Family Feud and the Meddlers (10)
I let out a sigh of relief. Somehow, against all odds, it had ended safely. When I was trapped underground, I really thought I was done for—I broke out in a cold sweat.
No matter how easily Ligret could smash through most doors or obstacles with her war hammer, breaking through a one-meter-thick stone wall in a short time was impossible. And obviously, I couldn’t just detonate Attribute Stones like explosives down there.
It was a good thing Fiore held out far longer than I’d imagined. Otherwise, I might have run out of time and ended up in a truly terrible state.
I did wonder if it would have been better not to try that diversion tactic, but that would have left the entire clan under the rings’ control, which would have caused headaches for entirely different reasons.
All things considered, this was the best possible outcome.
Every ring scattered among the clan members had been collected, and those who regained their senses remembered what they had done. They gasped in horror.
The people invited to what was supposed to be a succession ceremony—only to be mentally manipulated or nearly stabbed—began excitedly discussing what the hell had happened to them, who the fake impersonating Bern Midas really was, and what would happen to Theo Midas’s position as head of the family now that Bern Midas had turned out to be an impostor. This, of course, sparked yet another round of absolute chaos.
Similarly, Theo—who had been disoriented by the ring and even hit by a bomb before waking up—now had to clean up this entire mess. Well… I don’t know. Hang in there, brother. I’m out.
Honestly, this wasn’t my problem. At least Fiore seemed to have gained tremendous goodwill among the siblings who had kept their sanity, so as long as he had Fiore’s support, Theo probably wouldn’t be ousted.
Just to be clear, I absolutely did not run away because it seemed annoying. I had plenty of my own things to handle.
Specifically—
“After all this back and forth, we caught a suspicious fellow, so please arrest him quickly, oh great Southern Army Commander who’s been quite successful lately.”
“If you keep messing around, I’ll send you flying.”
“They say people change when they gain power. Now that your luck has turned around a bit, are you trying to throw away our old friendship?”
“I’ve never built any damn friendship with a sinister bastard like you!!”
Kalyos Schmidt, Commander of the Southern Army, roared with a sound that felt like pure “Gah!” If I teased him any further, he looked ready to actually stab me with his spear, so I decided to stop. The way Ligret was staring at me with open pity from the side made it clear she wouldn’t lift a finger even if I did get skewered.
“Here is the transcript showing his connection to the previous terrorist incident in the Mars Duchy. He keeps babbling about ‘That Person’ this and ‘That Person’ that, so it’s obvious he’s a fanatic. He probably won’t open his mouth easily, but I trust the Empire will handle that much.”
“Your way of speaking is still irritating… but if he’s truly connected to that incident, we cannot ignore him.”
Just to be clear, the Southern Army had not come all the way to the Spero Kingdom simply because of my personal request. Our proud Southern Army Commander, who was currently obsessed with improving combat readiness, had scheduled an ultra-long-distance march training for his troops. The training location just happened to be the Spero Kingdom, and I, who had gotten caught up in the incident, just happened to hand the culprit over to the Southern Army that was conveniently nearby.
I had mentioned something to the princess after receiving Bern Midas’s invitation and sensing something was off, but nothing about that would leak externally. Honestly, if things had escalated like last time with the tower, I would have needed the Southern Army’s direct support. It was fortunate it hadn’t come to that.
Slightly adjusting a training location and privately using the Empire’s military were two completely different matters. If it went that far, even I couldn’t just let it slide. Of course, everyone would insist it was all pure coincidence, but I doubted the terrifying chancellor would fail to notice.
Even if he didn’t openly attack the princess or the Southern Army, framing the Midas family as “an organization whose leader had been replaced by a vicious terrorist” would be more than enough to put a collar around my neck. That was exactly why I had taken out insurance even though I didn’t want to use it.
Apparently displeased by the relief on my face, Kalyos grunted.
“Since we’re already here, I’ll take the criminal into custody. But procedurally, there will be complaints.”
I understood where Kalyos was coming from. Since it involved a conspirator in an incident that occurred within the Empire, there was no major problem with the Empire conducting the investigation. However, the incident had taken place in the Spero Kingdom. Normally the criminal should have been handed to the kingdom’s guards first, after which the kingdom would request cooperation from the Empire or transfer the prisoner. Skipping the kingdom entirely and handing the culprit straight to the imperial army was bound to leave them unhappy.
Still—
“I don’t think there’s much to worry about.”
“You should be worried. No matter how much of a vassal state the Spero Kingdom is, the military’s pride is not something—”
“No, I mean, you can just escort us as well, Commander. Under the pretext that we’re important witnesses or something.”
