At my cold attitude, Minte clicked her tongue, while Bark and Tristan simply kept their distance and fell into a quiet silence.
Ganik outright lured the baby Lizardman away to avoid the situation. Pallides also stealthily retreated, using the excuse of keeping watch on the surroundings.
Only Zigore stamped his feet impatiently, urging Mori.
[What are you doing, Mori! Confess quickly!]
Mori merely looked up at me with eyes that seemed on the verge of tears, not easily opening his mouth.
As I quietly gazed into those eyes, my conviction grew stronger.
‘This one is definitely different from the other knights.’
It wasn't simply because Mori was a potential successor.
Mori…… had not shown any joy upon meeting me.
Considering how all the other knights had emotionally accepted our reunion, Mori's reaction was clearly abnormal.
And that left a chill in my heart.
"Nadav, what did he do?"
[Actually, I was trying to find out because he wouldn't say.]
Nadav answered my question in a cautious voice.
Perhaps Nadav had intended to handle whatever Mori had done—who had stubbornly sealed his lips and hidden in a snake hole—himself and then bring him to me.
"Recently, there was a monster attack incident around here. Are you involved in that?"
When I changed the question, Mori hung his head and stammered his answer.
[Y-yes, I am.]
"Was it your doing?"
[Yes, yes.]
The moment I heard Mori's immediate answer, I coldly refuted it.
"Lies."
[What?]
Mori looked up in surprise.
"If it was your doing, Nadav would have known."
After all, Nadav was one of the parties attacked by the monster.
At my words, Nadav let out a deep sigh. Mori looked back and forth between me and Nadav, his mouth opening and closing.
Yet he couldn't easily say anything. Finally, in a barely audible voice, he began to speak.
[E-everyone has lost their power.]
"What?"
[In the old days, y-you probably wouldn't have been unaware.]
I narrowed my eyes and looked down at Mori.
It wasn't the first or second time the Dullahans had brought up memories of the past, but those were generally closer to unfinished sketches.
A single scene, or just the intense emotion of that time remained. But Mori seemed to be comparing the past and present much more accurately.
Perhaps this one…… possesses his memories intact?
If so, why? How is that possible?
[Y-you're human now, Captain. So you've lost your authority…….]
[Mori!]
Zigore called out to Mori in a startled voice. But the words already spoken had reached my ears.
"So, because I've become human, you thought you'd try being the goddess's proxy instead?"
I crossed my arms and swept my gaze around. Despite all the animals having fled in fright at the Dullahan's aura, so many snakes had remained, wanting to protect Mori.
According to the memory that suddenly returned, Mori was much loved by young and small creatures. Children, small animals.
It seemed that characteristic remained the same even now that he was a Dullahan.
The proxy of death was a woman who loved all things, and Mori was the knight who resembled her the most. Moreover, it seemed he had vaguely realized he had been chosen as her successor.
‘And if he happened to have some power, however crude……?’
"So, were you listening to the grievances of all things in this forest? Did they ask you to attack humans?"
I tilted my head and let out a sneer.
"How arrogant."
[I, I was……]
"If you have that kind of power, I won't stop you. Go ahead and save all things as you wish. I just didn't want to do it myself; I didn't know there was someone perfectly suited for it here."
The Captain of the past praised and encouraged Mori's good deeds. At least in my memory, she never scolded Mori for acting first and reporting later.
But I am different from her, and I do not agree with her judgment.
Especially in times like these, when the whole world defines Dullahans as evil, I had even less desire to encourage him.
"Nadav. Do you also intend to share Mori's intentions?"
[……Captain, I am a knight who serves you.]
Nadav had a resigned look. After glancing briefly at Nadav, who was walking towards me meekly, I turned my body away coldly.
"Let's go back."
Zigore, who had been looking back and forth between me and Mori, also reluctantly flapped his wings.
‘How much time has passed?’
As I strode along, roughly estimating the time it would take to return, a desperate cry came from behind.
[Me too!]
Mori, who had been hiding under the fallen leaves the whole time, finally emerged.
[I, I am also a knight who follows you, Captain……!]
While I hesitated at that cry, Mori diligently approached right to my feet.
[He said he wanted to escape, so I t-told him the way to attain repose.]
When our eyes met, Mori flinched and hung his head.
Yet he continued, stammering.
[H-he asked for help. That child was crying sadly, so I…… I tried to give repose to those who desire it, as y-you taught us, Captain…….]
"Who is it."
I cut off Mori's words in a dry tone.
Mori looked up at me, tears welling in his pitch-black eyes without pupils.
Towards the hesitant Mori, I asked again in a cold voice.
"So, who was it that used the method you taught on innocent humans?"
[……He said he was a fairy.]
A fairy?
「You know the fairy tale where a fairy appears at the bedside of someone who cannot sleep and lets them dream happy dreams, right?」
At that moment, a name flashed through my mind like lightning.
