第２４１掘：聖女の願いの残り (Part2)

第２４１掘：聖女の願いの残り (Part2)

"…Ah."

I want to drink green tea.

I want to take it out of my item box and gulp it down.

No, even barley tea would be fine.

So, let's finish this conversation quickly.

"I told you not to get involved with the royal family of Enaria. To put it bluntly, they are mere usurpers. They took the holy sword from the Saintess, no, from the Heroes, stole the country, and treated them like slaves. Their descendants are the current royal family."

"...What do you mean?"

Seraria's eyes widened at the High Priest's words.

My thoughts snapped back from green tea, too.

It's the same as what Agil said in his journal.

Where did he get this information?

"This is something that has been passed down since Enaria was founded, known only to me, the High Priest, and a few high-ranking priests. No, it is the last word from Lady Siare, who created Enaria. She said that if one has exceptional healing power like Lady Siare, they have the potential to be a holy sword user. Therefore, she asked me to help her escape before she met the same fate as me."

"I'm sorry. I'm having a little trouble keeping up. First of all, why would the person who created the country, the king, have their strongest weapon taken away, their country stolen, and be treated like a slave?"

"Oh, I apologize. I was a bit too hasty. Then, let me tell you about the origin of the Heroes..."

What followed was almost identical to what Agil had told me.

The difference was that the content was more vivid, as it was directly relayed by Siare herself.

For example, the circumstances of the holy sword being stolen were that it was lost after being handed over with the words "let us keep it safe," and the country being stolen was clearly a setup. It was the kind of story that made one distrust humanity.

This Grand Cathedral, it turned out, was actually built to imprison Siare.

Then, Siare was rescued by a friend who had also been betrayed, and that leads to the present day.

"I believe the Saintesses were too pure. I don't think the countries intended to degrade Lady Siare and the others from the beginning."

"Why do you say that?"

"...What I've told you so far is mainly Lady Siare's story. There's no perspective from the country at all. However, she was initially the leader of the country. She ruled normally for several years. But then, the events I just mentioned occurred. Perhaps it was a policy that the country could not accept. For example, a policy of reconciliation with demi-humans..."

"I see. Based on what you just said, the conflict with the demi-humans existed from that time. But were they captured because they tried to forcefully push it through?"

"Yes. I am now the head of the Enaria faith. Well, it should have been done by Lady Siare's descendants, who are the Saintesses, but Lady Siare disappeared after being saved by a friend. So, I've seen various unsightly aspects of the country. Therefore, they probably thought it would lead to the country's ruin. They wouldn't have done something like that to someone as strong as Lady Siare unless it was absolutely necessary."

"Indeed, one would not make an enemy of someone who saved the continent unless there was a very compelling reason."

...Hmm, as the old man said, the country is indeed walking a tightrope.

If they made a mistake, they could be branded as enemies by the Heroes and their entire country could be destroyed.

Ugh, I might have to dig into the country's history.

I can't just blindly accept Siare's side of the story anymore.

"I understand what you're saying. However, you are still connected to the royal family of Enaria. Yet, you spoke ill of them to us. Why is that?"

"It's simple. As one of the rulers, I must maintain ties with the royal family of Enaria, and I understand politics to some extent. However, since there is a possibility that you are the reincarnation of the Saintess, I did not want you to suffer the same fate as Lady Siare."

I see, he understood my position and conveyed Siare's wish.

"So, it's up to us now?"

"Yes. Although it might not even be necessary, I heard you are an independent mercenary organization in Zilba?"

"Yes, that's right."

"In that case, you should be able to navigate cleverly even if you are used in a scheme. However, since there is a possibility that you are the reincarnation of the Saintess and the Heroes, it wouldn't be strange for other countries to make unusual moves. Please be careful about that. For now, I've told the people of Enaria's holy capital that you are mercenaries skilled in magic. You'll have to put up with being called Saintesses, I suppose. However, for nobles of other countries..."

"You mean they might see us as descendants of Heroes and think we have some value?"

"Precisely."

I see.

So, if I go out to investigate other places and act recklessly, there's a high chance I'll get caught up in troubles related to Heroes.

Ah, I should seriously ask Nina to gather the enemy Heroes and wipe them out in one go. That way, the people of Betan will just dismiss it as "that's how it is."

Damn it, it always causes trouble.

After that, I was told about specific nobles in Enaria to avoid, and we parted ways.

Now, I need to drink some green tea and decide on paperwork and future plans...

It might be a bit complicated, but please forgive me.

Simply put, the fact that the countries might not have betrayed them willingly has emerged.

The current mysteries that need to be revealed are as follows:

The reason for killing the predecessor.

Why were the Heroes betrayed by the country?

And why did they end up annihilating people now?

If you focus on solving these mysteries, you might find the answers.

Well, those who have already guessed will probably think, "Ah, how should I put this?"

The hint is that it's not about malice, but about the will of the whole.

See you next time.