novelraw Chapter 368: Lena - Bad Guys
Chapter 368: Lena - Bad Guys
“N-No! I can’t do it!”
“You’re the only one who can.”
“There must be another way... Do I really have to?”
Rev was demanding something absurd from me. I firmly refused, but he didn’t back down.
Instead, he grabbed my shoulders and locked eyes with me. I faltered under his unyielding gaze.
“You have to.”
I buried my face in my hands. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. It was something only I could do, and it had to be done. But...
‘I don’t know. How am I supposed to do that?’
It took a long time to steel myself. Rev held me tightly, patting my back, which offered some comfort. I finally lifted my head.
“You’ll... help me, right?”“Of course. Absolutely.” ─ Rev answered readily. With that assurance, I climbed back into the carriage to change clothes.
...Did I leave the ceremonial robes I wore on the Day of the Rite here?
Priestly robes come in many varieties.
The standard form, called a subtana, typically falls to the ankles, but variations exist in the number and presence of buttons, as well as embroidered patterns. Female priests could choose robes with skirted hems.
The diversity in priestly robes wasn’t about fashion but about reflecting the season or significance of the rite.
For example, Spring.
Spring is the season of Boar, the Goddess of Noble Sacrifice. The waistband of the spring priestly robe bore a border symbolizing the thorned crown she wore. Some robes depicted the crown itself, but more commonly, they featured embroidered floral patterns that evoked the warmth of spring.
Summer followed.
Summer belongs to Namer, the God of Patience and Devotion. Known to reside in the south, his season is hot and humid, marked by the ocean winds sweeping into the continent. Priestly robes for summer were loose-fitting to endure the heat, with wide sleeves and a separate belt. However, they had to be in neutral colors, such as white or gray, with no embellishments.
Autumn came next.
Autumn is the season of Vinar, the God of Guiding the Wicked. During this bountiful time of ripening fruits, priests wore particularly ornate robes to ward off corruption and invite blessings. There were no color restrictions for autumn robes. According to local traditions, the most auspicious colors were chosen, often adorned with rows of decorative buttons used for attachments.
“Here it is.”
I found the ceremonial robe I had worn on the Day of the Rite in a garment case.
The Day of the Rite, celebrated in autumn, also marks the birth of clergy members, so the robes distributed for this occasion were the most beautiful of all.
After changing, I added a short cape to my shoulders for warmth and decoration, attached sleeve guards, and adjusted the skirt, which was already ornate.
Although it was currently winter, and I should have been wearing the robes to honor Lachar, I had no choice.
To lend credibility to my words, it was better to dress as extravagantly as possible—especially since the audience would be natives.
Carefully folding my winter robes, I packed them into the garment case. However, the thick material made it difficult to close. I sat on the case and used my heels to push it shut. Come on, fit!
After struggling for a while in the cramped carriage, I managed to shove the case back under the seat.
Phew. What a workout.
I changed into ceremonial shoes, checked my makeup, and grabbed my staff and brass goblet. With my hands full, I used my elbow to push open the door. The moment it opened, Rev rushed up to me, not to help but to hurry me along.
“Lena, hurry. At this rate, you’ll miss...”
“Oh, shut up!”
My temper flared, momentarily forgetting Namer’s teachings. I left Rev behind, fuming as I strode forward. But as I neared the target, my confidence crumbled.
W-Wait. Am I really doing this? Here? With all these people around? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until we find a more secluded spot? Ah! Damn it... We made eye contact.
It was too late now. I had no choice but to go through with it.
I forced a bright smile, as a saintess would, and spread my arms wide.
“Welcome, Hero! I’ve been waiting for you!”
...
...
...
Silence. Just as I felt my face flush with humiliation, the target turned around, pointed at herself, and asked,
“Me? Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, Hero! I’ve received a divine revelation to aid you in defeating evil!”
The corners of my mouth trembled as I struggled to maintain the smile.
Rera Ainar.
While I could endure her suspicious gaze, I couldn’t handle Rev stifling his laughter behind her.
You’re horrible!
I cursed him silently while trying to maintain my composure. Rera continued to stare at me like I was a con artist, so I hastily added,
“Y-You’re not the only one I’ll be helping! Let me introduce you to my companions. First, this is...”
Proving I wasn’t crazy would require introducing the others. Rev! Please, save me...
As I turned to introduce him, I saw it. His lips were twitching.
‘...Bastards.’ ─ Standing at Orville’s north gate, surrounded by a crowd near the lakeside, I thought to myself.
They’re all horrible bastards.
***
“Don’t talk to me.”
“I’m sorry. But hey, it went well, didn’t it?”
“I said don’t talk to me.”
Our esteemed Hero had gone upstairs with her fiancée. Left alone at the table, now cluttered after the long conversation, I buried my face in my hands.
I wanted to die from embarrassment. And I was furious.
Still covering my face, I asked,
“...We didn’t have to do it like that...”
