My dear witch, please turn evil according to the script!

Chapter 210 All Collided at Once, the Rarely Powerful Kalia
It wasn't until much later, when Nash looked at Cellina, who had gone from being a bodyguard to a maid, that he understood why Cellina had suddenly changed direction in the hallway that night, choosing to take a long detour back to her room.

Of course that's all for later.

Nash, who was nearly starving to death, had no interest in asking about Cherlinina's route, and she had no idea about the layout of the Governor's Mansion, which was so large it was almost ridiculous.

At that moment, she simply thought Cellina had taken the wrong turn. She didn't say anything, just contentedly leaned on Cellina's shoulder like a caress.

There's not much more to say after that.

The two returned to their room, and soon after, they were served a delicious meal prepared by the head chef. After enjoying the meal, they began to rest.

And on the other side...

Kalia, who had been tirelessly searching for Roland in the governor's mansion, finally found him in the central garden of the mansion after the banquet had ended, after the members of the society and the city guards, who were so drunk they could barely walk, had left the governor's mansion with the help of the servants, and after Flam had left the banquet hall carrying a stack of books that could obscure her vision.

"Phew... I've been looking for you for hours. You weren't deliberately avoiding me, were you?"

"By the way, why aren't you asleep so late? What are you doing sitting here?"

As Kalia spoke, she sat down in the shade of a tree and looked up at Roland, who was gazing at the sky.

For some reason, this guy started sitting on the bench in a daze again.

He didn't respond when I greeted him.

"Hello~~~"

Kalia, somewhat displeased, waved her hand in front of Roland's face: "Roland? Mr. Roland? Your Excellency Roland?"

"Ah...it's you, Lia. Aren't you resting so late?"

Roland finally noticed Kalia, who was making her presence felt beside him.

"How dare you say that to me? I've been looking for you for so long and I still can't find you. Where did you go?"

"Um... I wasn't feeling well, so I found a room to rest for a bit."

Roland, who was sitting on the edge of the flower bed under the tree, stretched and said, "Phew... I just woke up. I couldn't fall back asleep for a while, so I came out for a walk."

"...Roland, you're not telling the truth, are you?"

"How could that be? These are all the absolute truths."

Kalia reached out and tugged at Roland's collar: "You're not the kind of person who doesn't care about their appearance, at least not in any other way."

"Even when you go out for a walk, your clothes are never unkempt."

"Look at you now... Not only are the buttons on your collar undone, but your hair is a complete mess, and you're even missing a sock."

"It's like running for your life."

"Hey...you wouldn't happen to be...?"

As Kalia's face drew closer, Roland silently swallowed.

Oh no, when did this guy become so smart?

Could it be that my sneaking out of Iluvia's room is about to be discovered?

How should I bring it up? How should I explain the situation?

We can't have a second show tonight, can we?

He couldn't bear it anymore.

At that moment, Kalia spoke up, her words ringing out like a judgment in Roland's ears.

"You rascal, you weren't having another nightmare, were you? Is that why you can't sleep?"

"Hehe, it's okay, you can tell me whatever you dream about!"

Looking at Kalia, who was smiling at him, Roland felt a pang of guilt for some reason.

For a moment, he even considered telling the truth on the spot.

But thankfully, his rationality stopped him.

For his health's sake, even if we were to confess, let's wait until tomorrow.

But now, could we give her a heads-up?
Although this guy had known about his engagement to Iluvia for a long time, he never seemed to have said anything about it.

Roland shook his head and casually adjusted his hair with his hand.

As for socks... well, I didn't have time to think about them when I made my escape.

Although Iluvia had been knocked unconscious by Do, in order to prevent a repeat of the situation that occurred after Cellina woke up not long ago, a second battle was necessary.

At the time, Roland felt it would be better to make a quick getaway.

However, in retrospect, I realize I ran too fast back then.

Moreover, it seems I need to consider improving my physical fitness.

Relying on equipment and spells to enhance one's toughness every time seems too unfair.

Sometimes you still need to improve your physical fitness.

We'll ask Caesar and the Grand Master of the Guards then.

The basic skills for warrior training and methods for physical exercise should not be difficult to learn.

After a moment of internal struggle, Roland looked at Kalia, who was waiting for him to speak; "Lia, I didn't have any nightmares, I was just thinking about some things."

"About you."

"Me? My business?" Kalia leaned back, somewhat taken aback, then pointed to herself. "Me?"

"Ah."

After receiving Roland's affirmation, Kalia lowered her head, leaned closer to Roland, and then rested her head on Roland's shoulder.

