Chapter 342 - Episode Forty-Two - Pope Sateria (7)

I half-heartedly followed Sateria down the stairs inside the palace.

I was walking along the stairs inside the palace, with Peter following me with a devilish expression and Mea with an anxious look on her face.

Im sorry for the unilateral interference from the Riveras Kingdom. Our country is currently in a precarious situation. There is the forcible unification of sects, but we also have another difficulty. That is the main reason why Levi-sama planned to interfere in the Dinrat Kingdom.

When I didnt respond well, she slowed down and glanced at my face.

I see

I couldnt think of the right words to say, so I gave her an unreliable gesture.

Saterias eyes narrowed in satisfaction, and she smiled happily.

Im getting more and more anxious.

How and why did this happen?

Was there something wrong with my response?

As a precaution, I moved the World Tree Ortem with Saterias permission and let it move right beside me.

This was to prepare for any eventuality.

As well as the fact that Saterias condition was suspicious, there was a hint that she herself was already being protected by some sort of magical ward.

Its a good idea to have an auto-responsive Ortem on hand to deal with any sudden attacks from her.

Ive gotten permission from Sateria to move the Ortem, by the way.

She was eerily unconcerned, and she didnt pry into my Ortem.

I would like to have the opportunity to apologize in public for my actions. So, I would like to make contact with the royal family of your country first, so that we can settle the issue of what our country has done first. I hope that we can have a constructive relationship in the future.

U-Um! Ill be troubled even if you tell me that Ill leave that kind of talk to Peter-san in the back

Okay, well said, I got the courage.

Ive been listening to you for a while, but that is not my place.

Sateria must have misunderstood something.

Im just a sorcerer, and I dont want to hear conversations about the country.

In the first place, I brought Peter here as a foreign affairs officer for this kind of situation.

Now I can finally escape.

Ill line up with Mea from behind and watch Peters face turn blue and red.

Oh! No, no no. ! You dont have to take it that way, its fine! Im not trying to get you to say anything! Its just that I wanted to tell Abel-sama and the others about the current situation in Riveras Kingdom and my intentions for the future! I wanted to tell you in a way that would not be misunderstood, that we should be able to resolve our differences through words, without any conflict.

For some reason, that didnt work.

No, really, why not?

I know that Mea is unable to say anything.

But why is it that Peter just repeats his facial expressions and gestures like a chimpanzee who has been hit on the head, and doesnt offer any help whatsoever.

Um, why me? Im really just here as a back-up so this kind of thing really bothers me.

Sateria fell silent, stopped, and stared at my face.

I feel embarrassed. What is this feeling?

I dont feel weird about it, but I cant help but feel embarrassed because Sateria is quite beautiful.

Er

Thats right. It was not sincere to leave the subject for later. Ill start with that one. With all due respect, when I heard that Nelgliffe was detained by the Dinrat Kingdom, I sent a secret reconnaissance to the Fage territory, regardless of Levi-samas intentions. Taking advantage of my inability to leave, Levi-sama has imposed many restrictions on the information I can obtain

Were Saterias spies infiltrating the Fage territory?

In response to the blockade by the Levi Church, there has been a rapid increase in the flow of people into and out of the Fage territory, and Lark has not imposed any restrictions or strict investigations on the flow of people in and out of the territory, hoping to restore relations with other territories.

Its no wonder theyve been infiltrated.

So why did you tell me

Through that investigation, I have learned that there was a traveling sorcerer who provided vast amounts of aid to the Fage territory, who were impoverished by our manipulations, completely free of charge.

Yeah ?

The sorcerer succeeded in exercising and reproducing an alchemy so advanced that it could shorten the worlds magical standard by several hundred years! And he generously entrusted the rights to the results of his research to his lord! Not only that, but by giving the local sorcerers a friendly education in magic, theyve set up a system that will allow the Fage to operate completely independently in the future! All of this, in an incredibly short period of time!

Saterias words were gradually filled with passion.

Her face is flushed with excitement. I can see that the hand holding her staff is getting stronger and stronger.

