Chapter 79
Viaton smiled faintly.
“I’m angry for the first time in a while.”
A man with a huge physique lay collapsed at his feet.
LeSalin screamed.
‘M, my voice won’t come out?’
It seemed like she was under some kind of spell.
Goosebumps rose all over LeSalin’s body.
She had been to many rough places and had experienced war zones, but this was the first time she had felt such murderous intent.
‘Th, that person is…… Bilotian Chief Aide Gabrizen?’
It was definitely Gabrizen.
Seeing her expression, Viaton smirked.
“You know me?”
“Mmm…… Mmm……!”
She wanted to say something, but because of the magic, her voice wouldn’t come out.
LeSalin pointed to her throat several times with her finger.
It meant she wanted to talk, so please release the magic.
However, Viaton didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.
“Why? Do you feel a little relieved to see my face? You probably think I can’t do anything rough because I’m the Emperor’s aide, right?”
“Mmm…… Mmm……!”
“But what am I going to do? I’m on vacation right now.”
Viaton held a w*d of paper in his hand.
It was a draft of the newsletter that had not yet been sent to the Whisper headquarters.
It was about Isabel, and naturally, it was a draft written to be unfavorable to Isabel.
“No matter how big of a mess you make, it’s a personal deviation, you b*stards.”
Whoosh!
The draft in Viaton’s hand burned and disappeared.
“So I’m thinking about how big of a mess I’m going to make right now.”
Meanwhile, Michael, who had collapsed behind, regained consciousness.
He jumped up and lifted a chair that was nearby.
He saw the back of Viaton’s head. Viaton seemed to be unaware that Michael had woken up because he was talking to LeSalin.
‘This crazy b*stard!’
Michael swung the chair violently.
Viaton didn’t dodge.
Thwack!
The chair struck Viaton’s head hard.
‘I did it!’
Now this monster-like guy would collapse.
‘……Huh?’
That’s what should have happened…… but Viaton was still standing perfectly fine.
“You know, an ordinary person would have died from a concussion.”
Viaton glanced back.
A stream of blood was flowing down from his head.
He checked the blood by touching it with his finger.
“It’s bleeding.”
Viaton smirked.
He could have defended himself, but he deliberately didn’t.
“Now it’s self-defense.”
You were the one who suddenly attacked, and you were the one who burned the manuscript, so why is this self-defense?!
She wanted to argue, but she couldn’t.
That day, Michael experienced h*ll.
It was the first time Michael, who was very large and strong, had experienced such a thing.
‘J, Just k*ll me!’
While Michael was experiencing h*ll, LeSalin felt extreme fear.
It was scary to see someone getting hit, but it was also painful to watch them get hit.
Viaton swung the chair down towards Michael’s face, who had collapsed.
“Ugh, Uaaack!”
Crash!
With a loud noise, the chair shattered.
It collided with the floor next to Michael’s face and shattered into pieces.
Fragments flew everywhere, but miraculously, no one was injured.
“Why are you so scared?”
Viaton glanced back.
LeSalin was trembling.
“Sometimes fists are closer than the law. Isn’t that right, my friends?”
Viaton snapped his fingers.
LeSalin felt as if her throat was being pierced.
“Th, this is oppression of the press.”
“Shall I oppress you first?”
“……”
“What do you think is the reason I came to find you, revealing my face and identity?”
Michael fainted again, overwhelmed by Viaton’s momentum.
Viaton slowly walked towards LeSalin.
“D, Don’t come closer.”
LeSalin’s body touched the wall. There was nowhere else to run.
“I can make you all disappear without leaving any evidence……”
Ah, but the Princess doesn’t like it when I use such harsh language.
Viaton recalled Isabel and softened his words.
“It’s because I can send you to a faraway place.”
“……”
“If you want to rest comfortably, tell me anytime.”
“……”
“Disappearance is my specialty.”
LeSalin’s legs gave out, and she collapsed.
She started to sob in fear, a fear she had never felt before.
“I, I’m sorry.”
“The draft. And the copies too.”
“Th, that’s……”
The smile disappeared from Viaton’s face.
“I was just playing around until now.”
Viaton knelt on one knee and met LeSalin’s eyes.
He looked at LeSalin with an expression he had never shown Isabel.
“I can really make you rest comfortably.”
“I, I’ll give it to you.”
Viaton eventually destroyed even the copies of the draft.
