“Are you coming with us?”
Lucas’s gentle face looked somewhat hardened.
Early in the morning, the party gathered to move to the territory of Count Lillit.
The party consisted of Zion, Hills, Lucas, two priests from the Elbis Temple, and Arundel.
Lucas and the priests of Elbis, who did not expect Arundel to come along, seemed a bit surprised.
“Yes, I’m going too.”
“But it could be dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be a burden. I can take care of myself, and my divine power will help in taking care of the patients.”
Arundel answered quite bravely. But Lucas, who was not very convinced, hesitated.
“But still…”
“That’s not your concern.”
Zion, who had approached unnoticed, was looking at Lucas with a cold smile.
Lucas stiffened his expression for a moment, but soon relaxed and smiled gently.
“That’s right. With the strong His Majesty, I was worrying unnecessarily.”
Saying so, Lucas obediently turned around.
He went back to the priests and helped them pack. Zion kept his eyes on Lucas for a while.
But then, he frowned at the sight of the purple hair that suddenly appeared. It was Hills, who disappeared in the evening and popped up in the morning.
Hills asked with a beaming smile.
“Is Her Majesty the Empress also going?”
“Uh…no, yes.”
Arundel almost spoke informally for a moment, but quickly corrected her speech, conscious of the surrounding gaze.
Hills chuckled at the sight and turned his body to approach Zion.
Zion’s face turned fierce in an instant.
“Move.”
“Don’t you want to see me?”
At Hills’ brazen words, Zion seemed to think it wasn’t worth responding and tried to move Arundel to another spot.
Hills’ voice came from behind.
“Nothing happened, right?”
It seemed like he was trying to confirm something with Zion. Arundel tilted her head at Hills’ meaningful words.
As expected, Zion didn’t answer.
Arundel, who had been alternating between looking at Zion and Hills, narrowed her eyes.
And, as if lost in thought, she pulled her hand away from Zion and mumbled.
“I’m going to the bathroom…you go in the carriage first.”
At her words, Zion seemed to come to his senses, nodded his head, and climbed into the carriage first.
Once she confirmed that Zion was completely inside, Arundel pulled on Hills’ sleeve.
“You, where have you really been these days?”
Contrary to Arundel’s worried expression, Hills answered lightly.
“Even if I’m the great demon Hills, I find the temple tiresome. You know that, right?”
“If that’s the case, why did you follow? Just stay in the palace.”
“Well, I’m worried about that Zion guy.”
“Why are you worried about Zion?”
At Arundel’s words, Hills playfully raised the corners of his mouth.
“Our Empress is quite curious.”
“I met Baphura.”
Hills looked at Arundel with a questioning expression.
“The high-ranking demon I saw in the cemetery. He came out for an investigation.”
Wondering if he knew anything, Arundel observed Hills’ expression and slowly spat out his words.
“I heard the demon world is noisy these days.”
“Demons being strange isn’t a day or two thing.”
“It doesn’t seem simple.”
“What, the balance is breaking?”
“…Did you know?”
Hills shrugged nonchalantly. Then, he poked Arundel’s shoulder with his finger.
“But, right now, rather than worrying about that.”
And he pointed at Lucas.
“I think we should worry about that guy first.”
Arundel frowned.
“He’s my priest.”
“So be careful. Don’t let your identity be revealed for no reason.”
Lucas was getting on his horse, having packed his luggage. He was preparing to depart.
“I told you. The way that guy looks at you is strange, just like a pervert…”
“Don’t speak ill of Lucas.”
Arundel sternly warned Hills. Apart from the personal relationship that he was her priest, he was a good person.
Excluding his excellent combat skills, he also had a good reputation among the priests and was deeply trusted by the Pope.
Whether in terms of humanity or skills, there was nothing lacking.
But why were Zion and Hills so hostile to Lucas? Like now.
“Why are you siding with that kid? Even though you’ve known me much longer.”
If it were the usual Hills, he would have backed off with his tail between his legs, but for some reason, he bared his teeth.
“Is that kid that important? More than me?”
“Who says? Just don’t pick on a poor person.”
“I still hate that guy. Don’t say anything to me!”
Ah, the conversation is getting more and more childish.
It was something a child who hadn’t even hit puberty would say. Arundel felt a throbbing in her forehead and nodded her head lazily.
“Alright, I won’t say anything. Let’s depart for now. It seems like everyone has finished preparing.”
When Arundel changed the subject, Hills turned around without a word. Then, he kicked a tree in front of him nervously and climbed onto his horse.
He seems upset…
Arundel climbed into the carriage with a gloomy look in her eyes. She felt drained even before the work had started.
****
The territory of Count Lillit, known to be the largest in the East, was as big as I had heard.
The eastern end was surrounded by mountains, and the river that crossed the center divided the territory into upper and lower parts.
It was not far from the temple, so we could arrive in half a day.
The mansion was close to the size of a castle and well-managed, but it had a strange feeling, as if it resembled its owner.
For example, the clean and beautiful exterior of the mansion and the expressionless faces of the servants felt discordant. The lack of expression on their faces made them seem like wax dolls at first glance.
What was even stranger was that only Count Lillit had a bright expression. There was no sign of the nervous attitude he had shown at the meeting.
