After all, there are black animals, like crows.
"Master Crow!"
In the courtyard where Saffron and I were chatting, a maid with a panicked expression approached us.
"Master Crow! The King summons you. Please come to the Round Table room immediately. Lady Cattleya is already waiting there."
Something unusual seemed to be happening.
Saffron, standing next to me, smirked.
"It's true. You really are a troublemaker."
It's always the bad premonitions that come true.
Most likely...
The Round Table room.
Not the audience chamber, but the Round Table room.
There, a round table is set up, and it's a room where the king and the country's dignitaries gather for meetings.
No matter how you think about it, this room is not one where you'd be urgently summoned unless there's a sudden war or political issue.
In the first place, it's not a place where a useless guy like me would be called to.
Nevertheless, with an uneasy feeling, I entered the Round Table room.
I wasn't alone.
Holly, who always watches over me from behind, was there as usual, and Saffron, now invisible, followed on her own accord.
Saffron, who outwardly is just a maid, probably can't attend an emergency meeting in the Round Table room. But if she's invisible and makes no noise, her presence won't be detected.
In the Round Table room, besides the king, there were several ministers, a few middle-aged men who looked like generals, and also Instructor Cattleya.
Everyone was seated around the Round Table, so I took a seat next to Instructor Cattleya.
Saffron stood between the seats of Instructor Cattleya and myself.
Instructor Cattleya, a fellow saintly sword owner, sensed Saffron's presence for a moment, her expression darkened.
But she quickly reverted to her expressionless state and faced the Round Table.
"I apologize for summoning you so suddenly, Crow. A grave situation has arisen."
King Dalia, looking straight at me, spoke.
"Have you heard about the large-scale rebellion that occurred in Ash Dragon, a territory located northeast of the capital, Pendragon? We've lost all contact with Iris, the saintly sword owner we dispatched there. Right now, Iris is missing."
The situation I deemed most unlikely had come to pass.
Iris, who was in charge of suppressing the rebellion, is missing.
I had hoped this wouldn't happen and believed that someone as capable as Iris wouldn't falter in battle, but it seemed my fears were realized.
Iris is competent.
She possesses a saintly sword, so she's not an entity that regular humans can deal with.
But, deep down, I felt that Iris might not be best suited for the role of a supreme commander.
She is kind to everyone, doesn't like to delegate, and has a bit of a perfectionist streak.
As her authority and the number of troops she commands increase, I feared her outstanding abilities might not be fully realized.
"Currently, the regular army organized to suppress the rebellion is without its supreme commander."
I listened in silence.
In this matter, there's clearly nothing I can do.
This is different from the stories about the divine sword I've dealt with before.
This is war.
A situation involving life and death.
With my below-average wisdom and bravery, there's nothing I can contribute to this matter.
"So far, all the commanders dispatched from the capital have been killed in battle. That's why we sent Iris, who possesses a saintly sword, with great hopes."
"In retrospect, was it a mistake to dispatch an inexperienced woman?"
"Perhaps we should have sent Instructor Cattleya?"
"No, no, the fact that Prince Heath was injured and immobilized was also problematic."
The middle-aged men surrounding the king said such things as if it concerned someone else. After that, for a while, they kept repeating the same kind of talk, going back and forth with fruitless discussions.
I observed the conversation between the highest authority in the country and what seemed like his close aides. They didn't seem to be the kind of people who could influence the personnel affairs of the country.
Most of the people here should have graduated at the top of their class from the Royal Military Academy and then become soldiers.
Observing them, I had one straightforward thought:
This is the caliber of those considered the best in this country?
I glanced over to Instructor Cattleya who was seated next to me.
With her arms and legs crossed, her eyes closed, she remained perfectly still.
Seeing that, I realized:
She must be incredibly irritated.
"May I ask something?"
I raised my hand, deciding to pose a question to King Dalia.
"To begin with, what is the objective of the rebel army? You mentioned that they have killed all the supreme commanders we dispatched. Why haven't they advanced to the royal capital yet? After completely securing the Ash Dragon territory, are they planning to use it as a base for further operations?"
"Most likely, their goal is to diminish the influence of the royal family. This would be advantageous for all the lords. The ones pulling the strings behind this rebellion are not the common folk, but the regional lords."
"What do you mean?"
"If there's no stability within the country, the number of soldiers we need to deploy can't decrease. And we can't stop the regional lords from expanding their military power. But if they increase their independent armies under the guise of suppressing the rebellion, the influence of the royal family will diminish even more. That's why we wanted a saintly sword owner, with powers beyond humans, to turn the situation around."
The situation seemed dire.
This really isn't something I can handle.
Then, Instructor Cattleya suddenly slapped the Round Table.
"Your Majesty! Please let me suppress the rebellion! I will go to the location!"
That seemed like the most sensible choice, even in my opinion.
Before serving as an instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Instructor Cattleya was known for her unparalleled combat prowess as a saintly sword owner. Fighting against bandits and rebellious forces, she was a commander with a string of victories.
Objectively speaking, among the soldiers in this country, she's the most powerful and experienced entity.
There should be no one more suited than Instructor Cattleya to resolve this situation.
However, what I didn't understand was why she was irritated from the beginning.
I understand being concerned about Iris's well-being.
Deep down, I'm also worried about her.
But the Instructor Cattleya I know wouldn't just sit still when she knows one of her students is in danger.
She would rush to the scene without wasting time in such fruitless meetings.
Especially when it's Iris, who is of the same gender and also a saintly sword owner.
So I don't get it.
Why is Instructor Cattleya being so passive here?
"Do not make me repeat myself, Cattleya. I cannot authorize your deployment."
At that moment, I seriously doubted my ears.
King Dalia said he wouldn't permit Instructor Cattleya to be deployed.
Moreover, he added "do not make me repeat myself."
This means Instructor Cattleya had requested permission to deploy a long time ago.
And she's been frustrated because she hasn't been granted permission?
"Your Majesty, why? I believe Instructor Cattleya is the most suitable for this."
Without thinking, I questioned King Dalia.
"Currently, Heath is injured and cannot move. Iris is missing. In other words, the only mobile saintly sword owner in this royal capital is Cattleya. We cannot afford to lose any more forces from the royal capital."
That was the answer I received. "We must always ensure that at least one saintly sword owner is present in the royal capital. Currently, there's information that there are individuals in various locations possessing saintly swords that are unaccounted for. If it becomes known that there isn't a saintly sword owner in the royal capital, there's a possibility that it could be attacked."
"He... Your Majesty, you realized that many of the saintly swords are missing?"