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Volume 3 Chapter 3 Part 9

(I will not be able to dodge it in time!)

Unable to do anything, Siluca prepared herself for her own death.

But then, at that time?

「Oh? Is it time for dinner already? 」

A haughty voice asked a Question, after which Balgary, a Caith Sith from the world of Tir na Nog emerged out of Siluca’s shadow and cut off the assailant’s arm, which was aready inchest away from Siluca’s chest, with his sharp claws.

His arm rolled to the ground, and Balgary pinned it down with in the blink of an eye as he proudly looked back at Siluca.

「Thank you, Your Highness! 」

Siluca hugged Balgary. The assailant, who has lost his hand, then died after receiving a dagger from the shadow of the Doucet family to his back.

「Hmpf! This is not nearly enough of a thank you, not to mention that the prey I caught just now looks really disgusting, so I will allow you to make amends for it by presenting me with the finest of birds. If cooking them turns out to be too troublesome, raw are going to be fine as well. 」

Balgary said while licking his bloodied right paw.

「Just tell me what kind of bird you like the most, and I will have Irvin cook it for you. 」

Siluca smiled at Balgary.

「My deepest apologies… 」

Irvin came to the scene after everything was over and said with a face that looked as if all the blood has been gone from it.

「What’s wrong? It is not like you to apologize. 」

Siluca asked while trying not to sound as if she was blaming Irvin for not being here with them.

「I saw a suspicious figure, so I tried to confirm who that was, but it was only a diversion to lure me out. A successful one, I shamefully admit. Our opponent is also a Shadow, and a terrifyingly skilled one at that. Most likely a professional assassin. 」

Irvin whispered to Siluca.
「Did you at least managed to get them? 」

「The enemy snipers were aiming at us, but we have managed to deal with them. 」

Irvin said in a voice that seemed to have been void of soul. He is always striving to be perfect in everything he does, so he probably could not forgive himself for making such careless mistakes.

「If you feel bad about this, then you can atone by cooking the best chicken dishes possible for His Highness Balgary. After that, you are going to wash all the clothes that Lord Theo and I are wearing right now, since we do not have the time to change while travelling. 」

Siluca said to Irvin in a commanding tone.

「Understood. Thank you for your concern, Lady Siluca. 」

After Irvin bowed to Siluca, he returned to the mansion.

「Lord Theo… 」

Siluca also proceeded to check on the wounds that Theo sustained during the short battle.

「It seems that poison has been applied to that dagger… 」

Theo said in a hoarse voice.

「… because I can feel my whole body starting to go numb. 」

「Yes. Now rest and do not say anything more! I will treat you right now! 」

Siluca held up her magic wand and purified the poison that began to circulate through Theo’s blood. Then she closed his wound carefully so that it would not leave a scar. Thanks to Helga, who specializes in Life Magic, she has been trained well in that.

「Because of me, you have been put in danger even though you did not have to. I am really sorry for that. 」

Alexis made a sad face and apologized to Theo and Siluca.

「No, there is no need for you to apologize. 」

Theo shook his head in haste and was about to say something more, but before he could do that, Siluca winked at him, which was a signal for Theo to not reveal that he was actually the target of this attack.

(There is no definite proof that Lord Theo was indeed the target, and for the time being, it might be to our advantage for Alexis to think that he was targeted. Thanks to that, the shadows of the Ducet family should also move to find the culprit, since even though they were trying to get the wrong person, an attempt of the Marquis’s life is not a light crime either.)

Siluca murmured in her mind.

Sistina Viscount Pederico Rossini’s actions were splendid despite being an enemy, and if Alexis had not visited, Theo’s assassination might have been successful.

The current Viscount of Sistina, Pederico Rossini did nothing that would have guaranteed suspicion during the banquet earlier even though Theo had pretty much openly declared himself to be his enemy, and if it was not for Alexis’s sudden visit tonight, then his assassination attempt might have as well been a successful one.

However, he will soon discover that this bold move was going to come at a great price for him.

If the truth of this incident is going to be revealed, he will be expelled from the Fantasia Union and Sistina is going to change from the Union’s ally into a target for subjugation.

(And when that happens, that will be our turn to strike.)

* * *

May 7, 2013 of the Continental calendar.
On the sixth day after Vilar and the others arrived in Halusia, the Lord’s Conference of the Fantasia Union was held.

Theo attended the meeting as a witness, and Siluca was in charge of the military affairs of Artuk’s Magic Division, so both of them stood by Villar’s side as a substitute for Laura, the Head Mage.

A huge round table was set in the center of the main hall, and the Lords who held ranks of Earl and above were sat down at it. A number of tables and seats were set up around it, and the Lords who possessed the rank of Viscount and below were sitting there.

Such an arrangement of seats also made it easy to see what was the balance of power between the given Lords.

A large group of Lords had gathered at the seats near Bernard Durham, the Marquis of Dawson. Marquis of Dawson was already triumphantly hunched over in his chair, chatting with the nearby Lords as if the entire meeting was nothing more but a formality for him now.

Then, Alexis Doucet, the Marquis of Halusia and leader of the Fantasia Union announced the opening of the meeting’s proceedings in a cool voice.

First item on the agenda was the proposal to allow the kingdom of Clovis ruled by Alfred Shakes, and the kingdoms of Selvis and Falvis ruled by Lassic David to be officialyy accepted as the new members of the Fantasia Union, and that proposal was universally approved by every member of the Union present at the Conference.

However, immediately after that, Marquis Dawson expressed the opinion that the two should be given voting rights starting from the next Lord’s Conference, his reasoning being that if the titles of these two are combined, it will be as much as the title of an Earl, so it is going to be a big deal whether their votes are going to count.

Vilar initially took an opposing position to that statement. However, he also stated that he will not argue against that too strongly and that he will even vote in favor of it, but only on the condition that it is not going to be a one time thing exclusive to Selvis, Falvis and Clovis only, but rather if it becomes a practice for all the newly accepted members of the Fantasia Union.

When Marquis Dawson witnessed him saying all that, his face immediately distorted itself as if it was trying to say 「I am so done with this! 」 and then he moved on to deliver a fiery speech in which he was denouncing Artuk and Vilar himself for starting a war with thebFactory Alliance of his own accord.

As a result, Lords allied with Marquis Dawson, who claimed that the Fantasia Union, which had difficulty reconciling with the Factory Alliance, was now facing a life-and-death crisis, stood up one after another and expressed their supportive opinions of his claim.

While this was happening, Vilar was simply listening to them in silence and waited until none of the Lords had anything else to say before he asked for his own permission to speak.

「I understand that Marquis Dawson and some other monarchs have been criticizing me. However, what I do not understand, or rather, what remains unclear to me is what part of what I did are they all criticizing, exactly. 」

「Isn’t it decided that you started a war with the alliance on your own?「

Marquis Aki Dawson said in amazement.

「Is that not obvious?! The fact that you have decided to start a war with the Factory Alliance entirely on your own! 」