Love Letter From The Future

Chapter 246: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (39)

As usual, the Imperial administrator, Arthur, spoke in a weary voice.

"...That is impossible."

"A Dark Priest has been found, and yet the Central Army won't come?"

Recently, the meeting room in the Percus Manor had effectively become Arthur's office.

So, I was currently conversing with Arthur in this makeshift workspace.

One noticeable change since Arthur took over the meeting room was the presence of a sleeping bag in one corner.

It was a luxury item made from the fur of the 'Silver Duck,' a creature native to the Northern region. I had heard that only a select few adventurers, who treated sleeping on the street as if it were a routine, owned such an item.

To think that the result of the luxury that the Imperial Administrator, said to be the top mind in the Empire, was nothing more than a sleeping bag.

The fact that the top mind of the Empire's administration had no better luxury than a sleeping bag highlighted how frequently he resorted to such accommodations when working outside his usual environment

Arthur was renowned for confining himself to the meeting room, even while at the Percus Manor. Ostensibly, this was to maintain the confidentiality of documents.

Naturally, he couldn't stay in a comfortable guest room.

He always languidly fell asleep in the sleeping bag placed in the corner of the meeting room. Perhaps his sleeping hours had grown shorter recently; the dark circles under his eyes were becoming more pronounced by the day.

In some ways, it was evident that Arthur was suffering.

Nevertheless, despite his condition, I had no choice but to demand more effort from Arthur due to the extraordinary situation we faced.

"Do you mean you don't trust my testimony? As you mentioned before, it is rare for individuals associated with the Dark Order to exist to such an extent on this continent..."

"There’s no way I mean it like that."

That was Arthur's statement.

His tone made it clear that Arthur trusted me—at least when it came to matters concerning the Dark Order.

But there had to be another reason for his reluctance.

As my gaze filled with questions fixed on Arthur, he sighed and rummaged through the mountain of documents. After a short while, he handed me a report.

I accepted the document without a word.

At the top of the report, prominently written in large letters, was the title.

Dark Priest Witness Report.

"Coincidentally or not, news has been spreading from various places since your departure that the Dark Priest named 'Mitram' has been sighted, Sir Ian. There have been dozens of reported cases so far."

Generally, this would be impossible.

Witnessing the same person in dozens of far-flung locations is not something you'd encounter in an ordinary ghost story. Yet, this was present in an official report of the Empire.

Unfortunately, the subject of those eyewitness accounts was Mitram.

She was someone beyond common sense, capable of altering her appearance at will. Thus, it wouldn't seem strange if she could appear in dozens of places simultaneously.

A curse softly escaped my lips.

"...Goddamnit."

No wonder she had revealed herself so easily.

With eyewitness testimonies scattered across the land, the deployable forces would naturally be dispersed. This would lead to inevitable chaos, even with the combined forces of the Empire, the Holy Nation, or the Ten Southern Kingdoms.

They wouldn't even know how much power needed to be projected and where it needed to be deployed at any given moment.

Thus, requesting reinforcements for a remote place like Percus territory would be difficult. Even if they could dispatch the Central Army as a precaution, it would be a small contingent.

This situation shouldn't have happened.

The disaster mentioned in the letter seemed like an opponent that would be difficult to defeat, even with full preparation and response. So, while some forces were better than none, more were needed.

The problem was that I had no evidence.

Among the numerous witness accounts of Mitram in dozens of places, I had to prove that the 'real' Mitram was scheming in the Percus territory.

However, I had no immediate means to do so.

Even Arthur, who was assessing my predicament, let out a sigh.

"I will do my utmost, but there is a high possibility that a request for additional reinforcements will be rejected."

For a moment, the thought of using the 'Dragonblood Script' crossed my mind.

If I were to present the Dragonblood Script now and request additional reinforcements from Arthur, it might change the course of events for the better.

However, I couldn't bring myself to do that.

This case had reached the Imperial administrator by a special order from the Emperor. If I used the Dragonblood Script as a basis for requesting more reinforcements, the news would inevitably reach the Emperor.

Moreover, the Dragonblood Script I had wasn't given to me by the current Emperor.

