Chapter 99
Good work, Thor-sama.
The tea is ready.
When we returned to the camp, the soldiers had lit a fire and were taking a break.
Mabel and Agnis were waving from one corner of the camp.
I had been wanting to take a break soon, so this was perfect.
"I managed to talk with Grand Duke Charon about the incident."
I sat down near the campfire.
"It looks like high-ranking officials in the Imperial Capital are involved in the demon beast summoning. From here on, it is a matter for His Majesty the Demon Lord, the Grand Duchy, and the Empire to resolve. My part is over."
"Good work, Thor-sama."
"We'd like you to take it easy when we return."
"Thanks. I'd like to investigate 'Demon Beast Nozerias' as well, but it will probably take some time before we can obtain the materials. Once we get back, I'll take a break."
The Imperial soldiers had begun dismantling 'Demon Beast Nozerias.'
Only its pincers had remained after it was defeated with 'Meteor Impostor,' but this one had merely been split cleanly in two, so they should be able to obtain quite a lot of material.
I hoped they would share some with us, too.
"Grand Duke Charon cut that demon beast's legs with an ordinary magic sword, didn't he...?"
Even with his impaired left arm, that man apparently had no trouble fighting demon beasts.
Despite being so strong, he still intended to master the way of the sword. Because he believed himself to be inexperienced, he never became arrogant, and he was kind to others as well. That was the kind of person he was.
I wish I could have talked with him more.
If only he hadn't been a high-ranking Imperial noble.
"I have to master alchemy as well, so I don't lose to him."
"No, I think you're already working hard enough, Thor-sama."
"You think so?"
"When you were making the 'Robot Vacuum,' you worked until late at night. If His Majesty the Demon Lord hadn't told you, 'I forbid you to work through the night,' wouldn't you have continued working until morning?"
"That depends on whether Mabel kept quiet about it."
"That would be impossible."
"Impossible, huh?"
"I've decided never to lie to His Majesty the Demon Lord."
"It isn't a lie. I just want you to keep quiet about it."
"What should I do if His Majesty the Demon Lord asks me, 'Is Thor getting enough sleep?'"
"You could just say, 'I'm getting enough sleep (in my personal opinion).' I saw something like that written in a book from the Hero world."
"Come to think of it, you did say that. You mentioned that the phrase 'in my personal opinion' was used frequently in the Hero world."
"It appears on every page of the 'Mail-Order Catalog,' after all."
"What a strange world..."
"It's a world where each Hero is extraordinarily powerful. In that sense, it probably means, 'This is the personal opinion of a great Hero. It is persuasive.'"
"That's very persuasive..."
"So, my report to His Majesty the Demon Lord will be—"
"'Thor-sama is getting enough sleep (in Thor-sama's personal opinion).'"
"Could you please not do that? His Majesty the Demon Lord will come to check."
As we talked, Agnis brewed some tea.
She touched the hot pot sitting over the fire directly and poured the steaming tea into a cup. Even while using the 'Health-Enhancing Pendant,' Agnis had fire resistance, after all.
This had become a familiar sight before I knew it.
"I feel most at ease when I'm with Mabel and Agnis."
I said this as I accepted the cup of tea.
"No matter how attractive the offer was, there's no way I'd go to the Grand Duchy and leave everyone behind—"
Clatter!
"Thor-sama, what did you just say!?"
"You were invited to the Empire's... Grand Duchy!?"
"Yes. Of course, I refused."
I said this to Mabel and Agnis, who had risen to their feet.
"Grand Duke Charon asked me to go to the Grand Duchy for about ten days a year and teach alchemy. Of course, I refused on the spot. Even though it is an autonomous territory, the Grand Duchy is still part of the Empire. I have no intention of returning to that country."
The tea was delicious.
Agnis had also started brewing tea for me recently. She came to the workshop and helped with the housework. She even wore a maid outfit most of the time.
I felt incredibly reassured whenever the two of them were nearby.
They stopped me whenever I worked too much, and they prepared food I could eat with one hand while working.
I was extremely grateful to Mabel and Agnis.
I had no intention of going to the Grand Duchy if it meant making those two worry.
I still had plenty of things I wanted to do in the Demon Lord's territory.
"...Sigh."
Mabel and Agnis sighed while holding their cups of tea.
"Please don't scare us like that, Thor-sama."
"I thought my heart was going to stop."
"For now, I told him, 'I have things I want to make in the Demon Lord's territory, so I won't leave the country until I finish them.'"
"Things you want to make?"
"I still haven't completed all the items in the 'Mail-Order Catalog.'"
"You intend to make all of them!?"
"My goal is to surpass the Hero world, after all. I want to try making as many of the items found in the Hero world as possible, for the time being."
