lonely not knowing anything.

However, while she felt a want, she also felt a sort of resignation. This moment under the moonlight was just a coincidence that had occurred through a miraculous timing. Once time passed, it would end.

And they would return to their usual days of exchanging wisecracks.

But whether he was aware of her feelings or not, once Alus had taken a short break, his hand reached out towards Tesfia. But rather than touching her trembling body, he held her red hair.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but that’s the method you wanted to avoid the most. Marriage this and arrangements that. I’m no Aile, but even I think that is out of fashion. Don’t worry. As long as you can win the Tenbram, your abilities will be shown. At the same time, you’ll be able to protect your family without following any old customs, and I’ll help with that.”

“...Right.”

It wasn’t like she’d forgotten. Her engagement to Aile was on the line with this Tenbram. But if she were to one day take a groom...

Tesfia could only picture a single person.

He wasn’t just the man she was the closest to and that she’d been with the longest since enrolling into the Institute. He was also acknowledged by her strict mother. He was also her magic teacher and the current rank 1, standing at the top of all Magicmasters.

Once she became conscious of Alus in that way, his place in her heart felt like it continued to grow bigger and bigger.

Even if she tried to deny it, it felt almost predetermined. In fact, when she imagined anybody else, she felt a pain in her chest.

Perhaps it was unavoidable now that she’d become aware of her position as the next head of the family. Once she imagined a future of walking a path hand in hand with the important man that she truly trusted and cared for...

With him, she felt like she could become a great Magicmaster and protect her family at the same time without the two paths contradicting.

And the most important of all was that Tesfia herself wanted it.

But maybe just learning will do for now, she thought to herself.

Like Alus had said before, he wasn’t here for her naive dreams but for his own rational reasons, so perhaps she should just be thankful for the fortune that he was here.

And she shouldn’t wish for any more right now.

Actually, Al is just as thickheaded as usual. I mean, that is just like him.

Tesfia sighed. Her face was downcast, her expression hidden by her red hair, making it impossible to see her face...but a smile eventually appeared on her lips.

She then raised her head and brushed away Alus’s hand on her head with all the energy she could muster.

“Yeah you’re right. It’s like I’m cheating using this incident as an excuse.”

Alus looked puzzled, failing to grasp the context of a maiden’s heart. However, Tesfia ignored it and continued.

“I might have said something strange just now, but don’t worry about it! But I have no intention on going back on what I’ve said. So we’ll save that for some time too,” Tesfia said and grabbed hold of the railing and leaned over it.

Alus reached out by reflex, and this time Tesfia took his hand in her own. With a gleeful expression she sat on the railing.

“I’m not going to fall. I’ve been sitting here since I was a child.”

His hand still reached out, Alus glumly replied, “Do whatever you want. But what are you going to do tomorrow if the worst happens?”

“Hmm, the breeze feels good here... So make sure you don’t let go of me.”

Tesfia dangled her legs like she was on a swing as the night breeze brushed her red hair.

They were holding hands, but Alus didn’t notice that it had more meaning than physical support. Tesfia no longer felt even the slightest bit of anxiety for tomorrow.

While Alus looked at her with suspicion, Tesfia was in high spirits. Her sorrow from before was like a lie, as she felt happiness in this moment.

The two held hands on the moonlit balcony under the stars. As she realized what the warm sensation and the joy it brought meant, the girl transformed into an adult.

When she understood that, the warmth from his hand felt all the more reassuring, and letting go became all the more difficult.

“Al! We’re going to win tomorrow!”

“You only realized that now? More importantly, get down from there already.”

“Then why don’t you bring me down? Huh?”

As Alus audibly clicked his tongue, Tesfia leaned backward and let gravity pull her.

A pair of powerful arms wrapped around her waist in support, and Tesfia accepted them with a slight tremble of joy.

“...Are you drunk?”

“Maybe I am! But don’t say I’m heavy or some other cliché. If you drop tomorrow’s general on the ground, you’ll regret it,” Tesfia said with an unyielding spirit. Then she deliberately closed her eyes and crossed her arms, holding her palms against her chest like Sleeping Beauty. “Good. Maybe you can carry me to my room while you’re at it.”

“There’s a limit to how impudent you can be,” he said. “Fine, it’ll be a special service for just today.”

“Okaaay.”

With that, the secret meeting on the balcony beneath the moonlight came to an end, and carrying the princess for the day, Alus left the balcony behind. He bumped her head on the doorframe on the way out, prompting a yelp of pain, but it was silent beyond that.

The excitement of the next day’s coming decisive battle was wrapped up in the unbroken glory and history that had continued since old. And with that the manor fell into a silent slumber.