That’s right, despite Jijinbo’s defeat, the undead monsters he had brought along still raged outside. The turmoil in the royal capital, which reverberated even within the confines of the estate, was proof of that.
Perhaps these were Sora’s final efforts. His face tensed, and he finally collapsed onto the decaying ground. Sora’s face met the dirt.
“Sora-san!”
Claudia swiftly settled on the ground, lifting Sora’s head and cradling it in her lap. She wiped away the mud from his face with the sleeves of her clothes, disregarding their soiled state.
Afterward, with the help of Suzume, Seal, and the maids who emerged from the house, Claudia managed to transfer Sora onto a bed in the mansion.
Her father and older sister led a group of knights under their command to battle the undead monsters. Although her older sister was concerned about Sora before leaving, the vice captain of the Dragon Knights could not afford to remain at home during such a crisis. Astrid Dragnote was not someone who would prioritize personal emotions over matters of public importance.
Sora was entrusted to Claudia by her older sister. From the beginning of the chaos until now, she remained close to Sora, wiping his sweat, offering hydration, and holding his hand when pain wracked his body.
During this time, Suzume, Seal, and Luna Maria, who had been present in the residence during Jijinbo’s attack, shared their accounts.
According to Luna Maria, Sora regained consciousness when Jijinbo revealed his soul equipment.
Despite being in no condition to join the fight, Sora was compelled to assist Claudia and the others.
—Indeed, Sora had gone out after consuming Luna Maria’s soul, using it as compensation to fulfill the soul offering to Claudia. Consequently, Luna Maria, temporarily unconscious due to the sudden and violent soul consumption, was entrusted to Suzume and Seal.
However, Luna Maria, lacking permission to disclose the details of soul consumption in this particular case, omitted that part when explaining it to Claudia. Claudia would eventually learn the truth, but that’s another matter.
Although Claudia felt a sense of unease regarding Luna Maria’s explanation—why hadn’t Luna Maria and the others accompanied Sora?—she determined it was not the appropriate time to raise such questions. There were other matters she needed to address.
“Sora-san said he must endure until the pain subsides, but is there anything we can do? Even something minuscule. Please, inform me if there’s anything at all.”
“I believe that what Claudia-sama is currently doing is the best course of action. However—”
“What is it? You can confide in me.”
“Well, it’s not just the face that perspires. Wearing sweaty clothes will be uncomfortable, so changing them periodically to keep the body clean is necessary…”
Luna Maria’s words prompted Claudia to nod, but then she comprehended the implications and her face flushed red.
“That is, um, in other words…”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct. Of course, we will take care of it. There’s no need to trouble yourself, Claudia-sama.”
“N-No, it won’t be like that! Sora-san is my savior. If there’s anything I can do for him, I’ll do it, even if it means overcoming my embarrassment!”
Claudia declared firmly, determined not to repeat her past mistakes.
Naturally, Luna Maria, Suzume, and Seal were taken aback by Claudia’s reaction. The announcement of an unmarried aristocratic daughter was quite troublesome—it was something along those lines.
If Duke Dragnote were present, his expression would have changed, and he would have objected.
But, for better or worse, her father, the duke, was not there. And no one could quell Claudia’s enthusiasm, fueled by gratitude and guilt.
Later, with a pigeon-like expression, Sora timidly inquired about what happened after that from Luna Maria and the others. However, they merely responded with vague smiles.
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The calamity that had befallen the royal capital of Horus persisted even after Jijinbo’s defeat.
However, the undead creatures that appeared in Horus were mostly low-level, so once the initial chaos settled, it didn’t take long to deal with them.
Perhaps Jijinbo had no intention of completely devastating the royal capital. Doing so would have jeopardized the marriage between the Prince of Canaria and the Princess of Adastera, scheduled for two months later.
Hence, it seemed he refrained from unleashing powerful undead throughout the city.
According to the guards stationed in the vicinity, the knights from the royal castle, and even the priests from the temple, the group of undead was eradicated from the royal capital the following day.
The situation had calmed down. I could return to Ishka without any prejudice—I believed so. However, Duke Dragnote questioned me extensively about the matter.
Everyone who was present had overheard the conversation between Jijinbo and me. At this point, I couldn’t deceive him, and I had no intention of doing so. Therefore, I divulged all the information I possessed to the duke.
Following several discussions, including with Astrid, it was decided to conceal my actions and identity in this case. This decision was made not only for the empire’s sake but also for Canaria’s.
Duke Dragnote was the one who defeated Jijinbo, and Jijinbo had provided valuable information about Onigashima and Adastera.
Although it might seem like the duke was taking credit for my accomplishments, it was my suggestion. At this point, I believed it wasn’t wise for “Mitsurugi Sora” to be in the spotlight. Instead, I chose to hide in the shadow of His Excellency the Thunder.
The reason behind taking this approach was to buy time.
Regardless of the circumstances, Jijinbo was someone who had mastered soul equipment. If they concluded that I, who had been exiled from the island five years ago, had killed a practitioner of the Illusory Sword Style, the Mitsurugi family would undoubtedly turn their attention toward me.
Initially, I could deny any connection—my father wasn’t like that. For someone who had severed ties with his own son, I was merely a stranger.
Moreover, that stranger had defeated a member of Seirin Hatsuki, so it was certain that they would come to crush me with the Illusory Sword Style.
