Episode 351.1 |
(EP-351.1) #1
351 – Abandonment #1
The northern witches’ city, Sandora, was as vast as its long and storied history.
Thanks to that, it was always bustling with people, but today, the sheer number of visitors filling its streets and alleys made it nearly impossible to find a place to step.
“Wow.”
For Narmi, it must have been her first time seeing such a massive crowd.
“There are so many people! Those bald guys over there must be Sephiroth monks from the Eastern Mountains. I never thought I’d see them in the North! Should I go say hi?”
Narmi and the imps were completely absorbed in watching the people who had gathered from all over.
“Are all of these people here for the martial festival? There must be over ten thousand of them!”
“Not all of them are here to participate in the festival. But in a way, you could say they’re here for the ‘festival.’”
Mirna’s crimson eyes turned toward the street vendors who had laid out mats, selling unfamiliar and exotic goods. Nearby, noble ladies sat in palanquins, elegantly fanning themselves with the help of their attendants.
It wasn’t just the “martial” participants who had gathered—people from all walks of life had come, drawn by the festival’s opportunities, filling the city with restless energy.
And in places like this, trouble was inevitable.
━Someone stole my wallet!
━Mom! Mom, where are you? I lost your hand!
━Who dared to touch Borbor’s tail…! This is extremely imp-phobic…!
It was truly chaotic.
I had vaguely predicted this would happen, so I allocated a lot of the budget and manpower to maintaining order, but it was proving difficult.
Somewhere in this city, Elga was leading her soldiers, handling all sorts of problems.
Just then, I caught sight of something—armor plated in silver, dyed with blue pigment.
At its center, a red cross gleamed. The sight was oddly familiar, and before I could place it, the crowd parted before them.
━The Inquisitors.
━Make way.
They were holy knights dispatched from the Gwangyeom Church.
Swords hung at their sides, and holy books were strapped to their waists.
Looking at their beautifully draped cloaks and banners, I felt a sense of romanticism for knights growing in my heart, as I became more accustomed to this medieval world.
I wasn’t sure if they were here to participate in the martial festival as well, but the northern residents’ reaction to them was far from welcoming.
━Those damn bastards.
━I can’t stand them.
Distrust burned in their eyes.
Seeing the distrust and unease in people’s gazes, I turned to Mirna and asked about it. As a devoted follower of the Gwangyeom Church, she would surely have some insight into this situation.
“The holy knights don't seem very well-liked here.”
Mirna lightly answered.
“Until a century ago, the North was the most active region for heretic hunts. Many witches and seekers died by the sword and torch.”
“I see…”
“I’ve also heard that the Tarantera family suffered significant losses in various disputes.”
Mirna's story reminded me that Aira hated going to church.
I had assumed it was simply because she didn't like the doctrines and policies of the church. But if there was a deep-seated resentment between her family and the church, then it made sense.
Especially considering that the church never acknowledged the Tarantera royalty. I had thought it was simply because they supported the old Angmar royal family, but perhaps there had been conflicts I wasn't aware of.
The reason I hadn't heard about it in court might be because it was an old, hidden grievance.
「You have calmly judged the situation!
You have gained experience points through the talent 《Calm Thinking》.
All job experience +5」
So that was how it was.
Now that I thought about it, sending Aira, the queen of the Tarantera family, to Ark—a facility under the church—was incredibly reckless.
I finally understood why Reinhardt had dismissed the idea as impossible when I first brought it up.
Taking the daughter of witches to Ark, the home of inquisitors and holy knights, for education? If I had known these facts beforehand, I would have completely reworked my plan.
“So, where’s the Queen right now?”
Narmi’s cheerful question pulled me out of my thoughts.
Ever since Aira woke up from her dream, days had passed, bringing us to the eve of the martial festival. As the main character of the event, Queen Aira had been so busy that it was hard to see her face.
“Sir Theo probably noticed as well. The Queen has changed.”
At Mirna’s quiet murmur, I nodded in agreement. Aira had indeed changed. Would it be right to say that some “vitality” had returned to her life?
Unlike before, when she would shut herself in the room and spend most of her time sleeping, she now showed enthusiasm for going out and doing various things. It was a positive change.
“With the opening ceremony tomorrow, I imagine she’s somewhere preparing.”
At my vague response, Mirna narrowed her eyes and nudged my side with her elbow.
“I thought Sir Theo knew everything about the Queen.”
“I thought so too.”
But believing you know everything about someone was nothing short of arrogance.
If there was one thing I learned from my time in Aira’s dream, it would be that there was still so much I didn’t know about her.
No—rather than Aira, I even doubted myself.
Edit by: faker