Chapter 131
(Kyle
Calendar Year 508: Age 15)
Escape from
a Predicament
Translator : PolterGlast
On the way back to the
Royal Capital, our party encountered an express rider dispatched by Knight
Commander Gouras.
"I have come as
an urgent messenger from His Excellency Gouras to Baron Solis. Your party is to
return to the Royal Capital immediately. Upon your return, you have an urgent
message to visit His Excellency Klein at the academy! You must be tired from
your long journey, but this is an urgent matter, so please attend to it."
From the Royal
Capital? And why the Knight Commander himself? And to the Headmaster?
I was confused, unable
to grasp the situation.
"At any rate, the
fact that the Knight Commander himself dispatched a messenger means this is an
emergency. Let us return to the Royal Capital immediately," Anne proposed.
From there, we quickened our horses and rushed to the Royal Capital.
※
Two days later, having
entered the Royal Capital gates earlier than planned, I headed directly to the
academy without even changing my travel attire.
"Baron, I've been
waiting for you. You are in a very precarious state now. I asked Gouras to send
an express rider. Does your early return mean the message reached you
safely?"
"Yes, I met the
messenger on the way back. By the way, about my precarious state... what
exactly has happened?"
"I apologize for
the abruptness, but first, let me explain what happened during the Baron's
absence..."
The Headmaster's
explanation was astonishing. It was then that I first learned that malicious,
baseless rumors were spreading throughout the Royal Capital, placing me in an
extremely dangerous position. I was made to realize just how naive the concerns
we had been discussing until now truly were.
"In this matter,
neither the Margrave nor the Knight Commander can intervene. As involved
parties, they are in a position where they are being blamed for negligence in
supervision..."
So, I'm causing a
great deal of trouble for those two as well. I had gravely underestimated the
Restorationist Faction's moves.
"To begin with,
the root cause of this situation is a result of your carelessness. Do you
understand that?"
"Yes, I am deeply
ashamed of my own lack of virtue and inadequacy."
"You, who know
the value of Mages best, were the ones who treated that value most lightly.
That's how it is. Belatedly, you took countermeasures midway and sealed off the
Church. That was good. But you neglected to deal with the information that had
already leaked and carelessly allowed conspiracies to fester. This is the
result. The 26 Mages who have been exposed, even this number is a sufficient
threat. Originally, when you came to the Royal Capital and became acquainted
with us, you should have sought our assistance first and foremost. That's what
you should have done."
I hung my head,
listening to the Headmaster's words. Indeed, I had been too careless. I had
judged the world's movements by my own standards, despite having no knowledge
of court intrigues or political struggles.
"Well, we also
had countermeasures in place, but this time, they gained a step on us. That's
what happened. Now, Baron. How do you intend to recover from this
setback?"
"Yes, first and
foremost, I will deeply reflect on my own carelessness and naivety. Next, I
sincerely apologize for the trouble I have caused to Your Grace, Headmaster,
and everyone else. And I deeply engrave in my heart my gratitude for the
measures you have devised in this matter."
I paused, then bowed
deeply and sincerely to the Headmaster.
"Although it's
belated, we would like to humbly request your continued assistance. The Solis
Barony wishes to apply for all 37 Mages it currently possesses to become Royal
Command Mages. However, we believe that would be uninspired. For the 26 Mages
currently rumored, we hope to make their information public. As for the
remaining 11, we hope to keep their numbers and details confidential, known
only to ourselves, His Excellency Klein, and the Royalist Faction."
"Oh! You had 37
Mages? Even my intelligence network didn't reach that far!"
"Yes, formally,
Baron Solis applied for all Mages to become Royal Command Mages. We would like
this fact itself to be circulated as a rumor based on truth. And for the 26
Mages, we will officially release information such as their names and magical
attributes. As for the remaining 11, we hope they can be utilized as
information known only to us, His Excellency Klein, and the Royalist Faction.
We have already prepared documents detailing all Mages, divided into the 26 and
11 groups."
Saying that, I
presented the documents to the Headmaster. He immediately began to peruse them.
"Oh! So, even
without knowing about this situation, you intended to entrust everything to us!
That is commendable. It makes them worth protecting... What?! Impossible! A
Gravity Mage?!"
The Headmaster cried
out in astonishment upon seeing Yoltia's information.
"A Gravity Mage
has been absent from the Kingdom for a long time. Originally, the lineage of
the clan that controlled Gravity Magic, even that Duke's family, their
bloodline for Gravity Magic has died out. While the bloodline magic of Gravity
has died out among the nobility, and other attributes of bloodline magic are
now inherited in every house... You truly are..."
"Yes, she is
currently one of my wives and is engaged in the defense of Teigun. Last year,
His Majesty also witnessed a part of her abilities, and she is diligently
honing her magic daily as a trump card to repel tens of thousands of Imperial
troops."
"I see, so that's
why His Majesty... Now that I think about it, this matter of the Royal Command
Mages was His Majesty's idea. He strictly ordered us to protect the Solis
Barony's Mages no matter what. Now it makes sense. You, remember that you owe
His Majesty a great debt."
"Yes, Your
Excellency! I will deeply engrave it in my heart and, in gratitude and loyalty,
promise to continue serving the Kingdom."
As I thought, His
Majesty knew about Yoltia. I was convinced of this and deeply grateful for His
Majesty's consideration and protection.
"Regarding the
Mages, I will handle it as you suggested. The information on these 11 Mages,
including this Gravity Mage, will be kept secret by us for the time being. They
will become a major card in the future. The names and magical attributes of the
26 Mages will be made public, and only the fact that all Mages have been
applied for will be announced. Most will probably think those 26 are all there
are. This should clear your suspicion for now."
"Thank you, Your
Excellency."
"But even if the
suspicion is cleared, the threat and anxiety will remain. That will become a
breeding ground for new schemes. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, Your
Excellency. What should I do from now on to demonstrate my loyalty to the
Kingdom?"
"It is
regrettable for you, but the situation on the eastern border is currently
precarious. It is highly likely that war will break out between spring and
summer. You will lead Mages and rush there as reinforcements, serving as a
shield to protect the Kingdom. If so, those who voice anxiety and suspicion
will have no ground to stand on."
"Yes, Your
Excellency! Understood. How many troops should I lead?"
"You are not
originally involved in the eastern theater. However, you have a proven track
record in military operations utilizing Mages. You shall convey that to the
defense forces and provide assistance from the shadows there. It would suffice
to lead about 10 Mages, and your military escort of 100 men would maintain
appearances."
"Understood, Your
Excellency. I will immediately discuss this with my subordinates and proceed
with preparations."
"Indeed. We are
well aware of your past achievements and unquestionable loyalty. However,
remember that the enemy will view such things with malicious intent. We, too,
are gradually proceeding with the 【major clean-up】 you spoke of. You may
leave this matter to us. I apologize for calling you here when you are tired
from your long journey. Return, rest well, and gather your strength for what
lies ahead."
"Thank you, Your
Excellency. I humbly request your continued support. I also thank His
Excellency again."
With that, I excused
myself from the Headmaster.
I suppose I had managed to escape the immediate crisis, but as things stood, we had taken on a new set of challenges.
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