When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 165

Episode 165

The series of disturbances came to an end when Zelinia’s governor, William Saylor, successfully defeated a large aquatic monster that had suddenly appeared near the great Salal River by Capricia. The remaining enemies were swiftly eliminated, and the coastal guards from both the Kingdom of Tashman and the Kingdom of Garanhorn efficiently handled the post-battle operations without any delays.

In this incident, the coastal guards of the Kingdom of Garanhorn were the first to detect the approaching enemy. Their efforts bought enough time for the ship, Queen Amentis III, to set sail. It spared the port city of Capricia from significant damage. After the Queen Amentis III departed, the enemy forces were subdued by the Tashman Kingdom’s river fleet, which had made the ship its flagship.

It’s also important to recognize the contribution of the students from the Tashman Kingdom’s Royal Academy, who played a vital role in ensuring the Queen Amentis III could set sail.

According to the original itinerary, the Queen Amentis III was supposed to stay in Capricia for just one night before returning to Zelinia. However, due to the post-incident cleanup and an invitation from the Capricia side, Jez and the group decided to extend their stay in Capricia for about three days. Those who had urgent business, however, boarded fast ships arranged by the Tashman Kingdom and departed for Zelinia the day after the incident.

The protection of humanity from the threat of monsters in the Salal River, including incidents like this, is governed by a prior agreement between the Tashman Kingdom, the Garanhorn Kingdom, and other riverine nations. Therefore, the distribution of war expenses and the profits from the sale of monster materials will proceed according to that agreement. Overseeing this aspect is within the jurisdiction of Governor William of Zelinia.

Despite the smooth handling of the post-incident procedures, neither the Tashman Kingdom nor the Garanhorn members could understand one thing: “Why did a monster of that size suddenly appear here?” The following day, a specialized team dispatched from the Tashman Kingdom’s academy concluded that the monster in question was a “Leviathan larva.” Leviathans typically inhabit the open ocean and are known as one of humanity’s greatest natural enemies, limiting humanity’s expansion into the sea and obstructing intercontinental trade. Even the academy members had never heard of such a unique creature appearing in a large river.

Upon hearing these findings from William, Erin and the rest of Jez’s party cast suspicious glances at Victor.

“…Huh? Oh, no, this time I didn’t do anything… Really, I didn’t,” 

Victor insisted, slightly paling in the face of Miriam’s angry aura. Though he had been a highly suspicious alchemist for various reasons in the past, lacking evidence, the group refrained from pressing him further.

“Do you people even know the concept of ‘innocent until proven guilty’?” 

Victor asked as he, now feeling a bit bolder, shook his head and began to taunt the others.

“There’s also a saying, ‘When in doubt, punish’,” 

Miriam retorted, silencing him.

・　・　・

Somewhere in the port city of Capricia, Kingdom of Garanhorn

“…How do you plan to take responsibility for this failure?”

In a windowless room, a few individuals gathered, engaged in a tense discussion.

“Even if it was just a larva, it was a Leviathan! Who could have predicted failure when using something like that!?” 

One of them argued. The Leviathan, a terror of the seas and a menace to humanity, had been captured in its larval stage a few years prior. It was carefully prepared for the right moment.

“Calm down. There’s no point in blaming anyone now that it’s over. What’s more important is the Saint Candidate, Seraphina Lorentzi. We must act before she returns to the mainland of the Tashman Kingdom.”

The sudden operation was launched because it became known that Seraphina Lorentzi, who had taken refuge in the Tashman Kingdom’s Royal Academy, would temporarily leave the country. As long as she remained within the borders of the Tashman Kingdom, taking any action against her would be far too dangerous. In fact, targeting the Tashman Kingdom itself was already a perilous move. It was especially since the capital city of Nevorista, where the Royal Academy is located, is also home to Archbishop Edelmar Solennis. 

The Solennis faction, led by Edelmar, maintains a neutral stance regarding the next papal succession. Stirring up trouble in Nevorista, where this faction is based, would be unwise—there’s no need to wake a sleeping giant.

Because of these circumstances, the attack was planned to coincide with Seraphina’s arrival in Capricia. But no one expected the Tashman Kingdom to demonstrate such a level of combat power, even without their renowned 10 Legions present. The Salal River Navy and the Queen Amentis III… What on earth was that? We had reports of their existence, but no one mentioned they were of that caliber.

“In any case, we must eliminate her while she’s still in Capricia. If she returns to the Tashman Kingdom, we won’t be able to reach her again. Even His Eminence, the Cardinal, is growing impatient.”

As the discussion continued for some time and a general agreement on the next steps was reached, a knock suddenly echoed from the door. The men exchanged uneasy glances—this was not a place where anyone should be entering.

Each of them drew their weapons, assuming a state of maximum vigilance, and one called out toward the door.  

“Who is it?”  

There was silence at first, but then a faint sound of sobbing could be heard from the other side. It seemed to be a child who had lost their way. Still cautious, the man who had been guarding the door dispelled the protective magic and opened it.

Standing there was a young girl of about ten years old, her eyes filled with tears and fear. She must have wandered here by mistake and started crying when she realized she was lost.

Seeing this, the men relaxed slightly, stowing the weapons they had hidden under their cloaks. With a sigh of relief, they returned to their seats, shaking their heads at their previous anxiety. Only the man who had opened the door crouched down to meet the girl’s gaze.

“Hey there, little lady, are you lost? What’s the matter?” 

The girl shook her head silently in response. The man was puzzled and tried again, 

“Can you tell me your name?” 

The girl wiped away her tears and stepped closer to the man.  

“My name is Cynthia. I’m not lost. I’ve come to clean up.”

A moment later, as soon as Cynthia entered the room, the door shut behind her. A few minutes passed. Then, as if nothing had happened, Cynthia walked out of the room and calmly went on her way.

Several days later, the innkeeper suspected something amiss and went to check the underground storage room. What he found there was a gruesome sight—numerous bodies, brutally slaughtered, lying in a heap.