Chapter 21: 21

Dante started working immediately as soon as he got back to his office.  His work have started to pile up in the short period of time he ate snacks and took a quick walk with Ivanna.

“There’s a lot of work because it’s near the border.”

Dante clicked his tongue hard.  Den, who helped with the work, swallowed a laugh.  Before, Dante had never complained about having a lot of work; but it did have increased lately.  And not only that, his speed in completing his work also improved.

“But isn’t it good that you can easily monitor it?”

Dante laughed and threw the papers he was reading down on his desk.  The contents were encrypted and encoded in unknown characters.  It was a classified report on the Kingdom of Hedellen, which was adjacent to Vicente Duchy.

“The situation in the capital of Hedellen is very serious.  Losing the Guardian of the Holy Spirit was enough to shake the palace and the capital.”

His sharp catlike eyes flashed as if the confidential documents had become the Kingdom of Hedellen.  His eyes looked as if he would tear it apart at any moment.

“The confusion will be greater as it is not the only problem of our own country.”

“The bigger the mess, the more gaps.  This is a letter from His Majesty.”

Dante put a letter with the emperor’s seal on his desk more carefully than the confidential document.  Similarly, the content was also encrypted.

“It is said that he had already planted spies as His Majesty already knew about Hedellen.”

“Was it His Majesty’s direct order?”

“The problem is the issue.”

Den nodded with a lighter face.  Those under the Emperor will surely ask for the information they want.

“Since His Majesty’s shadows have moved, there will be no need to waste manpower on our side.  Leave that to His Majesty as we strengthen our borders.”

“The border?”

“Ivanna is important to the Royal Family.  Those crazy dogs blinded by greed will not be aware of it now, but if they didn’t find the accomplices who kidnapped Ivanna, they will be suspicious of us.”

“Wouldn’t it be more suspicious if we suddenly strengthen our borders in that situation?”

“That may be so, however, we have to do it for the sake of our security.  Even if they begin to doubt us, it is still better to strengthen our borders.  That way, they won’t be able to get through anyway.”

The vicinity of the border guarded by the Duke of Vicente boasted the strongest defense than any other territory in the Empire.  There was a reason why the Duke of Vicente, who had blood ties to the emperor, was one of the pillars of the border.

“Yes, I understand.”

Knock, knock.

“Master, this is McKellen.”

 McKellen, the Duke’s doctor, came to see him.  Den quickly sorted out the confidential documents.

“Come in.”

Sullivan followed after McKellen.  The four moved to the sofa.

“I couldn’t see everything, but today I looked closely at Ivanna’s hands, arms, and shoulders.”

Sullivan’s face dimmed after hearing Dante’s words.  It was the same with McKellen, who listened to Ivanna’s progress every day.

“Is it very difficult to treat?”

“The treatment itself is possible.  Because the Young Lady is still developing, her bones are still soft.  But that doesn’t mean the treatment will not painful.”

“What if Ivanna says she’ll bear it?”

“Master, that······.”

McKellen expressed disapproval, but Dante raised his hand to interrupt his talk.  Sullivan, on the other hand, agonized over this matter seriously.

“It’s deplorable that I have to say this as a Young Lady’s doctor, but if she can bear it because she is more insensitive to pain than an adult, treatment can be done.”

This was something Sullivan could say because she was in charge of Ivanna from the beginning.  Den and McKellen felt sorry, but Dante nodded.

“If the treatment is successful, can the child hold a sword?”

“A sword?”

Sullivan’s eyes opened wide at his unexpected words.  McKellen, who was restless, shook his head firmly.

“Master, that’s unreasonable.  It’s a sword.  Miss Ivanna is different from Miss Valerie.  It’s too much.”

“Ivanna is mine and Louise’s daughter.  She would have greater talent than Valerie, who only inherited my blood.”

“It would be a different story if the Young Lady was healthy!  The Young Lady is in very bad condition now.  Besides, for those who have the fear of abuse, a sword?  That’s not possible.”

“This is what Ivanna wanted.  Above all, the child is not afraid of swords.  It’s obvious because she’s been with her mother before, and she has probably never been threatened with a sword in those two years.”

Even without knowing what happened to Ivanna in those two years, Dante was still convinced.  McKellen took off his glasses and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“How are you so sure?”

“Because they wouldn’t want to kill the Guardian of the Holy Spirit right away.  It would be over for them if the Guardian died after making a mistake with a sword.”

Those were very cruel words to say for someone who had a Guardian of the Holy Spirit as a lover and a daughter.  Nevertheless, Dante’s face did not change.  McKellen swallowed his saliva.

“So? Do you think so, too?”

As McKellen was silent, Dante looked at Sullivan.

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“May I ask why you want to have the Young Lady to use a sword?”

“It is what Ivanna wants.  And I also think it’s good to have the means to protect herself.”

“But doesn’t the Young Lady have the Holy Spirit?”

“Ivanna has not yet summoned the Holy Spirit.  I don’t know when it’ll happen, but I can’t wait until then.”

