chapter 29
29 – You’re back safely.
After Luca’s story, Eve ordered another thorough search of both the mansion and the barracks.
As a result, five people were found in good condition in the barracks.
They, like Luca, were new recruits, and they were confined to the barracks in the same way Luca was taking care of the soldiers.
They had good stamina, so they tried to climb over the barracks wall at first, but inevitably there was a ban magic on the stone wall surrounding the barracks to prevent desertion.
Unfortunately, all five of them are ignorant of magic, so they give up. In the end, I was holding on desperately, waiting for rescue to come.
It was discovered that Princess Aine’s knights broke down the door with magic and hid in surprise when they were in trouble with the situation becoming dangerous due to running out of food.
Eve listened to all the stories from the five recruits who hurriedly ate, gave some instructions to his knights, then sat down at the desk in her room and cupped his head.
What happened to the duke’s mansion?
I couldn’t get a feel for Eve.
After a while, a knight under the direction of Eve brought a medic from the Knights Templar, and an investigation was conducted on the people who had lost their minds.
The main body of knights led by Princess Aine, who arrived with the medics, was also put in to deal with the situation.
The meeting room of the duke’s residence.
Princess Aine, Garrett, and Eve were sitting and talking with serious expressions.
“As a result of the search, the dead were three servants in the mansion and thirty-eight soldiers in the barracks.”
Captain Gareth explained while reading the data brought by his subordinate.
“I have heard the stories of the recruits who lived in the barracks and the stories of Maid Luca, and I think there are many similarities, so I think the credibility is high.”
When Luca’s testimony was compared with that of the recruits, the symptoms and timing of those who were mentally deranged were almost completely identical.
According to their testimonies, it was about two months ago that people started to become strange.
It is said that it has become strange, but it is said that it is to the extent that it has become more overslept or is just dazed on the spot, so it is said that it comes to its senses when woken up or called.
However, as time passed, the frequency gradually increased, and from about two weeks ago, they said that they did not even respond to calls at all and just stood there blankly.
At first, he suspected some kind of contagious disease, but the medics examined him and showed no signs of any disease, except that he was malnourished because he couldn’t eat his food satisfactorily.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. You deliberately traveled far away to help me, but I got caught up in something weird…”
“No, never mind.”
Princess Aine was reading the report written by the medic.
“Very bizarre by the way, I’ve never heard of a symptom like this.”
Princess Aine muttered to herself while reading the report.
It was another person sitting next to her who responded to her self-talk.
“Your Highness, that’s all.”
“What’s up? Garrett.”
Captain Garret made a worried expression several times, then opened his mouth as if he had hardened his heart.
“I’ve seen symptoms similar to these.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. It’s only ‘similar’ to the end.”
“What is it?”
Eve’s question.
Garrett nodded his head once and said.
“…A drug.”
“Medicine?”
“Yes, those… So-called narcotics, but there are several of them that show symptoms similar to these.”
Captain Garrett is a former mercenary.
Of course, he had seen a lot of rough things during his mercenary days, and among them, it was common to have to go into drug dens.
A drug den where all kinds of drugs were circulating, I saw several addicts who had similar withdrawal symptoms.
Looks like he’s lost his will, as if he’s out of his mind.
Of course, it’s different if you line up the detailed symptoms, but there are a few parts where the symptoms are quite the same.
“Drugs…But the report says…”
“Yes. It was written that there were no physical problems.”
Princess Aine and Eve are a bit dubious.
Garet also nodded.
“Yes. That’s why I was wondering whether I should report it or not.”
“…But the possibility is not zero. I think we need to investigate this as well.”
The princess and the others were trying to decide their future plans.
At that time, a knight hurriedly knocked on the door.
After the princess gave her permission, the knight who entered her room posted a candidate report politely.
“I have a report! A high-ranking person was found inside the barracks! He has similar symptoms to the other soldiers and is in a severe malnutrition state. So, we protected him first!”
“…Who is it? Who is he?”
“Yes! I have confronted the new recruits and his name is…”
After hearing the person’s name from the knight, Eve’s expression strangely changed.
After tidying up with the arriving reinforcements, I succeeded in returning to Arianrod Fortress.
No matter how weak a monster was, it suffered bruises and lacerations all over its body due to being hit with concentrated attacks, so it felt like it was going to die from aches and pains all over the body and even the cold weather.
I didn’t know when we were fighting, but after the fight was over, the pain came belatedly.
First of all, it hurts so much even after applying medicine, covering it with cold protection, and doing everything.
“Kyou!!”
Not long after I entered the fortress, I saw Riel running towards me with a loud voice.
Emilia is also standing behind.
Riel, who had been making a happy expression, suddenly made a serious expression.
