Chapter 95: Aftermath (2)
Startled, Ray lay on the bed.
While he lay there, he pondered the dream he had just had.
A dream from the modern era When was the last time I had one?
Although he occasionally dreamed after arriving in this place, those dreams were only from his younger days.
It felt quite strange to dream now after more than ten years of not having any.
Euclid roused Ray from his thoughts.
Saint.
Yes?
If its not too rude to ask, may I inquire about the mark on your left arm?
Oh, this?
With a brief movement, Ray lifted his left arm to show him.
There, along with his black left arm, a pattern resembling a drawn bow was visible.
Come to think of it, he did have such a pattern.
Since the pattern itself was white, it was concealed against his fair skin and hadnt been visible. However, now that the left arm had turned black, the pattern stood out.
But when he tried to explain it, he couldnt think of anything.
He couldnt even guess the true nature of this mark.
Indeed, Aira had referred to this thing as a gift and had said it was marked.
With a perplexed expression, Ray tilted his head and said,
A gift? Marked?
Euclid questioned him.
Pardon?
In my left hand lies the Black Flame Dragon no, a High Elf resides.
Aha You must be feeling well enough to make such jokes. Then lets depart for the lecture hall right away.
Ray rose from the bed at Euclids sigh-filled words.
It seemed like a significant statement. To go to the lecture hall? Why the lecture hall of all places?
Dont tell me It should be enough that I captured the Necromancer, youre not saying I have to explain it there as well?
Correct. The other kingdoms do not trust the words of the Holy Kingdom; you must explain to them.
Ray frowned at Euclids words.
These guys are really Euclid.
Please speak.
Do you still have the Dragons Heart? Bring that to the lecture hall.
Understood.
Ray fully stood from the bed and put on his robes.
Life truly offers no respite.
After capturing a Necromancer and stopping the rebels,
the original Dragon appeared. Then came Zekes heart surgery! After collapsing, he even performed surgery in a dream!
Now they wanted a briefing!
Ah, really, this saintly work is too dirty to handle.
Ray grumbled as he left the room.
The grand lecture hall was filled with quite a number of people.
Each wore different armor, and the national emblems engraved on them showed they were individuals from various nations.
Despite the gathering of commanders from different nations, the inside of the lecture hall was noisy.
Clein from the Glaymen Kingdom spoke up.
So the Holy Kingdom claims that the Saint himself captured the Necromancer alone?
That is correct. The Necromancer locked in the cell is the proof.
No matter what, thats hard to believe How could the Saint, still so young, subdue the Necromancer by himself?
You may not believe it, but it is true.
With a sigh, the hall was once again engulfed in noise.
The other kingdoms were quite annoyed.
The Holy Kingdom kept spouting nonsensical talk, and although they had requested the Saints presence, an hour passed without any sign of him.
It was no surprise then that the other kingdoms were becoming agitated.
Philia, the commander of the Magic Corps of the Glaymen Kingdom, much like Clein, spoke up.
From what Ive heard directly on the battlefield, it is said that the Saint captured the Necromancer using magic. Does the Holy Kingdom share this view?
At her words, Eclair, who represented the Holy Kingdom in the hall, opened his mouth.
We do not know how the Saint, who has been granted divine power, managed mana. But according to the testimonies of the commanders who were at the scene, that too is a fact.
Do you think that makes sense, High Priest? Not only did the Saint capture the undead, which are the natural enemies of magic, but now youre saying the Saint used mana?
Eclairs eyebrow twitched at this.
There were also people from the Lesian Empire present. They all knew that showing disarray in front of them was undesirable for any kingdom, including the Holy Kingdom.
So, no one was willing to cross a certain line.
That was true for Eclair as well.
Regardless of what she felt inside, she was in a position where she could not act in a way that would harm the Holy Kingdom.
We are not aware of the specifics.
Isnt it the role of the Holy Kingdom to find out and explain to the other kingdoms that have come for support!
A loud voice resonated in the hall, and it began to grow noisy.
As the clamor persisted, a young man, identifiable as the Saint by his white hair and ceremonial attire, entered the hall through the doors.
Eclair quickly nodded in greeting and then bowed her head, offering him a seat.
Thank you.
Ray also greeted her in return and took a seat, surveying the hall.
There were many unfamiliar faces. Moreover, some seemed to be quite irritated about something, looking at him with disapproval.
Ray then spoke.
So what is it that youre so curious about?
A portly man, dressed formally, spoke up.
I am Count Slein from the Beibon Kingdom. It is an honor to meet you, Saint.
Pleased to meet you, Count Slein.
We have heard in the Holy Kingdom that you, the Saint, captured the Necromancer by yourself. Is this story true?
