Chapter 143
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 143 – Head of the Roundheart Family
“d.a.m.n it!”
Tigre punched a tree on the island with his fist.
Even the reddish landscape at sunset seemed unpleasant to Tigre.
“d.a.m.n it… d.a.m.n it…!”
What irritated him the most was that he had become afraid of the Ishtalika.
He had experienced a mortal fear that they would show their fangs at any moment.
“…Logas!”
“Yes!”
Then Tigre called to Logas as if he had an idea.
“That guy who was present yesterday, Lloyd or something like that… Can you beat that guy?”
“…W-what do you mean?”
“Don’t make me state the obvious! I’m asking if you can beat him with a sword!”
Logas was at a loss for words.
He was the Marshal of Ishtalika.
Though he did not even show a glimpse of his power, judging by the movements of the royal knights, he was at least a few steps ahead of them.
Come to think of it, the man who toyed with Grint was the son of that Lloyd, wasn’t he?
Perhaps in part because of his natural abilities as a holy knight, Grint was second only to Logas and a few others in the Heim.
When he heard that he was the father of the man who was toying with Grint, even Logas did not think that he would be an easy opponent.
However, he wondered if it would be a good idea to be honest about it.
Tigre’s current mental state was extremely bad. In addition to bowing to Ishtalika, he would never be able to have a relationship with Krone again.
Because of these facts, Tigre was having his biggest breakdown ever.
“With all due respect, what would Your Highness Tigre want in that case?”
Grint looked at Logas with concern.
In such a situation, Logas chose his words carefully, asking first what he was looking for.
“It’s obvious! I want to at least give it a try! We must defeat the mightiest knight of Ishtalika and show them how strong we are!”
——As expected, that’s the way it was.
But as far as Logas was concerned, it seemed pointless to win just for that.
Even if Logas could defeat Lloyd, a mock battle between knights would probably be no contest.
The Knights of Ishtalika were such organized knights, and he felt that they had strength.
“…Warren-dono refused. I mean, Your Highness Tigre, will you… ask for it again?”
“Yes! If it’s that much, even that guy would think twice!”
Not only Logas but also Elena and Grint could see that Tigre’s blood was rushing to his head.
“Your Highness! If my father cannot be accepted, this time I will go after that man called Dill myself…!”
“…No. This time I want to ask Logas.”
You’re not strong enough.
Tigre held back what he was about to say and stubbornly recommended Logas.
“N-no way…”
Tigre’s refusal brought a tragic look to Grint’s face.
On the other hand, Logas also understood what Tigre was trying to say.
He understood the feeling that the current situation with Grint was not safe.
…Of course, Logas would also show his skills if Tigre ordered him to do so. However, nothing could be said about the results.
“If that’s your order, I’ll show you my military skills.”
That was all he could say in response.
Anything more would have to be discussed between Tigre and Warren.
Elena was dissatisfied, but she did not interfere.
This was Tigre’s last desperate attempt.
He wanted to at least get his revenge. And they wanted to show Ishtalika how strong they are.
Tigre was not sure if Warren would approve, but he felt better when he heard Logas’ answer.
“Then it’s okay. …I feel like I’ll go crazy if I don’t do at least this much.”
“…..”
Tigre was so uncomfortable that he felt like he’d go crazy at any moment.
Even as he watched, Logas began to think about Grint’s defeat.
——What bothered him the most was the word that Ain was stronger than that man Dill.
He couldn’t help but wonder.
The impression Logas had of Ain was that he was a hard worker with poor skills.
He remembered his childhood when he had no talent with the sword, but he always made up for it with hard work.
Eventually, he would hit his ceiling sooner than others.
It may be a matter of his mindset and personality, but if only in terms of sword talent, he could not be compared to Grint.
As a result of growing up, even though he was said to be stronger than the man who treated Grint like a child, he was still a bit skeptical.
The meaning of the phrase “hero who slayed the sea dragon” was also difficult for Logas, who lived in Heim.
What kind of monster is it, and how powerful is it?
The fact that it happened so far away in Ishtalika made it seem unreal to him.
But no matter what Logas thought, the Royal Knights of Ishtalika said that Ain was stronger.
The most likely reason was a feeling of flattery towards the Crown Prince.
If he thought so, it was understandable that they all expressed it in unison.
If Ain was really stronger than Dill, then Logas would be more concerned about Ain.
“…Grint.”
“Yes, what is it? Father.”
“The matter with Euro. Did the men of Ishtalika really talk about Ain being stronger than them?”
“…They were. I don’t believe it, but it’s true.”
Just to be sure, he asked Grint to confirm it again.
With a bitter look on his face, Grint answered honestly.
“I see. I understand.”
Logas replied briefly and thought about Ain again.
It was only natural that he would use his innate skill.
But how could Ain use it for his own strength?
How could a single boy defeat a monster bigger than a battleship?
At least not by Logas. Even against such a thing, swords and magic that humans could use were no match.
It would be necessary to prepare a sufficient force and act under a thorough strategy.
However, from what he had heard, he was a hero who had defeated a sea dragon single-handedly.
It was difficult for a human to even take on a sea monster in the ocean, so what on earth was going on?
Even if he tried to create a virtual monster in his mind, even a monster the same size as himself would be difficult to deal with on the sea.
“I don’t understand.”
Logas suddenly and unintentionally uttered those words.
“What is it that you don’t understand?”
Elena answered his voice, and Logas began to wonder what was going on.
“Ah… When I heard that Ain was now a hero, I wondered if he had the qualities to be one.”
As for Elena, she was at a loss for an answer.
But first, she had to point out one thing to Logas.
