âI want to discuss the recent attack and our future plans with Harold, but I donât know where he is.â -Vincent
âSo, youâve come to ask me about it?â -Erica
âYes. I thought you might know since you have a close relationship with Harold.â -Vincent
Ericaâs eyes flickered briefly in response to Vincentâs words, but she quickly composed herself and swallowed whatever emotion had risen within her.
âIn truth, I do know Harold-samaâs whereabouts to some extent. However, I canât say we have enough trust between us for me to share that information freely.â -Erica
Ericaâs response was firm as she gazed directly at Vincent.
Though he felt tempted to laugh at her resolute manner, he knew that displaying such an attitude would only deepen the rift between them.
âIâll tell you this much. I hold suspicions about the upper echelons of the Knights Order, including you.â -Erica
ââŠI see.â -Vincent
Vincent understood what Erica meant to convey. Five years ago, during the incident in the Bertis Forest, the leader of the expedition team in which the leader of the Knights Order at that time and Harold had participated was in favor of executing him. Given this, it was understandable that Erica harbored a sense of distrust toward the organization.
âSo you believe that the upper echelons of the Knights Order, me included, hold animosity towards Harold.â -Vincent
âIâm aware that you opposed Harold-samaâs execution back then. But thereâs no guarantee that it remains the same now.â -Erica
Erica probably strongly suspected or was convinced that the Knights Order as an organization had been infiltrated or influenced by some external force. In fact, the origins of the Saint Knightâs Order traced back several generations when the ancestors of the current king had employed private soldiers.
While the influence of that history was still evident, Erica seemed to imply something different. She believed that forces beyond the kingâs intentions were at play, affecting the organization.
âThatâs true. Let me start by sharing some information with you.â -Vincent
âPlease, go ahead.â -Erica
â There is no doubt that someone with influence in the upper echelons of the Knight Order was involved. The name of that individual is Dr. Justus Freud. Harold is in opposition to him, and I believe he is the mastermind behind the attack on Travis.â -Vincent
As Vincent mentioned Justusâs name and expressed his suspicions, the atmosphere became charged. Surely, they held some information about Justus as well. Amidst all this, Ericaâs expression remained unchanged.
âIs it safe to say that you too were under his influence?â -Erica
âI âwas,â but not anymore.â -Vincent
âWhat makes you so sure?â -Erica
âItâs like being brainwashed. Embarrassing as it is to admit, I too was under Freudâs control, but Harold helped me break free.â -Vincent
Vincent hesitated on how much more to reveal. If it were someone close to Harold like Erica, he might not need to hide anything, but he wondered if Harold himself would want that.
From Haroldâs actions and words, Vincent sensed that he was a secretive person, perhaps even someone who carried a heavy burden alone and did not seek othersâ help. It could be due to confidence in his abilities or maybe because he was involved in clearly dangerous affairs and didnât want others to get caught up in them.
If the latter was true, revealing everything here might be disrespectful of Haroldâs wishes.
â If thatâs the basis, then it means the reason the Knights were deployed to Travis was that Harold-sama informed them about the upcoming attack.â -Erica
However, Erica seemed to leap beyond Vincentâs thoughts and arrived at the truth.
Certainly, considering each piece of the puzzle, one might eventually arrive at that conclusion, but being able to do so instantly indicates an impressive intellect.
âUm⊠What do you mean?â The red-haired boy looked puzzled, clearly struggling to keep up with the conversation.
The ponytailed girl beside him wore an equally perplexed expression.
âLiner, you do know that Harold is thwarting Justusâs scheme, right? Disabling the Captainâs brainwashing and sending the Knights to Travis are all part of his plan.â -Colette
âWell, thatâs assuming we believe what he says.â -Liner
âCome on, if we start going down that road, thereâll be no end to it.â -Hugo
Given the abundance of reasons to doubt, it was only natural for opinions to differ among them.
