Chapter 170: Chaos Dives Deep and Silent 3
*
Margrave Comsas’s subordinates were truly paragons of loyalty.
They maintained perfectly calm demeanors, as if nothing untoward had occurred.
In other words, their lord had certainly not let out a scream, nor had he clutched his stomach and groaned.
That was the only truth.
Comsas needed all his willpower to keep a straight face upon seeing Erica’s party drop down from the roof.
Erica Longdagger and the Maiden of Light, Lou Memphis.
And furthermore, “Kind Barbara” and “Elza the Impaler.”
To expect any semblance of order from this gathering was to invite questions about one’s own sanity.
The only one who seemed remotely normal was Shara Lansra, a Sister from the Hecate Church.
No, wait, this Sister was the type of person who wrote that kind of report; he couldn’t let his guard down around her either.
Comsas thought this as he watched Shara speak about something with Bishop Bibal.
“Margrave-sama.”
At Erica’s call, Comsas turned his gaze towards her.
He almost groaned inwardly.
What was this? Wasn’t this the face of a Knight heading towards a deadly battlefield?
Comsas recalled the faces of Knights he had seen several times before—faces he himself had caused.
If he remembered correctly, she should be sixteen years old. Comsas recalled Erica’s age.
It was an expression far too grim for a young girl to wear.
Naturally, Comsas straightened his posture.
Just as he had always done, and just as he would continue to do when facing someone with such a look.
“I must go retrieve my husband.”
Just go get him yourself, Comsas thought.
“Therefore, I apologize for the imposition, but might I borrow one of your men?”
Is she terrible at conversation?
No, wait. Where is her husband, anyway?
Comsas realized that Shin, whose presence he definitely didn’t desire but whose absence from this particular group felt unsettling, was missing.
“Ah, Com.”
He shot a light glare at the Bishop who used his nickname in public.
Undeterred by Comsas’s glare, Bibal leaned in to whisper in his ear.
Isn’t every last one of them far too casual with the authority of a Margrave?
Perhaps a great responsibility like Margrave really isn’t suited for someone like me? A doubt that had plagued him in his youth briefly crossed his mind.
However, the fleeting doubt was blown away by the contents of Bibal’s whisper.
Comsas felt a chill.
Are these people loved by Chaos or something?
What the hell? The wife runs off, the husband starts running through town shouting her name, then the wife suddenly starts trying to woo her best friend, then Majin pop up all over town, and Shin-san goes splat! from the sky and falls into a hole that formed in the ground?
The sudden splat! was the scariest part.
Also scary was how Bibal relayed the information so bluntly, without any filtering.
Did he think I’d understand? Well, I did, but still.
Seriously, what is splat! anyway?
Besides, the wife said she was going to retrieve her husband, but wouldn’t someone normally die if they fell into a hole in the ground?
No, that kind of idiot wouldn’t die from something like that.
He might have the face of a nice, gentle, thoughtful middle-aged man, but this Bishop was one of those idiots.
If he’s alive, then that Longdagger is probably alive too.
No, wait, what kind of idiotic things am I thinking with such a serious expression?
First, I need to ask Lady Erica what she intends to do and who she wants to borrow. Just as Comsas organized his thoughts…
“Your Excellency! The Adventurers Guild is requesting aid, bringing refugees with them!”
Comsas nearly screamed at the report from his subordinate.
Follow the proper order! The order!
“Get a headcount! Don’t miss a single injured person!”
Seeing himself barking orders, Comsas noticed Bibal nodding with satisfaction and said:
“Bibal, lend a hand treating the injured.”
Bibal simply replied, “Of course,” and began gathering the remaining members of the Healer Faction.
The sight of his back as he muttered cheerfully, “Ah, Com really is Com, isn’t he?” was strangely irritating.
“Shall I offer my assistance?”
“No, thank you!”
Comsas instantly rejected the offer from Erica, whom he had been neglecting.
Even without a manual, there was no room for hesitation in that decision.
*
We need to deal with the refugees.
Once told that, Erica had no choice but to wait patiently.
Her heart was impatient, but she understood enough reason to endure it.
More importantly, Shin would have prioritized the refugees first.
Or rather, he would have taken the initiative to help.
Unlike herself, who had been turned down.
He, who paid no mind to the scale of difficulties, would likely lend a hand to refugees even if his own life were at stake.
All while complaining endlessly about how busy he was, how troublesome it was, or how he was in a hurry, yet wearing a smile that was somehow reassuring to see.
No, perhaps he wouldn’t complain aloud.