Currently, I no longer feared being at odds with my father. However, to be honest, I had hoped the inevitable confrontation would come a little later.
My current level is “10”.
When I arrived in the royal capital, my level was “9”. Afterwards, by offering souls to Luna Maria, it decreased to “8”. When I raised Claudia’s level by two, it further decreased to “6”.
Then, upon defeating Jijinbo, I gained four consecutive levels, reaching “10”, surpassing my original level of “9”.
Undoubtedly, I was confident in my ability to defeat an opponent who had mastered soul equipment. However, as mentioned during the battle, Jijinbo had been demoted to the lowest rank of Seirin Hatsuki. If he had been a superior adversary from Seirin, I would have faced considerable challenges.
Hence, I wanted to buy time to grow stronger.
With the addition of Iria, the supply of souls had finally increased to two. I desired to raise my level by one or two before the attacks on my homeland commenced.
Furthermore, by concealing my name, the Mitsurugi family’s focus would shift toward Duke Dragnote, the one who “defeated Jijinbo.”
No matter how renowned the Thunder may be, they wouldn’t stand a chance if they became the target of high-level flagbearers of the Illusory Sword Style.
In that sense, I regretted endangering him. However, the duke himself laughed it off, saying, “There’s no need to worry.”
From the duke’s perspective, it was the Mitsurugi family who had wronged him. It was inevitable to harbor hostility toward those who had cursed his daughter and caused her suffering for over a year.
Furthermore, even if my name were associated with the defeat of Jijinbo, it wouldn’t diminish the empire’s or the Mitsurugi family’s animosity toward the duke.
To the Adastera Empire, which aimed to invade Canaria, Duke Dragnote remained an obstacle. Whether I concealed my name or not, the duke would still be a target for the empire or the Mitsurugi family. Hence, there was no need to worry—that was the duke’s perspective.
Once I finished conversing with Duke Dragnote, Astrid spoke up.
“Sora-dono, there’s something I’d like to ask. What did that old man want when he fought against you? He mentioned that the curse on Claudia Dragnote was no different from her older sister, Astrid Dragnote. Those were his words.”
“Ah, about that,” I explained the circumstances that led to hearing those words.
I recounted how I had visited Jijinbo alone at the national cemetery, just before offering souls to Claudia.
Jijinbo’s argument—when he stated that the elder sister should take care of the younger sister—caused Astrid to grimace. Naturally, her displeasure was not directed at me but at Jijinbo’s reasoning.
However, she acknowledged that there was a certain logic behind it and sighed.
“It’s an unpleasant argument… but it’s not entirely baseless.”
“Eh? Are you resentful of me, nee-sama?”
“Of course not.”
Astrid gently stroked her younger sister’s head. Claudia deliberately kept her head lowered, but a small smile played on her lips.
“Being a queen is an incredibly suffocating role. It can’t compare to the freedom of soaring through the skies on a dragon. I even felt sorry for you, Clau.”
“I think I feel the same. I’m tired of pretending to be the woman who favors His Highness.”
The sisters of the Duke’s household continued their conversation. They knew each other well enough that when someone suggested, “Perhaps the older sister cursed the younger sister,” they could only laugh it off.
With those words, I became convinced that Jijinbo was the mage who had cursed Claudia.
Originally, judging by the amount of his soul, that old man had a fairly high level—I knew he was unusually high-level for the continent. Furthermore, his behavior left no doubt.
I believe it would have been ideal to stop Jijinbo in that empty cemetery. If we had done so, Jijinbo wouldn’t have invaded Duke Dragnote’s mansion, and the streets of the royal capital wouldn’t have been flooded with undead.
However, I wasn’t sure if I could defeat Jijinbo with all my power. If I had been defeated, no one would have been able to break Claudia’s curse. Requesting reinforcements from the duke’s house was also an option, but if Jijinbo, as a flagbearer of Seirin, had anticipated that, there would be no advantage in numbers.
Therefore, the priority was to heal Claudia. If I could raise her level, I could break the curse at its root. Additionally, if Jijinbo were to curse her again in the future, Claudia wouldn’t succumb as easily.
So, I wanted to ensure Claudia’s safety and wait for the effects of pouring souls to wear off before stopping Jijinbo—but I didn’t expect it to happen that night.
This was completely my fault. I should have warned them that breaking the curse might provoke the sorcerer into action.
Well, even if I had warned, I don’t think they would have believed that only a flagbearer of Seirin could cause all that damage.
While contemplating that, Astrid spoke with a somewhat mysterious expression.
“Um, Sora-dono, did you doubt me when you heard the old man’s words? As I said, I think it’s reasonable.”
“I didn’t doubt you at all. I don’t know how to say it in front of you, but when I first met you at Clau-Solas’ stable, I thought you were a wonderful person. Even now, after having this conversation, my admiration for you has only grown stronger. When that old man said those things about you, I knew I did the right thing by drawing my katana.”
As I expressed my true feelings, Astrid’s face turned red in an instant.
Claudia, who was beside her, clapped happily.
“Yay, I’m happy for you, nee-sama! Sora-san said you were wonderful!”
“C-Clau!”
Her mischievous younger sister seemed to be restrained by the flustered older sister.
Then, their father mumbled with a furrowed brow.
“…If possible, I would prefer if you didn’t flirt with my daughter in front of me.”
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