The One Who Could Help

"Kingdom of Esovia? That's the first time I've heard of it," Yuri commented as soon as he noted the surprised look on Murata's face when Conrad asked that question.

Thankfully, his question somehow dissipated that slowly forming tensed atmosphere around them.

"That's because it was only known to most of the Mazoku as a myth. Only a chance encounter with one of the members of that kingdom's Central Aristocratic Family while I was traveling with my father when I was young that I realized it truly exists," Conrad answered which earned him a nod from Murata as if finally understanding something.

"So that's how you found out about that kingdom. And here I thought they hadn't made contact with any of the Mazoku around here," Murata said.

"They still hadn't, Your Grace. No one knows it exists, aside from a very few Mazoku that they trusted to keep it a secret."

"And I presume Ulrike isn't one of those chosen few," Shori said.

Conrad nodded. "I don't know how or why but the people of that kingdom, especially the Beast Knights, somehow possess the ability to conceal their presence from a Genshi Miko even though they're quite near."

"Is that even possible, Murata?" Yuri asked as soon as he found the chance. He couldn't help feeling a little bit of an outcast because of the discussion. But then, it wasn't just him who felt that way.

"Only the Beast Knights can do it, Shibuya. Probably because their Beast Spirits were the ones concealing their presence."

"Your Grace, what kind of people are these Beast Knights that you're talking about?" This time, it was Günter who asked that question.

Murata only let out a heavy sigh that Yuri had found weird. His friend had been doing that for quite a while now. What in the world was going on?

"Murata, what's wrong? You've been acting weird ever since I mentioned the presence I felt when we went back to Earth that day." Yuri couldn't take his friend's weird actions lately and he wanted to know what was going on. He doesn't want to be left behind just because he was also trying to learn what he could about his kingdom.

"The truth is, I already felt that presence even before we went back to Earth. Though at the time, I wasn't sure if it was similar to the sinister presence I felt 4,000 years ago. A presence similar to that of the Soushu," Murata stated gravely which truly surprised the rest of them. "But unlike Soushu, this sinister presence has a physical form. That presence belongs to the mortal enemy of the Beast Knights."

"Then what exactly are these Beast Knights?" Wolfram asked in exasperation.

"They're Mazoku like us. But they're usually known even in the past as the Esovian Mazoku, the name of their kingdom where they all reside. Their most noteworthy characteristics that separate the Esovian Mazoku and the Mazoku of Shin Makoku from each other is the source of their powers."

"The source of their powers? You mean, they're not using maryoku?" Günter asked, hoping this time, it would be answered.

Murata faced the Maoh's advisor and gently shook his head. "They still possess maryoku—or at least selected people among them. And it's in its greatest amount if you ask me. But instead of making a pact with the elements, they're making a pact with the Beast Spirits. These entities are said to be the guardians of their kingdom's founders. Six of the Beast Spirits known at the time were regarded as the most powerful and whoever was chosen to make a pact with them would become the guardians of the Kingdom of Esovia and were given the title 'Beast Knights'."

The information left the others quite amazed that Murata couldn't help but smile. But it was only for a few moments. His face soon became somber once again.

"Your Grace..." Conrad called out as soon as he noticed that.

"From what I can see right now, only the Beast Knights can provide us the help we need to defeat our troublesome puppets. It won't be easy for us to destroy it from the roots when we barely know anything about these creatures and their sources."

That was the time Yuri decided to ask something. "Conrad, you said you encountered someone a long time ago that made you realize the existence of the Kingdom of Esovia, right?"

Though slightly puzzled as to why Yuri would ask such a question, Conrad nodded in reply.

"Does that mean you know where the kingdom is located?" Yuri continued.

No words came from the soldier, though. It wasn't that obvious but Wolfram and Günter could see the hesitation in Conrad's eyes. It didn't take long before Yuri, Murata and even Shori noticed it, as well.

"Conrad?" Yuri ventured. Did he say something wrong?

It startled Conrad, and soon after, noticed that everybody was staring at him. Honestly, it only made him feel uncomfortable but he remained steady. "What's the matter?"

"It looked like I said something wrong, huh?" After that, Yuri smiled sheepishly.

To Yuri's surprise, Conrad shook his head and smiled. "It's not that, Your Majesty. I made a promise to the Beast Knight I met at that time that I won't reveal what I know about that person and even the kingdom to anyone."

"T-the one you met was a Beast Knight?!" Yuri exclaimed.

Conrad nodded. "That person was known at that time as the Wind Tiger Knight."

"Wind? You mean, that Beast Knight was a wind arts practitioner?"

Again, Conrad nodded in a response to Murata's question. "But it's been so long since it happened. Even if I know the location now, there is a possibility that the island itself shifted to a new spot."

"An island shifting its location? That's not possible. How could there even be an island like that?" Wolfram questioned with his hands on his waists.

"The island where the Kingdom of Esovia lies usually moves away from its spot every 125 years. It's been a part of the pact that the six founders made with the six Beast Spirits to protect the island's inhabitants from outsiders, especially those who desire the Beast Spirits' powers," Murata explained.

"That means the only way for us to know its current location, assuming that it already moved since the last time Conrad realized the place, would be to analyze the movement of the island over the last 4,000 years since the pact was made," Shori suggested that Murata agreed.

"But then... how are we supposed to do that?" And now, Yuri asked that question.

"There are still a few archives kept here in Shinou Temple depicting that. But I'll be needing help. Of course, we could also use Lord Weller's information since it's the most recent piece of detail that would hopefully help us in locating the island," Murata said.

The others agreed to help. But one could still see that Conrad was hesitant about something. Because of the conversation about the Beast Knights, the rest didn't know that a 25-year-old painful memory that he had kept in his heart suddenly resurfaced. And now, it was incessantly plaguing his mind with memories of that one Wind Tiger Knight who never left his heart all this time.

= x = x = x = x = x =

One thing Yuri could tell was Conrad wasn't himself ever since the conversation about the Beast Knights was brought up. Perhaps the issue triggered a lot about... something from his godfather's past. Though he wanted to know the full story, at that point he thought it was a bad idea.

And even if he wanted to know the whole story, he didn't know who was the right person to ask. It also appeared that only Conrad knew the full story.

"What's wrong, Yuri?"

That innocent question coming from his adopted daughter Greta brought him out of his reverie. He smiled and shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just... thinking about something."

"About the Beast Knights again? We still have plenty of time to think about that tomorrow, you know. His Eminence would be bringing the books we need to know more about these guys from the Shinou Temple by tomorrow," Wolfram stated that he and Greta were getting ready to sleep and just waiting for Yuri to go to bed and finally rest for the day.

Though Yuri wanted to say something against that, he decided that it was for the best not to. Maybe he'd find another way to determine the truth he was looking for, even if it would appear that he was spying on Conrad's personal affairs.

He just hoped he wouldn't be scolded severely only because he let his curiosity get the best of him. As soon as he laid his tired body on the bed to finally have a good night's sleep, that was the moment an idea hit him.

"That's it!" Yuri exclaimed surprised by Greta and Wolfram.

"What's it? What are you planning to do right now?" Wolfram narrowed his eyes as he asked that. His suspicion that Yuri was up to something again only intensified as soon as he saw the Maoh grin impishly.

"Just... something."

Okay. Now that turned out to be even scarier than Wolfram could think of.

What could Yuri possibly be up to now?