***Arc 7 One Who Bare Their Fang on Reason, Chapter 147 Those Left Behind***
The royal palace had been buzzing since morning.
The unsettled vassal looked at each other until Queen Kreschenta appeared in the audience room, whispering about the unusual events that had occurred last night.
When someone mentioned that someone seems had been dismembered and murdered, a voice would say that it must have been a false report and saying that they had heard it was a different person that had been dismembered and murdered.
No one had the full picture of what happened.
Not one of them had thought that great nobles had been murdered in one night.
But as the time for the meeting approached, the missing people became more and more conspicuous.
It was only then that they realized what was happening.
Led by Duke Arkansakos, there are 17 famous great nobles who had the status to appear in the audience hall.
None of the people whose names had been mentioned in the conversation up to that point had shown up.
Of course, they are allowed to take time off for various reasons such as poor health, but it is not common for them to miss a meeting in front of the queen.
Nearly half of the faces disappeared, sending a chill down everyone's spine.
If you put all the stories together and look at the situation as if everything really happened, there were 17 people slaughtered in a single night.
It was the biggest incident since the beginning of the kingdom's history.
Just as their confusion reached its peak, a solemn trumpet sounded.
Kreschenta entered late as usual, proceeded down the bloody carpet as usual, and arrived at the throne as usual.
A lovely, kind smile was on her face, as usual.
“Good morning. It seems that everyone has gathered.”
Queen Kreschenta simply said so.
"Y-Your Majesty the Queen. I had just heard..."
“I already know about the Dukes of Arkansakos. Led by the Duke of Arkansakos seventeen people were killed. It's a grave situation."
Kreschenta made a troubled face and said that.
“This is probably the work of an assassin from another country. Trying to further disturb the core of the Kingdom, which was already in turmoil due to the civil war...how terrifying."
Placing her hands on her cheeks, Kreschenta said in a deliberate tone.
A chill ran down everyone's spine.
Seventeen people at the same time――this is not something that a mere assassin can do.
If there is a country that can do just that by sending assassins to the capital of another country, that country will probably already rule this continent.
"But it's times like these that we have to unite. It's times like these that we have to look ahead to the future of the kingdom and move forward. As for the investigation... that's right, I'll leave it to Marquis Milkires."
――This was a show of restraint.
Everyone thought so.
Among the murdered nobles, there are those who probably had nothing to do with the recent assassination fiasco.
The reason they were killed was probably because they were conservatives――people who stood in opposition to the Queen, who was embarking on a reform of the kingdom.
"Yeah... I understand. Your Majesty the Queen..."
Marquis of Milkires――the young Marquis, once a protégé of Arkansakos, bowed his head, trembling at the Queen’s purple eyes.
He knew what the Queen means.
To leave it to him meant to end it with some random appropriate reason.
It's not like he was being asked to find the criminal seriously.
Everyone here knows that this was a purge by the Queen.
Thinking about the meaning of his former master, Arkansakos being killed, and himself being kept alive, the young Marquess simply bowed as if to show obedience.
“Perhaps after this, rumors will be circulated as scandals about the royal family based on rumors uncle had spread. That's how they will disturb the royal palace and confuse people's hearts... Everyone too, please be careful. Rumors spread from trivial words, so I would appreciate it if everyone could cooperate in dealing with this.”
It was a blatant attempt to keep them silent.
"It's such a big incident. You can't tell where the spies are....isn’t that right?"
Kreschenta said that, then looked at their faces.
There wasn't a single one that didn't get what she meant.
But even though it was inevitable, it was not enough to only make them afraid.
“The head of the family is lost… we have to reconsider the management territory. Regarding that, please consider that there will be another distribution at a later date. The number is enormous for all of it to be managed by the royal family. I think we will have everyone cooperate."
Take some of the land from the dead nobles and distribute it to the nobles here.
After the whip came the candy.
It was half hush money, but no one objected to it.
Seventeen people in one night.
In the heavily guarded mansion, every single one of them was dismembered and killed.
Disobeying the Queen who possessed such a pawn was just suicide.
"Well then, let's talk about magic crystal research first. I would like to gather magic crystal researchers who are currently doing individual research and establish a magic academy specializing in magic research in the future. About that budget——”
“Really, even Selene-sama collapsed. Isn't taking care of one's health a basic requirement for military personnel?”
