Chapter 92

With the giant gone, it felt as if half of his worries about the north had disappeared.

'The Never-Extinguishing Flame,' 'The Larva That Sprinkles Ice,' and 'The Summer Old Man' still remained in the north, but.

'Originally, Aphoom-Zhah, the Never-Extinguishing Flame, cannot move from one place in its form of fire.'

The fables of the Larva and the Summer Old Man were similar.

Like the Winter Butterfly, they were stories of visitors who came seeking the gods and suffered harm.

Looking at this, it seemed that people wouldn't suffer harm unless they deliberately sought out these entities.

But separately from that, there was a need to identify their likely locations and designate them as restricted areas.

"There's a lot to do."

At his inadvertently uttered words, Russel, who was beside him, abruptly interjected.

"Shall I help you? It seems like it could be resolved faster that way."

"How do you know what I'm going to do?"

"Whatever you do, it must also be God's will."

Russel made the sign of the cross and prayed devoutly.

He had no choice but to watch, as it was too absurd to respond to.

After coming down from the mountain, they had many concerns about what to do with Jonas's body.

Ordinarily, they should have reported to the mercenary band he belonged to and let them take care of the body.

But they couldn't predict how the mercenary band would react upon seeing the bite marks on young Jonas's throat and the missing Max.

It might have been his selfishness, but he wanted the image of Max that others remembered to be that of a human.

Otherwise, Max, who had been seized by an evil spirit and turned into a giant, would be too pitiful.

In the end, they decided to bury Jonas together with Max at the place where Max had died.

With so much snow having fallen, plus the additional snow poured from above, it looked almost as if they were buried in snow rather than ground.

Still, they packed a small mound firmly and even placed a modest cross made of small branches on top.

After observing a moment of silence in front of it, he and Russel left, leaving the buried things as they were.

After all, only the two of them remained.

Throughout their journey from the Margrave's castle back to the ducal residence, Russel was unusually polite and proactive.

He had wondered if it might be an extension of his paranoia, but fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.

Apart from excessive loyalty and piety, there was nothing strange in his speech or behavior.

But seeing this... he had several questions about Russel.

Unlike himself, who couldn't even move with his knees buckling, why was Russel able to move normally even after witnessing the giant's descent?

Why was it different from when he first witnessed a god?

Once he started thinking this way, there were many points that bothered him.

But when he tried to subtly ask Russel about it,

"It's all God's grace."

...Since he would only say things like that, there wasn't really any valuable information. He was indeed a madman.

Still, he thought everything would get better once they reached the ducal residence.

Not only would he have time to think slowly and leisurely, but he could also look for clues about "paranoia" in the books left by the former Duchess.

But that fantasy was shattered as soon as they arrived at the ducal residence.

"...Arndt? Who's that beside you?"

"Welcome back safely, Your Grace."

Arndt looked exactly 16 times more tired than when he had last seen him.

With bloodshot eyes, dark circles beneath them, and hair sticking out in all directions...

And clinging tightly to Arndt's side was a figure that was probably the cause.

"W-why are you l-looking at me like that? I already h-have someone I've g-given my heart to."

"I'm your employer, Amelia. There's no problem with me looking at you."

"B-but the g-gazes of other m-men are uncomfortable! They m-m-might develop f-feelings for me...!"

"Develop feelings? For you?"

Amelia, who was tightly hugging Arndt's arm and watching him warily, turned her head away sharply.

He felt like he was going to go crazy because of Amelia acting prim as if he were her romantic rival.

Watching this, Russel spoke quietly and gently.

"Shall I cut her?"

"Don't imitate Leandros!"

"Why is Sir Leandros, no, Senior Leandros being mentioned here? I'm purely concerned for Your Grace."

"Stop right there. Amelia, I think the shoulder of the arm you're holding is about to dislocate. Let go of Arndt."

"B-but Your G-Grace separated m-me from Arndt!"

"Your Grace, listen to this. This woman is out of her mind. She came to the castle and suddenly started showering me with kisses. Then she rambled on and on..."

"I c-couldn't help it! We h-haven't been t-together for so long! Y-Your Grace said I could s-stay with Arndt at the c-castle once the northern b-business was finished!"

"Did you sell me off, Your Grace?! What did I do so wrong? I'll correct it quickly, so please give me one more chance!"

Clamor. Hubbub. The decibel level was enough to make blood come out of his ears.

Seeing his expression, Russel spoke again.

"Shall I really cut her?"

"No! Everyone be quiet!"

Quiet, et, et, et, et, eeeet...

A small echo continued in the inner courtyard of the ducal residence.

Russel, Arndt, and even Amelia became tight-lipped and rolled their eyes.

Now it was finally quiet.

After catching his breath, he placed his hands on his waist and spoke, making eye contact with each person.

"Russel, you've worked hard in the north. There's nothing to do right now, so go back and rest. We'll need to go to the capital in a few days. I'll be with Arndt today, so don't worry about escorting me."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Russel nodded.

Next was Arndt.

"Arndt, I trust you've provided appropriate hospitality to the priests while I was away."

"Yes, Your Grace. It was neither lacking nor excessive."

"I'm thinking of having a dinner in the banquet hall tonight. And I think it would be good to give special treatment to those who came from the major cities."

"I will do as you command."