“……”
“In the sudden chaos of the incident, I explained the situation to the Commander—someone I already knew—and the Commander decided to take me along because I was necessary for the investigation. What could the kingdom possibly say about that? Just leave a letter saying you’re taking us for such-and-such reasons and that should be the end of it, right?”
“……”
Why are you looking at me like that? It’s making me uncomfortable.
Click, click. Footsteps echoed through the hall.
The building, constructed by human hands in a distant age and left abandoned until just a few years ago, now amplified even the tiniest footsteps as if delighted by its regained vitality. To “him” walking down the corridor, however, this was extremely inconvenient.
In terms of security, there could be no more effective alarm system, but for someone whose daily life revolved around erasing his presence, an environment where every step produced loud noise was nothing but nerve-wracking.
If he used his usual stealthy footwork instead of walking normally, the sound would disappear—but that would mean sneaking toward the great being beyond the corridor, which would be truly disrespectful.
‘That Person’ would probably not mind such trivial matters, but acting arrogantly simply because those above did not care was equally ugly. In the end, all he could do was endure the loud, resounding footsteps and place one foot in front of the other.
If only the news he carried were good, his heart might have been lighter. But when he thought about the grim content he had to deliver, it was hard to suppress the sigh rising in his throat.
Thud.
At last, the ordeal-like journey ended. “He” reached the door and knocked. The fact that he had arrived was already known, but that and this were separate matters.
As if in response to the knock, the door opened naturally, and the voice of ‘That Person’ inside drifted out.
“Welcome, my brother.”
A voice so friendly and serene it seemed capable of lulling the listener to sleep. The loose, pure-white priestly robes gave a gentle impression, and the aura he wore was sacred yet carried not the slightest hint of intimidation. A father’s back, a mother’s embrace, a warm home, the earth of one’s hometown, cherished memories. He seemed to have gathered every comforting atmosphere that could ease a person’s heart into one place—except for one thing.
The only thing that shattered the image was the grotesquely twisted, distorted mask. It radiated an eerie presence like a sunspot on the sun.
“He” bowed his head respectfully.
“This unworthy Aliot greets the Apostle.”
“There is no need to be so tense. Though I am called an Apostle, I am still nothing but a novice. Compared to the other two, I am merely a fledgling. I am not so different from the rest of you. Since the two who would scold us are absent, shall we speak comfortably over tea?”
“Those words are far too generous for someone like me. Please withdraw them.”
Suppressing his trembling voice with great effort, Aliot refused. Rejecting the invitation of the Apostle he revered was incredibly stressful, but facing that Apostle directly while drinking tea felt far more burdensome than keeping his head pressed to the floor like this.
“Goodness, there is no need for everyone to be so formal.”
The Apostle shook his head as if genuinely regretful, then spoke to Aliot.
“Very well. If that is more comfortable for you, then do as you wish. What news do you bring?”
It was finally time to speak of the main issue. Aliot swallowed hard.
“Merak’s plan has failed. Moreover, the individual herself has been captured by the imperial army—”
On the surface he remained calm, but inwardly it felt as if he were vomiting blood. Aliot continued his lengthy explanation. Failing to complete the assigned mission and getting captured was Merak’s mistake, but it was also true that he, who had been nearby as a messenger, had not been able to help her properly.
He had chosen to remain hidden rather than reveal himself recklessly, believing it would be better to quietly attempt a rescue after she was handed over to the Spero Kingdom. However, the other side had unexpectedly bypassed the kingdom entirely and delivered Merak straight to the imperial army.
“It is unlikely that Merak will speak easily, but the Empire possesses techniques capable of reading memories. There is a chance that the location of this hideout may also be exposed, so we must prepare appropriate countermeasures—”
The Apostle in the mask did not utter a single word while listening to the report that felt closer to a confession.
“…That is all.”
Even after the report ended, the Apostle remained silent, lost in thought. Aliot swallowed again.
The Apostle before him was known even among those who had reached the stars as the most gentle. Yet the current situation was serious enough to anger even him.
“Hmm. How strange. The response was too quick. Foresight… or rather, do they already know about us…?”
Contrary to Aliot’s expectations, the Apostle did not seem angry. Instead, he nodded with interest and muttered to himself.
This continued for several minutes. Noticing Aliot’s growing unease, the Apostle waved his hand.
“Ah, my apologies. I kept you waiting.”
“N-not at all! How could someone like me possibly deserve your apology…!”
Whether aware of Aliot’s overwhelming reverence or not, the Apostle continued calmly.
“Could I ask you to deliver a message?”
“It would be my honor. Please give me any command.”
“Then please inform the other Apostles that I will be visiting the Empire for a short while. It will not take long.”
“Yes! …Yes?”
As Aliot asked again, doubting his own ears, the Apostle smiled behind the mask.
It was warm and gentle.
At the same time, it was a smile far too horrifying to have been made by any human.