Chapter 268: Self-aggrandizement under pretense of aiding another

TDADP chapter 268: Self-aggrandizement under pretense of aiding another

Holy city Faltima. It is the head temple of the Irigamit religion. The holy city was a special place for the followers of the Irigamit cult. This is because it is said that the G.o.ddess of light, Irigamit, descended at the same time as the center of the Holy Country Jardalk. The holy grail, which is said to have been bestowed by the G.o.ddess of Light, Irigamit, is strictly stored in the deepest oracle of the Jardalk Palace and only the Pope is allowed to enter the oracle.

-------------------------------------------

In a room at the Jardalk Palace, Archbishop Olivier Duraland was reading as usual. Chinzia, the maid, keeps silent by his side so as not to disturb her Lord. Only time flows slowly, as if silence dominates the room. If Chinzia looks at the cover of the book in Olivier's hands, it is writtenThe Great Kingdom of Kammulida: The Fall from the Great Powers, Volume 2. Just by looking at the name, Chinzia's piled hands are involuntarily empowered.

"Olivier-sama"

"It seems that he finally lifted his heavy waist"

Oliviers sense the magic power approaching the room.

"Anywaydespite the fact that this is the safest palace in the holy city of Faltima, to whom is this magic power being emitted? The saint...lord misunderstands this as a battlefield. Isn't it?"

As Olivier says, Olivier and his friends knew that he would approach them calmly while releasing a huge amount of magic power that couldn't be hidden.

"I have been waiting for you"

Chinzia opens the door and greets the person before the door is knocked on. It was a so-called egg-shaped object with a s.h.i.+ning oval shape that naturally entered the room. Is the size about 120 centimeters vertically? The egg floats about ten centimeters from the ground and as it glides, it moves to the front of Olivier, who sits in a chair in the center of the room.

"It's arrogant to stay seated even though I went all the way to come here"

At the same time as a high-pitched voice like a little girl came from the egg, the magic power it wears becomes a wave of light and spreads throughout the room.

"That was rude of me"

With a bitter smile, Olivier closed the book he was reading and stood up.

"It's just like the archbishop of the state religion and it's irresistible to look down on me"

Although the egg is floating, it is about ten centimeters. Even if the size of the egg itself is taken into consideration, it is only about 130 cm and it looks down from Olivier who stood up naturally.

"Is this all right? One of theThree Saintess, Theodora-dono"

Olivier kneels on the spot and offers his hand. Although Jardalk is one of the five great powers, it is not a monolith like most countries. Power struggles are fought by multiple factions. Except for the largest faction, the Royalist faction, there are three major factions, one of which is the Saints. Even the Archbishop of the Holy Country Jardalk, Olivier, who ranks third in the ranks, cannot stand out against Theodora, the symbol of Saintess.

"Don't call me one of the Three Saintess....... It's like the other two are on the same cla.s.s as me"

"Then what should I call you?"

"Call me Theodora Sanchez.sama, the strongest saintess"

"Theodora-dono, the strongest saintess, from before"

"Don't call my name casually. Your ears will rot, but what's that hand? You're not going to hold my hand, are you. Oh, it's dirty! If I touch a man, I'll get pregnant!"

Olivier's face is drawn to the words that are too unreasonable. It's probably not a blame for Chinzia's cheeks to appear loose as she watches the conversation. The appearance of Olivier, which is nicely treated, is strange.

"Sanchez......dono, do you feel like accepting the matter I've been asking for?"

"Haa? I dont think so. I'm the strongest saintess, why should I be used by the archbishop of the church? Even if the elderly people refuse, it's noisy to ignore it and Ive to go to the room of such a dirty man. Isn't it stupid that you can't tell unless you say so far? Oh, don't open your mouth! Every time you open your mouth, a poisonous sigh seems to erode my pure body and it is uncomfortable. Well, it can't penetrate my strongest barrier, so don't get me wrong because I just feel it"

The egg-shaped barrier that Theodora wears swirls like a fan of Olivier.

"I'm going home after I made a point"

The light that threatens the surroundings is sucked into the egg-shaped barrier. In front of Theodora heading to the door, Chinzia blocked her.

"Step aside"

"Sanchez-sama, Olivier-sama's story isn't over yet"

"Hmm? I'm not interested. Quickly"

"Do you want to know where Joseph Yorm is?"

