Chapter 436
Chapter 436. Information Disclosure
Well then, it’s Hero Alexander, who arrived in the city of Kaemuran the day after.
Yesterday, I located the family of the vampire victim Martin (pseudonym) and arranged for the will to be delivered after some time.
Since a significant portion of Martin’s memories were lost, he couldn’t even recall his own real name much less his family—however, when I searched under the conditions of a merchant from a moderately sized trading company that went missing along with his ship, I managed to find him safely.
There must be quite a few people in such a tragic situation; it’s not surprising at all considering the current circumstances around here. Thanks to those damn vampires… I turned them to ashes though…
Anyway, I’ve mostly dealt with the wills of the vampire victims. It makes me think that my vacation at Aulitos Lake might be coming to an end soon—just as I was pondering that.
“—This is bad! The Empire has invaded!”
While having breakfast at the tavern, this outrageous news came crashing in. It was like a bolt from the blue. Apparently, a swift horse arrived early in the morning from a northern town of Kaemuran. The Imperial Army, which had been conducting military exercises on the border, had directly invaded our territory.
“War…? Between humans? Why??”
Leila wore a face of disbelief. I felt the same way as Barbara. This sort of thing doesn’t make sense even without a dragon around!
“Are you kidding me…?!”
This!
Especially when the alliance is already precarious!!
We shouldn’t be fighting among ourselves!!!
What on earth is the Empire thinking?! In my anger, I tightened my grip on the wooden spoon too hard and broke it.
“I had heard rumors that things were getting fishy…”
But can they really just up and invade like that?! Even if I consider it half-true, the scale is no small matter—it’s an army numbering in the tens of thousands. Does our duchy even have the capability to deal with such forces…?!
All I knew was that, according to the urgent report, it was up to that level; what kind of justification the Empire had for declaring war was still unclear.
“Let’s go get more details at the Holy Church.”
I quickly scarfed down my breakfast, left Leila in charge at the inn, and headed towards the Holy Church of Kaemuran.
“The Empire!? Why so suddenly?!”
“Is Kaemuran gonna be alright…?!”
“They’re definitely aiming for the port here!!”
With the news of the Empire’s invasion, the city was becoming half a panic. Kaemuran, being a fairly sized town, is a vital port town at the southwestern tip of the duchy. And it’s not that far from the border where the Empire invaded. The possibility of the Imperial Army advancing southward to attempt an occupation was extremely high.
“Hey! Sell us food!”
“You’re an Imperial merchant, right? What’s going on?!”
“H-help! I don’t know anything!!”
Shoppers packed into stores, and merchants were cornered as a battlefield-like atmosphere began to spread. …I was glad I left Leila behind. With such a tense situation, approaching the Holy Church could get me caught in a holy silver spell from who knows where.
— And before I reached the Holy Church, I ran into the Old Man and his group.
“Oh, Old Man!”
“Hmm. It’s become quite serious.”
When I called out, the Old Man, usually so carefree, looked more serious than I’d ever seen as he answered while continuing to walk.
Where are they headed? With his swift and purposeful strides, it was clear he had a definite goal. Considering the Old Man’s position, he must be taking some action regarding the invasion. If I wanted detailed information, maybe I should follow the Old Man rather than go to the Holy Church?
However, the Old Man, along with Shuken and Kirk, were all radiating a tense atmosphere, making it hard to approach. I couldn’t see Gizelle anywhere, and Hien… well, he’s not the type to be particularly kind and helpful either.
“Hey, Hans, where are we headed?”
Naturally, the one I could easily talk to was him. (He’s about the same physical age as me, and we had gotten fairly close chatting about art and problems during our time on the ship.)
“We’re going to the lord’s residence. It should have the most accurate information.”
Hans replied with a stiff face but kindly provided the information.
“I see, the lord’s residence…”
Common people can’t just waltz in there, but it would be a different story for the Old Man’s group. They might be gathering information or perhaps transferring detailed information to the capital. Since Kaemuran is close to the invasion site, they might be planning to gather as much intel as possible and hurry back to the capital.
“Can I join you?”
“Yes, it would actually be reassuring. We might be able to coordinate with someone from the Holy Church.”
“…That’s true.”
Nodding, I found myself recalling my previous life.
Conflicts between human nations, though rare, happened even in my heyday. They were small scale skirmishes compared to the current invasion.
The Holy Church took a stance of calling for an immediate ceasefire while fundamentally remaining neutral.
They might protest towards the party at fault, or provide substantial medical aid to the victims. However, the feat of forcefully stopping a war by intervening militarily… was something they didn’t and could not do.
Even medical support was barely manageable, there was no room to allocate military strength there.
That’s why it’s infuriating.
The fact they invaded with a large force means that the Emperor or high-ranking officials of the Empire planned and executed this, right? What are they thinking…!!
“—I’d like to request an audience with the lord.”
While I was stomping around in my fury, we arrived at the lord’s mansion. The guard soldier at the gate received a word from the Old Man.
“Eh? What’s this, old man? The lord is busy! Go home!”
However, the tense soldier didn’t entertain any conversation.
“Hey! You’d better watch your words.”
I couldn’t help but interject.
“Huh? Who the hell are you?”
“A passing hero. This old man is no ordinary person.”
“What—”
The guard looked puzzled or perhaps annoyed, but then the Old Man took action.
He slowly produced a pendant connected to a chain from his neck, held it up, and poured magic into it—
Boom! A strong wave radiated out. In the air, the emblem of the Hamilton Duchy, resembling a lake and mountains, was drawn out in red flames.
Whoa, this is so flashy! Way more than I imagined! What the heck is this magical item!? I can really feel a tremendous aura; this must be quite a rare item! And can a royal envoy really flaunt the emblem of the duchy like this?!
“Whoa!? T-this emblem… that pendant…!!”
The guard’s eyes widened as he looked up at the sky, astonished to the point of almost collapsing.
“Stand down! Who do you take this person for!!”
Gone was the usual relaxed atmosphere; Shuken roared at the guard with a face filled with the loyalty of a knight.
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Tell him! I chimed in. Let this guard, who seems faithful but is completely clueless, understand his place!
“This person before you is none other than His Majesty the Duke of Graham—Duke Mitohan Common Hamilton!”
With a face as fierce as a demon, Kirk solemnly declared!
“That’s right! Duke Graham—eh?”
Eh.
…Huh?
Did I mishear that?
“Indeed. I am Graham Mitohan Common Hamilton.”
As he tucked the pendant away.
The Old Man exuded an aura akin to a king.
And he introduced himself so clearly that there was no room for misunderstanding.
——Huhhhhh?!
A king?! You’ve got to be kidding me!
Why is royalty here?! This is insane!!!!
“No, but aren’t you a Demon Lord’s Prince too?”
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