The Villain Family’s Strongest Butler
Chapter 27
A request for a ceasefire and an alliance.
‘Serhin would never do something like this if he were alive.’
It had to be one of two things.
Either Serhin was truly dead, or he had completely lost his mind.
I stopped in my tracks and froze in the middle of the hallway.
‘Serhin is… dead?’
The mere thought made a heavy ache settle in my chest.
Serhin was the liege who wielded me as his sword, but he was also a close friend who had stood beside me for years.
Imagining his death was something I could never welcome.
‘No. That’s not it.’
I shook my head, brushing the unverified assumptions from my mind.
There was no need to jump to conclusions and wallow in gloom already.
‘Nothing has been confirmed yet.’
Above all, Serhin was not the type to die so easily.
There was something Serhin once told me when he appeared battered and bloody all over, looking at my worried face.
—“There’s no way I’d die and leave you behind.”
Right. That was just the kind of person he was.
‘He’s the kind of guy who would survive no matter what happened and appear right in front of me.’
So let’s set aside pointless worries about whether Serhin is dead or mad.
I began walking down the corridor once more.
***
“Proposing a ceasefire and an alliance at the same time… Did something happen in the Tenasis Empire?”
Ed asked with a grave expression. Kadrian shook his head in response.
“We can know nothing for certain yet. We will find out once we enter the Imperial Palace.”
The letter contained only a brief summary regarding the request for an alliance.
They would only learn the detailed particulars once the meeting was fully underway.
“Another lengthy council is about to begin, then.”
“Most likely.”
The Grand Aristocrats Council.
In the Cadea Empire, five families each were selected from the Emperor’s Faction, the Aristocratic Faction, and the Temple faction, granting them the authority to attend the Grand Aristocrats Council.
Critical affairs of the Empire were discussed and decided at that council, and major matters such as an alliance were also finalized there.
Therefore, by now, high-ranking nobles from across the Empire would be making their way up to the Imperial Palace in the capital.
Ed stroked his chin and spoke.
“Your Grace. It seems quite likely that His Majesty the Emperor will accept this proposal for an alliance.”
“Indeed. There is no justification to refuse it, either.”
The Cadea Empire had waged war for years over the Remart Disputed Region.
The longer the war dragged on, the harder it became for the people of the Empire.
In the end, the expenses required to recruit and maintain soldiers were funded by the labor and taxes of the Empire’s subjects.
On top of that, as the war persisted, the number of families who had lost parents, children, or siblings increased, causing the social fabric to fray.
There was no way the Imperial Family remained ignorant of the gloomy, negative sentiment sweeping through the entire Empire.
Yet right at this moment, the Tenasis Empire had requested a ceasefire, and even proposed an alliance.
The Emperor of Cadea was bound to see this as a golden opportunity.
“Meaning it is an opportunity not only to soothe the hearts of the people by ending the war, but also to extract as much as possible from Tenasis, is it not?”
“Correct. Furthermore, one could say we have gained an ally to face the black magicians together.”
Kadrian opened a desk drawer and took out a leather pouch.
It was what he had received from the High Priest the day he visited the Temple with Freya not long ago.
Kadrian held out the leather pouch to Ed.
“Check this.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Ed opened the pouch Kadrian handed him and checked its contents.
He had expected an item related to the alliance with the Tenasis Empire, but something completely different emerged. Ed’s eyes went wide.
“A leaf?”
What Ed pulled out of the pouch was a single leaf.
Cloaked in deep green, the leaf was so fresh that it looked as if it had only just fallen from a branch.
The cut end of the petiole was moist, and the firmly spreading veins attested to its healthy condition.
A golden vein ran down the center of the dark green leaf, with fine, delicate veins branching outward to either side.
The pattern formed by the harmony of straight and curved lines was so mystical that it brought the Ancient Language to mind.
Thanks to the veins that glowed softly like starlight in the night sky, the entire leaf glittered as though dusted with gold powder.
Ed fluttered the leaf gently and spoke. Contrary to his light gesture, his expression and voice were solemn.
“It is a leaf of the World Tree.”
“Yes. Have you seen one before?”
At that, Ed shook his head.
“I have never seen one in person. However, I knew roughly what it looked like through ancient texts preserved within my tribe.”
Ed was of the Markatz Tribe.
The Markatz Tribe, members of the Wolf Beastman Tribe, were nomads who had accumulated diverse knowledge by traveling across the continent without settling down in a single place.
Ed examined the leaf a bit closer, then tilted his head.
“Still, this is strange, Your Grace. Did you not say that the current World Tree has ceased its activity and is in the process of dying?”
