204 Express
"--Go."
After giving the command to Caduceus, it liquefied from its cat form and exited through the gap under the door. I sent him to protect my father. Then, I'll use the communicator to contact my father.
“This is information from Harold and Cynthia. It is said that Godwin, a former servant, was wandering around the earl's house. They have been seen together with people they don't know, so it may be necessary to be cautious.''
“I understand. I'll do a little research here as well.''
After some time, I received such a message from my father. Godwin is a servant that Kathryn called from the marquis' family.
They made a servant's face by kneading the clay, had Harold and Cynthia check his features, and determined that it was Godwin.
“What kind of person is Godwin?”
"In my personal opinion...I don't think they are sincere. They seem to have harassed the servants who didn't fit in with their ways and forced them to quit."
"...I guess so."
“Is Grace-sama okay?”
Rosemary and Ashley frown. When Marlene goes to Grace's side with a worried look on her face, Grace smiles back at Marlene and takes her hand.
"I'm...a dampira. I'm afraid of him, so I haven't been very direct about it."
"I see...that's the way it works."
Claudia takes a small breath.
...I've heard monsters complaining about Grace being a Dampira when she's not around at the Earl's house. Even if they don't harass you to your face, they won't treat you kindly.
However, the problem is - it's not so much about Godwin as it is about the people who were with him that I didn't see. Possibility of hanging out. Or, there's a possibility that he was coaxed into running errands. You should consider all sorts of things.
"I remember your face. Can I move too?"
asked Sheila, who was glaring at Godwin's bust with half-closed eyes.
"What are we going to do?"
"I think if I do a little questioning, I can find out where these people I don't usually see have their strongholds. Even Godwin doesn't know my face, so I have a pretty good advantage."
“If Sheila is going, I’m going too.”
Irmhild stands up.
"...I understand. We should work in pairs and communicate with each other regularly using the communication device. If the other party finds us, we can just fly away and leave without worrying about it. It also acts as a check that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.”
"Hmm. I'll just figure out the location. Don't overdo it."
There's no need to worry about being surrounded since the two have excellent enemy search abilities.
Now then, it seems that Caduceus stuck to his father as planned. It seems that my father has decided to take his knight companion with him on a horse-drawn carriage, but...I wonder where he's going.
...If you were to go out at this timing, would it be to Kathryn's villa?
It is said that in order to eliminate his influence on Daryl, he is living in a separate house from his main house. They are very careful in selecting their employees, and have them accompany them when shopping for supplies and report their income and expenses in detail.
Dad gets off the carriage, leaves his knight companion there, has the guard on guard open the high iron fence gate, and heads for home through the flower-filled front garden.
Although it is said to be a separate residence for the earl's family, it is not a very large mansion. It was about the size of a slightly larger private house, but compared to its size, it had a high wall... and inside the wall was a front garden with an arbor.
Compared to the texture of the house and front garden, the fence is relatively new and looks like it was built later. Is it to be kept in seclusion, or rather to be kept in seclusion...in any case, it is isolated from the outside world and serves as a prison?
“Your husband is here.”
The servant who greeted him respectfully bowed to my father and retired to the next room.
"What's wrong with you this late at night?"
Kathryn, who was apparently embroidering a tapestry, said this while looking a little confused.
"I came to talk to you for a while. Has anything changed lately?"
It must have been brought out of the study. Put some books on the desk. Books of such genres as fairy tales and stories.
``Nothing unusual happened, except for the fact that you came at this hour. Did you come today to bring me a book instead of embroidery thread?''
Dad looked at Kathryn intently, but then he silently nodded.
"I see."
Kathryn frowns and opens her mouth.
"Byron... can't you just let him out of prison?"
"That's impossible. He tried to run away from this house, and he also expressed his dissatisfaction with Daryl becoming his heir."
"I see. If you're going to go to that much trouble, it would be better if we just deal with it all at once. Or... do you think that my bond will be destroyed by something like this?"
"That's not true. You're Daryl's mother and my wife. I feel responsible for what you and Byron did. That's why I won't just throw it away."
“Are you still calling me your wife?”
At her father's words, Kathryn laughs as if deriding herself. That laugh didn't have much power.
...I don't know what it is. I feel like the impression is quite different from before. Well...as far as I can see, it seems like the ruling Dad made was a judgment of mercy, so I guess after time has passed and things have calmed down, I've had a lot of things to think about.
"I can't give you freedom since there might be someone who will try to carry you away.As a lord, I'll definitely draw a line there...but if it's only about the relationship between you and me, I hope we can build a new one." I'd like to fix it. If it's a nuisance, I'll try my best not to come."