"step aside......what?"

A crack entered the egg-shaped barrier worn by the perfect Theodora and a part of her face slightly peeked out from the scattered part. The cracks disappeared as quickly as blinking, but that was enough for Olivier. The egg-shaped barrier jumps up on the spot while spinning at high speed and stops at a position overlooking Olivier.

"Tell"

The margin from Theodora had completely disappeared and aggressive magic power was overflowing.

"Do you want to know so much, Joseph Yorm's whereabouts. I'll be happy to tell you where he is. Far from where he is, how he lived and recovered after the Demon King was subdued"

"............Joseph......that Joseph has recovered......?"

"Yeah. If you meet, you'll be surprised at how much he changed"

Sisters of the Holy Country Jardalk must maintain chast.i.ty according to the doctrine of Irigamit. When they become a saintess, they need to completely cut off their connection with the world and protect their pure mind and body from being polluted. Therefore, Theodora couldn't know the information from the outside world.

"How's the response?"

"I got it"

She hates that much.

"I will cooperate"

Theodora was uncomfortable with the content of the cooperation requested.

"So give me information about Joseph"

Theodora didn't notice that feeling was missing as if she had a hole in her heart.

"Thank you. Maybe you don't need to teach?"

"What do you mean?"

"Seed of CalamityYuu Satou and Joseph Yorm are so friendly that Sanchez-dono may meet Joseph during her mission"

"N......No way!? That Yuu Satou"

The magic power emitted from Theodora begins to fluctuate greatly, as if she was upset. The enormous amount of magic power becomes unstable and the entire room, which has been subjected to multiple barriers and magical treatments, is squeezed by Olivier, the archbishop of the church. Furthermore, when numerous cracks begin to form in Theodora's egg-shaped barrier, dazzling light leaks through the gaps. The antagonism with the barrier trying to suppress the light reminded someone of a volcano just before the eruption.

"Please be a.s.sured. Yuu Satou is a boy"

"Okay, that's fine"

Perhaps she was convinced by hearing Olivier's words and at the same time Theodora regained her composure, the torrent of light subsided and the magic power dissipated. And Theodora left the room when there was nothing else.

"Huu......"

The maids and servants stop working and bow their heads to see Theodora floating in the corridor of the Jardalk Palace.

"Huhuu"

Theodora pa.s.ses by unknowingly, as if it were natural. Theodora is covered with an egg-shaped barrier, so they can't see it. Nevertheless, it was an honor for the Irigamit followers to see the saintess, who is usually isolated from the world, even in the palace. Above all, Theodora today seemed to be in a very good mood. As evidence, the plants that have come into contact with the light leaking from Theodora begin to bloom brightly, even though it is not yet the time to bloom. Her benefits extended not only to plants but also to believers. The pain is removed and healed from those who hurt their lower backs and knees. They wors.h.i.+p her voice with tears, saying Saintess.

"Huuhuuhuu! Joseph, wait! This strongest saintess, Theodora Sanchez, will come to see you!!"

No one heard Theodora's voice barking in the egg-shaped barrier.

----------------------------------------------

"She was like a typhoon"

"Apart from us, it's a problem because she is one of the top five in the Holy Country of Jardalk"

While cleaning up the fallen chairs and vases, Chinzia shares her thoughts on Theodora.

"Now, I'm getting busy. Let's push further from here. What's happening with Cardinal Bataille, Chinzia?"

"He is heading to the city of E-Pong for religious affairs since yesterday"

"Oh? Is he heading northeast......"

"But according to a report from Huff who is following, the group was divided into two. One will go northeast towards E Pong as it is. The other group will change course towards the east

"East? Then there is no doubt about Adanesgold"

"I think so too. Does he have confidential contact with the hero there?"

"Even so, when I plan something, I wonder if it's always the same place"

"I don't want to be told"

"If you go from now on, don't make it in time"

"Let's get ready soon"

"I'm not going to take you"

Unbelievably, Chinzia stares at Olivier.

"I'm in trouble if I don't have a shadow warrior...in this room"

"I'm against going alone"

"It's okay. I know Cardinal Bataille's tricks and his subordinates"

"Still"

"I know the hero...more than anyone else. I wanted to talk to the hero Roy Buom one-on-one"

"Understood"

Contrary to the words, Chinzia's face revealed her dissatisfaction.