“That is correct.”
“I cannot understand how such a healthy leaf could sprout from a tree that has ceased its activity. Could it be a counterfeit?”
“Since the High Priest gave it directly, it is undeniably a leaf of the World Tree.”
“Then, are you saying the World Tree is reviving?”
Recalling the High Priest’s words for a moment, Kadrian gave a slow nod.
“…He said leaves began to sprout exactly two years ago.”
“!”
Ed’s eyebrows shot up at Kadrian’s response.
“Y-Your Grace. If it was two years ago, is that not the exact period when that person awakened?”
“……”
The person Ed referred to was Freya.
“If so, is there any reason left to doubt her?!”
Ed even stuttered, a rare sight for him. Kadrian continued speaking.
“The High Priest said there are traces of black magic lingering on that soul.”
“…Pardon?”
Ed pressed his lips tightly together, then slowly opened them.
“However, when they brought the crystal ball from the Temple to inspect her, there was clearly no reaction to black magic. Why mention black magic all of a sudden?”
“According to the High Priest, it is merely a slight trace brushed against her, but that too can be considered evidence of an association with black magic.”
At that, Ed hastily thrust the leaf forward and spoke.
“Your Grace! This is what real evidence looks like! This visible leaf, rather than a single remark from the High Priest!”
Phew. Ed exhaled a breath, settling his agitation.
“Besides, you said it was just a faint trace? Could it not be like a speck of dust that simply brushed past someone on the street?!”
“A speck of dust brushing past on the street and black magic staining a soul are entirely different matters. A clever fellow like you is uttering utter nonsense today.”
“N-No… That may be so, but…”
Ed trailed off.
‘Right. What if, as His Grace said, it truly is another soul manipulated by a black magician?’
There were still far too many suspicious points to blindly trust and accept Freya.
Ed, too, seemed to understand why Kadrian could not be certain.
Ed looked down at the leaf with a wistful gaze.
‘If only her memories had been intact…’
Had Freya not lost her memories, he would never have doubted her to this extent.
In a situation where circumstantial suspicions abounded, this single leaf could not sweep away all of those doubts.
‘While the revival of the World Tree is solid proof that her soul has awakened, it is not proof that she awakened within her own body.’
Kadrian had likely judged that a cautious approach was necessary on that front.
Ed asked cautiously.
“By any chance, you haven’t already reached a decision, have you?”
Ed was inquiring about the matter of Freya’s disposal.
Kadrian spoke with a heavy tone.
“I intend to show her to one last person.”
“Ah…!”
Ed let out a soft exclamation, as if realizing who that person was.
“In any case, that person said they would stop by the Grand Duke’s Residence once this expedition concludes, so I intend to hold off until then.”
“Understood, Your Grace!”
Phew. Ed let out a sigh of relief.
Just then, Kadrian picked up the letter resting on his desk.
“And.”
“Yes?”
Kadrian fluttered the letter so that Ed could see it clearly and spoke.
“It seems the Imperial Palace is limiting the entourage to a single attendant.”
“Ah…”
Naturally, nobles entering the palace brought along attendants. It could be an escort knight, an aide, or a retainer.
Moreover, it was customary to inform the Imperial Palace in advance of the identity of the attendant who would accompany them prior to entering the palace.
Kadrian held out the letter to Ed and asked.
“Will you go?”
“Pardon?!”
Ed gasped in shock, leaping to his feet. He looked at the letter as if it were filth and yelled.
“I refuse!”
It was common for an aide to enter the palace as an attendant accompanying the superior they served.
However, Ed seemed utterly averse to that common practice.
“I do not… wish to cause trouble for Your Grace ever again.”
Ed cast his gaze down to the floor, speaking in a low, somber voice.
Kadrian looked at Ed and shook his head.
In truth, Ed disliked encountering people from other noble families.
It was because the prejudice of those who had used the Beastman Tribe as slaves in the past still lingered.
Once, he had lost his temper and run wild in the Imperial Palace. It had happened because the nobles who demeaned and mocked him went so far as to bring up Kadrian’s name.
Because of that incident, the head of one noble house had even been severely injured.
Though Kadrian managed to smooth it over reasonably well, a mine belonging to the Valot Grand Duchy ended up being handed over to the victim’s family as a consequence.
Ever since, Ed had avoided appearing at gatherings where nobles congregated whenever possible.
Kadrian nodded.
“It cannot be helped. I can take Allen or Count Norbert instead.”
At that, Ed quickly stepped closer and spoke.
“Rather than them, why not take our butler?”