"...That's amazing, Thor-sama."
"...That is an ambitious goal."
"Even after I finish making them, that will only be the first stage. There is still a second stage."
"The second stage?"
"Yes. After mastering 'functional beauty,' I want to try mastering 'aesthetic beauty.'"
The items of the Hero world were created in pursuit of 'functional beauty.'
Of course, that had its own appeal, but I felt that it was not enough by itself.
"At first, I thought 'functional beauty' was enough. But coming to the Demon Lord's territory changed my mind. I met people like Mabel, His Majesty the Demon Lord, and Agnis, who make me feel the beauty of divine creation."
"...Huh?"
"Of course, I don't think I can create anything as beautiful as Mabel, His Majesty, or Agnis... But I think it's worth trying. The fact that I, a member of another race, can recognize Mabel and Agnis as beautiful means that there is a kind of beauty everyone in this world can share. As an alchemist, I want to pursue that—huh?"
"...Oh, come on, Thor-sama!?"
"...Please don't say things like that with such a straight face!"
I was scolded.
That was strange. I was speaking from the bottom of my heart.
"So, after pursuing functional beauty and aesthetic beauty, I want to create something that makes everyone happy, as a way of expressing my gratitude to Mabel, Agnis, and His Majesty. Something that makes people happy when it functions, but also makes them happy just by looking at it. That's what I want to make."
I will learn from the Hero world and from the people of the Demon Lord's territory, and ultimately create amazing magic items that make everyone happy.
That was my goal now.
To achieve it, the Demon Lord's territory—and at the very least, the area near its border with the Empire—had to remain peaceful. That was why I had done everything I could to cooperate with the demon beast investigation.
"...Thor-sama."
When I glanced over, Mabel's cheeks were flushed, and she was staring intently at me.
"When we return to the workshop, we need to talk."
"Talk?"
"Yes. With Soreyu-san and the other winged fairies present, there are several things I want you to understand, Thor-sama."
"...Uh, okay."
Mabel's expression was utterly serious.
Agnis was... yes. She had turned her back to us.
"All right. We'll take our time talking when we get back."
But before that, there was something I wanted to write down.
The 'Robot Vacuum' had brought back a metal plate from the fortress. It had an incantation written on it, and I needed to make a clean copy.
I had quickly taken notes before handing the metal plate to Isaac-san, but I wanted to write it down properly while the details were still fresh in my mind.
That could be a hint for a new item.
Once we got back and I had rested, I needed to make a prototype and show it to Elte-san.
I'd been making nothing but combat items lately, after all.
Now I was practically bursting with the desire to make everyday items.
Mabel would probably wait for me while I took a few notes.
"Then let's go home. To our workshop."
"Yes, Thor-sama!"
"Agnis also has something she wants to discuss with Thor Kanan-sama!"
And so, for the time being, the demon beast investigation came to an end—
We decided to return to the Demon Lord's territory.
──Meanwhile, on the Imperial side──
"Princess Liana should go to 'Noza Town.'"
After the discussion had ended, Grand Duke Charon said this.
Everyone had lit fires and was eating before departing.
"I will have Adjutant Nona escort you. Once the break is over, go to your elder sister and discuss things with her."
"Discuss things?"
"How to win that alchemist's heart."
"Gah—cough, cough!"
The tea she had been drinking went down the wrong way.
Princess Liana reflexively covered her mouth and coughed.
"W-why would you say such a thing, Grand Duke-sama!?"
"I sensed it when I spoke with that alchemist earlier. He cannot be left to his own devices."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. He seems interested only in researching alchemy. If you have feelings for him, Princess Liana, you should take action so that he understands how you feel."
That left Liana at a loss.
Liana had only just realized her own feelings.
She did not know whether this feeling was love or merely the result of admiring him.
If anything, she felt it was probably the latter.
Thor Kanan had helped her.
He had understood her.
Liana admired his strength and empathy. Perhaps that was all it was.
Or rather, she was not confident in her own feelings.
Such emotions had always been completely foreign to Liana.
That was why she had been unable to attend the discussion earlier.
She had not known what would happen to her if she saw Thor Kanan's face up close.
What if he noticed how fast her heart was beating?
She might become so flustered that she said something strange.
She had just finished a battle, so her hair might be disheveled. She might be covered in the demon beast's blood. Her clothes might be untidy and unbecoming...
Those things had been troubling her so much that she could hardly think straight.
"But... even if you tell me to take specific action..."
"Well, discuss that with your elder sister, too. I will provide a carriage and an escort. Until you reach the town, you can think about what you should say to your sister."
"Why are you doing so much for me, Grand Duke-sama?"
"It is an old man's duty to help the young."
Grand Duke Charon nodded.
