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Chapter

326. The Quiet Assembly

『…This letter was not written by Ixel.』

Howard, having inspected the letter carefully, concluded this once more.

『You think so too, huh?』

『Yeah. First off, the handwriting is clearly different.』

Howard nodded at Paulo’s words. While anyone might notice something as simple as handwriting, a professional forger goes a step further.

『This paper is also different from what is used at the Cortera Trading Company’s Sugasal branch. It’s not from the Tritus Principality either. It doesn’t match Arena Kingdom’s either, but it’s more akin to Defteros…?』

Howard said, stroking the paper’s surface.

The paper, made from wood, has limited production areas due to the potential conflict with forest elves. Different nations or regions vary in texture and color. Once you reach Howard’s level, you can even pin down the production area.

『Additionally, the ink. It’s high quality. Too good, in fact. The clear coloration, the lack of smudging, the sharpness of the characters—this is close to the special ink I used for forging travel permits. It’s the kind used by the upper class.』

“Snack should be ready soon. —’What’s the letter about?’”

Impatiently, Officia raised her voice and then mouthed the question. Howard swiftly tossed the letter over. With their dexterous fingers, the night elf was skilled in such throws, often using them in daily life.

She caught the letter effortlessly with one hand while frying bacon, scanning the contents. In the meantime, Outluke and Paulo engaged in deliberately trivial chatter, saying things like, “I’m hungry,” and “Today was hectic.”

…At a glance, it looked like an inconsequential update letter. But upon deciphering the scattered codewords within—

『Noble arrives, Sword Saint injured, supplies, to Tritus Principality…?』

Combined with the plain text, it also revealed the content, “A long-lost friend is heading there, so please welcome them.”

In this case, the figure corresponding to the term “Sword Saint” could only be one person.

—Virosa. A legendary operative who, despite being a night elf, has mastered the sword and can even wield transformation magic. She is a senior member of Officia.

『The “Noble” is undoubtedly referring to Demon Lord’s Prince No. 7 Zilbagias… if we take this sentence literally.』

(Virosa-senpai is “injured”?)

Officia involuntarily tightened her grip on the letter. What on earth does this mean, and why, under these conditions, would she go to the Tritus Principality? Why? —She swallowed her myriad questions for the time being and turned to Paulo.

『Who brought this letter?』

『It was received by a bodyguard; I didn’t see it myself. He didn’t identify himself either.』

Paulo replied, fixing his hair like a fox grooming itself.

『A pale-skinned, short young man with black hair, well-dressed, delivered it alone. When he visited my branch, I wasn’t there, so he happened to deliver it to the capital, which is convenient…』

『…That’s quite a convenient story. A person with plans to travel from Sugasal in the neighboring country to here—Capital Todomarl—just happened to take on the task of delivering a letter? What about the reward?』

『He didn’t seem to demand one. If that’s the case, then it’s probably a prepayment. If we believe his story, that is.』

Everyone exchanged glances.

『It’s unlikely… to entrust such an important letter to a traveler. It should’ve been sent through the trading company’s standard route. First off, if Ixel was the sender, it’s strange he wouldn’t anticipate Paulo being absent for the meeting.』

Outluke pointed out with a furrowed brow.

“………”

Silence. There was a vague, foreboding sense. A horrible feeling, as if they had been captured by forest elves in a field thick with shrubs—

『In the worst-case scenario, this is a forgery by the Holy Church, and both the prince and Virosa-senpai have fallen into enemy hands.』

Paulo suddenly opened his mouth and said.

—The arguably worst-case scenario. Meaning everything, from the night elf’s cipher to the Cortera Trading Company’s backstory, has been extracted. In this case, Ixel is also highly likely compromised.

『However, I can’t believe Ixel or Virosa-senpai could make such a blunder.』

Both are seasoned spies. At the very least, they would have poison for self-destruction ready; thus, leaking information to the alliance seems impossible—Officia thought. While it was undeniable there was some hope in her heart, she had a strong belief in their capabilities.

