Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 226

226―――――

“Sir, you can’t do this here.”

“Welcome back, Princess.”

“Thank you, Lord Zion Klausen.

I heard you’ve been doing great things in the South.”

“That’s…”

“It would be better not to state the obvious – that my brother did it all.

Right now, all that’s being heard from the South are songs and poems praising you.”

At Princess Vanessa’s words, Zion smiled and offered her a seat.

“First, I must thank you.”

As Princess Vanessa sat down and began to speak, Zion quietly waited for her next words.

He had received so many thanks lately that he couldn’t even guess what she was thanking him for this time.

“Thanks to you finishing things in the South quickly, we were able to return before the Holy War began, preventing our kingdom’s precious soldiers from being killed or injured.

If the suppression of the pirates in the South had been delayed, then His Majesty the King’s decision would have been delayed as well.”

“He probably would have kept agonizing over it.”

“Indeed.

In that sense, Lord Zion, your contribution is very significant.”

After saying that, Princess Vanessa suddenly stopped talking and looked around.

She had already given firm orders that no one but Zion be present in the reception room.

Yet, the fact that she was being so cautious suggested that the story was definitely a serious one.

“…Lord Zion, the two guards you assigned to me have made a great contribution this time.

No, it’s even ambiguous to call it a contribution.

Frankly, I don’t even know if they’re friend or foe.”

“What do you mean?”

At Zion’s question, Princess Vanessa bit her lip slightly and replied.

“The Celestial Race, beings we thought only existed in stories, have revealed themselves.”

“…”

“It would have been great if they had just revealed themselves, but they approached me and tried something that I don’t know if it was persuasion or intimidation.”

“Judging by how you say that, it seems that the Celestial Race did not achieve their goal.”

“Kim Yu-hyun and Rishikida worked hard.

Not only did they repel the Celestial Race, but they also cut off their wings and obtained solid evidence.

But…”

As expected, the word ‘But…’ came out.

The Celestial Race weren’t just idiots, and they certainly weren’t the kind of people who would just leave behind such important evidence if they were pushed back or injured in a fight.

“On the very day we were going to present it as evidence to the Holy Prussen and Nudia sides, it turned into a handful of dust when exposed to sunlight.”

“…”

“If we had tried to act based only on that, we would have been in big trouble.

If it weren’t for the fan that Lord Zion sent in advance, our Hispania would have been branded as a strange group.”

At the word ‘fan,’ Zion let out a light exclamation, ‘Ah.’

As expected, the Celestial Race deliberately leaked evidence to pressure Hispania, and when Princess Vanessa hesitated, sensing a suspicious aura, Rishikida, who had received his orders, clearly informed her of this.

‘The body parts that fall off from the Celestial Race soon crumble.

I predicted that they would definitely think that humans don’t know this and try to use it against us.’

If they had only taken that wing and stood before the Holy Prussen and Nudia sides, shouting, ‘This is the evidence that we can no longer be in the Holy War!’, what they would have seen was not the severed wing of the Celestial Race, but just an empty scene with nothing there.

Naturally, Holy Prussen and Nudia would pressure the Hispania side, saying they were talking nonsense, and they could even be charged with blasphemy for trying to slander the Celestial Race.

So, Zion used the countermeasures he knew in advance to strike first.

Since there are too many followers to target the Celestial Race directly right now, anyone who attacks them will suffer.

Then, the only remaining method is to target their followers and suggest that there’s reason to suspect those who follow them.

By sending a fan that he had claimed to find from pirates in advance, and creating an atmosphere that the pirates who are currently disrupting southern Hispania are colluding with someone from Holy Prussen, no one in Holy Prussen would be able to stop Hispania’s return.

If the atmosphere was like that, if they really blocked it, it could be suspected that Holy Prussen was plotting a conspiracy to keep Hispania’s main force away and disrupt the country from the rear, and in the worst case, even overthrow it altogether.

‘Of course, the story that I took the fan from the pirates is a lie.’

He just fabricated it using the information he knew in advance, and added appropriate phrases.

The rest was left to the imagination of high-ranking officials on the Holy Prussen side.

It doesn’t matter whether someone on the Holy Prussen side is really colluding with the pirates or not.

Just giving them the suspicion that it could be so was something that both Hispania and Holy Prussen could accept.

Of course, Princess Vanessa seemed to firmly believe that it was really a gift sent by Holy Prussen to the pirates, and that they wanted Hispania to be in chaos.

It’s understandable, because the beings they revere as so good and brilliant came to her to threaten her to leave the Holy War.

“Lord Zion, I really don’t know what the truth is anymore.

If the Celestial Race, whom I have always thought to be good and just, are such beings, and Holy Prussen, who reveres them, are such people, then what should I believe in?”

