“Have you heard? They say an angel appeared in Justitia.”

“An angel… You mean a messenger from heaven? With wings?”

“Why would such a thing suddenly appear?”

“I heard some necromancer went on a rampage and killed the lord of Justitia. Because of that incident, many people were injured and the city was in chaos, but they say an angel appeared to punish the evil necromancer and comfort the soul of the dead lord.”

“Ah, I heard about that, too. Didn’t the necromancer turn to ashes and disappear before the holy light, and healing rain fell on the city? They say not only the injuries of those hit by the rain, but even the illnesses in their bodies all disappeared.”

“Come on, that’s too far-fetched a story no matter how you look at it. Isn’t it made up?”

“Ha! Has this person only been deceived in life? If you don’t believe it, go near Justitia. They’re selling the rainwater from that time in bottles, and it’s like a panacea, so countless people are trying to buy it even at enormous markups!”

The series of events that occurred in Justitia brought tremendous repercussions to the continent.

However, there was almost no mention of the forced trials conducted throughout Justitia or the broken scale.

What floated from mouth to mouth were only stories about the “angel” and the healing rain that angel brought.

This was partly because the miracle shown by the angel was so intense, but it was also the result of high-ranking officials from various places voluntarily keeping quiet.

“It’s ridiculous. Even though there’s no official announcement or statement from the Kingdom of Heaven’s side. The spectacle of them crawling to curry favor even a little. Those who usually place so much importance on face and authority are consistent only at times like this.”

Words mocking the noble bloods scattered across the continent poured from one man’s mouth.

At a glance, it sounded like the backbiting of a drunk in a tavern, but even if those “noble bloods” had heard these words, it wouldn’t have been easy for them to show anger.

It couldn’t be helped.

Words changed their meaning significantly depending on who uttered them.

If it were someone else, it might be different, but there were extremely few figures who could talk back to or even have a comfortable conversation with the highest authority in the empire, Duke Lennart.

Unfortunately, Maris von Lennart did not belong to that small minority.

Therefore, Maris involuntarily stiffened at the Duke’s gaze upon her.

“Maris.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Do you have anything to say about this incident?”

It was a question she had already anticipated.

Therefore, she brought out the answer she had prepared.

“I cannot deny that it was my mistake not to properly assess the Kingdom of Heaven’s capabilities and boldness. However, I don’t think the operation itself was bad.”

“Two of our clan members died as a result of your operation. Yet you still say that?”

“If we had continued to stay there without taking action, the damage would have been even greater. In any case, we were able to extract ourselves through this opportunity, and the damage to our prestige was minimized.”

The original plan to tarnish the Kingdom of Heaven’s honor wasn’t very successful.

The impact of the targeted hunting carried out by the clan members was buried under all sorts of chaos that occurred afterwards, after all.

But conversely, hardly anyone cared about the Lennart dojo leaving Justitia.

Even the instructors and disciples of the Justitia branch, who might have felt their face was damaged, didn’t assert their pride any further, perhaps intimidated by the incident that occurred this time. There was still talk from the main family’s side, but that was something they had anticipated, anyway.

Maris’ goal of “moving the dojo without any further unnecessary cost investment” was achieved.

“That’s just how it turned out. You just managed to land in a suitable place because luck was on your side. It’s hard to say it’s entirely your achievement. Would you deny that?”

“…I acknowledge it.”

When Maris nodded with a frustrated face, the Duke also didn’t press her any further.

As if there was no need to push further on something already known.

“There will be no special reward. Likewise, you won’t be held responsible for whatever repercussions come from this incident. I’ll inform the council of elders about that.”

“Yes.”

“What remains is about the sprout you said you discovered….”

In the Duke’s calm eyes, an emotion close to interest arose.

“Is it true that the mana of that child called Adelaide changed into the shape of violet lightning? Is there no possibility of your misconception?”

“I saw it clearly.”