"W-What is it?"

"I'm thinking... about the future... will things between you and me... what are you doing, Leah?"

Roland carefully considered his words before speaking, and then he saw Kalia begin to try to push him down into the flower bed.

"I didn't do anything, I just leaned on your shoulder."

"Then what did you mean by trying to take me down?"

"...So you really don't like the wild, outdoor style."

"Everyone says you misunderstood back then..."

"Then let's move indoors?"

Seeing Kalia's shy yet expectant expression, Roland coughed and said, "Well, you must have something to tell me, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have taken so long to find me, would you?"

"Trying to change the subject?" Kalia sighed in dissatisfaction. "Alright, alright, you've been busy at sea for so long, you must be tired. You should get some rest for the night."

After letting out a long sigh, Kalia said, "Didn't you tell me to ask the old woman if she had any travel recommendations?"

"She said she was going to settle scores with some blood demon, and that the place had nice scenery. Shall we go together?"

Roland was taken aback: "Blood Demon? Ah... the one who cursed you before, planning to assassinate Lady Flam, right?"

“That would certainly be a good opportunity to go together. After all, Ms. Flam has helped me so much, so this is a way of repaying her.”

"My abilities can also prevent that blood demon from escaping using bloodline magic."

After he finished speaking, Roland asked, "By the way, did Ms. Fram say where she was going?"

"That wasn't mentioned."

Roland shrugged: "Well, surprises are part of the trip anyway. I hadn't decided where to go in the first place. After all, in winter, unless you're in the southern part of the continent like Riskan, it's all snow. The only difference is the amount of snow."

“Alright!” Roland stood up and looked down at Kalia: “It’s getting late, and you’ve said what you wanted to tell me.”

"Then let's all go back and rest first."

After saying that, Roland turned to leave.

"Snapped!"

Kalia swiftly reached out and grabbed Roland's wrist.

"You can't go."

"Oh, Leah, is there anything else?"

Kalia did not answer, but a smile appeared on her lips.

The shadows around them grew ever darker.

"Stay...and do something with me? How about it? I rarely ask you for favors, you know~~~"

"Of course, you don't really have the right to refuse."

"You were definitely lying just now, weren't you?"

"You...cheated on me, didn't you?"

Roland knew something was wrong!

He was actually distracted by Kalia's conversation! He didn't even notice her casting her innate spell!
wrong!

Very wrong!
It seems that after Kalia absorbed the divine power, her control over her innate magic became exceptionally high!

However, when Roland tried to teleport away from the spot, he was horrified to find that the space here had been disrupted.

His technique was ineffective.

At this moment, Kalia had already stood up, and gracefully patted the dust off her dress.

She put her hands behind her back and walked gracefully to Roland.

The shadows that had already engulfed the central courtyard now transformed into Kalia's hands, or perhaps four.

In any case, Roland's limbs are now controlled by countless shadow tentacles.

Although their force is very gentle, mainly serving a symbolic restraining function, Roland can even break free of the tentacles with a little force.

But the atmosphere at the moment made him abandon that action and instead begin to look forward to it.

Kalia slowly walked up to Roland: "Oh~~ No resistance? You're not actually looking forward to it, are you?"

"That……"

As Kalia finished speaking, a swamp that appeared to be made of thick shadows appeared behind Roland.

The next moment, Kalia extended her right index finger and gently tapped Roland's chest.

Kalia's seemingly calm and composed face was now as red-hot as a kettle.

"...I really mustered up this courage, so don't let me give up halfway."

With a slight push of her index finger, Kalia shoved Roland to the ground, and at the same time, she herself sank into the shadows.

The shadows in the courtyard also dissipated at this moment.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Standing in front of a window on the fourth floor, Furam silently withdrew her gaze, a relieved smile appearing on her lips.

This poor kid will finally get an A.

What kind of gift should I give to these two kids when they get married?
And what should I give as a gift when their child is born?

Tsk... This is a bit troublesome. Maybe we should ask that old man Toran?
As Roland's elder, he couldn't possibly not give a gift, could he?

……

A peaceful night passed.

When Iluvia woke up, she didn't see the person she wanted to see beside her pillow.

Well, at this point, she was actually a little disappointed.

However, when she saw the sock that Roland had left in her room, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

After putting away the socks that looked like spoils of war, Iluvia chose to wash her hands first, then take a shower, and after a quick freshening up, she calmed herself down and left the room.

Then he bumped into Cellina, who was holding a cat.

