Chapter 35 / Mysterious Vixen

The gentle bumps of the carriage's wheels were the most noise they've heard the entire trip, besides the idle small talk the group had with each other. Naofumi was very relieved to hear Ren's active voice after feeling like he was quiet for so long, so he knew that concerning Ren's problems, they were largely dealt with. However, they couldn't forget the main reason for their current trip.

"Is that the place?"

Eclair glanced down at the map from Motoyasu's question. "It seems to be it. If anything, the surroundings appear to be somewhat familiar, but I can't affirm anything for certain."

Naofumi dipped his head over to see the town. It didn't look like anything special, being in a backwater atmosphere, but perhaps that was the type of setting that they needed after escaping the grasp of the Three Heroes Church. He wouldn't oppose it after what they've been through.

"Let's hope it is. I don't want to be bringing people more trouble than we've already caused."

"We would advise you to wait outside the town's perimeters for a moment."

"Huh? Wait, who said that—?"

Naofumi turned around to see that a shadow had invited themselves onto the carriage. Of course, he felt like his heart was about to stop as he jumped in his place while Itsuki looked pale from the surprise visit. Raphtalia would have been scared as well, if not for Rishia's screaming to somehow calm her down.

"What's going on back there!?" Motoyasu asked, stopping the carriage.

"Hmm? It's nothing," Ren sighed. "It's just one of the queen's shadows."

"Y-You already noticed them first!?" Itsuki stammered. "You could have given us the heads up!"

"When did we pick up one of the queen's shadows?" Eclair asked.

"They came onto the carriage a minute ago," Ren answered. "Sakura isn't exactly pulling the cart quickly, so they were able to catch up and enter the carriage through the back."

"What was it you were mentioning?" Raphtalia asked the shadow, trying to get the topic back on track. "You wanted us to wait outside of the town?"

"Another shadow has already been sent out to meet up with the governor. He will be on his way shortly to meet all of you and personally escort you into the town. We will ask you to leave your carriage here, such that he can bring everyone into his own."

Sakura whimpered. "But Sakura doesn't want to leave the carriage here…"

"Fear not, it is only temporary," the shadow responded. "I will be assuming that the governor will have the carriage brought to his residence through other means."

"Sakura… doesn't want anybody else to be pulling the carriage…"

"Don't worry, Sakura." Motoyasu reached out to pat her head. "It will only be for a short moment and it's important for us to get inside the town as smoothly as possible. I need to ask you to withstand it for a little while. Once we can get the carriage back, why don't we clean it in full?"

Sakura hummed before reluctantly sighing. "Okayyy…"

"It does sound like a better strategy," Eclair said. "We wouldn't want too many eyes on ourselves, so this would be the safer approach. The governor may be alright with assisting us through the queen's command, but that doesn't mean their residents will think the same way."

"Or even the people who simply pass by, like merchants or adventurers," Ren added on.

Motoyasu brought the carriage over to the side of the road, tucking themselves near some foliage. In that position, they were unseen to those on the main path, except for those who were already aware of their presence. The shadow promptly departed to parse their location to the governor as Motoyasu got Sakura off her reines and had her transform back to her human form.

It didn't take much longer for another carriage to arrive.

Compared to theirs, it looked far more refined. It was the visual definition of high-class and while they were already assuming their visitor to be the intended one, it didn't hurt to still be wary. However, once the door was opened for its passenger, Eclair held out her hand to tell the others to be at ease.

It was exactly the person they were looking for.

"It's a pleasure to be meeting with you, Governor Reichnott."

The tall man stepped forward to the call of his name. His blush ravenish hair matched well with the dark blue overcoat he draped himself with, tucking away his arms from clear sight. He looked rather delicate for a governor, being considerably slim, but he still wore a gentle smile on his face.

"No, it's my honor to be helping out the Cardinal Heroes however I can, though I could only have wished for my meeting with them to have been under less dire circumstances."

He raised his hand out from his coat, pressing it against his chest.

"My name is Van Reichnott. I'm the governor of this territory and I've received communications from the queen to help hide your presence until further notice. There are some things that need to be discussed about, but I shall leave that for once I have brought you to my residence."

"Right to the point," Motoyasu chuckled.

"I'm assuming that she hasn't said anything to you other than to meet up with me?"

"That would be correct," Eclair answered.

"I thought as much. The queen is very picky with the type of information that she provides to others and more importantly, when it is the right time for somebody to know of such things. On top of what is happening on the continental stage, she has far too much to track, but she still manages."

"That's nothing short of a miracle that things are working out for her," Naofumi gasped.

"No, I wouldn't call it that," Eclair interjected. "She wouldn't rely on miracles or luck to make her vision work. All of what she does is calculated to the best of her ability and she goes ahead with whatever suits the situation more."

"Limiting information to certain people is a method of controlling them," Itsuki murmured. "It's slightly annoying from our end, but it's not like I don't understand her intentions behind them."

Reichnott beckoned for the group to enter the carriage.