“Interesting. Tell me, Conrad. How old was Elsa when she first manifested it?”

“Twenty-two, Your Grace.”

What answered the Duke’s question was empty air.

No, to be precise, it wasn’t empty air.

Maris had just unconsciously felt that way, but that man had been there from the beginning.

With his presence dimmed to the extreme, as if blended into the surrounding background.

What appeared like that was a man with a very naive-looking impression.

His apparent age was slightly younger than the Duke.

In contrast to the Duke, who made others shrink just by his unique atmosphere without showing particularly threatening words or expressions, the man called Conrad had an appearance that seemed to have no connection with violence throughout his life.

The sword at his waist looked so out of place that it seemed more fitting to give him a farming tool instead.

Of course, Maris didn’t underestimate him.

Conrad von Lennart.

He was one of the warriors inevitably mentioned when discussing the strongest swordsmen of this era, and the Duke’s guard knight that even the Guardian’s political opponents feared greatly.

“About 4 years earlier then? How old were you?”

“I had no talent at all, so it was around my mid-thirties.”

“Don’t say things that deceive others. Didn’t uncle prove that the manifestation of ‘that’ doesn’t necessarily correspond with the individual’s level in the first place?”

“Still, it’s true that having it helps. They say you can train mana, but it’s advantageous to be born with a lot, and they say masters don’t choose their weapons, but I’ve never seen a master among those I know who refuses good weapons.”

Watching the Duke and his guard knight continue a conversation only they understood, Maris quietly observed the situation.

After some time had passed, the Duke suddenly asked, “So, where is that child now? With your personality, you would have invited her at least once, if only to have her meet me, right?”

“Ah, um.”

Maris stumbled over her words for a moment.

Then, with an awkward expression, she answered, “I was going to. Adelaide and her teacher knight seemed quite willing, too. But the party’s leader opposed, saying there was no time for that.”

“Oh? The party’s leader, you said it was the Witch of the East’s apprentice? It seems she has quite the influence within the party. Seeing how such capable individuals meekly bend their will and obey the leader’s policy.”

“…No, she just beat up the rebellious knight with her staff and took him away. They did say they’d drop by later, but, well.”

“…Is this witch different from the witch I know?”

***

[The ‘Tin Knight’ grumbles that he wants to go to the Lennart ducal family!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ grumbles that he wants to have a match with the Duke’s guard knight!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that something like terrorism or assassination plots must surely happen in the imperial capital, so they need to get involved in that!]

“Shut up, you crazy tin can!! Aren’t you satisfied even after causing all that commotion?!”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ protests that honestly, it was mostly Sophia who caused the commotion, and he was just a supporting role this time!]

“Hmm, I can’t deny that.”

A carriage was moving along a road somewhere in the Locrian Federation.

The carriage was quite large and splendid.

Its basic structure was close to a cargo wagon, but the size of the cargo compartment was extraordinary, large enough for several people to lie down comfortably, and there was even a second floor.

Above the coachman’s seat was a roof to block rain and sunlight, connected as one with the cargo compartment so that both sides could be traversed at any time.

There was even space inside to set up a cauldron and make a fire, so at this point, it was closer to a mobile base than a carriage.

Not only that, despite its enormous size, the carriage wheels left almost no tracks, thanks to using top-quality parts for every component of the carriage and engraving lightweight magic on top of that.

There was only one horse pulling the carriage, but it wasn’t a real horse, rather a golem modeled after a horse’s shape.

It looked just like a large horse on the outside, but solid metal laid underneath the skin, and it was an excellent item that could move without eating or resting as long as mana was continuously supplied. On top of that, it had the function of following the road on its own without a driver unless it came to a fork in the road.

Truly an extraordinary carriage and horse.

It was one of the achievements the party had obtained in Justitia.

No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the original purpose of stopping by Justitia.

It just wasn’t noticeable because while Adelaide and Sophia were breaking things, causing riots, and making a mess everywhere, Dorothea alone just bought what she needed to buy and slipped out.

