The knight captains who were recognized as worthless looked at Cyril tiredly.
"...So, is there anything else we should know about the 'Great Saint's Rose' that was discovered for the first time in 300 years?" (Desmond)
At Desmond's question, Cyril looked tired and looked down at the document.
"Ah, yes, that's right. The 'Great Saint's Rose' was discovered in a garden located northeast of the royal castle. According to the gardener, there were originally 12 green roses blooming in that corner, and other It is said that the roses blooming in different locations were of a slightly different type. Currently, two of them have transformed into 'Great Saint's Roses.' In other words, it's considered as mutant roses." (Cyril)
"I see, plants are like butterflies and bees, change from larva to pupa to adult!" (Zachary)
Zachary sounded like he understood, but of course he didn't.
The Great Saint's rose mutated into a different type due to Fia pouring magical power into it, but ordinary plants did not mutate.
Apparently, he had to start with the fact that plants and insects grew very differently.
However, none of the other captains thought it was their job to point this out to Zachary, so no one commented on it.
As a result, he continued to misunderstand plant growth.
Cyril continued his explanation.
"Currently, the area where the 'Great Saint's Rose' is blooming is off-limits. It is unclear whether red roses will continue to bloom on the two plants that have changed to the 'Great Saint's Rose,' or whether they will be replaced with green roses. We plan to continue investigating whether the remaining 10 plants will transform into 'Great Saint's Rose.'" (Cyril)
Desmond crossed his arms, looking impressed.
"It's a mysterious story that green roses turn into red roses! Besides, if they sparkle, it wouldn't be surprising if they were stolen. I think it's a reasonable decision to prohibit entry. Having said that, it's still a flower, so I guess it has a certain amount of brilliance." (Desmond)
"I thought you would get that kind of opinion, so today I am preparing the actual product." (Cyril)
When Cyril said that, he took the long and narrow box that was placed on the round table.
Then, he got up from his seat, approached Desmond, and handed him the box with the lid open.
"Please, this is the 'Great Saint's Rose' that was discovered in the garden of the royal castle." (Cyril)
Desmond, who took the box and casually looked into it, opened his eyes in surprise.
"Huh, is this a flower? The petals are sparkling! What's going on!? Hey, it's far exceeded my expectations." (Desmond)
Despite Cyril's explanation that they should take turns, Enoch got up from his seat and ran towards Desmond with great force.
Then, with a gentle touch and a non-committal attitude, he snatched the flowers from Desmond.
"...Haa, that's amazing. This is truly the 'Great Saint's Rose.' Wow, it's sparkling. It's beautiful." (Enoch)
Perhaps because he didn't want to damage the petals with his breath, Enoch let out a whisper-like voice.
"Wait, Enoch! You're becoming a maiden." (Clarissa)
Clarissa warned Enoch, but he just blushed and gave her a dreamy look.
Cyril supplemented all the knight captains who were making a lot of noise.
"Currently, civil servants are collecting past materials regarding 'the Great Saint's Rose.' Therefore, as soon as we know the details, we plan to verify whether it is genuine." (Cyril)
"No, I think you can confirm it just by looking at it. I've never seen a flower like this before." (Desmond)
When Desmond expressed his opinion, Enoch followed suit.
"That's right, Cyril! The act of doubting whether or not it's real is an act of disrespect towards the 'Great Saint's Rose'!!" (Enoch)
Seeing the knight Captains arguing with each other, Curtis casually offered some advice.
"Since it's called the 'Great Saint's Rose,' it must have been designed to suit the Great Saint's tastes. It's said that the Great Saint liked rose hip tea, so once the flowers have finished flowering and the fruit has grown, try making tea with it. I'm sure you'll understand the Great Saint's will." (Curtis)
Cyril raised an eyebrow at the words, which sounded like a riddle.
"What do you mean?" (Cyril)
"It means that you will understand what the Great Saint of Healing wanted." (Curtis)
Curtis' words were too few, so normally it would be difficult to read his true intentions, but as the leading knight captain, Cyril easily arrived at the correct answer.
"In other words, does this mean that if you make tea with the fruit of the 'Great Saint’s Rose,' it will have the effects that the Great Saint desired?" (Cyril)
"Ah, you'll understand the righteous will. Even if you just float some flower petals and drink it, you'll probably get some simple effects...but it's just a whim." (Curtis)
While explaining, Curtis thought back to 300 years ago.
...Honestly, that flower was full of mysteries.
It's probably influenced by the Great Saint's feelings when the magical power was channeled, but...depending on the petals used, the efficacy varied, such as relieving paralysis or restoring physical strength.
Therefore, those who were invited to the Great Saint's tea party and were offered tea with the "Great Saint's Rose" on it, drank the tea with the determination to die, fearing that a monster or snake would appear...Lady Serafina didn't seem to notice it at all.
Lady Serafina's tea party was called the "Tea Party of Destiny".
Just as Curtis was thinking that it would be fun to reenact that tea party, Cyril asked him suspiciously.
"Curtis, how do you know that?" (Cyril)
"...Everyone in Sutherland knows the story." (Curtis)
After a moment's hesitation, Curtis gave a safe answer.
Then, Cyril nodded with an expression of understanding.
"Ah, I see. The belief in the Great Saint is strong in that area, so there are various legends that remain." (Cyril)
"In that case, I should go back to the territory a little more and learn various things from the residents," Cyril muttered.
