While having dinner, I suddenly started a conversation with Katarina.
“So, I mean…”
She was trying hard to talk, perhaps wanting to bond with her daughter.
The Duke didn’t seem to mind Katarina’s behavior at all.
Most of her stories were about what she did when the first head of the family fell under the succubus’s spell.
In short, they were just excuses.
She must have thought that since she apologized, she might as well justify her actions.
Listening to her, it sounded plausible.
Regardless, the first head is dead, and that’s why I’m here now.
That’s an unchanging fact.
Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to ask.
“Where is Mother Claire?”
“Why are you suddenly asking about Claire?”
‘To investigate Eldakrad’s records, I need a capable maid.’
‘No one is as skilled as Claire.’
“I have something I’d like Claire to handle.”
“Can you tell me what it is? That girl is busy with other work right now.”
‘No, even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. I prefer to handle this alone.’
“Never mind. Let’s just call Siriana or Kise instead.”
“I’ll call them as soon as I can finish my current work.”
‘She seemed rather urgent. Would it be okay?’
‘No, it might be better not to call them at all.’
***
Outside the mansion, Siriana and Kise were glaring at each other.
‘What are they doing now?’
Katarina’s behavior is strange, and now these two are acting weird too.
If this keeps up, there won’t be anyone to assist me while I’m here.
“Playing with teddy bears at your age… Isn’t that a bit childish? Maybe you should be a puppeteer instead of a wizard?”
‘Wow, she really hit hard with that.’
“Oh my, are you really a wizard? There have been many wizards who handled dolls before me. You didn’t even know that? Oh! Perhaps it’s because you’re just a deputy leader of a wizard corps that imitates the Mage Tower?”
Siriana wasn’t backing down either.
‘Well, Siriana, who’s survived the battlefield a few times, would naturally be more aggressive. Kise, who focused on defending Ashtar, won’t stand a chance.’
“Of course I knew that. I just assumed playing with dolls at your age meant your body would be as childish as your hobbies. Who would’ve thought you could move a doll with magic?”
“What did you just call me? A flat surface?”
‘Wow, that’s a low blow. Calling a woman flat like that. True as it may be, it’s cruel to say it outright.’
‘If it were me, I’d skip the insults and start with a punch. In power struggles like this, you have to overpower your opponent.’
“Flat? Did you say everything you wanted to?”
“Does the Ashtar Mage Corps lack basic manners? It seems you’re just jealous because Lady Olivia favors me more.”
“Urk.”
“If you’re upset, you should’ve done better.”
Siriana stepped closer to Kise and patted her shoulder dismissively, as if mocking her.
She seemed to imply she was superior to Kise.
‘It would’ve been more satisfying if they just pulled each other’s hair or slapped each other. This verbal exchange is scarier than a physical fight. Women’s fights are terrifying.’
I decided it was best not to get involved.
‘If I use both of them, they’ll fight each other.’
‘If I pick one, the other will make a scene. And if I use Claire, she’ll report everything to Katarina anyway.’
‘In the end, I’ll have to handle it myself.’
“Now then, who would be the best choice? I need to find out somehow.”
The relationship between the Four Heavenly Kings, the Demon King’s Army, and Eldakrad—why did those records disappear?
This isn’t just idle curiosity.
Those records are essential to decide what to do with the Four Heavenly Kings.
***
“Is something troubling you?”
A voice interrupted my thoughts.
When I turned, it was that suspicious wizard.
“I’m Kiriel, the mage of the Hero Party.”
“Kiriel? Why are you here?”
‘Even her name sounds oddly similar.’
“Oh, well, you see… The servants of Ashtar are quite kind. I was just looking for something to do.”
“Is Kiriel your real name?”
“My real name is different, but it’s not time to reveal it yet.”
‘Could she really be Noel? No, there’s no way she’d be here. She’s not the type to align with this hero party.’
“So, why did you approach me?”
“You seemed to be in some trouble.”
‘Even if I am, so what?’
“Are you hoping to help me so I’ll assist the Hero Party?”
“Well, not exactly. I’m not here to recruit you.”
“Then what?”
‘Not recruiting?’
As I observed, it seemed like the Hero Party was being loosely held together by this woman.
“Ashtar is the greatest family in the Empire, and you’re the saint of the Empire, aren’t you? You even defeated Pector.”
“Yes.”
“I was hoping you’d lend us a hand someday.”
“So, you’re looking to sell favors to the greatest family on the continent. Is that it?”
She was suspiciously cloaked, her face hidden.
Still, it was hard to see her as an enemy—just yet.
I might recognize her properly if I see her face later.
For now, I need to understand exactly what kind of help she’s offering.
“Not entirely wrong, but as you know, with the Hero in this condition, our position in the kingdom is precarious.”
“Really?”
“Yes, so if the Ashtar side could just say the Hero Party was helpful at that time, it would dispel any doubts from the kingdom. After all, I can actually help you, can’t I?”
‘The Hero Party is offering help?’
‘If I believe her, it sounds like they just want someone to vouch for them. That’s not too difficult.’
