Chapter 25

Episode 25 - That was what he had learned.

“.......”

“.....”

Agony Feedus and the old man who spoke calmly stared quietly at each other.

“......If I am truly your enemy sent by the imperial family, as you say, then even if you kill me, this place will be discovered anyway.”

“We can buy time. Or we could take you yourself as a hostage.”

“Even if I am truly someone unrelated to the imperial family, who was simply unlucky enough to get caught?”

“That is unlikely, but just in case, I shall give you two choices.”

At Agony’s answer, the old man held up two fingers.

“Die right now, or remain in our hands until you die.”

Agony and the old man’s gazes collided in midair.

Between the old man’s robe as he approached the prison bars, his cloudy golden eyes were revealed.

The old man calmly examined Agony, and Agony did not avoid those eyes.

The one who first broke the subtle war of nerves between them was Agony.

“Haha.”

Seeing the other man’s eyebrow twitch at the sound of his laughter, Agony quietly tilted his head.

“Let us stop the battle of wills, worshippers of Amica.”

Agony sat down heavily on the spot with his arms and legs still bound.

The people outside the prison, who had not taken their eyes off him, could not hide their confusion.

Except for two people: the old man who had been pressuring Agony, and Ratel.

Looking around at them, Agony opened his mouth.

“As you can see, I am not at an age where I can maintain such innocence.”

“What do you mean?”

At the question of the long-bearded old man, who was quietly staring at him, Agony answered with a smirk.

“It means I know you cannot kill me.”

Agony Feedus had fought countless wars and killed many people with his own hands.

If it were an ordinary greenhorn, they might have been so frightened that they could not think straight, but he was neither that stupid nor that innocent.

“If you could kill me, you would have tortured me long ago. If you could not do so because you were afraid I might truly be someone unrelated, then you were not people capable of killing me to begin with. And if you were people who did not care about such things, then there was a reason you could not even touch me. Looking at the old man’s eyes, it seems to be the latter.”

Agony continued speaking without taking his eyes off the silent man before him.

“For example, you are afraid that I might be someone who entered after receiving Amica’s choice.”

As if Agony’s words were the correct answer, the sound of several robed figures gasping echoed through the dungeon.

And the old man who had been interrogating Agony slowly took off the robe he had been wearing low over his head.

White, wavy hair and the face of an old man that looked somewhat mischievous were revealed.

“You caught me.”

As if the dignity from earlier had been a lie, the old man spoke playfully and held out his hand to Agony beyond the bars.

Agony glared at him, wondering if he was asking a man with bound limbs for a handshake, but when he saw the ropes binding him instantly cut into several pieces and fall to the floor, he became certain he had not made the wrong choice.

* * *

Enough time had passed since I had blown the duke into the area protected by Amica’s blessing.

I once again pictured the person I had surely imagined more than a hundred times.

A tall young man with black hair and golden eyes.

Duke Feedus might have met him by now.

The protagonist of this novel, black-haired Ratel.

He was being raised and protected by the hands of those who served Amica while avoiding the eyes of the imperial family.

If that place too, like the empire, had moved the starting point of the original work forward, Duke Feedus would probably return to the empire together with the protagonist.

In the original work, the duke, who miraculously survived beneath the cliff, lived as a vagrant and then encountered Ratel after he came out of Amica’s space. But this time, I had forcibly made the two meet from the start, so things might proceed a little faster.

If outside the empire was proceeding according to the original scheduled flow unlike this place, then the duke would live inside there for six months before returning.

I was a little worried, but it should not be a bad choice for either the protagonist or him.

And if Amica’s space had also had its timing moved forward and Ratel arrived at the capital a little sooner......

I stopped thinking for a moment and looked around.

The high sky, fresh air, green leaves, and moss.

That would mean there were not many days left for me to see this scenery either.

Was it because people tended to become a little more sentimental when they thought something was the last time?

Thinking that I might have to part soon from this place, which I at least liked within the imperial palace, made me look a little more slowly at the things I had simply passed by.

Perhaps today I had some peace of mind because the squeaking fellow was not here.

The squirrel that had followed me every day whenever I went to the forest had not shown the bizarre behavior of secretly hiding in my bag since the day I fainted.

So that fellow does know fear.

That was a relief.

“Grr.”

I thought that while looking at a bear about twice the size of a wolf, slowly approaching this way with rough snorts.

If he had followed me today, he really might have died on the spot with a scream.

* * *

“As you already know, Teacher, this place is where the people who serve Lord Amica live in hiding. Thanks to His blessing, we are continuing our insignificant lives and our noble mission.”

Agony, no, “Jing”, as he was generally called in this place, looked with an expressionless face at the man introducing him to this strange country.

He was one of the younger ones among the robed people.

The man who introduced himself as “Ren” had received orders from the sly-looking old man and was currently guiding him through this small world called Amica’s space.

In the end, “Jing” had been guaranteed a certain degree of everyday life under their surveillance.

But still, for them to guide him around like this.

Just letting him out of prison already seemed like such kindness that he worried the people here were being too considerate toward an old man.

He understood that they could not kill him, but from the standpoint of people living in hiding, was it not dangerous to just let him loose like this?

What would they do if he really was a spy sent by the imperial family?

Even if he might be someone sent by Amica, was it not going too far to teach him the geography of the place in such detail?

Were they confident that with his strength, he could not escape no matter what he did?

Or did they want something from him?

Perhaps the reason they had come to see him, after leaving him neglected in prison to begin with, was because they could no longer merely test the waters.

“Am I walking too quickly?”

When Jing fell a little behind because he was suspicious of these people who had changed their attitude as easily as flipping a hand, the man walking ahead glanced at his right leg, which was still in a splint, and asked.

