Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 255: At the Royal Castle (6)

I hoped that Leo’s skill would prevent him from hurting King Carl, but I had witnessed the moment Carl drew his sword. He was a first-class warrior, and without Leo in his demon form, their swordsmanship alone seemed evenly matched.

Therefore, if the mock battle intensified, it was possible that one of them could sustain serious injuries. I wanted to believe they would sheathe their swords before it came to that… but there was nothing to do but hope.

“Let’s set aside this headache-inducing topic for now… and get back to what we were discussing earlier.”

After receiving King Carl’s invitation, I shared with Zald and the others what we had discussed through telepathy. In theory, it made sense to serve, but many of us harbored a distrust of the concept of serving a country.

The three of them knew our situation well so they seemed to understand our point of view. On top of that, Liselotte’s advice was what you might call a compromise.

“So, those who wish to stay can do so, while the rest will travel with me… is that it?”

“Yes, exactly. I believe His Majesty will agree to this.”

Those who longed for a stable life serving the kingdom could do so, while those who refused could head to the southern mountains. It was left to each individual to decide, giving them the freedom to choose.

However, this would mean dividing our group in two. I felt a strong resistance to both splitting our already small group and to the idea of my companions going places I couldn’t reach. Even if it was their personal choice, I couldn’t entrust my comrades to someone I couldn’t completely trust.

“I’m not keen on this idea. With all due respect, I don’t know anyone in this country other than the ladies here. So, I can’t entrust my companions to such strangers.”

“….is that so?”

“However, I believe many would be willing to stay if it means serving under the young lady rather than the king. If I could act as an ally to the young lady, I would not be against helping the Kingdom of Harlasia.”

Liselotte furrowed her brows in disappointment at my refusal, but her eyes widened at my following words. Liselotte had been a benefactor who vouched for us during our journey and was one of the rare individuals who did not discriminate against us. If it meant protecting her, many would likely speak up about staying.

At the same time, there was significance in us choosing to cooperate with Liselotte personally rather than with the king. She had mentioned struggling with internal issues and being blamed. But winning us over, which the king desperately wanted, would be considered an achievement. Wouldn’t involving Liselotte make it impossible to obscure that achievement?

Perhaps my implied message had been understood since Liselotte fell silent for a while. Then, as if having made a decision, she tightened her expression and she began to speak while looking me straight in the eye.

“I understand. I will report as much to His Majesty. And… I will honor Sir Antares’s trust, even if it means my life.”

“That sentiment alone is enough. If you were to actually die, we… especially Lappy, would be deeply saddened.”

“Ha, right. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Liselotte stood up with a gentle smile. Her face was free of any worry or sadness, showing only a clear and firm determination.

As Liselotte left, Hilda and Chris followed her. Unlike Hilda, who showed no particular reaction, Chris kept glancing back at me. Our recent interactions had been somewhat strained, which meant she had something she wanted to say. I need to find a chance to have a proper conversation with her.

“Haah. Even though you were the one speaking, teacher, I somehow ended up feeling nervous.”

“Is that so? It was a serious discussion, so feeling nervous is understandable.”

Once Liselotte and the others had left and we were alone again, Chirik, who had seemingly been keeping himself upright with effort, relaxed and leaned back against the couch as if all the strength had left him. The action was so adorable that I gently patted him on the head. He didn’t seem to mind and simply allowed it.

“Ah, teacher. I won’t be staying here. I’ll definitely follow you.”

“That’s reassuring to hear, but you’ll need to build up your strength too.”

“Uh… yes…”

Chirik, enchanted by the idea of traveling, had declared before I could even ask that he would accompany me to the southern part of the continent. That in itself was no problem. The problem was Chirik’s physical endurance.

Despite his wisdom and proficiency in spiritual arts, which were remarkable for his age, physical activity was not his forte. This was largely due to his inherently poor eyesight, for which he had compensated by relying on spiritual arts.

While we had sufficiently large carriages to mitigate the problem, travel was unpredictable. Unforeseen circumstances could force us to abandon the carriages and continue on foot. When traveling, the more physical endurance one has, the better.

“Exercise, huh… I’m not good at it, but I don’t want to hold you back… Huh? What’s that sound?”

“Maybe it’s coming from the window.”

As Kirik grumbled and complained while holding his head, we heard a loud bang on the glass window from outside. The use of glass, a valuable material, for windows was proof of the kingdom’s wealth.

But more pressing than that was the source of the noise. I approached the window to see the source of the noise, and the person on the other side was exactly what I was expecting.

“You’ve come, Acht.”

“Chirp.”

Perched on the windowsill was Acht, the luminous crystalline life form I was entrusted with by Aiwass. Acht preferred the form of animals, and at this moment, it had taken the shape of a small white bird with small blue eyes.

Clasped in its small beak was a piece of paper. Given that Acht usually disguised itself as one of Lappy’s hair ornaments, it was safe to assume this was a letter from Lappy.

“We can’t afford to break this expensive glass window. Find another way in…”

“Chirp… Shuuu…”

Before I could finish, Acht transformed into a white lizard with blue eyes. It seemed Acht enjoyed taking on whatever form was necessary at the moment which was very different to Eins and the others, who preferred to stay in a specific shape.

After transforming into a lizard, Acht skillfully scaled the wall before seemingly finding a way in from somewhere. Just when it felt like its presence had faded into the distance, it made its way through the walls and was coming closer. Then it slipped through a crack in the furniture and revealed itself.

“Remarkable as always. Thank you for delivering the letter.”

“Shushuu.”

As I stroked Acht’s head with my fingertips, it purred in pleasure. Since it was a luminous crystalline life form, Acht’s intelligence could one day match or even surpass that of humans. But for now, it was like a newborn child who needed praise and nurturing.

After receiving praise and handing over the letter, Acht returned to its favored form of a small bird and perched on Chirik’s shoulder. Even though Acht was not a speaker, he attempted to befriend everyone, Chirik included. This was true for everyone except for those like Bolts, who made their annoyance quite evident.

Speaking of non-verbal communication, Acht seemed to have no trouble interacting with my comrades who were former Republic soldiers, except for Asumi. I had often observed them exchanging short cries and stares.

“Now, let’s see what Lappy’s letter says… Hmm?”

“What does it say, teacher?”

“Well… it seems Leo and King Carl have become quite friendly. Unusually so…”

“…Eh? How did that happen?”

The letter Lappy had written and sent was brief, stating simply that “Leo and the king have become best friends”. It likely meant that their friendship had blossomed from the mock battle, but I was eager for more details. I was confident that Liselotte would fill me in soon enough.

Regardless, I was relieved that there was no report of Leo causing any serious injury to the king. Feeling relieved, I used spiritual arts to disintegrate the letter I received from Lappy as a precaution. I didn’t want anyone to know I had a way to communicate with Lappy.

“Well, as long as they’re both okay, that’s what counts. Shall we continue reading?”

“Yes, let’s do that! Acht, you should listen in too.”

When Chirik said that, Acht transformed back into the spherical shape it had first appeared in. Apparently, it changed in the brief moment I had looked away to dispose of the letter. It appeared to be comfortable not just in the form of small animals but in its original form as well.

Cradled in Chirik’s palm, Acht seemed to nod in agreement, rocking its body back and forth. Its curiosity seemed to match if not exceed Chirik’s own curiousity.

With a wry smile, I opened “Tales of Wandering in the Western Lands” and resumed reading aloud. Acht, alongside Chirik, seemed engrossed in listening, and they both ended up staying in my room until dinner was served.