The Planned Downfall (4)
"The whereabouts of the two? I wouldn't know. They must have gone off somewhere to rest after fighting terrorists. Why would they report every little thing to me when it's just the girls moving around?"
—I busted my ass catching the culprit, and now I can't even rest without reporting it to you people?
"Means of contact? Ah, we did have communication artifacts, but they got smashed during the fight with the terrorists. Haven't had time to replace them yet. Those things are expensive, and it's only been two days."
—We blew through a ton of expensive artifacts just to catch the culprit. It's not like anyone's reimbursing us, so complaining that we don't have them is a bit much, don't you think?
"Anyway, asking me about those two won't get you anywhere. More importantly, wasn't I supposed to be going somewhere?"
—I'm right here. Aren't you taking me away?
Chrome answered the intimidating questions from the terrifying military men with the utmost sincerity. The result?
Clang!
He was thrown in jail.
"You guys are really something."
After muttering something that could have been either a complaint or sarcasm, Chrome looked around. The prison cell he was entering for the first time in his life was better than expected in many ways. Though it lacked windows and had a gloomy atmosphere, it wasn't filthy enough to plug his nose or filled with stench. There was even something resembling a bed, sufficient to stretch out on.
With nothing else to do, he lay there blankly, lost in thought for a while.
"Oh? I was worried you'd be trembling in fear, but you look quite comfortable. I should've taken my time coming here if I'd known."
Chrome responded to the man's voice coming from beyond the iron bars.
"The cell isn't as bad as I thought, and the people who escorted me here were surprisingly kind. Even when I tried to provoke them a bit, they patiently let it slide. It really made me realize deep down that the Empire's dignity hasn't gone anywhere."
"Haha, so that's why the Central Army guys looked like they'd bitten into something sour."
"You can tell them apart? They all looked like lumps of stone to me."
"They're just putting on airs because we're outside. When they want something, they whine just like some spoiled girl."
Chrome chuckled.
"Well, that's how it is with working adults. It's not some iron-blooded army, so I find it more likable."
The man beyond the bars laughed as well.
"Right, at the end of the day, they're just human. Unless someone keeps them in line."
The man didn't bother elaborating on who that "someone" was. And to Chrome, it wasn't particularly important right now. So instead of questioning the remark, Chrome got straight to the point.
"So, how about explaining the situation now?"
The man outside the bars—Ordo von Devien, Chancellor of the Empire—twisted his lips into a wry smile.
Two figures faced each other under dim lighting. One was a young commoner in his late teens, locked inside a cell. The other was a seasoned politician known as a pillar of the Empire, who had put him there. Despite the overwhelming gaps in status, age, and circumstances, Chrome showed not the slightest sign of intimidation. The Chancellor, finding this displeasing, put on a stern expression and spoke.
"I've thought this for a while, but your attitude toward your superiors is terrible. I wonder if staying in there for a long time might correct that. What do you think?"
"Hmm, that would be troublesome. Please wait a moment."
Chrome adjusted his collar, cleared his throat, then suddenly prostrated himself on the floor.
"Y-Your Excellency the Chancellor! How could you come to such a filthy place…!"
"……"
"P-Please, help me! I truly haven't done anything wrong! This is unjust, Your Excellency!"
"……"
"I-Is there anything I can do to assist you? Just say the word! I will devote myself wholeheartedly—"
"……That's enough. Stop it before I feel a chill and end up kicking you without thinking."
"But you told me to do it yourself. You're too much."
Grumbling, "And why is the Chancellor's solution always so physical?" Chrome got back to his feet.
"Now, back to the topic. I'll ask again. Could you explain the current situation?"
The Chancellor spoke with an incredulous expression.
"You say that like you're here to pick up something you left behind. Do I have any obligation to do so?"
"You may not have an obligation, but you do have a need. There's no way you'd come all the way here in person if you had nothing to say. You're not exactly a man with time on his hands."
"…Not having time, huh. Well, that's true enough."
After stroking his chin for a moment, he opened his mouth.
"Originally, you all would have become heroes. Your achievements were that significant, and being Academy students helped as well. In fact, the civil officials had already coordinated their opinions, and it was just a matter of final approval."
However, the Chancellor added in a somewhat gloomy tone.
"—You shouldn't have involved Her Highness the Princess. That was the root of all this trouble."
At the reproachful look in his eyes, Chrome shot back without backing down.
"If she hadn't stepped in, do you have any idea how many more casualties there would have been?"