At his words, everyones attention focused on him.
It was the question they were all curious about.
Ray nodded affirmatively to Count Sleins question.
Thats right.
Murmurs spread through the hall as they whispered among themselves.
Could it be a setup with the Holy Kingdom? To capture a Necromancer alone, that must be a lie.
Various comments circulated, but Ray didnt seem to care much.
Then Philia from the Glaymen Kingdom interjected.
It is an honor to meet you, Saint. I am Countess Philia, the second commander of the Magic Corps of the Glaymen Kingdom.
Ray looked at Philia, who was greeting him, with a hint of surprise.
A female noble.
Its a pleasure to meet you, Countess Philia.
If its not too impolite, may I ask you just one question?
Were all here to ask questions, arent we? Ask me anything.
According to the Holy Kingdom, you captured the Necromancer using magic.
Thats correct as well.
How on earth!
Philia, who was about to raise her voice at Rays calm affirmation, hurriedly covered her mouth.
In the midst of such a conversation, the Lesian Empire, which had been silent up to now, made their move.
I am Gregory from the Lesian Empire. Pleased to meet you, Saint.
I am Selena from the Lesian Empire. It is an honor to meet you, Saint.
A man with a burly figure and a bushy beard, and a woman with long hair wearing a luxurious robe stood up.
Seeing their active posture, as if ready to engage in the conversation, the commanders from the other kingdoms fell silent.
There was no one at this gathering who did not know them.
A swordmaster known as the Dread Sword and a woman who had reached the 6th circle at a young age were present.
The fact that a swordmaster, of whom there were fewer than ten even within the Lesian Empire, had joined as support troops indicated how serious the current situation was.
Ray looked at them.
Pleasure to meet you.
Hahaha. It seems the Saint does not much favor formal greetings.
I dont dislike them, but I dont particularly like them either.
Gregory gave up on beating around the bush after hearing Rays straightforward words.
The Saint has claimed to have captured the Necromancer alone. Could you present us with evidence of this?
Evidence?
Ray tilted her head.
Selena, who stood next to Gregory, took over the conversation.
We came here as support troops to help cut off the danger that lay across the holy nation and all continents. This was not just an issue for the holy nation, but a threat to the entire continent. Not just our Lesian Empire, but other kingdoms as well would not stand down without solid evidence, right?
The evidence is obvious if you see the Necromancer, isnt it?
That does not prove that you captured the Necromancer alone.
Ray felt frustrated listening to this.
They spoke plausibly, but in the end, they saw her as a dangerous individual for having captured the Necromancer alone.
It was like they were considering whether to ascertain her position here and now and, if necessary, eliminate her.
Ray let out a cold laugh.
What does it matter to your country whether I captured the undead alone or together with others?
Getting accurate information is a matter of great importance not just for us, but for other kingdoms as well. If we were to retreat just because the holy nation says so, we wouldnt know how this issue could escalate later on.
So you want me to show you evidence?
Thats right.
The Lesian Empire had no intention of backing down, as they looked straight at Ray without avoiding her gaze.
The other kingdoms felt the same.
They seemed to be careful not to spark any trouble, but if the holy nation tried to gloss over this issue, they would be ready to confront it aggressively.
Ray frowned.
It was like saving someone from drowning only to be demanded to hand over your belongings in return.
If the holy nation fell, the Lesian Empire would eventually meet the same fate. It was just a matter of sooner rather than later.
In fact, from their perspective, saving the holy nation, the natural enemy of black magic, should have been their top priority.
Yet, despite not being present at the battle, the attitude they were showing now did not seem to reflect the valor of war heroes.
Ray stood up.
You want to see evidence
He had approached Gregory with a cold expression.
Ray had immediately created a sword out of mana and lifted it towards Gregory.
Gregory, realizing the Saints action, had quickly drawn the sword from his waist.
But before Gregorys sword was fully drawn, Rays sword was already at Gregorys throat.
The noisy hall had become silent in an instant.
Ray had slowly put away the sword and said,
Does this count as evidence?
As Gregory looked on in disbelief, Selena had glared at Ray.
Is this the official stance that the holy nation is taking towards the Lesian Empire?
Ray had scoffed at her.
An official stance? How amusing, Euclid.
At Rays call, the front door had opened and Euclid entered, carrying something wrapped in cloth.
Ray had taken it and unwrapped the cloth on the platform.
There had lain a heart, cold and still.
Noise had erupted from various places.
From the heart, which was larger than a human head, a faint magical energy had been emanating.
As you can see from the magical energy, this is the heart of a true dragon, Ray had announced, and the murmuring had intensified.
The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on fre(e)webno(v)el.𝒸𝑜𝘮