Vestiges
The next day, Tigaro was preparing for the Noros' banquet at the Noros family's main residence.
"This is fine for the carpet... Use the decorations in that box for the handrail of the stairs. Oh, that tablecloth is a little dirty, so put a vase on it and hide it.''
He gave instructions to the slaves of Lemalgoas to decorate and steadily made preparations.
Kenna, Tigaro's personal maid and slave, who usually follows him, is not present here because she is currently taking care of his mother at the detached house.
Tigaro would like to concentrate on enslaving Eul today and find out more about her transformation into a monster and the ant monsters, but if he neglects his job, he will be in trouble with the Noros family. He also understood that everyone would look at him suspiciously.
Since the ant monsters appeared in the middle of the royal capital, there must be people other than Eul involved, especially since Eul's magic core that has transformed her into a monster has a pattern, which means that the magic core is enslaved. The possibility that someone from the Noros family who can carve the crest is involved cannot be denied.
In the current situation where he doesn't know who is the enemy and who is the ally, Tigaro has no choice but to act as usual, wanting to avoid information leaking or raising suspicions about himself.
He finely adjusted the decorations in the large hall and took a deep breath.
Blood relatives of the Noros family, including Lemalgoas, Psyphro, and Skrios, can be troublesome if they lose their temper, so it's tough because he has to pay close attention to even the smallest decorations.
When Tigaro was taking a break after finishing his rough work, Lemalgoas himself, the master of the slaves, came from inside the mansion.
"Tigaro, huh? It's just right, come too."
With that said, Lemalgoas starts walking towards the entrance before Tigaro nods.
Until a few days ago, Lemalgoas was using his military power to suppress the enemy armed group.
Although it was not advertised very openly, a request came to the Noros family from an ally through the Kingdom of Shirsodi, and Lemalgoas fulfilled that role on behalf of the Noros family.
It was last night that he returned to the capital.
Lemalgoas must be tired, but he can't see any sign of fatigue in his steps.
Tigaro quickly gave instructions to the slaves and left them behind, and started walking behind Lemalgoas.
Then, he asked Arnei, the slave who was also walking a few steps behind Lemalgoas.
"...Is there something going on now?"
"Recently, monsters have appeared twice in the royal capital, so an emergency meeting will be held at the request of the royal family."
As Tigaro expected, Arnei, Lemalgoas' right-hand man, seemed to know the reason for Lemalgoas' actions.
I see, Tigaro nodded at her words.
Most of the protection within the kingdom is left to the Holy Wind Knights and Holy Water Knights, and the royal family rarely interferes except during times of war.
However, it seems that the recent two-time invasion of monsters into the royal capital is something that even the royal family cannot overlook.
Therefore, it seems that the country's executives, including the three major aristocrats of the kingdom, are being assembled as an emergency.
Yesterday, Aifie said that she went to meet her uncle, Colares Fonedao, and it was for this meeting that Colares, the leader of the Holy Wind Knights who flies around the kingdom, returned to the capital.
"If someone were to attend with Father, wouldn’t it be better for Brother Psyphro or Brother Skrios?"
"Psyphro-sama seems to have been in a bad mood since yesterday, and is currently enjoying himself in his room. It seems that Skrios-sama was having fun until late yesterday, and is now tired and taking a rest."
He checked just to be sure, but Arnei gave him the same answer.
For Psyphro and Skrios, the security of the royal capital is secondary.
Tigaro suddenly thought that it was typical of those two to put their own desires first.
However, this time it was an emergency meeting hosted by the royal family.
It was such a rare meeting, and with the only person attending from the Noros family being the head of the family, Lemalgoas, it wouldn't be strange to think that the Noros family had no respect for the royal family or no motivation for the meeting.
So, since he was present at the place where the monster appeared twice this time, it seems that Tigaro caught the attention of Lemalgoas.
"Psyphro and Skrios are also troublesome. They don't care about the prosperity of the Noros family."
Lemalgoas was muttering this as he walked ahead, and Tigaro could see that his displeasure was oozing out.
Because his brothers are neglecting their work, Tigaro has to do more and more troublesome chores, and in return for doing these chores, he receives the right to manage his mother, Tesia.
With that, Tigaro followed Lemalgoas and got into the carriage.
---
The aristocratic district located south of the royal capital.
Towering further to the south is a large castle built on the highest point in the royal capital.
