CH 567

Deciding on it was the problem; in truth, returning to Edina wouldn't take long.

Sneaking into the temple was entirely possible in my beast form.

Not because I was a beast, but from the start, when I passed through the gate, there seemed to be rumors among the guards that I was Ellen's cat.

It felt like I had received some sort of intangible temple pass.

Once out of the temple, I could immediately return to Edina using the teleport scroll Harriet had created herself.

The scroll was precious, but since Harriet didn't even know I was taken to the temple, I couldn't call her here.

It was a common occurrence for me to suddenly disappear after leaving Charlotte in charge and then return, so no one was particularly startled.

Naturally, the first person I sought out was Harriet.

Despite it being bedtime for most, Harriet was in her study, peering at something.

If no one told her to rest, she wouldn't know when to stop.

After being absent for a while, I reappeared, and Harriet explained the general situation in Edina, saying nothing particularly significant had happened during that time.

"…You were dragged all the way to the temple?"

"…Yeah."

Upon hearing about my experiences in the Allied Forces' camp and my current cat mode, Harriet let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Locked in a cage?"

"Uh… yeah."

"You've become a pet…"

Harriet said, sounding disturbed, and I couldn't find any words to argue.

"So, do you have to stay as a cat for a longer period?"

"I already am…"

"Ah."

"In fact, even now, it's a bit awkward."

"…Is it that bad?"

"Yeah. I wonder why humans are so tall."

"…Wow."

Having spent almost a week in a low perspective, returning to my human form felt like the ground was swaying.

Being human felt strange!

In Harriet's study, I shared as much as I had learned about what had been going on.

I had thought it was merely reviving the dead through dark magic, but the alchemist Christina was involved in a research project.

"Alchemy seems to be involved…"

"What on earth could it be? What does reviving corpses have to do with an alchemist?"

"Alchemy is an area with many prohibitions, almost as much as dark magic… In fact, alchemists are more likely to go mad than dark mages."

"…Really?"

"Yes, remember Aaron Mede?"

"…Right."

Indeed, Aaron Mede, who had been a low-ranking member of the Black Order, was more of an alchemist than a dark mage.

"There are many alchemical practices related to dark magic as well… So they're not incompatible magical systems. If anything, they're related."

So, it was a case of birds of a feather flocking together.

It was absurd to dabble in forbidden alchemy without touching dark magic or vice versa.

If they were conducting research beyond the morals of the world, they would break all taboos.

Hence, there were alchemical practices based on dark magic and dark magic based on alchemy.

This case must be related to that.

"So, in your opinion, what do you think the Empire is up to?"

At my calm question, Harriet's eyes widened.

"How am I supposed to know that?"

"…Right."

I had such faith in her that it seemed as if she would know all the answers as long as the topic was magic…

Admittedly, it had been quite absurd for Harriet to act as an answer vending machine up until now.

"There aren't enough clues. Even if alchemy and dark magic are involved, the topics are too broad."

They seemed to be doing something nefarious with their magic, but what kind of magic could it be?

That was almost the level of the question.

"Resurrecting the dead and alchemy..."

Harriet tried to think it through but, in the end, no sharp ideas came to mind.

"It's difficult to think about them together. Separately, maybe, but not together."

"Do you understand them separately?"

"If it's dark magic, it's probably related to the undead and a related curse. As for alchemy, we've created things like Moonshine and enhancement potions."

Harriet also contemplated the lack of connections between the two.

"I'll try to think about it in my own way. Perhaps the Elders will catch on to something."

Truth be told, it was a bit ridiculous for me to return late at night and demand answers like some sort of night owl.

"Are you going straight back to the Imperial Capital? You're not Reinhardt right now, but Ellen's cat. Isn't Ellen worried about her missing cat?"

Harriet spoke with a smirk, covering her mouth with her hand.

"…Are you doing that on purpose?"

"Of course."

Harriet chuckled as if she found my transformation into a pet amusing.

"Or, can't you stay with me tonight, as long as you stay in cat form? I'll send you early tomorrow."

"…What?"

"Why, why not!"

“Stop it!”

“It's my fault!”

"Quickly. Come on? I'll hold you tight."

Harriet spread her arms wide, as if beckoning me to come and be embraced.

You!

Did you think of me as a completely separate creature when I was a cat?

Why was it you, not me, who has this double standard?

"…Please, no."

"Why, don't you like me? Is that it?"

"No… it's not that… you know it's not that…"

"Then hurry! Hurry up!"

At some point, it had become this way.

I ended up obliged to most of what our blockhead said.

Originally, our human relationship wasn't like this, but at some point, it completely reversed, and I can't do anything about it!

What went wrong, and when?

In the end...

Well...

That's how...

I ended up receiving a lot of affection.

------

Late at night.

The Allied Forces' base.

Kernstadt Army Command Post.

Louise von Schwarz was reviewing numerous documents by the light of a single lantern.

During battles, Louise von Schwarz was busy with combat and command; in non-battle situations, she was occupied overseeing the overall situation of the army.

Both mental and physical labor became more demanding the higher one went, making it difficult for anyone in the Allied Forces to have proper rest.

Busy with physical labor were Ellen Artorius and Saviolin Turner.

Busy with mental labor was the Emperor Bertus de Gardias of the Empire.

But Louise von Schwarz was both a master-class warrior and a commander.

Thus, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was the busiest person throughout the entire Allied Forces.

Heinrich von Schwarz had been watching Louise's busy state even after the occupation of Serandia.

He had already reported on the situation at the Royal-class base, and Heinrich had already witnessed the losses brought on by this war.