Even though she was not a follower of the Church of Light, Princess Vanessa could not hide her bewilderment.

If the princess was like this, then if she immediately went out and shouted, ‘In fact, the Celestial Race are bastards!’, the criticism, jeers, and angry gazes that would return were at a level that could be sufficiently anticipated.

“There is nothing certain yet.”

“Hmm?”

“We don’t know if that Celestial Race really tried to harm the princess, or if they came to give her a teaching.

Kim Yu-hyun and Rishikida simply repelled a suspicious person who approached them arbitrarily.

The same goes for the fan I obtained.

We also don’t know if it was really a gift given by Holy Prussen to the pirates, or if it was just someone’s gift that was looted by thieves.”

“…”

There is no need to rush and cause greater confusion.

Since the existing faith has already been shaken, and conversely, the Celestial Race and radical fairies will pressure Hispania even more strongly, even if Zion himself does not step forward, Vanessa will eventually distance herself from the Church of Light to the point of recognizing them as enemies.

He just needs to leave some embers and create a passage for the wind to enter.

The rest is for the princess herself to nurture the flames of doubt and eventually turn them into a huge fireball that burns the Church of Light.

“In time, you will naturally know.

Without having to worry about what is true and what is false, like now.

And when that time comes, you will be able to deal with it coolly and act in reverse.”

“…”

At Zion’s words, Princess Vanessa stared at the young nobleman in front of her for a moment, then let out a sigh.

She still doesn’t show a hostile attitude towards the Church of Light, but from Zion’s point of view, the fact that she already harbors such doubts was enough.

“…I heard a guest came from the North.”

Princess Vanessa subtly changes the subject.

It seems that she will do more research, organize her thoughts, and make a decision on the issues of the Celestial Race, the Holy War, and Holy Prussen.

“Yes, that’s right.

The chieftain who shared many stories with me in the North has come in person.”

“Yes, I heard that a woman who rose to the position of the strongest among those rough barbarians came in person.

With a reason that the kingdom cannot believe at all – that she came to express her gratitude.”

Princess Vanessa already knew how strong the pride of the northern tribes was.

She would have thought that they would just pass by silently, and even if they sent a message of gratitude, they would just send a letter, but the news that a chieftain had come to the kingdom himself seemed to be quite a fresh shock to the princess.

“Is that guest from the North currently inside the royal castle?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Did you have a meeting with His Majesty?”

“Originally, that’s what should have happened, but His Majesty said that they are guests who came to the kingdom with good intentions anyway, and since there is also a small party to encourage the expeditionary force, it would be good to reveal the reason for coming to the kingdom there and become the first to receive hospitality from the northern tribes.”

“…Hmm.

It seems that my father is subtly pleased that the northern chieftain has come.

Judging by the fact that he is trying to reveal the guest at such a gathering.”

At Princess Vanessa’s muttering, Zion couldn’t bring himself to say, ‘That’s not it, it’s just that he might, really, just in case, think that she is the person I should marry and is trying to take care of her a little.’

“I have so many stories to share with you, but I need to rest a little first.

I’m a little tired from running all the way here without resting.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to get up for the party if this continues.”

“You must get up no matter what.”

“Why?

You’re the real main character.”

“Don’t you know why His Majesty the King called you here so urgently?”

At those words, the princess’s eyes sparkled and she stared straight at Zion.

*Are you aware too?*

When Zion nodded as if asking, Princess Vanessa sighed and slowly opened her mouth.

“Well, there’s no way you wouldn’t know.

You were the one who would receive the command and lead in his place if something happened to my brother’s safety.”

“Isn’t it fortunate that there is no danger to his life?”

“Instead, his political life is over.”

Zion simply shrugged his shoulders and replied that it was unavoidable.

As she herself said, Vanessa wanted to share more stories with Zion in more depth, but it was better to rest a little for the party that would be held from the evening.

“Then I’ll see you in the evening, Princess.”

After saying that, Zion left the royal palace and returned to Klausen’s mansion.

There, another woman who was eagerly waiting for Zion was present.

“Zion-nim!

Master, Master!”

Rishikida, who was always attached to him, had been separated for more than two months, and finally found her master, wagging her tail like crazy and running over as if she couldn’t contain her joy.

Zion, who didn’t dislike the sight of the cold-blooded female knight instantly turning into a clumsy girl and clinging to him, stroked Rishikida’s head as she was hugged in his arms and didn’t know what to do.

“You’ve worked hard, Rishi.

Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes!

I had a good trip as Master said.

I completed the mission successfully!

I made sure that no one could touch the princess carelessly!”

“Rishi, you weren’t hurt, were you?”

