Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 248: At the Royal Castle (1)

We decided to meet with the king for two reasons. The first was that refusing would cause great trouble for Lieselotte. She had been important in ensuring our journey thus far had gone smoothly. We were not so ungrateful as to repay her kindness with disregard.

The second reason was the potential complications if we fled and ended up being wanted. In the worst case, our journey could turn into a bloody escape, cutting down anyone who tried to stop us. While I could handle it alone, our group included women and children. I couldn’t afford to take that kind of risk.

Led by those who had blocked our path, we were to head directly to the royal castle on foot. Hilda wanted to return to the mansion first to prepare Lieselotte, but the king had apparently ordered an immediate audience. With no room for dissent, they too had no choice but to proceed to the castle.

“Teacher…”

“I understand your unease, but please bear with us. And I’m sorry for putting you through this because of me.”

Surrounded by strangers, whose intentions were unclear, Chirik was understandably anxious. He seemed to feel even more anxious because his senses other than eyesight were excellent.

The current situation was brought on by me. I had never imagined my two swords would give us away. If I knew they were so famous, I would have carried a more common blade.

No, that wouldn’t do. My power would be too much for such a flimsy weapon and it would just break instantly. I could never rely on a feeble weapon, so it seems this turn of events was inevitable.

“This way for you.”

“It seems we won’t be going through the main gate, after all.”

As we approached the royal castle, Lieselotte and the others were directed to take a different route from us right in front of the castle’s main gate. It appeared that only carriages carrying nobility were allowed to enter through the main gate. This was naturally expected, as it was linked to the dignity of the king.

We were then led to an entrance that seemed like a back door, located away from the main gate. The castle was surrounded by a moat filled with water, and both the main gate and this back entrance were equipped with drawbridges that could be raised by winding chains. If this were to become a battlefield, a siege would be difficult… though it seems it didn’t play an active role during the political upheaval, as the conflict was resolved from within.

But leaving that aside. Compared to the drawbridge at the main gate, this bridge was overwhelmingly narrower. While the main bridge seemed wide enough to accommodate two or three carriages side by side, this one could barely fit one. This must surely be a measure against intruders.

We carefully crossed the narrow drawbridge, mindful not to fall. What awaited us ahead? What would be demanded of us? What would we be made to do? I was consumed by a sense of foreboding as I clutched the reins of Apao tighter….and my blood run cold.

“This is bad…”

“What is it?”

“Leo and Lappy are still on that carriage over there.”

◆◇◆◇◆◇

While Antares’s carriage was crossing the drawbridge, the carriage carrying Liselotte and the others, pulled by Weiss, made its grand entrance into the royal castle through the main gate. Although the horse-drawn carriage had been on a long journey, it didn’t look shabby in the slightest because it had been regularly maintained and cleaned. This was possible because of the presence of reassuring guards like Antares and the others.

“This has become quite the trouble, riiight…. But is it really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean bringing these two along with us.”

Antares had momentarily forgotten, but Lieselotte and Hilda had been aware of Leo and Lappy’s presence from the start. It was only natural since they had been in the same carriage for so long.

However, Lieselotte knew this and deliberately chose not to distance herself from the two. Her decision was rooted in trust, but more importantly, it served as a subtle protest against the king. It was uncharacteristic for the usually mild-mannered Lieselotte to harbor anger towards the king’s orders.

Though she had sworn loyalty to the king and the royal family as a subject, Lieselotte was also the head of a distinguished earldom, powerful in her own right. The king’s command to report to the castle without consideration for her need to rest from the journey was, in her view, a slight against her.

“Well, perhaps it’s time the mischievous king learned how it feels to be on the receiving end of mischief. Both of you should behave unless the young lady says otherwise.”

“We get it. We’ve been trained since the evening party.”

“Mm. But if Liese is in danger, I’ll help.”

“Weeell, Lappy, you’re kind as always.”

Hilda, who had long harbored grievances against the playful king, was pleased to see Lieselotte take a stand. However, she did not forget to caution Leo and Lappy about overstepping their bounds. While she supported bringing them along, she wanted to avoid any trouble that might disadvantage Lieselotte.

Fortunately for Hilda, the two had already learned the basics of etiquette in preparation for the evening party. She knew they were not prone to resort to violence on a whim. Her warning was more of a formality and she only wanted to confirm.

Lieselotte, cheered by Lappy’s reassuring words, broke her serious expression and hugged her tightly. Lappy was expressionless as usual, but the fact that she wasn’t resisting meant that she just accepted the hug.