“Tell your superiors. If they want to go on a trip to a faraway place, try doing the same thing again. It will be a very comfortable trip. Enough to make you want to fall asleep forever.”
He stood up.
“It won’t end peacefully like today.”
This was a real final warning, sent in a peaceful（ way.）
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Viaton returned to Isabel’s room.
He had watched Isabel sleep so many times that he could roughly figure out her condition just by listening to her breathing.
‘She seems to have tossed and turned for a long time today and fallen asleep very late…… Huh?’
He found a note clutched in Isabel’s right hand.
It was crumpled because she was holding it tightly.
Viaton continued to watch the sleeping Isabel.
She looked so lovely sleeping with Honey Badger that he felt like crying.
‘It’s a strange feeling.’
He felt like crying because she was so lovely……
Viaton never thought he would feel this way in his entire life.
‘No, I can’t. Tradition or whatever, I have to protect the Princess.’
She wasn’t his daughter, but she felt more precious than a daughter. He felt like he could do anything for Isabel.
‘We also need to strengthen our media capabilities.’
Unlike the Magic Federation, the Bilotian Empire had never really interfered with the press.
It was a tacit tradition that had continued for 500 years.
‘These d*mn swordsmen are so frustrating.’
『We do not deceive the public through the media. The truth will shine brightly even if left alone. Using the media to mislead is not the way of a swordsman.』
……That was the stance the Sword Empire had taken for 500 years.
‘That’s why we didn’t sponsor the newsletters either.’
But things have to change now.
The era where everything is solved by powerful force is over.
‘Where and how should I start?’
✦✦✦✦✦✦
The morning sunlight was quite warm and moderately dazzling.
My eyes flew open, and I sat up abruptly.
‘Refreshing.’
It was a strange thing.
Even though I had trouble sleeping so much yesterday, I felt light when I woke up.
‘My body aches healed in just one day, and it’s truly a very strong body.’
I got out of bed and opened the window.
The morning air was cool, and it felt good. I could smell the fresh breeze.
I have to start volunteering energetically today as well.
Now that there were only two days left, I felt a little bit sad, but I decided to do my best until the end anyway.
But a guest came to visit.
“Reporter Yuli?”
I greeted Reporter Yuli with a bright smile.
“I was worried because you suddenly disappeared.”
“I apologize for causing you concern, Your Highness.”
After a brief greeting, Reporter Yuli brought up the main topic.
“May I ask you one thing?”
“Of course.”
“How can Your Highness be so happy?”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t volunteering hard? How can you smile so sincerely?”
It’s because I’m an attention seeker.
……I can’t say that, can I?
“I’m grateful for everything. I’m grateful that my body is so strong and healthy that I can be of help to others, and thanks to learning magic, I can help other people.”
It was an overly pleasing thing to say, but it wasn’t a lie.
‘What I wanted so much was the everyday life of others.’
I wanted to breathe normally like others. Without things like an oxygen respirator.
I wanted to walk normally like others. Without being in a wheelchair.
“I’m grateful for each day that is given to me. So I have to do my best to be happy.”
Because I’ve been given the things I dreamed of and wished for so much.
Reporter Yuli looked at me.
Tears welled up in Reporter Yuli’s eyes.
As if she had made up her mind, Reporter Yuli opened her mouth.
“Can you hire me as Your Highness’s personal reporter?”
“Yes?”
Why would the Chief Reporter of ‘Whisper’, the largest news outlet on the continent, which is envied by reporters, make such an offer?
“I, I……”
Actually, I don’t have much money. I don’t have much authority yet either……
“You don’t have to pay me. Just provide me with room and board.”
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“I want to regain the things I’ve forgotten.”
Reporter Yuli continued.
“Many things that have become so natural that I’ve forgotten them. I want to regain them.”
“……”
“You said you’re grateful for each day, Your Highness. The sunlight that woke you up in the morning, the cool breeze, the fact that another day has been given to you, you said you’re grateful for all of that. Things that are so natural to some people that they don’t feel anything about them…… Your Highness cherishes that naturalness.”
“Th, that’s……”
That’s not because I’m great, it’s just that I experienced such a great lack in my previous life.
“I think I can learn if I stay by Your Highness’s side. How to regain the things I’ve forgotten. So please allow me to work by Your Highness’s side. I really want to regain them. Something from my younger days that I’ve forgotten now.”