It was a wretched situation, but those who survived had to do something because they were alive.

Now.

Heinrich von Schwarz was peering intensely with his eyes, so much so that it seemed blood might appear in his eyes.

Although it was long past the time they should be asleep.

In the command post tent where only the two of them were present, the quiet sound of flipping through documents echoed.

In truth, Heinrich's examination of the documents didn't necessarily speed up the work.

But those documents provided an overview of the entire situation of the Kernstadt army.

The state of the troops, the supplies, the provisioning plan, the minimum required amount of supplies for wintering, and so on.

The very act of understanding those documents held meaning in itself.

Louise glanced at the documents and then stared blankly at the side.

Her eyes were focused, but her gaze was vacant.

Louise now knew.

Her son was weak at using his head.

Dealing with numbers wasn't just about memorizing them.

It was about deciding what was necessary, what was lacking, what was sufficient, and how to manage the limited resources and troops. It was also important to discern whether the reports from each unit commander were genuine.

It was a task of reading between the lines of the numbers.

Yet, Heinrich's actions seemed too instinctive, as if he was merely trying to memorize the numbers.

His demeanor was too awkward.

And, too adorable.

Louise occasionally felt as if she would burst into laughter.

Of course, she wasn't disappointed.

Wasn't it enough to have at least one outstanding skill?

There were plenty of people who had none.

Heinrich wasn't acting this way because he knew he was the true heir to the Schwarz royal family.

Nor was he behaving this way out of ambition or aspiration, as if he had to learn these things.

He simply wanted to be helpful.

Louise knew that it was just that one intention driving him.

That's why, the sight of him trying to do something he didn't know how to do was rather endearing.

"Why don't you go in and rest? You must be tired."

"...I'm still fine."

The lack of personal conversation between them remained the same.

But, little by little, something was changing.

If things continue to change like this until the end of the war,

Maybe they could become a normal parent-child relationship eventually.

Louise found that amusing.

Neither of them could be considered normal, yet what they both ultimately wanted was something ordinary.

And Louise still hadn't had a proper conversation with her son.

"...My youngest."

"Yes?"

"Your friends' situation...didn't turn out well."

Louise had also heard about the situation at the Royal Class garrison.

Although it wasn't something she needed to worry about, she knew Heinrich cared about that matter, so she had heard the news.

Death and injury were commonplace on the battlefield, but how could one's heart be at ease when their friends experienced such things?

At Louise's words, Heinrich seemed momentarily stunned before letting out a bitter laugh.

"What can we do..."

His words were mixed with self-mockery and resignation.

Despite doing everything they could, there were still things that were unavoidable.

It was sad, but he seemed to avoid thinking too deeply about it.

Because the very act of thinking was painful, he turned away as if to flee from it.

"Thank you, sister."

Heinrich smiled wistfully and went back to examining the documents.

In conclusion,

Louise felt a sense of pride when she saw this side of her son.

Ultimately, it was a cold truth that it wouldn't be of any help.

Just as she hadn't been able to rest for a long time, her son hadn't either.

This winter would probably be their last respite.

"Not everyone is allowed, but you know that there are those who have been granted permission to return to the Empire or their hometowns during the winter."

"...Yes."

Assuming their hometowns were safe, of course.

During this long break, the Allied Forces had been unusually selecting people to take extended leave.

"Go back to the Temple for a while."

"...Pardon?"

As if hearing an unexpected proposal, Heinrich looked at Louise with a stunned expression.

"It means you should go and rest. The great battles are over, and you haven't had a break in a long time. You deserve it."

Heinrich seemed rather flustered by this sudden leave order.

"I'm fine, sister. There might be an emergency, so I'd rather stay here to be prepared..."

While Louise appreciated her son's thoughtfulness, she knew that he didn't just want to rest.

"The King will be visiting soon."

"!"

The man who he thought was his father but was actually his grandfather.

Constantine von Schwarz would be visiting the battlefield as the situation stabilized.

Strictly speaking, Louise von Schwarz was the commander of the Kernstadt army, not the King.

"There are things I must explain to His Majesty. Heinrich, it will be an uncomfortable and dangerous situation for you."

The moment was approaching when the sister, who had murdered her two brothers under the guise of their disappearance, would have to explain the situation to her father.

It was uncertain whether the truth behind the disappearance would be revealed.

However, there was nothing good about Heinrich being present, whether the truth was exposed or not.

"That's why you should get away from here."

This was a brief escape disguised as a vacation.

For both the vacation and the escape.

In the end, ordering him to return to the Temple was an act of consideration from Louise.

"Sister... Will you be alright?"

"...I'll manage."

Although it would be terrible for Louise to either feign ignorance or reveal the truth about the murders of her siblings, she simply said so briefly.

But Heinrich understood that forcibly staying by Louise's side would be of no help to her during the upcoming inspection.

"Let me clarify, it's not about the inspection. I want you to rest."

Heinrich had been constantly on the move for a long time, just like everyone else.

Moreover, Heinrich wasn't even among the superhumans who could do Magic Body Strengthening.

However, his level of activity was even greater than the others, so it was evident that his fatigue had piled up immeasurably.

Louise vaguely thought.

The Temple.

How wonderful it would be to see it with her own eyes just once.

She longed to see the place where her son had spent his entire life.

But her desires were like the wind, and she had a daunting number of duties to attend to.

This winter.

Heinrich would return to a place distant from the battlefield to rest.

However, Louise von Schwarz's place was here.

Who knew?

After the war was over, there might come a day when she could personally set foot in the Temple.