<h4>1044: Sophie''s Past and Future</h4>


    「Well, not as if they can help it. All of them are panicked after losing the Divine Sword Knight.」


    「!」


    Fran was stunned to hear Mea’sment, followed by Sophie and Yagle also dropping their jaws in surprise.


    「Losing the Divine Sword Knight……? Eh? He’s really dead?」


    「Are you certain about this?」


    Adol seriously kicked the bucket? It’s true we haven’t seen him since the battle……


    「I never said he was dead.」


    「What? Then pick your words more carefully.」


    Yeah, what Sophie said!


    「Then what do you mean you by “lost”?」


    「No one knows where he is, so he apparently ran off somewhere. Quina looked into the incident, so this news is credible.」


    「What happened to the divine sword?」


    「Seems like he didn’t take it with him. Stealing Alpha would mean getting hunted to the ends of the earth, so that was a wise decision. Though he appeared to be obedient, I’m sure he had a lot on his mind.」


    「I see. Adol……」


    Fran muttered with aplicated expression on her face.


    To her, Adol was in a bit of a strange position. There was much she didn’t like about him, but he was also arade-in-arms who fought alongside her on the battlefield.


    We heard about his involvement in Filuria’s backdoor deal regarding Sophie, but it’s hard to believe he yed a major role in that conspiracy. Not that he wouldn’t do it, but rather, he wasn’t in a position where he could make deals with foreign entities.


    I find it more usible that Srd’s intelligence division or whatnot executed the scheme using the name of the Divine Sword Knight. Adol likely wasn’t the mastermind.


    「So Srd inviting me so forcefully was……」


    「To curry favor with their leaders. Simply returning home after letting the Divine Sword Knight escape must be incredibly terrifying. They have no clue what sort of punishment awaits them, so they are desperate to bring someoneparably strong back with them.」


    They should have a recement for Adol once they return, but that recement wasn’t here with them. That’s why they had to approach Sophie and Fran on their own.


    Especially for Sophie, since her identity as a divine sword wielder was definitely exposed by now.


    Her solicitation must have been quite intense. It seems they tried to coerce her based on the secret agreement with the Medical Director.


    「I would rather die in Gordicia than go to Srd!」


    「In that case, why not visit our country?」


    「Eh?」


    Yagle’s words caused Sophie to lose her voice. She probably didn’t expect another invitation right in the middle of herints about Srd’s invitation.


    What’s more, now Mea joined in.


    「Don’t forget the Beast Kingdom! Any divine sword wielder is more than wee in my nation! Of course, along with the people of Nocta too!」


    「Ah! Quite unfair, Nemea-sama! Segilusel would wee her just as much!」


    「Ummm?」


    「We would never attempt to tie you up in some foolish contract, so please do not worry yourself too much. You see, as a servant of my nation, I am obligated to recruit any unaligned divine sword users Ie across.」


    「The same goes for me. I can confidently rmend Segilusel as a much better option than Srd.」


    「We as well! The Beast Kingdom vastly exceeds Srd!」


    Basically, they were informing Sophie that she could alwayse to them if she doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Even if she’s worrying about the fate of Nocta’s residents, consulting them would always be better than considering Srd.


    「But Sophie, weren’t you previously a noble? I heard that your foster father was both a musician and a noble, which means your country of origin cannot be ignored.」


    「That’s……」


    It seems Mea only heard a portion of Sophie’s circumstances. She casually mentioned Sophie’s foster father.


    However, she immediately understood her blunder from the look on Sophie’s face.


    「No wait, I must have been mistaken. Indeed! Perhaps I was remembering the wrong person.」


    Mea tried to cover for herself with terrible monotone acting. However, Sophie immediately shook her head and exined her entire situation. Perhaps she already overcame her old trauma.


    「What you say is true. I can’t keep ignoring my foster father――」


    The story she told us was almost identical to the one we heard before. A tale of love and spite, herplicated feelings for her foster father.


    Even after hearing it the second time, it was a hard childhood. The same applies to Fran as well, but fate can be very cruel.


    Mea was also at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Yagle seemed to be thinking about something.


    「You say that Robel Ss-dono was your foster father?」


    「You know him?!」


    「Indeed. He was rather famous on the continent of Capul.」


    It seems his Kingdom of Segilusel was located in the northern part of Capul. The Jilbard Continent containing the Kingdom of Kranzel was to the west of Gordicia, whereas the Capul Continent was located on the opposite side to the east.


    Sophie’s birthce was also on the continent of Capul.


    「My role as Knight Commander allowed me to hear many things about that incident. However, I am puzzled by the fact that your story differs so greatly from what I have heard.」


    「What do you mean?」


    「The death of Viscount Ss was publicly reported as him falling in battle while eliminating a band of bandits.」


    「Eliminating… bandits?」


    「Yes.」


    Sophie had told us her foster father ordered a band of mercenaries to attack the vige where she was born, and ughter her family.


    But ording to Yagle, Viscount Ss led a criminal ve squadron to drive off a band of bandits who had upied a vige. They seeded at the cost of losing their lives, and even the viscount himself was in.


    「That is how it was reported in our country.」


    「No…… But that’s……」


    Sophie stared at Yagle in confusion. She didn’t know how to react after the existence of the tragedy she experienced waspletely denied.


    「We are in an alliance with his home country, so our men joined in the investigation as well. I believe there can be no mistake.」


    「Then what happened to the vige of my birth? Where did my mom, dad, and sister go? Were those bandits my parents? Or was it all a lie? What’s…… even true anymore?」


    「I am very sorry. It seems I have only caused you more confusion. However, allow me to say one thing. While Ss-dono was a music fanatic, I do not believe he would perform evil. Perhaps he was simply acting to force a situation where you would experience powerful emotions?」


    「T-Then I killed my foster father for――」


    Sophie choked on her words and fell to the ground abruptly, mumbling something while staring nkly.


    「Sophie, are you okay?」


    「Fran……」


    「Sophie, was your foster father happy in his final moments?」


    「Mea, what are you……?」


    「He had little time left to live, and died listening to the ultimate music. Maybe it’s what he would have wanted.」


    「No way! No, that’s not……」


    Sophie attempted to refute Mea, but her words lost their vigor. Somewhere deep down, she might have been convinced. Based on what I’ve heard of this Viscount Ss guy’s personality, seems like something he might do.


    「First, I have to find out how much of this is true.」


    「Please allow me to assist you.」


    「Thank you, Yagle.」


    「Sophie, I’m happy for you.」


    「Eh, Fran?」


    「Your mom and dad might still be alive.」


    「…! You’re right! You’re absolutely right……」


    Fran’s parents were already lost, so her words had a different weight behind them. Sophie’s eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded her head with aplicated mix of emotions.