"Now then, we should be heading off. I do not wish for you folks to be seen here any longer."

"Just one moment."

Ren raised his hand as everyone was already taking their steps.

"I don't want to be the one to be asking this, but no matter how you look at it, you're risking yourself in order to help us out. After all, you must have heard about what's happening with the Cardinal Heroes concerning what the capital believes, right?"

Raphtalia tilted her head. "Mister Ren? What are you trying to ask?"

"What I mean is…" Ren held his arm. He wanted to try keeping a casual conversation, but it wasn't as easy as he thought. He started off well, but ended up defaulting to a cold shoulder. "Look, let me be blunt. What are you getting out of this? You must have some reward waiting for you."

Reichnott softly laughed, but he was obviously amused. There wasn't any sense of malice or negativity in his tone, nor did he even sound offended by Ren's inquiry.

"I don't doubt that you might have your skepticism, but I'm helping you out because I have favors that I owe the queen. Over the years, she's been quite the helpful hand for me, so this is the least I can do to repay here. Though, even if I didn't owe her anything, I share the same vision of this country's future as her. Or at least, one of such visions, as far as I can tell."

"I mean, Lord Reichnott was friends with Eclair's father, right?" Rishia asked. "If Eclair's father was a good person, that probably extends to Lord Reichott as well."

"Eclair…? You mean to say that…"

Reichnott glanced over to the former knight, briefly studying her face.

"Oh my. So you're Seaetto's daughter. I didn't recognize you, since it's been quite some time."

"Please do not worry about that, Governor Reichnott. I'd worry more about getting the Cardinal Heroes into your safety as soon as possible. Everything else should come secondary."

"Spoken with confidence and diligence, just like your father."

Reichnott allowed for everyone to get onto the carriage, but he stood outside with a wryly laugh over his misplanning. The carriage was a little smaller than expected, so Eclair decided to sit at the front with Reichnott. Of course, she was provided with an extra suit of armor and a helmet that Ren apparently still had in his inventory and she was prompted to return it when they arrived at their destination.

"It's a shame as to what happened to him," Reichnott continued, approaching Eclair. His tone became somber and soft. "I trust that you already know the news?"

"Of course, but I wasn't able to see his funeral due to unfortunate circumstances. With how deep the hole goes, I wouldn't be surprised if the Three Heroes Church had some influence over what happened, but I feel that may be some biased speculation."

Eclair bit her lips to prevent herself from saying any further than that. It wasn't exactly her place to be showing her problems when she was the one to say that they should tend to hide the Cardinal Heroes first and foremost. She went on to change the subject.

"In any case, I haven't heard much about my father's territory as of late, as you may have expected. Have you caught any news concerning it, Governor Reichnott?"

"Even I don't know what is to come for the territory that he used to reign over."

Reichnott let out a frustrated sigh as he walked over to the front of the carriage with Eclair.

"When we received the message to come help out, I feared that it was already far too late. We arrived as soon as we could to search for survivors and relay post-wave assistance, but my guards couldn't find anyone. Since then, I haven't heard about the king establishing a new governor in that territory, but considering that it no longer holds any significant number of citizens, perhaps it is not something that he is being pressured to do."

Eclair's eyes casted down slightly. "I… I figured that might have been the case…"

"Let us not dwell too much on that past." Reichnott tapped on Eclair's shoulder gently. "I know as it stands now, your father would be proud of what you're doing today. There is no greater honor than helping the Cardinal Heroes and always being by their side when they're in a position most vulnerable."

Eclair glanced back towards Naofumi and the others.

"I sure hope that it will all be worth it by the end."

Once Reichnott and Eclair got on at the front, the carriage moved onwards towards the village.

-/IV/-

As they passed the guards without any problems, the carriage was pulled through the town at a brisk pace. Aside from its quiet nature, Raphtalia noticed something was evidently different than all of the other towns they've been to.

"There are a lot of demi-humans here…"

Rishia glanced out the window with her. "They look like they're adventurers with all the equipment they have on themselves."

Since there was an open window between them and the driver's coach, Reichnott could hear their comments. "Of course. This is a protected territory for demi-humans, after all. It's also one of the places in Melromarc that has an adventurer's guild, so within that overlap, it's not very surprising that demi-humans keep their base of operations within my territory if they wish to live as an adventurer."

"Huh? Protected territory?" Itsuki raised his eyebrow. "What's this about protected territory?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like," Rishia answered, but stammered a bit in the process. "W-Well, I guess it's not as straight-forward on its lonesome, but a protected territory is a place that ensures the protection of demi-humans. It's a bit of a safe haven for them."

"My father was once a governor that had protected territory to his name," Eclair added. "I remembered as a child that he would constantly frequent the few villages within his perimeter to make reports and send them off to the queen, as well as the normal duties of a governor."

"Indeed, that is what the job entails," Reichnott answered. "The queen had been the one to set up these territories in the first place, so it's only apparent that she would want constant updates." He then pressed his hand against his chin. "Although, our reports are mandated to go to the castle. I do not believe that anyone is reading our reports as of now, if the king would be setting them aside."