The two exchanged a glance, then remained silent, neither choosing to be the first to speak.

Fortunately, the cat that Cellina was holding could talk. "Good morning, Your Highness!"

Good morning, Nash.

Iluvia responded with a smile, then looked at Cellina: "How did you sleep last night?"

"...I'm fine. How about you?"

"Hmm... I had a sweet dream."

"Really? Congratulations."

After Celinina finished speaking, the scene froze again.

An awkward atmosphere hung between the two of them.

Iluvia coughed, then looked at Cellina and asked, "By the way, have you seen Roland?"

"Although it's still early, the tripartite talks are about to begin. As an important party involved, it's better for him to know some things to note in advance."

Cellina was somewhat surprised to hear this: "He's not..."

Isn't he with you?

Cellina almost said those words aloud.

Fortunately, she stopped herself at the last moment: "Ahem, what I mean is... he should be in his own room, right?"

"Then...shall we go find him together?"

"Ah."

Having reached an agreement in a few words, the two chose to go to Roland's room.

There's not much to say about that. After all, Roland's room in the governor's mansion wasn't removed after he left, and he was given the same room when he returned, so the two of them could easily find it.

However, the two did not find Roland in Roland's room.

Celinina: “…”

Iluvia: “…”

Nash: "Hey, Roland's not in his room. Where has he been gallivanting off to this time?"

"I'm here……"

Roland's voice came from inside the room.

His gaze was unfocused, his hair was a mess, and dark circles were prominently displayed around his eyes.

He looked rather weak.

Moreover, the faint green light emanating from his body proved that he was trying to restore some of his spirit through the power of the World Tree, but the effect was obviously not good.

The group hadn't seen Roland earlier because he was adjusting his appearance in front of a full-length mirror in the corner.

Because of the poor visibility, Iluvia and Cellina, who didn't knock before opening the door, didn't see Roland.

Roland had already changed into a formal suit.

Nowadays, suit-like attire has become fashionable in the empire.

However, the empire's formal attire, or rather, clothing worn on formal occasions, still consisted of ancient garments such as robes and shawls.

It is currently in a state of superposition between medieval and modern clothing styles.

However, Roland clearly couldn't handle this complicated outfit on his own.

When Iluvia saw Roland's very awkward clothes, she helplessly went over and helped him tidy them up.

"Oh dear, I already told you to have the servants at the Governor's Mansion help you put on this outfit. You can't manage it all by yourself!"

"...I just wanted to give it a try."

"Don't try it next time. The order in which these dresses are worn is something no normal person can figure out."

Iluvia sighed, then helped Roland remove all the clothes he was wearing incorrectly, saying as she did so, "If this weren't a three-way meeting..."

"You are also my fiancé, and my father even announced your title in the newspaper."

"Your appearance on this occasion reflects the face of the empire... so we had no choice but to make you wear this."

"To be honest, apart from looking beautiful and gorgeous when worn in its entirety, this kind of dress has all sorts of flaws!"

Looking at the two people chatting incessantly in the distance, Nash subconsciously muttered something to himself.

"These two...they really do look like a newlywed couple now..."

"A clumsy, stubborn husband and a wife who can only complain helplessly... Uh, I was just saying it offhand, Nina, don't take it too seriously."

Cellina shook her head: "It's nothing... I think it looks quite similar."

"Actually, I've been observing Roland's attitude toward Iluvia and Lia."

"And to me..."

Nash looked up and asked, "So, have you come to a conclusion?"

"Ah."

Cellina nodded, but offered no explanation.

This made Nash literally scratch his head, and the whole cat seemed very agitated.

Soon after, Roland asked, "So... when does that meeting start?"

"It's 9:30 now... The scheduled time is 10:00, at the city defense headquarters."

Iluvia laughed as she spoke, "If you don't want to be late, get someone to change your clothes later and then hurry up and leave. I don't want to see you late for a meeting like this."

After saying that, Iluvia leaned close to Roland's ear and whispered, "You, running off without even saying goodbye, isn't that a bit too much?"

There won't be a next time.

After sneaking up on Roland and kissing him on the cheek, Iluvia and Cellina left first.

According to her, she first took Cherlinina to the city defense headquarters.

She is, after all, an eight-ring powerhouse. Although she wasn't the main speaker, Cellina was still required to be present.

Even if Cellina only found out about this now, it would be the same.

After all, this mission involved evil gods and cognitive interference, so the accounts of high-level experts are relatively more reliable than actual mission records.

Of course, Roland is an exception.

