Chapter 50: Mask

Chapter 50: Mask

As of last night, a cease-fire occurred.

It seems that the whole territory thinks that the war is over.

That's fine with me, it means I'll be going home soon.

In the morning they were arranging the feast hall for the guests. It was very noble to have parties for anything.

In the evening will be the party, so I must work hard today so I can go home soon.

In one of the corridors of the Lautreamont mansion.

Gerald was walking quietly while smoking his pipe.

Yesterday he achieved a great feat after a long time of waiting.

The war would soon be over, no doubt.

Suddenly his smile faded, it was because of the person he saw.

His wife, Celestine was coming from the same direction.

She was still wearing her copper mask even in the daytime.

As he passed her, she muttered.

"You won't get away with this."

"You're not one to tell me that."

And they continued walking in their respective directions.

In a makeshift camp, stood Gregore.

He was using a magical tool which one could say was a primitive and fanciful version of a Smartphone.

"Yes. Please hurry up and come."

"Yes. I can't explain it properly, but I have a bad feeling."

"It feels like everything is going just the way someone wants it to. Yes, yes, I'll be waiting at the appropriate place."

The call ended.

Gregore finished speaking and then turned to a person behind him.

"I have a mission for you."

It was midday, but the adventurers were drinking.

That was because they shouldn't fight anymore.

There, a woman was drinking as if she were a man in his 40s.

The woman was Gladys Wolford, her hair was combed to the sides and reached her ears because of how short she was.

The color was red like the wine they serve in fine restaurants, her eyes were dark amber.

Gladys was a mercenary. She was a different version of adventurers.

A mercenary worked for commitment, while adventurers worked for the guild and sometimes for nobles.

I was drinking along with some female companions.

Gladys was working at the academy as she had a purpose.

"I want to have a boyfriend!"

She was almost in her 30's. She entered the academy thanks to an acquaintance.

The reason was so that way, a student or professor, would want to have her as a mistress or concubine.

By imperial decree, a mistress or concubine receives economic or social benefits.

So no matter what woman she was, she would gain. Nor could she be abandoned by that man. That was the law.

She came here recently because she thought she would make some money since she heard there were only monsters.

One of her friends told her. "If you're so desperate for a man, look, there are plenty of options there."

She turned to see a group of men... posing.

It was Jerome and Leonard.

"Muscle is culture!"

"Muscle training, it's bodybuilding!"

They were talking nonsense, so she felt no interest.

(I didn't keep my virginity intact for so many years for some idiot to take me. I want to live a good life under the shoulder of a rich, handsome, successful man!)

She drank her tankard to the bottom as she cried.

The night fell.

The feast began.

Different nobles, among them Estoria official servants were present.

Laughter and friendly chatter echoed in that room.

The only person who didn't seem to fit in there was Emily.

She was invited since she was the heroine who won yesterday's battle.

She wasn't even drinking or eating anything. She was just leaning against the wall.

She didn't care if anyone spoke ill of her.

She was here for a reason.

(I want to show my household how strong I am.)

Emily belonged to a prestigious baronet household which was very small.

Her influence with other knights was low.

Since she was a little girl, Emily always loved swords.

At age 5 was the first time she used one.

Her older sister saw her and pushed her.

It said. "A woman knight is a joke. Don't generate disgrace in our family."

But that didn't matter to her. She loved the sword.

Like every little girl, she was read tales of knights and princesses, but for Emily, knights were more interesting.

Strong, brave, loyal.

They were the perfect example of a warrior.

That's why she wanted to be one.

It is thanks to a woman, sword princess Christina, that women knights are not a joke.

It is also due to the first emperor of the Bryes dynasty.

The old family dynasty had no heir, so it was time to choose a new one.

The first Loic, i.e. the future emperor without being elected, belonged to an unimportant family branch.

It was thanks to his mother, who always supported him that he was able to become emperor.

He knew that the laws in the empire with women were terrible.

That's why he decided to change them.

That was the reason for this world, but more was the will of the "game".

"Do I have proof of your complicity?"

I'm tired, this is so weird every time.

"Sorry, I have no idea what..."

"Are you still playing dumb?"

Page after page she turned.

"I know about his financial frauds, I know about the under-the-table deals he's made." I know all about his private life. And yet he still plays dumb?

Wait, she's not talking about me, she's talking about her husband.

"You mean your husband does illegal things?"

She seemed to understand that I don't know anything.

"Are you really not one of his spies? Despite the fact that you always stare at me?"

It was so obvious that I was always seeing her!