"Wait, that doesn't make sense," Itsuki frowned. "If a protected territory is meant to stop demi-humans into being brought to harm's way, why isn't this something country-wide, but only in certain places in Melromarc? From the sounds of it, the queen has the power to do so."

"It's not as simple as it seems."

"The protected territories were a product of the Siltvelt War, right?" Rishia asked. "If that's the case, then I can imagine all sort of negotiations that took place in between its end and the present, concerning what these protected territories are meant for in the long run."

"Siltvelt…?" Ren narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that another country…?"

"Siltvelt is… kinda like the opposite of Melromarc, in a way?" Rishia filled in. "I mean, if I had to put it as bluntly as I could, Siltvelt is a country that discriminates against humans as much as Melromarc discriminates against demi-humans. It's a country that's mostly populated by demi-humans, compared to Melromarc's majority population of humans."

Rishia hesitated, trying to word it as carefully as possible.

"And, well, uhm, I guess you can assume what happened by its name of the Siltvelt War. Melroarc and its allies were the ones to come out victorious though, but there were some issues that still came out of such an ending."

"The reason why the queen can't simply convert the entire country into being harmless to demi-humans is because of Siltvelt's situation at the end of the war," Eclair continued. "I'm not very well-versed in those politics, but from what I can gather, it's similar to a balancing scale. While we have protected land for demi-humans, Siltvelt has protected territories for humans as well, so they're gradually trying to leverage as much as they can without giving the other country the advantage."

"That's not the entire reason, though it's not a bad way to view that issue."

Reichnott sighed, glancing at some of the passing adventurers.

"We have the presence of the Three Heroes Church, not to mention the ingrained discrimination that some people have against demi-humans. That was only heightened due to the Siltvelt War in the country's recent memories. If the queen were to convert our country to be welcoming to demi-humans, you can imagine that it wouldn't go well."

"I remember hearing about some of the turmoil that happened from my parents, simply on producing these protected territories in the first place," Rishia whimpered, "and at the beginning, there were only so few accepting governors of the plan before the queen could expand the idea further."

"Nothing on such a large-scale can happen overnight," Reichnott said. "At least, when it comes to peaceful endeavors, that is. It takes time to build a house, but only a few hours to have it destroyed."

"But turmoils? Considering what the Three Heroes Church tried to pull over Naofumi's head," Itsuki grunted, crossing his arms, "I'd expect something greater than a turmoil."

"The queen wanted peace, so while she placed her own selected governors to reside in some territories, she had to provide some other territories to the hands of the Three Heroes Church."

"Huh!? Why would she do that!?"

Itsuki thought back to both governors he had fought already, both Errnthon and Rabier. They were aligned with the Church and their attitudes reeked of it, but for someone who wanted to give demi-human some freedom for themselves, he couldn't fathom the queen's thought process.

"It was because the Three Heroes Church lent significant leverage for Melromarc's forces to fight back against Siltvelt. It is not unreasonable to believe that without their forces, we would have suffered far more casualties and defeats before seeking out a victory, if there would be one. Regardless of what they believed, they had the right for those positions."

Reichnott leaned back into his seat, glancing through the window.

"In fact, most of the current governors were those that participated in the Siltvelt War but regardless if they're aligned with the Church or not, most of them came to despise demi-humans as a result of what they experienced during the aforementioned war."

"So the governors are mostly strong, huh?" Ren pondered, thinking back to the blown-up wall of manor in Errnthon. "If his opponent wasn't Itsuki, the governor of Errnthon would have completely killed his enemy with that magic spell of his."

"Putting tangents aside for now," Reichnott continued, "you won't need to be worried about the Three Heroes Church here. Since this is protected territory, the Three Heroes Church has absolutely no influence here, but that is not to say that they cannot enter through quiet means."

Reichnott looked back to the front, seeing that his home was steadily approaching in his vision.

"That is why once we come into my residence, I'd like to ask everyone to stay within those walls until further notice. If you need something on the outside, please alert one of my staff. They will be pleased to serve the Cardinal Heroes and their companions."

"What about our grinding?" Ren asked. "We still need to progress in our levels."

"Actually…" Naofumi pondered a bit. "Do we really need to grind anymore…?"

"Of course we do."

"I mean, obviously, I'm not saying we should stop, but for the time being, we're already very strong as it is, thanks to the strengthening methods. And it's not as if we're running low on materials in our inventories, right? Maybe this is a good time to lay low and not grind."

"Hmm…"

"Well, if we can keep ourselves hidden from the Three Heroes Church under any circumstance," Raphtalia added, "I think Master Naofumi has the right idea. Everyone else is already restricted by the level cap, so there's no reason for Miss Eclair, Sakura and I to go out to grind either. Though, Rishia still hasn't reached that point yet."

"I-I-I'm fine! Please, no need to consider me for leveling issues!"

Ren held his arms together. "Well, you do have a point..."

"I'm glad that you see it my way," Reichnott chuckled.

