Chapter 32: Pursuit
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32: Pursuit
Silence filled the courtroom.
The silence that had fallen when the Administrative Minister spoke earlier was clearly the result of an under-the-table deal. This silence, however, was born of sheer bewilderment.
And for good reason—what kind of madman would dare say such insane things to a member of the imperial family?
“…”
What surprised them most, however, was that the Imperial Prince himself showed no particular reaction.
He simply opened the eyes he had kept closed, his expressionless face devoid of emotion as he stared back at Aiden.
“That is lèse-majesté, Mr. Aiden.”
The words, spoken in a soft voice, were exactly what one might expect.
“I suggest you consider whether you are prepared to take responsibility for your actions.”
His voice, however, carried a chilling coldness that gave even Aiden pause.
“You are free to stand in my way and oppose me. But do not insult me. Do not insult the imperial authority. To do so is no different from insulting the Empire and the subjects I carry on my shoulders.”
“…”
“As a future ruler, how I am treated is directly linked to the prestige of the Empire. Do not forget that.”
Every syllable was laced with his pride and his duty to represent the Empire. These were the words of someone speaking not for himself, but as an embodiment of the nation he served.
The warning was unmistakable.
If they were going to make moves against each other, they should do it under the table—not through public scandals and radical acts that disrupted the Empire’s systems. He was drawing a line, defining the rules of their ‘peaceful’ fight. Do not cross it.
If Aiden acted this radically, the Prince would have no choice but to respond in kind.
Fair play. Standards. Integrity. Monarch. Patriot.
Aiden chuckled inwardly as he chewed over the keywords used to describe the Imperial Prince in the original work.
It was a truly gentlemanly warning. For someone who played dirty, he had a strangely honest streak.
His next words proved it.
The Prince pursed his lips. Then, in a voice only Aiden could hear, he quietly whispered, “—I respect you. I respect not only you, but every single member of the Empire.”
“…”
“So, please, do not make me harm you. So that when this is over, I can safely return you to your original life.”
What I want is not your ruin, but the position of Lionheart’s consort that you occupy. So don’t push any further. So that I can continue to respect you.
…What a saint.
What a sophisticated display of hostility.
“We will hear the rebuttal to the Administrative Minister’s accusation later. You may return to your seat—”
“False accusation carries a rather heavy penalty under imperial law,” Aiden cut in. “Heavy enough that even royalty cannot escape it.”
The problem was, Aiden had absolutely no intention of playing on the board his opponent had so carefully set.
“…What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying that I’m the one giving the warning, Your Highness, not you.”
“…”
“Stop picking these pathetic fights. Before I return them to you twofold.”
This time, a muscle in the Prince’s expressionless face twitched.
After a brief silence, Aiden’s voice rang out, low and clear.
“The consort of Lionheart, Aiden Kellermain, hereby accuses the Imperial Prince. I accuse you of framing Dame Noel with false charges.”
He spoke clearly, ensuring everyone in the courtroom heard him. It was a bombshell declaration, and the courtroom froze even harder than before.
“…”
Instantly, Rad’s and the Prince’s faces stiffened.
They must have instinctively realized the weight of his words. This was an open declaration of war. It meant he was confident.
Of course, it was something only a madman would do. If he failed, he would forfeit his life on the spot. Defying royalty to this extent carried that kind of weight.
But that was precisely why Aiden’s statement carried so much power. It was both sensational and, in that moment, credible. It was enough to completely neutralize their attempt to ruin Noel’s reputation with scandal.
The ‘social attack’ they had launched against Noel was now meaningless.
…That bastard!
While Rad ground his teeth, staring daggers at Aiden, another voice cut through the silence.
“Schedule a separate trial date,” Aiden declared. “I’ll expose everything there.”
“…”
“You asked me earlier if I was prepared to take responsibility for my actions, didn’t you?” Aiden said, looking straight into the eyes of the stiff-faced Prince.
“Have you considered whether you are?”
* * *
That was yesterday—the day Aiden put his own neck on the line to pick a fight with the Imperial Prince.
“…Wow.”
Katya, walking beside him, let out an exclamation of admiration as she flipped through a newspaper. She’d collected papers from several different press agencies, but no matter which one she looked at, the headline was the same.
They were all about Aiden’s stunt in the courtroom.
“Impressive. The entire Empire is watching.”
“…Fortunately, my personal details were left out.”
He suspected Noel—and by extension, the Emperor—had pulled some strings. His personal information had been deliberately omitted from the reports. Thanks to them, he’d avoided becoming a household name overnight. It was a relief that while this world had newspapers and television, it didn’t have the internet. His privacy, for now, was intact…
…Well, more importantly.
Aiden sighed inwardly and summoned the system window.
— Quest Info
▶ Failure to complete the events listed in this category will result in a massive penalty!
◈ Sham Marriage (Important!)
▶ You have been chosen as Dame Noel’s spouse. Maintain your contract with her until the end!
▶ A related event will occur soon. (D-?)
▶ This is a critical event. It holds value equivalent to a ‘Main Quest’!
▶ Upon completion, your relationship with the target will change drastically!
