Laius, who had been silent for a mont, spoke.
“…That’s a rather early deploynt.”
“True, it does feel a bit premature, but for now, it’s best to gain real combat experience as soon as possible.”
Cantares tilted his head.
“I find it even more surprising that you didn’t know that. Didn’t you frequently visit the Great Temple while training the soldiers?”
“That’s true, but I was too busy with other matters to receive the ssage. It seems High Priest Lumiel was considerate enough to inform us directly.”
“…Well, anyway. It seems like they’re prioritizing practical training for now. It would be difficult to deploy them imdiately to fight the Chernion Cult, so for the ti being, they’ll focus on rear support.”
Cantares frowned for a mont and then continued speaking.
“Their first mission is to investigate the recent indiscriminate destruction of uninhabited temples on the outskirts. If they discover any evidence of direct involvent with the Chernion Cult, the mission will be passed directly to the Imperial Knights.”
Two more incidents have occurred recently, and the perpetrators have yet to be caught. Cantares sighed briefly.
“Judging by the prisoner’s testimony… it doesn’t seem unrelated. They’re deliberately stirring things up.”
“…Yes. That seems very likely. We should also ask the temple forces to act with greater caution. We can’t know when the enemy might strike again.”
Laius, who had been silent for a mont, nodded.
“If you have no other business, may I take my leave now? I apologize, but I have other engagents afterward.”
“Of course. I’ve kept you too long already, you’re a busy man as it is.”
Cantares chuckled mischievously.
“You are indeed the hero of the Holy Sword. Isn’t that right?”
“…To , it’s rely a title far greater than I deserve. Then, if you’ll excuse , I’ll take my leave.”
Laius bowed deeply deeply and promptly exited the office.
At first, he crossed the hallway as calmly as ever, keeping up his usual composed façade.
But as the Crown Prince’s office gradually got farther away, Laius’ pace began to get faster and faster.
Laius returned to his office in a flash, maintaining a pace between a job and a brisk walk.
“…”
Contrary to his claims of having other engagents, Laius didn’t venture out for a long ti. He simply paced busily around the room, his face agitated, lost in thought.
‘High Priest.’
Although he had spoken of consideration in front of the Crown Prince earlier, Laius knew better than anyone…
That High Priest Lumiel was by no ans an easygoing person.
She was certainly compassionate and gentle, but at the sa ti, she was also the most demanding and stubborn person.
There was undoubtedly another reason why the deploynt schedule had been kept from Laius until now.
‘This is difficult.’
As that thought struck him, Laius suddenly ca to a halt.
At that very mont, one person who could share his viewpoint imdiately ca to mind.
‘Surely, it would be that person.’
The thought didn’t last long. Without hesitation, Laius picked up the communication port on his desk.
After a while.
After a few flashes of the communication port, the other party answered.
-This is the Khan Union. What is your business?
Laius answered Henry’s question imdiately.
“This is Laius de Winfried.”
-Ah? Captain Laius?
Henry asked back, his voice filled with both surprise and puzzlent.
It was surprising.
Because Laius was soone who rarely got involved with the Khan Union.
But instead of explaining the situation further, Laius got straight to the point.
“I’m sorry to suddenly ask this, but is the Vice Leader there?”
-Arcus… Yes, he’s here now.
Henry answered, still a bit dazed.
-If you have any urgent business or ssage, I’ll pass it on. Or would you rather talk in person?
“Please arrange for a direct conversation. And if possible, I would like the Union Leader to join us.”
-…Did sothing happen?
After a brief silence, Henry asked seriously.
“It’s not that, but it seems we’ll need your help.”
-So, not the Union… but and Arcus?
Henry managed to discern the hidden aning in Laius’ words.
“Yes, that’s right. And this isn’t an official duty or formal mission, it’s a personal request.”
Laius answered simply. He gripped the communication port tightly.
“If any problems arise later, I will take full responsibility.”
“What on earth do you take for?”
It was midnight.
He snapped irritably at Arendt, who had shown up suddenly.
Arendt, who was leisurely leaning on the sofa and reading a docunt, answered without even lifting his head.
“A convenient reptile.”
“You little bastard, do you really want to die? I have no complaints about helping that weird Count with his research, but what the hell are you trying to do here?”
Lexion replied fiercely.
“You were the one who told him to bite his tongue and die, but why am I the one cleaning up the ss?”
Only then did Arendt put down the docunt and look up at Lexion.
“I did say ‘die,’ but I never said I’d just let them die.”
“So why should I…”
“Lord Lexion, you have the most free ti. And this is sothing only you can do.”
The priests of the Chernion Cult, awakened from their deep sleep, realized that they could not escape, and began to attempt suicide one by one.