However, Vincent couldnât afford to waste time arguing here. He needed to gain Erica and the othersâ trust. Moreover, it seemed they possessed more information about this matter than he had anticipated. Considering Haroldâs connections, this might be expected.
âAlmost two months ago, I received a personal warning from Harold. The contents were, âAllocate personnel to Travis,â and âIt will soon become a living hell there.ââ -Vincent
âSo, Harold-sama did indeed know that Travis would be attacked.â -Erica
âYeah, thatâs the most likely conclusion. And a while after that warning, I received another letter from Harold.â -Vincent
âWhat did that letter say?â -Erica
âHe reported discovering a large number of monsters crawling beneath the town of Baston.â -Vincent
âNo wayâŠâ -Hugo
The blue-haired youth couldnât help but blurt out in surprise. Ericaâs expression tensed slightly, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to grow even heavier.
âAfter receiving that letter, I dispatched knights to Baston as well. There, they indeed confirmed the presence of a massive horde of monsters. I wanted to discuss the information sharing and countermeasures with him as soon as possibleâŠâ -Vincent
âWait a moment. Hasnât the Knightâs organization already become aware of the attack in Baston?â -Erica
âWhat?â -Vincent
No such report had been received. While it was true that they had been busy dealing with the situation in Travis in recent days, if an attack had occurred in Baston as well, Vincent should have been informed.
(What on earth is happening�)
The simultaneous monster attacks in Travis and Baston must undoubtedly be related. It was plausible that such events occurred simultaneously.
However, it was strange that there had been no reports.
âIt seems like weâve been caught off guard. What will the Knights do from here?â -Erica
âWe need to promptly confirm the facts. Once we have the confirmation, weâll have to dispatch personnel to the site.â -Vincent
âThereâs no other option but to follow that procedure. Even if they arrive at the scene quickly, it will still take about a week.â -Erica
Ericaâs assessment was likely accurate. Despite having airships at their disposal, the Knights needed to assess the situation and the extent of the damage on-site before deciding on the size and composition of the dispatched units. Of course, in emergencies, Vincent could exercise some flexibility in his judgment, but Travis was currently facing a crisis as well.
Aside from the personnel responsible for maintaining security in the capital, most of the available Knights were here in Travis. Considering the extent of the damage, it wasnât desirable to move many of them away from Travis. Thus, it would take time to select the members who could be mobilized to Baston.
â As an organization, thereâs no helping it. Nevertheless, we must do what we can.â -Vincent
âIn that case, I have a suggestion. Tomorrow afternoon, a Santiya Trading Company airship, arranged by Sumeragi, will come to Travis. The cargo consists mainly of food, medical supplies, and various daily necessities.â -Erica
The Santiya Trading Company was one of the countryâs leading trading companies. They frequently visited the capital and owned several large merchant ships.
With such a sizable company, they always had ample stock on hand and could promptly procure and transport any items they lacked through their own distribution channels. They would be the most capable organization to shine in a situation like this crisis.
ââŠWith a prestigious name like Sumeragi, they probably have good connections with major trading companies. Even so, it seems overly swift.â -Vincent
âYes, in fact, the support materials were originally secured by Sumeragi for a different purpose.â -Erica
âWhat do you mean?â -Vincent
Confused, Vincent asked for clarification.
âSome time ago, Sumeragi also received a letter from Harold-sama with a similar warning about Baston being under the threat of monster attacks. He requested Sumeragi to prepare for receiving the evacuated residents. Therefore, Sumeragi had already arranged many support materials in advance and now they offer them to Travis.â -Erica
In other words, Harold had warned the Knights about the attacks on Travis and Baston, and he himself had taken action in Baston to evacuate the residents while also requesting Sumeragi to be prepared to accommodate the evacuees. Thus, Sumeragi had already organized the support materials in advance and was now providing them to Travis.
If thatâs the case, itâs no wonder they moved at such speed.
