The Chancellor's Summons
Ordo von Devien, Chancellor of the Barhart Empire. The moment I first faced him, I found myself unconsciously overwhelmed. Was it because he was a powerful figure who held the continent in his grasp? No, that wasn't it. It was simply that this man was... absurdly large, intimidating, and menacing. And yet he was the Chancellor? Shouldn't that make him a civil official? From what I could see, he looked like he could wrestle Grendel without breaking a sweat. I couldn't help but break into a cold sweat at the sight of those massive, pot-lid-sized hands that seemed capable of snapping my neck with ease.
Whether he noticed my inner thoughts or not, Chancellor Ordo—formerly known as the King of the Green Forest—greeted me with a smile on his face.
"Welcome, young man. My apologies for summoning you so abruptly."
"Not at all. It is a great honor to meet someone who works tirelessly day and night for the Empire."
After parting ways with the Princess, I was led by soldiers to a room somewhere in the imperial palace. While that might sound grand, the palace wasn't just a residence for the imperial family—it also contained ordinary spaces where bureaucrats came and went and conducted their work. This was likely one such room. Several soldiers stood guard at the door as a matter of course, but judging by the Chancellor's demeanor and the surrounding atmosphere, it didn't seem like he'd called me here to harm me or issue a reprimand. That said, letting my guard down would still be unwise.
"No need to be so tense. You don't really think I'd drag a promising student all the way here just to slit his throat, do you? If that had been my intention, I wouldn't have met you like this in the first place! In that sense, you're quite safe."
"H-ha ha, I see."
Was that supposed to put me at ease, or was it a warning to behave if I valued my life? If the former, this man's sense of humor was the worst. If the latter, it was an incredibly effective threat. A chill ran down the back of my neck. It felt like a blade had been pressed against it.
"The first time I heard about you was because of that 'mutant beast' discovered by the Eastern Army last time. But when I looked into the matter, I realized you were far more famous than I'd thought. Things like defeating another student in a duel and essentially forcing them to drop out, selling strange cubes inside the Academy, making a name for yourself during the military training exercise and even asking the Crown Prince to look after the Southern Army's situation. I was quite impressed by how much trouble you manage to stir up every time."
But then he added,
"Honestly, if it were only those incidents, I wouldn't have called you here separately. From your perspective, I might seem like an idle old man who has nothing better to do than chat with young people, but I am quite busy, you know."
"Then why did you summon me?"
Chancellor Ordo spoke.
"I would like you to persuade Her Highness Princess Lyla to withdraw from the special request unit—in other words, the Imperial Guerrilla Force."
I narrowed my eyes.
"...What do you mean?"
"It's simple. Tell her that this mission is far too dangerous and that someone like her has no need to do mercenary work. That alone would suffice. Since you seem to be on quite friendly terms with Her Highness, it shouldn't be too difficult, would it?"
"I'm asking why I should do that."
"Hoho, reasons, reasons. You're quite the bold one, aren't you?"
He looked down at me with an expression of great amusement.
"Very well. Forcing you to obey would be simple enough, but I respect your courage, so I'll explain. Her Highness the Princess must not become someone's rallying point. Especially not the leader of promising students who should become the Empire's swords in the future—that would be particularly problematic. It would bring misfortune upon Her Highness herself. As her friend, shouldn't you prevent such a thing?"
His words carried the clear implication that if I didn't stop it, I wouldn't fare well either. And this man possessed the power to make that threat a reality.
"Make the wise choice. I already remember your face and feel considerable interest in you. Whether that interest turns to favor depends entirely on your actions."
Faced with words that were nothing short of an outright threat, I fell silent. Telling Princess Lyla about this? It would be meaningless. This situation was different from bullying a single mage during the festival. The man before me was a heavyweight who held the Empire in his grasp, and the very fact that he was intervening like this suggested another member of the imperial family stood behind him. Or perhaps, in the worst case, it was the Emperor's will.
The Chancellor pressed me as I frowned.
"Well? Give me your answer. Will you persuade her?"
I suddenly wondered what Princess Lyla's reaction would be if I actually said those words. If she got angry, I could understand. If she tried to persuade me with her characteristic charisma, I would be impressed. But what if—what if she simply accepted it?