His demonstrated abilities in action have led the Vatican and the Society to have a completely different opinion of Roland.

An existence that cannot be judged by rank and is being watched by the World Tree consciousness and the Great Source Will.

He is also a Holy Sword Wielder.

Even though his rank was not high at the time.

However, Roland's feat of leaping from the Second Ring Road to the Sixth Ring Road in just one month could not be kept secret either.

The tripartite meeting was ostensibly to have Roland speak, but the bigger reason was that the Vatican and the Society wanted to make goodwill and establish contact.

After the two people and the cat left, Roland's shadow began to wriggle and then slowly expanded.

Kalia, whose hair was also disheveled, emerged from the shadows and then reached out and hung her hands around Roland's neck.

Feeling the touch from behind, Roland complained through the mirror, "Hey... at least put some clothes on before you come out, right?"

"What does it matter? It's just the two of us in the room anyway."

Roland was speechless for a moment, but still said, "Even so... fine, whatever you say... you heard what I just said, I should leave now, or I'll be late."

"Hmm... alright. Then I'll wait for you to come back at the Governor's Mansion." Kalia seemed a little disappointed. After sighing, she gently bit Roland's earlobe and then disappeared back into the shadows.

……

"Hey, genius, you don't look too good. Are you exhausted?"

At the entrance of the city defense headquarters, Roland encountered Suren, who had also come to attend the meeting.

Roland looked at the newcomer, who still had a smiling face, as if it were just a simple greeting.

But Roland sensed something amiss.

Do I look like someone who hasn't rested well and is very weak?

Suren nodded: "Come on, with such big dark circles under your eyes, it's hard not to notice, isn't it?"

"Really...then I guess I'll have to find someone to do my makeup and cover up my dark circles?"

"Hehe, I don't think that's necessary. This way, you'll look more like someone who has put in a lot of effort for the mission!"

Suren stopped Roland from doing so, and instead said, "Anyway, no one else knows why you're so exhausted... although..."

Suren made a sniffing motion: "Hmm... the smell is quite complex. Lord Roland must have a very active nightlife, right?"

"Although I'm just an outsider, don't betray the girls' sincere feelings! A philanderer and a heartless man are completely different kinds of people!"

"Alright, hurry up and go, you'll be late if you're any later. I've been waiting for you at the door for ages."

Watching Suren skip away, Roland felt as if this woman knew everything.

Roland shook his head, clearing his mind of all distractions, and then, somewhat awkwardly, walked into the conference room wearing clothes that weren't suitable for movement.

The meeting room was now full of people.

The Society sent Götz and Max, both on crutches, while the Papacy sent only Suren; the other judges were nowhere to be seen.

As for the city's garrison and the hat maker, there was only one Delan.

Cellina, Iluvia, and Flam sat on the other side.

When Floram saw Roland come in, she complained, "You're so slow! You almost made us late, you know?"

"Alright, sit down properly, the meeting is about to begin."

……

There wasn't much to say about the meeting itself; it was basically just recounting personal experiences and speculations.

Roland could even say that, apart from the representatives from the headquarters who listened attentively and were genuinely trying to glean some intelligence from the operation, Salah III was completely lost in thought the entire time.

Aside from the useless, official platitudes, all they say is "yes, yes, yes," "okay, okay, okay," and so on.

The cardinal from the Vatican was even more important; the old man kept asking Roland questions about his personal life.

I have no idea what they're planning.

In other words, Roland could sense that the old man meant no harm; he was just gossiping.

However, their behavior made what should have been a serious meeting turn into something absurd.

The meeting didn't even last long.

All the issues were resolved in just two hours.

Apart from the last person, the academic representative, who wanted to have a private conversation with Roland, it seemed like the whole thing was just a group of people having a tea party.

After the meeting ended, Götze, leaning on his cane, came to Roland.

During the previous meeting, the wise man at headquarters spoke up and asked him to do some coordination work.

"Your Excellency Roland, when would you be available for a private conversation?"

Roland looked at Götze: "If the great sage is free, let's do it this afternoon. I have a feeling he has something very important to say."

"But let's go get some food now."

"Even if it's something important, there's always time to eat, right?"

Götze smiled and nodded: "You are indeed decisive. Regarding some matters concerning you... Lord Kefas has already begun negotiations with us. Rest assured, Lord Roland, we will temporarily grant you investigative authority."

"As long as something has been recorded in writing, there will be some clues in the knowledge base of the school."

"I imagine the problem that's bothering you is the same."

(End of this chapter)