The Tin Knight’s gaze swept over various parts of the carriage.

And then looked at Dorothea.

Very openly, fixedly, blatantly.

“What is it? Do you have something to say?”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ wonders if they spent too much money!]

“…”

Dorothea was silent for a moment, then rolled her eyes around.

It was quite an unusual reaction for a witch who was usually confident by default.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if she didn’t say at first that she was only going to buy a horse!]

“We needed a carriage anyway, so I just got a new one while I was at it.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if Dorothea didn’t say she disliked things that were too flashy because of the attention from others, and that items only needed to be usable!]

“…We had to make it this big to match the horse’s size. If the horse is that big but the carriage is tiny, that would be weird in its own way, right?”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ points out that even considering that, a two-story carriage is excessive!]

“…It’s troublesome to set up a barrier at the base every time we visit a new city. It’s rational to have a mobile base so we don’t need to lay new barriers.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ evaluates that somehow her tone sounds like she’s just reciting the sale’s pitch of another!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ evaluates that come to think of it, the carriage design being particularly black seems just like Dorothea’s taste!]

“…”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ expresses understanding, saying that when people suddenly get a large sum of money in their hands, it can lead to overspending!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ warmly advises her to be moderate, as it’s hard to fix once your sense of money suddenly goes away!]

Dorothea bowed her head with her face slightly flushed.

Though her body was trembling, she couldn’t swing the staff in her hand, which seemed to be because she felt inwardly guilty even in her own thoughts.

It was a sad honesty that couldn’t wield violence while pointing out others’ mistakes and applying double standards to say it was okay for herself.

“Ahem, but Miss Witch. Didn’t you originally say we would head towards the imperial capital together? I’m curious about the reason you suddenly changed the schedule,” Adelaide, who had been watching this scene from the side, interjected with a fake cough.

It was a pity for the Tin Knight, who was excited after finally taking the initiative, but if left alone like this, it seemed like the Tin Knight would turn into the T-i-n K-n-i-g-h-t when he caused trouble later. She couldn’t bear to watch her teacher accumulate death stacks.1

To Adelaide’s question, Dorothea also changed her expression and answered, “That was the original plan. One of the animals was heading there, and unlike other sacred treasures whose exact owners we don’t know, we knew Algind had it. But because of this incident, my thoughts have changed a bit.”

Dorothea’s gaze turned to Sophia.

“You know this incident was quite dangerous, right?”

Sophia didn’t deny it.

“Yes.”

“Haa, I won’t say much since you kept the promise not to be caught using holy power, but not only did we destroy one of their sacred relics, even if we didn’t do it directly, we even killed the lord, so the repercussions will be quite large. It’s fortunate that the rumors themselves are spreading in a somewhat distorted way, but still, those who need to know will know.”

“That’s right. They might not openly express it, but they’ll be listening through intelligence.”

“So what do you think will happen if other guys see us acting together with the Lennart ducal family in this situation?”

“We’d be treated as accomplices. We might even be framed for having planned to kill the lord from the beginning.”

Dorothea shrugged as if that was all she needed to say.

“So, we’ll keep our distance from the Lennart side for a while. Adel, you might be a bit dissatisfied.”

“No, well, I’ve already gotten the token, and Maris said I could come anytime, so it’s fine. But then, where are we going next?”

Dorothea answered simply, “The Aeolian Magic State.”

Footnotes

1. 1. TL Note: This is slightly confusing but bear with me here. The hangul for Tin Knight is "양철 기사" and the hangul for "T-i-n K-n-i-g-h-t" is "양ㅊㅓㄹ ㄱㅣ사", which as you can see is "양철 기사" broken down.  Pretty much Adel is thinking if she lets this go on, the Tin Knight is going to be smashed into pieces by Dorothea later.

***

https://ko-fi.com/genesisforsaken