25-186

EP.186 [The Drake Appears.] 

"Welcome. I am Jeanne d’Arc Oblien, leader of the Red Fox Mercenary Band. Please forgive us for not being fully prepared due to these unexpected circumstances." 

In the middle of the night, Jeanne, along with the Red Fox Mercenary Band’s executive team, greeted someone. 

"It was our oversight not to fully anticipate unexpected situations on the Imperial Knights’ side. Thank you so much for coming out to meet us directly like this." 

It was none other than Victoria von Bayern, the supreme commander of the Imperial Knights’ Drake Special Quest Team. 

The Imperial Knights had set up rapid communication channels and were continually updating rough reports on the situation at Enclema Cliff. The latest report included the appearance of beasts possessed by miasma, prompting Victoria to select only elite troops and arrive at the rendezvous point with the Red Fox Mercenary Band a day earlier than planned. 

"These are the ones? There are quite a lot of them." 

"There were a few more. Including those we processed for food, it’s close to thirty." 

Victoria, guided by Thomas, inspected the corpses of the desert foxes possessed by miasma. 

"As you can see, the numbers are significant. It’s not just a case of one or two animals being affected. The number has been gradually increasing over a long period, and the beasts living here have been influenced for some time." 

A joint emergency meeting began between the Imperial Knights’ Drake Special Quest Team’s elite members and the Red Fox Mercenary Band’s executive team. 

With no mage present in the party, Priscilla-who currently had the deepest grasp of the situation-effectively led the meeting. 

"The Empire had considered two possibilities for the appearance of monsters. One is ‘coincidence,’ meaning a particular place forms a special connection that causes it. The other is the possibility that miasma is accumulating." 

Victoria spoke cautiously, as what she was saying was close to confidential. 

"If we go by Priscilla’s assessment, it seems the latter is more likely." 

The Elysium Empire, having to consider political implications, couldn’t just openly declare a monster hunt. If monsters were appearing by coincidence, they could stick to their current policy. But if miasma was accumulating across the continent, it would be a completely different story. 

"Epidemics are breaking out all over the place. The Empire may be keeping quiet, but I’ve heard a lot of strange rumors. I think it was all predictable." 

Priscilla backed up her judgment with more evidence. 

‘Oh, Priscilla knew about that too? She never talked about this before,’ Eugene thought. Up until now, everything discussed was something Eugene had already heard from Priscilla, so he just nodded along. But when the topic of epidemics came up, he looked at Priscilla-he’d thought only he and Jeanne knew that high-level information within the Red Fox Mercenary Band. 

"So if the drake appeared because of rising miasma, just preparing for the drake might not be enough. There could also be ‘residual monsters’ created." 

In truth, such broad discussions aren’t the reason for an emergency meeting; it’s because there’s a high chance it will directly impact the Special Quest Team. As expected, Priscilla provided a solid reason for the party to raise their guard even further. In a region full of miasma, a top-tier monster’s miasma can spawn parasitic “residual monsters.” 

"Thank you for arranging accommodations for us at this late hour." 

While the emergency meeting was underway, the Red Fox Mercenary Band’s logistics team set up extra tents as temporary quarters for the Imperial Knights. Victoria thanked Eugene and Jeanne personally for this. 

"Is security for the mage increased as well?" 

When the three were left alone, Jeanne asked about Elizabeth’s situation. Elizabeth was joining the Imperial Knights’ team and heading to Enclema, meaning her safety was now in the hands of the Imperial Knights. 

"Of course. That’s part of why I came in person-to assess the situation and send back accurate information." 

Victoria replied with a calm and reassuring expression and tone. Though she didn’t say it, she clearly understood Jeanne’s concern for her little sister. 

"It looks like we’ll need to start searching from this side tomorrow morning. If Priscilla is right, each day could make a big difference." 

Eugene chimed in. 

If it were just the drake, the top priority would be to take it down for sure. But if, as Priscilla warned, there could be residual monsters, then balancing certainty with speed would be crucial. 

So, whereas the original plan was to wait for the main Imperial Knights’ Special Quest Team to arrive before beginning the main quest, it now seemed the Red Fox Mercenary Band would need to start their quest operations earlier. 

"As long as it’s not a full-scale battle, that should be fine. The situation has changed, so we’ll need to adjust our official procedures as well. Just be as safe as possible. For now, we’re allies." 

