abcnovels
Chapter 223: Dawn
Chapter 223: Dawn
Chapter 223: Dawn
Before Dawn.
I gathered Mia, Alois, and Finne in my room.
Sorry for summoning you so early in the morning.
Uuuu..Im finally free from the maid job.
Good work. Mia-san.
That was really tiring!! That Head Maid! She was as strict as a demon you know!
Mia was half-crying in her maid outfit.
She clings to Finne for comfort and starts complaining about the Head Maid.
The bedsheets are unkempt! The room is not well cleaned! Who cares about those tiny details!
You are a castle maid right now after all. Its normal for the Head Maid to care about those small details.
You knew that and still sent me in!? My heart is in tatters even before the fight starts, you know!
Even if its in tatters, a contract is a contract. I am giving you appropriate compensation right. Just work harder.
Theres a demon here too!? The Head Maid is one, and now the Prince too!! WAHHHHH!! Finne-sama!!
Saying so, Mia started crying on Finnes chest.
Seeing her like that, Finne comforts her with a bitter smile.
Seriously, I cant advance the talk at all.
When I was thinking so, Alois opened his mouth.
Your Highness. Should I act as your escort today?
Even though he is only in his early teens, Alois is so much more mature than Mia.
The fact that he is confirming what he should do means that he already anticipates the future to some extent.
I thought about that but Id like you to escort the Tenth Prince Rupert instead.
I am to escort the Tenth Prince? I have not acquainted myself with His Highness before though
Christa and Rupert will not be acting as entertainers today and they are still young. Father will not show them the fighting tournament in the arena. That being the case, the two will stay back in the castle but if Gordon starts his revolt, he will aim to seize the castle first. If we cant ensure their safety, the two will be taken hostages.
I see, I understand your reason. Will Your Highness Arnold be escorting Her Highness Christa personally?
No, Christas escort will be handled by the Fourth Prince Traugott.
When I told him so, Alois showed a slightly uneasy expression.
Will she be alright leaving him in Trau-niisans care? That was what kind of expression he was making.
Well, it is probably inevitable given his reputation.
When I thought so, Mia raised her voice as though she just remembered something.
The Fourth Prince!? That big prince!?
Nn? You met him before?
No! That Prince! When we passed by each other! He said that I was too old you know! I am still bursting with youth okay!!
That persons hobbies and taste are a little particular you see. Well, he does have the ability so you dont have to worry about him.
I have nothing to say if Your Highness says so butwhat are you going to do about your escort, Your Highness?
Aloiss words made me smile.
Its natural for him to ask so huh.
What would I do if the castle became a battlefield?
Finne is being escorted by Mia. Christa is in Trau-niisans care. Rupert will be protected by Alois.
Each of them has someone assigned to protect.
I can take care of two people by myself!
I dont expect that much from you.
*GAN *(Desuwa)!?
I immediately turned down Mia who made her offer triumphantly.
Mia who was turned down in an instant is having a shocked expression on her face.
Seeing her like that, Finne starts to comfort Mia.
He meant that you dont have to overdo it by yourself you know.
It didnt sound like that at all!
Al-samas vocabulary is limited, you see. It will be okay. Al-sama already has an escort after all. Isnt that right?
Finne guides the talk.
I nodded at her.
Then, a person appeared at the front of the door.
No need to worry. The princes escortI will take care of it.
Saying so, a mysterious person wearing a gray robe that covers himself from head to toes appeared. With the hood over his head, no one can see his face. No matter how you look at him, he looks suspicious.
However, the moment he saw that person, Aloiss face brightened up.
Grau!
I am glad that you are well. Alois.
Who is this?
A wandering strategist, Grau. the man who defeated 10,000 Imperial troops together with Alois.
I heard that there was a strategist appeared in the battle of Gers butit was you?
Indeed.
I can not trust someone like you. Especially when you use illusion magic in broad daylight like this.
As expected of Mia huh.
She immediately saw through the illusion of Grau that I created.
I do apologize for my rudeness. But the Imperial Army is quite hostile toward me. I need to be cautious when I appear like this. I am not even a noble after all.
.Can we really trust such a suspicious person?
Thats quite a harsh evaluation.
I am confident in seeing through people! Im sure that this person has a twisted character!!
Mia said so as she pointed at Grau.
Naturally, her words were, in a way, directed to me so I cant help but make a bitter smile.
M, Mia-san! Grau is a trustworthy person! I guarantee it!
Alois-sama is being deceived! I know this by instinct! This man is the type that can laugh at others misfortunes!
Wai!? Mia-san!?
Alois, who knows that Graus identity is Silver, panicked. On the other hand, Finne who knows that Silver is me is giggling at the situation.
Mia doesnt seem to trust Grau but that doesnt matter right now.
Mia, you dont have to trust Grau. Each of you has a role to play so you only need to focus on your task.
You are saying that you trust him?
At the very least I am sure that he is not on Gordons side. Right now, that is enough for me. We are shorthanded. We have a lot to protect after all.
.I understand. But I do not trust him okay!?
Yes, thats fine.
Saying so, I started summarizing the situation.
Today is the last day of the festival. A large-scale fighting tournament will be held at the arena. It is where all the eyes of the Imperial Capital will be focused on. Gordon will use that timing to seize the castle. We will first take control of the castle, ensuring its safety. That is the first stage of our plan. Alois will take care of Rupert, Trau-niisan will protect Christa, and Mia will look after Finne. I am counting on you.
As you command.
I got it!
If that stage is clear, we will move on to the second stage. Gordon will activate the Celestial Sphere, the strongest defense mechanism of the Imperial Capital. The heart of that barrier is this castle. They need to set up the jewels first then have a member of the Imperial Family activate it. Once activated, we will be completely cut off from the outside world.
Thats right. Thats why those who can move here will be the ones who secure those jewels.
Mia frowned at Graus words.
However, she didnt complain because she knows that it was not her place to speak.
Exactly. I and Grau will be hiding in the castle to give you instructions. You can use up to five highest-purity jewels to activate the Celestial Sphere but you can activate it with three. Im sure that Gordon can prepare that much. At most he probably prepared three or four of them. If he manages to activate it, he can completely cut us out from outside aids after all.
In other words, if we can take one or two of them away, he can not activate it?
Correct. Well, considering the force we have outside, taking one would already be enough.
Elnas holy sword should be able to destroy the Celestial Sphere that is being supplied with only three jewels.
If the Celestial Sphere is destroyed, the jewels used to supply it with magic power will be decimated along with it but theres no use being frugal here.
Gordon would be wary of that so he probably didnt only prepare three.
If it is activated with four, it would be tough even for the holy sword. This is why we need to work from the inside.
After the castle is seized, it would be very difficult to snatch those jewels as they will be under strict guard. I am well aware of the impossibility of this job. You will probably have to risk your life for it. There are only a few people I can rely on while we have so many enemies to face. Even so, this must be done. Sorry but-I want you to give your lives for me.
What a convenient thing for me to say.
Even so, I can do nothing but ask this of them.
Everyone nods to my selfish request.
Then, the sun starts to illuminate the castle and the morning ray shines into the room.
Alrightwe are commencing the secret maneuver.
Thus, we started moving in the shadows.