get-shopping Chapter 325: If you dare to ask for a price
Chapter 325: If you dare to ask for a price
“Wow…”Llewellyn let out a gasp of amazement at the scene before his eyes.
“Are they crazy?”
Even Arendt was momentarily speechless.
Where there had once been a small but peaceful coastal estate, a huge pit now stood gaping open, welcoming them.
“This is no joke.”
Arendt spoke without realizing it.
Because of the horrific scene before their eyes, even the calm sea in the near distance and the gentle sea breeze felt unreal.
It was as if the entire estate had been scooped up with a shovel in one go. There wasn’t even a trace left of where the estate had been, let alone any fragments of buildings.
“Surely only a dragon could dream of doing something like this.”
Arthur groaned. Richt shared a similar sentiment.
“I can understand what you mean by how it seemed to have been destroyed in an instant.”
There would hardly be any need for a thorough investigation.
Anyone who looked at it saw that the territory had been blown away in an instant.
It was an act of destruction on a scale that left them speechless even as they confronted the Evil Cult and encountered all sorts of bizarre things. It was obvious how bewildered the Nephele Royal Family must have been when they first encountered this scene.
Arendt, who had been silent for a moment, asked Lexion.
“I’m asking just in case, but are you sure it was Nikephoros’ doing? Is there a possibility that another dragon was involved?”
“That can’t be. There are still traces of his magic left here and there.”
When Lexion answered curtly, Arendt asked another question.
“Do you feel any other signs?”
“Not really. It seems like there aren’t any humans, homunculi, or ghouls right now. But don’t let your guard down.”
Homunculi and ghouls would be no match for Lexion, but there was no way to know when or where Nikephoros might intervene.
“All right.”
Richt nodded with a stern face and shouted at the knights.
“Be careful not to stray too far from each other, and stay alert to your surroundings as you search. If you sense anything unusual, report it immediately, but if necessary, you’re authorized to respond on the spot.”
“Yes!”
The knights who had answered politely scattered towards the huge pit where Count Motier’s estate was located.
Arendt, who was looking at his seniors moving, turned his gaze towards Lexion.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll keep watch from the sky.”
Lexion blurted out a short comment and snapped his fingers.
At that moment, Lexion’s unique black magic instantly enveloped his body.
A moment later, a giant bird suddenly appeared from where the magic had dispersed and flew into the sky where dawn was breaking.
“We don’t have time to dawdle, so let’s get moving.”
Arendt tapped Llewellyn, who was standing nearby, on the shoulder.
“Take the lead.”
“What?”
At the sudden remark, Llewellyn blinked in surprise. Arendt gave him a blatantly contemptuous look.
“You should take the lead. Why else would I have brought you here? Isn’t exploration your specialty? You were the one who insisted on seeing the scene for yourself.”
“Ah…!”
Only then did Llewellyn come to his senses.
For a moment, he was dazed by the overwhelming sight before him, but he was an explorer.
After a moment of staring blankly, he flashed a sly smile.
“You finally recognize my true worth. Just follow me. After all, I am the leader of the Explorers’ Union.”
“Okay, then get moving. There’s no time.”
The apprentice knight waved his hand and spoke in annoyance, but Llewellyn was already in a good mood and the words did not affect him.
As Llewelyn took his first step with a pleased expression, Arendt muttered briefly from behind him.
“Since we brought along a tracking dog, we might as well make good use of it.”
“…”
Llewellyn, who was about to enthusiastically take the lead, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Arthur and Richt gave him pitiful looks.
Regardless of whether he was the Third Prince of the Everan Kingdom or the leader of the renowned Explorers’ Union, to Arendt he seemed like nothing more or less than a well-behaved detection dog.
Arendt thought of dragons as a convenient means of transportation and a good allied force to use in annoying situations, so there was nothing particularly surprising about it.
Arendt urged Llewellyn forward by pushing against his stiffened back.
“What are you doing? Get moving.”
“What a real bastard…”
But Llewellyn had no other choice. In the end, he had no choice but to hunch his shoulders and walk with a feeble gait.
After Arendt and Lexion left, the rest of the group, including Laius, remained at the Marquis’ house and stood guard.
The appearance of the spider monster seen at dawn left Marquis Raytar in a state of confusion, and he was as tense as a stirred up beehive.
After the body was recovered and the fake spirit stone was retrieved, Isabella went to see the Marquis while the knights were comforting the people.
It was to notify them that the search of the Marquis’ estate would begin, and that interviews with the officials and servants would be conducted.
“Just as Grimson was a member of the Evil Cult, there may be enemy spies within. I won’t be disrespectful, so I’d appreciate your understanding.”
“Disrespectful? Not at all!”
Marquis Raytar jumped up in surprise.
“If Your Highness hadn’t come to visit, the territory would have been devastated by that spider monster. Of course I should cooperate. I never thought Grimson, that guy, would have had any evil intentions…”
It wasn’t that strange. If he had refused to be searched, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to be grouped with Grimson.
Besides, Marquis Raytar was already terrified of the spider homunculus.
Fearing that the monster might jump out again, the Marquis was extremely anxious that Isabella might leave at any moment.