“Oh… Are you okay? Are you seriously injured?!”
Riel came up to me and looked at my body here and there.
Oh well… It’s definitely light, but there are a lot of minor scars, so it’s a situation where bandages are wrapped all over the body, so it might look like a lot of injuries on the outside.
“Riel, I’m fine. It’s all like scratches.”
“Really?! It’s okay, right?!”
“It’s okay, look at this.”
Show her by swinging both of her arms to show an okay gesture.
…To be honest, the wounds were sore from the cold, so it stung a bit when I moved, but if I could reassure Riel.
Is there any other way to reassure you?
Ah, that’s right.
Cook!
“Keuheugh!!”
Surprisingly, he poked the leg of Asta who was standing next to her.
Asta, who had been standing still enduring severe muscle pain, sat down on the spot, screaming out loud.
“Look at this, it’s only on the outside, right?”
“No bro, do you really have to go that far?!”
Asta can’t stand it and jumps up and starts to argue.
Riel’s expression softened slightly as he looked at her in bewilderment.
Well, it works.
Thank you for the pain of your sore muscles. Asta.
“It seems to be okay…?”
“It’s okay, you promised to come back safely.”
“Yes…”
Riel suddenly came into her arms.
She was so sudden that she couldn’t react and looked around her.
Asta and Kino look slightly surprised. Phyllis is smiling behind her.
And Emilia was also looking at me with a slightly surprised expression, then she gestured to me with a hand gesture. Hug me together
The atmosphere is like that, and more than anything, I want to do that, so I also hugged Riel.
Oh, it smells good.
No, this isn’t it.
“As promised, I’m back safely. Riel.”
“Yes, welcome. Thank you for keeping your promise.”
…The wound where Riel was hugging hurt a little, but this was tolerable.
…Oops.
I said I wasn’t seriously injured, but I had to lie down for two days because the medic judged that the wound shouldn’t recur.
But on the last day, if you return by express train, you should be able to return to the academy.
…As an aside, Asta, who was forced to step forward with a body suffering from muscle pain, also had to lie down.
While I was lying down, Riel stayed by my side without missing a beat.
She was so sorry she told Riel she could do what she wanted but she said.
“Is this what I want to do?”
I gave up by saying
.
Hmm…That’s embarrassing.
“Come on, let’s eat. Ah~ I’m sorry.”
No, but you really don’t have to go this far?!
“…Then are you done talking about Miss Emilia?”
“Yes. Of course, I was very surprised at first, but Emmy is Emmy…”
…Um, why are you saying this…Can’t I somehow use that nickname?
It may not be a particularly strange nickname for people in this world, but my sensibility as a Korean accepts that nickname as strange…
“I had no idea that prisoners were so discriminated against.”
“…Well, it’s not something that happens in public.”
There are not a few people who don’t know about number discrimination at all, but only learn about it later.
Alan in the original work, too, knew nothing about the discrimination against males, but he got involved with Emilia and found out about it.
At that time, there was a knock on the door and Phyllis entered.
“Brother Kyou, Lady Riel. A guest has come.”
“Guest? Who the hell?”
“Lady Emilia wants to see you two.”
“Are you Emmy?”
After a while, Emilia entered her room and greeted her politely.
Riel greeted Emilia with her welcoming face, and Emilia also faced Riel with a bright face.
Well, what can I say?
In the original work, Emilia, as I’ve seen so far, appears as quite timid and wary of her surroundings.
She then, during the holiday season, she finds out to Alan that she is a prisoner, and is led by Alan, who keeps it a secret and embraces her, and is led by a saved heart… But…
Anyway, I think Riel took over that role in the North, right?
“Right, would you like a cup of tea? I’m into tea riding lately…”
“Oh…No, that’s embarrassing…”
“What is it, since we’re friends, we decided to talk comfortably with each other!”
“Yes? No… Uh… Yes…”
“Is Kyou okay?”
Yes? Me?
…Well, it doesn’t matter.
Actually, even the daughter of the duke in front of me told me to stop talking, but the count’s son even asked me to raise my voice.
“Well, I don’t care.”
“Look at this! Emmy. You said it wouldn’t matter, did you?”
“Uh…Yes…”
In the meantime, the next room.
Asta was lying in her bed suffering from her muscle pain.
While listening to the kyaaaqaaaqaaaqaaaqaaaqaaaqaaa sound
“…I also want to date a lot of pretty girls when I go to the academy next year.”
“Asta, this Alukinon-nim is taking care of you personally, but he is very greedy.”
As long as you don’t take strange poses and recite strange lines while nursing.
Sounds like bloody grace while applying medicine.
While muttering that to himself, Asta made up his mind that he would definitely date a pretty girlfriend next year.