The walls of the royal castle, built on high ground overlooking the royal capital, are white, indicating that they have never been polluted by foreign enemies since it was built.
According to the historical facts that Tigaro learned at the Royal Academy, it seems that about 400 years have passed since the current royal castle was newly constructed.
This is because, 400 years ago, the fire monster bird Fonir attacked the Kingdom of Shirsodi, and the royal castle was half destroyed.
It seems that the entire royal capital was a sea of fire at that time, so it is no wonder that the royal castle was also severely damaged.
What was rebuilt after that was the royal castle that Tigaro is looking at now.
Perhaps because the Kingdom of Shirsodi has many mages who are skilled in wind and water, the outer walls of the royal castle are frequently taken care of, and its beautiful scenery has remained unchanged to this day.
While looking at such a scenery, Tigaro was rocked by the carriage.
When the carriage carrying Tigaro and the others arrives in front of the royal castle, the large castle gates are opened and the carriage starts moving again into the grounds of the royal castle.
Tigaro and the others got off the carriage at the back of the castle gate and walked around the maze-like interior of the castle, following the guidance of the soldiers guarding the castle.
The inside of the royal castle was spacious, and Tigaro, who rarely went inside, had no idea of the structure inside.
However, the steps of the soldiers leading the way are sure of it, and it seems that they have clearly memorized the route of the royal castle that curves from left to right.
Then, Tigaro and the others finally stopped in front of a large door.
Another soldier standing guard in front of the door bowed deeply when he recognized Lemalgoas and Tigaro's faces.
"We've been waiting for you. The Noros family."
After saying that, the guard opened the large door, bowed his head again to Tigaro and the others, and urged them to come inside.
Lemalgoas walked into the room without even looking at the soldier who was bowing his head deeply.
Just as Tigaro stepped out to follow Lemalgoas, a voice came from behind him.
"Take care, Lemalgoas-sama."
The person who said this and saw Lemalgoas off from behind was Lemalgoas' slave Arnei.
Apparently, with her status as nothing more than a slave of the Noros family, she can enter the royal castle as Lemalgoas's property, but she cannot step beyond this room.
Tigaro watched her bid farewell as he followed Lemalgoas through the large door.
Inside the room beyond the large door was a large round table.
There were only two seats open at the back of the round table, and the others seemed to be seated divided into their respective factions: the Holy Wind Knights, the Holy Water Knights, the Fonedao family, and the Asur family.
The empty seat in the front is probably the seat of the Noros family.
That's when Lemalgoas and Tigaro approached the round table to take up position there.
Gugoros, who was sitting in the middle of the area where the Fonedao family was, turned his gaze towards Lemalgoas.
"Hmph. You're here, Lemalgoas Noros. You're slow as always."
Lemalgoas opened his mouth condescendingly to Gugoros who snorted and looked at him with contempt.
"It's better than the rotten trash that allowed monsters to invade twice and was slow to deal with them."
Lemalgoas retorted, but the scorn in Gugoros's eyes only deepened when he heard this.
With a sharp look in his eyes, Gugoros tightened his folded arms even more tightly and muttered a little.
"...Even the number of offspring you could make was limited, and a clan with cursed collars that the royal family prevents from using their vaunted magic."
"The royal family considers it dangerous for Noros's blood to leak outside the country. The name of Fonedao has fallen, that a man who does not even know the nobility of this noble blood is still the head of the family."
When the two meet face to face, their interactions gradually become heated with contempt and hatred.
Perhaps unable to see the two of them fighting each other, the man sitting in the middle of the Asur family opened his mouth to placate them.
"Okay, you two. We have other things to do right now, so let's calm down and take a seat."
It was Kupnor Asur who said that in a slow voice.
He is the father of Aifie and Rogienor, and is an excellent mage, as well as the current head of the Asur family.
If Tigaro's memory is correct, Kupnor had one woman as his legal wife and one as a concubine, and the child of the concubine was Rogienor, and the child of the legal wife who inherited the blood of the Fonedao family was Aifie.
Tigaro had heard about this complicated relationship from Aifie a long time ago when they were still good friends, but as a child Tigaro could not remember all the people he had never talked to, and the current picture of the relationships is a bit fuzzy in Tigaro's mind.
Kupnor gently tried to placate the other two family heads, lowering the corners of his eyes to the same extent as Rogienor.