She relaxed in a disinterested way.

"Sorry, I seem to have become paranoid already."

No, no, this is serious, don't relax.

"Err, I'm sorry, but what's this all about?"

I want to know what's going on here.

She settled back in her chair as she told me.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but if you're not one of their chips, I can make you one of mine, how about it? I'll pay you of course."

Money is always welcome, but my curiosity about this case is more important.

"I don't understand what's going on here, could you explain it to me?"

She seemed reluctant at first, but then relented. How easy.

"What if I told you, what in this war is something else?"

"Huh?"

"What if I told you that this war was provoked by horrible people?"

"Whose goal was to seize the minerals in this territory and thus sell them to enemies of the empire to finance their wars."

Huh.

Hey...

What the hell?

Seriously, what the hell?

"From the beginning, this territory was mineral to exploit its resources. We were never warriors or soldiers, so if you come from the capital, you should see that this territory is not developed like the others. "

She's right about that, this territory compared to the ones I've seen seems to be truly in a medieval setting, the others look like it's a futuristic 19th century version.

"A long time ago, my older brother died, he was the rightful heir."

"In my situation, as the only daughter, I was forced to inherit the territory, I didn't want to since my father refused to choose other lovers' sons as successor."

"Then one day, when I turned, I woke up like this."

Suddenly, she took off, the mask.

I was at a loss for words for what I saw.

To describe what I saw. Did anyone ever imagine seeing a petrified tree?

They say its bark is so rough that it scrapes the fingers.

Besides being a very unpleasant sensation to touch because it can have bacteria on it, it is very unpleasant to see and touch one.

That, is what I was seeing.

Celestine's skin was pale gray, it seemed to have cracks.

Even her red lips were gray.

But, the detail that caught my attention the most.

It was her beautiful visible eyes, they were cyan.

"I woke up like this one day, doctors and healers came to treat me, but no one could detect that it was this disease. But I know what it is."

"A curse."

"A curse?"

"Curses are the product of black magic. Which is rare to find. One day before my birthday, I was visited by a strange woman who claimed to be a distant aunt, she fed me a dessert, it was my favorite."

"As I ate it, I watched her hold back her laughter."

"It was there that I understood, my relatives wanted to take over this territory, my father didn't want that, he didn't trust them. To be the lord of these lands, he cares about his people, that's what I've been doing on the sly."

"I would take money from my father that he entrusted to me and give it to a maid, who would go to the village and distribute it to all the hungry."

"Haven't you ever wondered how there is food despite the problems we face? Well, it all comes out of my late father's pockets."

"My husband, that man's family wants this land, that's why I was forced to marry him even though I've never had an engagement before. I thought for a moment... that fate had smiled on me, but it wasn't."

"It wasn't..."

She ducked her head due to his sad tone.

"I... I was just used. He secretly took over these lands. His resources, his family wants to be the next patriarch. This plan could never have succeeded if not for the death of the former patriarch."

Uh... wait a moment...

You're telling me... that I caused this?

It was me who killed that guy. But it was because he would be a danger to the future.

"Maybe they had my house or not as a target, but my husband has been busy because he has bought my relatives. It's only me left to prevent him from completely taking over this place. My allies are traitors, I hardly trust anyone."

"Even if I paid to get help, no one guarantees me that those guys won't betray me, really... how pitiful I am."

Celestine burst into tears.

Probably... no, for sure she had been fighting alone all this time.

Besides, that this came up just because I decided to eliminate that guy.

If what she says is true and it's all a scam, what's this celebration for?

A man was approaching Gerald, it was Duke Hugh who came to say goodbye.

"It was a splendid dinner my lord. But I must be going."

"Sure. But one thing, is it done?"

The duke smiled at Gerald.

"Of course. The war will be over when we have gotten rid of some nobles who oppose you. After all it was for that reason that the war broke out, hahaha."

Gerald smiled in a wicked way.

"The enemies of Offrey Household have been bothering us for a long time, this is a good opportunity to get rid of them as well as to take over these lands. All in all, that useless woman must be good for something."

"Indeed it is, well. I'll retire and report all this to His Majesty."

"It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"Likewise."

As he watched him go, Gerald thought.

(Although part of that was a lie, my real goal is to find a new headquarters for the Black Ravens).

(As the lawless city fell silent, we need a new place to establish our temporary base. All for the sake of taking over this country).

The current situation and the game, are so distorted, that one cannot deduce what is the correct line of events.

But what is certain is that once again, the "villainess" was a victim of this game world.