Chapter 201 : Chapter 201
Chapter 201 : The Time of Crow (2)
***
Inside the conference room of the Springeus mansion, a heavy silence fell.
Along the walls hung long banners of the family’s symbol, the red rose crest.
Beneath them, the family elders and direct descendants sat around a tiered semicircular table.
The center, looked down upon by all, was empty.
Like a place where a family member who committed a grave crime was judged, in that exceptionally hollow space…….
A coffin was placed.
The body resting among the white bouquets was as pale as a petal.
“Rest in peace, my daughter.”
“I will miss you, Masa.”
The direct descendants lined up and walked out slowly.
One by one, they stopped in front of the coffin and left their final farewells.
“This brother of yours will surely avenge you.”
Someone muttered lowly like that.
There were also those who harbored faint smiles that remained unseen.
White petals piled up high inside the coffin.
By the time the damp scent filled the room, the mourning had ended.
“Did you say Crow?”
A dignified voice rang out.
It was the Head of Springeus.
His gaze turned toward a corner of the conference room, beneath a shadowed pillar.
“That is correct.”
A man walked out from the darkness.
It was, of course, Deganelo.
No one recognized his true identity.
“First, my respects to Sir Deganelo. I shall never forget the grace he showed in protecting the honor of Springeus.”
The Head of the family spoke as he personally bowed his head.
Deganelo smiled faintly.
Currently, he was Crow, a follower of Deganelo.
“I shall relay the message.”
The story was that Deganelo’s direct unit, which was performing a mission near the south, accidentally discovered Masa Springeus being chased by Roxy Windermere and a group of thugs she had hired, and hurriedly launched a rescue operation, but Masa inevitably lost her life in the process.
“Father! Revenge!”
“They are the ones who not only placed an unspeakable, foul stigma upon Masa but eventually even took her life!”
Loud voices erupted from all sides.
As if they had been waiting for this very moment, each poured out their anger.
“I am cautious about saying such things at a time like this, but—”
Deganelo, or rather, Crow, continued speaking with a low laugh.
All eyes focused on him at once.
“Sir Deganelo is also well aware. Of that unpleasant rumor that tarnished the honor of Springeus. That the late young lady sought out carnal pleasures while she was alive…….”
Wrinkles formed on the bridge of Crow’s nose.
He deliberately distorted his expression in an exaggerated manner as if it were truly disgusting.
“It is even shameful for me to put such words into my mouth. However, Sir Deganelo felt sorry for the situation of the Springeus family more than anyone else.”
A few elders wiped their eyes as if they were moved.
It seemed they were touched by the compassion of a high-ranking knight.
Crow bit his lip.
Looking at such a pathetic sight, he was on the verge of bursting into laughter.
“Sir Deganelo said. That insults must surely be repaid. Above all, he added that if it is a family of high standing like Springeus, even the Imperial Capital would not dare to interfere.”
As soon as Crow finished speaking, everyone competed to raise their voices.
“Head of the family! Please make a decision quickly!”
“Sir Deganelo has declared neutrality in this matter! Does that not mean he intends to overlook our anger!”
“Think about it, Head! How sickened must the leader of the Langster Faction have been by their atrocities to side with us!”
“We must take this opportunity to re-establish the dignity of Springeus!”
“Let us crush all the dogs of Windermere!”
Harsh profanities and loud voices became increasingly intense.
Crow watched that scene and quietly twisted the corners of his mouth.
“For Masa!”
Someone suddenly shouted. The shout soon spread like wildfire.
“For Masa!”
“For Masa!”
“For Masa—!”
The cheers shook the ceiling.
Masa, inside the coffin, was sleeping peacefully.
***
“Why do you keep looking back, Cult Leader?”
I heard Roxy’s voice from behind my back.
Only then did I realize. Without knowing it, my head had turned.
“When did I.”
I turned around abruptly and feigned innocence.
I nonchalantly brushed past Roxy’s side, but she suddenly grabbed my arm.
“I saw you just now!”
“…….”
“You can’t bring yourself to leave! Right! Because you’re worried about them!”
It wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't to the point where I couldn't bring myself to leave.
At the moment I wondered if I really had to say this with my own mouth, Bolero, thankfully, gave a silent warning by glaring at Roxy with a fierce look in his eyes.
I took that opportunity to turn my head with the feeling that it was truly the last time, and took in the panoramic view of Brakenport in the distance.
‘It’s fine.’
I shouldn't let it weigh on my mind.
I had made some preparations just in case.
‘……One really never knows how things will turn out for people.’
After finishing the business in the Imperial Capital, the place I would return to was neither the Empire nor Conwell.
I had already reached that conclusion in my heart.
“Ah! Right, but Cult Leader—”
“Stop with that Cult Leader talk now. It might cause unnecessary misunderstandings outside.”
“Eh? Then what should I call you?”
……That was also true.
As I blinked my eyes, Roxy spoke as if that wasn't the problem.
“Are you really leaving Sir Noser behind like that? There are many excellent doctors in the Imperial Capital! Or we could even take him to Windermere for now.”
“If it were a serious injury in urgent need of a doctor’s touch, he would have been in critical condition by now. However, Noser’s body is still in the same bad state. Therefore, it is much better to take rest than to move excessively.”
This much would be enough of an answer for Roxy.
In fact, the biggest reason I left Noser in Brakenport was that the act of taking him around itself was a great danger.
‘The accompaniment of a wounded Sharon Faction leader and an Imperial Ronin looks suspicious even to me.’
The matter of inviting unnecessary misunderstandings, the matter of explaining that again……. My head hurts just thinking about it.
And the biggest reason was that since it was Deganelo who made Noser that way, this was a problem that would spread into internal strife within the Imperial Capital Knight Order.