However, when Lemalgoas and Gugoros heard Kupnor's words, they turned their gaze towards Kupnor with annoyed expressions.
"Shut up, trash that obstructs the prosperity of Noros."
"Don't get carried away even if you married my daughter. Fox of Asur."
Kupnor, who was supposed to have intervened, is relentlessly targeted by both Lemalgoas and Gugoros.
Kupnor slumped his shoulders as if hurt by their harsh words.
"Tohoho... everyone is so harsh. Lapeia-san, please say something too."
When Kupnor called for help, he looked at Lapeia Ila Asur.
As the kingdom's number one healing mage, and as an executive of the Asur family―― an opinion keeper with excellent information-gathering abilities, she had considerable say in this occasion.
However, her power to speak out is not necessarily exercised in accordance with Kupunor's wishes for help.
Lapeia, who was watching the three of them, had deep wrinkles around her eyes and opened her mouth to Kupnor.
"Ahyahya. You're usually a lot sharper."
"Even Lapeia-san!?"
Kupnor, who was betrayed by Lapeia, who could be called a relative, dropped his shoulders in disappointment.
Colares Fonedao, the leader of the Holy Wind Knights, who was sitting in the Holy Wind Knights' seat with his posture slumped and watching, was laughing out loud when he saw this exchange.
Although the exchange between Kupnor and Lapeia eased the atmosphere a little, the atmosphere in the room still felt tense.
It wasn't something that was emanating from Lemalgoas or Gugoros who were still glaring at each other, but it was a feeling of tension that was felt by everyone staying in the room.
Everyone here should understand how urgent the topic of this meeting is.
In this slightly tense atmosphere, Aifie, who was standing behind the Asur family's seat, quietly moved her gaze so that no one would notice.
Like Tigaro, Aifie was also invited to this meeting as a promising mage and as someone who had dealt with the appearance of monsters twice.
Ahead of Aifie's line of sight, there was the figure of Tigaro standing behind Lemalgoas, the head of the Noros family.
As usual, Tigaro was checking the faces of everyone in the room with a suspicious smile on his face.
In his expression, she couldn't sense the desperation like yesterday.
"..."
After all, was it just her imagination that Tigaro seemed to protect her?
While thinking about this, Aifie frowned a little.
As if sensing the atmosphere, Lapeia suddenly turned around.
Then, he asked Aifie, who was frowning.
"Aifie. What's wrong?"
"Ah, no, Grandmother Lapeia. It's nothing."
When Aifie was spoken to, she panicked a little and averted her gaze from Tigaro.
Then, the light music of a trumpet rang out from the direction of the large door.
The drumbeat that followed was loud enough to resonate in the stomachs of everyone in the room.
"His Highness Kalizos, the first prince of the Shirsodi Kingdom, and Her Royal Highness Lilith, the third princess of the Shirsodi Kingdom, have entered the room."
Hearing the soldier's words, everyone sitting at the round table stood up all at once.
The expressions on their faces were different, but without exception, the heads of each family and the executives of the Knights raised their hips, and those who were standing behind them also straightened their backs, and everyone took a stance of saluting.
Then, two young people entered the room accompanied by loud music.
The person wearing royal formal attire is a young man who is somewhat older than Tigaro.
With his blonde hair cut short and a sharp expression on his face, the man walks confidently towards the back of the room, looking over the people standing in the room.
Walking half a step behind him was a woman wearing a glittering dress with long blonde hair just like the man.
The woman seems to be even younger than the man, and appears to be around the same age as Tigaro and Aifie.
In contrast to the man walking with a serious look on his face, the woman was smiling as if greeting the people she met.
――Hehe, Tigaro's smile is wonderful after all.
Seeing the woman's smile, Tigaro somehow remembered his mother's cheerful smile when she said that.
However, that was only for a moment, and Tigaro immediately brought himself back to reality.
Watched by everyone in the room, the two went to the back of the round table and sat down at the seats at the back of the table.
"Thanks for coming. Please sit down."
Hearing the blonde man's words, everyone in the room released their stance of salute.
All the people who had been standing up began to take their seats all at once.
The blond-haired man who looked around at the country's executives seated at the round table―― Kalizos, the first prince of the Shirsodi Kingdom, slowly opened his mouth.
"Everyone has gathered well. Now, we will begin an emergency countermeasures meeting regarding the monsters that have appeared in the royal capital."
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