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Volume 7 Chapter 1 Part 2

Radovan, who had disembarked from the warship, was immediately greeted by Theo. Next to him was his contracted Mage Siluca Meletes.

「So you finally managed to accomplish your goal. 」

Radovan held Theo’s hand tightly as he looked around the port city. A lot of people are working hard, and you could feel that the whole place was positively brimming with energy.

「It wasn’t easy, but yes, I finally managed to achieve what I set out to do. However, the truly tough part is only about to start. 」

Theo said while letting out a bitter smile.

「I guess so. 」

Radovan’s expression tightened. That’s because he knows very well the purpose for which Theo asked him to show up.

Guided by Theo and Siluca, the three of them walked through the cobblestone streets and entered a large mansion. According to what Radovan was told, this mansion was a former residence of the Rossini family, the Lords who formerly ruled Sistina before Theo showed up.

He was then led into a luxurious room and sat down at a table where a Chamberlain was already preparing tea for him, and the twin maids were bringing out freshly baked biscuits on a tray.

Radovan nibbled on his biscuit and sipped his tea, waiting for the proper conversation to begin.

「Lord Theo is planning to return to the continent soon. 」

Radovan then placed the cup he was drinking from back on the table and asked:

「Does that mean that the time is ripe? 」
His eyes lit up at Siluca’s words.

「No, to be honest, I still feel that I need more of it. However, circumstances have arisen that prevent that from happening. 」

Theo answered with a sigh.

「Three particular circumstances, to be exact. 」

At the sound of Theo’s words, Siluca picked the conversation up and held three of her fingers up.

「First of all, as I’m sure you’re already aware, Lord Radovan, Baron Eugen Niklae was killed in battle by Dartania’s Viceroy Milza Kuches. 」

Siluca says with a pained expression on her face.

「Yes. I heard his last battle against him was a truly glorious one. 」

Radovan nodded with a somber expression.

Milza took the entirety of Artuk’s people hostage and demanded a direct confrontation with Eugen

The Baron led his small army of three hundred people into battle against Dartania’s army, fighting until the last man standing. It is said that once Milza challenged Eugen to a duel, he accepted it without hesitation, and even as his body was being cut and bleeding all over, he was still putting up an admirable fight against him to his last breath, when he was finally beheaded with laughter on his lips and a fearless smile on his face.

「With Lord Eugen’s death, Dartania managed to effectively pacify the entirety of Artuk, and now Milza is showing signs of preparation for a full-scale invasion against Regalia. 」

「I think we can all agree that the Earl of Regalia is not going to be able to stop Viceroy Milza. 」

Radovan sighed. Dartania’s army has invaded Regalia several times in the past. Serge Constance, the Earl of Regalia, has always somehow managed to defend his country, but he has never truly won against Dartania even once. The only reason why Regalia us currently safe is because of the King of Selvis, Lassic David’s support for them and the guerilla warfare that Baron Eugen waged against Dartania for so long. But now that Baron Eugen has finally been eliminated by Milza, there was no one who could immediately stop him from concentrating all of his attention on a full-blown conquest of Regalia.

「The other thing is that Endel Serik came here to ask for our cooperation in stopping Milza. 」

「Endel Serik? Who’s that supposed to be? 」

「He is the half-brother of Viceroy Milza. He is in charge of the Dartanian merchants operating on the continent. 」

「That’s why the Dartanian ships were anchored in the port. 」

Dartania’s trading partners were the countries belonging to the Fantasia Union, so there must have been many of them who had crossed over to the continent. However, after Milza turned his back on the Fantasia Union and sided with the Factory Alliance instead, they’ve been rendered unable to go back to their country after he murdered his father and became Dartania’s Viceroy in his place, which should also made it impossible for Dartanian merchants to do any sort of business on the continent. For merchants and sailors, something like that was a matter of life and death, so it should be pretty natural for them to become a force of opposition to Milza after he did them dirty like that.

「Lord Endel is currently staying near this mansion. I have met him several times, and he seems to be quite a person. Although he is a merchant, he leads a fleet of over 100 ships. In addition, the sailors who he’s commanding are all well-trained in battle an received extensive military training in preparations for dealing with pirates during their voyages.

According to him, even in Dartania’s homeland, there are quite a few people who are hostile towards Milza. If we can gather them together, then they might be able to eliminate Milza’s supporters from Dartania. The only condition for it is that we have to keep the Milza occupied on the continent. 」

Radovan felt that Theo and Siluca were meant to play exactly that role in this conflict.

「What’s that last one then? 」

「In a few days, an envoy from the Elam’s Mages Association should be arriving on the island. 」

Siluca answered while her face stiffened slightly.

「Huh? What’s the purpose of them coming here? 」

「Their job is going to be escorting a certain prisoner back to Elam. That prisoner is the Black Witch Yana, who was responsible for the summoning of the Demon Lord and the assassination of the two Archdukes during 「The Tragedy of the Grand Cathedral. 」

「So you managed to capture the Black Witch as well, Lord Theo?! 」

「He had become a guest of the Rossini family and was sent to attack us during the decisive battle against the forces of the Rossinis, so we had no choice but to fight her. Thankfully, we managed to capture her alive. 」

「I see. So that’s what happened… 」

To be honest, Radovan was more taken aback than surprised by these news. It is incredible that Theo traveled to Sistina without any army by his side whatsoever managed to defeat the Rossini family, quelled the most notorious Chaos Disaster known to the continent, but he also managed to defeat and capture the number one enemy of the Mages Association, while the Mages themselves remained powerless to even locate her. Someone like her, an opponent who could summon a demon Lord and command lightning at will couldn’t have been an easy opponent to best, which made that achievement all the more impressive.

「Hahaha…!!! 」

Radovan couldn’t help but laugh out loud at all that he just learned.

「Lord Theo, with everything that you managed to achieve so far, I think that you can only be called a chosen hero! 」

「Sometimes I can’t help but to wish that was actually the case. Unfortunately, what we’re about to do now is going to be much harder than all the other things that we managed to accomplish combined. 」

Theo said with a straight face.

「I don’t know what exactly you’re planning to do, but just as I swore a long time ago, I will follow you wherever you might go and whatever you might be planning, Lord Theo. 」

「It makes me happy that you’re saying that, because there is something that I would like to request your help with, if I may be so bold. 」

「Whatever orders you might have, please, give them to me. 」

Radovan bows briefly.

「The other day, I received a call from the Mages Association asking me to accompany the envoy that is scheduled to arrive here if three days and to go to Elam together with them, because the Mages Association wants to give us reward for the accomplishment of capturing the Black Witch. 」

Siluca explained the situation briefly, and then she urged Theo to continue.
「We’re thinking of heading straight to Veltava from Elam. After all that happened recently, we don’t want to waste a single day. 」

Theo said that and looked at Radovan. Just like it was back then, his gaze was straightforward and innocent.

「So you want me to watch over things here for you while you’re going to be away? 」

「Can I ask this favor of you? 」

「If that’s what you really want to ask of me, the of course I will accept it. However, in order to do that, I will have to become your subordinate Lord first, right? 」