NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 636
Chapter 636: Doubts Remain Unresolved (2)
Ghislaine turned her head and asked.
“Ereness, what do you think about what he said? Do you understand what it means?”
Ghislaine was about to add something but stopped. Ereness’s expression seemed a bit awkward.
However, Ereness quickly twisted her mouth into a smirk as if nothing had happened.
“I heard you two have become quite close; I guess you really are best friends.”
“What do you mean?”
“Seeing you both spouting nonsense is quite fascinating. Your delusions are just too much. Can such things be contagious among friends?”
“….”
“I’m so baffled that I don’t know how to respond. The Saint who saved the world suddenly shows up in the market and starts saying absurd things. Do you think that makes any sense?”
At those words, Ghislaine shrugged.
They had so little information about the war from a thousand years ago. They could only draw conclusions based on what they could see.
“Well… we really don’t know much.”
“I have nothing more to say. As for the energy, you should research it with the wizards. If what’s been flowing from Arterion is true, then it’s probably not good energy.”
Ereness pressed her forehead and closed her eyes. She looked incredibly tired.
“I wish I could just go back. My head hurts hearing such ridiculous things in succession.”
“Ereness.”
“Stop. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“….”
“When you overthink things, you lose sight of the essence. Find the adversary and kill them. Then everything will be over. That’s the ‘only’ way to maintain peace.”
With those words, Ereness turned her gaze back out the window. It was a gesture indicating she didn’t want to continue the conversation.
Ghislaine hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Since everyone has gathered after a long time, how about attending the banquet?”
“I’ll just rest.”
“There should be plenty of fresh vegetables.”
“…Go away.”
Ghislaine shrugged as if she had no choice and stood up. For some reason, Ereness seemed to be very angry.
As Ghislaine turned her body, her expression hardened.
‘The reaction is rather sharp.’
Whenever the past is mentioned, Ereness becomes more sensitive than usual.
While there was nothing wrong with her reasoning, Ghislaine couldn’t shake the feeling that she was still hiding something.
So her doubts didn’t disappear either.
‘The only way, huh?’
Doesn’t that imply there’s another way? There was no need to emphasize that it was the ‘only’ method.
It seemed Ereness wanted to quickly catch the adversary and finish everything.
Just like Arterion had.
Yulien also turned to follow Ghislaine. Since Ereness said she didn’t know, they needed to find another way.
The assumption that it was the energy that had bound Arterion was the most plausible. Based on that, they decided to think a little more.
Just as he was about to take a step, Ereness spoke up.
“Yulien.”
Yulien stopped and turned his head. Ereness was still looking out the window, her gaze fixed outside as she continued speaking.
“I haven’t completely dispelled my doubts about you yet.”
“….”
“If that energy… tries to devour you, come find me immediately.”
“….”
Ereness slowly turned her head and looked at Yulien with an indifferent gaze.
“Others might hesitate and not kill you… so I’ll do it myself.”
“…Okay.”
Yulien answered blandly as usual and left.
Even after the two had gone, Ereness stared at the door for a long while before eventually closing her eyes and pressing her forehead.
“I’m tired…”
She didn’t want to talk about the past anymore.
And….
She hoped the remnants of the Saint would also disappear from this world.
*
The banquet for those who returned had turned into a welcoming feast.
The noblemen of the capital were trying to participate no matter what, increasing the scale.
Due to the kingdom’s current hardships, they couldn’t set a lavish table. But no one minded.
They were gathering not to eat but to see the heroes who had returned.
“Oh my! Surely, blessings will be bestowed upon His Majesty, who has widely proclaimed the greatness of the Goddess!”
Bishop Porisco, now an Archbishop and officially a ‘Saint,’ fawned over Ghislaine.
He approached her before anyone else, trying to show off his close relationship with her.
“I knew that once we received the Goddess’s ‘revelation’, we would see a day like this!”
“Hah, hahaha….”
“And also! Aren’t we the ones who caught the Salvation Society’s judge together first?!”
“Well… that’s true.”
Bishop Porisco had fought alongside the Salvation Society’s Judge, Raviere, who made the first appearance in the capital.
Although they hadn’t caught him together, Porisco cleverly twisted the words.
Porisco was ecstatic. The fearful war had ended, and he had become both an Archbishop and a Saint.
Ever since he unintentionally saved orphans during Berhem’s tyranny, he had continuously garnered praise from the people.
He had even expelled the previous Archbishop and High Priests. Now nothing was blocking his path.