“If you need anything, please feel free to ask. I will be happy to help you with anything.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
To protect the terrified Marquis, Isabella assigned two of her royal knights to act as his escort.
The Marquis, who had no idea that they were also acting as watchdogs, was at a loss as to what to do with himself.
“In the end, the Marquis seems truly innocent.”
Zakar said so after hearing the situation from Isabella. Laius also thought the same.
“Then we need to carefully watch the officials working in the castle.”
Those with the power to block information about Count Motier were the most likely suspects.
Isabella nodded.
“And lower-level officials and servants who could cooperate with them are also suspects.”
The Crown Princess, who had been silent for a moment, added:
“…I really can’t let my guard down for even a moment. I guess I’ve been taking things too lightly up until now.”
It was never an easy task to identify enemies based solely on their faith.
This was the extent of what happened in a small territory on the outskirts. If something like this had happened in the royal capital, it would have fallen without anyone noticing.
“Once I return to the palace, I will have to reorganize the interior.”
Isabella made a firm resolution.
With Alois deposed and Isabella having become the Crown Princess, the royal palace had been in a state of turmoil for a while.
Because of that, the reality was that they were not able to be on guard against the Evil Cult.
Even if it was unavoidable due to circumstances, it cannot be denied that they were complacent.
“They say they haven’t found any special signs yet.”
Zakar naturally changed the subject.
“As Captain Laius said, I have ordered a close watch to see if anyone suddenly becomes confused or violent, but so far we have not found anyone showing any unusual symptoms.”
It meant that Chernion’s protection still surrounded them.
According to Richt’s report, when the faith was lost and the power of the artifact was broken, a faint magical power was felt to leave the believers.
The fact that no such signs had appeared until now meant that everyone was still maintaining their faith.
For a moment, Zakar remained silent before letting out a groan.
“To not lose faith even when facing such a monster… it’s impressive in a way.”
If you thought about it, they were traitors. The kingdom had been worshipping God Luce for a long time.
It was surprising that they could have such a strong faith when it had only been a short time since God Chernion had invaded the territory.
Laius answered blandly.
“That is the power of the artifact. Once you have faith, you can receive the power of the Breath of Mnemosyne. If you are affected by it, it seems that it is not easy to leave the cult voluntarily.”
“But how can they turn their backs on the god they have served their whole lives in an instant…”
When the Crown Princess, with a clouded expression, asked, Laius answered in a subdued voice.
“It’s not that strange.”
“Yes?”
Zakar and Isabella looked at Laius simultaneously. Accepting their surprised gazes, Laius spoke indifferently.
“The human mind can suddenly change with just one event.”
It was a strange thing to say.
This was especially true because the one who said those words was Laius, the Master of the Holy Sword.
Isabella, briefly pausing as she searched for the right words, finally managed to ask a difficult question.
“Are you saying that you can understand them, Captain?”
“…It may not be a matter of understanding or not.”
Suddenly, something Arendt always said came to mind, and Laius spoke without thinking.
“Devotion without compensation is an illusion. No matter which god you follow, you are still human, so believers have no choice but to entrust themselves to the god who will grant their wishes.”
Just like he did just before he took hold of the Holy Sword.
Laius, who had been fiddling with the Holy Sword without realizing it, suddenly realized that the surroundings had become quiet.
Zakar and Isabella stared at him with complicated eyes and pursed mouths.
Laius blinked several times and belatedly realized his mistake.
“I’m sorry. I spoke for too long.”
“No. It is true that it is an issue that we should think about at least once.”
Isabella nodded slightly.
Zakar, who had been silent for a while, began to speak again.
“So you’re saying that a person’s mind changing might just be a phenomenon?”
Laius did not answer. It was a silence that signified affirmation.
This time, Isabella was the one to speak.
“There is a cause for every phenomenon. If we can’t find the cause, it will be difficult to come up with a solution.”
“If I may venture to say, I think we will soon find out the reason.”
Laius muttered briefly.
“The questions Arendt asked Your Highness while we were on the move probably provided a clue. I haven’t received a report from Arendt about it yet, but we should know the results soon.”
“What on earth is Sir Arendt up to…”
Isabella let out a sound of exasperation.
Zakar didn’t say anything either, but it seemed like he shared the same sentiment.
Laius continued speaking calmly.
“Right now, the most important thing is to resolve this situation. The key is how the enemy will respond.”
“If things continue like this, it seems unlikely that a rebellion will break out within the Marquisate.”
Zakar nodded and answered.
Elves and knights set up camp, and even Marquis Raytar showed strong antipathy towards the Evil Cult.
Since they could easily lose their heads before they could even fight properly, the enemies would have given up on rising from within.
“Then, there is a possibility that they will attack from the outside. Above all, there is a possibility that the dragon itself will come forward, so we must never let our guard down.”
Isabella burst into laughter at Laius’ words.
“Really… If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I might have laughed it off as an exaggeration.”
The looming danger was something she could feel deep in her bones, growing closer with every passing moment.
Isabella murmured, almost like a lament.
“It looks like it’s going to be a very long few days.”