‘That’s right.’  Sullivan nodded seriously.

“And there is something that everyone is mistaken about because Louise is the most known Guardian of the Holy Spirit, but not all the Holy Spirits are strong.”

“Pardon?  Is that true?”

“The Great Holy Spirit that Louise summoned is strong, but not all the Holy Spirits are strong.  There are also cataclysmic spirits that are strong but do not fight or harm human beings.”

It was a truth that only Sullivan didn’t know.  McKellen and Den, who already knew through Louise, nodded.

“No one knows which Holy Spirit Ivanna will summon.  So, I like having at least one more means to protect my child beside the Great Holy Spirit.”

“If the Young Lady lives only in this safe mansion, she doesn’t need to learn.  There is also your Excellency, Young Lady Valerie, and Young Master Luan.”

“Sullivan!”

McKellen’s face turned pale with the bold remarks that she had the intention of keeping the child locked up.  Sullivan hurriedly pulled McKellen off her arm, as if it was bothering her.

“I mean it from the bottom of my heart.  The Young Lady may not have the talent for wielding a sword.”

“Then, another means will be taken.”

McKellen, who was about to hit Sullivan with a firm answer, was surprised and looked at Dante.

“I have no intention of imprisoning Ivanna because she is the Guardian of the Holy Spirit that everyone covets.  It will help the child adapt as long as she is not afraid of going out into the world.”

‘Like Louise.’  Dante recalled what she had said.

‘Because you are the Guardian of the Holy Spirit, you should not be trapped.  You have to get out to make a name for yourself.  So that you can settle down as a person who can receive respect from everyone, not as a person who is exploited.’

When he climbed to the highest position he could climb on his own, Louise said so in a strong voice.  Dante did not forget her words of that day and kept them deep in his heart.

“The Guardian of the Holy Spirit is not a confined entity.  She won’t be forced to live like that.   I will make sure of it.”

He was arrogant and confident.  But Dante had enough power to do so.  Sullivan laughed very happily.

“Good.  If that’s the case, we will actively help.  I really want to see the Young Lady wielding a sword like Lady Hugor.”

McKellen smacked his lips, but when Den shook his head, he was silent.  He doesn’t know why everyone is making unreasonable demands on that little girl.  But what can he do?  Since the young lady, who was in charge of making up her own mind, he, as a doctor, had no choice but to exert as much strength as possible to help fulfil her wish.

***

“Ahhhhhh!”

A large porcelain bottle was thrown by the man which hit the wall and shattered.  The maids in the room couldn’t scream even though they were trembling.  In a dark room, the man’s eyes flashed like a snake.

“You said you couldn’t find her again?”

“I beg your pardon, Your Grace.”

The injured knight kneeled in front of the man and bowed his head.  He did not tremble at all, while prostrating before the king, who was raging like a madman.  It wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid.  It was resignation.

“You’re such a bum. How dare a man who can’t even carry out the king’s orders crawl in with his head up?”

Holding the sword that the king had thrown on the floor, he staggered in front of the prostrating knight.  At the footsteps approaching, the knight closed his eyes.  Today was his turn to die.

Shnk!

The mad king’s sword pierced the knight’s neck.  The knight could not even utter a single shriek and died.  Thud.  The body that lost its life collapsed to the floor.  The red blood gradually spread, and the complexion of the maids became even paler.

“This guy!  That guy!  They’re all useless.  Yes, they are incompetent, so I missed the precious offering.”

In addition to the dead knight, there were other knights standing in the room.  The king’s trembling fingers pointed at them one by one.

“What the hell are you going to do?  What the hell are you going to do with the sacrifice you guys missed?!”

The king kicked the dead knight’s head.  It turned towards his fellow knights.  The eyes that were still open felt mocking as if to say that it was their turn next.  The knights closed their eyes tightly.

“What would you do if the beasts flooded like they did 15 years ago?  Did you forget what happened two years ago?  You have to sacrifice in advance so that you don’t repeat the same thing from 15 years ago!”

The king, unable to overcome his anger, stabbed the dead knight’s body like a madman with a sword.

“Brillite, Minos, and Imen, those whose turn are next were all in rage.  It just shows that they’re not the ones who did it.  Who the hell stole the sacrifice?  Which bastard snatched and monopolized the sacrifice?!”

The king threw the sword covered in blood and flesh on the floor.  His whole body was covered with blood, but he didn’t care at all when he opened his eyes.

“Go find it!  Come on!  Go on and find the offering!  Find her before my land falls!  If you can’t find her this time, it’s your turn next!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The knights bowed their heads and went outside with the body of their mutilated colleague.  The maids who noticed also quickly escaped through the open gap.  Only the mad king was left alone in a room filled with the smell of blood.

“Sacrifice, my offering, our offering.  Mine.  It is mine!  It is mine, its power, and its glory.  It’s mine!”

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  A scream that had been lost to greed filled the room as if tearing it.

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