‘There is no need to show weakness first.’
Of course, if there was a possibility that Noser’s symptoms could be recovered by the touch of a skilled doctor, I would have thrown all these reasons aside and brought him along.
“Uoom……, but I’m still worried. What if he suddenly becomes critical or something?”
“I have prepared a countermeasure for everything.”
“What?”
Snap—!
When I flicked my fingers, something flew from afar like an arrow, cutting through the wind. A short, high cry followed.
Ppiii!
An eagle with large wings spread circles in the sky and then slowly flew low.
As it descended, its appearance gradually became clear, and Roxy’s face, which had been watching in admiration with her mouth open, began to distort strangely as well.
“Wha, what, is tha……t?”
“…….”
“A, a person……?”
Flap, flap!
Soon the eagle……, to be precise, the ‘Human-faced Eagle’ sat on my shoulder and folded its wings.
I witnessed Roxy’s eyes rolling back from the front.
“Aaaah, I hate it…….”
Bolero caught Roxy as she fell backward.
The Human-faced Eagle sitting on my shoulder bowed its head deeply like a criminal.
“I, I am sorry.”
Even though it looked like this, it was a very cowardly and timid fellow…….
***
Since Roxy fainted, we decided to camp.
“So that fellow is effectively a messenger, then.”
Bolero said while poking the kindling.
He was referring to the Human-faced Eagle that would act as a messenger between us and Brakenport for the time being.
“That’s right.”
“The more I look, the more amazing it is. Their appearances are nothing short of hideous, yet they actually fear humans.”
Bolero said he met Human-faced Bats when he went to Tarnholt last time to get Deiron’s head.
Those Human-faced Bats were the ones I had specifically asked to relay the situation of Grimlok to Oliver in Tarnholt.
“Isn’t it not to the point of being hideous…….”
“……It seems you’ve grown fond of them.”
“It’s not exactly that, but just.”
Chimeras were the first legacy of the Homunculi.
They were the beginning of the Dal and the Automata, and at the same time, they were ‘food’ produced and raised for their survival.
“……It’s not that they fear humans.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“It’s just that fear and obedience are everything. They are beings whose instincts to eat, sleep, and desire were completely castrated from the start…….”
People.
“Because they are weaklings.”
“……Mmm.”
The characteristics that the Chimeras received from their creator, the Homunculus, varied for each individual.
I couldn’t grasp the nature of every single entity, but one thing was certain.
‘There are virtually no entities that can reproduce on their own.’
Now that the Dals had all perished, the extinction of the Chimeras was only a matter of time.
‘It’s unfair enough to be born against one’s will, but the conclusion is miserable as well.’
Life born against one’s will…….
I chewed on those words while blankly looking at the campfire.
Come to think of it, it was a somewhat contradictory statement.
Because there was no life in the world that ‘wanted’ to be born on its own.
‘Even if the beginning is like that—’
The process and the conclusion shouldn't be like that.
Everyone should have something that can be called a will.
‘At least as long as one is alive.’
Protecting that.
That might be the very essence of chivalry.
‘…….’
My gaze slid over to Roxy, who was sprawled out on one side.
Seeing her snoring, it seemed she had fallen into a deep sleep.
‘They are not things that will disappear pointlessly, but are all dignified beings.’
Whether it was a Chimera or Roxy’s child who was not yet born.
***
A few days passed.
‘Pretoria.’
That was our current destination.
Pretoria was a small territory in the western region of the kingdom surrounding the Imperial Capital, and it was a place that acted quite cleverly while strictly maintaining neutrality amidst the confrontation between Springeus and Windermere.
‘It is like that now.’
……In my past life, it was nothing more than one of the supply bases for the Imperial army.
“It’s been a while~ Pretoria. I’ll probably be able to get various kinds of help. The Lord here dotes on me a lot.”
Roxy said as she stretched her body fully.
It had already been over a week since we left Brakenport.
It was true that supplies were needed, but there was a more important reason.
“I haven't seen them in a long time. They say kids grow up in a flash in just a few days, I wonder if I won't even be able to recognize them.”
They were the young martial priests of Solari, Krnock and Deli.
Ahead of the rough journey, I had them join the gathering place where Noser’s subordinates were gathered in advance.
That gathering place was Pretoria.
“Quite a lot of time has passed. I’m starting to feel sorry.”
“A pilgrimage has no meaning if it is only smooth. Is it not that enlightenment is gained through trials and hardships.”
“Mmm.”
“Don’t worry, brother. No matter how much they are children, they are the lambs of Elzerus. They are never weak.”
Pretoria sat between mountains and a lake.
The calm light of the water and the ridges colored in various shades combined to form an impressive, peaceful, and pastoral landscape.
‘I only knew the name in my past life, but this is my first time coming here in person.’
If it was such a quiet place, the soldiers of the Imperial Capital Knight Order, as well as rowdy kids like Krnock and Deli, would likely stand out immediately.
However, no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t find any trace of them.
“Let’s go to the mansion. If it’s me, the Lord will meet us right away.”
The Lord’s mansion was at the end of a street lined with lush maple trees.
It was just as Roxy said. The Lord of Pretoria welcomed us warmly and—
“You just came up after being in the south all this time? Is that true, Roxy?”
“Yes!”
“Then you must not know the fact that your Windermere and Springeus are at war.”
“……Yes?”
Along with the shocking news—
“I understand that the Imperial Capital Knight Order soldiers who were staying here until recently have joined the Springeus camp.”
“Then, do you perhaps know the whereabouts of the children who were with them?”
“Of course, those children also went together…….”
“What?!”
He even informed us of the appalling situation.