"You should do whatever you want. You are the lord of the lord, after all."
Kathryn looked up once, but answered curtly.
"I see. Well then, I'm going to go home today."
When her father stood up, Kathryn almost reached out her hand towards his back, but ended up withdrawing it and shaking her head.
"...I'll see you off to the gate."
"ah"
But Kathryn didn't move until her father left.
After her father left the house and the door was closed, Kathryn said to herself. As Caduceus exits through the gap in the door, he hears Kathryn's murmurs, which should never have reached anyone.
"I apologize now... so what will happen? Even if you forgive me... Lisa and her son won't forgive me for what I did. Is that okay?"
Kathryn doesn't even know that my father and I have reconciled. Since I'm keeping it a secret, even if my father were asked about it, he'd probably only say that we're estranged.
Not really. I don't really care about Kathryn.
You can also say that you don't care. Once I gained strength and left home, it became a thing of the past. I don't expect an apology or revenge. If you don't get involved, it's fine, that's indifference.
But my mother would probably forgive Kathryn if she could hear her words of apology. That's the kind of person he is.
I shake my head and change my mind. At least... there doesn't seem to be any connection between Kathryn and Godwin.
Kathryn followed her father out of the house. Suddenly, I hear the sound of someone falling.
Dad and Kathryn looked up and looked.
There was smoke at the gate, and the gatekeeper and his knights fell down as if their strings had been cut.
“Sleep Cloud!?”
The moment I saw that scene, I stood up and grabbed Ouroboros.
"W-what happened?"
Seeing my state, everyone is nervous. Before leaving the house, I need to release Grace's cursed equipment.
"My father is being attacked. I'll head to the scene immediately. Everyone wait here!"
"Understood!"
I thought while running out of the house.
It was true that there were guard soldiers and accompanying knights, but they were at a bare minimum. Is that why? If there was a magician, you could force it now?
When you were looking into your father's movements and lifestyle patterns, did you decide that you could attack him now that you don't have many people?
If so, for what purpose? What is the aim? Even the magician is working. The quality of the personnel involved is not convincing to the extent that this is due to the servant's resentment or repossession. Is there anyone related to the previous Marquis Broderick, who has lost his power, who can pull such strings? Even if he did, is there any reason why he would leave behind the previous Marquis and try to recapture Kathryn?
Or... another word. For example, it's related to Silvatoria.
Though doubts remain, I straddle Lindblum and rush to the scene as fast as I can. Meanwhile, Caduceus has been informing me of the situation over there.
Dad and Kathryn's eyes widened as they seemed to understand the situation at the entrance.
“Is that water magic?”
“Ah, a songwriter!? Anyway, go inside the house!”
“Then there is no way out.”
"B-but...! Even if I'm in this garden...!"
Hearing her father's words, Kathryn froze there, looking around her surroundings as if searching for a place to escape.
Follow Kathryn's line of sight. On a thick branch of a tree higher than the wall. There was a man dressed in black with an arrow in his bow, and it was aimed straight at my father.
The arrow tightens as it is about to be released. Kathryn saw this and pushed her father away and stepped forward, spreading her hands as if to block him.
“I-I…!?”
Kathryn's expression seemed as if she was surprised by her own actions. By that time, the arrow had already been fired--it was flying straight towards Kathryn's chest.
Kathryn tightly closed her eyes in preparation for the coming shock. However, the arrow had been shot in the wrong direction. Caduceus struck it down. It was a momentary event. Was it visible to the shooter under cover of night? I opened my eyes and aimed my arrow again.
But.
“I don’t think there will be a next time!”
From directly above.
He jumped off Lindblum's back and charged.
Deploy the shield to the front. I pulled the assassins in while breaking the branches and trunk. It falls in a straight line to the ground as if crushing it. The sound and feel of bones breaking. Another one! A magician who uses water magic!
Using the man he crushed as a stepping stone, he jumped up while using Levitation. I approached the magician wearing black robes who was on the roof of a private house. Shake off Ouroboros while charging.
The other side also applied Levitation and jumped to escape. At that level...do you think you can escape?
I'll make sure to pay you back for your worthless side-spear.
Lindblum came circling from behind and rammed into him with his huge body, knocking the magician away.
“Wow!?”
She deploys her shield while screaming, but――
"Sink"
Hit the bottom of your palm directly in front of you. The impact of magical power propagated through the shield and captured the magician's head. Rotate once in the air. Just as I was about to reveal the whites of its eyes, Lindblum flew in and bit my leg, capturing me.
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