WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

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Chapter 152: Closet

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Elbridge's group's plan was simple.

Once the sun set, they would infiltrate the royal palace, wait in the king's bedroom, eliminate the demon posing as the king, and immediately leave the royal capital of Leodel. That would be the end of it.

Still, there was one rule in this world. To neatly finish one important task, you had to deal with five or six minor matters beforehand.

Elbridge's group's belongings were one such minor matter.

Travelers needed certain necessities. Since Elbridge's group often traveled long distances, they carried quite a few belongings.

The problem was that sneaking into the king's quarters while hauling all that luggage would be insane. Yet throwing everything away just to travel light made no sense either.

The most common solution in a situation like this was to hide their belongings outside the city in advance, where they could retrieve them when leaving Leodel.

It might have seemed like an insignificant task, but it was necessary, and it wasn't something they could entrust to just anyone.

Publicly, the Marquis of Hagenlot planned to distance himself from the operation to assassinate the false king.

The next king was extremely unlikely to trust a noble who had assassinated the king merely on suspicion.

Elbridge's group's plan had to be an independent action with no connection to the Marquis of Hagenlot.

If someone testified that the Marquis of Hagenlot had moved Elbridge's group's belongings, things would become difficult.

He would be unable to distance himself from Elbridge's group and would have to bear the full political consequences.

It was a minor task, but not one they could leave to anyone.

Fortunately, there was someone suited to handling it. Someone who wasn't busy, could keep a secret, and was clearly friendly toward both Elbridge's group and the Marquis of Hagenlot.

Murvach.

"Don't worry about the luggage. I'll move it."

Carrying Elbridge's group's belongings, Murvach traveled back and forth between the outskirts of Leodel and House Hagenlot several times.

Murvach had not returned to Leodel for nearly twenty years, so few people recognized him.

After moving all of Elbridge's group's belongings, Murvach headed back toward House Hagenlot.

Step, step.

People could think much more deeply while moving about than when sitting still.

As Murvach returned to the estate, he sank into thought.

'The oracle.'

The oracle that promised to place him on the throne came to mind.

If they eliminated the demon and the throne became vacant, the God of Fox Rain would find some way to place Murvach on it.

'I think I understand what the God of Fox Rain intends to do now.'

Murvach was related to the king by blood, though he was far from high in the line of succession.

Murvach's strength was the reputation he had built over many years leading a mercenary company.

A strong figure who could lead the west through a time of chaos. Perhaps the God of Fox Rain intended to use that strength to place Murvach on the throne.

'Being favored by a god with nearly ten heavenly seats will be an advantage too.'

Even so, Murvach still felt uneasy deep down. The thought of sitting on his nephew's throne did not sit well with him.

'Even if my nephew was devoured by a demon...'

Murvach recalled the day he had met the king.

Murvach and Elbridge had slowly stripped away the false memories and recalled the conversation they had shared with the king that day.

It hadn't been a particularly meaningful conversation. No matter how many times Murvach thought back on it, that remained true.

Yet Murvach still had one question.

'When exactly did we fall for the demon's trick?'

It was most likely either the moment the king entered or while they waited for him in the reception room.

Elbridge and Murvach had gone straight to the reception room upon arriving at the royal palace and met no one else.

Murvach stopped walking as that thought crossed his mind.

'No. There was one more person we met.'

The servant. The servant with the neatly trimmed beard.

Elbridge and Murvach had ridden to the royal palace in a carriage with that servant, and the servant had accompanied them when they returned to the marquis's residence as well.

'Which is more likely? That we took every precaution but still had our minds seized the instant we faced the king, or that we fell for the demon's trick in the carriage when we briefly let down our guard?'

It wasn't certain.

But Murvach thought the latter was more likely.

'If that's true, the king may have nothing to do with the demon.'

An innocent king, Murvach's nephew, could lose his head.

Murvach looked toward the western sky. The setting sun was disappearing beyond the horizon.

'...Damn it.'

Murvach began running toward the marquis's residence. He had to return before Elbridge's group set out.

Before long, Murvach heard a familiar voice in his ear.

- Murvach.

"God of Fox Rain."

Color returned to Murvach's face.

Marcus, one of Elbridge's companions, also believed in the God of Fox Rain.

That meant the God of Fox Rain could convey this possibility to Elbridge's group.

Murvach was about to tell the God of Fox Rain what he had realized.

"I happened to have something to tell you. I think..."

But the God of Fox Rain cut him off in a stern voice.

- Fools do not consider how much effort someone put into building a stone tower. They kick it over for amusement.

"What does that..."

- Murvach. You are trying to carelessly knock down the stone tower.

Only then did Murvach understand the oracle.

The stone tower was the God of Fox Rain's plan.

- Stay still. Before long, I will place the final stone at the top of that tower: your throne.

The God of Fox Rain already knew that the servant, not the king, was the demon.

And while Elbridge's group eliminated the demon, the God of Fox Rain wanted them to "accidentally" eliminate the King of Leodel as well.

Only then could Murvach take the throne.