This is the same person who defeated the two high priests, Nelgliffe and Marias, who were rooted in the Fage territory, from an overwhelming disadvantage and restrained them without taking their lives.

W-Wait, um, I feel like if youre being overly dramatic or something

Ive heard that theres a man in the Farg territory whos not only skilled in magic, but also has a personality as great as the heroes of the lore Id really like to meet you once! At such a time, I heard that there was a change in Abel-samas movements, and I thought that there might be an opportunity for us to meet in the near future !

Saterias eyes were filled with tears, as if she was overcome with emotion, and she stretched out her arms to me.

A-Abel! Peter-san says he has a secret to tell you!

When I was confused, Mea came to my back and called out to me.

As if in a state of shock, she regained her lost expression and wiped her own tears with the hand she had been holding out to me.

Im very sorry, for what I did

I was relieved to have a reason to get away from Sateria, and hurriedly stepped back behind her.

Pe-, Peter-san, um

Peters face was expressionless, and he waved the staff in his hand sideways.

Flame, form, bird

Three magic circles unfolded.

Flames rose above the magic circle, forming a reddish-black bird.

It spreads its wings, flies up, avoids me in a wide circle, and attacks Sartellia from three directions.

Pe-, Peter-san!?

Peter pokes the floor with the tail of his large staff.

What are you being moved for!? Were here to defeat Levi! Ive been indicating it to you a hundred times that you should get on with it!! I brought you here so that if you have trouble deciding, you can leave it to me!

I, I mean, you didnt have to do anything like that! No matter how much you say it, I feel sorry for her! Sa-Sateria-san!

Looking ahead, I saw a thin, spherical curtain of water around Sateria.

I can feel the dense magic power from the water. The surface of the water was covered with magic, and the ripples were constantly spreading.

This was probably the sign of the warding I had felt since I first met Sateria.

Huh, this is just plain hard

I was looking at the formula and couldnt help but mutter to myself.

I had the idea that it wouldnt be a big deal if it was related to the water gods anyway, but this ward is one of the best Ive seen.

Thinking about it, the water gods spear was also an unimaginably advanced thing for the main water god.

If time permits, Id like to take a closer look and examine it.

Sateria stood in the midst of the water protection, still smiling as ever.

She was almost killed, but there was no sign of fear or anger.

I apologize for the afterthought. Im also very desperate. It is the power of the dragon vein that lies in the holy land, the armor of the water dragon. As long as I am in this holy land, the dragon vein will sense and prevent any harm that is directed at me.

Ugh

Peter lets out an uproarious voice and bends over backwards to get behind me.

He judged Sateria to be full of holes and was hopeful that he could take her out now.

Peter grabs me by the shoulders and taps me with her fingers to hurry me up.

A-Abel-chan, get it over with!

Peter-sama, I have been informed that you are an extremist who is manipulating the politics of the Dinrat Kingdom from behind the scenes. But I believe that in the end, you will be convinced. Will you please put aside your contradictions and give me a chance?I understand that your kingdom is important to you. But there are people who are suffering in my land as well.

Ha! Thats an argument that makes me feel like puke! Youve caused me so much trouble, and all you do is talk about your side of the story! Im not going to give you any sympathy if you play it down. I dont think I can talk to you properly. Let me be clear, I dont care about your apologies or compensation. I dont have time for blind idealists! Okay, Abel-chan! Thats my answer! You remember how you ended up escorting me, dont you?

Peters grip on my shoulders tightened, and he spoke quickly.

His spit splashed on my neck.

Peter-san, why are you in such a hurry?

If you have the advantage of listening to me, Peter-sama, you have it. I am, quite frankly, just a decoration. I am aware of that. Thats why Im going to ask you and Abel-sama to meet someone.

I checked Peters face.

He closed his mouth and glares at Sateria questioningly.

Yes, thats right, its Levi-sama. If you do not like the discussion, you may raise your wand at any time. We will not confiscate your weapons. You originally came here with the intention of getting Levi-samas head, didnt you? Wouldnt it be convenient if you could meet me just to hear my story? Of course, at that time, I will do my best to resist