Arendt, anticipating this, placed Lexion as a guard right in front of the place where the priests were isolated.
As a result, the priests were subdued by Lexion and forced to be healed right before they could escape to their deaths.
The priests were repeatedly brought to the brink of death and then revived, and their ntal strength gradually wore down and they beca worn out.
Lexion was also running out of patience.
Watching people curse and habitually attempt suicide wasn’t exactly good for his ntal health either.
But…
“I told you to keep watch, so why are you here just whining and complaining?”
Arendt was rciless.
“You disrespectful brat… The Count put them back to sleep, cast a sleep spell, and then left the room.”
“And yet, you’re good at doing what you’re told to do. Why are you complaining if that’s the case?”
“…”
Lexion, who had quietly clenched his fist, considered for a mont whether to strike him.
But for now, he decided to hold back. If he hit him while he was really annoyed, he might lose control of his strength.
“Not bad at all. But now that people are starting to open up, one by one, sothing interesting might happen soon.”
Arendt, leaning back, spoke leisurely. Most of what ca out of the prisoners’ mouths proved that Arendt’s usual blasphemous remarks weren’t entirely wrong.
As he was organizing everything and sending it to the palace without missing a single thing, the Crown Prince must have been quite confused.
‘It seems like they’ve decided to keep it a secret, seeing as it’s still quiet… ‘
If the nobles had known about this, there would have been an uproar by now.
However, it seed as if Cantares and the other captains had decided to remain silent. It was uncharacteristic of him, but on the other hand, it was probably the best choice for the Crown Prince of the Holy Empire.
But life seldom goes according to plan.
“What on earth are you waiting for? What do you do every night?”
Lexion frowned disapprovingly.
“What I’m doing is still a secret. And yes, I am waiting for sothing…”
Arendt, who trailed off for a mont, tilted his head.
“There aren’t any bites yet. I think it’s about ti though.”
“What?”
“I wonder if soone is interfering… or if our people are just less competent than I thought.”
Lexion, who still didn’t understand, asked again, but Arendt just kept saying what he wanted to say.
“It certainly doesn’t seem to be ineffective.”
In front of Arendt were docunts sent by Neumann’s informants and the Khan Union.
At least within the Caerleon Empire, the trend of missing people was decreasing.
At the sa ti, Laius’ popularity was increasing day by day as he was fighting against evil.
‘Honestly, it felt like I was gambling…’
The result was as expected.
But what bothered him was that those who should have noticed by now were still silent.
‘That’s beyond my control.’
But Arendt didn’t hesitate long. Lexion, still frustrated by his vague answer, was about to ask again.
“You really…”
The communication crystal on the desk began to blink quietly.
Instead of imdiately getting up, Arendt stared intently at Lexion, as if daring him to say more.
“…Enough. Take that.”
“Yes.”
Only then did Arendt sit up and grab the communication device.
As soon as the connection was established, a familiar voice returned.
-It’s .
It was Warren.
From the deep, somber voice, Arendt and Lexion instinctively sensed that sothing unusual had happened.
“Did sothing strange happen?”
-I subdued the ones lurking around the prince and princess.
Warren gave a roughly expected answer. After glancing at Lexion, Arendt asked:
“So, what did you do? Were they human?”
– No. To be exact, they were ghouls that used to be humans. No matter how much I tore them apart, they kept regenerating…
Warren glanced at the things sprawled beneath his feet.
The foul stench of rotten blood stung his nose unpleasantly.
“First, I tore them apart, leaving only the head.”
The floor was strewn with crimson fragnts. Only five heads, hastily filled with dirt instead of gags, were barely holding their form.
The ghoul priests, having lost their bodies, seed desperate to scream, but with their mouths gagged, they could only manage muffled, choked noises.
-That’s a very werewolf-like way.
Arendt answered in a voice that was hard to tell whether he was horrified or mocking.
Warren asked, holding the ghoul’s hair, which was dripping black blood.
“I don’t think it’s just five of them. Should I subdue them alive?”
-If possible, capture one or two, or maybe three, but don’t waste ti trying to catch too many alive.
As usual, a nonchalant reply ca back.
-Don’t forget. The most important thing is to protect the prince and princess.
“I know. I relayed the situation to the Duke before I left, so they’ll be fine.”
Arendt spoke leisurely from across the communication port.
-Don’t wake people up and cause a commotion for no reason. Keep the hunt quiet and orderly.
“Understood.”
In contrast to his calm voice, Warren’s eyes, shining like the moon in the darkness, revealed the wildness he had been hiding until now.
It was the mont when the beast, who had been pretending to be a docile puppy, revealed its true nature.
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