“…Shut up.”
Kreschenta puffed out her cheeks and behaved badly.
She was sitting slouched in a chair, her feet on Selene's bed, drinking tea.
Lying on the bed, Selene puts the back of her hand on her forehead, and sighed deeply.
Not only was Bery in such a state, but Krische had also gone off to slay the dragon without a word after killing more than a dozen nobles.
Selene's anxiety reached its limit, and her physical condition deteriorated――Eluga, who was worried about the situation, forced her to take a rest.
In fact, once she lay down on the bed, she had no energy to move.
“I'm sorry..."
"It's not for you to apologize, Elvena. ...It’s Bery after all, even if someone tried stopped her, she wouldn't have listened."
Elvena bowed her head, looking like she was about to cry.
Elvena felt a deep sense of remorse as she felt she was the one who was in the best position to stop Krische.
‘You don't have to be bothered about it’, Selene reiterated, and sighed.
It was probably obvious that this was going to happen when Bery was stabbed.
The murder of the nobles was a big deal, but even that was a minor matter now.
The biggest problem is that Krische’s target is the Holy Spirit——the Dragon.
"No matter how it play out, there’s nothing we can do, Kreschenta."
“...it's useless to think about it."
Kreschenta said exasperated.
It's not about whether Krische can kill the Dragon.
The very act of pointing her blade at the Dragon was bad.
Dragons are the object of worship in the Arna Imperial State.
Even if Krische was able to kill the dragon, she would surely make an enemy of the Arna Imperial State.
And the deeds will be known to neighboring countries.
Above all, it was the best excuse to invade, if that happens, kingdom would make enemies of all the countries to the east, west, north, south, and west.
The delaying maneuvers, including the conference, would be meaningless, and the barbarians holed up in the mountains would be furious and attack.
The fall of the Kingdom was imminent.
“If that happens, we will have no choice but to seriously abandon this place and flee deep into the mountains. I think that's what Onee-sama is going to do when there’s nothing we can do anymore.”
"You know... are you really thinking about it seriously?"
“I am thinking about it seriously. How rude."
With her lips pouted, Kreschenta continued.
"Onee-sama's first choice is Argan-sama. There's nothing we can do until that's resolved. Can Selene-sama be able to go after Onee-sama' and convince her now? If you can then don't sleep like that, and go do it now."
“...shut up."
Selene replied sullenly.
Bery is the most important thing for Krische.
Selene knew that better than anyone else.
"Whether Onee-sama kill the Dragon or is killed by the Dragon, it's all over. Though if Onee-sama becomes friends with the dragon and come back together holding each other hands, then I have nothing to say about it.”
"……you"
Selene glared at her in amazement, and Kreschenta pouted her lips again.
"I can't do anything about it either. Please don't vent your frustration on me."
Her feet slammed the bed, and swaying Selene's body that is lying on the bed.
Selene who was shaken let out a ‘Uuu’, and looked away from Kreschenta.
She was certainly venting on her
Just like Selene can't do anything about it, Kreschenta can't anything about it either.
“Thinking about the situation in case the empire attacks, Selene-sama, please think about various things for the time being. If Onee-sama comes back safely, she will be an unprecedented Dragon Slayer. With that prestige, we might even be able to hold on to the center of the Kingdom. It's not the time to sleep like a lazy bone."
"... I'm not sleeping leisurely you know."
It didn't matter whether the matter was right or wrong anymore.
Everything is too late——Selene and the others have no choice but to wait.
And just like Kreschenta said, there is nothing else to do but to believe that Krische will come back and take some measures.
There was no doubt that some of the kingdom's nobles and soldiers, who were now showing allegiance, have faith to the Holy Spirit, and they would have to think about who they could trust and make a choice——there was a lot to think about.
Nevertheless, her already red-hot head was unable to think straight, and Selene's head was appealing to her to give herself a break.
As Selene sighed deeply, Kreschenta yawned and jumped into bed.
Then she crept over to Selene's side.
"I've been busy lately and I'm a little sleepy. Elvena-sama, please wake me up when dinner is ready."
"Eh, ah...y-yes"
"... you"
"It's unfair to sleep alone. I'm tired too okay."
She tugged on Selene's arm and used it as a pillow.
