Plan
Plan
"Eldmia? Are you alright?"
But unexpectedly, Ragnis studied my complexion and carefully took my hand.
"No, are you the one who's alright? You're not angry?"
Zeke wasn't the cause of her losing her territory and family, but I'd thought that from her perspective, the time he'd been staying in Ogwen was more than enough for her to consider that Zeke was neglecting his Hero duties. Yet Ragnis's expression was utterly composed.
I wondered if I was the strange one and wanted to see Esmue's reaction, but I couldn't bring myself to turn my eyes.
"Huh? No? Why would I be?"
When she actually asked back with a bewildered look as if genuinely wondering why she would be, and both Ragnis and I were caught off guard, Esmue suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! I see! I understand now! It's because you had no expectations whatsoever of Siegfried, Ragnis!"
Huh? What?
Unlike me, who was utterly flustered by both this situation and Esmue's sudden laughter and was trying to somehow understand by alternating glances between their faces, Ragnis, upon hearing Esmue's words, suddenly made a face like she'd realized something, then blushed and turned her head away.
Isn't having no expectations at all of a Hero a bit much? No, even if that were the case, that doesn't seem like something to be embarrassed about, but her reaction was a bit unusual?
"What are you fretting over, Eldmia?"
"No, I mean, he's the Hero. Does it make any sense to have no expectations at all of the Hero?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Even if you force awareness into someone who never had it, that doesn't mean they know how to apply it. You're the one who made her that way."
"What? I did? What did I do?"
"The reason Ragnis stopped expecting anything from the Hero. The reason she resolved to reclaim her territory from the Demonfolk and restore her father's glory through her own strength and the help of those around her, without relying on the Hero at all. That reason is you."
Even under Esmue's gaze, looking at me as if I were pitiful and ridiculous, as if to say 'how could you be so oblivious,' I simply couldn't understand. I could only perceive, from Ragnis's reaction, that Esmue's words were not false.
"To... to me, Eldmia was the Hero."
Only after Ragnis finally managed to speak through a face turned bright red did I feel like I could piece together what had happened.
Come to think of it, even though she was just sixteen, she'd already faced life's turning points five times.
The first was when her genius was recognized and she became the disciple of Rag Nelbandes, the second was losing everything to the Demonfolk's invasion, the third was meeting me while drifting through the back alleys of Ogwen, and the fourth was when she was nearly kidnapped by the Noble Faction.
And now, as she was effectively receiving an alliance proposal from the Empire's First Princess, that marked the fifth turning point. I'd been beside her for at least three of them.
Even I would be liable to regard someone as a savior if they were at my side helping every time colossal waves crashed through my life like that. Even Asilie became my savior by intervening in my life just once.
Of course, that one time was very long, but anyway, that's the story.
"The Hero... Zeke, honestly, I don't like him. But the fact that Eldmia is completely unbothered even after hearing the story Esmue told us... I think it's because, while talking with him, you grasped some thread of something that allowed you to understand him. Even just thinking back to the conversation and reaction we had in the room before we came to the Empire, the situations are already completely contradictory."
I immediately knew she was talking about that first day when we'd heard the news of Ragnis heading to the Empire and I'd set up negative hypotheses and couldn't contain my anger.
"That's why I'm not angry about the facts Esmue told us. The fact that Eldmia, of all people, can understand him means I think there was definitely a reason he didn't want to cooperate with the Empire during those three years."
Ragnis's touch and smile as she held my hand were so incredibly warm that I couldn't help but be deeply moved.
It meant that Ragnis was accepting my opinion as the basis for her judgment when making a major decision in her life.
No matter how much you understand and empathize with others, in the end, the things you yourself have experienced are the hardest, so no one could say anything even if she judged and decided according to her own feelings. Yet she was trusting in me.
"Hm. I am narrow-minded, so I have no desire to see a figure who is still a rival gazing at my husband with such tender eyes. I wish you would return to the main topic."
"I have no intention of following that remark, but since the topic is what it is, I'll accept it. However, I do wish to correct the expression 'husband.'"
"There is no reason to correct it."
The mood was so good, everyone... please don't do this...
For a moment, it felt like lightning was striking between their gazes, making me suddenly anxious, but fortunately, the standoff didn't last long.
"At any rate, that is why the Empire and I want to maintain and deepen our relationship with you. If you accept, it could bring considerable benefits to both sides."
