Chapter 66
Episode 66
Moreover, looking again, even their hair color was identical.
Why didn't I realize it?
The device for opening doors that the "eldest" in that house had made was as intricate as something assassins would handle.
It was also a house Redius knew well.
All those facts pointed to one thing.
I looked up at Pielle, who seemed to be anxiously waiting for an answer.
There must be a reason why she's telling me this instead of going to the village herself.
It's probably because...
'Did Riel's father lose his life on the battlefield?'
'That is correct, but...'
Redius had smiled sadly.
'He was someone who cherished his children more than anyone. I can still hear his voice saying he didn't want to die until the very end.'
The children he cherished were Riel and Pielle.
It doesn't seem like they were on bad terms. There must be some circumstances.
The reason why Pielle doesn't leave her post and worries about Riel from afar.
"Your sister is fine."
At my words, Pielle visibly flinched.
"If you're worried about your sister, you can go to the village."
But she shook her head firmly at the following words.
"I don't want to leave my assigned duties."
It sounded like more than just a sense of responsibility, like there were some circumstances.
"...Then I'll have someone report separately on whether Riel is okay. Is that alright?"
Pielle shook her head slightly at my words.
"I can't receive such special treatment—"
"Didn't you say that Shadow Supply was created to ease the worries of frontline Argenta about their families?"
Pielle was the one who had told me this during the handover previously.
"Making sure Pielle doesn't worry is part of the supply too. Right?"
Pielle slowly bowed her head at my words.
"...Thank you, truly."
Her voice was calm but trembled slightly.
Unlike Pielle's usual self.
But this might be Pielle's true self hidden beneath the mask of coolness.
I looked at Pielle anew.
Pielle, who had shown a friendly attitude since the first battlefield, seemed to like me more than I thought.
Of course, I felt the same way.
Unlike in the original work where she was described as just a cold cleaner, the Pielle I actually met was not as cold a person as I thought.
Especially...
'Master!'
The sight of her grabbing Dielo by the back of the neck and dragging him at the pool last time showed the troubles(?) of a subordinate being harassed.
She was more human than expected, and sometimes...
'This tea is good for fatigue.'
'If it's difficult for you to rest, shall I give you a massage?'
She seemed accustomed to taking care of someone, giving off an older sister-like feeling.
"So this time it's Alroze..."
I tilted my head slightly.
"It seems to be a ploy to create problems with Shadow Supply and shake up the supply system to make the atmosphere within Argenta unsettled."
Pielle neatly organized the information floating around in my head.
When I made eye contact to express my gratitude, Pielle smiled lightly.
At times like this, I feel like Pielle and I get along better than expected.
"Now that we know the enemy, we should respond, right?"
I got up.
Late at night, Dielo returned to the bedroom.
"I had some urgent business, I heard there was a problem today..."
Dielo looked at me apologetically as soon as he entered.
"I heard Krua handled everything well."
I nodded slightly at those words.
"It was a serious issue, but not a difficult one to handle."
"It must be because Krua is a capable person."
Dielo poured me some fruit wine and handed it over.
"This is an apology. And also a thank you."
A sweet apple scent wafted up from the fruit wine.
"I heard this is Krua's favorite drink, is that right?"
I had heard that the Krua in the original work had a particular favorite drink.
I swirled the glass and savored the aroma.
It seems the original Krua and I had matching tastes after all.
A smile formed on my face without me realizing.
"Yes."
Clink.
After clinking glasses with him, I gestured to him.
Dielo sat on the edge of the bed following my gesture and looked at me.
"You've heard the report, right?"
"Of course."
Dielo answered lightly as he tilted his glass. Perhaps because he was inherently a person with warmth.
When his particularly strong body scent mixed with the apple aroma, the sweet fragrance seemed to permeate even deeper.
Even just taking a slight breath, it was dizzying as if I had taken a deep, full breath.
Is this a high-proof alcohol? I couldn't tell even after swirling the apple wine.
"But I'd like to hear Krua's thoughts too."
Dielo turned to look at me then.
I nodded. Hearing his voice made me feel clear-headed again.
"First, the damaged supply routes in the empire are five out of the seven main land routes."
After swirling my glass, I got up from my seat.
Then I moved away from the bedside to a nearby table.
