Chapter 302: Interlude – Chaotic Lorel (1/2)

‘My head hurts’.

This is simply a metaphor, it is not like she actually had a headache. She simply had those words surface in her mind after the report.

She couldn’t help but feel as if her head was throbbing.

She even felt as if she had a fever.

“I will prepare the elites to perfom the assassination at once. Of course, I will also—”

“Don’t.”

“! I will definitely make it succe—”

“DON’T!!”

The rejection was thrown with a strong tone.

Her, Kahara Sairitz, raising her voice to such an extent was an incredibly rare occurrence even for the man that had his head lowered and knees bent and had given the report.

“?!”

“I have no intention of having you kill your own child. Why did you try to put your hands on Izumo, Marito?” (Sairitz)

“…As I have reported, Izumo betrayed us.” (Marito)

The man, Marito Ikusabe, father of Izumo speaks out his reason bluntly.

“Didn’t I order you not to do anything to him no matter what happened?” (Sairitz)

“I took it as the people of the Kuzunoha Company and those involved in it.” (Marito)

That’s a lie.

Marito had completely understood the point of caution Sairitz had ordered to him in his mission.

That this also referred to his own son, Izumo.

But the moment Izumo told his friends that he would be leaving his family, witnessing the feat that he pulled off at that instant in the execution, and to finish it off, secretly calling him to tell him upfront about his intention of leaving the family and showing his desire to be independent…

It turned into a situation where father and son clashed blades.

The result was as Sairitz technically pointed out. Izumo pushed back Marito.

Thin, sharp, silent, and secretly.

The clearness of that technique he showed in the execution wasn’t a special case or a coincidence.

The fight reached a conclusion with a clear winner, and Marito basically ran back to his master in Naoi.

“What a bad lie. Anger, and…envy?” (Sairitz)

“!”

“Your honesty in reporting even the part that was close to a defeat is something worth of praise, but…it is about your family, moreover, with envy in the equation…this is complicated.” (Sairitz)

The man in front of Sairitz is incredibly competent, and a man that possesses a rare sense of duty and honor.

He reigns in stealth and information gathering. There are times when he has to dirty his hands in truly inhuman acts, and yet, he doesn’t rot or crumble.

It is because he holds definite pride in serving their liege family and the country.

And yet, his own son didn’t follow the policy of the country, and the fact that someone showing their back to their employer’s house has appeared must have been a clear disgrace to him. Sairitz understands that anger of his.

More so, Marito has never been bested by a warrior or mage of the same attributes.

He who is said to be a genius in stealth had his own pride.

He has of course never lost and be let off.

Marito might not have noticed, his eyes, that are in a sense specialized in looking at people, had clear jealousy towards Izumo.

This is already a matter that cannot be ignored.

The root must be pulled before unsavory eyes bloom.

Sairitz didn’t want to witness the loss of a long time friend and subordinate that has passed happy and painful times together with her.

“I understand the scolding in regards to my family’s blunder, but me envying him? I was surprised by his unexpected growth, and ended up having a hard fight. But with preparation, there should be no problem.” (Marito)

The objection of Marito served to prove the thought of Sairitz.

She let out a short sigh.

Sairitz begins to treat his wounds with a loose tone, showing mostly the face of a friend.

“This is a heavy wound. Marito, your vision has narrowed quite a lot. This is dangerous.” (Sairitz)

“?”

“In the first place, why is it that you fought Izumo, lost, and yet managed to return?” (Sairitz)

“…!”

“Why is it that in your thought process, the name of the Kuzunoha Company didn’t come out.” (Sairitz)

“Could it be…” (Marito)

“There’s no way they would just watch. You, who has seen a part of their fight, must understand that, right?” (Sairitz)

“…Yes.” (Marito)

Marito understands this clearly too.

The fact that the people employed in the organization called the Kuzunoha Company are all -at the very least- stronger than him.

If it is the higher ups, their power could even tip the scales of a war, and their representative Raidou is already…

‘Hm?’

Pushing his thoughts to that point, Marito tilts his head.

Then, why is it that he was able to put a hand on someone related to their company, even if that person is his son.

“You were allowed to watch them as a person affiliated to me.” (Sairitz)

“Yes.” (Marito)

“You know that in the past, a Wise-sama once said that: ‘If thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee’, right?” (Sairitz)

In the world of politics, magic, and stealth of Lorel, that is one of the sayings that are passed down like a golden commandment.

There’s many meanings taken from it, but if Makoto were to hear it, he would go ‘is this a SAN value measurement?’ and writhe.