“Huh? Sorry, Lena, I didn’t catch that.”
“I said we didn’t have to do it like that!!”
-Bang!
I regretted slamming the table as soon as I did it and quickly looked around. Fortunately, everyone seemed to have retired to their rooms, leaving the dining area empty.
“You knew, didn’t you?”
“...Knew what?”
“That Rera would recognize you. Ah... now that I think about it, it was obvious.”
Our Hero—or rather, Rera Ainar—had exclaimed as soon as I introduced Rev:
“Oh?! You’re that guy! The winner!” ─ she said, pointing a finger at him.
So this bastard—no, Rev—already had a way to gain her cooperation without me humiliating myself like that. Rev replied shamelessly,
“I thought this was the smoothest approaChapter Still, you did great! Your acting was so good it could make Jenia cry out of jealousy...”
“I told you to shut up.”
“Yessir.”
Rev pursed his lips in an exaggeratedly smug manner.
I barely resisted the urge to smack his stupid face.
Letting out a sigh, I poked at the food in front of me and asked,
“So, what now? What’s the plan?”
“Hold on. Let’s wait until Ray puts Rera to bed and comes down. We’ll talk then.”
“Rera?”
“...Slip of the tongue. I mean Rera Ainar. He’ll be down after she’s asleep.”
“Careful.”
“My bad.”
Finally, Rev stopped grinning and became serious. I let him stew in the silence as he anxiously watched my expression.
The quiet stretched on until Ray came down the stairs.
“...”
“...”
“...”
Ray, perceptive as ever, took a seat without saying a word.
He glanced between Rev and me before nodding politely when our eyes met. Though he was likely a lifelong comrade of Rev, he was effectively a stranger to me. Resolving to drop my irritation, I started,
“Is Rera asleep?”
“Yes.”
“She sure falls asleep quickly. Our Hero does.”
“Haha, that’s true. Anyway... you had a hard day.”
“Yeah. And you had a hard time holding back your laughter.”
“...I apologize.”
“We were waiting for you to discuss the next steps. Rev, go ahead.”
“Right...”
Rev began his briefing—or tried to—when the innkeeper approached to ask how long we’d be staying.
Ray handed him a small pouch of silver coins, and we resumed our conversation under the dim glow of a fading lantern.
What we were discussing could easily be mistaken for treason if overheard.
“Lean has set everything up. By now, Count Forte is probably on his way back from negotiating with the Kingdom of Aisel.”
“With a loss, right?”
“Most likely. Even if the tide of battle turned after I left, it wouldn’t change muChapter The magical losses are too severe to avoid blame.”
“And why does that matter?” I asked.
I’d heard that Rev’s involvement in that war was to delay Count Herman Forte’s return. But judging from his tone, there seemed to be another reason. Rev explained,
“To capture an evil god, you need lots of people. Remember when we took down Oriax? We attacked when we had the numbers.”
“Ah. I saw it briefly in a dream. It was on your wedding day, wasn’t it? Anyway, so?”
“Right. This time, we need to gather a crowd at the royal palace to help take down Astroth. But finding a way to gather so many people was tricky, especially since all three of us are foreigners.”
“All three?”
“Me, Ray, and Lean. Anyway, Lean came up with a plan.”
The prince from the neighboring country.
I leaned back in my chair, recalling the vision of a very, very dashing young man I’d seen in my dream. He certainly seemed clever.
“He suggested using this country’s political situation. The Kingdom of Bellita is split between the Royalist faction led by Marquis Benar Tatian and the Swordmaster faction led by Count Herman Forte.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Right now, the Swordmaster faction holds power. But if Count Forte loses the war, what do you think will happen?”
“Hmm... Infighting?”
“Exactly. The Royalist nobles won’t miss the opportunity, while the Swordmaster faction nobles will rally to Forte’s defense. When Forte returns, the nobles will flock to the palace. Lean even came up with a way to stoke the conflict further.”
“And that is?”
Rev lowered his voice.
“Prince Lean de Yeriel will visit Orville. On the very day Count Herman Forte returns in defeat, he’ll come to meet Princess Chloe.”
“...Ah!”
I understand now. These bastards were...
“That’s cruel. So, the war started because of that princess, and now another prince is coming to meet her? The citizens will think another war is about to break out.”
Rev smirked, pride radiating from him, even though it wasn’t his idea.
“Exactly. And Lean will be accompanied by Marquis Benar Tatian. That’ll throw the Royalist nobles into disarray. The Swordmaster faction’s interpretation is anyone’s guess, but I can guarantee that on the day Lean enters the palace, every noble in this country will be there.”
“And we’ll be ready to unmask Astroth.”
“...”
I stared at the two of them, stunned.
These people treated a war, involving thousands of lives, and an entire kingdom’s political strife as mere setups for their plans. They intended to manipulate high-ranking nobles like pawns on a chessboard.
It gave me a small glimpse of just how much chaos and strife these two must have survived.