Settlement
Settlement
Esmue was in a very good mood.
It wasn't just good, it was truly 'very' good. To the point where she had to focus intently to prevent it from showing on the outside.
But the people she was dealing with were nobles who had grown their rice bowls by probing others' intentions. Even though she was a genius and made an effort, they were veterans of the political arena who had rolled and tumbled through it for so long that they would not miss even the slightest psychological nuance.
The problem was that in their eyes, Esmue didn't appear to be 'forcing herself to hide a good mood,' but rather 'forcing a smile to hide an extremely displeased expression.'
The nobles who came out to welcome her, each and every one, broke into a cold sweat and paid their respects with trembling voices.
"It is an eternal honor to behold the brilliantly shining White Star of the Empire."
It was a perfect misunderstanding born from a guilty conscience. By any common sense, her visit this time was absolutely not for a pleasant reason.
The person she had personally invited to the Empire and built a good relationship with was on trial for treason, and the person who had not only saved her life but also personally delivered an imperial letter to the royal family was locked in a temporary detention center for slaughtering traitors.
Far from entering the city with the letter, she had even been turned away at the gate by the gatekeeper. So even if what they saw on her face looked like a genuine smile, it was a normal reaction from their perspective to think she had contracted the laughing sickness from excessive rage.
For it was only natural that they could never dare imagine the Empire's Iron-Blood Princess was in a good mood because she was swollen with anticipation of seeing her beloved again after only a few days.
"I am..."
"Where is Eldmia Ega."
It was not rude. She was the imperial princess. Rather, daring to introduce oneself without permission was the rudeness. So now he was in a situation where his rudeness had been forgiven, and he could be calm.
The noble who stood as the representative of the imperial princess's welcoming party thus deceived himself and wracked his brain as quickly as possible.
"Sir Ega is currently resting at a place provided by the royal family."
"...Resting?"
"Yes. He single-handedly executed the traitors who attempted to overthrow the kingdom during this chaotic period, but since their remnants still remain, he is under protection in the name of the royal family."
Even though it was an answer already decided upon, his mind had gone blank several times, so it was an answer he had barely managed to piece together. Still, the noble felt proud that he had managed it.
Now, after taking the convinced princess to the royal castle, during her conversation with His Majesty the King, he would bring Eldmia Ega...
"Ho-oh, unlike what I heard, he's in quite a good state."
His brain, which had barely begun to function again, froze once more.
Unlike what I heard...?
"When I last received news, it was a somewhat different situation. Hearing your answer puts my mind at ease."
He felt his back drench with cold sweat. He had no clue what the princess was talking about.
No way... was she pointing out that it wasn't 'protection' but 'detention'...?
Above his bowed, spinning head, the Iron-Blood Princess's command fell.
"I wish to confirm his condition. Guide me."
"While you proceed to the royal castle, we could also invite him..."
"The royal castle comes after confirming his condition. In the first place, this visit likely has no need to bring him along. Why would there be any need to drag someone who is resting?"
He felt cold sweat drench not just his back but trickle down his sides, but the princess ended her words there and strode forward confidently.
If anything, I'm being treated far too well. To the point that I wonder if this makes any sense considering the things I've done.
"Then I shall escort you by carriage, Your Highness. You, go to the royal castle and convey Her Highness's intentions. And send word to the place where Sir Ega is confined so they can 'prepare' in advance."
Those who received the orders understood. What that 'preparation' meant.
That it meant to decorate the inside of the temporary detention center so splendidly that it would put a noble mansion to shame before the princess arrived.
The battle against time began.
◈
They called it temporary detention, but since I was actually able to do everything except go outside the building, my daily routine was no different from usual.
I would get up in the morning, eat the meal prepared by the servants, wash up, train alone, and if I was bored, read a book and laze around. They didn't interfere with anything I did. Rather, if I needed something, they'd fetch it as if serving a master, so this wasn't detention but a luxury hotel stay.
The only difference was that no one could visit me. But the treatment was so good I had no particular complaints.
They even left my weapons as they were, and let the swords of Gish and Envelde that I looted from the Envelde mansion lie around as they were. Getting angry just because they wouldn't let visitors come seemed a bit much.
"I feel like I've become some spoiled brat dinosaur."
To have caused all that ruckus as I pleased and still receive such luxurious treatment.
