Chapter 153 - The Cave Castle’s Wolves (part two) (1/2)

Chapter 153: The Cave Castle’s Wolves (part two)

I wore the lens charged with the Eyes of Overworld spell, and activated the magic.

The structure of the cave castle appeared in my mind.

A complex fortress where natural terrain and man-made object intertwined.

A distorted multi-layer structure for which it is difficult to express clearly how many layers there are.

If one doesn’t understand the structure, one may get lost.

I looked carefully over the whole thing and noticed anomalies as I committed the structure to my head.

This cave castle was almost uninhabited.

Other than us, I could only see one person many layers below.

I couldn’t find the knights that were dropped into the holes earlier.

It was an unexpected sight.

What in the world is happening?

…Maybe the lens is broken?

I looked around our location for confirmation.

Tirnanog and I were clearly visible, but Chloe wasn’t.

Why?

When I turned my gaze towards Chloe who was before me, the metal on the base of her throat shimmered.

The snowsilver accessory.

So because it was worn directly on the skin, she wasn’t reflected in visual magic!

If the inhabitants of the cave castle also wear snowsilver somewhere on their body, the result of the Eyes of Overworld can be explained.

That means, the one person I saw underground is likely to be an outsider who is not their companion: Beatrice.

Suspicion arose within me.

Perhaps, I could only see silver noise when I used Urd Sight previously due to similar reason?

To test it out, I waved the wand of Urd Sight on the spot.

In the place where Chloe and the huge man were fighting, two silver noises collided.

So, Beatrice was taken by someone wearing snowsilver after all.

If so, Jan Carlson had known about this outcome and gave false testimony.

Why did he do that?

Why did he have that kind of knowledge?

It is safe to assume that Jan Carlson is someone belonging to the Military Order of Útför.

Probably in the same spot as Harold in the original game.

The troubled smiling face of the Harold I am familiar with, and the severe glaring eyes of the Harold in the game’s still, flashed in my mind.

That explains the fact that Harold in the game was able to beat Haearn in an instant.

He might have used some snowsilver weapons before Haearn had finished chanting the spell for physical defense, such as the Condensation Shield.

“…Erica-san, are you okay? What’s wrong…?”

“Now we know where Beatrice is. Also the true identity of the silver monstro and the accomplice of the kidnappers.”

I told Chloe the results of the search and my reasoning about it.

When I got to the point about Jan, Chloe hung her head down a bit sadly.

“But that means I don’t have to hold back against the people here anymore.”

“Eh…were you holding back until now?”

“Y-yeah.”

It didn’t look that way at all.

Whatever.

Chloe’s seriousness is really reassuring.

“So, now that we know where she is, shall we go down and retrieve Beatrice right away?”

“Yeah, I’m ready anytime.”

Chloe nodded with a serious expression.

I held the wand again.

I used the wand of Digging to pierce the walls and floors at once and retrieve Beatrice from the enemy.

The target point is where Beatrice was seen before.

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I created a pathway for us to fall at once with the wand of Digging by enhancing its penetration ability and muting its sound.

Penetrate three layers at a stretch.

Since it is dangerous to crowd around in a large room, I set the exit in a kitchen a little distance away just in case.

First, Chloe and Tirnanog descended.

Then I used the wand of Feather Fall to descend.

At the end of the hole was a dark, deserted kitchen where large hams and onions with protruding knives were scattered about messily.

“Erica-san, it looks like people are gathering in the reception hall ahead. Judging from the breathing sounds and footsteps, I think there are more than ten people.”

Chloe put her ear on the door and explained the situation.

If we try to fight them upfront, we will be outnumbered.

But, what if I entrust Beatrice’s retrieval to Chloe and Tirnanog, while I focus on making a distraction?

“I want to talk to the knights, is that okay?”

“It’s fine. In exchange, I’d like you to retrieve Beatrice if things turn south.”

Chloe nodded quietly.

Once we have Beatrice, the rest can be worked out somehow.

Then we opened the door and followed the passage from the kitchen to the reception hall.