"If you have such a scary face, your beautiful face will be ruined"

"Who do you think is to blame?"

"Don't think of me. Then I'll leave the rest to you"

When Olivier disappears, Chinzia sighs a little. She then turned into Olivier and she sat in his chair as usual and began reading.

--------------------------------------------

The city of Adanesgold. Located about 300 km east of Faltima, the holy city of Jardalk, a city with a lot of water transportation, a ca.n.a.l is set up in the city to make use of water transportation and it plays an important role as one of the distribution bases. It is a city where you can find rare items from foods such as grains and fruits, silk cloth and precious metals, Set Republic in the east and the Derim Empire in the south and various shops are lined up. The stores were crowded with merchants who came to purchase from afar and the general public. It can be said that having people means that there are business opportunities. If you look into the restaurants, a large number of customers are sitting in a crowd and enjoying chatting while enjoying alcohol and food that is being brought in. Under a cloudy sky, the sigh that leaks from the mouth is pure white, but people are emitting heat that doesn't make you feel such a cold.

"Is it really right here?"

On the street lined with brothels, there was Roy Buom, who was loved by people as a hero. The prost.i.tutes sprinkle s.e.x appeal as if to seduce the men and each time, a humble laugh flies from the men. It was a place that was too out of place for Roy, the hero. The Cardinal messengers guided Roy to a place where he could see the city of Adanesgold and disappeared, leaving him alone.

"Young man over there, why don't you do something good with me? That's right for one silver coin. You have a nice face, so seven half-silver coins are fine"

One of the wh.o.r.es calls out to Roy. With the scent of a tight perfume, she pulls her open-chested clothes with her arms folded to emphasize rather than hide them.

"N, No......I'm okay"

"What? You can't do that with me?"

"Stop it"

"A little businessMadame. I'm sorry"

The woman called Madam was different from the prost.i.tutes who bargained on the street in everything from her face to the s.e.x appeal and the level of the items she was wearing.

"I've been waiting for you. Someone with a strange status has been waiting for you"

Roy, whose face turned bright red, is taken by Madame into the alley.

"It's no good. Even though your face is not well known, it is misunderstood that the hero walks into the Brothel Street at daytime"

Roy had a say, but he couldn't say anything back to the calm madam, so he could only follow her.

"From here, the hero alone. As soon as you go straight, you will see the stairs. Go up the stairs and you will find the room at the end"

When she reaches the back door of the brothel, Madam urges Roy to move on, saying that she can only guide him until here. When Roy opens the door and goes inside, he hears screams everywhere. However, that was until he went upstairs. When he went up the stairs, he couldn't hear the screams that he had heard before, probably because of magic or magic tools. He goes straight to the back room as Madame told him. Roy knocks on a wooden door as he walks down a corridor that is so sensual that it doesn't look like a brothel.

"Please enter. It's not locked"

It was the voice of a crouching old man. As Roy opens the door with caution, he sees an old man sitting on the sofa. The robe worn by the old man was embroidered in purple and silver. Only those with a higher position than the Archbishop of the church can put purple and silver embroidery on their robes in the Irigamit religion. In other words, the pet.i.te old man sitting in front of him was the Cardinal, the supreme authority of the Holy Country Jardalk, except for the Pope.

"Are you surprised?"

"Yes. I never thought I would have a meeting with Cardinal Bataille at a brothel"

"That's right. No one thinks that the Cardinal of the Holy Country Jardalk is in a brothel and he's not talking to the hero"

As Cardinal Bataille smiles happily, the wrinkles on his face are carved deeper.

"Maybe. Its just the two of us"

"Would you like me to search through the brothel? This room is paid for, but you probably know that I have a subordinate in the brothel"

Cardinal Bataille puts a piece of paper on the table, which seems strange and unpleasant.

"This is?"

"Why don't you look at it before that?"

Roy sits on the sofa and picks up the paper on the table. The paper contained contract magic, which was also a high-level item.

"It's not a big deal without being so vigilant, so that the conversation here isn't leaked to others"

"Cardinal Bataille says he won't lie"

The paper was already signed by Cardinal Bataille.

"From my point of view, I should avoid signing doc.u.ments with contract magic easily, but that would be unfair because only the hero would sign one-sidedly"

Roy laughs inwardly, saying that the contract magic doc.u.ments he prepared are neither unfair nor s.h.i.+t. After checking the contents of the doc.u.ments word for word, Roy signed it.

