Chapter 259.
I did the final treatment of the wounded who had survived a life-threatening crisis and then classified them into those who needed continuous care and those who didn’t. With this, the imperial court should be able to take care of the patients themselves.
Marsen’s aide-de-camp Ophelia, a witness to my quick handling of the situation, was amazed.
"So you weren’t lying about being a magician. I didn’t know you were such a great healer on top of that."
I pointed out two things to her. "First of all, what I used is not healing, but alchemy. And why are you suddenly speaking with honorifics?”
She blushed and let out a fake cough. "Khmm! I was wrong up until yesterday. It was rude of me to speak informally when you were in a position to do us a favor that was close to being forced to do so. I officially apologize."
Her apology stunned me.
"No, it’s natural, considering your age.”
"I’m!"
Ophelia, who cut me off with a shout full of murderous aura, took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"Whoah, I’m not that old. You must consider the average life expectancy of the Fairy Tribe and that of the general population before comparing them.”
I wanted to say that 90 years old was still old but swallowed it for now.
"And I was scolded for speaking informally by Marsen-nim. He said your relationship with him and your relationship with me are completely different, and so, just because he was speaking informally, did not mean I can as well."
Certainly, Marsen was a friend of my great-grandfather and practically the actual leader of the delegation, and therefore a person of high status to me personally and also publicly. Ophelia, on the other hand, was a complete stranger to me and it was difficult to establish a hierarchical relationship between us.
She became slightly sullen, and bowed her head again in all seriousness. "First of all, thank you for saving the envoys of our delegation. No matter how advanced the magic of the empire is, if it weren’t for you, more than half would have died and the rest disabled."
"I only did my job as a civil servant of the empire. Of course, even if I weren’t a civil servant, it’s natural to save acquaintances.”
At my modesty, Ophelia shook her head. "No, the people you saved are valuable people in our country. We will make sure to not allow any reprimand to befall you."
She was also a civil servant, so she seemed to know how to handle situations in a bureaucratic society. In fact, it didn’t really matter because Guild Director Glont, who suddenly sent me to be an interpreter at Marsen’s words, would protect me well. Even if there was damage, it would be a negative impact on my promotion at best. Besides, I didn’t become a civil servant to have a successful career anyway, so it didn’t matter if I didn’t get promotions. It’s just, I might feel crappy enough that I might start working as Lupin again.
"That’s reassuring." Ophelia continued saying that it was not the end. "Even though I dare not promise that my nation will repay you, I promise that I will repay you in the name of the guards."
The Fairy knights surrounding and guarding the patients nodded. The patients who were lying down didn’t want to lose out and also lifted their bodies and spoke.
"The envoys of our delegation have also received the grace of life, and so we will repay it."
"Thank you."
Although I said so, I honestly hoped there wouldn’t be a war with the Fairy Tribe. As it stood now, whether it be friends or allies, we were on the verge of war.
At that time, two men with pale faces came running with knights from afar. The pair in the front were familiar faces.
"Are you all right?!"
It was Arcanta, the prime minister, who managed to endure gasping for breath from running in a hurry with a frail body and shouted.
I bowed my head while raising my senses to make sure that Uncle Bloody was not around. Fortunately, I couldn’t feel his presence around here.
Arcanta glanced at me then immediately headed to the injured.
Then the fairy knights blocked the front of the prime minister with their swords.
"You cannot approach the injured."
At the words full of murderous aura, the knights who followed Arcanta also grabbed their sword handles nervously.
Ophelia stepped forward and shouted dignifiedly.
"We were attacked in the imperial palace of the empire, where you claimed it to be safe! Do you think we can trust you?!"
When he suddenly heard the Fairy Tribe language, Arcanta looked at me confused. I sighed inwardly and translated what Ophelia said. The prime minister turned blue. The fact that they were attacked inside the palace was the worst possible situation.
"Interpret what I’m saying. I want to meet Khan Palamut."
Arcanta didn’t seem to have heard that Palamut had been kidnapped yet. I told him what happened rather than interpreting his words.
"Excuse me, that Khan Palamut was kidnapped by the perpetrator who attacked them."
"What... what?!" Arcanta staggered in dismay, holding on to his stomach.
"And Marsen-nim chased after the kidnappers and the rest are guarding the wounded."
"I see~" Arcanta took a deep breath and finished comprehending the situation.
Then Ophelia spoke to me, "Mr. Interpreter, please interpret. The highest-rank, Khan has been kidnapped, second rank Marsen-nim has chased after them, and third-ranked envoys have been injured, so currently the authority to lead the delegations is transferred to me. Please tell him that if he has anything to say, to speak to me."
I interpreted as she said and Arcanta greeted Ophelia with a pogun.[1]
"I’m sorry for the late greeting. My name is Arcanta, and I am the prime minister of the empire."
In this way, in the middle of the hallways of the palace, which was not even a reception room, an extraordinarily cold meeting between the delegation and one of the top officials of the empire began.
It would have been a fun scene to watch if I hadn’t been stuck in the middle, but since I had to work hard to continue to interpret, it wasn’t that enjoyable.