“…Yes, yes!”

The answer was delayed by about 3 seconds.

It was obvious that she was lying, but still, this was a lot of progress.

If it were the original Rishikida, she wouldn’t have been able to answer no, and if she told the truth, she would have felt guilty for thinking that she had taken the master’s orders lightly.

“Okay.

You’ve really worked hard, Rishi.”

Saying that, Zion lightly kissed Rishikida’s forehead.

When her master gave her such a reward, Rishikida twisted her body as if she couldn’t contain her joy, then took a step back and let out a dazed groan, ‘Heuaa….’

“…You’ve worked hard too.”

While Rishikida was happy and didn’t know what to do, Zion took care of another important figure.

He is bringing many strong people under his command, but still, the most reliable card.

Kim Yu-hyun, the protagonist in the novel who is as powerful as a tactical nuke that can be dropped at any time.

“Did the princess tell you the story?”

Kim Yu-hyun immediately brought up the main point as if he had no intention of giving a cheesy greeting.

A question of whether Princess Vanessa had told him the story of having a conflict with the Celestial Race.

When Zion nodded, Kim Yu-hyun clicked his tongue, *Tsk!*

“As expected, the guys who go around saying that they are moral and superior are all trash with flaws.

It’s disgusting, it doesn’t change no matter where you go.”

That anger seemed to stem from the fact that he had been betrayed by the Murim Alliance [martial arts alliance], which called themselves the Orthodox Sect and roughly drove the Demonic Cult and the Evil Sect, which had happened in Murim [martial arts world].

Those who pretend to be noble, virtuous, and clean, but secretly stab the other person in the back and do any dirty work for their own purposes.

The appearance of the Murim Alliance, which Kim Yu-hyun hated, was now being seen in the Church of Light.

“You clashed with the Celestial Race.”

“That’s right.”

“What is your assessment of the opponent?

What were they like?

Were they strong?”

“…They were definitely strong.

Even Rishikida was struggling to even drag it into a fifty-fifty fight.”

The reason why Rishikida hesitated for 3 seconds when asked if she was hurt seemed to be there.

The fact that she was struggling to even drag it into a fifty-fifty fight meant that she was almost defeated in the fight with the Celestial Race, and she must have been injured.

“You don’t have to worry about Rishikida.

The injury was not deep, and I used healing magic myself to make sure there were no problems.”

“…”

“And as a bonus, I cut off one of their wings.”

*They regenerate all of that.*

*So don’t be too proud.*

Zion was about to say that right under his throat.

At least in Murim, there were no monsters that could self-heal even if their limbs were cut off.

But the final masterminds here were still worthy of being called traces of God, and even if their limbs were cut off, they would sprout like bean sprouts over time.

‘Of course, the headshot is fair one-shot one-kill.’

Anyway, Kim Yu-hyun not only taught Rishikida swordsmanship, but also personally carried out a very beautiful master-disciple relationship, with the master stepping up to deal with it when his disciple was in trouble.

At that, Zion gave him a gift with a satisfied expression.

“Take it.”

“Yes?”

What Zion handed over was a letter.

When Kim Yu-hyun looked at it with a look of, *What is this?*, Zion opened his mouth in a tone that it was nothing special.

“A letter from Eos.”

“…O, oh?

Ah, ah…!”

*Wow, I didn’t know that bastard could make such an expression.*

*This is really amazing.*

Zion was watching Kim Yu-hyun’s dazed face and thought that he was seeing all kinds of sights.

“Rest a little and get ready because we have to go to the party held at the royal palace in the evening.

You and Rishikida have contributed to escorting Princess Vanessa, so it would be good to attend… Hey, Kim Yu-hyun.”

“Ah, yes.

What did you say?”

“…Just go.

Go read that and rest.”

At Zion’s words, Kim Yu-hyun bowed his head and quickly disappeared from his seat.

*Looking at it like that, it doesn’t seem like he’s mentally retarded.*

Zion thought so and thought about the party that would be held modestly based on the royal palace for various reasons.

‘Princess Vanessa, Gian Temujin.

The next king of Hispania, and the khan [chief] of the North.’

Zion was slightly worried about whether this would be a good meeting or whether it would end happily.

He could see Princess Vanessa saying that she couldn’t marry the kingdom’s hero to a northern barbarian woman, and Gian, who was loosening her hands, saying that she would break the princess’s back.

‘But why does Gian really want to meet Princess Vanessa?’

This time, Zion was lost in thought as he took Rishikida, who was smiling happily, saying that she had become incredibly strong thanks to Kim Yu-hyun, and that her master would never be disappointed again.

―――――――Author’s Note―――――――

Everyone, be careful not to catch a cold!

It’s the change of seasons!