"Hmm. Now we can exchange words with a peace of mind"

"I'm anxious on the contrary. Cardinal Bataille would have a lot of skilled people without having to rely on me"

"I can't do that, so I'm talking to the Hero. I'm sure you've heard from my messenger. There are signs of bad news and a Demon King who surpa.s.ses theDemon King of Calamitymay emerge. PowerI need the help of the hero"

From the image of Cardinal Bataille with a thin laugh, Roy did not seem he was in trouble enough to ask for help.

"That's why the holy knights, which the Holy County Jardalk is proud of, led by Holy SpearDogran, Iron WallBarash, Holy Fist Dross, Three Swordwhich roars valor to other countries, aren't selected"

"If I could do that, I would like to do that too. Now, it's lonely to talk without saying anything. I prepared a small amount of alcohol and side dishes with fruits from Hameln, the hometown of the hero"

"Because Cardinal Bataille likes alcohol?"

"No. This is still the Cardinal priesthood"

"Only me"

"Rest a.s.sured. No one will hurt the hero, of course, including me"

Cardinal Bataille, who reads Roy's heart with caution and does not touch food, covers Roy's words and blocks it.

"By contract magic, I can't lie to the hero here. Did this give you a little relief?"

Still, Cardinal Bataille wasn't offended by Roy's untouched food.

"Kuhahaa. I think I know how the hero is wary of the Holy Country Jardalk. It's only here, but it seems that a secret military action is planned"

"Is it military action? Is it in the Holy Country Jardalk?"

"Umm"

"Why is it an ambiguous expression?"

"I don't even know the details"

"I can imitate Cardinal Bataille like thatno way is the pope moving?"

If Cardinal Bataille's domestic affairs, diplomacy and military action in the Holy Country of Jardalk fail to know the whole story, there are not many possible reasons. It's easy. Roy predicted that those in power above the Cardinal were in motion. Then you can see that Cardinal Bataille can't move around.

"As expected, the hero, it's easy to guess. It's not too far away, even if it doesn't hit. The pope is involved in this military operation, but the central movement isOlivier Duraland, Archbishop of the country"

Cardinal Bataille reveals his emotions and speaks his name with a bitter face.

"I don't know much about him. All I know is that he got the position of archbishop of the church at a young age"

"Is that guy young? I wonder. He looks young, but sometimes he looks older than me. Do you know how many people are currently designated as Seed of Calamityin the Holy Country Jardalk?"

"I don't know. What criteria do you use to determine the Seed of Calamitycertification in the first place? They were just born with Blessing of the Devilas a unique skill, and it was evil. I hear that some babies have been categorized and disposed of"

This time Roy becomes emotional. There is no shortage of Seed of Calamity, heretics and those who have been punished as evil spirits in the Holy Country Jardalk.

"I'm not going to ask you about the justice of the Holy Country Jardalk and the justice of the Hero himself. Now, forty-nine of the number of Holy Land Jardalk who have been certified asSeed of Calamityas dangerous beings , this is the number including everything from humans to demi-humans, such as monsters. Twenty-seven objects need to be monitored, fifteen are following the whereabouts, four are the most important objects to be monitored and among them the power to destroy the country alone It's not enough to count with both hands that have or are destroyed"

"Wait, the numbers don't match"

"The remaining three are related to the existence of the world, so they should be destroyed by the full strength of the Ream allied nations"

"The existence of the world is another big storythen what is the military action that Cardinal Bataille has not been informed of in detail!?"

"Yuu Satou, one of the Seed of Calamity, was one of the five most important surveillance targets, but by adding growth speed to his dangerous thoughts and powers, he changed from the most important surveillance target to something that should be destroyed. I am not against military action. It is also necessary to take immediate action to take military action only in the Holy Country Jardalk without seeking the cooperation of the Ream allied nations. It's understandable, but Olivier Duraland declares that he will capture Yuu Satou instead of destroying him!! It seems that he is lost in blood !! I don't know why it is so!"

Cardinal Bataille, who was very emotional as he spoke, swung his fist down to the table.

"I'm a little relieved to hear that it's a capture rather than an easy death. So who is in command of the army?"

