The True Mastermind Behind the Curtain
From what I’ve heard, it seems Young Master Lisite has visited the palace.
“Pardon…? Raiden?”
Lucy stiffened slightly at those words and turned to the maid. The maid nodded.
“He was summoned by His Majesty.”
“Ah…”
“It happened a few days ago. It appears His Majesty wishes to bestow a reward upon him.”
After listening to the maid’s explanation, Lucy’s expression grew complicated. Sensing the odd shift in mood, the maid asked,
“Is something the matter, Your Highness?”
“No… it’s nothing.”
Lucy shook her head slowly and turned her gaze away. The maid watched her for a moment before quietly resuming her duties, helping with her attire.
Raiden is here…?
Lucy felt her thoughts tangle into a complicated knot. She still hadn’t decided what kind of face she should show him. The girl, who had been biting her lip in silence, eventually let out a soft sigh and murmured,
“Haa… Still, I suppose I should at least thank him.”
No matter what their current relationship was, the fact that Raiden had saved her remained unchanged. The boy had thrown himself in front of those assailants, drenched in blood, and protected her. It was something she should have done long ago. She had only hesitated because the person in question was Raiden.
“It is finished, Your Highness.”
While she had been lost in thought, her preparations were complete. The girl quietly stared into the mirror before her. Having worn only her academy uniform for so long, putting on a bright, elegant dress felt strangely uncomfortable.
“Then, shall we proceed to the audience chamber? His Majesty is waiting.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Lucy left the room with heavy steps. Accompanied by the maid, she made her way toward the main palace where the audience chamber was located. An inexplicable tremor echoed faintly in her chest. She pressed a hand firmly against her aching heart and secretly repeated his name to herself.
“Raiden……”
Ever since that day, I’ve kept thinking about you.
But I still don’t know what to do.
What should I say when I see you? What kind of expression should I wear?
It’s confusing.
You were the one who cut off our relationship.
Unlike you, who discarded me so casually, as if it meant nothing,
I spent hundreds of nights crying, trying to erase you from my heart.
Still… little by little, I was getting used to it.
I was finally learning how to live without you.
—Do not worry, Your Highness. Your knight is here.
Why do you keep appearing in my mind?
Why do you smile at me with such a sad expression?
What exactly do you want…?
Lucy bit her lip at the flood of questions. Lost in her thoughts, she walked on until her feet finally stopped in front of the audience chamber doors.
“We have arrived, Your Highness.”
The doors to the audience chamber looked even more imposing today. Lucy took a short, deep breath and murmured to herself,
“Really… why am I so nervous?”
It was only a meeting with a naughty knight who had forgotten his promise.
She shook off the unpleasant thoughts and gestured for the door attendants to open the gates.
—Creeeeak…
With a heavy groan, the massive doors swung open. Through the widening gap, the figure of a boy came into view.
Jet-black hair and a matching black suit. A tall, well-built frame. An atmosphere that somehow carried a hint of exhaustion. The boy had turned his head and was looking directly in her direction.
Raiden Lisite.
The knight who had once served her as his lord was waiting for her.
“……And that is what happened.”
“Truly astonishing.”
While listening to the story of the banquet hall attack, Milliam stroked his beard with clear interest.
“No matter how many times I hear it, I can hardly believe it. Is this truly the same Young Master Lisite who had no talent for the sword?”
“I was merely lacking before.”
“Even your answer pleases me… It feels as if I am looking at the old you.”
The Emperor seemed quite fond of me and let out a chuckle. It was a rather distinctive laugh, and I was inwardly startled when Milliam’s smile suddenly faded. His gaze turned serious as he looked down at me.
“Indeed… From the moment I heard you had easily overcome the ‘test’ I gave you, I expected as much. But you have exceeded my expectations.”
“By ‘test,’ you mean……”
“Are you pretending not to know when you’ve already noticed? I am referring to the bandits you encountered on the way here.”
Ah, so that’s what he meant.
A surprise gift prepared by our ever-curious Majesty. I had noticed it right away, but it had still been quite shocking. What kind of emperor would throw the eldest son of the Empire’s closest ducal family into a dangerous band of thieves? Even if it was to test my abilities and verify the rumors, wasn’t this a bit too extreme?
“Heh heh… Do not look at me with such eyes.”
When I sent him a rather disloyal glare, Milliam raised the corners of his mouth as if this situation was incredibly amusing. His mischievous tone almost sounded like he was teasing me.
“That is why I assigned the Imperial Knight Commander as your escort, no?”
“Thanks to him, I was able to travel comfortably. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s grace.”
I swallowed the curses that nearly escaped my lips and answered. Of course, I had already guessed that the seemingly frail old coachman was Sir Austin. I hadn’t figured it out from the very beginning, but the moment I realized the entire situation was one of Milliam’s tests, it became obvious.
“What led you to conclude that the coachman was Sir Austin?”
“Naturally. Your Majesty possesses an obsession with carrying out every task perfectly. Therefore, I assumed you would have gone all out even for such a minor test.”
A test that involved driving the eldest son of a ducal house into a deadly trap. This was a matter that could easily escalate into a major incident. Whether I was injured or not, the Lisite family could have lodged a formal complaint. It could have led to discord between the Imperial family and the ducal house. However, once a commander-level knight was involved, the story changed completely. From the moment such a figure stood guard as an escort, discussing the risk of an accident became laughable.