I received it from my future self, who obtained it from the future Emperor. So, the likelihood that the current Emperor fully trusted me was still low.

In this situation, the likelihood of being granted military authority was minimal. It could even prove to be a critical mistake when I needed to gain trust.

After chewing my lips a few times, I realized I had to return to the fundamental solution.

"...I need to gather evidence."

"Yes, that is the best course of action. Fortunately, we have competent individuals gathered here, including the Rinela family’s Mage Corp."

Though it would have been more convenient to mobilize the Yurdina family's troops as well, it was impossible.

Crossing territorial borders with another army wasn't a trivial matter. It required a formal request and approval, as was the case with the Rinela family.

However, the only consolation was that in an emergency, we could still mobilize an army of up to a thousand troops.

Moreover, merely securing the territory's borders could prevent Mitram from escaping—although, I doubted Mitram would flee.

“I'll need to meet with Sir Reynold and my friends. Perhaps we'll uncover something if we investigate the forest where Mitram was sighted.”

"You must be cautious, Sir Ian."

Arthur advised me with a worried tone.

"As you mentioned, if the main body of the Dark Priest is there, there must be a reason for her to reveal herself."

"...I'll be as careful as possible."

With those words, I left the meeting room.

While I had to be as careful as possible, avoiding risk altogether in the midst of a crisis in the territory wasn't an option.

The best I could do was to bring along the most skilled forces available.

Hence, I felt that I should at least meet with Sir Reynold.

Consulting with Leto might also be good. With his extraordinary intellect, he could offer valuable insights—especially concerning the 'Percus Family's secret,' which troubled me.

With various thoughts swirling in my mind, I found myself in the reception room.

Given the frequent presence of guests, the rooms in the Percus Manor were often occupied, with the reception room being the only exception.

It was spacious enough not to be noticeable with just one or two people.

I sat in the reception room, quietly examining the documents.

There were many marks on the map. Some were near major cities, suggesting that turmoil would persist in the Empire until Mitram was caught.

The scale of chaos caused by a single Dark Priest was staggering.

How many Dark Priests like Mitram were there in the Dark Order? And among them, how many held particularly high positions?

According to records from the War of Gods and Demons, the Dark Order also had bishops and Saintesses.

So far, their power was still difficult to estimate. I felt as exhausted as a hunter facing a beast in the dark.

It was then that I sensed an unexpected gaze.

Through the slightly ajar door of the reception room, long hair cascaded like a shadow.

In the Percus Manor, there were many people with black hair.

However, it was rare to find someone with hair so long that it easily reached past their buttocks.

There was only one person who had such hair in the manor.

It was Ria Percus, my younger sister.

She observed me with a watchful eye.

"Why are you looking like that?"

"I was wondering if you were really the brother I know."

It was such an absurd statement that I couldn't help but shake my head.

"If I'm not the brother you know, then who am I?"

"A fraud disguised as my brother!"

Then, as usual, Ria started to whine.

"M-My brother isn't that strong! He is not the type who will look at documents so seriously! He isn’t someone who is able to bring back women with high status and stunning looks!"

I could only click my tongue at Ria's tantrum and offer her a dose of reality.

"...Ria, every human will inevitably undergo a growth process."

"Your growth stage was over a long time ago, you know!"

Ria, who stormed into the reception room huffing and puffing, looked genuinely upset.

Perhaps, because she was so fond of me, it was difficult for her to accept my transformation into an independent adult, no longer under the family’s constant care.

And it might have been even more challenging for her since there hadn’t been many opportunities for just Ria and me to be alone since I returned home.

I wore a wry smile and said to Ria, "You also seem to have grown a lot compared to before."

"...Hmph, of course."

Still, as if she suddenly remembered something, Ria covered her mouth and smiled sensuously.

Ria, who slyly approached me, perched on the armrest of the chair I was sitting on.

Then, with a swift motion, she leaned in and nudged my arm with her hip.

I felt the sensation of her supple body against my arm.

"At least, I could bewitch my brother, right?"

In response to her subtle tone, I let out a deep sigh and said, "Get your meaty buttocks away from me."

"M-Meaty buttocks?!"

It was yet another moment when I managed to get on Ria’s nerves.