Chapter 783 – Absence Case Log -7-
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As she boldly introduced herself and expressed her aspirations in her calm atmosphere, her throne room, where her audience was held, was literally surrounded by her silence.
The surrounding knights seemed to be overcome with emotion, so they seemed to be barely holding back from clapping their hands at her words.
To the others – Illenu and her companions – she may have had to refrain from laughing because it seemed like a vain delusion.
“Is that so? But Her Majesty? The place where Her Majesty the Queen is now is within the territory of a country called the Eastern Country.”
However, as expected, the story of Attis and the High Bundroga seemed familiar, so they continued the story while being careful to remain as polite as possible.
“That much was already written in the report my knights brought back from their scouting expedition. And the Eastern Kingdom is a nation that already existed when the Holy Kingdom existed in the past. Even in their records, historical descriptions of us will remain.”
While saying that, Arteas leaned against the back of her throne, slightly relaxed her body and sat in a crooked posture.
She reacted as if sitting up just now was just a formality. Should I say she still looked somewhat drowsy or sleepy? No, it would be better to say she looked bothered by everything.
Even in welcoming Attis, who could be said to be her guest and, so to speak, her benefactor, she seemed to be stuck in a pit of sloth and not going quickly…
“After the sacred kingdom of the past fell underground and perished, they simply absorbed the unclaimed land into their own territory. In that case, wouldn’t it be right to return that territory when we return?”
Artis must have sensed that she shouldn’t deal with her ridiculous logic, but Schrödinger was still muttering as if he was dumbfounded.
＂In a situation where a thousand years have passed, that might be a bit unreasonable… ＂
＂What did you say?＂
And the queen, who did not miss Schrödinger’s words, asked her again as soon as she finished speaking, as if she had been waiting for such a response.
＂Yes?＂
“Order. Redeem her.”
The next moment, when the queen used her own scepter to hit the ground with a thud, the knights standing around her did not question the command and just tried to approach Schrödinger.
“For a moment…! I don’t know why…!”
Not only Schrödinger, but also Elenu, who was by her side, took a stance as if trying to resist the knights, and when she spoke to the queen, she responded with a look on her face that said the queen was still annoying.
“Jim asked directly what you just said. However, she did not properly answer the questions given to her. This is a serious crime in the Holy Kingdom, and there is no excuse for being treated as someone who mocked the king.”
＂Where is such a ridiculous crime…!＂
When Schrödinger once again raises his voice as if it is unfair, the knight of the Holy Kingdom, who is trying to catch him, focuses on Schrödinger, as if rational conversation is impossible now that Illenu has become like this.
Running at lightning speed, he reached Queen Arteas’ throne and placed his hand next to her head.
＂…＂
Feeling her liveliness next to her, the queen did not say anything and just frowned.
＂Your Majesty!＂
“What are you doing to Her Majesty the Queen?”
As if the knights were taken aback by Illenu’s sudden behavior, they stopped trying to restrain Schrödinger and looked towards Illenu.
Illenu’s nails became longer and sharper thanks to her magic, turning into weapons that could pierce the queen’s delicate skin and pierce her insides with even the slightest movement of her hand.
And, of course, because of the speed from when she ran out earlier, the hood on her head came off, revealing Illenu’s white hair and red eyes.
＂Huh, a vampire…!＂
＂Cursed traitors…!＂
And, as soon as the knights saw Illenu’s true identity, they looked at Illenu with a fear of life as if they felt some kind of unbearable hatred and anger.
Without taking her eyes off the knights, Illenu spoke to the queen sitting next to her.
＂Inherit the knights. And free Attis’ assistants.”
＂Hmph… It seems that the Knights of the Holy Kingdom have also become weak within the time barrier. Even a surprise attack like this is allowed, and you can’t stop the person who is using that poisonous weapon against you.”
＂So, I apologize. Your Majesty.”