Once they arrived within the manor's grounds, the carriage was brought around to the back where no stray eyes could catch them through the barred gateway. One by one, they climbed out and quickly made their way into the building.

The interior of the manor had the character as the town itself. It wasn't extremely extravagant, only bearing landscape portraits as the hallway decorations. Other than that though, it still retained its elegant atmosphere through a clean and tidy environment.

Reichnott led the group into the dining room as their first stop.

"Beforehand, let me give you the opportunity to rest up. I heard from the queen's shadows about your incident in Riyute, so you must have been going for a few days without stopping much."

"Sakura doesn't feel tired though!" Sakura pumped her fist up with energy. "Sakura liked pulling the cart, so it worked out! Daddy always made sure Sakura had enough food for the trip too!"

Eclair panned her empty gaze to Reichnott.

"The shadows did tell you about—?"

"I am aware that she is a filolial, yes," Reichnott smiled. "There is no need to fret over that potential misunderstanding, not that I would be one to jump to conclusions."

Relief rushed through Eclair.

After a moment, food was being brought out to the group. It was laid out almost like a buffet, causing everyone to focus on Motoyasu to control Sakura a bit during the meal. She didn't have the best table manners, since they were constantly on the road, so Motoyasu simply took the time to teach Sakura how to use utensils as a means to distract her for a bit as everyone scrambled to get some of their share.

Reichnott didn't join them, merely standing off to watch the outside scenery through the window.

"I know it might be bad manners and all," Naofumi said, calling out to the governor, "but maybe we should go over the current situation over our meal. I'd like to know what the queen wants from us in staying within Melromarc's borders in the first place."

"We were already pretty close to the border until that shadow stopped us," Ren thought aloud. "It better be for a really good reason if it's making us move away from our exit point."

"If you want an answer to that, I unfortunately cannot provide you with one."

"Hold on. What do you mean by that?"

Reichnott kept his gaze to the window steady and unfaltering.

"The queen did not tell me the end goal of keeping the Cardinal Heroes within Melromarc. If it were up to me, I would have assumed that the quickest way to resolve this situation is to have the Cardinal Heroes meet up with the queen as quickly as possible, but…"

"So the queen didn't even tell you either," Ren realized. "She simply told you what it is that you needed to do in the moment and that was it."

"That would be correct." Reichnott looked over his shoulder to the table. "It's not as if I don't trust her orders, but it wouldn't be a lie to say that I wonder what she is planning, especially with the situation of the Three Heroes Church spiraling further out of control by the passing days."

"And do we want to know what's been going on with them…?" Motoyasu asked skeptically..

"I don't know…" Rishia whimpered. "It does sound like bad news is about to drop on us…"

"We have good food, so it can't be too bad," Sakura sang.

"That's not how…" Ren grumbled. "Ugh, never mind…"

"You've encountered the Three Heroes Church within Riyute, correct?" Reichnott continued. "Well, that's simply a piece of what's been happening around the country. Due to the concerns of the Cardinal Heroes going rogue, the Three Heroes Church was able to quickly expand themselves throughout the country in order to be the saving light to fight back against the supposed demons."

"They were taking over Riyute…?" Eclair gasped. "No, that shouldn't be possible. Riyute's mayor is grateful for what the Cardinal Heroes have done, so there shouldn't be a reason why he would allow such an influence to consume his town."

"Do you think he had a choice in the matter?"

"... The wave of destruction," Naofumi realized. "We might have been able to save their people, but their homes and land were still destroyed in the process. All the money they've made from our efforts in bringing their economy back had just dropped back down in the red. They needed some form of insurance in order to get back to their normal lives."

"Don't forget that it's no secret that we personally helped out Riyute," Itsuki added, pointing a fork at his friend. "There might have been so little ground for the mayor to stand on, being afraid of an incident similar to Lerno if they refused to believe in the Church's claims. Even if he wasn't aware of Lerno's attempted subjugation, it wouldn't take that much reasoning to believe the Church would act like that if they refused the assistance."

"Wait," Raphtalia voiced herself, "but Riyute could easily stand back onto its own two feet, even without any external help. They're strong-minded people! They might owe a few debts here and there by the end of it, but it's nothing they can't work out of, thanks to their mining economy."

"And that's what the Church likely believed too, so that they don't need to invest as much," Naofumi deduced. "Why take a territory that might become a burden when they could easily take a territory that can already be self-sufficient? And as Itsuki explained, they can't refuse or else they can be treated as folks that were brainwashed."

"That's just a theory though," Ren added. "We don't know for sure the full extent of their plans in Riyute was, and for that matter, Lerno as well. They might have more plans, other than that, so we can't assume they were simply looking for more territory and leave it at that."

"Even so, many other territories have been complying with the Three Heroes Church in fear of the Cardinal Heroes," Reichnott explained, holding his hand against the window. "There's only a small handful from what I've gathered that avoided any partnership. It is not by coincidence that most of these governors are in charge of protected territories and are allied with the queen's interest."

