Chapter 163

Meeting (2)

The meetings of the Tribal Alliance were largely divided into two types.

There was the regular meeting, where the chieftains of each tribe gathered periodically to discuss pending matters, and there was the emergency meeting, where everyone was forcibly summoned when a major agenda item erupted.

And since the chieftains were, at the end of the day, human as well, if they were dragged out to an emergency meeting before dawn, they could not help but look thoroughly mixed with irritation and exhaustion. As leaders of their respective groups, it was only natural that they lived steeped in overwork and fatigue.

But even so, there was no one who openly voiced their dissatisfaction.

That was only natural.

If an incident had occurred at the ‘sanctuary’ where the priestesses resided, then it was a grave matter that could affect the entire Tribal Alliance. There would be no one foolish enough to think of brushing it aside lightly.

Moreover.

“……An outsider caused the incident? Used an ability to devastate the facilities of the sanctuary?”

To a certain chieftain who ardently supported a particular kind of hatred, this was not merely an incident but a catastrophe close to a thunderbolt from a clear sky—enough to make his beard tremble…….

“Just look at this. What did I tell you! If such a disgraceful event occurs ahead of the Harvest Festival, the God of Ascension will never overlook this—”

The voice of the chieftain who had insisted that outsiders be expelled—Saladin—rang thunderously through the conference hall.

Previously, Dunadan and the fellow chieftains had refuted such remarks point by point, but this time even they seemed to have nothing to say. They merely frowned silently while listening to him shout.

Yet, whether it should be called misfortune or fortune.

There was one person present who could refute those words in their place.

Someone kicked the conference hall doors wide open and strode in.

“……?”

“……??”

Needless to say, this conference hall, where the leaders of each tribe gathered, was guarded with ironclad security.

In other words, if one was not authorized to enter, then doing something like this should have been impossible.

“-……”

Before anyone could even utter the trite question of who it was, the eyes of all the chieftains shot past the one who had kicked open the doors and toward the figure behind.

In truth, there was no need to ask who it was. The one with black hair billowing, scattering crimson light from eyes like embedded rubies, and exuding killing intent in waves so overwhelming that everyone present felt as if they were being crushed—there was only Lionhearted.

The question was how this man had known what was happening here and come.

The answer to how was quickly found. Behind Lionhearted, all the personnel who had been guarding this place were sprawled across the floor.

And following behind Lionhearted, that man who had become the talk of the town, Aiden Kellermain, walked in with slow, unhurried steps.

It was not that he particularly wanted to stop Noel from doing what she intended, but his attitude suggested that he instinctively knew he would not see a pleasant outcome if he approached Noel in her current state…….

As the chieftains’ expressions turned puzzled at the sight, Lionhearted, who had entered the conference hall, immediately threw the ‘baggage’ he had been carrying onto the center of the room.

It was a man with one of his legs severed. The distinctive brand engraved on his body proved that this man belonged to the Tribal Alliance.

“We were ambushed in the dead of night.”

“That sounds a bit biased, doesn’t it?”

Lionhearted opened his mouth like that, hiccupping as he spoke.

“…….”

No, wait.

Hiccupping?

At that sound, the surrounding people narrowed their eyes and looked toward Noel in confusion.

A strong stench of alcohol permeated the air. Noel, who was emanating that smell from her entire body, staggered and then placed her hand firmly against her forehead.

She looked exactly like someone utterly drunk, barely able to keep her body upright…….

“……Hic, ha. The alcohol’s hitting me.”

“…….”

For a moment, the chieftains were at a loss for words as they alternated their gazes between Lionhearted, the warrior’s body thrown on the table, and the guards sprawled outside.

In other words, it meant she had done all of that in this state.

It was hard to decide whether they should be impressed that she had slaughtered warriors close to the elite of the Tribal Alliance while nearly unconscious with intoxication, or lament the level of the warriors who had been cut down by someone in such a condition.

In any case, Noel ignored the bewildered stares around her and continued speaking while somehow maintaining her balance.

“We were the ones attacked first. I’m sorry about destroying the facilities in the sanctuary, but it was all self-defense.”

As she said that, Noel’s gaze slowly rotated again and locked onto the Great Chieftain seated at the head of the table.

“And I hear you’re the one who sent this?”

“…….”

“…….”

For words directed at the supreme leader of a nation, they were utterly without restraint.

‘……Maybe I should’ve calmed her down before coming.’

Aiden wiped his face and thought that with a hollow sigh.

No, I mean.

To be honest, no matter how drunk she was, Noel was not someone who would normally go this far.

Her being dead drunk was one thing, but that simply meant her usual restraint had been greatly weakened.

What was driving her now stemmed from the fact that she had made a major resolve and was trying to tell Aiden something—only for it to be interrupted.

“…….”

Hmm.

I did wonder just what she had been trying to say that being interrupted over it made her charge straight at the supreme leader of another nation, but in any case.

“Look, he was injured too, wasn’t he? Anyone can see the target was that man.”

As Noel said that and pointed at Aiden’s shoulder, everyone’s gaze snapped in that direction.

“……There’s nothing there?”

Someone muttered that blankly.