It was what I had been looking at just before he arrived.
Dielo followed silently behind me.
His shadow following behind me swayed with the candlelight.
"Fortunately, there weren't many casualties. There are some people with serious injuries, but Nias said they should be fine after about two months of recovery."
That much was good news.
"The problem is that it's the work of Alroze pretending to be bandits, right?"
Dielo gently picked up where I left off. I nodded.
"Yes. It seems they're thinking of striking Argenta immediately if Dielo's lilies disappear..."
Of course, the lilies are still there.
The three lilies engraved on Dielo's collarbone were still intact.
But we couldn't drag this out for long either.
Logically, from Argenta's position where Pero's awakening was urgent, wouldn't they have hurried to erase the lilies?
From the start, appearing as a lovey-dovey newlywed couple on the outside while still having the lilies remaining could seem suspicious.
But we couldn't say they were gone now.
We don't have the real Pero. We need the awakening to properly face Alroze.
The real Pero should appear around this time, but why isn't he showing up?
Since he wasn't appearing, I even ordered a search.
'We're searching but haven't found anything yet. I'm sorry.'
But both Rick and Nirua reported they couldn't find even a trace of Pero.
Why on earth?
Could it be that the story progression has completely changed, like how my water manipulation ability has strengthened?
Perhaps seeing my anxious expression, Dielo took my hand.
"The Knights' Order is also preparing for that."
Dielo said calmly. I nodded.
Alroze may think they'll attack us, but Argenta was already preparing for an attack.
Especially using what I told them about "power being amplified near the source", I heard they've developed quite a few strategies.
Even if Duke Alroze himself comes charging in, we won't be easily defeated.
But that doesn't mean we have the advantage.
There were some who were anxious about facing an Alroze who had completed Pero's awakening.
But Argenta, now free of spies, was surprisingly united around the head of the family and the leadership.
They dared to touch the northwest, where the injured are - I hear everyone, young and old, is sharpening their blades.
"I heard they're preparing carefully. But."
I stopped my thoughts and pointed at the map.
There was something bothering me.
This was why I had been staring at the map continuously.
"There's one strange point."
Dielo quietly looked down at the map at my words.
"What is it?"
Does even his gaze have warmth?
While thinking that the place he was looking at felt strangely heated, I pushed away distracting thoughts.
Then I calmly brought up the issue I had been pondering.
"This supply point and this supply point."
The places I pointed to on the map were quite far apart.
A distance that would take a full day of riding at full speed on horseback?
"They were attacked at two locations within half a day, but according to the injured, the weapons used and the composition of personnel were exactly the same."
Dielo lowered his hand holding the glass at my words.
"...Are you saying the same people attacked?"
His eyes sharply scanned the map.
"Probably. Of course, we can't know if they were really the same individuals since their faces were all covered."
I frowned.
"The attacking force numbered over 20. They were said to be well-trained elite troops."
However...
"If different groups attacked the two locations, it would mean at least 40 elite troops left Alroze, but there's no way the intelligence department would miss that."
"That's certainly true."
Dielo tilted his head slightly.
"What about the possibility of using water manipulation abilities to move quickly along the river?"
His fingertip traced over the map.
Following the winding river all the way from the Alroze mansion to where I was pointing.
—Tap.
His fingertip touched for just a brief moment. I flinched at the heat I felt without realizing.
"...Even if they used Alroze's ability to move troops along the river, the distance to the second attack location is too far."
Moreover, both of the attacked parties said they were ambushed while the sun was still up.
"Hmm."
Dielo nodded at my words.
It meant he understood what I was saying.
"Another method..."
They were clearly elite troops, and the fact that they used poison so naturally means the family's direct assassins must have been deployed.
Wait, Alroze's direct assassins?
"Ah."
There was someone in Argenta I could consult about this.
"Pielle."
I pulled the bell cord. Dielo blinked and turned to look at me.
I smiled confidently at him before gesturing to Pielle who had entered.
"Call Lord Nirua."
Nirua, who came from Alroze's assassin group, might know the answer.
At my order, Nirua came up shortly after.
And he offered an unexpected answer.
"They must have crossed here."
The place his fingertip pointed to on the map was the wide expanse between the two points...
"...They crossed here? The troops?"
It was a swamp.
