Overlimit Skill Holder
Book 6: Chapter 21.1

Doubt and Devotion

★ Holy Royal Palace ★

「I never imagined such a building existed…」

A sigh leaked from Earl Sillys’ mouth.

As a noble, working in the Altar Management Bureau, he felt familiar with the Holy Royal Palace, but there seems to be many places he did not know of.

The building was hidden by thick trees, serving as both a warehouse and a residence. Weapons and magic tools were stowed away, including valuable items such as strategic maps and food stockpiles.

Earl Sillys was ordered by Duke Grenjido to live here. Thus he was unable to contact the outside world.

The other side of the window was sunk in the darkness of the night, concealing everything.

Earl Sillys thought that even Duke Grenjido wouldn’t go so far as to harm his own daughter, the Holy Queen, but it was not a certainty.

「Anyway, I have to finish up the plan… This is an ideal place to concentrate and organize paperworks.」

All the documents piled up on a large table were related to the “Goddess Temple Construction Plan”.

Earl Sillys was supposed to plan how to build the temple while controlling the supplies of the Holy City and the supplies from other regions.

There were various opinions such as pulling funds from other countries or drawing it out from this year’s budget, but even if there is a surplus of money, the operation cannot proceed without a core plan. Duke Grenjido seems to be entrusting the key planning to Earl Sillys.

「I wonder how Eva is doing…」

However, the Earl had many concerns.

His daughter.

This country.

The movements of King Geffert, due to the loss of contact.

His servants in the mansion.

The current crazed state of the world.

And him being a small driving force in it.

The Earl sighed. Duke Grenjido had already put his plan into motion.

The Earl was in a spot where turning back is no longer an option.

He has no choice but to do his job.

Moreover–.

「——Earl Sillys.」

「!」

The Earl was startled when his name was called out. He noticed an unfamiliar person standing in the corner of the room.

「And you are?」

The figure removed the hood; it was a petite man. Only his eyes could be seen as he was wearing a mask around his mouth.

「I am King Geffert’s messenger.」

「I see. Are you here because I lost contact?」

「Because there is turmoil in this country.」

The coup d’etat has already been informed to the leaders of other countries.

「What does King Geffert want from me?」

The Earl was wary.

The Holy Royal Palace is located in the deepest part of the Holy Kingdom, and the security level here is the highest.

Despite all that, this guy is here.

(He might be King Geffert’s highest level spy.)

It’s fine if he’s just a spy.

(…But also a possible assassin.)

In that case, the target would be the Earl himself.

If Duke Grenjido discovers that the Earl had secretly been in contact with King Geffert, he would surely be angry, and his anger would naturally also extend to King Geffert.

It would not be strange of King Geffert to think that by getting rid of Earl Sillys, his involvement would not be leaked.

「My Lord, King Geffert, is feeling uneasy. He worries if too many words might leak from your mouth.」

「There is nothing to worry about. Duke Grenjido entrusted me with an important issue. This is a sign of trust.」

「Meaning the Duke is not suspicious of you?」

「Yes.」

「Is that truly so?」

「……What are you implying?」

The Earl became more wary in response to those suggestive words.

「Do you know what Duke Grenjido’s subordinates are doing right now?」

「…………」

「They are searching your mansion.」

「!」

The Earl stiffened in shock.

「You who have been cast away by the Duke will be a hindrance to King Geffert. You will die here.」

The man pulled out a dagger from his bosom and leapt towards the Earl.

「Wait, I–」

「Move aside!!」

The Earl, who was pushed to the side, saw another person standing in the spot where he stood a second ago. And the blade pulled out by that person collided with the blade of the assassin.

「Who?」

「That’s my line!」the newly appeared figure exclaimed.

The newly appeared figure was dressed in a similar fashion as the man, but she was taller. And cat ears appeared as her hood came off.

Earl Sillys knew her.

A scout-type adventurer of the Silver Balance party.

An adventurer who moved with Reiji, a boy whom the Earl relied on.

An adventurer should currently be moving together with his daughter Eva — Zerry.

「If you get in the way, I’ll kill you.」

「Ha!! Since I’ve seen your face, you have to kill me anyway!」she said.

「…………」

Even while talking, Zerry deflected the man’s expert blade movements, and tried to dodge at the last minute.

However, the man was clearly better. A number of cuts quickly appeared on Zerry’s body.

The Earl had to stop the fight, but he had no fighting ability.

In that case–

「Is anyone there! There is a thief in here!!」

He yelled out the window.

「Tsk!」

「Geh, Earl! I’ll be caught too– Gaha!」

The man kicked Zerry in the stomach as she panicked, and quickly distanced himself towards the window.

「…Earl, I will come again.」

Saying that, he jumped out.

「That is a lie.」

The Earl called out.

The man had overlooked the fact that a slight mana flowed through the Earl’s eyes.

「!!」

「In the future, the security level will be so high that you can’t get in. You will not reach me again… And it is also a lie that my mansion is being searched, right?」

「What are you saying? Of course it’s true. I heard you were a capable man, but this much is not enough to stall me.」

The man then leapt away. The Earl pushed Zerry into a nearby shelf and directed the guards who barged in to turn around and chase the man. Noticing the footprints in the room, the guards believed the Earl and immediately began the search.

「Fuh… it’s okay to come out now.」

「Oh my god, that was dangerous. Who the hell was that guy? I almost died.」

「I apologize. Thank you for saving my life. The guards are pursuing him, but I don’t think we have much time, so let’s talk briefly— Eva is in the Holy City, correct?」

Zerry nodded.

「Lady Eva had heard your message, but she chose to remain.」

「I see. Did she say the reason?」

「Yes. She said, “Father would not be obeying the Duke just because he has no other means. He must have some kind of plan to outsmart the Duke”.」

The Earl blinked in surprise.

「Fu… Fufu. Fufufufu. She is my daughter after all, isn’t she?」

「Is the young lady correct?」

「Yes. Indeed, there is something I can do. The success rate is not so high, though…」

「That’s good. Oh right, the man earlier…」

「I was shocked too… but it should be okay now. I saw through his lie, and even if he failed to kill me, he knows his action served as a stern warning so as not to leak information to the Duke.」

At that time, the Earl was using the “Magic Eye of Inquire”.

It was a lie that the Duke was searching the Earl’s residence. And he also lied about coming again – at the very least, even if he felt like it, he must have known that infiltrating a second time would be much more difficult.

The Earl’s ability is known to the upper nobles of the Holy Kingdom, but he doesn’t know if Zerry or the man earlier knows it.

「Zerry-san. You have to leave soon. The security will be tightened.」

「Uhhh. Even though I had enough trouble getting here this time, it will get even harder?」

Her ears caught noises coming from the outside.

People will soon come to check the situation with the Earl.

「Take care, Earl. One last thing… our side is also preparing to make a move as well, so don’t give up hope.」

「Your side? Is it Eva?」

「Yeap. We, adventurers, too.」

As she jumped through the window frame, Zerry melted into the darkness, and she soon disappeared.

「The adventurers are moving too?」

The Earl tilted his head.