“Are you saying my movements were completely on the know?” (Marito)

“Obviously. Raidou-sama is the type of person that can have a grasp of the many plans set in the whole city, and crush them all with brute strength. With that in consideration, you were able to call Izumo and fight him.” (Sairitz)

“They knew that I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to kill Izumo…?” (Marito)

Meaning that the feelings between father and child were taken into consideration?

‘In that case, the man called Raidou has a soft side to him’, is what Marito thought.

But well, if he were asked if he could do anything with that information, there would be the need to put way too many things on the scale before that, and he couldn’t think that it would be worth it.

“Yeah, and…this is just my guess, but Raidou-sama didn’t do anything, not because you wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to kill that boy, but because you wouldn’t be able to kill him in terms of ability.” (Sairitz)

“?!”

“That person is not the type to put emotions in these kinds of situations. Anyways, Marito, good work on your mission in Kannaoi.” (Sairitz)

“Huh?” (Marito)

It was such abrupt gratitude that Marito ended up accidentally letting out a dumbfounded voice.

Sairitz didn’t really find fault in this and had a smile on her face.

“I will give you a break of a few days, no, 7 days. After that, I order you to investigate the movements of the demi-humans in the northern forest, hills, and mountain range. Regarding the personnel, you can freely use the people in the division. I have also ordered the dragon knight division in the national border defense front to cooperate as well, so keep in mind to have a favorable cooperative relationship as you face this mission.” (Sairitz)

“…Yes! Sairitz-sama, thank you very much.” (Marito)

Marito understood the intention of Sairitz.

Investigate the north; in other words, polish your ability.

‘I will give you a break for a while, so no matter what you do from now on, go get more power’.

“Well, you are right about that, but it is also true that I am bothered by the movements of the demi-humans a little bit, okay? Don’t slack on that. It goes without saying but, fighting them is strictly prohibited.” (Sairitz)

“I have certainly heard it loud and clear. I will be taking my leave!” (Marito)

The presence of Marito disappears.

Just in case, she uses a magic tool to check the presences in the surroundings, and after checking that there is no one, not only the inside of the room, but also around the area that she is alone, Sairitz lets out a big sigh.

The contents of the report documents were unbelievable.

The rise of Princess Iroha wouldn’t prove any trouble if it were that alone, and it would simply be a matter of what the name for the next decoration for the top of Kannaoi will be.

But her traits as a governor she has seen recently, coupled with the documents that show in detail the people of talent in the surroundings, and the special discord between Naoi and Kannaoi, she will become a dicey problematic existence.

Sum that to her favorable relationship with the Kuzunoha Company, and Princess Iroha’s existence becomes the number one bomb in Kannaoi.

Even so, thanks to the godsend fact that Izumo is her fiance, she was still able to see the information in a positive light, but…Izumo Ikusabe withdrew from the Ikusabe household.

Their chess piece has turned sides, and on top of that, has grown into a powerful combatant.

It would be impossible in shogi, but this is reality.

There’s the need to keep in mind that your own pieces can turn to the enemy side on their own.

If she were the one doing it, it would have felt good.

“But there’s no assurance that what Izumo is thinking is to integrate or absorb the Ikusabe into the Osakabe. Also, I don’t think Princess Iroha and him will have the thought of kicking down Naoi and having Kannaoi become the capital of Lorel.” (Sairitz)

In the first place, why did Izumo betray them?

It is also a mystery why he was in Kannaoi that night, but that’s 100% the Kuzunoha Company’s deed, is what Sairitz concluded.

She couldn’t find any other reason after all.

But she couldn’t understand the reason for the betrayal.

It is true that Izumo and Princess Iroha are fiance and fiancee.

Obviously, they are promised to marry.

She knows that they are more important than just plain strangers.

But…Princess Iroha is simply one of the many fiancees of Izumo, and they don’t even know each other’s faces.

What they know comes from each other’s letters, and it wouldn’t be strange if they were to know the current appearance of the person if they were to include a portrait or something like that, but…

Izumo and Princess Iroha are children of a military household.

It should be their supreme duty to treasure their family, and live for their household and for their country.

Arranged marriages should be just one of the many functions of a military household.

Also, she can’t think it possible that Izumo and Princess Iroha would suddenly awaken the desire to bring down Naoi.

“Speaking of sudden changes in thoughts, maybe the perfume that holds the power of the hero is influencing somehow? But the relationship between Raidou and the heroes is by no means good. Especially with the Empire’s Hero… Then, I don’t think he would just leave the effects of the hero there.” (Sairitz)

Then what’s going on?

