"Because it seems like you want to take a closer look."
"Um... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare so blatantly."
Thick, long fingers rummaged through the shirt, which was already slightly unbuttoned, and Presepe's gaze naturally returned to his chest.
Won't I look too much like a pervert?
...I did have that thought, but it didn't really help.
Anyway, she could see well. Much better than before.
A tattoo etched on solid, bronzed, muscular skin.
"...It’s a tree?”
The tattoo, as vivid as a picture, was shaped like a tree.
At first glance, it was an unremarkable tattoo, but upon closer inspection, there was something a little intriguing about it.
It was because of the countless leaves etched on the thick and fine branches.
Some leaves were faded as if carved a very long time ago, while others were incredibly vivid, as if they had been newly carved not long ago.
"I drew each leaf individually."
“One by one?”
"Yes, at first only the pillars were carved."
"Usually, aren't they engraved all at once? That way, you wouldn't have to suffer the pain multiple times."
Presepe tilted her head slightly.
"I carved it whenever a specific event occurred. I chose the wood with that intention from the beginning."
"..."
"Whenever I must not forget and must strengthen my resolve. One leaf. One leaf at a time."
She didn't know for sure, but it seemed like a tattoo with great significance.
That tree, full of green leaves, somehow seemed to suit Fenrir well.
To be precise, she felt that the way he got that tattoo and the reason behind it were typical of him.
Is it because she heard the story of how he rose to this position after living a hard life on the streets?
"I don't know how you'll take this, but it's wonderful and pretty."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. But it looks like you had a lot to resolve to do, judging by how many leaves there are."
From a distance, it looked like a lump, but when viewed up close, his tree was engraved with more than hundreds of leaves.
Did he engrave it before going to war to solidify his determination to win?
But doesn't that make sense? That would mean he had gone to war hundreds of times by now, and even if wars were frequent in Adeloia, it wasn't to that extent.
"..."
However, Fenrir did not answer. He simply wore an ambiguous expression, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking in the slightest.
Presepe wanted to pry further, but she had absolutely no intention of making Fenrir uncomfortable. Besides, they weren't even close friends, so doing so seemed like it would have been too impolite.
So Presepe remained silent, and it was only after a considerable amount of time had passed that Fenrir spoke again.
"It would be best to head back into the mansion now. Even though it is spring, the wind is still chilly after sunset."
As she looked up, she saw the sky, which had been dyed red with the sunset, gradually growing darker.
Fenrir was right. The wind blowing toward her face had already turned cold.
"Shall we go back and have dinner together?"
Fenrir looked at Presepe and said.
"Of course, that is, if it doesn't inconvenience you, Lady Presepe."
"Ah. Yes. I like it. It's not uncomfortable at all."
Of course, there was a bit of falsehood mixed in that word 'not at all,' but Presepe tried her best not to show it.
***
The room was quiet.
"..."
In front of Ivan, who was sitting with his legs crossed, lay a stack of all kinds of documents. They were all things he had newly examined today.
The documents received from the Knights were all reports examining the same region.
So, west of Ateloia
To be precise....
About the forbidden forest.
"Monster damage in the western vicinity."
Ivan, holding the new document in his hand, quietly murmured the large letters.
"As of 997, the frequency of monster appearances has increased by about 40% compared to the previous year, causing severe damage to the village. Led by Knight Commander Siegfried, more than half of the monsters that attacked the village have been defeated... What the heck, how annoying."
Ivan, with a deeply furrowed brow, threw the document away carelessly.
"As of 998, the types and number of monsters that appeared in the Forbidden Forest over the past 3 years."
Then, he immediately began reading the next report.
"Gargoyles, drought, a few griffins, Delphine and Lamia and Siren herds, adolescent dragons and undead..."
It was no exaggeration to say that the report contained every kind of monster that exists in the world. Moreover, when he examined the densely organized list of individuals, the number was enormous.
Even compared to the previous year, 997 saw an increase of about 40%, and 998 was even more so.