‘But does she even know what I want?’
“Do you know what I want?”
“What is it? Just say the word.”
‘She’s awfully confident.’
“Records and information about Eldakrad.”
‘How could the Hero Party of the kingdom know about something related to Ashtar?’
‘Even without asking, I already intended to speak positively about the Hero Party.’
‘As I said, I don’t want their reputation to sink any further.’
‘If someone criticizes the Hero Party of the Four Heavenly Kings, I’m willing to step in and defend them.’
“It would actually be better if the Empire created its own Hero Party with divine blessings, but of course, the Holy Sword complicates things.”
“Eldakrad? Isn’t he your grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“Eldakrad, the one who led the Ashtar family to its golden age.”
‘She knows about him?’
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Why are you investigating him? Shouldn’t you already know about him?”
‘Sure, if I put my mind to it, I could find ways to obtain the information. But something about this feels off.’
“The records are difficult to find.”
“If someone as influential as you is saying that, then it must be quite challenging.”
“More than anything, if I suddenly say I’m investigating my grandfather, my father or mother would ask for the reason.”
‘Besides, Olivia from the first generation wouldn’t have just skimmed over her investigation.’
From Olivia’s diary, I know she was thorough.
She wouldn’t have done such a half-hearted job, even when she was young.
“Are they that strict about such matters?”
“No, but there’s no way my father wouldn’t know about the lack of records regarding my grandfather.”
‘So, could it be that the head of the family deliberately hid them? Asking directly might not be such a bad idea.’
It’s possible Eldakrad’s history is a humiliating one for the Ashtar family.
Perhaps they decided to simplify it as: “He rebuilt Ashtar and died in battle against the Demon King’s army.”
“What about visiting Eldakrad’s mausoleum?”
“Eldakrad’s mausoleum?”
‘There’s a mausoleum?’
“You didn’t know, Lady Ashtar?”
“No, it’s not that.”
‘I remember it being mentioned as a grave in the diary, not a mausoleum. If it’s a mausoleum, there might be more to discover.’
“The mausoleum is said to only be accessible to blood relatives.”
“Only to blood relatives?”
‘Then the first generation must have visited already.’
“If it’s too difficult for you to ask directly—”
“It’s not exactly difficult.”
‘But still, it feels a little awkward. That man tries too hard to be kind to me. It’s a bit overwhelming.’
‘To be frank, when Noah was with the Hero Party, she resolved disputes between noble families multiple times. That’s how I came to know about their family situations. Most nobles see their daughters as tools for political marriage.’
‘But this family… It feels like they’re trying to make amends with the first generation. Even the head of the family keeps going out of his way to do things for me.’
“If no one else helps, I’ll have to ask on my own. But—”
“How about this approach?”
“You have an idea?”
‘I’m not sure how well-thought her idea would be, given that she’s part of the Hero Party, but…’
“Since I’m part of the Hero Party, and your grandfather, Eldakrad, marched into the Demon King’s territory and died fighting the Demon King’s army, it makes sense for me to request information about him.”
‘She’s quite sharp. I didn’t expect someone like her to be in the Hero Party.’
“In other words, we could claim we need to learn about him to fight the Demon King’s army more effectively.”
“Exactly.”
It might be worth a try.
With me supporting her, it might go smoothly.
“By the way, could you show your face under the robe?”
“Oh, uh, well, I have scars on my face.”
“Really? That’s unfortunate.”
‘Noel doesn’t have scars on her face, so… I can’t fully trust her, but doubting too much won’t help either.’
***
There’s a saying about striking while the iron is hot.
I didn’t know how long I’d be here, so I needed to gather information quickly.
Taking Kiriel with me, I went to find the head of the family.
“Apologies for disturbing you at this late hour.”
“It’s fine. I wasn’t sleeping anyway, as I’ve been working on Karhem’s restoration. What is it?”
“This is Kiriel, the mage of the Hero Party.”
I introduced Kiriel. Whether she’d handle this well remained to be seen.
“Oh? And what business does the Hero Party’s mage have with me?”
“We would like to ask about the former head of the family, Eldakrad.”
Kiriel skipped the preamble and got straight to the point.
“The former head?”
“Yes. I know it’s impolite to ask, but Clanis, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, commands a larger army than Pector.”
The Four Heavenly Kings all command armies:
- Pector’s army of despair,
- Clanis’ army of betrayal,
- Berna’s army of corruption,
- Seto’s infernal army.
Among them, Pector, who fights directly, commands the smallest army, as he relies on his own strength.
Unless it’s Clanis, who heavily invests in building an army, even the kingdom’s forces can handle the others.
“I see.”
“Eldakrad was the only human outside of the Hero Party to march into the Demon King’s territory with a human army. We wish to learn about his efforts and related records.”
‘She speaks well. But will the head share that information? That’s the real question.’
“Olivia, do you think the same?”
“Honestly, it would be helpful for the Hero Party to know, wouldn’t it?”
As I subtly chimed in, the head of the family seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking heavily.