"It's Barash, Deputy Chief of the Holy Knights"

"Barash-dono? It must have been Cardinal Bataille's confidant. You should have asked him for more details"

"I've set up a meeting with Barash many times, but he is just saying he can't tell me the details, as if he was brainwashed. Barash, who swore allegiance to me......I can't believe it. "

"Iron WallBarash brainwashed......it's a scary story if that's true"

"It's not just Barash. In some cases, the Pope may also be mentally manipulated. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to give permission for such a large-scale military operation without consulting me"

"Is it possible to manipulate the mind against the former saint, the Pope?"

"I know the power of the Paladin more than anyone else, but otherwise it continues to be unexplained. Now is the time to serve as a hero, and I will spare no effort for that. Fortunately. It will still take some time for the Holy Knights, led by Barash, to take military action, but we don't have much time left. Immediately head to Comer City. Destroy Yuu Satou faster than the Holy Country Jardalk"

In front of Cardinal Bataille, who speaks enthusiastically, Roy is pondering with his right hand on his forehead.

"Understood"

"Oo......! Then"

"I'll meet Yuu Satou"

"What are you talking about?"

"I would like to meet and talk to see if he is an evil that should be destroyed, as Cardinal Bataille says"

"The existence of the world is at stake. Are you willing to fulfill your hero's responsibilities?"

With a disappointed face, Cardinal Bataille glares at Roy.

"No matter what I say, my thoughts don't change and I was wondering when I heard Cardinal Bataille's story."

"What......I don't lie"

"You can deceive without telling a lie. Wasn't Cardinal Bataille really playing a central role in this military action? Or you were thinking of making it happen. That wasn't the capture of Yuu Satou, but the premise of destroying"

Cardinal Bataille didn't answer Roy's question and his eyes darkened and sharpened behind his old, drooping eyelids.

"I didn't continue my wandering journey for no reason after defeating the Demon King of Calamity. Why did the Demon King of Calamityappear in the small rural Pandora of the free nation Hameln? It happens naturally. It wasn't done, it was artificialI suspect it was a national speculation"

Cardinal Bataille didn't answer anything, so Roy seemed to be doing a monologue.

"I hear that during the Third Holy Devil War, the number of Irigamit believers increased considerably. Do people want to cling to G.o.d when they encounter irresistible difficulties?"

Even though Roy smiles, Cardinal Bataille keeps his mouth tied in a straight line with a rugged face.

"Is it proof that it has become peaceful? Recently, more and more believers are wors.h.i.+ping the peaceful and discriminatory water G.o.ddess Saraana and the mild wind G.o.d Eudra, rather than the radical teaching of calling other races demi-humans"

Cardinal Bataille is now just shooting Roy.

"You can't answer anything"

"What I can say is to fulfill the hero's responsibilities for the sake of the world and for the peace of the people"

"Is this for the peace of the human race......I will fulfill my hero's responsibilities in my own way, even if Cardinal Bataille doesn't tell me"

After that, Roy, who finished the secret talk and came out from the back door of the brothel, walked in the crowd. He was Roy who thought he didn't have to offend Cardinal Bataille over there, but he still couldn't keep quiet.

(It doesn't seem to do anything)

Roy was released so easily that he couldn't beat it and he seemed to feel relaxed, but he immediately tightened his mind.

(This is my sweet point. My opponent is Jardalk, at least I can't stop being alerted until I enter the neighboring country)

Roy, who knows how obsessive the Irigamit believers are, is amazed at his sweetness. With so many people, it's difficult for them to notice if someone is confused and follows.

"I was surprised"

Roy walks through the hustle and bustle, wondering which route to take to Comer City and suddenly responds to a voice and stops. Even though he's not sure if he was talked to.

"No. Even in other countries, Pandora's hero comes out of a brothel"

Turning his gaze toward the voice, a man with purple embroidery on a white robeOlivier Duraland stood behind the wall of a building.

"I was surprised to see the Archbishop of the church in a place like this"

"Oh? It must be the first time we actually meet"

"Wearing such a prominent robe in Jardalk, I think we shouldn't know"

Roy notices a sense of discomfort. Even if the people around him don't know his face, none of the pa.s.sers-by who pa.s.s by, notice the presence of the Archbishop of the Irigamit religion. It is as if no one is aware of Olivier's existence.