That sort of thing didn’t suit him.
Surely, that’s right.
He’d probably be spouting nonsense while complaining internally.
Erica filled the impatient void with imagined images of Shin.
So, when her daydream was interrupted, she became slightly displeased, though she didn’t let it show on her face.
“It has been a while, Erica-sama.”
His clothes were plain, almost austere considering his position.
But the necklace hanging from his neck indicated that the man was the highest authority in the church.
“Your Holiness, it has indeed been a while.”
Erica lowered her head slightly, a simple gesture that wouldn’t be impolite, mindful of the bustling surroundings rather than the fact that this was the man who had tried to have her executed.
“The last time we met was last summer, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, we met when I was allowed to tour the Church’s Orphanage.”
As she replied, Erica tilted her head inwardly.
There was no such fact, but from the Church’s perspective, she was a divine enemy who had attempted to assassinate the Maiden of Light.
For someone like that, his attitude was surprisingly friendly.
Erica held no grudge or hatred, recognizing that the Church had merely done what it deemed necessary.
But perhaps, from his standpoint, her calm demeanor itself was unpleasant.
Should I be acting fearful or something similar?
The thought surfaced for a moment but was quickly dismissed.
If she were capable of such skillful maneuvering, she would have made friends other than Luu.
Though not to the extent of Shin, her own school life had been quite solitary.
The people around her had mostly been there thanks to Luu.
Right, I must treasure Luu. My dear best friend.
“Ah, no, it’s quite alright, Lady Erica.”
This time, Erica tilted her head openly at the words of Pope Cal Ulmschmitt.
What was alright?
“Meaning, I am not the sort of person who would find your composure unpleasant,” he clarified.
Erica, who hadn’t intended to show her thoughts so plainly, felt a flicker of suspicion.
Though she felt her noble self was already distant, she didn’t think the habits had vanished entirely.
Pope Cal offered a smile.
“Think nothing of it. It simply means I live a slightly more political life than you do. If it doesn’t show on your face, there are plenty of ways to draw it out.”
I see, his earlier words were a probe.
He looks like a rugged young man, but inside, he’s the same as those at court.
“Your Holiness, to be honest,” Erica said, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia.
“You are surprisingly worldly, aren’t you?”
“Please keep it a secret, won’t you?”
Cal’s distinctly political smile evoked nostalgia.
To think that such things were once her everyday reality.
Erica was happy that she could feel nostalgic about it now.
And, as if on cue, she longed to see Shin.
This feeling of nostalgia—it was an emotion she felt thanks to him.
The longing made her remember Shin wasn’t by her side, and her spirits sank.
Why wasn’t Shin beside her?
What was to blame?
The Majin. Right, perish Majin. Majin must be destroyed.
“Is something the matter?”
Cal was slightly intimidated by the abrupt change in Erica’s aura.
I thought it was a tiger, but it was a Dragon. Did I just step on the wrong tail? Cal tensed his core.
Erica, mistaking his apprehension for suspicion, answered.
“Ah, no. My apologies, I suddenly felt the urge to see my husband.”
Can such a sweet reason produce that kind of expression? Cal wondered inwardly. The tension he had braced himself for dissipated, leaving him nowhere to direct it.
“Speaking of which, I heard you were married. Congratulations,” Cal said, changing the subject now that the tension had eased.
“To receive congratulations from Your Holiness, I am deeply honored.”
“Your partner is the son of Longdagger, I hear? For a daughter of Solntsalri, that seems quite a politically rash move.”
Is this a provocation? Erica tilted her head inwardly.
Her knowledge of the Longdaggers was limited to the fact that her father had a friend by that name; that was the extent of it.
Erika had been raised as a member of the nobility, as the eldest daughter of the Solntsalri House, but her education hadn’t covered the standing of the Longdagger name.
In other words, to Erika, “Longdagger” was simply Shin himself.
Well, fine.
Erika put on an adventurer’s smile.
“He is a fine Dagger, wouldn’t you agree? There are few weapons one can feel so secure having close at hand. I have quite lost any intention of letting him go.”
In short, she was boasting about her husband.
And at the same time, declaring “He is mine” to the Pope, who likely knew about the Farce.
Ahh, yes.
This is quite excellent, this declaration that he is hers. It really gets to me, somehow.
“Indeed, it must be so. For the Royal Family and the Solntsalri House, Longdagger has always been thus. I had thought I would finally be able to witness it with my own eyes, however.”
Erika tilted her head at Karu’s words, but Karu ignored her, making a show of looking around.
