THE PONTIFF AND THE SHADOW AGENTS
“So you succeeded in luring the ogre to the empty village where the elves were lying in wait?”
“Indeed. I used Heretic Magic to guide it.”
“And the Appraisal of the ogre?”
“As you suspected.”
“…I see. So it really is a reincarnation.”
“…Then should we have done otherwise?”
“From your perspective, did it seem like it could communicate?”
“No.”
“Then that is your answer. If it causes harm to the human race, then it is an enemy of mine, reincarnation or otherwise.”
“As you say.”
“My apologies to your son. But this, too, is for the sake of humanity.”
“I am certain Sajin will understand.”
“I wonder. Unlike us, the reincarnations are victims who were brought to this world without their consent. If he knew that his own father had chased one of his classmates to his death, then he would surely grieve. Best to keep this incident a secret.”
“Yes.”
“Will you be able to monitor the battle between the ogre and the elves?”
“That won’t be a problem.”
“Excellent. Then please continue to keep watch. Take note of how much damage the ogre is able to deal to the elves.”
“No, I was unclear. My apologies. The battle is already over.”
“Oh? That took much less time than expected.”
“The elves only had ordinary forces, but I believe the main cause was the ogre’s high combat capabilities.”
“Am I to gather from your turn of phrase that the elves were defeated?”
“Indeed. Aside from one who appeared to be the elves’ commanding officer and a young elf girl, they have been completely annihilated. The surviving pair fled via teleportation.”
“A commander and…a young girl?”
“Yes. Blond hair, blue eyes. Being an elf, her true age was difficult to gauge, but in human terms, she appeared to be only two or three years old. Her purpose there was unclear. She was not wearing any special equipment at a glance. However, it’s possible that she was attempting to call out to the ogre.”
“And were you able to read her lips?”
“Not in full. She was too far away and not facing me entirely.”
“I would appreciate whatever you did understand or any educated guesses.”
“Sasaji…pleez lissen toomie…teechur. That is all I was able to pick up.”
“Well, that is certainly unclear. Ah, unless…perhaps it was the language of the reincarnations…?”
“…”
“…I suppose it’s too soon to tell. But no, perhaps we had best act under that assumption. Thank you, your report has been invaluable.”
“Of course.”
“Now, what did the ogre do after the battle?”
“It began moving toward the Mystic Mountains. Shall I pursue it?”
“The Mystic Mountains… No, there’s no need.”
“Are you certain?”
“What stage has the ogre’s Rage skill reached?”
“…Wrath.”
“Truly?! I see. That is indeed the worst case imaginable. Then we should not make the mistake of pursuing it. Let the ice dragons of the Mystic Mountains take care of it. Even if the dragons do nothing, it won’t be a problem if the ogre emerges in the land of demons. If it takes up residence in the mountains, that is acceptable as well. As long as the creature does not return here, there is no need to provoke it. But we should continue to insert agents in the nearby towns, just in case it does return.”
“Understood.”
“Then go about your business. Oh, and do not forget to follow up on the situation with Lady Ariel.”
“We have already used the Church to place pressure on the guild. The adventurers and the imperial army will not lay a hand on her.”
“Excellent. Thank you for your service.”
“Of course.”
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login