Kreschenta fell asleep quickly, and Selene sighed again and stroked her head.
The size of the beast, which was neither lion nor eagle, was five shaku tall at the shoulder.
The griffin soared through the air with its huge wings, manipulating magic and the air at will.
They were close to magical beasts——or rather, they were the existence of magical beasts themselves.
Though gigantic, their wings were small and able to keep their huge bodies afloat.
However, their wings use magical power to control the wind and soar through the sky.
What makes them different from magical beasts was that they was to people and can only use their magical power to fly in the sky.
If one were to study the principles of their fly, it was certain that one could come up with a magical formula that could be drawn in mid-air, an idea that would lead to magic, but their habitat was Kreisharana, an uncivilized area far from human habitation.
At least in this era, no one questioned the fact that they could fly in the sky, and it was simply understood that they were such unique beasts.
There is nothing more difficult than questioning an obvious fact.
Even a small bird can fly if it flaps its wings.
If so, it was not unnatural for a griffin with huge wings to fly its huge body, and even if it did not know the principle, it still can fly so it doesn’t matter.
The one who looks at the logic of a phenomenon that everyone know is the one who should be called a genius.
In particular, the people of Kreisharana, who reject civilized progress and are cut off from the outside world, have no doubts about this, and to them griffins are no different than horses that can gallop in the sky.
Unlike horses, they fly in the sky, their lion-like physique overwhelms that of humans, and they are not intimidated in the face of spears.
For them, a griffin is such a close friend that they don’t question it.
A heroic male griffin.
The three men straddling that waist——the warriors of Kreisharana looked down and their faces were filled with surprise.
"Hey, this guy is..."
“Ranka?”
“Be on the lookout, there are signs of something ate it.”
A forest covered the land, but only there was a large open area.
There were broken trees and a huge lump of meat lying in the middle.
The men descend from the sky, spears poised and alert.
"... It's definitely a Ranka."
The tall man who seemed to be the captain had a grim expression on his handsome face.
He wore an iron breastplate, hand and leg armor, and a thick, riding pants that bulged at the thighs, but it was probably normal for him to wear no clothes on top.
He wore nothing under his breastplate, revealing his ripped abs.
Even though he is called a warrior chief, he is no different from other warriors.
Apart from the red cloth tied around the griffin's tail, their armor and clothing were the same, as was typical of these warriors, who dislike unnecessary decorations.
He lowers the griffin while keeping an eye on his surroundings, and the closer he gets to the mass of meat, the darker the wrinkles on his brows become.
A grim expression begins to appear on his face.
Not to the rotting smell of flies.
It was because the body looked too strange to be the result of a territorial dispute between magical beasts.
Even a Suiko wouldn't go near a Ranka that was as big as a hut.
If there was, it would only be if the Suiko was very hungry, but this year the mountain was relatively fruitful.
Naturally, there are many beasts, it was unthinkable for a Suiko to have trouble to eat.
The strangest thing of all was the appearance of the corpse.
There was a mark on the neck as if it had been gouged out by something.
Clearly it's not Suiko's.
And if you look at the flesh where the flies were hanging, it looks as if someone had cut it into pieces.
The thick skin, mottled with blue and white body hair, had been cut by something sharp, and there were no internal organs, which had apparently been dragged out.
A piece of meat placed a little farther away――that seemed to be the remains of the internal organs.
Traces of large fangs, the one who devoured them was probably Green Tiger.
"Chief warrior, this is...”
"... It's the work of humans."
“Did they eat the Ranka that a Suiko killed?”
"Probably the other way around. But there are too many strange parts. I don't understand why they leave so many leftovers. Daje, take a look around."
“Yes, sir.”
Assuming that a human killed it, and if the Suiko ate the corpse of the Ranka, the Suiko would probably spend some time here.
A large amount of meat that has yet to fully decompose. the Suiko would not leave this behind to look for new prey.
But the Suiko was gone.
However, the reason why the corpse was not devoured by other beasts and was left as it was was probably because the Suiko was here.
Tigers and wolves are sensitive to the smell of Suiko. They will never go near the direction with that scent.
Or the order was reversed――which is also inconceivable for the same reason.
There is no way that Suiko would allow its prey to be stolen by humans.
And there was no trace of a fight between a human and a Suiko, nor was there a corpse.
