Afterstory 6

It should be obvious to say this but Charlotte of course knew what Drake looked like, and Drake too seemed to recognise Charlotte as well.

For a moment, the atmosphere turned prickly, making me realize just how bad things must have been between Klaus’ party and Charlotte.

“Drake……….it’s been a while I suppose.”

“Lady Charlotte, long time no see.”

“Huh, even you speak formally to Charlotte eh Drake?”

“………Of course I do. She’s the princess of this country you know?”

I understood that it was a matter of etiquette and courtesy but, weren’t they technically enemies? What was even the point in that case?

Well, I suppose it’s just surface level formality and nothing more I suppose.

“Is Drake the only one you brought back?”

“Yeah. We killed everyone other than Elphas back there.”

“So Elphas lived as well?”

“Well no, she’s dead too.”

“……….? I don’t follow. Explain in detail please, will you?”

“Well that’s why I came here all the way after all. So that me and Drake and fully explain everything that happened in detail.”

From then on, we recounted all of details, small or big, about our encounters in [Foro Neem] to Charlotte.

About the cardinal, the vice commander of the royal knights, everything.

I explained all that happened with Elphas as well, and by the time we were done, almost 30 mins had passed.

“I see. Things turned out to be a lot more difficult than even I could have imagined huh.”

“Yep, bad enough that I just want to go back and get some good sleep now. But anyway, did I explain everything to you now?”

“Yes, I have good grasp of everything that happened. Including Klaus, you can leave the matter of handling the dead ones to me completely. We will come up with some kind of excuse to explain to the populace.”

“That’ll be a great help. If people found out that I killed the Sword God, dare I say it’d be a difficult for us to continue living in this country.”

My biggest worry was how to deal with the aftermath so hearing her say that she’ll handle it completely, I felt a lot more relieved.

Now, I just need to get back to our inn, sleep like a log, and by the time I wake up, hopefully everything has been resolved perfectly. Wouldn’t that be the best.

“May I ask a question to you as well, Lady Charlotte?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

“What are you going to do with me?……..Am I to be given the capital punishment?”

“fufu, why would we do that, at this point? I’d rather not incur Ralf’s hatred either. Drake, we’ll have you act as a replacement for Klaus from here onwards.”

“Klaus’ replacement—–you say?”

“First, we’re going to have you help us with concealing how Klaus died. Next, we’ll have you work towards the subjugation of the Demon Lord.”

“I’ll help all I can with the concealment but, you want me to do the Demon Lord subjugation as well?………and that too, by myself?”

Asking him to head out to fight the Demon Lord by himself was as good as a death sentence really.

Sweat began to form on Drake’s forehead but, considering his relationship with Ralf, I doubt she would order something like that to him without a plan.

“As for your party, you can pick it yourself Drake. But in return, we’ll have you act while wearing this kingdom’s armour and flag.”

“………Thank you very much. So from here on, I am to work under you directly, am I correct Lady Charlotte?”

“Indeed. If you do so, your family will also get to continue living happily as well. They have been freed from Klaus’ supervision and surveillance after all.”

All this talk seemed to continue without my involvement but, I more or less could keep up with all the details.

As I thought, Drake’s family were indeed being used as hostage to bring him into Klaus’ party.

Now that his family is freed, he’s now being asked to work under Charlotte instead.

“You guys seem to be deciding things on your own but, technically I’m the one who captured Drake. I can’t have you have him for your own purposes so easily.”

“Oh, do you have any demands of him as well?”

“Not exactly demands but, I’d like to have Drake under my wing for a while.”

“You plan to add him to your party?”

“I haven’t decided that yet. But precisely because of that, I want to discuss about it with the others first. Depending on how it all goes, that is certainly a possibility.”

I made my party for the sole purpose of enacting my revenge against Klaus.

Now that the goal has been achieved, we have to decide what to do for the future.

I had already made a general plan of wanting to destroy the culture of slavery that still persists inside this country as my next goal but first, l want to also go around Realzard, Oxter, Edestor and thank all the people that helped me on my journey.

While we go around doing our rounds, I want to properly discuss our future with everyone.

“Very well. I’ll leave Drake to you for now then, Chris. But in return, do let him help us with the info concealment at the very least. You’re fine with that too, right Drake?”

“Like I said before, I’ll help however I can.”

“Then it’s a deal. As for more specific orders, I’ll contact you later.”

“Understood. I’ll be waiting.”

Drake gave a proper bow towards Charlotte.

After that, she had Drake leave the room, making it just me and Charlotte in the room again.

“You know, I was really shocked when you suddenly showed up again Chris. Since you came with Drake in tow, for a moment I really thought it was Klaus instead.”

“You sound like you didn’t actually expect me to win.”

“That’s not really the case. I did believe in you but………no, I have seen Klaus’ strength upfront with my own eyes so, perhaps deep inside my heart I always thought it to be impossible.”

Charlotte lay down on her bed in a crude manner, causing rough creases and wrinkles to appear on her dress.

She continued to stare at the empty ceiling, perhaps thinking about Klaus and all the emotions that came with it.

“………Did you want to kill him with your own hands?”

“Rather than I want to kill him, it was more that, I wanted to surpass him. I certainly did have those feelings. I was always conscious of him from the moment he entered our academy……..but not only was it impossible, Klaus also started to make connections with the underworld. Both as the princess as well as an individual adventurer, it made things a lot more complex suddenly.”

“I see. Sorry, but I don’t really get your complex feelings though.”

“That’s fine. They are nothing but forgotten emotions now………But, I am extremely thankful to you Chris. I mean it. Thank you for doing what I was unable to do myself.”

“The feeling’s mutual. Your wholehearted support was extremely helpful Charlotte. If you hadn’t helped me, I certainly would have ended up as an infamous wanted villain that assassinated the Sword God.”

“That’s certainly true. Or rather, are you saying that we can call it all evens then?”

“That’s the plan.”

“……….It’s scary that you might seriously mean it.”

She seemed to have said it laughingly as joke but, I was genuinely being serious.

Because I really don’t think that either of us owe each other anything at all.

“I have other things to talk about but, I’m gonna take my leave for now. I’m dead tired right now.”

“Thank you for coming all the way just to give a report. I’ll handle all the aftermath so just go back and get a good long rest.”

“Yeah, I most certainly will………….Ah, one more thing? Is Gautier not here?”

“I certainly don’t let him follow me inside me room after all. He was quite frustrated after you knocked him out it seems so he’s been busy working hard at the castle’s training ground, so if you want to meet him, why not head there?”

“I don’t want to meet him. I was just curious from the lack of the usual annoyance that’s all. Alright, now I’m finally taking my leave.”

“Sure. Once you’re fully healed back up, do come and visit me again okay?”

Saying my farewells to Charlotte, I left the castle on my own.

I did want to continue the previous topic with Drake as well but, I really was at the absolute limits of my stamina now.

As my vision grew hazy, I forced my legs to move until I somehow managed to get back to the inn.

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