"Given the thesis of the Church," Itsuki groaned, pushing the food on his plate a little, "those governors can't ally themselves with those bastards because the Church despises demi-humans."

"So while the Three Heroes Church is doing this," Ren pondered, "what is it that we'll be doing? From how it's sounding, we're in a bad position in terms of influence. Every moment, we're losing ground against their efforts, so surely, we can't be staying idle like this."

"... Hmm."

For a brief moment, Reichnott was silent, as if he was holding back his words.

The body language was enough for Ren to predict the answer, making him widen his eyes first.

"Wait, what…!?"

Reichnott slowly turned around, forcing a smile.

"Unfortunately, that's the order I've received from her."

Itsuki was the one to stand up, slamming his hands on the table. It was so forceful, it made most of the plates around him bounce up. Everyone else merely stared at Reichnott in disbelief.

"You can't be serious!" Itsuki shouted. "Even if we're powerful, we're still at a disadvantage when it comes to our public appearance! We can't stay here the entire time! We have to do something!"

"As it may be frustrating, the queen has demanded that the Cardinal Heroes stay put in a safe location. That is, until an envoy arrives. Even I am unsure as to whom it may be, or what the following instructions after the meet-up would be, but I am here to do what I am told to do. That is to keep the Cardinal Heroes safe from any eyes that might want to do harm against them."

Eclair crossed her arms as Ren tugged on Itsuki to sit back down.

"Even though I trust the queen, I can't tell what must be going through her mind."

"I can sympathize with that feeling, but she knows how to play with the hand she's been dealt. She must have a grand scheme of some kind, if you're willing for me to call it as such."

Reichnott walked over to the table, placing a hand as if to hold his balance.

"But I believe in the queen's ambitions. I know that if we follow her instructions as they are, she will surely find a way for the Cardinal Heroes to have their names cleared from the propaganda."

Itsuki sighed, relaxing back into his seat as he hastily finished up the rest of his food.

"You two..." Itsuki rested forward on the table, looking between Eclair and Reichnott. "You two believe quite deeply in the queen. I have to wonder what type of person she is, especially if she's married to someone like the stupid king and conceived a daughter like that lying bitch."

Eclair and Reichnott both looked at each other before averting their eyes. An awkward atmosphere stirred up as it looked like the two of them were having difficulties putting it into proper words. It caused everyone else to sweat in anticipation of what they were going to say.

"To put it as formally as possible…"

"... I'd say, fierce? No, perhaps passionate might be a better description."

"I would agree on that, but…"

"I dare say it might not paint the entire picture."

The two of them shared a glance once again before sharing the same thought aloud.

""You'll figure it out once you meet her.""

Itsuki slammed the table once again, this time out of exasperation.

"There is absolutely no assurance in that sentence! Why do I feel fear!?"

"Stop slamming the table!" Ren growled.

"I apologize for the vagueness, Sir Itsuki. It's the only thing I can say about the queen."

"In any case, I'll leave everyone to finish up your food. I'd rather not spoil your appetite with any further conversation on this topic, especially when there isn't anything substantial left to speak of."

Reichnott started leaving the room, possibly to do his own work. After all, he was still a governor with a job to do. He looked quite diligent, so the territory must be cared for very well.

"Once you're done, my staff will guide you to the rooms you will be using for the duration of your stay. If you need some fresh air, the back garden area is protected from any possible eyes, so you may take your strolls there, but please do not use the front entrance unless explicitly told. Feel free to use my home as if it was yours otherwise. Any further questions, you may come to ask me."

Reichnott left his usual smile to them.

"I'd be happy to personally answer any of your concerns."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Governor Reichnott," Eclair said.

"No need to thank me for something that needs to be done."

He nodded before stepping out, leaving everyone else to finish their meals.

-/IV/-

"Daddy! Sakura wants to go look around the house!"

"No problem! Just give me a second and we'll be off!"

Once everyone settled down in their room an hour later, Sakura's energy picked up again. After making sure her carriage was within the manor's premise, only hidden within a side building meant for storage purposes, she was pulling on Motoyasu to escort her through the building on an impromptu tour of the place. Being unable to refuse her, Motoyasu was swept along by the young girl's wishes.

"Can we go ahead and clean the carriage once we're done looking around?"

"We might have to ask one of the staff if they've got anything for the job first."

"Okay, let's go!"

Sightseeing might have become something Sakura ended up liking thanks to how much Motoyasu took her out when they arrived to new towns, but it might have simply been the fact that it was an excuse for Sakura to spend time with her father. She looked the happiest by his side, after all.

With those two out of the way though, Naofumi found himself scratching his own fingernails with a deep stare at it. Raphtalia had happened to notice, reaching out to him.

"Master Naofumi? Is your mind still on what was talked about with Governor Reichnott?"

"A bit. I'm trying to wrap my head around something I just noticed." Naofumi lowered his hand and glanced out the window. "There's an inherent mystery concerning the queen's current plan. Because we don't have the full picture yet, it only becomes more puzzling the more I think about it."