"And Amelia."

Amelia flinched.

Her eyes were saying, 'You're going to tell me to get away from Arndt. I know it all.'

Looking at her aggressive and combative demeanor, he sighed and said.

"To my office. Right now."

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

"A-are you asking this, t-to seduce me in your o-office?"

"It's not like that. Your feelings are important to me too."

Amelia hesitated for a moment, then said quietly.

"I w-want to see Arndt."

"Arndt is busy, so later. First, tell me about the task I assigned you."

"O-oh, that."

Amelia sat in the guest chair, looked around, and then picked up a piece of paper and a charcoal fragment from the table.

She slowly drew something, tracing her memories.

"F-first, most of the r-roads leading into the royal palace are c-controlled. Even the back doors t-that the palace people use h-have limitations on entry. So, f-for now, the fastest way was to j-jump over both the landscaping trees that s-serve as walls and the actual walls."

"It seems one can't enter casually. What else?"

"A-and the location of the Crown Prince's palace a-appeared to be inside here, but I'm not sure. This is the training ground of the Royal Knight Order, a-and this is the main castle, t-this is the annex used for banquets, and further up in the corner, there's an unused annex."

The lines being drawn on the paper took on specific contours and emerged faintly.

When he had assigned tasks to Russel and Amelia, he had told Amelia not to stop by the ducal residence.

-Your task is different. You should go to the capital before Russel. Gather information about the royal palace. Find out where the castle is located, how many guards there are, who are the court people frequently seen, how many guests come and go, things like that.

-Is t-that all?

-Pay special attention to Crown Prince Yurik. But don't get too close. Keep your distance as much as possible. The moment you're caught, you won't be able to return to the ducal residence.

Amelia had faithfully completed that role until he sent Philip.

He accepted the rough aerial view of the royal palace that Amelia had drawn.

"What about Yurik's movements?"

"M-mostly he just goes between the main castle and the C-Crown Prince's palace. Occasionally he d-drags along ministers, but nothing special..."

"I see."

As Amelia reported, there was no way Yurik would have been so well-behaved.

Just as he went to the north, he should also go to the east to take care of things and cast bait in the south.

Yurik, who should be so busy that he wouldn't even have time to sleep, was quietly staying in the castle?

There must have been a moment when Amelia had lost sight of Yurik somewhere.

But right now, he couldn't investigate that.

"Good job. You must have had a hard time touring the castle to be able to draw this."

"I-it's all right as long as A-Arndt recognizes my efforts."

"Why does it have to be Arndt who recognizes it? I'm the one who assigned you the task."

He was already dying of concern about Arndt, who looked like he had been suffering for days.

He was about to ask if Arndt was giving her money or food, but he barely restrained himself.

Even with her paranoid mental state, Amelia's feelings of love for Arndt themselves weren't wrong.

It's just that now they were... severely amplified.

"You can go now. If Arndt says he doesn't like it, give him some space, and stick to him with some awareness of others' perspectives. It looks unsightly."

"Unsightly! T-that's just the c-cowardly excuse of people w-without lovers."

Wait, you don't actually have Arndt as your lover either!

What are you saying! Are you crazy!

"Stop subtly annoying me and leave quickly."

Amelia immediately stood up and fluttered to the door.

She was completely different from before going to the north.

The moment she changed was probably when she saw the stars then.

Watching her, he inadvertently asked.

"Amelia."

"Y-yes?"

"Do you think your current state is normal?"

Amelia, who had grabbed the doorknob, turned to look at him.

With a smile he had never seen before on her thin face, she said.

"If I'm not normal, then everyone else must be abnormal. I feel more normal now than I've ever been!"

And the door closed.

She was normal, and others were abnormal.

If others were normal, then she was abnormal.

Really.

"I've become abnormal all of a sudden."

He looked down at the drawing in his hand.

The reason he had told Amelia to get information about the royal palace wasn't simply to observe Yurik's routine.

The exact route that could be taken within the royal palace grounds.

What could one do with just this?

There were more than 10 things that came to mind immediately.

'I suppose it depends on who's using it.'

After looking at the aerial view, he sat down and started working.

* * *

That early evening.

The banquet hall of the Hartmann ducal residence was opened wide for the first time in a while.

The newly renovated banquet hall boasted a classical and bright beauty, as if it had never been unused.

Gold-plated window frames and casings, candlesticks that shone like new, luxurious and rich yet sweet and soft dishes.

The grand banquet that began with sixty-five priests invited was quite lavish for a dinner for sixty-five priests.

As the banquet progressed, several people discreetly disappeared from the hall.

Among them was Duke Arenheit.

Those who had disappeared quietly headed to Duke Arenheit's office.

When a total of six priests arrived, the door was closed, and Arenheit, who had been waiting in advance, spoke first.

"Thank you for coming all this way."

"However, Your Grace. May I ask why you created a separate meeting during the banquet?"

"I had to invite you because there's something I wanted to discuss with the priests. Please take a look."

Several sheets of paper were placed on the table in front of the priests.

Though puzzled, they picked up the papers.

However, the moment they read the title at the top, the priests' eyes widened in surprise.

"No, Your Grace. This is..."

"That's right."

Arenheit smiled.

"It's the Reconstruction Plan for the Northern Grand Temple."