The burning smell of tallow candles spread in the dim space at the end of the passage.

Fourteen men in brown robes were gathered around a big table.

Their gazes turned to our direction simultaneously.

On the platform on the other side of the table were two men in pure white knight uniform and a man in a dark brown robe to wait upon them.

From the design of the clothes worn by the knights, I knew for sure that they were the Military Order of Útför.

“This is…welcome, Chloe-sama.”

The white knight, who seems to be the leader, said in a quiet voice as if it was forced out of his lips.

Beatrice was restrained and lying at his feet.

Although she fainted, it seems she is unharmed.

“Why did the proud Military Order of Útför do this kind of thing?”

Chloe asked.

“Chloe-sama, it is to get you back. Please return to the North with us.”

The white knight replied.

Their main purpose was to retrieve Chloe, the former royal princess?

Chloe looked around and sighed lightly.

“You took that girl to threaten me?”

Chloe’s voice rang.

Her voice contained a quiet anger.

“No. We would have taken only you if circumstances allowed.”

The white knight leader—the mastermind of the incident said so.

He had a bitter expression on his face.

“I was forced to take away such an innocent student by mistake. I apologize.”

“Why did you want to take me away?”

Chloe asked.

“To take you away from that traitor Harlan, we had no choice but to do it while you are in the academy, out of Harlan’s reach. Because—”

The mastermind began to speak.

Harlan concealed the survival of Chloe, the youngest daughter of the former royal family in the North.

Only some high nobles and the higher-ups of the Military Order of Útför, who had been keeping in touch with them, had been searching for Chloe this whole time.

Chloe was discovered very recently.

A few months ago, a serious incident occurred in Lucanrant.

Because of that, even though they were supposed to carry out things in a more amicable manner, they had to resort to such a brute force approach.

“If this situation persists, our northern land will be destroyed because of that Harlan…!”

The other white knight shouted with all his heart.

Judging from the story, it seems this incident wasn’t due to Harlan’s instructions, but the independent actions of the knights who were worried about their homeland.

“A number of high nobles have already offered their support in opposing Harlan. After that, if you return, Chloe-sama, we will be able to reunite the North again.”

The mastermind appealed to Chloe with his eyebrows furrowed.

“So you’re saying that the blood of the old royal family is necessary to give justification in driving away the Margrave of Urs from the seat of the northern Deputy Governor-General?”

Chloe responded in a voice without intonation.

“Indeed. We can’t let that Ignitia’s dog usurper to continue as is. The return of the legitimate successor of Lucanrant’s royal family is the wish of all northern people…Chloe-sama, you surely won’t deny them this, right?”

“It sounds good and all, but in the end, you only want me to be your puppet.”

Chloe’s statement caused the wrinkle between the mastermind’s eyebrows to deepen.

“No, that was never our intention—”

Even if they have no such intent, the nobles who have become their backer will eventually be at the helm.

Because she is a 14-year-old of noble birth with no relatives, that kind of thing will inevitably happen.

“One more thing; can I ask about that incident?”

“That’s…only a little is known to us. Even people at the extremity still have morals. Especially now there are outsiders, so I can’t say anything.”

“After taking you to a safe place, there will definitely be an explanation from the mouth of your backers.”

“What if I don’t want to go to the North without hearing the explanation?”

When Chloe responded, the mastermind thrust the muzzle of his gun at Beatrice who was lying at his feet.

As expected, we can’t negotiate with them.

I will drop the whole floor using Digging while making me and Beatrice float using Levitation.

Hopefully, Chloe or Tirnanog can retrieve Beatrice during the turmoil—

But, earlier than I could move, Chloe opened her mouth.

“If you return that girl to the academy right now, I will go to the North.”

Chloe’s indifferent voice resounded coldly in the hall.

“First of all, we will go to the North together. It’s not that we don’t trust you, Chloe-sama, but we also need insurance.”

“After everything is done here, I will definitely send her off to the academy.”

“Then this child will be a bother to you, that’s not good. She doesn’t have to be released right away, right?”

Chloe shook her head.