The claim that the western region of Ateloia was cursed was not a lie at all. In the Forbidden Forest, monsters of all kinds poured out like an endless fountain.
As far as Ivan knew, it had always been that way.
"The Knights are stationed here, trying to eliminate them as much as possible. Especially in the case of dragons, the damage becomes uncontrollable once they reach full maturity, but fortunately, thanks to the quick thinking of Knight Commander Siegfried... Ah, damn it."
Why on earth does this bastard's name keep popping up?
"Is it because the Knights wrote it? It feels like they were just colluding with each other."
What's so great about that ignorant fool?
Ivan incessantly muttered harsh curses that were difficult to utter, then picked up the last document.
- Report on the Forbidden Forest of 999.
It was the most recent one.
It's only been a month
- The frequency of monster appearances has decreased drastically. Compared to the previous year, 998, it has decreased by a whopping 80%.
"..."
- Reconnaissance was conducted at intervals of several days, but nothing unusual was found. No new individuals were discovered, and no damage occurred.
Ivan's dark eyes wavered briefly.
- A certain number of knights will continue to be stationed, but it is considered that no additional cooperation will be necessary for the time being.
"The monsters' tyranny has decreased recently. It’s a mystery. Even long before Ateloia was created, the west was always swarming with monsters."
Suddenly, Siegfried's voice brushed past his ears.
Je considered it nonsense. He thought it couldn't be true, which is why he went through the hassle of contacting the Knights to receive the report. To verify it with his own eyes.
And everything Siegfried said was true.
"...Ha."
Ivan was dumbfounded. That headache that hadn't been resolved since before Ateloia was born, and it's going to be completely solved like this for no reason at all?
It was nonsense.
In the end, all that can be suspected is...
"They went quiet, as if they had received orders from someone, very much in sync..."
"Ivan, could I be dreaming?"
The robed boy, who had accompanied Ivan to Noah DeVern's mansion, chattered away as he placed a steaming teacup in front of him.
"Shut up, you're too loud."
"As expected, it's too vivid to be a dream. Anyway, it's been a really long time since I've seen you working like this."
"..."
"Good heavens, of all things, you're reading a report! You even lied about being illiterate a few years ago when the Knight Commander sent documents requesting our cooperation."
The boy paid no heed to Ivan's cold retort.
"The Knight Commander was right after all. Even so, he couldn't possibly write a lie in a report."
Instead, he craned his neck and looked down at the document Ivan was reading.
"But it seems the Knights aren't taking the decrease in monster appearances that seriously. On the contrary, they're happy, saying the effects of the extermination are finally starting to show."
"That's because those bastards are ignorant."
They seem like such fools that they don't even suspect anything, but even if they did, they would try their best not to let it show.
Because if they did, the entire empire would be engulfed in deep fear, and their own responsibility would become even heavier.
"But those bastards actually thought Lord Ivan was really illiterate and called him ignorant... Ow!"
The boy, having finally been smacked on the head, pouted and made a tearful face.
"Where's the key? Give it to me."
“What key?”
"The basement key, that room only I can enter."
There was a secret space in the basement of the magic tower.
It was a place that only the great wizards of the time could enter, a custom that had remained unchanged for thousands of years.
Subversive books that go against the doctrines of the church, or materials regarding forbidden magic.
Things like secret records secretly left behind by wizards who have continuously maintained their lineage since before the founding of Ateloia.
"...You're not in pain, are you?"
"What?"
"No. It’s just that in my life, I’ve never seen you try to do something with this much passion, Ivan."
"Just bring the key and request information from the Knights. If you say I ordered it, they will give it to you."
“What information?”
"The list of people who have frequented the forbidden forest for nearly 20 years, including the general public."
"I'm telling you, the Knights still think Ivan is illiterate. If they don't believe me, then..."
“Come back.”
"I got it."
The boy grumbled as he left the room, and Ivan, left alone, stroked his chin and quietly fell into thought.
Looking down at the most recently written report of the Order of Knights.
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