Murvach felt dizzy. Unlike before, every step felt heavy.

* * *

Elbridge's group arrived at the outskirts of the royal palace. Sonia lowered her voice.

"Wait there for a moment."

The first thing they needed to overcome was the alarm magic set up by the royal mage.

It was the first stage of the infiltration, but also the most difficult. It was something none of the other three could handle without Sonia.

Marcus looked a little uneasy.

"The more I think about this, the more it feels like we're in trouble. If they installed alarm magic in the royal palace, doesn't that mean it was cast by an incredibly powerful mage?"

"That mage is probably much better than me. Still, I can make a small opening."

"What if you make an opening and it shatters, or the whole thing collapses?"

Sonia snapped at him.

"Fuck, stop talking to me. I can't concentrate."

Sonia closed her eyes, stretched out both pale hands, and swept them through the air.

Put nicely, she looked like she was playing the strings of an invisible harp. Put less kindly, she looked like a sleepwalker blindly waving her hands around.

Apparently, the gesture had worked. Sonia opened her eyes with a grin.

"Done. I made a brief gap. Get in quickly."

Sonia led the way across the boundary of the alarm magic. The other three men followed behind her.

Sonia took out a small portable wand, muttered an incantation, and lightly waved it.

"What did you do?"

"I erased our footsteps."

Sonia raised one leg high and stamped the ground several times.

Strangely, no sound came from her foot.

Rombel narrowed his eyes.

"I have to question your motives for learning a spell like that."

"What are you talking about?"

"When we first met, I seem to recall you saying you stole another mage's money and used it as travel expenses..."

"..."

Sonia exercised her right to remain silent.

Rombel merely looked at Sonia with an odd expression and didn't press further.

The four hid in the darkness and followed the route the Marquis of Hagenlot had explained.

They crept forward and climbed onto the roof. Just as they were about to cross a low wall, the Goddess of the Rusted Shield urgently delivered an oracle.

- Wait. Elbridge.

Elbridge held out both arms to stop the group, then offered a prayer in a voice as quiet as an ant's.

"Goddess, why did you call me?"

- I wanted to tell you that there is a royal guard knight beyond that wall, Elbridge.

Elbridge could not sense anyone beyond the wall.

But there was no way the Goddess of the Rusted Shield would lie. Elbridge held his breath and waited quietly.

After some time, faint footsteps could be heard moving away.

Only then did Elbridge let out a relieved breath.

"...Thanks to you, Goddess, we weren't discovered. But how did you know what was happening beyond the wall?"

- Elbridge, you know that a god can share a believer's sight. But there is another way to watch over believers: looking down at them from above. When used well, it is a very useful method.

Like a bird in the sky looking down upon people on the ground, the Goddess of the Rusted Shield had surveyed Elbridge's surroundings from above.

Before climbing over the wall, Elbridge prayed again.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry, Goddess."

- What are you sorry for?

"I didn't want to show you myself hiding in the darkness like a criminal."

- It's all right, Elbridge. Actually, I rather like this too. Your goddess has heard from other goddesses that bad boys are popular these days...

Elbridge had a feeling that bad boys did not mean what the Goddess thought they meant.

Still, if she liked it, perhaps that was enough.

Thinking that, Elbridge quietly climbed over the wall.

"We're almost there."

A large building came into view.

It was a three-story building containing the king's bedroom. Its name was Konpeki Palace, apparently. It was an exotic name.

Several royal guard knights and guards watched the area around Konpeki Palace.

Anyone chosen as the king's royal guard knight would naturally be quite skilled.

Yet none of them noticed Elbridge's group moving through the darkness.

The royal guard knights were no ordinary fighters, but they were not skilled enough to apprehend Elbridge's group.

"Be careful."

Those in power naturally stayed on the highest floor. The king's bedroom was no exception.

Elbridge's group climbed the outer wall of the building to the third floor, then entered through a window.

They moved quietly through the corridor.

The Marquis of Hagenlot had described the layout of the building fairly accurately, so they reached the king's bedroom without getting lost.

"We're almost done."

When they opened the bedroom door, they saw a bed far too large for one person.

As expected, the king had not yet arrived in the bedroom. According to the Marquis of Hagenlot, the king tended to retire rather late.

"He said there was a closet around here..."

The four ran their hands along the walls.

A moment later, Rombel found a hollow space through the keen sensation in his fingertips.

"Here."

There was a hidden closet.

It was a little cramped, but large enough to fit all four of them.

The four squeezed into the closet, half crumpled together.

"Huff, huff."

Perhaps because they were so close together, Rombel's breathing sounded especially loud. The strangely damp, warm breath was unpleasant too.

"Rombel. You're breathing too loudly. Please hold your breath until we're done."

"Don't talk nonsense... Ah, someone's coming. I can hear footsteps."

The four held their breath and looked outside through the narrow gap in the closet door.

The bedroom door opened, and someone entered.

"..."

Once they fell asleep, Elbridge would eliminate them immediately.

Thinking that, Elbridge toyed with the hilt of his sword.

Footnotes:

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