"You noticed it as well?" Ren asked, raising his eyebrow.

"The queen's current plan," Rishia reviewed, "was to have an envoy sent to us. An envoy for…" Rishia then realized what the two heroes were going on about. "Wait, sending an envoy for what reason?"

"If the envoy was meant to bring us to the queen, why not simply allow us to come directly to her ourselves?" Naofumi pondered. "That's the part I don't understand."

"Is there another location that the queen would want us to come to?" Raphtalia asked openly. "Or perhaps the envoy is meant to deliver the next instructions?"

"If so, why not simply send the message through a shadow, as she did with redirecting us to Reichnott and with Reichnott to take us in?" Ren followed up, frowning as he sank deeper into thought. "Something isn't adding up here if she's trying to have our names cleared up."

"We lack insight," Eclair merely stated. "That is all there is to it."

"That's not it. Now that I think about the roundabout way she's doing things, it's like…"

Ren narrowed his eyes.

"... she's trying to achieve something else at the same time."

"What would that be?" Raphtalia asked.

"I can't even begin to grasp what that could be. I don't even know her at all, but the mannerism that she carries out makes it difficult to get a good feeling of her character."

"That does seem like the queen," Eclair commented. "She wouldn't waste a single opportunity for a plan, even if it's for a small advantage. There's a reason why she is known as the Vixen of Melromarc."

"Vixen… of Melromarc?" Naofumi repeated.

The more the heroes thought about what type of person the queen could be, the less they wanted an actual answer. Whoever this queen was, she was someone that one shouldn't make as an enemy and that thought alone was frankly frightening. Even if they were strong, it felt like she would have been able to take them down without needing to use the battlefield.

"Well, nothing we can do about it, even if we wanted to do so," Ren sighed. "At this point, we're already playing within the queen's hand, so we might as well make the most of what we can do. The nickname of a vixen sure does fit her though, from what little we've experienced already."

"If that's the case…" Eclair picked up a wooden sword and beckoned for the other two sword wielders to come with her. "Why don't we put in some exercise and drills? As Governor Reichnott said, we're still allowed to head to the garden and that's quite the open area for us to do some training."

"Oh, allow me to join in once again," Raphtalia said. "If Sir Ren is coming with us, we might be able to do some of the other exercises that you were talking about a few sessions ago."

Ren traced his fingers onto the handle of his sword. His mind had already come to terms with it, but his body refused to listen. It would still take some time for him to get back into fighting form, but taking an extended break wasn't a bad idea.

"I'll simply watch. That'll be enough for me," Ren responded, letting go of his sword. He glanced over to Raphtalia. "Sorry about that. Whatever training you were thinking about, that might have to wait for a bit longer."

"That's fine, Mister Ren. It's better if you take care of yourself first before anything else."

"Maybe I'll join as a spectator too," Itsuki chuckled. "I haven't personally seen how Eclair and Raphtalia trained together yet, so maybe I could pick up some tips as well!"

"Would you like to join us as well, Lady Rishia?" Eclair asked.

"I, uhm…"

Rishia hadn't been too fond of whatever training Eclair was going to lead for Raphtalia and Ren, mostly because she was rather afraid that Eclair might end up roping her into something that could be far too intense for her liking. She was already thrown to the frontlines against her will for the sake of honing her senses, according to Eclair, so getting some relaxation was what she ultimately wanted.

"Maybe I'll go on a walk around the manor like Motoyasu and Sakura…?"

"Are you sure? Training might be helpful when you're—"

"N-n-no, no, no, I'm fine, thank you very much!"

Rishia started bowing profusely.

"If you say so…" Eclair then turned to the remaining hero. "And you, Sir Naofumi?"

"Actually, I might head to the kitchen. The meal that was delivered to us was pretty good, so I want to see if I can talk to the chef that made it. I can probably recreate it through trial and error, but if the source of the recipe is right there, it's far easier to go see it for myself."

"Yeah, that sounds just like you," Itsuki smirked. "Save us a few bites, alright? I have a feeling you're not going for just the recipe, but putting it into practice immediately!"

Naofumi chuckled. "I'll see what I can do."

"I guess everyone has plans now," Raphtalia smiled. "This makes it easier for everyone to find anyone else if something happens."

"Don't you think we're relaxing a bit too much?" Ren groaned. "We're basically making this our home at this rate."

"I think we deserve it," Raphtalia answered. "Everyone's been working really hard lately and went through some serious things, so it's not wrong for there to be a time to cool down."

"You're really starting to sound like Naofumi," Itsuki smirked. "Spending too much time together or something?"

Raphtalia blushed. "N-no, that's not what I was trying to—"

Naofumi scratched his head. "Hey, that's, uhm, not really—"

"It's not a bad thing, you know," Ren joined in. "If you need some more alone time together with Naofumi, you've got our blessings, Raphtalia."

"Y-Your blessings!?"