“I’ll help too, my lady. Rest easy as if you’re on a big, steady boat!” Leo said.

“Y-yes. I’m counting on you.” Lieselotte replied

“Hm? Liese, your face red?” Lappy asked.

“You brat…! It’s even worse that you’re oblivious…!” Hilda grumbled

Watching Leo thump his chest with enthusiasm, Lieselotte’s cheeks tinged with a faint blush as she averted her gaze. Lappy who was still in Lieselotte’s embrace tilted her head in confusion at the sudden change, while Hilda clenched her fist and her eyebrows started twitching in irritation.

As the group continued their playful banter, the carriage moved on. After a while, Chris, who was in the coachman’s seat, lightly tapped the carriage to let them know that they had arrived at their destination. Shortly thereafter, the carriage came to a full stop, and a knight outside opened the door.

“Young lady, please allow me.”

“Thank you.”

Leo quickly hopped out and assumed the full role of a servant as he assisted Lieselotte in disembarking. Liselotte also adopted the facade of a noble lady once more, and she smiled and gracefully took his hand to step down.

After everyone disembarked, they were encircled by the knights who had come to meet them. At first, the five of them thought the knights intended to restrain them. However, they soon realized that the knights were more focused on their surroundings than on themselves as if trying to conceal their presence from someone.

Hidden behind the wall of knights, the group was led to a detached wing within the royal castle. Although referred to as detached, it was several times larger than a typical house and sometimes used for small gatherings hosted by the royal family. Upon seeing this place, Lieselotte seemed to understand to whom she had been brought and she relaxed a bit.

“Ah, Liese! I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“It’s been a while, Lady Adelheid.”

The person they met in the wing was a beautiful woman with fiery red hair and determined eyes. Her name was Adelheid Lutz, the fiancée of King Carl and Lieselotte’s close friend, destined to become the future queen. The wing served as a place for the fiancée to get used to palace life before officially becoming queen.

Adelheid, evidently very worried about Lieselotte, grasped her hands tightly and then inspected her carefully to ensure she had not been injured. After a sigh of relief, she thanked the knights for their service and dismissed them. The only ones remaining were the maids who served her all along and the warriors serving the “Goddess of Protection”.

Afterward, Lieselotte was instructed to cleanse herself of the journey’s dirt in the detached wing’s bathhouse. The place was equipped with all the facilities necessary for a king’s fiancée to live comfortably, including the bathhouse. At the same time, the maids present were also ordered to attend to Lieselotte’s needs.

“Now then, Hilda?”

“Yes!”

“Before Liese returns, perhaps you could enlighten me about what has happened? Including the matters concerning the two individuals present, right?”

Adelheid commanded gracefully as she settled into her chair. The gentle demeanor she had shown Lieselotte shifted dramatically and now she exuded an aura of authority so intense that even Leo and Lappy, who were veteran warriors themselves, almost braced themselves in response.

Her demeanor was not marred by arrogance; rather, it was clear that she had lived a life where commanding others was second nature to her. This is what a noble person is like, Leo and Hilda thought as they observed her.

“…. And that is all.”

“I see. I understand. But still, they’re quite different from the rumors we heard about the demons, aren’t they? I had heard that the demons were created from criminals supplied by our country and that they were savage and could only be used for battles against the invaders.”

Since it was known that Antares was a demon, there was no point in Hilda keeping it a secret. She reported only the facts accurately. However, she didn’t say anything she didn’t think needed to be said, such as her speculations or the relationship between Chris and Antares. She thought it was up to Liselotte to decide whether to tell her such things or not.

Adelheid nodded her head gracefully and she observed Leo and Lappy alternately with narrowed eyes. She had intentionally used derogatory language when discussing the demons to gauge their reactions, but there was no discernible response. Were they calmly enduring it, or did they have no interest in the other demons? Since they kept their faces down, it was impossible to guess their inner thoughts.

“Leila, in your estimation, how strong do those two seem to be from your perspective?”

“To be honest with you, we would have to sacrifice our lives to protect your highness.”

“That’s impressive. It seems His Majesty’s judgment was correct after all.”

The woman closest to Adelheid analyzed it matter-of-factly. Upon hearing the results, Adelheid appeared not perturbed but rather satisfied.

Perhaps this reaction was unexpected, as Hilda who was still the only one to raise her head, inquired about why Lieselotte and they had been brought to the royal castle.

“Of course, there is one reason. It’s because our lord desires it. The power of the strongest demon who has traveled across various battlefields.”

******

TN: Leo ain’t playing lol

TN: What I really like about the group is that everyone is so cool, except for the loser Bolts