As the knight captain, determined not to say anything about Sutherland, looked at Cyril in silence, he raised his head and looked around at the knight captains.
"The above is the report on 'Great Saint's Rose.' We will notify you as soon as we receive additional information, so please wait." (Cyril)
After finishing that, Cyril muttered in a low voice.
"...The 'Great Saint's Rose,' which had never been discovered for 300 years, was discovered at this timing. I hope it's not a sign of something." (Cyril)
Then, Cyril turned over the documents in his hand with a thoughtful expression on his face.
Seeing this, Desmond, who had regained his energy, cheerfully sneered.
"Oh, what's the next topic? Haha, I'm sure Fia will run out of ideas soon. Okay, I'll try to guess what the topic will be. Fia picked up a lucky blue chick on the roadside and presented it to the first knight captain. Or, she changed her favorite from Commander Savis to Cyril. What do you think? Is it correct?"
Cyril glanced at Desmond, who made fun of him.
"Well, it's a perfect topic for a knight like you who is accustomed to peace." (Cyril)
Then, Cyril's expression changed to a serious one, and he spoke in a lower voice than usual.
"The next topic will be the most serious in terms of level. According to the report received from Curtis, a total of four people, Curtis, Fia, and two companions, encountered a demon while exploring Blackpeak Mountain." (Cyril)
"……Ha?"
"Huh?"
"What!?"
All the knight captains each let out a cry of surprise and all stood up from their chairs.
"A demon!? That's a humanoid monster that hasn't appeared even once in the last 300 years, right?"
"Even though it appeared…"
Each of them seemed to have something to say, but when they stop speaking, they turned to Cyril and urged him to say the next thing.
Cyril looked around at the knight Captains without changing his expression.
"First, I will explain the basic information, so please sit down. Currently, monsters are a threat to the world, and among them, humanoid ones are especially called 'demons'. Particularly powerful demons are called 'crested demons'."
All the knight captains sat back down in their chairs as instructed and looked at Cyril with serious expressions.
Cyril provided further information while confirming their appearance.
"This comes from the fact that a demon with a certain level of strength always has a unique crest engraved on it. This crest is also a status for the demon, so it is easily visible on the face or the back of the hand. They are engraved in different places. The number of crests varies depending on the demon, but the number and the strength of the demon are proportional." (Cyril)
"'Crested Demon'... why do we need an explanation like that now?" (Desmon)
Desmond interjected, seeming to have thought of something, but Cyril politely ignored him.
Then, he looked around at everyone with a cold expression.
"Once again, all of the content of today’s meeting will be confidential information. The same goes for what I am going to say from now on. This is top secret information written in the 'Book of the Beginning,' and is basically a member of the royal family of each country. This is information that will only be shared at the level, but as this is an urgent situation, I am disclosing it." (Cyril)
"Oh, wait, if you're going to have such an important conversation, prepare yourself mentally..." (Desmond)
Desmond put one hand over his heart and asked for some time, but Cyril ignored him again and continued speaking.
"The number of Demon Crests that exist in the world is 33 if you add them all up. This is the total number of Demon Crests that existed at the time of creation, and this number will neither increase nor decrease. There are 33 crests. However, 300 years ago, many demons, including the "Demon King of 13 Crests," were sealed away by the hands of the Great Saint, so there were only 6 crests left." (Cyril)
"The Great Saint is amazing." (Zachary)
Zachary whispered quietly.
Cyril nodded in agreement and continued his explanation.
"The demons suddenly disappeared 300 years ago. They abandoned the castles where they lived and went somewhere without leaving a trace. Since then, there have been no reports of sightings of the demons. Therefore, we thought that the demon was a threat that existed in the distant past and did not take much precautions, but... that demon appeared for the first time in 300 years." (Cyril)
"…before Curtis and Fia?" (Desmond)
Cyril simply affirmed Desmond's timid question.
"That's right" (Cyril)
"No, even if it was so easily confirmed...I have a chill running down my spine right now. What, Curtis, did a demon appear in front of you and Fia? If that's the case, how come you guys are safe?? Did you manage to escape from the demon!?" (Desmond)
Curtis aside, Desmond didn't have his usual sharpness when he joked dryly, wondering if Fia was faster.
He seemed more confused and upset than usual.
Cyril continued his explanation.
"The encounter location is Blackpeak Mountain, which is the habitat of the Black Dragon, which is assumed to be Fia's familiar. The true purpose of Fia's visit to Gazard Margrave territory the other day was to meet the Black Dragon. Curtis, Fia, and two other companions climbed Blackpeak and spent the night there." (Cyril)
"W-What? Did Curtis and Fia set foot in that mountain with just the four of them? You guys are acting like fearless children!" (Desmon)
Desmond pointed at Curtis and said he can't believe it.
Cyril continued speaking calmly.
"It seems that the Black Dragon was gathering various dragons from all over the world to Blackpeak, and the demon, who became suspicious of this, came into the mountain to see what was going on. Curtis, please explain from here."
Curtis, who was nominated by Cyril, nodded and stood up.
Author's Note
Thank you for always reading!
The "2nd Knight Captain Meeting (Agenda: Regarding Fia's recognition as a Great Saint in Sutherland and the Sacred Stone)" mentioned in the previous episode is a topic that has not been written yet.
(I thought it would be redundant, so I omitted the details, but it looks like it would be a fun content, so I hope to write about it sometime soon.)