Read Novel Full Chapter 382
Chapter 382
TN: Please read my translations only on my website since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Sponsored chapter by Patreon. Enjoy~
Chapter 382 – Intertwined Popularity
The person who came in the horse-drawn sleigh was not what I expected, but it was still a surprise.
“When you’re shown a horse-drawn sleigh with an octopus logo, it’s natural to misunderstand.”
When Myrril and I led the visitor into the mansion, Mead was sitting on a wooden box on the table. He looked like an old dog who had done something wrong but had no ill will or malice, and it was inevitable. From what I could gather, Mead seemed to be in a state where he was in possession of the Sword of the Blood Oath. More specifically, he is “in a state where he has been ripped from his body and immobilized by the magic contained within the dagger.” In other words, he is being forcibly prevented from passing on to the next life by the good intentions and respect of the Surz and the pinnacle of their magical technology.
It’s a horrible story on two levels. Unfortunately, I don’t have the ability or knowledge to solve it.
“Mead, you have a visitor.”
“Huh? Brother, is that person… um…”
Mead tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the person who had just entered after us. As I thought, they knew each other. While I was talking to Mead, I also took the opportunity to introduce the people from the Battle Cry party to the others, who were frozen despite being the owners of the mansion.
“Everyone, this is Marquis Kyrie Yerkel of the Kingdom of Saliant. Marquis Yerkel, this is the party of adventurers who serve as the personal bodyguards of Lord McKin, the Battle Cry. They are also the current owners of this mansion.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I understand that Morphos is in your care. I have heard of you many times in his letters. He speaks of you as ‘excellent and amusing people.'”
“Morphos… is that McKin-sama?”
I’ll deal with Tig’s question first.
“Marquis Yerkel is a leading figure in the Southern Noble Territory, who will lead the kingdom after the Fool King falls and is a distant relative of Morphos McKin-sama, the Lord of the Southern Territory of the Republic… who is currently a member of the Council. Also… that elf…”
“She is also a relative of the old elf, Shua Loringen, who leads the Republic’s Commerce Guild.”
I was a little slow in coming up with a name, but Myrril picked it up. She couldn’t see Mead, but she could sense his presence, and she seemed to be able to guess what we were talking about from my comments.
“Marquis, do you happen to know Mead Heibern?”
“The kingdom and the southern noble families had dealings with the Heibern Trading Company through the connections of the McKin family. I didn’t have any personal friendship with the head of the company, but I met him a few times during negotiations and meetings.”
Is that all? Then, it seems that the purpose of this visit is not the spirit itself.
“Marquis, can you see Mead?”
“I can feel that there is someone in this room, but it’s just a vague presence. I can’t tell who it is. If I can lay down a ritual scroll, I think I can make him visible.”
With the permission of the mansion’s owner, Battle Cry, we decided to give it a try.
Marquis Yerkel spread out a scroll the size of a hanging scroll and waved her wand. A magic circle appeared on the scroll as the magic light flashed, and Mead’s figure became a little clearer.
“Oh… I can see it, I can see it.”
“Mead-sama.”
The temperature difference between the onlookers (mostly Tig and Louis) and the Surz, who are prostrating themselves in worship, is incredible.
“I’m sorry, everyone. I’ve caused you all so much trouble.”
“D-don’t worry about it.”
“You’re too kind.”
So, the temperature difference…
“As expected from Yerkel-dono, you are a wonderful magician. But still, did you come here to communicate with Mead-dono’s spirit?”
“No, that is just a coincidence. The reason I’m here is to negotiate with the Republic beforehand.”
In short, it’s the result of our liberation of the Republic’s capital, Hagwai. Marquis Yerkel, who came to the Republic at the request of former Lord McKin to negotiate a deal, heard the gossip about the Heibern Mansion when she entered the Lafan Lord’s mansion for preliminary negotiations.
“Of course, I understand that it is undesirable for foreigners to interfere in the affairs of the Republic. I have no intention of interfering in the affairs of the Heibern family. However, I have come to fulfill a certain contract.”
“A contract?”
“Yes. It was a simple verbal promise, but it was made by a nobleman and lord of a country. It cannot be broken.”
What are you talking about? Is the promise with Mead? But I heard that they didn’t have a personal relationship…
“Ah.”
Mead laughed as if he remembered something. Seeing this, Marquis Yerkel also smiled and nodded slightly.
“That’s right. I’ve met you before. I see, you’re the daughter from that time.”
It seems that Mead and Marquis Yerkel have some kind of recognition between them, but I don’t understand it at all. Of course, the people from Battle Cry are completely left out of the loop.
“When you say ‘the daughter,’ was it Marquis Yerkel’s father with whom you had a direct relationship?”
“Yes, that’s right. My memory is a little hazy, but he was a tall elf with a terribly grim face. But when he smiled, he had a very childlike face.”
Marquis Yerkel’s face twitched slightly, probably as the memory of her father came back to her.
“Yes, that was my father. I met Mead-dono not long after my late father received the new territory. At that time, the Yerkel Marquisate was struggling to cultivate the vast mountain forests, and we had not found any marketable products, so our main goal was to keep the people in the territory from starving to death.”
The village of Yerkel, north of the capital, was said to have been founded by the great-grandfather of the Marquis, the founder of the Yerkel family. It developed greatly as a trading post. Eventually, it was taken away by the royal family, but her family had a talent for trade. Developing the wildlands, however, is a different talent.
“So that’s where Mead lent a hand, right?”
“It was more than that. Without Mead-dono’s extreme magic, it would not have been possible to develop our territory, which was nothing but dense forest as far as the eye could see, in the blink of an eye.”
The person in question looks at Marquis Yerkel with calm eyes. There is a hint of nostalgia, but it does not seem to contain much emotion.
“And when we finally figured out how to survive, Mead-dono left for the new land of the Republic. My father, Kaimer Yerkel, promised Mead-dono that no matter how many generations passed, we would return the favor to the Heibern family.”
Well, that’s a nice story. Whether by accident or by design, it seems that Mead-dono became a savior not only for Surz but also for the Yerkel Marquisate. But…
I tilt my head to the side. The words Mead said earlier, “I tried to use the people of Surz for my own selfish ends,” are incompatible with the attitude of the people of Surz, including Lui. They are also inconsistent with the beautiful history of the Marquis Yerkel family.
“Hey, Mead, there’s a discrepancy between what you say and how the people around you see you. Is there something you’re not telling me that’s the root of the problem?”
“Yes, there is. I may have seemed like a saintly figure on the surface, but like I said, I was actually a total scumbag. The big-hearted business deals, the connections I made everywhere, the favors I sold without regard to profit…”
Mead shook his head sadly. His face contorted in shame, and he laughed at himself with his hands outstretched.
“To use them for summoning, to obtain the sacrifices.”
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!