Chapter 376 – The Situation in the South

“Welcome from such a long journey. I am Philip Bartoistle.”

“And I am Eleanor, Philip’s wife.”

When we headed to the dining hall, we were greeted by Grand Duke Debonnis’s eldest son and his wife. Philip is essentially the heir to the grand ducal house, meaning he’ll be the next Grand Duke.

Though he’s called the eldest son, he’s probably older than Father. That would make him Prince Josiah and Princess Stephania’s uncle.

“Nice to meet you, Lord Philip, Lady Eleanor.”

“Yes. Pleased to make your acquaintance. We’ve heard about you from Father.”

He broke into a broad smile and offered a handshake. When I accepted, his palm felt rough and calloused.

He has sword calluses. His movements suggest it too—he seems to be someone well-trained in martial arts. Given his status, he might be leading the knight order of the grand duchy.

“It’s been a while, Uncle Philip.”

“Ah. It has been a long time, Steph.”

Starting with Princess Stephania’s greeting, everyone exchanged pleasantries.

“My, what an impressive gathering of distinguished guests. Please, let me show you to your seats.”

We were each escorted to seats in the spacious dining hall. The aroma of food tickled our nostrils, accompanied by the cheerful music played by the musicians. Then Grand Duke Debonnis arrived as well, and the banquet began.

The sound of the dulcimer played by the musicians echoed through the castle’s large dining hall.

The dulcimer is an instrument with a trapezoidal soundboard strung with many strings, producing sound by striking them with spoon-shaped hammers.

They played various pieces—from simple tunes to fantastical melodies and joyful songs—showing the musicians had quite an extensive repertoire.

Then, a string instrument similar to a violin called a viol began playing ethereal notes, lending a calm atmosphere to the dining table swaying in the candlelight.

Along with these instruments, a songstress sang, and the musicians put their hearts into entertaining us in various ways. As expected of those summoned by Grand Duke Debonnis, their skills were truly impressive.

“That instrument was interesting.”

“Yes, it was. It had a lovely sound.”

Sheila and Irmhild, who are usually on the performing side themselves, were happily chatting about the musicians’ performance.

Were they talking about the dulcimer? Perhaps it would be good to procure various instruments once we return to Termwills. It might expand everyone’s repertoire and options.

“Are you enjoying yourselves?”

While savoring the fish dish and enjoying the musicians’ performance, Grand Duke Debonnis addressed me.

“Yes. This steamed white fish with wine is delicious. I’m also enjoying the musicians’ performance.”

When I answered, Grand Duke Debonnis nodded with satisfaction. Marlene returned a smile, and the Grand Duke narrowed his eyes with a gentle expression.

“That makes the preparation worthwhile. It seems we cannot have you stay for an extended period, so I thought we should at least ensure you can rest peacefully.”

“Thank you.”

The overall calm musical selections were probably intended to let us relax, but they likely also reflected Grand Duke Debonnis’s personal taste. It’s quite interesting how even the way of hospitality reveals each lord’s preferences.

“…But, the south. The Kingdom of Baharzard seems to be busy mopping up remnants of the cult, causing some commotion,” Philip said.

“So, we should be cautious about the Kingdom of Baharzard, then?”

I’ve heard that compared to Verdgar, the south has continued turmoil, leading to poor public order. I also heard that the spread of the Duoveris Cult began because the country originally imposed oppressive rule… Well, that’s historical context, and an old story at that.

King Melvin has sent a letter stating he’ll dispatch an investigation team to the south under the pretext of investigating demons. Apparently, there was a reply from the King of Baharzard giving his consent. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be cautious just because we don’t know much about them.

“What do you think? Baharzard has settled its royal succession, and the state affairs have stabilized compared to the previous king’s time. In my view, they probably won’t go back on their agreements with our country at this point.”

Grand Duke Debonnis showed a thoughtful expression as he spoke.

“Then… we should be more wary of bandits and the like, I suppose.”

“Perhaps. It’s conceivable that those who fall from power during political upheavals might turn to banditry.”

“That country is on terrible terms with the Duoveris Cult. Even without knowing the details, I doubt they hold a bad impression of Verdgar, which also fought the cult. Trade has been conducted between us originally, and I believe they’d want to avoid conflict with Verdgar while their own country isn’t stable yet.”

Hmm. As Roy’s desire to wage war against the south shows, Verdgar seems superior in national power too.

From their perspective, they probably don’t want to provoke Verdgar and want to maintain exchanges. Plus, if they interfered with matters related to demons, it would create a bad impression among other nations as well.

“I see. So as long as we don’t make unreasonable demands, they won’t actively oppose or hinder us.”

“Most likely.”

Hmm. Grand Duke Debonnis and Philip seem to have various information about the south. I’d like to hear more about the situation after the meal.

“The area we’re heading to for investigation is—around here on the map. If you know anything about it, I’d appreciate hearing your insights.”

I spread a map on the table and pointed to the location.

After dinner, we all moved to the office to hear from the two of them. When I asked if they could tell us about the south, Grand Duke Debonnis and Philip readily agreed, saying they’d be happy to help.

The area in question is located in the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Baharzard. It’s quite far from the border.

“There was a small country in this area about 30 years ago, but I heard it was destroyed by an attack from a high-ranking demon. There was some chaos for a while, but it was later incorporated into Baharzard.”

“That would be… the attack incident by the so-called King of Ignorance, right?”

“Yeah. So it’s Baharzard’s territory now… Well, geographically that makes sense.”

I nodded at Grace’s words.

“What about the cult’s area of activity?”

“They seemed to be active mainly in the northern to central-eastern parts of Baharzard. To be honest, we haven’t heard much about them being active in this nearby area.”

“That’s probably because the cult founder himself issued a directive telling followers not to approach that area.”

“We obtained information from a cult member captured by my brother that there’s a place the cult considers sacred.”

Philip’s brother. So that’s information from someone stationed at the border defense. Rosemary furrowed her brows and said,

“Considering the cult founder was a demon who was using the followers… Theodore thinks he didn’t want them active there because it was disadvantageous for him.”

“I see…”

Philip hummed thoughtfully at Rosemary’s words.

Right. For the cult… no, for the demon Gardinis, that land was probably what he wanted to hide. If he feared that followers being active there would stir up trouble, various things make sense.

If they call it a sacred land, it would be natural for pilgrims to visit, so telling them not to approach benefits the demon rather than the cult.

“Couldn’t the cult remnants gather at the sacred land, pinning their hopes on it?”

Ashley asked that question. Remnants… or perhaps the cult’s collaborators might take interest in the sacred land too. By collaborators, I mean the vampires.

“The captured executive apparently thought so. However, the cult seems to have lost much power since losing their founder, becoming fragmented and captured by Baharzard’s soldiers here and there. Given the situation, it’s doubtful whether anyone remains who can call for unification.”

“Just like with the half-demon secret techniques, if Gardinis disappears, it’s not just losing one individual—there’s an overall decline in combat power. It’s a major blow to the cult.”

Right. I agree with Claudia’s assessment. It’s difficult to fill the void left by Gardinis. Whether viewed as combat power or as an organization, with Gardinis alone they could push through reckless strategies and force their way out of tight spots. If that premise suddenly disappears, all that’s left is to be defeated.

But the vampires are a different matter. They originally belonged to a separate organization, following a different leader than Gardinis. That’s why they can still organize even after Gardinis is gone.

This is why I’m cautious about possibly encountering them at the sacred land.

Well… I’ve grasped the general situation regarding the Duoveris Cult and the Kingdom of Baharzard. Now it’s time to actually go there. For now, the groups we need to be wary of all seem to be opponents I can fight without holding back.