Chapter 201 : The Marquis of Envy, Leo Fortia (8)
When I came to, the battlefield was already being brought to order.
Mihaila rushed among the countless wounded. The Divine Archer and the Grand Duke were scratching their heads, looking mutually embarrassed.
And what's more…
Lea and Lancelot are badly wounded.
It seemed they were the ones who had secured this victory.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue in self-reproach. To think I had lost consciousness and put them all in danger. I hated myself for it.
“…My liege.”
Just then, Roxen approached. He was staggering.
His wounds were only less severe when compared to Lancelot's; Roxen was just as grievously injured.
“Why… did you bring Lancelot?”
Lancelot was currently draped over Roxen’s shoulder. The way they both limped, anyone would have mistaken them for defeated soldiers.
And yet, both of them were smiling.
“You’ve awakened.”
“Only because you all held the line.”
“Heh… I hardly did anything. This was all Lancelot’s doing.”
Roxen nudged Lancelot with a smile.
I stared at Lancelot, surprised. “Lancelot?”
With a sullen look, Lancelot said, “What’s with that look? It’s creeping me out.”
“Just tell me what happened.” I waved a dismissive hand.
Lancelot scowled.
Roxen let out a soft laugh and continued the story. “Lancelot has reached the level of a Grand Master.”
“What……?”
“And I hear he even used a Mindscape.”
“…Is that true?” I asked, my voice filled with disbelief.
A Mindscape.
Hadn’t it taken even me a considerable amount of time to master that technique after becoming a Grand Master? And Roxen here, who was also a Grand Master, still hadn’t grasped the first inkling of how to use one.
Yet Lancelot had used a Mindscape.
Immediately after reaching that level!
“Seriously… what is with that look?”
“…Frankly, I’m astonished.”
“Damn it, he’s not even listening to me,” Lancelot grumbled.
But I couldn’t help my reaction. I had never imagined Lancelot would advance so far.
In truth, I had always assumed Lea would be the first to reach the Grand Master level. She was called the greatest talent on the continent, after all. And she possessed an unyielding drive to improve.
Yet in reality, it was the others in my unit who had reached the Grand Master level. Lea remained at the peak of the Master rank, her progress stalled.
Of course, that in itself is an incredible achievement…
But when her peers were monsters who became Grand Masters in under a year, it was only natural for her to feel anxious.
I’ll need to check on Lea first.
I shook my head and sighed.
“Still, to defeat the Twelve Nobles, even as a new Grand Master… that’s astonishing.”
“Lancelot did it alone,” Roxen said, ruffling Lancelot’s hair. “The rest of us, myself included, were being controlled.”
He treated him like a younger brother.
Lancelot yelped in exasperation. “Hey! Stop messing with my hair, you old geezer!”
“I’m not that much older than you. You should call me brother.”
“What is wrong with you today?! Captain! Tell this guy to back off!”
The two of them squabbled.
Watching them, I finally felt myself relax.
“You did well,” I said quietly to Lancelot.
I could piece together the general situation. The northern forces had been controlled by the power of the Twelve Nobles, and they had been on the verge of annihilation.
And Lancelot had been the one to stop it.
Those two Grand Masters standing over there looking awkward must have been controlled as well.
I wonder how many he had to face alone.
Despite the extreme situation, he had saved everyone in my absence.
No matter that it was Lancelot, he deserved praise for that.
Regardless, Lancelot looked as if he might have a fit.
“Gah! Seriously, what is wrong with you two today?!”
“…You make it impossible to praise you.”
“It’s weird because you never do it!”
Anyone watching would think I’d never praised him a day in my life.
“That’s enough. Go and get some rest. Healing can’t erase exhaustion.”
I waved Lancelot and Roxen off.
Just then, Lancelot hesitated before letting out a heavy sigh.
“Hah, fine, I get it. Just be quiet for a second.”
“…Was that meant for me?”
“No. There’s a ghost chattering in my ear.”
I gave Lancelot a pitying look. Just how grueling had the battle been for him to have lost his mind?
“…I know it sounds insane, but I’m not.”
“Right, of course you’re not…”
“No, it’s true! Hey, Your Highness, say something! How can it be that only I can hear you?!”
Lancelot began to rant at the empty air.
Just then, something began to glitter in the air, slowly taking form.
“…A stone?”
A black stone. A faintly shimmering black stone materialized in midair.
Lancelot snatched the stone from the air and muttered at nothing again. “I just need to give him this?”
After muttering a bit more, he held the stone out to me.
“He says you’ll be able to talk to him if you hold this.”
“…Is that right?”
“Yes, it’s true! Ugh, just take it!”
Lancelot tossed the stone to me.
What in the world was this? It looked like nothing more than an ordinary pebble…
—Ah, ah. Can you hear me?
“…Hm?”
“Can you hear something?” Roxen asked.
“…I can.”
I let out a hollow laugh and nodded.