The quest had updated right after yesterday’s incident. Although the date for the ‘Subjugation Battle’ in the Main Quest was still unknown, this one was already moving forward. It seemed to be progressing in tandem with the Lord Protector, just like before.
“…”
What bothered him was the phrase ‘relationship will change drastically.’
Katya had received a similar notice before; she’d gone from growling at him like she wanted to eat him alive to calling him a friend. Comparing the before and after, that was certainly a drastic change.
The problem was…
…Isn’t Dame Noel already incredibly friendly toward me?
In fact, it was no exaggeration to say she was bordering on overprotective. He understood she felt responsible for bringing him here and putting him in this position, but her concern was sometimes so intense it made even him flinch.
If their relationship was going to ‘change drastically,’ it would surely leap even further in a positive direction. How on earth was he supposed to handle that?
“…”
Honestly, he was a bit worried. What happened right after the trial was proof enough.
…She scolded me so hard.
As soon as they returned to the headquarters, she’d made him sit down and chewed him out for hours.
How do you plan to handle the aftermath? If you act like this, there’s no telling what might happen. From my perspective, as someone who wants to return you safely to your family, this is truly troubling…
Of course, he knew her fury came from a place of genuine worry, so he couldn’t bring himself to argue.
— Thank you.
…Come to think of it, hadn’t she left him with those words at the end?
— In any case… you did it for my sake, didn’t you? …I just didn’t expect you to go that far.
With those words, Noel had fled to her room, but not before telling him to let her know if there was anything she could do to help.
…Her face had been completely flushed.
Hmm.
He’d heard her express gratitude when she was completely drunk, but this was the first time he’d heard it while she was sober.
And as much as he appreciated her willingness to help, he couldn’t bring her along for this.
“Why?”
“Because what we’re about to do is something only Katya can do.”
Hearing that, Katya, who was scurrying to match his pace, grinned.
“…So it’s something only friends can do together?”
“Well, I suppose so.”
Since there was no reason to deny it, he agreed. Katya, her hood pulled down low, giggled and clung to his arm as if claiming it as her own, seeming highly satisfied with his answer.
…Is this how close friends usually get?
The question crossed his mind. He’d always thought she struggled with defining relationships, but sometimes even he was confused about what ‘friend’ meant to her. To be precise, he didn’t even know what she thought of him. It certainly didn’t seem like romantic feelings, nor was it typical friendship. What on earth was it?
…Anyway.
Katya’s unexpected clinginess was a problem for another time. Right now, there was something far more pressing.
My immediate goal is…
He had to prove the Prince was framing Noel. That meant proving two things: that she had nothing to do with the unauthorized weapons being smuggled into the capital, and that she was not involved in the attack on the Imperial Military Headquarters.
Fortunately, he could make progress on both fronts with a single move. He just needed to find one thing: the group of operatives who served as the common thread, the ones responsible for all three incidents.
He’d heard a hint about them before.
— If even I can’t find them, whoever is backing them is at least a high-ranking noble. You want me to dig into that? Do you want to get someone’s head chopped off?
That’s what Billy Hagen had said when Aiden had previously asked him to investigate the weapon smuggling. For such a competent information broker to wash his hands of it, there had to be an organization with a powerful backer.
Smuggling weapons including Hellfire Bombs, the Suppression Pillars used to kidnap Katya, the Spell Formula Roots needed to trigger the Dimensional Rift…
All of these were difficult to obtain through normal channels. It was highly probable that a single organization existed to manage these tasks. If so, they would likely possess a mountain of evidence linking them to the Prince and the Administrative Minister. At least, that’s how illegal operations usually worked, based on Aiden’s time as a con artist.
“Ah—so we’re here to find their underlings?” Katya asked, nodding in understanding as he explained his goal.
Even as a sheltered royal, she had lived in a palace rife with dark conspiracies and seemed to grasp how these things worked. Obtaining such items and smuggling them into the Imperial Capital without a whisper required a small, elite crew. Dangerous, secretive work always did.
And the place Aiden was currently walking through was the natural habitat for such people.
…Here I am again.
The Imperial Capital Black Market.
It was the best place to start the investigation. A hotbed of crime, a lawless zone, and a place overflowing with near-limitless information.
Somehow, it even felt welcoming. Come to think of it, wasn’t this where he had first met Katya?
“So, how are you going to find them?” Katya asked. “They could be anywhere in here, and we have no information to go on. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Considering they were hidden so well that even top information brokers couldn’t find them, the comparison was fitting.
“So—” Aiden smirked. Even he found his own plan amusing. “—why don’t we just scoop up all the sand? The needle will have to fall out eventually.”
Somehow, whenever he was with Katya, he felt himself becoming more reckless. Was he being infected by her tendency to seek out the most intense stimulation just to ‘feel’ something?
“What do you mean by that?”
“Katya,” Aiden replied nonchalantly as she tilted her head. “Has life been a bit boring lately?”
“…”
The moment she heard those words, a mischievous smile spread across Katya’s face.
“…I knew making friends with you was a good idea.”
Even without knowing the details, she could tell he had come up with an incredibly ‘stimulating’ plan.