It seemed the fallen fairy Xenon mentioned was precisely that monster.
[B-but he used that power strangely and then disappeared! I need to tell him he shouldn't use it like that. H-he probably didn't know.]
Ganik was deceived by a human, and now Mori was deceived by a monster.
Well, well. Now I get to see the terrifying Dullahan being tricked by some monster and fretting anxiously.
[He said he lived in the water. B-but I couldn't find him in the river, so I thought maybe he moved to a stream in the forest…….]
Finally, tears began to drip from Mori's black eyes. Nadav seemed unable to bear the sight and turned his head away completely.
After gazing down at Mori indifferently, I quietly swallowed a sigh. Then, bending my knee, I extended my palm towards Mori.
"Come here."
Mori, who had been dripping tears, hesitated before cautiously climbing onto my palm.
Along with coarse grains of soil, the cool, smooth texture of a snake coiled around my palm.
"I'll get revenge for you, so stop crying."
[……What?]
"I said I'll get revenge. Did you think I'd just let it go?"
[B-but we might not even find him…….]
"You said he indirectly used the goddess's authority. With that authority entangled, do you think he can hide from my eyes?"
I quietly suppressed my rising anger and turned around. The old frustration and irritation towards the former Captain welled up thickly.
Early education is important, yet she raised the child this naively and tried to make him her successor?
‘Even if it was my past life, it really doesn't suit me.’
Frowning, I glanced at Mori.
"Humans can't resurrect once their heads are cut off. So, it's hard to see me, who has lost my authority, as human. Strictly speaking, I'm still the proxy of death."
At my words, Mori flinched.
[I-I'm sorry, Captain…….]
Mori, who had curled his body into a circle on my palm, buried his head within it.
Seeing him so utterly deflated, I thought Nadav or Zigore might offer some comfort, but both just quietly watched the situation.
In Nadav's case, he seemed relieved simply by the fact that I was taking care of Mori. And Zigore, unlike his usual noisy temperament, was quietly flying along, following me.
[I will release the insects immediately.]
I nodded to Tristan and then looked up at the sky.
I came early on purpose, but it was already getting dark.
"It would be best to return."
Pallides, who had looked at the sky, cautiously spoke. I nodded, agreeing with her.
"I'll have to come again."
After all, the forest was too vast, and it would likely be difficult to immediately search for a monster whose appearance I didn't even know.
Since Mori had contact with the fallen fairy, it would be better to gather some information about it and, through Tristan, locate the monster before coming.
And then, I'll make that insolent monster pay.
* * *
The holy knight Samuel, who investigated the Lindea River, affirmed that this incident was caused by a monster.
The Emperor reluctantly released Xenon since the High Priest's cherished holy knight personally affirmed it. However, his attitude remained unconvinced.
The reason he was reluctant to easily let Xenon go, who expressed his desire to leave the imperial palace due to displeasure at the unjust confinement, was likely because he hadn't completely abandoned his suspicions.
After calming the furious Xenon and leaving, Heinri pressed his temples, filled with fatigue, only after entering a quiet corridor.
Lately, he had been extremely busy dealing with both the Emperor and Duke Roam while rebuilding his own support base.
Amidst this, the Empress still had not awakened.
The somewhat fortunate news was that this incident was truly caused by a monster, and Anelli intended to meet that monster directly to find a way to resolve the situation.
‘The Magic Tower also guaranteed it was a problem caused by a monster, didn't they.’
If they even made a magical vow, no one could disbelieve it. Though the Emperor might still consider even that a fabrication.
Heinri stood in the corridor for a moment, gathering his fatigue. At that moment, an aide approached and reported in a low voice.
"Your Highness, Her Majesty summoned Baron Hason again today."
At those words, Heinri's eyes narrowed.
Baron Hason was originally one of the Emperor's personal physicians but had recently taken on the role of an advisor as well.
Having gained trust by solving the Emperor's long-standing incurable illness, he seemed to have provided answers likely to please the Emperor regarding several troublesome issues.
And probably…… this monster attack incident was one of them.
He muttered.
"How diligent."
"It seems he is separately investigating whether the oracle was manipulated, under imperial decree. As you said, he appears to suspect the relationship between the Resurrected One and the Magic Tower."
It had been confirmed long ago that Baron Hason was a pawn of Fressian.
And that Fressian was a man acting under Lilia's instigation.
‘Does he intend to turn not only the Magic Tower but also the Temple against him? All he'll gain from making enemies of those two is a foolish successor and his greedy fiancée.’
Heinri, who had smiled coldly, resumed his steps, which had paused for a moment.
He had also heard the news that Lilia had regained her foresight ability. Fressian undoubtedly believed wholly in her power.
Of course, Heinri also believed in Lilia's foresight ability.