Chapter 77
Chapter 77
The moment Sword Marshal General Isaac concealed himself, they erased every trace that they had ever been here.
The Imperial Capital Guard that arrived afterward also seemed eager to withdraw after taking only perfunctory measures, perhaps influenced by the anti-Imperial faction.
After everyone had left like that, we sat down in the underground manager’s office of the Ganyeorin Ogre.
“Please relax. If you need anything, just call for me.”
Still sniffling, Berkion served us tea.
Then he excused himself, saying he would clean up outside.
“He’s an interesting person.”
“He really is.”
Right after I released him from being tightly bound in chains, Berkion showed an attitude of obedience toward me that could almost be called that of a close retainer.
From the standpoint of someone who had brought that danger upon himself, it was quite a subtle sight, but well—what’s good is good, isn’t it.
Since it wasn’t bad news for me, I decided to accept that goodwill comfortably.
“To think that Sword Marshal General Isaac was a member of the anti-Imperial faction……”
Leysias, still apparently trembling, drank her tea with a look of trying to calm herself.
Even within the Empire, the name of the Sword Marshal General was well-known.
Though he wasn’t the direct disciple of the Sword Saint, he was still a powerhouse strong enough to earn that man’s recognition.
“What do you plan to do?”
Leysias looked over at me with a trembling gaze.
Seeing that, I gauged whether this was a matter within the scope of what she could handle.
A child of the Sheffield Count Family.
As someone from a prestigious house herself, she was likely very interested in politics.
Especially since the Kingdom of Demedrio was so closely tied to the Empire that it could practically be called a vassal state.
Among my companions, she was probably the most suitable person to discuss this with.
“…For now, we should hear them out.”
After a brief silence, having finished organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth.
In the developments to come, countless nations would raise their banners against the Empire.
But the Kingdom of Demedrio alone failed to do so until the very end.
To oppose the Empire meant having to be prepared for the destruction of one’s country.
For a nation sharing a border with it, that would be an enormous burden.
If they ever did take up the sword, it would be when the Empire itself stood at the edge of a cliff.
However, before that, gates connecting the Middle Realm and the Demon Realm appeared, and the Warring States era that plunged the continent into chaos came to an end.
With things having turned out that way, there should have been no need for the Sword Marshal General, who was effectively the head of the anti-Imperial faction in the Kingdom of Demedrio, to step forward.
But in this world, for better or worse, many stories had been twisted because of my existence.
The reason he moved personally was likely because some action I took somewhere had altered the course of events.
“Then there are two possibilities we can consider.”
“Two?”
The first was simple: that he himself was the head of the anti-Imperial faction.
His goal would be to drive out the pro-Imperial faction and escape the tyranny of the Empire.
“But the head of the pro-Imperial faction is……”
“The current king.”
What was frightening was that it wasn’t an impossible scenario.
A Sword Master whose personal martial power had reached its peak, and on top of that, someone who held the real authority over the military.
If he truly made up his mind, a national overthrow would occur.
Countless lives would be lost due to the usurpation of the throne, and the aftershocks would reach even the Empire.
Of course, for me, it was good news.
The more unstable the Empire became, and the more external wolves gathered, the more cracks there were for me to exploit.
“Then what’s the second?”
“That there’s someone behind the Sword Marshal General.”
“…What?”
At my words, Leysias slightly furrowed her brow.
Was there really someone behind a man who was himself a Sword Master and held the reins of military power? But perhaps she realized the one person who held that unique possibility, because her eyes widened as she looked at me.
“Don’t tell me?”
“Yes. And that someone is the current king.”
If that were the case, then the current king being pro-Imperial was all a bluff.
Behind the scenes, he would be building strength to escape the Empire’s tyranny through his younger brother.
In fact, I was more inclined toward this latter possibility than the former.
Though he was called a king, the Empire’s ambassador wielded greater real authority.
In such circumstances, there was no way the king himself would like the Empire.
With a blade pressed to his throat, he outwardly played the role of a pro-Imperial, while secretly moving the anti-Imperial faction through his brother.
This likely wasn’t a story limited to the Kingdom of Demedrio alone.
At the very least, he would be in contact with all the neighboring kingdoms in this region.
The Ribera Empire wasn’t called the strongest nation on the Artenia Continent for nothing.
Only if all the neighboring kingdoms joined forces could they barely block even one of its fingers.
“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?”
Leysias cautiously voiced her concern at my story.
From here on, it was probably difficult for her, still merely a count’s daughter, to keep up.
But I shook my head.
“I’m not planning to do anything in particular, so making guesses at this level isn’t a problem. What I’m thinking about is how to get some scraps by riding on top of all this.”
“…Don’t tell me, you.”
Leysias’s eyes narrowed.
At the look that seemed to ask whether I would even help the anti-Imperial faction, I shrugged.
“No way. I have my own position to consider. Even for an imperial prince, treason is unavoidable. Especially since my two older brothers are glaring with fire in their eyes, looking for any excuse to pick a fight with me.”
Even if there were only a speck of dust’s worth of pretext for treason, they had the ability to inflate it into hundreds or thousands of pieces of evidence.
With my power base still meager, antagonizing the Emperor was absolutely something to be avoided.