"P-Please stop with that, you guys…"

"Well, she does spend a lot of time with Sir Naofumi," Eclair responded straightly, "so it wouldn't be too unrealistic for Lady Raphtalia to develop some of his habits. I can definitely see that aspect shine brightly between the four heroes, after all."

"..."

"..."

"... Hmm? Is there something wrong, you two?"

Both Ren and Itsuki silently gazed at Eclair. As per usual on such a subject matter, she completely missed the entire situation and charged straight through with technicalities to disrupt the mood. They were alright with leaving it the banter where it was, but they both had to agree on one thing.

"Nah, it's nothing."

"It's whatever."

"Why are you acting like I said something bad then?"

Eclair needed to focus on anything else that wasn't her job or her training.

-/IV/-

Everyone went their separate ways, leaving Rishia to wander the hallways by herself. She remembered that as a child, her family actually had a similar looking manor, but due to the complications, they had to basically abandon it for a farmhouse before any real memories could settle in for her childhood. It didn't affect how her parents planned on raising her though and she went on to continue her life as it was, but from thinking about all of that, she wondered how her parents might be feeling now.

Although they knew she was with the Cardinal Heroes, it didn't change the fact that they were marked as an enemy to the country and that she was accompanying such a branded group. They sent her off with such enthusiasm, but it might have been a way to cover up their worries and doubts. There was no doubt that things would only escalate from here on out and she was already on the edge of her usefulness to the group.

After all, she was down for the entirety of their charge through Riyute and that wasn't even from encountering any knights. When it would come to a real fight, she wondered what it was that she was going to do in order to pull up her own weight. Her legs were already shaking, simply thinking about needing to fight against a holy knight, even if she was by Itsuki's side.

"Fuee… Maybe I am out of my league here…"

She kept walking until she found herself next to an elaborate door. It looked far different compared to the other doors in the hallway, so it made her a bit curious. The plaque on the side said it was a library and that alone built up more interest within her. Whenever she felt nervous or bothered by something, a good book never failed to calm her down. It's one of the few things she wished she brought along with her when she first accompanied the heroes, but considering how she went being held captive to joining them without a break in between, there wasn't much she could have done.

Now that the opportunity presented itself, maybe she might use the time to find a good book to dig into. Reichnott did say that they could use his home as if it were their own and Rishia did read whenever she had free time to herself when she was still with her parents. She would love to be a bit more relaxed than whatever state she was in right now. She knew if she hadn't been distracted, she was going to start spiraling into self-deprecating thoughts.

"E-Excuse me for coming in…"

Despite there not being anyone in the library, Rishia still felt the need to call out, just in case.

There must have been hundreds upon hundreds of books within Reichnott's library. Perhaps it might have been more reasonable to scale it by the thousands. Taking time to look at the arrays of spines, Rishia could recognize that it hadn't simply been in the one language of Melromarc. There were books hailing from Zeltoble, Shieldfreedan, Siltvelt and places in between. Simply on looking as if she was window-shopping, she must have spent a bit of time browsing around.

Although it wasn't comparable to the academies' library in Faulbrey, the ratio of books to people present had been hugely swayed in the opposite direction. She wouldn't believe it if she was told that this collection was within the private use of a single person.

"It's incredible…"

"Indeed, but I do have to admit I have quite a hoarding problem…"

"I wouldn't say it's hoarding, but—hmm? Fueh!?"

Rishia heard a sudden voice behind her and before she could register who it was, she turned around and spooked herself from the looming figure. She screamed of a fright, flying backwards onto the ground as the gentle governor was a bit taken back by the girl's reaction.

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

Reichnott offered a hand to get Rishia back on her feet, but the trembling in her legs wouldn't stop. Thankfully, there was a nearby chair, so she stumbled over before she could tumble over again.

"I tend to have little presence when moving around. That wouldn't be the first time I've accidentally scared someone by coming up to them like that."

"F-Fuee…"

"I was simply curious who had been using the library." Reichnott pointed to the entrance. "The doors were left open, after all. In that regard though, I see you have quite the interest in my selection of books. They're all books that I've collected over the many years. Most governors might spend their personal wealth elsewhere, but this is where I choose to spend mine."

"I don't even think they sell half of your collection in Melromarc."

"They don't. I've traveled around on occasions, sometimes on business and sometimes to visit. I made it a habit that for every new town I arrive in, I make sure I pick up a few books to bring back home." Reichnott glanced over to his books, taking one out for display, before wryly laughing as if he was caught red-handed. "Maybe in reality, it's more like fifty per new town I arrive in. I should probably stop soon, due to the lack of time I have to read any of these."

Rishia started to believe that this book-collecting business was less of a hobby for Reichnott and more like an addiction. Reichnott noticed the dazed reaction and answered with a wryly chuckle.

"Are you interested in a particular book? I could perhaps help give you what you need."

"N-No, thank you. I'm only browsing around to see what catches my interest…"

"Ah, a kindred spirit. I understand that feeling deeply." Reichnott turned away towards the door. "I'll leave you to yourself, but before I depart, could you make my job easier?"

"Your job?"