That would—
"I refuse. If you want to say it, do it yourself."
—make her extremely angry.
I glared at the Chancellor with the most defiant posture I could manage, and the smile vanished from his face. Now he truly looked like a vicious bandit.
"Hoho, did my gentle words make you think I'm a pushover?"
"You weren't being gentle, and I never thought you were a pushover. You simply lack the sense of humor required to make someone laugh."
Hmm, was that too far? My tongue seemed to have a mind of its own, fueled by irritation. Maybe I was going too far... Ah, whatever. Damn it. Fighting the Barhart Empire at its peak would be insane, but the Great Emperor would fall within a few years, and chaos would erupt throughout the Empire at the same time. Escaping during that turmoil wouldn't be too difficult. If I couldn't hold out until then, I could always attach myself to the Third Prince Julius, who would likely be scheming in the shadows by now, and take the Dark Emperor route. If that didn't work, there was always the Ivestan exile route or the Star Followers route... Actually, scratch that last one. Moving with those lunatics would probably give me hypertension and kill me.
The Chancellor stared at me in silence, and I didn't look away. This went on for about ten seconds.
"Very well. Then I'll make a different proposal. Assist Her Highness the Princess."
...What was he saying now?
Leaving me bewildered, the Chancellor continued in a light tone, as if the previous hostile atmosphere had been sold off somewhere.
"A new request will be issued to Her Highness Princess Lyla soon. It will be a de facto designated request, just like the one you received from the Eastern Army Commander. I want you to accompany Her Highness to the Morian Kingdom as part of her entourage, assist her, and do your utmost to prevent the Morian Kingdom's factions from approaching her personally. It would be ideal if you stuck to her like glue to the point where they find even the sight of your face troublesome."
Uh, so basically—
"...Was that just now a test?"
"Hmm? Did we have a conversation just now? My, age really does bring on terrible forgetfulness."
Watching the Chancellor casually tell a lie that wouldn't fool anyone, I felt a mixture of intense anger and helplessness. Damn it, if only my prior knowledge had included information about this man! I wanted to unleash a torrent of abuse, but throwing a tantrum now would only mean dancing in the palm of his hand. I managed to control my expression somehow and asked,
"Ha ha ha, I see. That's truly unfortunate. By the way, Chancellor, if your goal is to prevent strange people from latching onto Her Highness Princess Lyla, wouldn't it be better if she simply didn't accept this request in the first place?"
"That won't do. The one who issued the request wasn't the Morian Kingdom—it was us."
The Chancellor's explanation went as follows:
- Suspicious movements have recently been detected in the Morian Kingdom.
- However, mobilizing troops without clear evidence might further provoke the Morian Kingdom, which already harbors strong anti-Empire sentiments.
- Therefore, we will visit the Morian Kingdom under a different pretext to draw attention while conducting investigations behind the scenes.
- The problem is that sending an ordinary person would likely cause the other side to resist and refuse proper cooperation. But if it's Princess Lyla, they will change their attitude.
- That said, it would be problematic for Princess Lyla to grow too close to them.
- At the same time, rejecting them too coldly and disappointing them would also be problematic.
- And lo and behold, here we have a bold fellow who even speaks defiantly to the Empire's Chancellor? Isn't he perfect for the job?
"......So you want me to become an annoying nuisance who clings to them without any sense of propriety, ignoring all the warning looks?"
"That's right. It doesn't require any particular combat ability—just shamelessness and courage. You seem perfectly suited for it."
"I'm worried I'll attract so much hostility that someone will quietly dispose of me somewhere."
"Then will you pretend not to know? In that case, Her Highness will have to handle it alone."
Damn old man.
"Yes, I'll do it. I'll give it a try. Damn it."
"Hoho, listening to your way of speaking reminds me of my days in the military. I used to personally break the legs of cheeky fellows. Anyway, you've made a good choice. Additionally, the only ones who know about this mission are you and Her Highness, who will hear the explanation from now on, so be careful not to let the other team members find out. I'd appreciate it if you understood that being too loose-lipped would make things unpleasant."
"Fine, then answer just one thing honestly. In the end, what is it that you want?"
In response to my question, the man who had devoted his entire life to the Empire answered.
"I simply wish for Her Highness to remain the Empire's Princess. That is all."