“Still, at least talking with them should be possible.”
A card called the Sword Marshal General had appeared right in front of me.
That meant he surely had some business.
I found myself looking forward to when the Sword Master of the Kingdom of Demedrio would come looking for me again.
After returning to the Madrid Academy, we participated in the eve of the Academic Festival.
In the lavish party hall, representatives of prestigious academies from across the continent gathered to celebrate.
However, perhaps because they wanted to show how cultured they were, it wasn’t the kind of raucous, heavy-drinking atmosphere you might see outside.
Everyone carried themselves in a refined manner, exuding an elegant and classical air without excess.
Since the party had begun, I had taken a seat inside the terrace, feeling the contrabass melody gently filling the space.
A few pieces of dessert I had picked up earlier sat on the table.
With my legs crossed, I sat back leisurely, soothing my idle mouth.
However, my eyes never rested, swiftly scanning the surroundings.
My top priorities were Carius and Darius.
Each of them was greeting key figures from various countries.
The others, apparently aware of their status, conversed with them politely without making it obvious.
It was bitter to see youths in their late teens at most displaying the demeanor of politicians you’d normally only see on TV, but what could be done? This world was that kind of world.
“Hm.”
Still, as I surveyed the banquet hall, even I couldn’t help but feel stirred.
With representatives from every nation gathered, there were important figures scattered around whom even I knew roughly.
Even so, I suppressed that impulse for now.
The epithet of “butcher” clinging to me hadn’t disappeared.
Carelessly revealing my presence could only plant unnecessary wariness.
‘Is Leysias doing well?’
She was focusing, in her own way, on getting acquainted with various people.
In particular, she was targeting the mage families of the Kingdom of Demedrio.
Seeing her now gently smiling and conversing with them, it seemed things were going smoothly.
“…….”
With nothing to do but watch, I focused on savoring the taste of the desserts.
Growing a bit bored, I even wished the anti-Imperial faction might storm this place and cause some trouble, but with the Empire’s first and second princes present, strict security was in place.
It would be a difficult location for them to attack.
“Today, you’re being quiet.”
Someone approached and called out to me.
Turning my head at the familiar voice, I saw Petra, dressed in an antique crimson gown that matched her hair color.
It was a beauty striking enough to steal even my gaze for a moment.
In fact, along the path she had just walked, eyes—male and female alike—never stopped following her.
“Beautiful.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I wish you were always like this in your daily life, too.”
“Unfortunately, a dog tied to a leash isn’t to my taste.”
When I shrugged and said that, Petra let out a small laugh.
Then she closed the terrace door and sat down in the seat across from me.
I thought she would just exchange formal greetings and leave, but seeing her close the door, she clearly had some business.
Once away from others’ eyes, she lightly tugged at the hem of her dress and let out a weary sigh.
“You look tired. You’re even making that kind of face.”
“Isn’t it all because I’m pretty and talented? So many people keep throwing themselves at me, trying their luck.”
“…That’s not something I can just ignore as your fiancé.”
Even if it wasn’t official, it was practically an established rumor that the young lady of the Leipzig family was my fiancée.
Darius also seemed to like her, but he even kept his distance on purpose, not wanting to bear the stigma of stealing his younger brother’s woman.
And yet, in that situation, some ignorant fools were still pestering her.
“They’re everywhere. People whose instincts run ahead of their reason. Don’t worry so much. As long as you remain firm, the oath of Leipzig won’t be broken.”
When I narrowed my eyes, she said that with a small smile.
“That sounds like you’re saying you’d switch ships the moment I waver.”
“I have many mouths to feed. I can’t sink together with a sinking ship.”
“Cold words.”
Judging by her reaction, it seemed she had heard about the disturbance earlier in the day.
With her level of intelligence gathering, she would have pieced together the rumors floating around here and realized they were roughly connected to the anti-Imperial faction.
‘Is she pretending to warn me while actually worrying?’
It wasn’t time yet to clash with the Empire.
That was what she was saying.
Knowing I wouldn’t properly listen if she said it plainly, she was using her loyalty as leverage to threaten me—not quite a threat, but close.
‘She’s really hard to keep up with.’
Perhaps because of her light makeup, her eyes sparkled brilliantly as she looked at me.
Realizing that I had grasped her intent, Petra smiled faintly and placed her hand on the table.
“I should have opened up and talked things through with you earlier. If we had, would it have been a bit easier to get here?”
“I feel the same. There’s no way I’d casually cast aside a lover I’ve shared my body with.”
“You…!”
At that, she blushed and smacked my shoulder lightly.
When I joked about charging her with lèse-majesté for assaulting an imperial prince, she finally withdrew her hand and stood up with a pout.
“If I stay any longer, strange rumors will start outside, so I’ll head back now. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
At her words, I gave a light wave and looked out at the scenery beyond.
The night garden spread before my eyes stirred emotions that had been lacking.
But that mood lasted only a few seconds.
“Ugh?!”
“…Oh.”
Petra, who had been about to open the terrace door and go back inside, suddenly let out a startled sound.
Turning my head slightly at that, a familiar face came into view through the half-open door.
“Ha ha…….”
Leysias stood there with an awkward expression, two glasses of champagne in her hands, subtly avoiding my gaze.