“My expectations were slightly off, it seems. Most unfortunate.”
What expectations were off?
Before Erika’s question could fully form, it was swept away by a voice calling from the side.
“Erika-sama.”
Turning around, she saw Lana, a staff member from the Adventurers Guild.
“I knew already, but it seems you are unharmed.”
“It seems we both are.”
In response to Erika’s reply, Lana gave a wry smile, saying, “Well, my arms are killing me and my throat is raw.”
I see, she seems to have gone through quite a bit.
When she noticed, the Pope’s presence was gone. Does he not want to be seen talking to me much?
Oh well. It’s true I have business with the Pope, but he’s not someone I particularly want to talk to.
I intend to take Luu to him for identification, but naturally, I can’t just take her without informing the Margrave.
Which means I don’t have any particular business with the Pope right now.
Still, Erika thought, looking past Lana at the refugees she and the others had brought.
“You seem to have picked up quite a few?”
“We may not look it, but we are Adventurers Guild staff,” Lana said, her voice full of pride.
Then it was Lana’s turn to look past Erika.
“By the way, where might Lord Shin be? No, it’s not that I want to see him, but rather, it feels unsettling when he’s not visible, you could say.”
The moment she said it, Lana regretted it.
Eh? Why, just for asking where her husband is, can she make a face like an adventurer about to hunt a Golden Ogre to pay off their debts?
She wasn’t foolish enough to voice the question that popped into her head, but neither was she wise enough to make a quick excuse and leave immediately.
“Ooh, Guild Staff-chan.”
“Geh! Kind!”
Lana nearly rolled her eyes back.
“Kind Barbara” was approaching, leading Luu, the person she was guarding.
Barbara looked impressed as she observed the adventurers and residents receiving treatment in the square.
“Nice, very nice. You really went all out picking them up.”
Lana bit her lower lip and endured.
Feeling happy about being praised for such Iniquity was the first step towards ruin.
So she hurriedly stated only the facts.
“Because we are the Adventurers Guild.”
“Makes you want to move here, doesn’t it?”
The girl who was likely Barbara’s charge muttered something ominous with a serious face, like “That might be an option.”
Please stop, Lana prayed earnestly.
“Erikaaa.”
Just as Lana was racking her brain, wondering how she could possibly make Barbara understand just how uninteresting a town Hecate was, the voice of the Sister from Longdagger’s group approached.
It was quite a pathetic-sounding voice.
“They told me not to go near the injured peeeople—”
Oyoyo, seeing Shara cling to Erika with a pitiful expression, Lana reaffirmed her belief that there wasn’t a single sane person in Longdagger’s crew.
The face of the person she’s clinging to still looks like that of an adventurer (an idiot) who sees hunting Monsters as the only way forward, no matter the cost!
“I was turned away as well.”
And please, Bishop-sama, don’t you make a pathetic face too. Lana made an indescribable face as Bishop Bival appeared looking dejected, following Shara.
This is strange. Wasn’t I just filled with pride and relief moments ago, thinking we’d made it, that we hadn’t lost a single person? Was it seconds? Did my relief turn to Chaos in seconds?
“That’s because Bishop-sama is also bad at Healing Magic, you know.”
An unpleasant truth came from Shara’s mouth, but Lana ignored it.
The Bishop of our town is a merciful and deeply thoughtful person. Such a fact does not exist.
“Shara, aptitude is something you can overcome with passion,” Erika said, her expression returning to normal.
Lana bit her lip to stop herself from remarking, You two really are a similar couple, aren’t you. No matter how you looked at it, that was a landmine.
Damn that “Unbefitting Longdagger”!
He’s annoying when he’s here, and annoying when he’s not. Utterly annoying.
Shara’s expression brightened at Erika’s words.
“I see! Indeed!”
Indeed, my foot!
Lana retorted mentally, thinking of someone writhing in pain from Healing Magic.
“Well then, I’ll go agai—ai-ai-ai-aiaiaiai!”
Lana stared, startled.
Shara had suddenly broken down while still smiling.
“A voice came! Fountain! Below! Something’s coming! Get away!”
“Shara… perhaps we should get you counseling again,” the Bishop murmured worriedly.
Lana thought that might be for the best too; clearly, being around Longdagger wasn’t healthy for ordinary people.
But the reactions of the others were completely different.
Everyone—Erika, the girl being guarded, “Elza the Impaler,” even “Kind Barbara.”
All of them had taken combat stances.
“Something’s coming from below! Get away from the Fountain!”
Erika shouted, and hearing that, Lana didn’t hesitate.