“Ah.”

Jing shook his head, wondering whether he had seemed to be examining the outside of the prison too thoroughly.

“No. The scenery is so magnificent that I ended up looking around.”

At that answer, the other man furrowed his brows slightly and faced forward again.

He had not hidden the expression that showed he disliked leaving Jing safe and sound here, yet now he was even giving him a tour under that old man’s orders. Did that mean he was the type to obey his superior’s words absolutely?

“I tend to walk a little quickly, so if anything hurts, tell me immediately. It will be more troublesome if you collapse halfway for no reason.”

Looking at his back as he coldly spat out those words without even looking this way, Jing tilted his head.

......Or is his personality simply soft like a peach?

That ill-tempered old fellow did not seem that way, though.

Hiding his puzzlement, Jing followed behind the man, who now walked a little more slowly.

* * *

This place was too large to simply define as a village, and there seemed to be quite a lot of people living there.

People specialized in combat did not stand out either.

Duke Feedus, who had been trying to gauge the other side’s military strength, suddenly raised his head, and his thoughts stopped for a moment at the blue sky that filled both his eyes.

No, more than that, if he had to choose one word to describe this place, yes, this place was “beautiful”.

So much so that saying he had stayed behind for a long time because the scenery earlier was beautiful was not entirely empty words.

Against the backdrop of a wide-open plain, old-looking yet clean and low white buildings gathered to form a village.

The people seemed to live their daily lives quietly and diligently.

Everything was peaceful.

The high, blue sky he looked up at stretched wide as if it would swallow him.

This nameless country was clearly a space placed beneath a different sky from Abiran.

God Amica.

A vanished god whose face was no longer passed down now.

Not much was known about those who believed in Amica.

Only the fact that people who believed in Amica had existed before Duke Agony Feedus was born remained among the elderly like an old tale.

Agony Feedus had also grown up hearing such stories.

And around the time he had just formally begun his successor education, he easily heard the news that all of the last remaining remnants had been captured.

From his father.

It was a hazy memory now, but at the time, he had taken pride in the story that his father had wiped out those barbarian-like people.

And that the Feedus ducal family had taken the lead for the imperial family and driven away the heretics.

That the dangerous and violent heretics had finally all been defeated.

That was what he had learned.

* * *

After making a circuit around this place, the man named Ren and Jing returned to the temple, which stood apart from the residential area.

“Lord Ren.”

A black-haired young man walked out as if he had been waiting for them at the entrance.

He was the one who had dragged Jing here.

His name was Ratel, if he remembered correctly.

“The elder is waiting inside.”

Ren nodded once, then gestured toward Jing. This time, with Ren in front and the young man named Ratel behind, they headed into the temple.

The path leading into the interior of the temple, which was quite large compared to the other houses, was long.

Both of them had been silent even while guiding him outside.

There was no way a suddenly cheerful conversation would begin among the three just because someone who seemed as quiet as Ren had joined them.

Jing also felt no need to speak first, so he simply followed them.

Step.

Step.

Clink.

Clink.

In the silence, the sound of Ren’s shoes and the sound of the sword hanging at Ratel’s waist swaying created a steady rhythm.

Seeing the two move as if they had matched their walking speed and stride, he felt like laughing a little.

“Are you two father and son?”

It was a remark that came out impulsively, unlike him.

Because the two, whose faces were entirely different yet somehow gave off a similar atmosphere, seemed fascinating.

Because it reminded him of the son he missed, whom he had left in the empire.

“No. I have no parents.”

At the calm answer that came from directly behind him, Jing had to struggle not to hit his own mouth.

“Ah, I am sorry. This old man spoke nonsense in an unbecoming way.”

“......”

Ratel gave no particular answer, and the three had to move forward in a silence heavier than before.

Jing moved his heavy steps while resolving that if Ratel ever stepped forward to tie his arms and legs again, he would let himself be tied at least once without resisting.

* * *

“Are they saying we have to delay construction ‘again’ this time too?”

Tollin, who muttered without realizing it, tried not to show his irritation, but as his emotions boiled over, he quietly picked up the gold-decorated letter and threw it.

At the sight, the shocked aide Pale hurriedly picked up the letter that had flown away before anyone could see it and carefully placed it back on the desk.

“They, um, seem to be saying that there has been a slight problem securing the timber needed by the imperial family.”

Pale knew that the words he spoke would not cool Tollin’s anger, yet he opened his mouth to try something, anything.

“I apologize.”

And immediately apologized.

The imperial family was the sort of place where, if they ordered someone to bring a flying lion by tomorrow, there would be plenty of people who would invent miraculous alchemy and offer it up.

Tollin, Pale, and even a beggar passing by knew that they could not possibly fail to acquire mere timber, even if it meant cutting down trees made of gold.

“Leave.”

“Yes.”

Pale bowed and carefully left the room.

Through the door as it closed briefly, he saw Tollin cover his face with both hands.

“Phew.”

Pale left Tollin’s office and walked while exhaling the breath he had been holding.

If Prince Rasia’s objective was to bleed Tollin dry, Pale thought it would not take very long.

Since the noble council had been convened, Prince Rasia had rejected the ducal family’s requests several times.

No, if it had been a complete rejection, they could have felt relieved and begun construction on their own, but the problem was that he kept pushing things back while giving various reasons.

Reasons so insincere that the timber issue this time could be called logical by comparison.

Tollin seemed to have a throbbing head because he did not know what exactly the imperial family wanted.

Watching that, Pale also felt as if he was drying out day by day.

“Did something happen to Tollin?”

“Eek!!”

At the sudden appearance of the small doll, Pale made an unsightly sound and stumbled backward.