We left the dwarven kingdom and we were bombing our way to the Holy City.

　We didn't talk to Estia with emphasis, but told her that we would listen to her after we arrived in the Holy City.
　Estia had spent ten days in the Dwarven Kingdom, but Lionel and the others had not forgotten Estia's face or name, so they could not confirm the fact that the dark spirits had manipulated her memory.

''Thank you for the letter. When I gave it to the Dwarf King, he didn't suspect it at all and provided me with safety and food.
　She smiled and thanked me for that.

　

　I listened to the family structure, favorite dishes, the requirements for joining the Mage Guild, and so on, while I listened to the chanting that I could already use with my new knowledge in my head.
　''.......Why?''
　I couldn't activate my LV I magic chant even though I was supposed to have the magic aptitude for fire, water and earth attributes.
　Well, this was to be expected.
　It was the same with Heal, because just chanting didn't increase my proficiency.
　''Can't.......get rid of the magic power? ...not becoming more proficient? Why?
　He was also struggling to endure the obvious fear that his proficiency level hadn't risen a single degree.

　''It really is safe in the St. Schurur Cooperative State, isn't it?''
　I'm jealous.
　It's good to be surrounded by forests and mountains with moderate food demons and wildflowers.
　It's kind of a déjà vu conversation.
　I continued on my way, thinking about that, and said what I thought.
　'I wonder why there aren't any villages in the Dwarven Kingdom or around Rockford.
　
　You can't make whatever you want because that's how much of a conflict of interest there is, Meow.

　What empire was Lionel and Ketty in?
　Lionel and Ketty seemed to know a lot about the autonomy of the empire, so I decided to ask them.
　'The emperor and the dukes are at the helm of the entire empire. The marquises and earls run the fiefdoms while the faction's barons and barons run the detailed fiefdoms.
　In fact, it's developing so fast, it's losing its touch.
　The Empire is being led into more and more traps by like-minded people like Lionel-sama and others, Nya.
　They both lamented the current empire.

　They knew that the inside of the Empire was getting rotten, but they didn't think it was as bad as this.
　''There may come a time when the Empire will be touring, but it's best to stay away from that place for the time being.
　''Lionel, don't talk about the scary things you're saying in your salacious way... Even though you certainly don't plan to go to the Empire for the time being, if you're that dark behind the scenes, you might have to think of something to do with the stones.
　I can only see the composition of an empire that has a good military strategist and a scheme to corrupt it from within.
　I don't even know what the situation was originally, it's difficult for me to try to know everything, but I want to live a peaceful life apart from the country.


　As I was talking with Lionel and the others while preparing for the encampment after dark, Estia made a face.
　''Luciel-sama, can I help you with something?''
　No, I'm fine. Anyway, what's the condition of the carriage?
It's much bigger than it looks from the outside, and it doesn't shake too much, so it doesn't make you sore.
Okay, fine.
　I cut off the conversation there, but Esther didn't want to leave.

'Do you still need something?'

Why is there a forêt noir here?
　Esther began to speak again with a sense of determination as she struggled to understand the story, jumping around too much to continue talking.

'I sense tremendous power from that horse. Where was it brought from?'
'Forenoire is a very good and gentle horse. Out of all the horses that the Holy Knight rode, Forenoir was the only one that rode me well, so I was forced by the Pope to give him to me. Is there something on your mind?

''I don't know why, but I feel less anxious or less alone since that horse saw me...''
'I'm not going to give up the forenoir if you ask me to. Part of it is that the Pope gave him to me, but before that, he's my partner.
　I said with a laugh and I heard him chuckle from behind me, but I didn't have a problem with him laughing because I just told him what I was thinking.

''I understand. I'm sorry to say that it was unreasonable. Um, so what will happen to me once the hearing is over in the Holy City?
''If you can answer the question of what kind of job title a spirit magic swordsman had and what kind of lapse he had to go through to be a member of the Healer's Guild, as long as you answer the question well and tell him the story of how he became a slave, I think that's fine.
'I see. Will Luciel-sama and the others be present?
'That will be the Pope's decision. If nothing else, we have a city we want to go to, so we'll head there.
Really? I see. I'll tell everyone else that.
　Esther went back to the circle of former slaves.

'You could see the unease in her,'
''Well I've disenfranchised you, but if you were raised in the empire, wouldn't it have been a good idea to be on a pledge?''
I can't say for sure. No one in Lionel's entourage has been sworn in, at the very least.
　In response to Ketty's voice, I turned to Lionel and then asked Lionel.
'Lionel was researching human experimentation and slaves when he was targeted by his men, right?
You will.
Did you know that there are facilities like Estia where you can raise a frail child from a very young age?
''The empire is not so monolithic that a general or a soldier is allowed to know everything.
　And if you are an aristocrat, you have to send out thieves to target your growing territory, making it a den of evil.
　The task of spying on who is doing what is not normal either.
I don't know how you can put together a war with that.
If a person has been in the war, he or she can be promoted to a high rank by the emperor if he or she collects money in exchange for land. If you are not good at warfare, but are good at strategy, you can be elevated to the rank of count. Even commoners have the opportunity to be knighted.
Could it be that Yenis, or the Dwarven kingdom, or some other plotter caused the ruckus?
I'm sure of it.
.... do they already know about me?
I'm sure they will. But as I've said before, it's unlikely that they will attack us openly.
'Then of course they know about Lionel and Ketty, don't they?
Yes. As long as you accompany me as a slave, you won't have to worry about being attacked unnecessarily for fear of retribution.

　He understood the fundamental reason why he couldn't release Lionel and the others from slavery until the Empire's problems were over.
　He finished his dinner, thinking that he had apparently been able to gain a little trust from Lionel and the others.

　The next day, he told them that they had less than a day to arrive in the Holy City and strictly ordered the former slaves to register as adventurers.
　Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to make an identity proof.

　He decided to ask them to ask Granz-san, who had become his cooking master, to help them.
''Leaving the Holy City will finally allow me to rematch with the Whirlwind, right?
'It will be. Maybe I'll spend a few days in the Holy City, but I'm sure I'll be in Meratni. And I'd like to take a good opportunity to look at myself a bit too.
I want to fight.
'My master is as much of a battle fanatic as Lionel is, so I'm sure there will be a battle if you leave him alone. And of course, so will Kefin. By the time we get to Meratni, I'm sure Mr. Galba will be back, too.
I'll do my best not to die.
Was it really that hard to handle Mr. Galva?
I saw the running lights a few times.
'What? That's normal. That's what it was like every day when I was in Meratni.
What?
I see. So that's why...
It's not that I'm insensitive to pain, it's just that that's what I do every day.
　Each of them reacted in different ways to my words, but I decided to go through with it.

'There's a lot of humanism in St. Schuler's Church.
　If Keti and Kefin can set something up, you can do it back.
　Don't ever lose.
　If they say anything, if you can't tell them you're my followers, you'll have to wait in the Adventurer's Guild so that you can live outside the church.
Is the Adventurer's Guild okay with this?
Aren't there a lot of humans among the adventurers?
I don't think I've changed that much in a year, but I don't think I've done anything terrible, so I'll figure it out.
'I understand you two, but what about me?
Lionel may possibly be asked to train with the Holy Knights.
That's a good idea.
"Only Master Lionel is cheating.
I'd like to keep the Adventurer's Guild informed.
Ketty, I need you to hold on a moment.
It's all right.
　I wish the former slaves could work normally, but I didn't know what would happen, so I decided to put them under surveillance.

　After that, we talked about many things as we went along, and when the sky was turning madder red, I finally returned to the Holy City after a year and a bit.