"Did you enjoy talking to Cardinal Bataille? Oh, you don't have to answer. Anyway, that person, you're bound by contract magic"

In contrast to Olivier, who spoke intimately, Roy remained upset. In the first place, Roy is not good at such plots and revenge. He doesn't even know why Olivier is here. Or did he originally communicate with Cardinal Bataille? The more he tries to calm his confused head, the more white it becomes in his head.

"Something seems to be misunderstood, but I and Cardinal Bataille are not in communication, though for some reason you are unilaterally hostile to me."

"Believe it?"

"It's ridiculous. The word Believeis the thinnest word"

"May the Archbishop of the Irigamit religion say such a thing?"

While tapping, Roy checks to see if he has the magic of fascination, temptation, or abnormal conditions. Be wary of the possibility that Olivier could use mental manipulations such as fascination and temptation, as Cardinal Bataille said earlier. However, if he is really mentally manipulated, this act of confirmation itself makes little sense.

"You don't have to be so vigilant. I'm understanding you"

"What do you know about me?"

"I understand. I probably understand you better than yourself. About the pressure, suffering, and justice of Roy Buom as a hero"

Many pa.s.sers-by still pa.s.s near Roy, but again show no interest in Olivier. To calm his fast beating, Roy touches the steel gauntlet with his right hand. When he has been against a strong enemy or desperate situation for a long time, he will do this to calm his feelings.

"Don't you want to know the truth? How much have you achieved by destroying the Demon King of Calamityand continuing your wandering journey for nearly 10 years? What did the countries you visited do to you? I think it's been used a lot"

"That's not......"

"What did the royals and aristocrats of each country answer about the manifestation of the Demon King of Calamitythat occurred in your hometown of Pandora? By the way, I thought, perhaps, saying such words even though you didn't know much. Before that, I hope you can help me to solve the problem and I think you've been overworking yourself as a hero like a convenient tool"

"Not all......countries"

Roy himself remembers it. Still, he couldn't overlook the people in need.

"Meet Yuu Satou. That boy is a victim in a different way than you......and will answer your question"

"Not you......Yuu Satou will tell me the truth?"

"I'm fine, but that doesn't make you convinced, too? However, even if you meet Satou, you won't be able to talk smoothly"

"Why is that?"

"He is a pretty bent-hearted boy and he is the exact opposite of you. You seem to think that if you ask sincerely, no matter who it is, you'll end up communicating with each other. Hmm, what should I say? ......Simply put, it doesn't go well"

"Still I will not give up"

"Hahaa. Well, do your best. If that doesn't work, say you want to know the location of Stella's corpse"

"Who is Stella?"

"For Satou here, she's like a parent who has forgiven only one heart. Well, I sent her to monitor Satou"

"What the h.e.l.l......! Do you guys have no reason as a person?"

Involuntarily Roy squeezes his fist.

"I didn't decide, I used it. The important thing is that Stella's body, which is important to Satou, was dug up from the grave and taken away by someone. Would want to get Stella's body back, even if it wasn't there"

"Do you lie to me like using such a deceased?"

"I'll leave it to you to use Stella's case. If you can talk without incident, it's okay. But even if Satou accepts the discussion, it's good for you and Satou to talk. Those who don't will get in the way. Now, nations and organizations of various sizes are monitoring or aiming for Satou and those around Satou may not be happy to contact you the hero. Would be expensive"

"I'm a hero. Why don't they feel happy?"

Mysteriously Roy stares at Olivier. His eyes looked younger than his age, as if he couldn't understand.

"You're a little too pure. Anyway, even if you talk to Satou, you need a place where no one will disturb you. Do you know the Bueruko basin? It's called Zimba, which is located northwest of Tenca.s.si, the royal capital of the Udon Kingdom. Although it is a basin in a small country, there is a shrine enshrining the patron G.o.d. The Zimba Kingdom is a nation of the Udon Kingdom, but it is a country that is far away and has low utility value, so it is not interfered by countries. Then you would be able to talk to Satou without being disturbed by anyone. Let me talk to the Zimba Kingdom in advance"

"Thank you for everything"

Why does he need to go to such a remote place? Roy doesn't have such a natural question. And Roy didn't realize that something importantan important thing to remember was missing from his memory.

"I wish you success"

Olivier muttered at Roy's back, who disappeared into the crowd.