IPSC 26

Chapter 26

Jerome had told me he came down to the south to look for someone.
But to Lowell, he said he came because of monsters.

Doesn’t that seem inconsistent?

I watched Jerome from a distance as he prepared to leave.
He wore the same impassive expression as always.

I couldn’t tell whether he was lying, or just being crafty.

At that moment, Lowell held out a thin glass vial, no bigger than a finger. Inside the small vial was a red liquid.

“Lady, drink this.”

“What is it?”

“A recovery potion. A sprain like yours should heal right away.”

I opened the vial and swallowed the small amount in one gulp. A bitter taste, similar to the cold medicine I used to take as a child, spread through my mouth.

“Try moving your ankle.”

I did as Lowell said, and the sharp pain was gone.

“How is it?”

“It doesn’t hurt!”

“That’s a relief.”

Lowell smiled brightly and held out his hand.

“I really can’t take my eyes off you for even a moment. Every time you go out, something happens.”

“Haha, you’re right.”

I gave an awkward laugh and took his hand. As I stood up, he leaned close and whispered in my ear.

“Don’t think about leaving my side anymore.”

His voice was as gentle as ever.

And yet—why did it sound like a chilling warning?

Well… I suppose if the same words came from a taxidermy-obsessed maniac, they’d sound different no matter what.

I wasn’t eager for any more suffering either, so I nodded vigorously.

“Don’t worry. I’ll stick to you like a leech from now on, Master!”

Lowell stared straight at me.

Huh? Was that not the answer he wanted?

“I don’t mean literally like a leech. I won’t be annoying or anything, so don’t worry—”

“Alright.”

At that moment, he smiled gently and warmly, just like usual.

“Shall we get going? We’ll fall behind.”

As I followed Lowell, I glanced down at my injured ankle.

Jerome’s touch brushing past it was still vivid in my mind. Seeing my leg perfectly fine, as if nothing had happened, gave me a strange feeling.

We moved to the place where we had defeated Brokshgal. Lowell tilted his head as he looked at the monster’s corpse.

“That’s strange. There have never been cases of a subterranean Brokshgal coming up to the surface.”

He turned his gaze toward me.

“You’re saying the Brokshgal followed you?”

“Y-Yes! It suddenly jumped out from behind just as I escaped the cave!”

I couldn’t exactly admit that I’d ridden it up, so I played dumb as best I could.

Fortunately, Lowell seemed to accept my explanation without suspicion.

“Let’s go into the cave and track it back.”

The group entered through the passage we’d come out of with Brokshgal.

Moving in a group really did make me feel safer.

With so many people to deal with monsters, I didn’t need to go around swinging a meat tenderizer anymore.

Then, a metallic stench of blood filled the air.

Sensing something amiss, the Imperial Knights and Jerome’s men took battle stances, staring into the darkness ahead.

That was when—

“Kieeeeeek!”

A horrifying monster’s screech echoed from within the cave. Just as the knights and soldiers drew their swords, something rolled across the ground with a heavy thud at their feet.

“…A wyvern’s head?”

Everyone’s gaze fell on the wyvern’s head rolling across the floor. After a brief silence, the darkness ahead slowly receded, revealing a familiar face.

“What is this, a club meeting or something?”

The Holy Knights, led by Theodore, appeared. Their swords were stained with what looked like wyvern blood.

At the sight of the Holy Knights, Lowell frowned.

“What are you doing here?”

“Investigating, as you can see.”

“This is a site discovered by Lady Aisha Amberveer of the Imperial family. Investigation rights belong to the Empire.”

“I discovered it with Aisha too, didn’t I?”

“Aisha?”

Lowell furrowed his brow again. Jerome, standing beside him, also twitched his eyebrows.

“I didn’t help just to show off, but I played my part in finding this cave. Right, Aisha?”

“Huh? Ah, yes.”

I nodded without thinking.

It wasn’t wrong. If not for Theodore, I’d have become wyvern food at the cave entrance long ago—or torn apart by Brokshgal.

