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Wake Not a Sleeping Lion – Part 05

Hikaru couldn’t help but worry about Luvain. He had transformed into a man who seemed capable of extreme actions.

But what can I do in this situation?

News of the Einbiest army’s presence on the outskirts of Agiapole had swiftly spread through the city.

Hikaru had already received word of it, and in fact, received a letter from Unken, stating, “Yesterday, I brought a Beastman spy into the holy city.”

Was the Quinbrand Empire coordinating with Einbiest?

Given Luvain’s calm demeanor, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had some sort of ace up his sleeve. In that case, Einbiest’s army would be in for a tough fight.

Lavia had fully recovered and went shopping in town with Hikaru today. Through the Adventurers Guild, they had received word from Paula, a nun in the Church, who expressed her desire to see Agiapole at least once. She was en route with the members of the Four Eastern Stars.

To avoid missing Paula on the road, Hikaru had decided to wait in the holy city with Lavia.

But if the city becomes a war zone, forget meeting up here.

Lavia must have sensed Hikaru’s concerns because that night, she called for him.

“Hikaru, take a seat.”

“Uhm, I’m already sitting.”

It was their customary reading time after dinner; Hikaru was on the couch and Lavia in a chair, each engrossed in a book.

“If something’s bothering you, I want you to tell me.”

“Bothering me? Well…”

Under Lavia’s intense gaze, Hikaru scratched the back of his head.

She seems to see right through me.

He had thought he didn’t need to burden Lavia with all his worries and anxieties, but she could immediately sense the shifts in his emotions. The feeling of someone looking out for him was much more uncomfortable, embarrassing, and heartwarming than he had expected.

“Einbiest’s army has shown up on the outskirts of the city. Jillarte is probably with them.”

“Is this country going to lose the war?”

“It’s hard to say, but Einbiest definitely has the momentum in capturing the holy city.”

“So you’re worried about Jillarte. But why? If Einbiest is winning…”

“There are a few concerns.”

Hikaru decided to share his observations and everything he had heard from Unken. He tried to present the facts as objectively as possible.

What Lavia said was completely unexpected.

“I think you should go see Jillarte.”

“See Jillarte? Why?”

“Putting the Man Gnomes aside for now, I believe sharing the information you have could be very beneficial. Also… even after recovering, I still feel uneasy.”

Lavia had initially thought that the unease in her chest was a lingering effect of the Accursed Toxin, but hearing what Hikaru had to say changed her opinion.

“It feels like there’s something strange, something we know nothing about, sleeping within this city.”

It felt like a simple hunch, yet also like a prophecy.

---

The next morning, Hikaru and Lavia commenced their activities early, but they weren’t the only ones on the move. The Einbiest army, poised to invade the holy city, was in a frenzy.

Before them stood a massive city made of white limestone, the central stronghold of the Theocracy of Bios, where many of their comrades had been abducted and enslaved. Over the years, they had made countless rescue attempts, some successful but mostly ending in failure and the deaths of many Beastmen.

This wasn’t just about the slaves either. When attempting to conduct business in other countries, the Church under Bios’ command hindered them constantly. Many of their comrades were forced to endure in silence, and most of the soldiers had family members, relatives, or acquaintances who had suffered at the hands of Bios.

After enduring years of suffering, the Beastmen were now on the verge of victory. The exhilaration of nearing triumph and the thrill of their winning streak filled them with excitement.

“What? Say that again.”

Inside Gerhardt’s tent, they were finalizing the battle plan for the invasion scheduled for tomorrow. Reports from comrades who successfully infiltrated the city had just arrived, and they were fine-tuning their strategy.

Then, a messenger arrived with news.

“A special envoy from the Theocracy of Bios has arrived.”

An envoy arriving at this point clearly only meant one thing to the Beastmen.

“Begging for mercy? Have they no shame?! After oppressing thousands of our brethren for years!”

“Let’s kill them. Our soldiers have reached their limit, forced to wait here with Agiapole right in front of them. It might boost morale for tomorrow’s invasion.”

“They’ll probably just blab about the Church’s authority or some shit. I say we kill them!”

Representatives of various races—not just soldiers—were seething with rage. Gerhardt displayed a flash of fury but noticed that a few chieftains were deep in thought, so he refrained from shouting.