"Would you know where Eclair is? I have some matters to discuss with her."

"Oh, she should be in the garden, guiding some training with the others."

"That's perfect. I appreciate the help."

As Reichnott started to leave, the inquiry of finding a particular book ran back into her mind. Of course, she answered her defaulted response, trying to get herself back to the books, but an image ran before her eyes as a blinking memory. In fact, there might have actually been a particular book that she wanted to come across. After all, their objective hadn't been Faulbrey anymore, so she wouldn't have any other opportunity to search for it.

"U-Uhm, a-actually…"

"Hmm? Yes?"

"Could you show me where all of the books on artworks from Faulbrey are?"

"Of course. They're right down that aisle towards the end."

"Th-Thank you!"

"Please do not forget to put the books back exactly where you found them."

Rishia stood up and bowed as Reichnott left the room, closing the door behind him.

Once she was alone, she walked over to where she was directed to and noticed that Reichnott must have had about a hundred books that fit the filters that she was looking for. However, it might have been difficult to judge if a book had what she was looking for, merely based on the title, so she might have to do it the old-fashioned way.

"At least this is going to give me something to do…"

She started off with taking three from the shelf and brought them over to a table.

Rishia then closed her eyes to try and remember that night.

The image of Ren approaching her with a certain book in hand, showing her the mysterious page of a turtle monster depicted onto it. She knew that painting existed somewhere, but it pained her to realize that its subject had slipped her mind, so she wanted to rectify it.

With a deep breath, she flipped open the first book.

[SKIT 132 : Bottomless Inventory]

[Eclair] : "The more I think about it, the more it becomes such an enigmatic subject…"
[Itsuki] : "What are you talking about, Eclair? You seem like you've something on your mind."
[Eclair] : "It's about Sir Ren. Well, not him in particular, but the inventory that he has."
[Eclair] : "It seems like he has way too many things, tucked away in that subspace that the Cardinal Heroes have access to. It already has a difficult time grasping that you're able to fit many things in there without any demerit or issue, but it's another thing to have that theory be executed in practice."
[Eclair] : "Sir Ren has too many things in his inventory, more than I can fathom."
[Eclair] : "Whether it's a material that we require, or a disguise that we need, Sir Ren apparently has the tools for the job, sitting right in his inventory. It would be rather nice if we knew what was in there, so that we can better prepare ourselves for any future tasks we have up ahead."
[Itsuki] : "Nah, you're asking for more trouble at that point."
[Itsuki] : "Believe me when I say this, but it is far easier if you just let Ren take out whatever we need during the moment than for him to write out a list of everything he has in that inventory of his."
[Eclair] : "Surely, it can't be that difficult."
[Itsuki] : "Not difficult, but…"
[Itsuki] : "I'm willing to bet Ren would refuse to spend an entire day cataloging an inventory that's subject to change at any given moment."
[Eclair] : "... An entire day? How much does he have in there!?"
[Itsuki] : "The less you think about it, the better it is on your mental health."

[SKIT 133 : Sensitivity II]

Motoyasu] : "..."
[Sakura] : "Daddy? You seem distracted again."
[Motoyasu] : "Oh, am I? Don't worry, my mind is still on the tour."
[Motoyasu] : "Where else do you want to head to? Or is it time for us to head out and clean up your carriage? Even without considering the fact that it was pulled by another monster briefly, we haven't had the chance to clean it up while we were moving around. This is the perfect opportunity!"
[Sakura] : "... Daddy's been distracted a bit often lately."
[Motoyasu] : "... Sorry, I'm not sure what you're about."
[Sakura] : "There are times where Daddy's gaze would drift away."
[Motoyasu] : "Oh, that's just me enjoying the scenery here. This manor is quite nice, after all."
[Sakura] : "Is that really true? Sakura feels like it's something else."
[Motoyasu] : "I'm really fine, Sakura. I promise you."
[Sakura] : "Promise?"
[Motoyasu] : "Yep. Promise."
[Motoyasu] : "Come on over here and I'll give you a ride on my back while we see more of the house. Let's have a little fun while we have this peaceful pace here."
[Sakura] : "Okay…"

[SKIT 134 : Cooking Request II]

[Naofumi] : "Ah, so that's how you make it…"
[Naofumi] : "Interesting. This could certainly be something I add to my recipe collection."
[Naofumi] : "The fact that it's so flexible in its ingredients is a big benefit to our traveling needs."
[Naofumi] : "I should probably the others if they have any particular preferences when it comes to—"
[Naofumi] : "Actually, never mind."
[Naofumi] : "You haven't learned a single thing yet, have you, Naofumi…?"
[Naofumi] : "You know you're just going to get seven different responses, leaving you to figure out a way to leave them satisfied in the end with food choices in completely different categories…"
[Naofumi] : "I guess the good thing about people liking your food is that they take anything that's given to them, so while I don't want to ignore their opinions, I think I'll have to make the executive decisions here. Sorry, guys. Nothing personal, but I don't think they're going to care much anyways."