The Silver Mask and the Cursed Girl – Part 06
“I knew it,” Jillarte mumbled dejectedly after hearing the news from Hikaru—Silver Face.
The news of the abduction of Jillarte, daughter of the previous leader Kouga, by the King of Ponsonia had reached Einbiest through the Adventurers’ Guild. Hearing this, the Half Dragons and three other races whom Kouga protected couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.
“The city was attacked by Half Dragons, Ratmen, Ogrekin, and the Sinners.”
“Their leaders loved my father.”
The Ratmen were a type of rodent demi-humans, short in stature but nimble. The Ogrekin were a race with reddish-brown skin, possessing great strength and vitality, but due to difficulty in childbirth, they were a small minority. The Sinners had black, wave-like patterns on their bodies, and it was commonly believed that they became this way because their ancestors committed a crime, much like the Half Dragons, but in reality, there was no factual basis for this belief. They were simply a race with creepy patterns on their bodies. They, too, were discriminated against based solely on their appearance.
“Lord Silver Face,” Paula said. “Leather-elka is a renowned fort city. How could it fall so easily?”
Lavia nodded, sharing the same thoughts.
“Apparently, the governor of Leather-elka is not of noble status,” Hikaru explained. “And during this period of confusion over whether the king would abdicate, he saw an opportunity to receive a noble title for himself. So he led his troops to the capital. There were guards left, but they were hardly effective.”
“Wh-What? That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“And that’s why the city fell.”
“They might be the minority, but these four races are among the top combatants in Einbiest,” Jillarte said. “I doubt the common soldier in Ponsonia could stand a chance against them.” She wasn’t just being biased towards her own people.
Jillarte herself was 19 years old and had 4 points on Sword on her Soul Board. Not all of them might be at her level, but it was still quite possible that they were all formidable.
“So, is it okay if I escort you to Leather-elka instead of Einbiest?” Hikaru asked.
“A-Are you sure? To be honest, the situation’s much sketchier now. The Half Dragons want to take me back, but I’ve escaped. The king will search for me desperately.”
“For sure.”
“That’s it? Do you even understand the gravity of the situation?! People will be hot on our heels!”
“Yup.” Hikaru smiled under his mask. “I agreed to escort you, and I will not go back on my word.”
“But I have nothing to offer you.”
“I’ll ask some questions on the way.”
“What I know is worth nothing! You can easily get the same information from other people. Besides, there’s nothing more I can tell you.”
“Don’t you want my services?”
“It’s not like that.” Jill cast her gaze down. She seemed to be trembling slightly. “Honestly, you’re being too kind. I can’t help but think you have an ulterior motive. And I feel so ashamed for doubting you.”
Hikaru realized something for the first time. He knew about it, but he just didn’t understand.
What it felt like to be discriminated against.
What it felt like to doubt genuine kindness.
“Let’s go. If they’re coming after us, we’d better get moving.”
“…”
“You have nothing else to lose, do you?”
“Can I really trust you?”
“You can remain skeptical. I don’t mind.”
Hikaru started walking, to where the carriage that Paula rented was parked.
This was when it started.
It was from this moment that Hikaru wanted to genuinely help Jillarte, without taking into account the benefits and drawbacks.
To others, it might just be sympathy.
And he was fine with that.
She needed help, and he could give it to her. She was so honest that she could even admit her shame. Hikaru found her blinding.
He was intrigued by Jillarte because she embodied the meaning of his own name.
News of Jillarte’s escape soon reached the king of Ponsonia.
Hair trimmed below the ears, smoothed back. Wide eyes and hollow cheeks. The king had lost an abnormal amount of weight over the past few years, and the burden caused by the Fire Drakon only added to his stress, leaving his skin pale and dull.
The clothes he wore were made of rare fabric, but their glamor only served to highlight his unhealthy complexion.
“What is the meaning of this?!”
“Please be at ease, Your Majesty,” the grand chamberlain said.
There weren’t a lot of people in the king’s spacious and luxurious private chamber. A portly man, who had his head lowered in front of the king, and three beautiful maids.
“How can I possibly be at ease?! I had her arrested because you said she would make a good pawn! Now the fort city has fallen and your pawn has escaped.”
“The military is to blame for this. They must be reprimanded severely. That way, you can preserve your dignity.”
The king gritted his teeth hard. “They will pay for this.”
“Of course. The military has been very careless lately. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have panicked against the Fire Drakon. They don’t have even a fraction of the valor that Your Majesty had when you were in the military.”
“Absolutely!” The king coughed.
The king had no prior military experience, but when he was the crown prince, he had undergone military training, which only lasted a few days. Despite that, he claimed that he understood everything about the military, which the chamberlain cleverly flattered him for.
“Here, Your Majesty. Have some tea.”
“V-Very well.”
The chamberlain ordered the maids to make tea to calm the king down. The tea was brewed to the perfect temperature, just warm enough, and the king drank almost all of it in one gulp.
“Delicious,” the king remarked. His eyes were glazed over, as if he were intoxicated. “You have some, too.”
“I appreciate the offer, Your Majesty. I will have the leftover later. About the military. Why not revise the law so that you can give orders directly to them as well?”
“That sounds tedious.” The king slumped down on the couch.
“In that case, I could act as your proxy and give orders, while taking your wishes into account.”
“Hmm… I will give it some thought.”
The king closed his eyes and began snoring.
The grand chamberlain clicked his tongue in frustration for failing to get a clear statement from the king. He ordered the maid to clear away the tea and dispose of it entirely. The maid, understanding the situation, swiftly removed everything from the room without leaving a trace of the tea leaves behind, as if they were something that should not be witnessed by anyone.
The tea contained an herb with hallucinogenic effects that the chamberlain used to manipulate the king like a puppet. Side effects included reduced appetite and increased emotional instability, but the chamberlain did not care.
Leaving the king’s room, the chamberlain made his way to the conference room where the king’s supporters—the nobles who were loyal to the chamberlain—had gathered.
“What do we do about Leather-elka? His Majesty is not too keen on taking direct control of the army.”
“I-I see… That is unfortunate. There was a war council earlier. Sir Lawrence will lead his knights to strike Leather-elka.”
“Hmm? Not the army?”
“The soldiers in the army aren’t as good or mobile as the knights. They plan to use 500 knights to deal with the estimated 1000 enemies. They also want to avoid a prolonged battle by not allowing the enemy to besiege the city. To achieve this, they’ll send a smaller force to catch the enemy off guard.”
“A prolonged battle?! We don’t want that.”
The Kingdom of Ponsonia was currently provoking the neighboring Quinbrand Empire. However, due to the Fire Drakon Catastrophe, they were forced to recall their troops, and now there was the problem with Einbiest.
The kingdom brought this upon itself, of course, but they needed to find a solution quick or risk their plans for invading the Empire.
“About that, I have an interesting idea,” said one nobleman with a smirk. “A martial arts tournament to select a new leader for Einbiest is starting.”
“Are you suggesting we participate and become the leader? That’s ridiculous. The available slots are reserved for representatives of each race.”
“True, but some of the races are struggling financially. They’re considering selling their slots.”
“Oh…”
The chamberlain raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
And so the scheming continued late into the night.
NEXT CHAPTER
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Tbh, the chamberlain was the one who pulled the strings that cause Ponsonia to ruin as the king was always slacking in his chair that to be unfit in his position. I hate their plan to seize the opportunity to take the win in the upcoming martial arts tournament that leads to have more power if they win.