The broken trees are definitely the Ranka’s doing, and this had nothing to do with it.
If there had been a fight, it would have been after the Ranka’s death, so there should have been some evidence of a battle.
But none of those things existed here, and it was impossible to imagine what happened from the situation.
"...Even if you say it's the work of a human, this is a Ranka, right? If a Ranka went berserk, there should have been more damage."
"Even if they fight with the Suiko, the damage to the trees is too small. …The wound on the neck is probably from a spear. At the very least, they must have killed the Ranka with one blow. Though it's unbelievable."
"No way"
"I can only think it’s that ‘no way’. The way the belly was split open, and the meat was cut off――it was completely done by human hands. Seeing that there are only traces of battle there, I have no choice but to think so."
the Chief Warrior――Vinthril folds his arms and says so.
He had once seen a live indigo deer rampaging through the trees.
Bringing down that with a single blow.
He wonders if he can do the same thing, and immediately shakes his head.
If the person who really did this was a human, they would not be an ordinary person.
“Chief Warrior, there are traces of a bonfire in the bush over here. It’s small though”
"Yes, probably only a few people were using it."
Vinthril headed that way.
A small bonfire was there, he look down at his feet and furrow his brows.
"A horse's hoof."
"... a horse. That means"
"It's probably a person from the kingdom. If they were from the Imperial State, they wouldn't pass through this area.”
The people of Kreisharana do not use horses.
The presence of horses means that they are definitely from the plains.
He looked at the surroundings.
By looking at the way the leaves and grass fell, he could tell how many people were sleeping there.
The traces were for one person.
"... Lyra-sama was probably caught by this guy."
"At least, I hope so. In that case, at the very least, her life should not be taken away."
He had come to search for his sister Lyra, who had not returned since yesterday.
Lyra has Griffin with her. There was no reason why she could not return home even if she lost her way.
If so, he could only assume that she was attacked by a Suiko or something, and this search was half intended to avenge and find her belongings, but this situation was confusing him.
"Anyway, the tracks here are for one person. At least from the traces here.... It's a bit dangerous, but I want to follow the tracks of this horse. I'm worried about Lyla, but we can't leave this alone. ”
"Understood. Daje, please report once."
"Yes sir. Then――"
"Chief Warrior!!"
A voice from the sky.
Returning to the place where Ranka’s corpse was, a man descended with Griffin.
"……this is"
The man on the griffin frowns at the corpse and turns to Vinthril as he approaches.
"...Two Suiko were found hunted by humans, so I came to report in a hurry."
"How shocking. ……It seems that this Ranka is also hunted by that guy.”
"I'm confused here too. There's no trace of fighting against the Suikos... one had its head smashed and a broken spear was lying beside it."
"Is it a javelin?"
"No, it's a hand-to-hand spear. It's a strong one with an iron core on the tip... even the tree behind it broke. How can I say it, it's hard to believe that a human did it."
The man speaks while he himself couldn’t believe it.
Vinthril furrowed his brow.
It was certain that that person was not normal.
“It seems it’s not a mere tourist from the Kingdom,"
“Haha, and it’s not like they’re here to shake hands and make peace with us. The one in the mountains right now is a monster, above Suiko.”
The man said jokingly, but with a serious face.
Vinthril also asked with a serious face.
"... is it not the kingdom's army?"
"No, I've sent some people to see the plain just in case, but at least there's no such atmosphere at the moment. There were traces of someone staying, but they were small."
Vinthril felt a little relieved.
However, they can't let their guard down.
“I will continue to follow these footsteps. I'm sorry, but please go back and tell the patriarch to be on guard. It would be better to secure the women somewhere so that they can deal with whatever happens.”
"Okay. Immediately."
The man went up into the sky.
Two people who were perplexed by Vinthril who saw him off asked.
There was some fear in their eyes.
It was not that surprising, it was someone who could easily kill Suiko and Ranka.
"You guys should search with Griffin from above. I'm from below. ……Don’t worry, I will be more careful.”
"...yes sir."
The two men straddle Griffin and take to the air in low altitude.
Vinthril sits on his beloved bird and pulls its reins while watching the horse's tracks.
"Fly as soon as you feel something, Litgund. I’m counting on you okay."
Vinthril drives the Griffin through the trees.
He gripped his beloved spear, wondering what lies ahead.