“And if it weren’t for us, half the Imperial Knights would’ve been wiped out by basilisks. I think that gives us the right to investigate too. Don’t you?”

“Does the temple teach you to demand compensation when saving lives?”

At that moment, a brown-haired Holy Knight standing behind Theodore stepped forward aggressively.

“You’re not in a position to lecture us on temple doctrine. You’re a heretic. If anything, we’re the ones who should be offended.”

The brown-haired Holy Knight spat on Lowell’s robe.

Lowell didn’t flinch. He stared calmly and coldly at the man. The air around him seemed to grow colder.

Then, the Imperial Knight Commander stepped in front of Lowell, glaring down at the Holy Knight.

“Are you insulting the Imperial Knights right now?”

The cave filled with a tension even more suffocating than when we faced the basilisks.

“Alright, alright, everyone calm down.”

Theodore slipped between the three of them.

“Imperial authority, temple authority—it doesn’t matter. The ultimate reason we’re investigating is to protect the Empire’s safety, isn’t it?”

As he spoke, he wiped the spit off Lowell’s robe with his sleeve.

“We’re not trying to monopolize this place. Let’s work together to protect the people of the Empire.”

Lowell stared at Theodore in silence, then let out a low sigh.

“…Fine.”

“Hah, finally we’re speaking the same language.”

“However, refrain from actions that interfere with the investigation. In case of disagreement, the Imperial Knights’ judgment takes priority.”

“Of course.”

Theodore waved his hand dismissively and turned back toward the Holy Knights.

Lowell, still radiating a cold air, removed his robe and tossed it onto the ground.

Wait—he’s throwing that away?

A robe made of obviously high-quality fabric, embroidered with expensive gold thread?

Just because it got spit on? You could just wash that part.

“Master, are you really throwing that robe away?”

Lowell smiled gently.

“I should discard it before the temple’s stupidity rubs off on me.”

“B-But it’s perfectly fine…!”

“It’s just a robe. I can buy another.”

I stared at him, mouth agape.

Not valuing possessions at all. Must be living way too comfortably.

Maybe I should teach him Korea’s Anabada thrift spirit.

Still, it was strange. Normally calm and easygoing, Lowell always became sharp and hostile whenever the temple was involved.

He had said he used to be a priest.

There was no doubt he’d left the temple under bad circumstances. Otherwise, he wouldn’t react like this.

I wanted to ask what had happened, but now didn’t feel like the right time.

I quietly moved over to Theodore.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Theodore smiled brightly.

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

He swung his arms widely to show it.

Well, he’d rejoined the Holy Knights, so he must’ve received healing—and even taken down a wyvern.

Seeing him well put my mind at ease.

“How are things with the Archduke? Did my advice help?”

“Well… more or less?”

I shrugged.

I didn’t know if our relationship had really progressed, but thanks to him, I’d trained with Jerome. That meant Theodore’s advice had been useful, right?

“If it helped, then what do you mean ‘more or less’?”

“Actually, there’s something I’m curious about.”

I crooked my finger, gesturing for him to lean down. When Theodore bent closer, I stood on tiptoe and whispered into his ear.

“Why do Lowell and the temple hate each other so much?”

“Gah!”

Theodore jumped straight up.

His face turned red as he covered one ear and rubbed it vigorously.

“What? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

Theodore cleared his throat, and the redness slowly faded.

What was that about?

Why was he freaking out all by himself?

His expression soon returned to normal, but an awkward look lingered on his face.

“Well… it happened a long time ago. Before I was even born.”

He scratched his cheek and lowered himself to meet my eye level, then whispered in a low voice.

“Cyprian broke a sacred taboo during the holy war. That’s why he was excommunicated.”

“A taboo?”

“Yeah. And the most forbidden kind—black magic.”

Black magic.
Why wasn’t I even surprised?

If he could preserve people like taxidermy, why wouldn’t he use black magic?

But what Theodore said next was completely unexpected.

After checking their surroundings, he lowered his voice even further.

“He tried to bring the dead back to life.”