I could actually hear it.
I had honestly thought Lancelot had lost his mind.
“So, who are you?”
—Heh… Like master, like man. You even speak the same way.
…That’s unsettling.
—I am the third rising sun of the Empire, a soul murdered by the Ducal House of Praha.
—And, at the same time, a companion to your subordinate.
“…Are you claiming to be His Highness, the Third Prince?”
—Indeed. It seems impertinence comes standard with you.
I glanced at Lancelot, unable to believe it.
Lancelot sighed and nodded back.
“Uh… I didn’t believe it at first either, but it seems he really is His Highness, the Third Prince. He said that monster, the Marquis of Envy, stole his body.”
—Well, I was already dead by then, but close enough.
I sighed, listening to the exchange between Lancelot and the voice claiming to be the Third Prince. It seemed genuine, but…
“…For now, I will address you as ‘Your Highness.’ Is there something you wanted to say?”
—…Yes, this is definitely the Louis Berg I remember. An ill-mannered brat who lived like a degenerate. How in the world did someone like you become a Grand Master?
“…I doubt you materialized this stone just to pick a fight.”
—Ah, my apologies. So much has changed, I was lost in thought. By the way… are you planning on world conquest?
“Excuse me?”
—Four Grand Masters in a single unit… and one is the daughter of the Ice Sword. A peak-level Master, is she? Hah, not even His Imperial Majesty’s army could boast such power…
The Third Prince clicked his tongue in wonder.
After chattering on for a while, he paused.
—Ahem… My apologies, I’ve digressed. I created this channel of communication because I have a favor to ask of you.
The Third Prince cleared his throat before continuing.
“A favor, you say?”
—Yes. I hope you will hear me out, considering the wrongs your wife’s family committed against me.
“…You are a shrewd one. Very well, I will listen.”
—It is a simple matter. I have heard that you possess a Halo. Is this true?
A Halo?
Puzzled by his question, I nonetheless nodded.
At my nod, the Third Prince’s voice brightened considerably, and he began to make his request.
—Oh! Then you can indeed grant my wish!
He began to chuckle gleefully.
The Third Prince continued.
—Louis Berg, servant of the Empire. I beseech you, can you grant me eternal rest?
“…Excuse me?”
—If you grant my wish, I will leave behind the remaining power of Envy.
What the Third Prince wanted… was his own eternal death.
* * *
After hearing the Third Prince’s request, I told him I needed time to think and left.
If I could grant his wish, I would do so gladly. If he had truly been imprisoned by the Marquis of Envy, then he was a victim in all this.
But what if.
What if he wasn’t the real Third Prince?
What if this was some Demonkin plot?
My thoughts grew tangled.
Besides, I didn’t even know how to help a soul pass on. He’d said to use the Halo, but I knew nothing beyond that.
“…Can he be trusted?” I muttered, letting out a slow breath.
As I was briefly lost in thought, Lancelot approached.
“Captain, you in there?”
He glanced around inside my tent before speaking.
“…You don’t trust him, do you?”
Is it that obvious?
“I don’t. The Demonkin possess all kinds of bizarre powers.”
Lancelot considered my words for a moment, then spoke slowly.
“…He might be suspicious, but he helped me. If His Highness hadn’t, I’d be dead right now.”
“…Is that right.”
“I’d like you to at least try using the Halo. I know it’s an unreasonable request, but I’ll pay you back for it later…”
Lancelot bowed his head low.
Honestly.
Why was he so invested in something that wasn’t his problem?
“…Enough. Raise your head. I was already leaning toward helping him.”
“Ah!”
Lancelot’s face lit up.
It seemed that becoming a Grand Master had brought about some change in his disposition.
“Heh. Is he with you now?” I asked with a dry laugh.
Lancelot handed the stone back to me.
—Have you made your decision?
“I have. I will help you. However, I wish to give the power of Envy to someone else.”
—That is possible. That young woman should be able to assimilate it. She was already slightly tainted with demonic energy, after all.
“…It seems you knew I intended to give it to Lea.”
—Anyone could tell just from the way you look at her. You stare at the girl constantly.
“…We’ll set that aside for now. So, what do I need to do?”
Using the Halo.
That was the only instruction the Third Prince had given me.
Surely, something more was required to help a soul pass on…
—You simply need to attack me while your Halo is active. To be precise, you must infuse this stone with the Halo’s divine power.
“…Is that really all there is to it?”
—Yes. That is sufficient.
It was a surprisingly simple method.
Half-skeptical, half-curious, I manifested my Halo.
Fwoooosh!
A drop of blood trickled from the Stigmata as the Halo began to spin.
The Halo of the Thorn Crown.
Seeing the Halo, the Third Prince’s voice filled with joy.
—…At last, I can depart.
I gave him a brief, respectful nod and drew upon my Aura.
And then, finally.
I poured the Aura from my Halo into the stone.