“What do you think, turtle gramps?”

Gerhardt addressed the leader of the Chelonians, one of the people here who remained composed. He was well aware that the old man worked closely with Jillarte.

Jillarte also wore a composed expression, but Gerhardt avoided asking for her opinion at this moment.

While it was true that Jillarte had once been a member of the Dragonfolk, a race oppressed even within Einbiest, she was now a human after the lifting of her people’s curse. Some within the army were badmouthing her after seeing her numerous feats in this war.

“Let’s see… I think we should at least listen to what they have to say.”

“Are you saying we should listen to them plead for their lives?! They never did that for our comrades!”

The representative of the Pantherans was the most furious. Pantherans had a history of being aggressively targeted for slave hunting due to their remarkable physical abilities, particularly their speed.

“Either way, we’re launching an attack tomorrow,” the old Chelonian said. “I know what everyone is thinking: ‘Nothing they could say would change our plans.’ Of course. And that’s perfectly fine.”

“What do you mean? Stop beating around the bush.”

“Sir. If we kill the envoy, we will be stooping down to their level. We’ll be no different from those people who took demi-human lives without listening to their pleas.”

Many of the representatives were visibly taken aback by those words, with the Pantheran reluctantly agreeing.

“Gramps.”

“Sir.”

“You’re right. We were dangerously close to sinking to the same level as those scum. You guys heard that, right? I will meet the envoy and tell them this: ‘We’re settling everything tomorrow.’”

Gerhardt’s words garnered applause from the representatives.

---

Hikaru arrived at that moment.

Before meeting the envoy, Gerhardt and the other representatives returned to their respective tents to groom themselves. The Pantherans’ delegate had said that the leader of the confederacy should present themselves impeccably.

Gerhardt grimaced at the suggestion, but the other representatives were enthusiastic. They believed that their “cool” leader needed to be smartly dressed for when he mocked the humans.

Jillarte also returned to her tent, seemingly deep in thought.

“Hey, Jillarte.”

Jillarte’s hands were on the sword at her waist before she even yelped. However, the sword remained sheathed.

“Silver Face!”

Standing before her was the one who saved her life, a savior to her people, and the person she fell in love with.

“Wh-What are you doing here? Well, I’m glad you came, but I’m not exactly mentally prepared for this sudden visit.”

“Ahem!” Lavia cleared her throat to announce her presence “I’m here, too.”

“O-Oh, Star Face. Didn’t see you there.”

Hikaru was smiling, while Jillarte appeared somewhat disappointed.

“I apologize, Jillarte. I understand you’re busy, but there’s something bothering me… What’s the matter?”

Jillarte was staring at him intently. “You’re throwing me off speaking like that.”

Right. I play a character when I put the mask on, Hikaru thought.

“Got it. It’s weird adopting Silver Face’s manner of speaking when you already know my identity, but sure.”

“Yup, there we go! That’s great.”

Hikaru had mixed feelings about Jillarte’s sudden cheerful expression.

I think Jillarte is more into Silver Face than me… It’s like she idolizes him or something.

Yet, both personas were undeniably him.

“This might take a bit of your time, but it looks like things are pretty hectic on your end.”

“Yeah. Actually…”

Wearing a grave look, Jillarte told Hikaru about the envoy from the holy city.

“An envoy? A military officer?”

“I’m not sure… Why do you ask?”

“Have you heard that the Pope’s dead, and a new one has taken his place?”

“An imperial spy told me about it, but there was no proof. Is it true?”

“Yeah. I’m somewhat acquainted with the new Pope.”

“Seriously? Are you saying you want to save the new Pope?”

“No… I’m not planning to actively get involved in the war. It’s just, I don’t know what the new Pope, Luvain, is thinking. Sending an envoy at this juncture is something to be cautious about.”

“What do you mean?”

“If the envoy is a military officer, I can see a surrender, but if it’s a high-ranking priest within the Church, there’s a chance that Luvain is striking some kind of bargain.”

“Or they’re here to announce their unconditional surrender.”

“…I sure hope so.”

“Hmm.”

Jillarte rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought for a moment. “Wait here for a bit.” She left the tent and returned a few minutes later. “Silver Face, Star Face, come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“I got permission from the Leader. I want you to attend the meeting with the envoy.”