Chapter 441: How to Use the Heroes

The Duke of Vélez cares about his own evaluation regarding anything and tries to make himself look bigger. Therefore, had he not been leaking to those around him that he was involved in one part of the Hero Summoning ceremony? Even if they were people the Duke of Vélez considered trustworthy, among them there might be ones under the Empire’s influence.

Therefore the Empire knew in advance that the Hero Summoning ceremony would be performed, and tried to perform the Hero Summoning ceremony in the Empire as well. There, had they not taken Division Head Hütter who had achievements? If one does not think that, the skill is too good.

Even for the Empire, there would have been materials on past Hero Summoning ceremonies. There would be ones researching them. Despite that, they did not perform the Hero Summoning, or could not perform it. The Mainz Kingdom realized it. Anyone would think the same, that if one called Division Head Hütter who was the key figure and had him execute it, it would be good. If it was Division Head Hütter, if one lured him with something related to magic, it also felt as though he would readily follow. If told to perform the Hero Summoning ceremony once more, it also felt as though that man would do it. The expression of Division Head Hütter completely intoxicated right after the ceremony was something seen for the first time.

The emotion and sense of intoxication at that time was probably something only the one who did it could understand. Division Head Hütter might have sold himself wanting to taste that once more. If not that, whether he wanted to carve his name in history as a person who performed the Hero Summoning twice, or whether the Empire proposed some other historical magic ceremony to Division Head Hütter and Division Head Hütter went along with it, anyway the Empire must have made a proposal that stimulated Division Head Hütter’s interest and made him think of abandoning everything and going.

So Prince Green thought. Thinking that, before he knew it his gaze lowered and he hung his head. How had the Empire’s people made contact? Why had he not noticed the abnormality in Division Head Hütter? If it was that one, there must surely have been signs. There had been abnormal excitement in Division Head Hütter before the ceremony, but had that been something mixed with the ceremony and what came after? Things one did not understand oneself would not have been understood by people. In the first place, what had they been doing having the Empire’s people act in the shadows. What do the ones at this seat think about the Empire’s forces infiltrating this country. Various things come to mind.

Even so, Division Head Hütter’s actions are not something that can be forgiven. The stain of having let Division Head Hütter go to the Empire has already fallen on Prince Green.

"However it is troublesome. If the Empire also possesses a hero. The number summoned might not be 4 like our country, but more, and if so our country would become inferior as fighting power. In that case the disadvantage when it becomes war cannot be denied."

"No no, a hero is special and not something that can be discussed simply by whether the number is large or small, is it?"

"Yes! Quality should be prioritized. If they are strong it is good!"

"In that case, do our country’s heroes not have to be made strong quickly?"

"Yes, they have to be made strong quickly. Giving them battlefield experience would be the best."

"Yes! Experiencing actual combat more than anything is good."

"Yes!"

In a place the heroes do not know, it is being decided that they will be thrown onto the battlefield. Initially they had been raised with the policy of carefully accumulating training and making them strong, but having come this far it was decided to accelerate them. It was decided to have them accumulate experience by moving them around battlefields inside and outside the country. It is decided to pit hero against hero.

"Prince Green, it is not yet certain that Division Head Hütter has gone to the Empire. You go to the Marie Kingdom and investigate. Investigate under your responsibility, and if there is a means to call Hütter back, investigate and come."

The King ordered Prince Green.

"Yes, understood. I will depart immediately."

"Go."

Prince Green lowered his head and left the room. Prince Green left the Royal Capital that day and headed for the Marie Kingdom.

Several days later at noon, despite being daytime the sky darkened. Then a phenomenon occurred where light overflowed for an instant in the direction of the Empire. Further several days later, it was conveyed that in the Empire the Hero Summoning ceremony was performed and a party of 4 heroes was summoned, and an announcement was made.

Prince Green who headed for the Marie Kingdom disappeared as he was. There were various rumors such as being killed by the Empire, or being taken in by the Empire, but they disappeared before one knew it. The prince’s wife and children, and his subordinates also disappeared without people knowing.

Robbie was on edge inside the embassy. Because he thought the thin man killed in front of that gate was probably someone of quite high status. He had no rough feeling and was very much like a high-ranking noble. In that case, if the corpse was found and the identity known, it would become a huge uproar and they would search for the one who killed. Moreover the men in front of Division Head Hütter’s mansion, if those died it should have become a serious matter. Thinking that, from dawn the inside of the Royal Capital should have become a huge uproar and the search for the culprit should have begun. Would it someday reach me? Could it not be made vague under the authority of Her Majesty the Queen?

However, even when Rudolf went around the noble district in the Royal Capital during the morning and inquired about various things, the atmosphere inside the Royal Capital was unchanged from the previous day, it seems.

Inside the royal palace a meeting seemed to have been held early in the morning, but a few people dying is not something for which a royal palace meeting would be convened. According to what leaked and was conveyed later, it was heard that the King also attended that meeting. In that case that meeting is even less thought to be a search for the culprit of a murder case. In that case, was that treated as a battle that could not be brought to the surface, a dark struggle?