-o-
Marsen quickly followed the scent of the forest on Palamut’s body. Tracking the scent of the Olympus Forest they had left three years ago was a way unique to the Guardian Knight.
He followed the scent and wandered through the streets of the capital, and thought because there was no scent of blood mixed into the scent... Palamut seemed to be still safe.
However, it was too early to be relieved in this urgent situation where he didn’t know when harm might come to the khan.
Running fast, Marsen fired a sword aura into an alley.
Kwang-!
The alley was completely smashed by the blow and a dust cloud rose.
"Who is it?"
When Marsen emitted killing intent, a man wearing a mask appeared without a speck of dirt on him. It was Tristan who was tracking Palamut at Den’s command.
"Aiya, I didn’t know you were so hot-tempered. You are Marsen, right? I am older than you, so I’ll speak informally to you, ok?"
"I asked who you are."
Tristan shrugged lightly as Marsen growled and pointed his sword at him.
"Me? Haven’t you heard from Master? Hmm, am I supposed to keep it a secret?"
"Don’t mess with me. I’ll kill you."
Tristan chuckled and laughed as the other exuded a vicious aura.
"It’s been a long time since I felt this. It feels like when I met the King of the Giant Tribe on the battlefield. Although, I killed him after we met.”
Marsen’s killing intent amplified at the playful response.
Tristan thought it would be a fun fight since he had the best body and it didn’t matter if the body was destroyed; also, he had an endless supply of mana. He was itching to fight. If he were alive, his body would have been his life as a knight, but the way he was now, Master would fix it even if his body were destroyed again and again.
However, currently, following orders was the top priority.
"I’m Tristan, the knight of Lord Den who you took as the interpreter. I’m searching for a Khan of the Fairy Tribe named Palamut under the orders of my master."
Marsen’s killing intent reduced by a notch. "Den? How can I believe that?”
But the situation wasn’t that good that Marsen could just naively believe him.
It was because the enemy could try to trick him with the intention of lowering his guard.
"Hmm, if you ask me that, I can only prove by... Oh, here is one."
Tristan went from being perplexed to clapping his hands and touched the side of the mask he was wearing.
- Can you hear me?
"What’s this?!"
Marsen was flustered when a sudden voice that seemed like thoughts rang in his head.
"It’s a communication feature built into the mask. Master equipped this mask with a lot of miscellaneous functions. If you don’t believe this, then hey, I don’t think you’ll believe me no matter what proof I bring out.”
Marsen nodded as Tristan playfully shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, all right, I’ll hold off on trusting you, but let’s say for now that you’re Den’s subordinate."
"Do as you please, you look like a growling mother who lost her baby. Words don’t usually go through for such people."
Marsen could not easily deny Tristan’s tongue-clicking remarks. He was well aware of the fact that he was somewhat not thinking straight.
"So Den told you to help me find Palamut?"
Tristan shook his head dumbfounded with a smile at Marsen’s question.
"No, we’re just tracking the same target, so our paths overlapped, but you’re the one who attacked me?”
Marsen and Tristan’s methods of tracking were completely different. However, it was caused by overlapping paths while chasing the same target.
Then Tristan looked far into the distance. "Hmm, I don’t have anyone who would come to meet me, so that person coming here to meet is for you, I assume?"
Marsen didn’t understand at first, but at some point realized that the scent of Palamut’s body was coming this way.
"Ah...!"
He looked back at Tristan after looking in the direction of the smell, but the other was already gone.
Tristan was no ordinary fellow to be able to deceive his on-edge senses and move around.
"Den, you have an interesting guy as a subordinate."
Marsen swallowed dryly and focused his mind on the enormous mana approaching him. The mana with the scent of the forest did not belong to Palamut.
Palamut’s mana was not this strong. The only thing he could think of was that they were using the khan’s clothes to provoke him.
"Ududuk!"
Marsen was so angry that the sound of his teeth grinding was audible, but soon after, a woman in a red mask, wearing Palamut’s outer clothing, and a man in a yellow-green mask appeared.
"Ohohoho! Oh my, since when have you been into playing with masks? Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you because you have recognition interfering magic on it?” Scorpio giggled and asked.
Marsen clenched his teeth and emitted killing intent. "Are you the ones? The ones who kidnapped Palamut?!”
Scorpio laughed playfully. "Ohohohoho! And what if that’s the case?"
"I’ll kill you!"
At Marsen’s ferocious killing intent, Capricorn crouched to resist the aura, but Scorpio did not budge and smiled.
"Ah~ Just charging in without any reserve, you’re still the same, you barbarian.”
"Barbarian?"
Marsen frowned at the somewhat familiar nickname.
Scorpio and Capricorn each raised their magic wands and swords.
"Don’t forget that we have your treasured Khan in our hands."
Marsen’s face distorted at Capricorn’s words, and Scorpio delightfully laughed and began to attack with magic.
1. Pogun is that greeting with putting one fist on your other palm in front of your chest. The Fairy Tribe’s way of greeting.
Read lat𝙚st chapters at fre(𝒆)webnovel.com Only