“Logas-dono. I understand your feelings, but I don’t think it’s right to call him by his name here and now…”
“Oops… Sorry, you’re right.”
He thought about his “usual” habit of calling Ain.
“What do you think? About the Crown Prince’s ability.”
“…Well.”
There was no doubt that Krone had been in love with Ain since he was in Heim.
But there was no doubt that it had increased even more since he crossed over to Ishtalika.
If that was the case, then the fact that Ain was the hero who killed the sea dragon was even more believable to Elena.
“At least I don’t know if he was good or bad with the sword. I only know what the winners and losers were, or which side had the upper hand…”
——But.
With that, she continued.
“He is not flattered. I felt that the people of Ishtalika really adored him. That is why… I don’t think it’s a lie that he’s a hero.”
“I see. …So you think so?”
As for Elena, she didn’t have much of an answer, but Logas nodded in agreement.
Then he turned his attention to the Ishtalika fleet that had moved to the edge of his vision and thought about Olivia, who was there.
“…I guess I have no choice but to ask her after all.”
Logas thought that Olivia would be the best person to find out about Ain.
Although the messenger he had sent had been turned away at the door, he would consider trying again.
＊＊＊
While Heim’s party returned to their ship with a sense of humiliation.
Warren had returned to the White King’s lounge.
“I just returned… Hmm. How are you all?”
The four people who greeted him were Sylvird, Lloyd, Ain, and Krone.
“There’s nothing to worry about…”
“Umu. Everyone was waiting for Warren-dono’s return.” Lloyd said.
Warren went alone, accompanied only by his subordinates.
They couldn’t help but wonder what kind of talks he had with them.
“Oh, well. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
As usual, he smiled his good-natured smile, and the sight of his happy voice made those who had been waiting for him feel a little out of place.
But only until they saw the results Warren had brought them.
“Anyway, I brought some results.”
Warren then spread out some papers on the table.
As Warren finished, everyone looked at him.
“Warren-san. This is…”
“I-I can’t believe you actually did it…”
Ain and Krone were the first to be surprised.
They were soon followed by Sylvird and Lloyd, who were also surprised.
“…Really. As always, you are a man of your word.”
“As one would expect from Warren-dono…”
The doc.u.ments spread out were the fruits of Warren’s work in today’s meeting.
Let’s put it this way: all the problems with Heim were solved now, so the surprise was even greater.
“I heard that you suddenly ordered a safety inspection of the steam whistle; is this related?”
It was obvious, but Sylvird asked.
“Regarding the safety inspection of the steam whistle, I had originally thought about it. We can’t let anything unexpected happen. And it doesn’t matter when it’s done, as long as it’s done before the ship sets sail.”
“Then let me ask you another question. Why did you take those doc.u.ments concerning Ain’s accession to the throne?”
Warren then smiled and…
“Isn’t it nice to show off? It proves that our Ain-sama is so revered. It would be quicker if we could show them the view of Magna, but since that is not possible, I decided to use this material. It’s a pity they didn’t listen to more of my boasting about it.”
Warren seemed determined to hold his ground to the end and would not speak his mind.
Sylvird and the others looked at him and smiled in amazement.
“But there is one last thing that might be troublesome.”
Warren turned his head to look at Lloyd and spoke.
“It’s easy to see that Prince Tigre will surely use Logas-dono to ask us to fight a duel or something.”
Hearing this, Lloyd stands up and shouts.
“This is good! Then this is the time for me to show my military prowess!”
This was the story Warren rejected yesterday, but since he’s telling them this, it ouldan’t be a bad thing.
“Aren’t you up to the task?”
But Sylvird turned his voice sideways.
“Lloyd seems a waste against Logas.”
“Yo-Your Majesty…? How absurd…”
“But, Lloyd-dono. I too have my difficulties…”
“Now even Warren-dono! Why, why not…”
Then, the incident at Euro came to mind.
“Could it be that Warren-san finds it difficult because it would show our strength?”
If that was the reason, he wondered how far Warren would go in his thinking.
“Oh. As expected from Ain-sama. You are right.”
——That was spot on.
“Warren-dono? There’s no need to even think about that…!”
“Yes, there is. I, for one, do not believe in the promises Heim made to us. If there is a ‘just in case’ possibility, it would not be a bad idea to keep Lloyd-dono’s power hidden.”
To Lloyd, this was a heartless remark.
Still, it was understandable to everyone but Lloyd.
If Heim had anything like suicidal thoughts, they would break the treaty.
If that were to happen, Ishtalika would have to show their fangs that time, but it is not a bad idea to keep their forces hidden, just in case.
Even though they brought a fleet with them, it was not known what it was capable of, so they wonder if they need to show Lloyd’s power.
“But, Warren-sama. If so, who exactly would you choose as the opponent? I wonder if they are even willing to fight this duel?”
Krone asked on behalf of everyone.
“I denied it with my words, but I am interested in the power of Logas-dono himself. If I could see it, it would not be so bad.”
“…What a cunning old fox you are.”
Sylvird uttered this in dismay, but Warren brushed it off with a touch of aloofness.
“In that case, the royal knight? Or is it Lili-dono?”
“Both would be difficult. The royal knight is not strong enough, and Lili is not a good match.”
“Then how about Chris-san?”
Who on earth could that be? Krone continued to ask Warren.
“I don’t see that either. It’s not worth it to let Chris-dono out. Of course, we can’t let Ain-sama do that, can we?”
“I-I know that…!”
Warren said to Ain, who had a slightly expectant look in his eyes as if to warn him.
“I feel that the strength of this man, Logas, is similar to that of Lloyd-dono. If that is the case, then we have a good match.”
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