In truth, instead of saying anything about it, Aiden merely awkwardly rubbed his shoulder.

It was true that he had been fairly badly hurt until just a short while ago, but that wound had already healed as if it had been washed clean.

To begin with, thanks to the Sanctified Body skill he had copied from Princess Katya, injuries like this did not even amount to scratches to him. Hadn’t he said he was fine from the start?

But regardless.

Noel’s words, continuing even as she hiccupped, showed no sign of stopping.

“Look at all that blood.”

“…….”

To be precise, the blood had stopped flowing quite some time ago.

What Noel was pointing at was Aiden’s shirt, still soaked from the blood that had flowed earlier.

“What if it leaves a scar—! Do you even know how precious that man’s body is—!”

“…….”

Judging only by the content, it was almost like the drunken rambling of an intoxicated person, but the spirit with which she spoke was closer to that of a general who single-handedly shattered enemy lines on a battlefield. That contrast itself was comical.

The force Noel radiated as she overwhelmed the entire room was impressive enough that Aiden could not help but think so.

……It was remarkable, and he was grateful, that she was making such a scene before all these people because her fiancé had been hurt.

“…….”

But it was embarrassing. Honestly.

Hmm.

“Anyone can see this is a serious matter, isn’t it? Huh?”

“…….”

“My husband was injured, you son of a—!”

“Dame Noel. Dame Noel! Not another word!”

Before Noel could spew a string of insults that should never be directed at the leaders of another nation, Aiden barely managed to grab her at the right moment and physically cover her mouth.

No matter what, hurling profanity at the supreme leader of a foreign country was crossing the line…….

“…….”

And then I noticed the Great Chieftain, who had been quietly observing all this, tilting his head.

“Evidence?”

Even in this situation, his voice did not lose the slightest bit of composure, and Noel’s expression twisted deeply.

“……That one over there confessed. Said he came under your orders.”

She said that while pointing at the one-legged man writhing on the conference table.

He was starting to go into shock. If left untreated, he would die just like that.

But there was likely no need to worry about treatment.

“Hmm.”

The Great Chieftain let out a short breath and snapped his fingers.

At the same time.

—!

An invisible blade fired through the air and pierced straight through the writhing man’s chest.

It was a clean, swift, simple strike driven directly into a vital point.

“……!”

As the surrounding chieftains stared at the Great Chieftain with wide eyes, he continued speaking calmly.

“Well now. I don’t believe a verbal claim that he sold my name carries that much weight.”

“…….”

“In an urgent situation, he might have simply tried to save himself in the moment. Or perhaps someone put him up to it in order to frame me. Without solid evidence, such speculation is troublesome.”

“…….”

Hah.

I let out a silent scoff inwardly as I listened to him.

‘……Why does that sound so reasonable?’

To be honest, even if he had confessed himself, it would have been difficult to treat it as credible. No matter what, it was still nothing more than a verbal statement.

“And besides.”

More than anything.

“For what reason would I target you, Aiden Kellermain?”

“…….”

“I found you interesting, perhaps, but I had no intention whatsoever of harming you.”

Just as he said.

The Great Chieftain had never even faced Aiden once before.

There was no reason for him to target me.

“However.”

As that thought crossed my mind, the Great Chieftain’s voice fell calmly across the conference hall again.

“The very fact that such men were able to enter the sanctuary means that, at the very least, someone in this room must have instigated it.”

As he said that, he looked around at the others.

Each time the chieftains met his gaze, I could see their bodies tense.

It was likely because not a single one of them could disagree with that statement.

The sanctuary was one of the most important facilities in the entire Great Plains. The fact that someone had infiltrated such a place and carried out an attack was absolutely impossible without someone backing them from behind.

After taking in each chieftain’s expression one by one, his gaze returned to the corpse of the one-legged man on the table.

“These men were exiles. Those who committed grave crimes within the Tribal Alliance and were expelled from the Great Plains. To mobilize even those without affiliation and send them into the sanctuary suggests that from the start, someone intended to harm you without leaving a trail. Unless there was some form of grudge, there would be no reason to do such a thing—and I hold not even a fingernail’s worth of such feelings toward you.”

“…….”

“However, an incident is still an incident. I would like to offer an apology.”

“……An apology?”

“I shall give you the means to sift them out.”

The Great Chieftain shrugged slightly as he continued.

“I will allow you to catch the culprit yourself. More precisely, I will give you the ‘opportunity’ to do so.”

“What do you say, guest?”

“…….”

It was not a proposal I had any reason to refuse.

I did not know what exactly he intended to provide, but if he was saying it in such a public setting, it would not be something trivial.

Except for one thing.

I looked calmly at the Great Chieftain and spoke.

“If you agree to one condition, will you accept?”

“Very well. Speak.”

“In the list of suspects, will you refrain from excluding yourself, Great Chieftain?”

“…….”

Even if there was no grudge between us.

That did not serve as proof that he was not the true culprit.

At my words, the Great Chieftain gazed at me quietly.

Though his face was unreadable, I was certain he was smiling. That was the kind of atmosphere he gave off.

“In that case, you may uncover it yourself.”