âWe have made arrangements to board Santiya Trading Companyâs airship once unloading is complete. And if you agree to our terms, we will do our best to inform you of the situation in Baston.â -Erica
Receiving the message allowed them to dispatch people to Baston in advance, so there was no doubt that they had a detailed understanding of the situation there. If Ericaâs conditions were accepted, it would significantly reduce the time needed to assess the extent of the damage, which would normally take nearly a week. This would enable the Knights to act swiftly.
Vincent found Harold to be a man with many mysteries, seemingly rough and arrogant on the surface. However, having exchanged words directly with him, Vincent felt that he was a man who would earnestly strive to help others and someone worthy of trust.
Furthermore, the traits that Erica displayed during this incident seemed to overlap with those of Harold in some way.
âThen I will trust you. What are your conditions?â -Vincent
âI request that you and as many members of the Knights as possible accompany us to Baston. We will depart from here the morning after tomorrow and should arrive at the foot of the mountain where the town of Baston is located in the afternoon of that day.â -Erica
ââŠIt seems like there are no disadvantages for us in these conditions.â -Vincent
For Vincent, just receiving information about the situation in Baston would be a tremendous help. Yet, Erica went further by offering them the opportunity to board the companyâs airship and get to the location as quickly as possible.
This alone would be reason enough for Vincent to bow his head and request such assistance.
âYes, my conditions are to be fulfilled once we arrive in Baston. Yuno, come here.â -Erica
âYes, of course~.â -Yuno
A woman with a slow, elongated tone responded to Ericaâs call and approached. Likely Ericaâs maid or something similar, her calm demeanor left an impression of a skillful and composed person.
Erica received something from the maid and placed it on the table. It was a small metal plate, about the size of a palm.
âWhat is this?â -Vincent
âItâs a magic item. Its function is to capture real-life scenes and record them as images.â -Erica
Magic items came in various forms, from plain to extraordinary. Though not well-versed in these matters, Vincent understood that if it could record real-life scenes as images, it was undoubtedly a valuable item.
And on the plate placed on the desk was a shocking scene displayed.
âThis is⊠terrible.â -Vincent
âYes, but this is undoubtedly the current state of Baston.â -Erica
No words could suffice, and indeed, that was the truth. The devastation in Travis was already a heart-wrenching sight, but Baston seemed to have suffered no less.
The town was now a pile of monster corpses, with the majority of houses destroyed or reduced to ashes, just like Travis. And most notably, about a third of the townâs area had either collapsed or caved in.
âFortunately, no residents were caught in the monster attack. However, there were those who fought to buy time for the evacuation.â -Erica
âYou donât mean⊠he did?â -Vincent
Vincentâs inquiry was met with a small nod from Erica.
âThe knights who fought alongside the residents and Harold-sama have all been reported safe. But Harold-sama, who stayed until the end, was caught in the collapse⊠and heâs missing.â -Erica
ââŠIt seems I asked something painful.â -Vincent
âItâs alright⊠Iâm fine.â -Erica
Erica faced Vincent firmly, not letting a tear well up in the corner of her eye.
The nature of what transpired between Harold and Erica was unclear, but Erica must still have genuine feelings for him. Thatâs why the report of his disappearance must be causing her sorrow and fear. Nevertheless, she suppressed those emotions, displaying a strength that Vincent couldnât help but admire.
âAs you can see, Baston is currently in a highly dangerous state. Iâll be straightforward about this. Iâd like your cooperation in helping us search for Harold-sama, who was caught in the collapse.â -Erica
âSo thatâs your condition, right?â -Vincent
âYes.â -Erica
âUnderstood. Iâll start preparing right away.â -Vincent
With that, Vincent conveyed his agreement and stood up from his seat.
With that, Vincent got up from his seat. As he turned on his heel, he thought he saw tears glistening in Ericaâs eyes as she looked down slightly, but he chose to pretend he hadnât seen anything.