As for Virosa, she was so skilled that it felt presumptuous for Officia to evaluate her; she ranks among the top five night elves.

『Who knows? Even if Virosa-senpai can handle it, I can’t say the same for the prince.』

Outluke’s voice dripped with sarcasm. For some time now, hints of dissatisfaction toward the demon race had seeped into his words. It seemed he was rather upset about this incident.

『But it’s also strange for the Holy Church to take such a convoluted approach.』

Paulo offered a different perspective, maintaining his composure.

『If we assume this letter was a trap, the Holy Church should have moved on to the next operation as soon as I wasn’t at the other branch. The intention for them to go through all the trouble to send it to the Capital—or to make it seem like they did—is unclear.』

Paulo’s point is somewhat valid. Even if it was under Ixel’s name, sending a letter with different handwriting would only needlessly raise Paulo’s suspicions. Even those lunatics from the Holy Church should understand that much.

『Moreover, if this letter was truly a trap, the Holy Church would have all the company’s details figured out—there’s no way the bloodshot-eyed heroes wouldn’t rush to the branch.』

That was the most perplexing point.

There was no reason not to secure them quickly and forcefully extract information, which would be the best move for the Holy Church.

『I can’t grasp their intentions. It’s unsettling…』

『Let’s think in reverse. What if this was indeed a letter from Ixel?』

Paulo calmly floated the question once more.

『I’m curious as to why it’s not in his own handwriting.』

Howard was the first to respond.

『It’s unlikely, but even if Ixel had someone else write it for him, the content itself isn’t his style. Ixel writes more straightforward letters. However, this one uses a flowery style and lots of pretentious expressions instead.』

『That was indeed suspicious.』

Agreeing with Howard’s opinion, Outluke nodded as well.

『The paper and ink are also different from those used at the Sugasal branch. It can only be assumed that someone else at a different location wrote this—』

Howard paused mid-sentence, suddenly looking up.

『…Officia Commander, hand me that letter again.』

Did he realize something? When Officia tossed the letter back, Howard scrutinized the paper, holding it up to the light, feeling its texture—finally, he even tore a corner and threw it into his mouth to taste it.

『…This paper is from the Demon Lord Kingdom, isn’t it?』

At Howard’s words, Officia and the others exchanged glances. Howard, having expressed his hypothesis, seemed even more convinced, staring at the letter.

『Different handwriting from Ixel, codes indicating the Sword Saint is injured, and this oddly high-quality ink, plus the paper’s texture. It’s hard to believe that this was written by His Highness Zilbagias himself.』

『…Why would His Highness bother?』

『I can’t say for sure. But if both Ixel and Virosa were unable to write letters, it makes sense that His Highness would seek our assistance.』

The serious words from Howard left Officia and the others feeling bewildered as they exchanged glances once more.

『Even if that’s true, it would be unreasonable to hope for us during such a tumultuous time…』

Outluke grumbled.

『No, that’s odd. His Highness belongs to the Reiju tribe. Even if Virosa-senpai were injured, healing would be possible immediately.』

Paulo quietly objected as he pondered.

『Moreover, His Highness should have the company of a White Dragon. So, I don’t understand why he would seek our assistance. With a dragon’s mobility, he could fly anywhere. Coming all this way to the Tritus Principality, especially considering the heightened caution from the flyers, doesn’t make sense either.』

—Paulo’s observation related to the geography of the Tritus Principality.

The Tritus Principality is a small nation adjoining the territory of the former Defteros Kingdom. Most of the western and northern areas belong to the old Defteros Kingdom, while part of the north borders Arena Kingdom (currently at war with the Demon Lord Kingdom). The eastern side is dominated by mountains and forest areas, while the southern part connects to a smaller nation where Ixel is stationed.