He greeted Arundel’s party with a louder voice than when they first met.
“Welcome.”
After greeting each of them, the Count showed them the room where they would stay. Then he went out and guided them around the mansion.
The size of the territory and the mansion was considerable. Even with people to manage it, it was quite a burden to manage alone.
“Do you manage the territory and the mansion alone?”
While climbing the stairs to guide us to the second floor of the mansion, Arundel asked the Count.
I don’t know much about the rules of the human world, but I have been studying etiquette, culture, and customs diligently while staying in the palace.
So I was curious. It was rare for a nobleman of the Count’s rank to manage everything directly, let alone alone.
“Originally, my wife managed it with me. Along with my father-in-law.”
“And now…?”
“My wife passed away last year. Not long after, my father-in-law followed her.”
Ah, I asked a needless question.
I regretted it belatedly, but the words were already out. Arundel apologized with a darkened face.
“I’m sorry. I asked something unnecessary…”
“Haha, don’t mind it. It’s all in the past now.”
The Count looked really unfazed. He smiled calmly.
And he went around the reception room, dining room, library, and then the outdoor garden.
‘Stench!’
Arundel held her breath at the stench that came with the wind. Not just Arundel, everyone’s expression was not good.
“There is a large barn not far from the mansion, so sometimes the smell comes like this. I ask for your understanding.”
At Count Lillit’s explanation, Arundel and the party nodded their heads. It was also rude to show too much discomfort.
Soon, we went around the stable and the backyard. The Count, who had finished the tour, asked the party.
“The priests will go where the patients are, and where do His Majesty the Emperor and the others plan to go?”
Zion did not answer immediately and looked around for a moment. Zion, who had looked around enough, spoke to the Count.
“I think I’ll rest here today. After a long journey, I’m finally feeling tired.”
Zion stroked his forehead as if he was a little tired.
It was a situation where he could feel tired enough. The travel time had been quite long so far, and the road was not smooth. Plus, the day was full of work, so it was a tiring schedule for anyone to see.
But,
‘What’s the trick?’
Arundel narrowed her eyes and looked at Zion.
No matter how tired he was, he was not the one to show fatigue in front of others. Rather, Zion was the one who would stand upright even if he was falling down.
Not only Arundel, but Hills was also frowning and looking at Zion.
Zion maintained his usual attitude as if he didn’t care about those gazes at all.
“Would that be okay, Count?”
When Zion smiled and nodded, the Count nodded his head with an awkward expression.
“Th… That’s right. So, will Her Majesty the Empress and the Captain also stay together?”
“No.”
When Arundel raised her hand, the focus was on her.
“I will go to where the patients are with the priests.”
People seemed surprised. The first person to speak was Hills.
“You… no, Your Majesty the Empress. You know it’s dangerous there, right…?”
“I know. I’ve already told His Majesty.”
Arundel felt Hills’ expression harden.
He had been sulking and not talking all the way, but he seemed to be worried.
Hills seemed to be saying something to Zion as he approached him briskly. Then he came back and spoke to Arundel.
“Then I will go with Her Majesty the Empress.”
Arundel frowned. Then, as if casting a spell, she then quietly spat out her words.
“You have to protect Zion…!”
“That guy rather told me to follow.”
It was unexpected. Arundel glanced back at Zion standing behind and then turned her gaze back to Hills.
What’s going on… Hills hated being with him so much.
Arundel felt a little upset for some reason, but right now, Hills was annoying.
“Weren’t you mad at me?”
“I’m mad, but I’m worried! I knew something would happen!”
“What am I, a kid? My divine power has almost returned, and other priests will be with me.”
“That’s the problem. The other priests are also going.”
Hills looked at the group of priests with dissatisfaction. His gaze was particularly cold towards Lucas.
“Anyway, I’m going too.”
“Do that. But don’t get into trouble.”
Hills’ behavior has been unusual lately. Why is he so worried, as if he’s looking at a child put up for sale?
He usually follows around like a baby bird and is quite worried, but he has been acting excessively lately. His complaints have also increased.
Well, thinking about it, that guy hasn’t acted as expected much. He’s a mystery even when you know him.
Arundel, suddenly feeling annoyed, approached the group of priests. But even here, the conversation continued unpleasantly.
“Are you really okay? We are going to the epicenter of the plague, and most of the people there are critically ill. You will see a lot of harsh scenes.”
“Lucas. I appreciate your concern, but if I hadn’t thought that much, I wouldn’t have said I’d go easily.”
Arundel’s tone was firm.
In fact, she was starting to get angry beyond annoyance.
If she had followed all the way to Count Lillit’s territory, she must have come to do something, not to think she would just go sightseeing.
If she’s going, she’s going, why is there such a fuss around her? The person involved is okay.
She didn’t want to argue anymore. Arundel got on her prepared horse.
“Let’s go now.”
Perhaps sensing Arundel’s subdued mood, the surroundings quieted down.
Hills, saying ‘Yes, yes. It’s Her Majesty the Empress’s words, so I have to follow.’, got on his horse with a smirk, and Lucas also got on his horse without saying a word.
“I’ll be back.”
As the horse’s hooves hit the ground hard, white dust flew up. The uniformly echoing sound of the horse’s hooves signaled the departure.