‘How well I took the hand of Duke Penris! What a truly excellent choice I made!’
In reality, it had been a forced partnership, but that changed Porisco’s fate.
Originally good at navigating social situations, he took advantage of his forced entanglement with Ghislaine to rise to the positions of Archbishop and Saint, solidifying his power.
Other nobles could only meet Ghislaine after he stepped away from the scene of the capital’s highest (?) influence.
“Congratulations, Your Highness.”
“I cannot tell you how anxious I was.”
“I naturally believed that Your Highness would triumph.”
Many came to praise and flatter Ghislaine. Most of them had been people who had disliked her from before.
‘Ugh! Now I have no choice but to admit it.’
‘How did things end up like this?’
‘I need to get closer to her, even now!’
Those who had criticized Ghislaine behind her back at every banquet now couldn’t even speak against her. It was a matter of life and death if they spoke out of turn.
Public sentiment was leaning toward the new dynasty. Neither power nor justification could match Ghislaine’s.
Another changed aspect was that the noble daughters could no longer rush around Ghislaine.
‘Damn it… I should have caught her back then…’
‘Ah, you have drifted too far away now.’
‘I should have forced a marriage when she was a northern village girl.’
Up until she became a Countess, they had made every attempt, but now she was a Duke. Being so bold seemed too burdensome.
Their gazes shifted elsewhere. The princes of noble houses were also included.
There were many renowned heroes in this place besides Ghislaine. It was originally a gathering for celebrating their victories.
Indeed, the most people gathered around Yulien. But under his chilling atmosphere, no one dared to speak.
‘What a face… How can a person look like that?’
‘Just looking at him makes my heart race!’
‘He’s the exiled prince of Turian? Oh my, his status is incredible.’
Everyone surrounding Yulien was encircled in silence. This place felt like a completely different world.
Right in the center, Yulien quietly lifted his glass to drink, seemingly uninterested in his surroundings. He casually glanced around and made eye contact with a noble lady.
“Ah…”
Upon seeing that gaze, the noble lady immediately pressed her forehead and collapsed. Her sense of ecstasy overwhelmed her.
“What’s this! Someone has collapsed! Hurry and move her!”
“Why did the prince next to her collapse too? What’s wrong with him?”
Yulien’s charm bewitched both men and women alike.
It was clear that Yulien was overwhelming, but the other side was no slouch either.
Noblemen flocked around Gillian, trying to propose remarriages. Many were trying to connect with the superhuman.
Tenant was the same. Having been a prominent noble in the West, he adeptly dealt with the nobles in the banquet hall.
Jerome also enjoyed considerable popularity.
“Oh my, how cute.”
“Is this really an 8-circle magician?”
“He looks like a prankster.”
Jerome, still not accustomed to such things, turned bright red and stood there stiffly.
“Uh, y-yeah, um. Thank you.”
“Oh my, why are you so tense?”
“Uh, um, I, I don’t know.”
“It seems you are new to such banquets, is that right?”
Especially for him, many older noble ladies approached. Jerome had no choice but to be dragged along by their refined noble discourse.
Countless princes approached Belinda, too, suggesting dances.
“Lady Belinda, would you grant me the honor of dancing with you?”
“It’s an honor to meet someone more beautiful than the roses in the garden.”
“Your beauty makes this banquet shine even brighter, hehehe.”
“…”
Belinda took a step back with a look of disgust. They were all being too overt in their approach.
In the past, everyone would have ignored her as the Head Maid of Perdium.
But now, she was one of the heroes who led the war to victory and a superhuman. Ordinary nobles couldn’t even approach her.
Numerous princes urged her to dance. They crowded around her so much that it was suffocating.
‘This is maddening.’
Belinda pressed her forehead and pressed her temples.
Everyone’s eyes sparkled with desire. In this kingdom, she and Vanessa were the only two female superhumans.
If either of them were to marry, their family’s reputation would soar beyond measure. So, the unmarried princes had no choice but to flock to them.
Belinda struggled to decline again and again, but the procession of courtships showed no signs of ending. There was nowhere to escape.
Vanessa was in a similar situation. Like Belinda, she was surrounded by countless noble suitors, caught in a difficult predicament.
However, when someone brought up a question about magic, the atmosphere instantly shifted.
In reality, he had employed the common interest as a social tactic, but Vanessa answered earnestly as usual.
“Oh, that? It’s about capturing the mana wavelength to transmit vibrations in space, and the periodicity in time and space at a given point…”
“….”
