Chapter 23.2

Standing there were Arina and Isabelle.

“Hohohoho…”

Isabelle was smiling, but her eyes were anything but cheerful.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“…”

Next to her, Arina wore a gloomy expression, saying nothing as she stood in silence.

***

Life in the North was synonymous with struggle. As a result, the elite soldiers of the High Tower were as skilled as the average knights of other kingdoms.

The knights commanding these soldiers could rival the senior knights of most kingdoms.

Above them, the High Knights of Renslet were so formidable that even the Imperial Household Knights of the Empire would hesitate to face them.

…Yet even these proud knights had one figure they dared not cross.

“…”

“Your Grace… Is something the matter?”

“Are your injuries troubling you?”

“My injuries are fine.”

That figure was none other than Arina Rune Renslet, the Grand Duchess of the North.

Even though betrayal and injuries had reset her dantian, not one of the High Knights gathered in the council room underestimated her.

Hadn’t Arad and Isabelle themselves confirmed it?

The mana core that would reform in her new dantian would be far stronger than the previous one.

And who was Arina? A genius among geniuses. Although the Empire ensured it was kept quiet, she was unofficially the youngest Swordmaster in the continent’s history.

She was the first Swordmaster to emerge from the Renslet lineage since Rune Renslet, the founder of the duchy and a Swordmaster himself.

This meant she might become the first Grand Swordmaster the continent had seen since the golden age.

“Then… who has displeased Your Grace?”

“Your expression has been grim since earlier.”

The knights’ loyalty had only grown stronger, to the point where even a slight shift in the duchess’s mood prompted alarmed reactions.

“Just say the word!”

“Who is it? I’ll pull their head off immediately!”

“No, it’s nothing,” Arina replied, shaking her head.

Her reserved demeanor only made the knights interpret her words as an unspoken confirmation.

“…”

Then, suddenly, Arina’s eyes shifted to me, seated beside her.

“Hm?”

Our eyes met briefly before she quickly turned her head away.

“…!”

The High Knights, quick to notice, immediately realized that the source of Arina’s discomfort was me.

The eyes of the knights quivered.

Four of the High Knights present—Balzac, Carrot, Eote, and Rosie—owed their lives to me.

The others had heard countless tales of my deeds in the Demonic Abyss.

“Sir… what exactly did you do to Her Grace?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“I’d rather not kill you, you know.”

“…?”

The first to speak was the elder knight Balzac, who leaned in with a low voice, looking genuinely troubled.

“You didn’t… spy on Her Grace while she was bathing, did you?”

“No way!”

“If you did, even I couldn’t help you out of that one.”

“Whatever it is, settle it with Her Grace quickly, for all our sakes.”

Following Balzac, Eote, Rosie, and Carrot all offered sincere—albeit unusual—advice.

It was only because it was me that they were this restrained; had it been anyone else, they would likely have been dragged out and punished immediately.

Fortunately, the interrogation never escalated.

“Let’s focus on the meeting.”

The person responsible for the tense atmosphere, Arina herself, spoke, redirecting the conversation. Her commanding tone made the knights and officials fall silent.

“Begin with a report on the purges.”

“Yes, Your Grace! First, we’ve detained Doyle Boden’s family and associates for questioning. I will report the results shortly.”

“If it’s proven to be Doyle’s personal betrayal, avoid extending blame to his entire family. The Boden family has served Renslet loyally for generations.”

“Unfortunately…”

“I see… so it’s as I suspected.”

Hearing the report from the Frost Knights, Arina’s expression darkened further.

“Please, allow us to execute them! Such betrayal within the Frost Knights is utterly unacceptable.”

“Enough. I’ve already discussed this with Isabelle. Their punishment will be carried out through responsibility and reparations.”

“Your Grace is merciful!”

“Now, let’s hear about the rats nesting in the High Tower.”

“This part falls under my jurisdiction, Your Grace,” said an official who appeared to be a civil servant.

“We’ve detained two attendants and four maids who are currently being interrogated in the dungeon. Additionally, we’ve apprehended 37 suspects among the servants, merchants, and officials for further investigation.”

“It seems we were far too complacent.”

“Please allow us to execute them as well!”

“Enough. Responsibility and reparations will suffice for their punishment.”

The heavy topics weighed down the atmosphere from the start of the meeting.

“…”

Attending this meeting for the first time, I felt out of place, shifting uncomfortably and rolling my eyes around in silence.

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