Strictly speaking, Victoria was the leader of the Drake Special Quest, and the main force was the Imperial Knights. The Red Fox Mercenary Band was required to follow Victoria and the Imperial Knights’ orders within certain limits. Victoria was subtly indicating she would expand the band’s discretionary authority. 

"Seeing Victoria von Bayern in person... she really looks like Adrian von Bayern, the late wife of Duke Konstantin von Bayern." 

Later, Jeanne lay down in her tent again, with Eugene beside her. He had given up his own tent for the Imperial Knights’ elite, so he was sleeping with Jeanne on purpose. 

Jeanne mentioned Victoria’s mother, Adrian von Bayern. 

"Was she famous? As a duchess, I suppose she would be." 

Eugene responded with a slightly curious expression. Jeanne rarely talked about other families, unless they were very well-known, so he wondered what prompted her to bring this up. 

"Oh, right, you probably wouldn’t know. Duchess Adrian was from a noble family distantly related to ours-the Ortega family, lords of the north." 

Jeanne explained why she’d mentioned Adrian, noting the special connection between the Oblaing family and Adrian. 

"I see. In a great noble house, even distant relatives are on a different level from most families’ distant relatives, right?" 

Eugene’s interest was piqued. He’d heard about the tangled blood ties of the great nobility. 

"Exactly. Especially since Father was very close to Duchess Adrian. So from a young age, my sisters and I grew up hearing her name. Strangely, after you arrived, I don’t remember Father mentioning her anymore. But I never met her myself-she died when I was very young." 

Jeanne, seeing Eugene’s interest, explained further. 

"Oh... she passed away?" 

Eugene’s face fell. He and Victoria had developed a bond since the Imperial Knights’ arena, and Victoria’s cool, reliable personality made Eugene feel like he’d gained a true friend. 

"I’ve only seen her portrait a few times, but she was so beautiful it left an impression. Victoria really does look like Duchess Adrian." 

After Adrian’s death, Konstantin von Bayern remarried. His new wife, Sabrina von Bayern, bore Victoria’s half-brother Robert von Bayern. Sometimes, Sabrina hosted noblewomen’s gatherings, and Jeanne, attending with Duchess Marianne, had seen Adrian’s portrait there. 

"Hmm...!" 

As they chatted, Jeanne suddenly sighed deeply. 

"What’s wrong, Jeanne? Is there something else you want to talk about?" 

Eugene, who’d been interested in the complex noble family relationships, perked up when he heard his beloved sigh. 

"No, it’s just that as I was preparing for this quest and learning about Victoria, something suddenly came to mind." 

As mentioned before, Jeanne didn’t know much about Victoria-when Jeanne was attending social gatherings with her mother, Victoria was wandering the continent. She’d only heard about Victoria being recognized as the youngest Sword Expert about a year ago. This quest gave her a chance to learn more. 

"I realized why Father favors her so much." 

It was the fact that Antoine de Sel Oblaing doted on Victoria. 

"It sounds silly, but as a child, whenever Father mentioned Duchess Adrian and Victoria, I always got that feeling." 

Jeanne opened up about her feelings. 

"It felt like he was warmer when talking about them than when talking about me or Mother..." 

Jeanne trailed off, feeling a bit embarrassed about her own lack of confidence. 

‘Yeah... she must have felt that way. Feeling like her father favored his distant genius niece Victoria over his own less-gifted daughter.’ 

Eugene picked up on Jeanne’s feelings. 

"The Duke favoring Victoria? Maybe. But Jeanne, you’ve earned the right to work with Victoria on your own merit. That’s amazing." 

Eugene immediately tried to boost Jeanne’s confidence. He meant it-he’d seen Jeanne’s determination firsthand for months. 

"Yeah... I guess that’s not wrong..." 

Jeanne herself felt some pride in that. When Eugene reminded her, she felt better. 

"If we take down the drake, things will really change. I think even Father will see you differently." 

"Alright, then! I’ll clear this quest perfectly and proudly tell Father all about it!" 

Encouraged by Eugene, Jeanne made a bold vow in his arms. 

And the next day- 

"The drake has appeared!!!!" 

The golden goblin drake that Jeanne had hoped for finally revealed itself.