In a strange mood, I woke up after a good night's sleep for the first time in a while, picked up my refreshed body and three swords, and went down to the first floor. I had no intention of getting lazy just because I was stuck in a place like this, so I planned to practice Magic Power control while I had free time.
Still, true to a detention center, there was no backyard. But there was a small training ground that replaced a backyard.
It was so clean, stylish, and isolated that I wondered just how far they were going to accommodate me, and whether this place was truly meant to temporarily confine someone suspected of a crime.
While training there, there was even service where they would knock on the door on time and bring me meals.
Because of that, it kept contrasting with the treatment Ragnis had to endure, making my teeth grind, but I stifled it and decided to start training.
"Let's see... First, I should test durability."
A shitty sword couldn't hold Magic Power at all, and it flowed out like water poured into a bottomless pot. But a sword above a certain level knew how to contain Magic Power.
The problem was the next part: a good sword would only hold as much Magic Power as it could even if you injected beyond its limit and let the rest flow out on its own, but a mediocre sword would try to hold everything you sent and end up breaking.
"I don't get why a piece of metal acts like a water balloon and bursts."
Since I had no teacher, there was no one to ask, and all that remained was self-study. Still, grateful that it relied more on sensation than concrete theory, I poured Magic Power into Envelde's sword.
"Hmm."
Then I poured Magic Power into Gish's sword as well, checked the reaction, put both swords down on the floor, and had no choice but to be quite bewildered.
"...Shittier than my sword...!"
Not overwhelmingly so, but clearly shittier! Still, they were both knights in name, and they used weapons like this?
From the way they accepted Magic Power, they were definitely good weapons... but their limits were clear. If I put Magic Power into them, they'd definitely smash to pieces.
I didn't know the difference would be this big.
"Disappointing. I'll just sell them off for a decent price and use the money as seed capital."
Still, since they were at a level that could withstand today's practice, I operated my Magic Power toward the two swords on the floor and focused my nerves.
The goal was simple: completing sword control to the point I could use it in real combat.
Envelde had personally proven what a massive advantage it was to pull in a weapon that wasn't touching your hands and throw it from an unexpected angle, so this was training to maximize that.
I had even come up with a sort of curriculum.
First, stand still and link with two swords, then link while moving, and finally, after making it possible to link even while running with my body enhanced by Magic Power, throw them. That was my plan to slowly take it step by step. Once I got used to this kind of operation, I'd be able to use it somehow.
It was impossible right now, but if I got skilled, I might be able to move and enhance even cheap swords freely.
"As expected... once you get the hang of it, linking is doable."
Until then, I trained with an efficient sword. They say a craftsman doesn't blame his tools, but I'm no craftsman.
There was no difficulty at all in raising the two swords to my eye level. Circling them in the direction I wanted wasn't a big problem either, but launching them was where the trouble started.
"Frustrating!"
It felt like drawing a triangle with one hand, a circle with the other, and writing letters with my tongue!
Even though there were only two, it was on a completely different level of not listening compared to moving my own sword, and an indescribable discomfort began to creep in.
"Wow, I didn't know the difference would be this severe... Woah!"
I was definitely concentrating, but Gish's sword, which had suddenly lost control, abruptly shot past my ear at tremendous speed!
"Fuck... I almost lost an ear."
It felt like seeing an object suddenly fly off due to a physics engine error in a 3D game, but in reality.
"I barely put any Magic Power in, how did it fly off like that...?"
Was there some kind of point where you could move an object with just a little bit of Magic Power? Sword control was proving to be more profound than I initially expected.
Still, since it had flown far away, I was concentrating on retrieving it with Magic Power when I heard a knock at the training ground door.
"Sir Ega. Are you free for a moment."
It was the voice of the competent maid who took care of my delicious meals and cleaning. Her tone was no different from usual, but for some reason, behind it there was an unidentified bustle that hadn't been there even this morning.
"We received word that you will have a visitor."
"A visitor...? I heard visits were impossible."
"A message came that the Empire's First Princess is visiting the kingdom in connection with this incident. She strongly wishes to meet with Sir Ega, so..."
"Es... the First Princess?"
How long had it been since I sent the letter, and already...?
Surprised by the unexpected news, I opened the training ground door and stepped out, only to be immediately taken aback.
"...What the hell is this?"
Countless servants were running around the not-so-large detention center in all directions, moving furniture with fire in their eyes and combative intensity.