Trinitas Mundus

Lesson 23: Queen Katrina

April 23rd.

The Rays were still at the Blacksmith Guild headquarters that day.

He explained his and Luna's qualities and then helped him analyze his love spear "White Horn (Albumcorne)" and armor “Snow Clothes (Nixwestis)".

One middle-aged woman came in when she finished her plans for the day and began to prepare for the banquet.

The woman is in obese shape in her mid-forties, but the look on her face is soft, and she looks like a shop general because she wears a simple ivory piece and a brown vest, Ray thought.

But that grin has something like a piercing lock as seen by a Dwarf blacksmith, and soon the impression disappears.

When she saw the woman, Luna said, "Long time no see, Mr. Kati!" He spoke brightly.

It was Ashley who reacted to that.

"Katie... Are you" Katie Soak "..."

That's how I shrugged, and it solidified.

"Mr. Kati? I wonder who you're talking about. Does Ash know?," said Ray tilting his neck.

Ashley, who returned to me, poked one knee on the spot and said, "Ray! Stella!" gives instructions to do the same with a small but sharp voice.

The two don't know what to do, but they immediately mimic her and poke one knee at her.

Katrina saw the three of them,

"Oh, it's just Katie here, so you don't have to."

Still, Ashley keeps her head down.

"Sure, it's Her Royal Highness Queen Katrina who's here, but she's just Mr. Kati on this occasion. So be normal, too, Mr. Ashley."

I urged Luna, who I saw, to stand in a bright voice as if she were going to send out a help ship.

"That being said," Ashley protests in a whisper, "but stood up reluctantly to see what was going on around her.

Ray, who was lying next to him, was unable to swallow the situation, but has lost the word "queen..." to Luna's words.

(Why is the queen here? More than that, why is Luna talking so normal? I've been to the King of Lax before, but I don't think he's such an easy person to talk to...)

Ray used to be with King Lax Lionel XII after the Battle of Millis Valley. I got into trouble with the Kingsguard knights at that time and don't have a very good impression of the royalty.

When Ray also rises following Ashley, Luna introduces him to each other.

"This is Mr. Kati. I'm the queen of this country, but when I drink, I'm just Mr. Katie."

Introducing Katrina,

"It's Katie. Is that Luna's friend?

Gently bow your head with the edge of your skirt as you smile.

"This is my friend, Ray. Next door is Mr. Ashley, Mr. Stella."

I bowed my head when Ray said nervously to her introduction, "It's Ray Arklight," and Ashley just said, "Oh, it's Ashley Marcut," and bowed her head the same way.

Although Stella is alert to her status as queen, she decides that there is no danger to the Rays and bows her head in a sober tone, "It's Stella," she said.

"You were Mr. Luna's friend,“ The White Master. ”And I can't believe your famous Red Arms daughter is here. It's going to be a fun banquet."

Ray and Ashley can't hide their surprise at realizing who they are just by naming their names.

Although Stella standing behind them was equally surprised, her vigilance prevailed and her eyes narrowed slightly.

You realize that, "You don't have to be so vigilant," Katrina said cheerfully,

"It has been reported that the Mercenary Corps of Markat (Red Arms) was at Fort Toa and that the White Master entered the Eternal Darkness (Kwaedam Tenebre) with a few of his companions and returned. And there's information that someone like that went south from the barbecue."

Ray was afraid of Katrina's ability to gather information.

(We were disguised before we entered the barbecue. Of course, I wasn't hiding it, but at least I was making sure it wasn't noticeable. I can't believe they know that so easily...... maybe they also know Luna was abducted by Sokius? ……

Though I think so, I can't ask directly, I just have to keep quiet.

His concerns were somewhat off target.

Katrina emphasizes information entering the barbecue and is constantly eye-catching. Especially with regard to mercenary and adventurer guilds, he was trying to create collaborators to gather information.

In the barbecue, the Rays go to those guilds, reveal themselves and gather information. That thing hooked me up with Katrina's info and I found out I had arrived in Barbegie.

Later, information came in that she was with Luna, an important Lockhart family official for the Kaum kingdom, and she was keeping an eye on what the Rays were doing.

"You don't have to be really vigilant...... I'm on Mr. Luna's side. Hey, Mr. Luna."

That's what I say and laugh at Luna.

"Mr. Kati is the one who has helped us many times. When you're here, you can assume you're just like all the Dwarves."

That's what Luna says and explains to the Rays.

She was also told that Queen Katrina (...) was the first person to think about the kingdom and should not be relieved of her guard cheaply. But as long as he was in the blacksmith's guild, he thought he could be trusted just like Dwarf as “Mr. Katie”.

This was because I somehow felt Katrina's policy of not being hostile to the Lockhart family.

Ray also decided not to be more alert than necessary by Luna affirming.

And he said, "Again, it's Ray Arklight. Call me Ray, Mr. Kati," he said and offered his right hand.

Katrina laughs at Nicole and takes that right hand.