However, without paying attention to Illenu’s attitude, Illenu wrinkles her eyebrows as she looks at Arteas, who is only blaming his subordinates.
“Are you saying you won’t listen to my demands?”
“I am the queen of the Holy Kingdom. There’s no way a person like that would negotiate with a being with dirty blood like you, right? And… You can’t kill me anyway.”
“… Do you really think that’s the case?”
Illenu was slowly letting her own claws get closer to her – but then.
She let go of her own ornate scepter that she held in her hand.
＂Your Majesty!＂
Ilenu was taken aback by the unexpected behavior, but what was even more bewildering were the knights surrounding Schrödinger.
They were moving in this direction as if they were about to come closer to the throne, and for a moment, Illenu tried to put his hand closer to the queen’s temple in order to stop them.
The knights were catching the scepter as it slid down from the throne, just like sliding.
＂What…?＂
When Illenu looked blank, as if she had no idea what the knights were doing, a coughing sound came from the queen sitting next to her.
＂Pfft… This is… The throne room…? Then… It would still have been time to attend to official duties…”
In complete contrast to before, a girl with delicate yet pure eyes was sitting there, trembling.
＂How on earth did this happen…? Hehe!”
Then, he slowly turned his head, looked at Illenu’s hand that was close to him, and the nail that had become a weapon, and let out a scream of fear.
＂What, what happened…?＂
However, it was difficult for Illenu to understand what had happened, so as she muttered that while looking at the queen who seemed to have become a different person, the knight who came nearby took advantage of the opportunity and swung his sword at Illenu.
In that case, Ilenu wondered if she should risk getting a little bit of hurt and pierce the girl’s head, but seeing that she did not feel like the same person as the queen from before, she couldn’t help but click her tongue and wrapped magic around her arm and held the sword. After brushing it off, it dug into the side, slipped out of there as if passing by, and returned to Schrödinger’s side.
Then, the knight still looks at Ilenu with deathly eyes—
＂Big…!＂
Watching the queen sitting on her throne, suddenly spitting out her blood from her mouth and arching her back, she looked surprised and threw the scepter she was holding into her hand. It was given by force.
Then – a moment later, the queen, who had lowered her body and head, returned to the appearance of the arrogant tyrant queen from earlier, leaning back and looking down at Illenu and her companions.
Although blood was still flowing from her mouth.
“It was just as I expected.”
Then, after seeing that she was moving away from him, Ilenu spoke while wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
＂… You, that body…＂
And Illenu, as she watched her attitude change once again when she held her scepter, seemed to understand a little of the secret behind the phenomenon of her personality changing.
＂Vessel of Soul… The secret art of living forever using the vessel of the soul.＂
At that time, Attis spoke next to her, looking at the queen with an expression of boredom.
“It’s the same method used by lichs. Are you saying that’s your method?
＂It is difficult to place them on the same level as such low-level undead. Modern scholar. This body – Arteas is definitely a living human being and a member of royalty.”
But the queen speaks while placing her hand on her own heart.
“The previous queen of Cabalon, she only has 66 souls with her.”
The scepter that Arteas was holding in his hand as he said that was emitting evil magical power.
“… Is her ego there?”
In response to Illenu’s quiet question, the queen smiled and nodded.
“Of course. Because she is an immature self, she can barely come out.”
And she slowly stood up from her throne.
The chest of her pure white dress was stained red by the blood that had spilled from her mouth – no, the original owner of Arteas’ body.
“Well, then… The situation has turned around? Even if you escape from here, will you be able to break through the knights’ siege? Also. Thinking of the assistants she left behind here, would she ever think of leaving this place?”
The queen speaks as if she has placed all her pieces on her chessboard in positions where she can unilaterally win them all.
However, Artis spoke quietly to her.
“If we don’t go back. We have arranged for the government forces of the eastern countries to arrive here.”