In other words, the west and north are danger zones where the alliance forces are stationed. The mountainous and forested areas in the east are also perilous, filled with forest elves. For those in the dark, it’s almost like being trapped with no escape routes except for the south.

What reason could there possibly be for a Demon Prince to head there?

『That would simply be a suicidal act.』

『Perhaps he had no one else to rely on. If this letter truly was written by His Highness Zilbagias, then he chose Ixel’s name as a disguise to prevent any trouble in case the letter was glimpsed. On top of that, could a novice prince utilize our ciphers perfectly? So the phrase about the Sword Saint being injured might simply be because he wasn’t aware of the code meaning “deceased.”』

Officia felt a chill as Howard’s theory settled in.

『Originally, it was supposed to be Virosa-senpai making contact with Ixel to receive supplies, helping His Highness get accustomed to the alliance’s lifestyle, wasn’t it? Officia Commander?』

『…That’s right.』

『What if something unexpected happened during that time? For instance… the White Dragon’s defection, perhaps?』

『…』

No one moved their lips. The silence in the room grew increasingly heavy.

“…Ah, my turn now.”

Outluke suddenly remembered and resumed his act, tossing a card onto the table.

“Gwaah, lost again!”

Paulo awkwardly chimed in, making a commotion, though his expression bore no energy.

“Vice Branch Chief, is the snack ready yet?”

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry! It’s ready now!”

Officia came to the table with a frying pan and hot pad, pairing overcooked bacon with biscuits taken from the cupboard.

『…If that hypothesis was true, wouldn’t it be difficult to accept that both Virosa-senpai and Ixel lack assistance and that only His Highness is safe?』

As she fiddled with the biscuit, Outluke ignited the conversation once more.

『His Highness Zilbagias is an accomplished individual who defeated His Highness Emelgias. I find it hard to believe he would fall behind a mere dragon, so it’s very possible he could survive alone.』

『Even so, the purpose behind heading to Tritus Principality is still weak, isn’t it?』

『At the time of sending this letter, perhaps the flyer incident hadn’t spread yet.』

In response to Howard’s answer, everyone let out a collective “Ah…”

『…So, the scenario is that both Virosa-senpai and Ixel, even without the dragon’s help, His Highness is seeking assistance and is heading here alone? To deliver this message, he covertly sends it as a commercial communication? That seems utterly preposterous.』

『I feel the same way… but they say truth is stranger than fiction… From my observation, this paper is commonly used for bureaucratic work at the Demon Lord Castle. I haven’t seen it in over ten years, so I couldn’t remember right away, but it’s almost certainly it.』

Howard confidently tapped the paper on the table with his fingers.

“…I’m starting to get a headache.”

Paulo murmured aloud, rubbing his temples.

“What a coincidence, I’m feeling the same… is this a wisdom fever…?”

Outluke sarcastically laughed and tossed a piece of bacon into his mouth.

“……”

Officia silently stared at the letter.

Whether this was a trap or written directly by Zilbagias… if any of the various assumptions held true, it grew increasingly certain that something had happened to Virosa.

(No way… Senpai…!)

She didn’t want to think it, she didn’t want to entertain the idea…

“……”

Her three subordinates were watching Officia closely.

After all, she was the commander of the local intel agents, and she needed to make an appropriate judgment in this situation.

“…Hah.”

Letting out a small sigh, she devoured the bacon, munching on the biscuits as well, filling her stomach.

Then, sitting up straight, she opened her mouth again.

『—For now, let’s set this letter aside.』

A shocking postponement. Her three subordinates staggered, momentarily losing their posture at her unexpected words.

『More than that, whether this letter is genuine or forged—our options are still rather limited.』

With her hands placed on the table, Officia looked at her subordinates one at a time.

『We have three choices left: abandon everything and retreat, continue to hide even if we need to change our appearances—』

Counting off with her fingers, she reached the third option.

『—Alternatively, a compromise: divide into those who continue to hide and those who retreat.』

The fork in the road of destiny was laid bare before them.

 

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