Chapter 1044

「Well, not as if they can help it. All of them are panicked after losing the Divine Sword Knight.」

「!」

Fran was stunned to hear Mea’s comment, followed by Sophie and Yagilale also dropping their jaws in surprise.

「Losing the Divine Sword Knight……? Eh? He’s really dead?」

「Are you certain about this?」

Adol seriously kicked the bucket? It’s true we haven’t seen him since the battle……

「I never said he was dead.」

「What? Then pick your words more carefully.」

Yeah, what Sophie said!

「Then what do you mean you by “lost”?」

「No one knows where he is, so he apparently ran off somewhere. Quina looked into the incident, so this news is credible.」

「What happened to the divine sword?」

「Seems like he didn’t take it with him. Stealing Alpha would mean getting hunted to the ends of the earth, so that was a wise decision. Though he appeared to be obedient, I’m sure he had a lot on his mind.」

「I see. Adol……」

Fran muttered with a complicated expression on her face.

To her, Adol was in a bit of a strange position. There was much she didn’t like about him, but he was also a comrade-in-arms who fought alongside her on the battlefield.

We heard about his involvement in Filuria’s backdoor deal regarding Sophie, but it’s hard to believe he played a major role in that conspiracy. Not that he wouldn’t do it, but rather, he wasn’t in a position where he could make deals with foreign entities.

I find it more plausible that Silard’s intelligence division or whatnot executed the scheme using the name of the Divine Sword Knight. Adol likely wasn’t the mastermind.

「So Silard inviting me so forcefully was……」

「To curry favor with their leaders. Simply returning home after letting the Divine Sword Knight escape must be incredibly terrifying. They have no clue what sort of punishment awaits them, so they are desperate to bring someone comparably strong back with them.」

They should have a replacement for Adol once they return, but that replacement wasn’t here with them. That’s why they had to approach Sophie and Fran on their own.

Especially for Sophie, since her identity as a divine sword wielder was definitely exposed by now.

Her solicitation must have been quite intense. It seems they tried to coerce her based on the secret agreement with the Medical Director.

「I would rather die in Gordicia than go to Silard!」

「In that case, why not visit our country?」

「Eh?」

Yagilale’s words caused Sophie to lose her voice. She probably didn’t expect another invitation right in the middle of her complaints about Silard’s invitation.

What’s more, now Mea joined in.

「Don’t forget the Beast Kingdom! Any divine sword wielder is more than welcome in my nation! Of course, along with the people of Nocta too!」

「Ah! Quite unfair, Nemea-sama! Segilusel would welcome her just as much!」

「Ummm?」

「We would never attempt to tie you up in some foolish contract, so please do not worry yourself too much. You see, as a servant of my nation, I am obligated to recruit any unaligned divine sword users I come across.」

「The same goes for me. I can confidently recommend Segilusel as a much better option than Silard.」

「We as well! The Beast Kingdom vastly exceeds Silard!」

Basically, they were informing Sophie that she could always come to them if she doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Even if she’s worrying about the fate of Nocta’s residents, consulting them would always be better than considering Silard.

「But Sophie, weren’t you previously a noble? I heard that your foster father was both a musician and a noble, which means your country of origin cannot be ignored.」

「That’s……」

It seems Mea only heard a portion of Sophie’s circumstances. She casually mentioned Sophie’s foster father.

However, she immediately understood her blunder from the look on Sophie’s face.

「No wait, I must have been mistaken. Indeed! Perhaps I was remembering the wrong person.」

Mea tried to cover for herself with terrible monotone acting. However, Sophie immediately shook her head and explained her entire situation. Perhaps she already overcame her old trauma.

「What you say is true. I can’t keep ignoring my foster father――」

The story she told us was almost identical to the one we heard before. A tale of love and spite, her complicated feelings for her foster father.

Even after hearing it the second time, it was a hard childhood. The same applies to Fran as well, but fate can be very cruel.

Mea was also at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Yagilale seemed to be thinking about something.

「You say that Robel Salas-dono was your foster father?」

「You know him?!」

「Indeed. He was rather famous on the continent of Capul.」

It seems his Kingdom of Segilusel was located in the northern part of Capul. The Jilbard Continent containing the Kingdom of Kranzel was to the west of Gordicia, whereas the Capul Continent was located on the opposite side to the east.

Sophie’s birthplace was also on the continent of Capul.

「My role as Knight Commander allowed me to hear many things about that incident. However, I am puzzled by the fact that your story differs so greatly from what I have heard.」

「What do you mean?」

「The death of Viscount Salas was publicly reported as him falling in battle while eliminating a band of bandits.」

「Eliminating… bandits?」

「Yes.」

Sophie had told us her foster father ordered a band of mercenaries to attack the village where she was born, and slaughter her family.

But according to Yagilale, Viscount Salas led a criminal slave squadron to drive off a band of bandits who had occupied a village. They succeeded at the cost of losing their lives, and even the viscount himself was slain.

「That is how it was reported in our country.」

「No…… But that’s……」

Sophie stared at Yagilale in confusion. She didn’t know how to react after the existence of the tragedy she experienced was completely denied.

「We are in an alliance with his home country, so our men joined in the investigation as well. I believe there can be no mistake.」

「Then what happened to the village of my birth? Where did my mom, dad, and sister go? Were those bandits my parents? Or was it all a lie? What’s…… even true anymore?」

「I am very sorry. It seems I have only caused you more confusion. However, allow me to say one thing. While Salas-dono was a music fanatic, I do not believe he would perform evil. Perhaps he was simply acting to force a situation where you would experience powerful emotions?」

「T-Then I killed my foster father for――」

Sophie choked on her words and fell to the ground abruptly, mumbling something while staring blankly.

「Sophie, are you okay?」

「Fran……」

「Sophie, was your foster father happy in his final moments?」

「Mea, what are you……?」

「He had little time left to live, and died listening to the ultimate music. Maybe it’s what he would have wanted.」

「No way! No, that’s not……」

Sophie attempted to refute Mea, but her words lost their vigor. Somewhere deep down, she might have been convinced. Based on what I’ve heard of this Viscount Salas guy’s personality, seems like something he might do.

「First, I have to find out how much of this is true.」

「Please allow me to assist you.」

「Thank you, Yagilale.」

「Sophie, I’m happy for you.」

「Eh, Fran?」

「Your mom and dad might still be alive.」

「…! You’re right! You’re absolutely right……」

Fran’s parents were already lost, so her words had a different weight behind them. Sophie’s eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded her head with a complicated mix of emotions.