“Not quite understanding? So it divides based on the direction of progress, and particles that move through mana transmission…”
“….”
Unintentionally, Vanessa’s lecture on magic began. The nobles gathered around her couldn’t interrupt her and were forced to listen to her lecture.
There was no one bold enough to interrupt the words of a superhuman.
Even among those feeling awkward, one person was more excited than anyone else.
“Puhahaha! So, I just chopped the dragon’s neck with dual swords!”
“Oh wow, that’s so cool!”
“Wow, Lord Kaor is really strong. I want to be strong like you too.”
“That’s right! I am the strongest! No elder stands a chance against me!”
Kaor was reveling in the attention he was receiving. He drank excessively while boasting about himself.
Indeed, it was easy to captivate this crowd. Just answering their questions sufficed to win them over. One by one, the nobles were starting to surround Kaor in interest.
Other key figures from the war also faced a ceaseless influx of noble approaches. After all, while not superhumans, they were also revered figures and war heroes in the kingdom.
Except for the priests, Parniel and Piote received only greetings from the nobility without any flattery.
Keeping a decent relationship with the priests was all that was needed.
Of course, there were exceptions.
“Lord Piote! Let’s go to the terrace and have a drink while watching the night sky…”
“No, I’m a better option than this fellow! Today we should…”
“Lord Parniel! I’ve always preferred women bigger than myself…”
Some noblemen, intoxicated and out of their minds, crossed boundaries and were caught by the Temple Knights.
Ghislaine watched with amusement as Zvalter chatted away, observing these antics.
“Fighting is great, but sometimes you need to rest like this.”
Everyone looked quite troubled, but these experiences were all part of the journey.
Suddenly feeling like something was missing, Ghislaine tilted her head.
“Huh? Why hasn’t Alfoy shown up yet?”
His reputation had grown, and he should be basking in the spotlight now, yet he still hadn’t made an appearance.
Ideally, he should have shown up by now, boasting and leading the nobles around.
“Claude hasn’t shown up either.”
He hadn’t had a chance to meet her since he immediately joined the banquet after meeting Ereness. Naturally, she assumed she would see him at the banquet, but he was nowhere to be found.
Just then, Zvalter cleared his throat beside her.
“Ahem, Ghislaine. About that magician Alfoy…”
“What about him? Has he caused more trouble?”
“Well… he has quite a bad reputation. He constantly bothers people, making everyone uncomfortable.”
“…Ah.”
“They say even the tower master can’t control him. He’s a figure of merit, but you might want to have a word with him.”
“Puhuh…”
Ghislaine leaned back in her chair and sighed. That guy always caused trouble as soon as he got a little leeway.
Zvalter seemed to change the mood by shifting the topic.
“But you have your Chief Officer, don’t you?”
“What about Claude?”
“He’s really diligent.”
“…Huh?”
“Right after returning, he’s been working so hard. He immediately set out again to deal with bandit suppression and maintaining public order. I gave him permission to head out before you returned.”
“…That guy?”
“Yeah, really. The last time I saw him, he was just lounging around… I never expected him to work this hard without a break.”
Ghislaine crossed her arms and frowned. Though Claude did well, he wasn’t the kind to be that diligent.
Ghislaine gestured behind her, and one of her assistants approached to whisper.
“He just returned and planned to report after the banquet finished… but the investigation is already complete.”
The assistant handed Ghislaine a stack of documents he had pulled from his cloak. Ghislaine smiled after reading through them quickly.
So, Alfoy who had caused trouble was taken care of by Claude, and the other Claude who had caused issues was now frantically trying to clean it up.
Ghislaine said to her assistant.
“Tell everyone to ignore things for now. It’d be better for both of them to suffer a little.”
“Understood.”
Alfoy would undoubtedly face hardships in the eastern region, and Claude would probably be anxious, trying to find ways to replenish the military funds.
In other words, the two fools were making things harder for themselves. It was better to let them be.
Having reconnected with Zvalter after a long time, Ghislaine continued their conversation. Suddenly, Zvalter, curious about their future plans, asked.
“I heard you were forming a pursuit team to chase Duke Delphine and Gathros. Finding them will take time; what are your plans in the meantime?”
Ghislaine had already considered that. She grinned as she spoke.
“I plan to push into the Forest of Monsters.”
The forest that had troubled their territory for so long. Also a place once called the Demon Realm a thousand years ago.
Ghislaine intended to eliminate that ominous forest once and for all.