"I have no children of my own. Of course, the person I adopted as the heir to the Grand Duchy is also a precious child to me. But I care for you as a blood relative as well, Princess Liana."
"Thank you, Grand Duke-sama."
"Besides, the sooner you take action, the better. For that alchemist's sake as well."
"For Thor Kanan-sama's sake, too?"
"Yes. There are people in this world who become so absorbed in mastering their chosen path that they fail to notice the affection of others. Such people remain single forever and make everyone around them anxious."
"Oh? Grand Duke-sama, why are you introducing yourself to Princess Liana?"
"Gah, cough, cough, cough!"
"Oh! Grand Duke-sama!"
Grand Duke Charon began coughing as well at Adjutant Nona's words when she brought him a refill of tea.
Adjutant Nona patted the Grand Duke's back with an exasperated expression and said,
"S-sorry. It just slipped out..."
"Nona, you..."
"But, Grand Duke-sama, we subordinates have constantly been admonished by your relatives, you know? They keep saying that you are single because we are not doing our jobs properly. I have only served you for eight years, but my mother, whom I served before, told me the same thing."
"I do feel sorry for all of you."
"Then you need to find someone soon."
"It is too late to worry about that now."
At last, Grand Duke Charon had recovered. He wore a troubled expression as he said,
"Besides, what eccentric would accept a swordsmanship fanatic like me? I know my own limitations. I cannot take a wife at this stage of my life and make her suffer."
"...Sigh."
Adjutant Nona let out a long sigh.
She gazed at the Grand Duke's back with eyes that seemed to have given up on something, yet remained kind.
Seeing this, Liana felt as though she understood Nona's feelings.
She also understood the meaning of the Grand Duke's advice that it was better to hurry.
"I understand your advice, Grand Duke-sama."
"I see."
"I should hurry, then? Grand Duke-sama?"
"That is right."
"I should hurry, then? Nona-sama?"
"No, why are you asking Nona? And why is Nona nodding so enthusiastically?"
"I understand. Then I have a request, Grand Duke-sama."
Liana spoke with determination.
"It concerns the 'wager.' As a reward for dealing a great deal of damage to the demon beast, you said that you would tell me the secrets of the Empire. I would like Alchemist Thor Kanan-sama to be present when you do so."
"...Hmm."
"You said that you would tell the Demon Lord's territory about the details of this incident. But the Empire's past is a separate matter. You may be reluctant to discuss that with someone from the Demon Lord's territory. However—"
"You mean that you would feel less reluctant if he were someone who used to be an Imperial noble?"
"It may not be proper to discuss Imperial information with someone from another country, but..."
"No, I do not mind. It concerns that man as well."
Liana felt something strange.
For some reason, a chill ran down her spine.
"Before we fought the demon beast, I told you that when I was young, the Empire lost something it should never have lost."
"Y-yes."
"Powerful people of that time were involved. High-ranking nobles. Warriors, mages—and a former Sword Saint as well."
"The Sword Saint who preceded you, Grand Duke-sama..."
Remembering that person's name—or, more precisely, surname—Liana's eyes widened.
She knew the names of all the Sword Saints throughout history.
Of those names, there was only one person connected to Thor Kanan.
Sword Saint Void Rigas.
He had been a duke and the Sword Saint during the era of Liana's great-grandfather.
He was also Thor Kanan's grandfather.
"Well, it is neither a very long nor a very interesting story."
Sword Saint Charon shrugged.
"Very well. I will issue a letter arranging a meeting in 'Noza Town' between Princess Liana, Princess Sofia, and Thor Kanan. Nona, make the arrangements."
"Yes, Grand Duke-sama."
"Before that, however, we must make this Fortress Commander Geralt Tsenger fellow talk. What a nuisance."
With that, Grand Duke Charon rose to his feet.
The break was over.
From there, Liana and the Grand Duke's forces would head to the fortress. They would interrogate the perpetrators behind the demon beast summoning and extract every bit of information about the incident. Afterward, they would enter 'Noza Town,' where Liana would reunite with her elder sister Sofia.
(There are so many things I want to tell Sister. But now there are things I cannot tell her, too...)
Liana shook her head, driving away the thoughts that had surfaced.
First, she had to do her job properly.
She would see her sister after that.
First, she would bring the demon beast summoning incident to an end. Then she would see her sister and introduce Thor Kanan to her. She would hear the Empire's hidden circumstances from the Grand Duke. After that—
(What will I do then?)
Nothing had been decided yet.
Could she remain the 'Holy Sword Princess' who wielded her sword at her brother's command, as she always had?
Or—
"Let us go, Grand Duke-sama."
──With doubts still clouding her heart, Liana began walking toward the carriage.
And so, Princess Liana and Grand Duke Charon began moving toward their respective destinations.