"...You speak as though I have a choice, but does such a choice truly exist?"
"Would it not? In a person's life, choice always exists. There are those who believe that because the outcomes are divided into gain and loss, choice does not exist, but that is an incorrect statement."
Esmue, who had been eating with a faint smile until moments ago, set down her utensils and fixed Ragnis with an utterly serious expression before continuing.
"Leaving material gains and losses aside, aren't you hesitating because of intangible ones such as pride and self-respect? I don't particularly like stories where someone bends their will and makes an unwanted choice merely because the other side holds the advantage."
It could have sounded arrogant coming from someone already above most people, but for some reason I was sure Esmue would have judged the same way even if her position and Ragnis's were reversed.
Despite her tiny frame and almost excessively cute appearance, I found myself overwhelmed by her presence. Then Esmue shrugged, returned to her faint smile, and finished what she had to say.
"Well, this time's topic is not such an extreme proposal. Moreover, I am already in a position where I cannot coldly cast you aside."
"...Why is that?"
"Asking a question when you clearly know the answer is endlessly infuriating. If I cast you aside, Eldmia would be terribly pleased, wouldn't he?"
It was a gaze that probably would have pointed me out with the fork or knife in her hands if not for dining etiquette.
"Even so, I have not the slightest intention of letting personal feelings sweep me away and undermine the greater cause. My judgment is the Empire's judgment. Because it is a position where a single decision can save thousands, or kill tens of thousands."
"You're right. I'll accept that."
"Hmm. You accept it surprisingly readily."
"I have no intention of letting personal feelings undermine the greater cause either. And really, without making it sound so grand, this proposal doesn't cost me anything, does it?"
"Even though you could be isolated by both the royal house and the Senate?"
"I've roughly grasped the situation just from seeing my teacher busily running around the moment we arrived in the Empire. It's already been discussed with the royal house, hasn't it?"
Watching Ragnis answer primly and resume her meal, Esmue smiled.
"It is a good thing to be with a clever person. If it were up to me, I would like to keep you at my side, teach you a bit of this and that, and raise you into a talent I could put to good use."
"...I'll decline."
Having finished speaking with a sullen expression, Ragnis simply continued her meal in silence.
Dinner itself was perfectly ordinary.
Feeling the atmosphere had softened a bit, I cautiously read the room and asked separately what connection there was between me not directly participating in the academy event starting tomorrow and us having this conversation today. Esmue scratched her cheek as if a little apologetic and answered.
"Because even if I love you, I must distinguish that from the plan."
She'd emphasized the point often enough that I could understand it, but I wasn't smart enough to infer the specific reason. When I asked for the details, Esmue hesitated a little before explaining it step by step.
"The reason I did not bring up this topic until now was because I could not know whether Ragnis would join my plan. If she were to not only declare her refusal but also attempt to obstruct my plan for whatever reason... I judged that, for now, the likelihood of you following Ragnis's inclinations rather than mine was high. And should you actively assist Ragnis in such a situation, I judged the resulting variable would grow to a degree that the current Siegfried and I could not handle."
After hearing her answer, though I couldn't express it outwardly, the Eldmias in my mind simultaneously rose and began giving a standing ovation.
Right. Even if Ragnis rejected the proposal today and tried to oppose Esmue starting tomorrow, I wouldn't be able to join the practical training and cause a scene, so the things I could do would be limited or almost nonexistent. That alone would let Esmue finish the Hero Festival safely after securing most of the advantages she'd wanted from it.
But the part that truly made me marvel wasn't just her preparedness in considering such situations, but Esmue's action of telling us clearly, without even hiding the part about 'I couldn't fully trust you yet.'
If it were me, I'd have feared something like 'You couldn't trust us? Well, we can't trust you either.' popping out and would have chosen to keep my mouth shut instead. But she came forward with an attitude of accepting even if such a reaction came, and instead taking separate actions to earn trust.
She was trying this hard to remain rational and act responsibly. Even her cute appearance was starting to look charismatic and impressive.
"Thank you for telling me, Esmue. If it were me, I'd have thought it better to just hide it and wouldn't have been able to say it."
It was obvious that if I'd actually applauded, I'd be branded as no different from Zeke, so I just answered with sincerity.
"I am glad you seem to understand."
Fortunately, Esmue perfectly grasped my intent.