"I'm well aware that Her Highness's magical prowess is unparalleled, but there are other powerful individuals besides her, aren't there?"
"No matter how many skilled people there are, what good is it if they're not there when the incident happens…"
At that point, a conversation Chrome had once had with Princess Layla suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"……This is driving me crazy."
It wasn't as if he hadn't considered the possibility of being suspected. Even in his previous life, there had been stories of men who saved countless lives from bombings only to be accused as culprits due to speculative articles and public opinion, suffering for decades. But Chrome had judged the chances of this incident unfolding that way to be slim.
Chrome and his companions were Academy students. Claiming they had staged the whole thing would be an act of smearing the imperial family's reputation. People outside the imperial family couldn't do such a thing out of fear of the Empire, and those within the imperial family had no reason to cut their own flesh. Or so it should have been.
"The fact that Your Excellency made the first move means the other side is the imperial family."
The Chancellor looked at Chrome as if he were seeing something strange when he declared this so confidently.
"Are you perhaps falsifying your age? If you possess some elixir of youth that only exists in ancient texts, it's not too late to offer it to the Empire now. What your grandfather obtained was merely a bit of wealth and a title without a name, but what you would receive would be incomparable."
"Don't worry, I don't have anything like that. So, who is it? And please spare me the wordplay like 'Why should I tell you that?' If you really wanted to hide it completely, you wouldn't have given me any hints. You're not the type to be so careless that you can't control a single pair of ears."
"It's nice that you're quick on the uptake, but there's no fun in teasing you."
Clicking his tongue, the Chancellor spoke.
"The one who blew the whistle himself was Count Robert Fisher. He lost his only son and daughter-in-law in this incident, and he himself barely survived after his vitality was drained. The problem is that the petition he submitted contains suspicions about you and your companions. He took issue with the fact that you headed straight for the tower without a moment's hesitation the moment the incident occurred."
"That was the most suspicious place in that situation, so of course we ran there. What's wrong with that?"
"Right. Honestly, his claim itself lacks too much evidence. It's not that there's nothing suspicious, but that's all there is. But in politics, the truth doesn't really matter. What matters is whether there's 'room' to push things in that direction."
According to the Chancellor, as soon as Count Fisher's petition was submitted, various officials and nobles within the Empire began requesting a "detailed investigation" of the incident. And in this case, a "detailed investigation" meant "an act of pouring ink onto white paper until it turns black."
"Lucas Schpen Barhart. They are people of the Second Prince."
In Chrome's mind, the red-haired young man he had encountered when summoned by the Chancellor before came to mind. Unnecessarily strong in martial arts, annoyingly good background, and a personality like a rampaging boar. Chrome frowned.
"Now the puzzle pieces are starting to fit together. Originally, the Empire planned to wrap up the incident by elevating us as heroes. But if they tried to do it that way, Princess Layla's position would inevitably rise as well. That's when the Second Prince tried to frame us as culprits by putting forward an 'innocent victim' from his own faction, and the other factions that could have stopped it remained silent. They didn't want Princess Layla gaining power either. The Second Prince minimized the backlash by attacking us instead of directly targeting the Princess. Wow, the boar actually used his head for once."
The follow-up remark, "Or maybe someone else whispered wisdom into the boar's ear," faded away without becoming sound.
The Chancellor furrowed his brow.
"There seemed to be some inappropriate titles mixed in, but I'll let it slide for now. As you said, directly accusing Princess Layla as the culprit would cause too much backlash no matter what. But if the targets are three commoners, even if they're Academy students, a 'investigation' can proceed."
Crow's family was one of the most prestigious even in the Grand Duchy, and Akasha was a temple knight of the Star God Church. Though not comparable to touching Layla, the burden was significant enough that Chrome and the other two had become the targets. And if Chrome's group was found guilty—or even if they were acquitted but released with lingering "doubt"—Layla would not be able to escape suspicion either.
The Chancellor spoke.
"For now, I've made the first move by arresting you all to buy time, but honestly, I can't hold out for long. The fact that your companions are nominally 'in transit' but actually left to roam free will eventually be discovered as well."
Chrome asked.
"So what am I supposed to do?"
"…Shouldn't you be saying 'thank you' first in this situation?"
"If things go the Second Prince's way, Princess Layla's honor will be tarnished, and then the people from Morian won't stay still either. Those guys are rampaging because they won't be the ones taking responsibility anyway. I know you acted out of necessity, not goodwill."
"You really have no charm whatsoever."
The Chancellor took a deep breath and declared.
"—You are to meet with His Majesty the Emperor."