That night, Izumo learned about how his fiancee was in danger, and ran to Kannaoi, luckily met with Princess Iroha, fell in love at first sight there, and as if in a play, Izumo resolved himself to live by the side of Princess Iroha even if he has to betray his family.

After that, with the training of Raidou he got, plus the power of love, he managed to obtain some kind of awakening, and managed to beat back Marito…

“Pfft!” (Sairitz)

Feeling how ridiculous her own imagination was getting, Sairitz ended up laughing.

Things like love at first sight and plays, there’s no way fairytale stuff like that could happen in real life.

And in reality, the mother of Princess Iroha, Haruka, married someone she didn’t even wish to, and smoldered in Kannaoi.

Even with that, she did what she had to do as a mother and as a member of the Osakabe household.

Truly reality. That’s just how it is.

“…Ah, but Chiya-sama liked that kind of stuff, didn’t she.” (Sairitz)

Beautiful and kind fairytale worlds.

Overcoming the walls of their societal standings, continuously chanting your ideals to an unreasonable world, and finally causing change.

It is the ideal world that many dream of.

That’s why it exists only in paper, and all the people that understand this are able to divide reality and fiction when thinking.

Saying: ‘It would be nice if that happened’.

Sairitz’s life changed completely when she met one of the Priestess candidates, Chiya.

Chiya said she was going to use her whole life for the sake of the world she wishes for.

When Chiya eventually became a Priestess and Sairitz served her, she herself climbed to the highest position that is the Empress.

If the Empress wanted, she would be able to put the Priestess as just a decoration, and do what she wants with most of the political matters, and yet, Sairitz had absolutely no intention of doing that.

Everything is for the sake of Chiya.

So that it gets closer to that ideal world that’s in her eyes.

That’s why, she would use any and all means possible to twist everything that doesn’t reach that girl’s eyes into that world.

Lorel is flourishing as a byproduct of that.

Sairitz is loved by many of her subordinates.

For this woman that is trying to beautify the world for the eyes of one person, the love of riff-raff is unimportant though.

Actually, if Sairitz were to open her heart up and were to do a banquet or something, she would be able to sympathize pretty well with a certain woman that loves the food of the Kuzunoha Company.

Reality has unreasonableness running rampant just like Sairitz thinks, and ideals are normally just a stage to be trampled down, but life-changing encounters certainly do exist though.

“That’s why Chiya-sama must have been attracted by that woman who is like the peak of the idealistic and doesn’t flinch even when rushing to the frontlines. How annoying. From what I have seen, even she sees reality, and she is the kind of person that would be fine with using dirty means if the situation requires it… Well, let’s stop thinking about fiction. I will have someone investigate Izumo and Kannaoi in detail. Right, Apple. Their movements have gotten strangely active lately. Seriously, one thing after the other.” (Sairitz)

She was the one who put the *potent medicine* into the country.

The Kuzunoha Company bit into the Grand Labyrinth just as planned.

They even dug it up.

It has been confirmed that the strangely docile Superior Dragon Doma has stopped acting up, and the other one that she was told might be there as well, the illusory Superior Dragon, Futsu, they have been able to confirm that it actually doesn’t exist.

They also pulled out the mercenary group that was difficult to deal with.

When looking at it in this way, she wouldn’t hesitate to lower her head to the Kuzunoha Company, and she even thought of granting them almost anything Lorel can do as a show of their gratitude.

There haven’t actually been any bad doings from them, and they plan on notifying them about the rewards they are still considering.

But what follows isn’t good.

When she dug the information about them, there was a lot of harvest from it, and if it were only that alone, it would have been something to be happy about.

But the fact that the legendary existences, Apple, grew active was something that Sairitz didn’t expect at all.

The loyal and talented intelligence agent apprentice, Izumo, surpassed his father, and for some reason, not only did he announce his withdrawal from his family, he plans on tying the strings with Princess Iroha.

“He clashed blades with Marito and told him straight on. It means that he plans on leaving my side and cutting off connections. Rather than calling him passionate, he was more like a loyal machine. That’s how I saw him, and yet…” (Sairitz)

The betrayal of Izumo.

This was also completely outside her expectations, moreover, it is detrimental to her.

However, for some reason, the tone of Sairitz currently didn’t have the anger of a few moments ago.

It is probably in part because the surprise is winning over her anger.

But this is as rare for her as raising her voice.

For good or for bad, she is by no means the kind of woman that would forgive a betrayal.