The geniuses known as the Empire’s greatest fighting force. Among them, the one called the pinnacle—the ‘Winter Commander,’ Austin—had been assigned as my escort. In that case, the Lisite family would have no grounds to protest. Furthermore, it would plant the perception among the other noble houses that the relationship between the Imperial family and the Lisite ducal house was that intimate. It was practically a declaration of ‘We even share the Empire’s greatest treasure, the Knight Commander!’ If word of this spread, the authority of the Imperial family would only grow stronger. After all, the Lisite ducal house was one of the undisputed greatest families on the continent.
After that, the rest was simple. The coachman’s identity had narrowed down to the Knight Commander. And as far as I knew, among the commanders, only Austin possessed such an aged appearance. The others were all vigorous and imposing.
“……That is all.”
“Heh heh… You remain as sharp as ever.”
“You flatter me.”
I clicked my tongue inwardly. To think he would consider the political effects even in such small details. He truly was a terrifying man. As expected of the character officially recognized by the author as possessing the greatest intellect. If only Milliam hadn’t become a wreck in the original story, he supposedly could have blocked more than sixty percent of the schemes devised by the demon race and the Seekers. The future was looking very promising.
—Creeeeak…
While Milliam and I were engaged in various topics of conversation, the doors to the audience chamber opened and someone entered.
“I heard you called for me, Your Majesty.”
A graceful voice echoed across the vast space. It was a familiar, somehow nostalgic tone. I turned my head in that direction.
There stood a golden-haired girl, her body slightly tense.
“You’ve come, Lucy.”
“I greet the star of the Empire.”
Both Milliam and I paused our conversation and greeted her. Lucy hesitated for a brief moment, then took a small breath and parted her lips.
“Yes, Your Majesty. And… it is good to see you as well, Young Master Lisite.”
As expected, Lucy completely ignored my greeting… Wait, what?
For a second, I wondered if I had misheard and widened my eyes. When our gazes met, Lucy subtly turned her face away.
“……?”
What was that…? Did I just receive a greeting from her?
Just a few days ago, she would avoid me even if our eyes merely met. I was moved, but… how should I put it? Her sudden change in attitude felt strangely awkward.
While I stood there frozen in shock from Lucy’s unexpected greeting attack, Milliam, who had been watching us, grinned widely and looked back and forth between us as if he found the whole thing delightful.
“Heh heh… Yes, this is quite the pleasant sight.”
“……?”
“……”
One person laughing. One person tilting their head in confusion. One person remaining silent. This awkward standoff continued until the Crown Prince and Neria, whom Milliam had summoned, finally entered the chamber.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was occupied with official duties and arrived late.”
“It is fine, Seon. Raise your head.”
After Neria entered following Lucy, and finally the Crown Prince arrived in the audience chamber, Milliam began to speak of the main topic.
“Now then, everyone is gathered.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Do you know why I have called you all here today, Seon?”
“I understand it is to bestow a reward upon Young Master Lisite, who rendered great service during the recent attack.”
“Correct.”
Milliam nodded in satisfaction at Seon’s concise summary. Then he turned his gaze toward me, who stood at rigid attention.
“Young Master Lisite, the Imperial family owes you a great debt. I am at a loss as to how to repay you.”
“You honor me.”
“Is there anything you desire as a reward? Whatever you wish for, I shall grant you even more than that.”
At those words, I quickly scanned the people around me. This was the important part. Including myself, Milliam, and Sir Austin, there were a total of eight people present in the audience chamber. According to my knowledge of the original story, every single one of them was trustworthy.
“Your Majesty, if I may be so bold… before we speak of the reward, there is something I must inform you of.”
“Hm…? Very well, speak.”
“It is already an open secret that the ones behind this recent attack were the Seekers.”
“Indeed.”
The Seekers. A group of mages obsessed with magic, terrorists who committed human experimentation and all manner of inhumane acts without hesitation. That was the identity of the Seekers as known to the public.
“……But, does it not seem strange?”
“What do you mean?”
“If they are merely madmen obsessed with magic… then there would be no reason for them to attempt to assassinate the Imperial Princesses, would there?”
Neither Lucy nor Neria possessed any talent for magic. Unless, without my knowledge, the two of them had manifested some strange unique ability. The Imperial Princesses were all oriented toward martial prowess. Therefore, there was no reason for the Seekers to target Lucy and Neria. The same had been true for Raiden. If the Seekers were truly just lunatics who pursued only magic, then why had they not continued to target him after their first kidnapping attempt failed? If his unique ability had truly been their goal, would they not have attempted to kidnap him two or three more times?
“Do you have any guesses as to why they targeted Her Highness?”
“Hmmm……”
“Oh?”
Seon’s face grew serious at my question, while Milliam’s eyes sparkled with interest as he listened closely. As expected, he already knew. Well, it made sense that he was called the intelligence-type character; he saw through everything.
“The reason is… because there is a force that has been manipulating the organization known as the Seekers from behind the scenes.”
“A force, you say…?”
“Yes. They sought to undermine the authority of the Imperial family and increase their own power.”
That’s right. Attacking the Lisite ducal house—one of the Imperial family’s closest allies—and targeting the Imperial Princesses at the banquet. All of it had been attempts to sever the limbs of the Imperial family in order to swallow the Empire whole.
“Do you know their name?”
Milliam asked with a face full of anticipation. In response, I answered in a calm voice.
One of the main villains in the original work, The Heroes Who Erase Sorrow, and the true mastermind. The identity of this force, which only surfaced in the latter half of volume five after Allen had wiped out all the Seekers, was……
“The Church.”
“……?”
“The force moving the Seekers from the shadows… is the Church.”
“What…?”
At my sudden bombshell declaration, every mouth in the room fell open in shock.