Seeing that sight, Ashley also trusted her and decided to respond not as a queen, but as a katie entering and leaving the blacksmith's guild.

But only Stella, although softened on the surface, did not relieve the alarm. She contacted the Unos with codes and asked them to be alert to any suspicious people around them.

(As my previous husband said, the queen chases powerful aristocrats and uses young, talented people heavily. But that way is very radical and dangerous... Ashley said “Kati Soak” didn't just mean “big drink"...)

As her knowledge suggests, Queen Katrina's alias, “Kati Sauk”, means “Kati the Great Drinker”, as well as “Kati the Severe Punishment”. Also called “witch kati” by some nobles, he hated it.

In fact, the sobriety incident a few years ago has severely punished the nobles involved in it and has also devastated even larger criminal organizations. So much so that it is said that the lack of forgiveness at that time stemmed from the name "Kati Soak”.

Stella's previous husband, Loris Deoddard, was an excellent merchant. And in the eyes of seeing his man who entrusted himself to Ray, Stella puts her full confidence.

I was afraid that Deoddard, while commending Katrina for excellence, was wary of its rapidity and forcefulness.

Knowing or not Stella's thoughts like that, Katrina is happy to reunite with Luna and speaks with pleasure.

Ray sees Ashley in a poisonous way, but they were both half-hearted by Katrina's appearance and Luna, who talks to her without telling her.

"That's amazing, Luna. Even Ash can't do that."

"Right. If it's Lord Braveburn, we can talk about it somewhat, but still, it's not as easy to talk about it. You just said someone with the name of Lockhart."

Stella wasn't added to the story, she was reading the codes from Ocho on the ceiling.

(There are five escort-like people around... but the knight is just dressed as a mercenary... so you don't have any suspicious people. But you can't be alarmed...)

Though I was relieved once by a call from Ocho, I wasn't willing to let her loosen my guard.

Katrina casually asked about her plans for the future.

"They've been in Ars since yesterday, but what are you going to do after this? Are we going back to Rasmore Village?

Luna worries for a moment about how she will answer, but as long as she continues down Ars Street even if she is given false information, she thinks she will be grasped and only replies, "I intend to go to the Empire".

"Oh, can I help you with the empire? It's after all those big fights, so shouldn't we be back in Lasmore Village for once?

At this time, Katrina had doubts about Luna's actions.

She had only partial but grasped information that Luna had been captured by the Demons.

That was obtained by chance in close proximity, because we were particularly focused on gathering information on the Adventurer Guild and the City of Periclitle because it influences our own strategy depending on the trend of the Periclitle offensive.

Katrina was initially stunned by the fact that an edge of the Lockhart family had been captured, but soon received reports of the victory of the Periclittle offensive, which led her to think that Luna had been freed.

In fact, the Demonic Army suffered devastating damage, had not been assembled and defeated, and could not be considered to be fleeing with hostages.

I had doubts that the Battle Medal, the White Army Master (Ray) and the Marcut Mercenaries (Red Arms) had made a hard claim to the pursuit of the Demons, but at that time I was unable to get any information on Luna.

However, the mystery deepened when Ray returned from the land of the Demonic Nation, "The Eternal Darkness (Kwaedam Tenebre)," and further heard from Barbezi that Luna and I were acting together and further south down the street.

Ray and Ashley are Red Arms mercenaries based in the Kingdom of Lax and have no reason to head to Ars.

Luna is also based in Pericritle, and the second hometown, the village of Rasmore, is also north of Barbesie.

None of them came up with a reason to go to Ars.

"I can't tell you right now, but I have to go. That's why we need to enter the empire first."

Luna replied so with perseverance.

Katrina thought that she would not have taken such an attitude before.

(Oh, the atmosphere has changed a lot. I used to have the impression that I wasn't more confident or that I was just being protected... it felt like something was happening rather than just being grown up. But it's not even the atmosphere to hear it...)

Katrina herself, although I'm concerned about Luna's changes and the purpose of going to the Empire, doesn't want to know until she turns the blacksmiths on the enemy if it doesn't affect the kingdom.

She is visiting Ulrich's workshop to gather information before entering General Headquarters and talking about Luna, but what she felt at that time was that Ulrich knew some information.

(As far as Ulrich's attitude goes, it feels like you know something. I know somehow because the roots are honest, but I couldn't ask in depth because there was a common feeling that I didn't want to talk. But I'm sure that the fact that that guy doesn't alert me doesn't affect the kingdom. Then it's not a very good thing to ask...)

She thinks some trust is built between herself and Ulrich. Of course, we are far from having the full breadth of trust in the Lockhart family, but I am convinced that there will be no such thing as a complete silence in the event that it affects the kingdom.

"Really? But if there's anything you can do to help, you can say anything. Because if I can, I can help."

That's what I say. Take Luna's arm.

Ulrich, who came, showed up to attend the banquet there.

"Then I'd like to ask you something. I'm sorry, can you just give me a minute?"

And Rays said, "I need to talk to you. Hang out with me," he said.