＂…＂
＂No matter how powerful your knights may be, the number of people I have seen on my way here is less than 100. In such a situation, Her Majesty knows very well what will happen if there is a direct conflict with the armies of the Eastern countries.”
When Arteas heard words that were close to threats, Arteas looked at Arteas quietly without making any expression.
“If you are hoping for the resurrection of the Holy Kingdom… It would be better for that situation not to happen.”
And in response to Attis’s words, the queen gave an indifferent reply and then trudged closer to Attis.
This is what she felt when she got up from her throne, but because of her small body, she had to look up at Attis and immediately started talking to him.
“This is why I don’t like things called scholars. They make a hole for themselves to escape and then come to talk.”
“The body is weak, so you have to use your head.”
In response to Attis, the queen spins her body and speaks to her knights.
＂Lift the vigilance. Do not lay a hand on them or the scholar’s assistants. This is the king’s edict.”
“I will follow your orders.”
Upon hearing the queen’s words, the knights immediately relaxed their previous hostile attitude and stood straight, looking in this direction.
And the queen glances back at her companions and speaks.
“But don’t forget. The moment the government forces arrive, all of your disciples we are imprisoning here will die. Really, it was a meaningless audience. Jim will go back to the bedroom and rest. The limit of activity of this body is too short.”
The moment when Arteas said that and was about to leave the room under the escort of the knights.
“For a moment. “This story isn’t over yet.”
Illenu was calling the queen who was trying to end the story on her own terms.
“Didn’t you hear? Jim said he would go back to the bedroom and rest. Even if you hold the same cards at the negotiation table, you cannot be considered a good negotiator if you make your opponent angry. You never know what kind of destructive thing someone who loses their temper due to anger might do.”
“We saw guys wearing the same armor the four knights wear at the vampire’s hideout. And, those guys took my precious colleague.”
The queen closed her mouth for a moment at Illenu’s words, then nodded, as if she understood now.
“Indeed. The reason you came here to retrieve my belongings was to retrieve that friend. You should have said that from the beginning.”
“You’re the one who didn’t want to talk about it…!”
Illenu spoke as if her shameless attitude was absurd, but the queen responded to Illenu with a smile.
“It’s probably a guerrilla force led by the Knight Commander of Kabalon.”
＂Guerrilla corps?＂
“Okay. Traitors from the Holy Kingdom… Those vampires you’re talking about. Until all of their descendants are exterminated, true peace will not come to our sacred nation. Therefore, the guerrilla unit is going out and hunting the current owners of this land that the scholar said… The vampires that exist within the Eastern countries.”
At her words, Ilenu frowned.
“But, it’s time for her to come back. If she has any business of her own, she can wait here. Regardless of whether Jim is here or not, he is an incredibly sincere person who will definitely come here to show his face.”
The moment the queen finished speaking, Schrödinger twitched and felt her own ears move in response to something.
Then, upon hearing the sound of armor moving and clanking approaching from the hallway in the distance, he turns to Illenu and speaks.
“Knights in armor are coming here. The number is… About 12 people.”
“They say even ghosts come when you talk to them.”
As the Queen spoke, she waited for the door to her throne to be opened in an unamused manner.
And-
Shake! The one who appeared as she heard her voice was the same knight who had taken her from the vision shown by Emma’s magic tool, with her long brown hair.
“I’m back, Your Majesty. Today again, a traitor to the Holy Kingdom…”
That she – she knows that there are people besides herself who have an audience with the queen – and in the meantime, Ireneu
In other words, when he saw that a dhampir, a hybrid of a vampire and a human, existed, he was embarrassed and tried to reach for the sword at his waist.
＂Emma!＂
＂Illenu!＂
When she saw Emma, who was in her arms, extending her hand toward her in response to Illenu’s call, she once again looked embarrassed.
＂Let me introduce it. This person is the current knight commander of the Holy Kingdom of Kabalon… Vedika. “I am your most faithful servant.”
