This Instructor Teaches Really Well (7)
Women have many faces. Where had she first heard those words? It might have been during a tea party among noblewomen heavy with the scent of perfume, or perhaps from a drunkard in a street tavern boasting to other men about how to woo women, or maybe it had come from the instructor who trained her. Generally, it was just a figure of speech, but for her, it carried real substance and weight.
To the one called Spider, a face was little more than a consumable. Use it when needed, for the appropriate purpose, and discard it once its value was spent. That did not mean it could be used carelessly, however. A face meant only to briefly deceive someone might suffice for simple tasks, but the more important the information she sought and the higher the target's wariness, the higher the quality of the disguise had to be.
In that sense, the face she currently wore was of exceptionally high quality. Cuella Panel. The only daughter of an imperial viscount's household. While there were several identities of even higher status, unlike those other faces that would reveal contradictions or inconsistencies upon close inspection, this one had no discernible flaws. Even her father, Viscount Panel, did not know the truth. The number of people aware of her true identity could be counted on one hand, and there were no gaps in her fabricated past. Even if the empire's intelligence division investigated her thoroughly, they would find nothing beyond the script that had been prepared for them.
A mission important enough to require such an elaborately crafted identity. When she heard that the target was merely the son of a merchant, Spider could not help but feel bewildered. To meet the new schedule, she had been forced to abruptly abandon her ongoing operation to toy with the western legion commander and hand it off to someone else, which only made it worse. The substitute who had taken her place was also a member of the same organization and possessed sufficient skill, but compared to her and the other "trusted agents," their level was somewhat lower. Switching roles mid-mission was something that should never have been done, as it greatly increased the risk of the target noticing.
It was certainly noteworthy that he had risen from commoner to noble at such a young age, but he was still only a baron. It was difficult to see him as a higher priority than an important figure like the western legion commander. A stepping stone to approach Princess Lyla? That was not it either. According to the information gathered so far, the princess already held some degree of favor toward the target. Whether that was simply the regard one showed a capable subordinate or something mixed with romantic interest remained unclear, but it did not seem likely that a woman of the same age approaching him overtly would elicit a positive response.
What possibility had her lord, the Third Prince Julius, seen in this young man? Covering all such questions beneath her mask, Spider… Cuella Panel smiled brightly.
"Senior, how about that store over there?"
"They seem to give quite generous portions. Is that all right?"
"I may not look it, but I eat quite a lot!"
His true intentions were hard to read. That was the impression Cuella had formed after spending the past several days with Chrome Midas. To those who desired power, give power. To those who desired wealth, give wealth. To those who desired pleasure, give pleasure. This principle, simple enough to be dismissed as mere wordplay, was the method Cuella most enjoyed using. By letting the target obtain what they wanted, she controlled them in the way she desired. Little by little, like weaving a spiderweb, so subtly that the person themselves would not even notice they were caught in the trap.
Then what did Chrome Midas desire? Despite being the son of a count and able to live in luxury, he had deliberately chosen to attend the dangerous academy. He had been the first to approach Princess Lyla, who had been drifting without forming close relationships with other students. Despite becoming entangled in dangerous incidents in various places, rather than avoiding or disliking them, he actively tried to get involved. Considering his various records, the first things that came to mind were a desire for honor or ambition for advancement, yet he displayed a remarkably detached attitude toward authority and power.
"Oh, shopkeeper. What are you doing here?"
"I came to eat at a restaurant, what else? By the way, that 'shopkeeper' thing has really stuck, hasn't it?"
"What else would you call someone who leaves the store to his part-timer and goes out playing with his junior? A shady employer?"
"You've got me there."
"Hey, Loto. What kind of cup did you make… Huh? Chrome? What do you mean the cube sales are stopping!? That's my only weekly treat!"
"What, Chrome? I had plenty to say to you anyway!"
"Now that you're a noble, you don't need to make money anymore, is that it!?"
"How could a person stab us in the back like this! This is too much!"
"Hey, if someone saw this, they'd think I ran off with the money. And if you're jealous, why don't you try fighting a giant colossus for your life too?"
"At this rate, it probably wasn't even you fighting, it was Ligret."
Young men with ordinary, unremarkable faces that made it difficult to pick out any distinctive features. Likely commoners, they had spotted Chrome and were now chattering noisily… or was it chattering? It seemed more like they were tearing into him. Perhaps because he had not been a noble for long, the habit of mingling with commoners still remained. Yet from the way he interacted with others, that did not seem to be the case either.
"Midas? Where did you leave him while wandering around alone?"
"Unlike Lord Eagle, who is usually paired with his younger sister, ordinary people have the freedom to move about alone. For the record, he's not alone right now either. Can't you see the junior next to him?"
"Who are you calling a set menu!?"
"I didn't say menu, Brother Eagle. And please don't raise your voice in the street. It's undignified."
"You have it rough in many ways, Lord Howe."
"You too."
"It's your fault— No, fine, I get it, so stop glaring, Howe!"
The Pendevig family. A prestigious house from Morian, a land with strong magical traditions, important enough to be entrusted with border defense. Look at how he spoke so casually with members of such a household. Chrome's circle of acquaintances was quite wide, and above all, there was almost no distinction between those above and below him. While the academy's atmosphere had to be taken into account to some degree, if the person himself valued authority or power, such a thing would have been impossible.
Then was it a desire for money? It was not as if he had no interest in wealth. If he were truly such a person, he would not have started the Midas Cube business in the first place.
"Hahaha, welcome, my friend! I've prepared everything you reserved. An excellent piece that can use both weight-increasing and weight-reducing spells. Will the brown-haired young lady be using it again this time?"
"No, this young lady here will be using it. Cuella, try it out."
"Yes! Thank you, Senior!"
Yet despite that, there was no sign of him desperately trying to accumulate money. Even now, he was casually buying expensive magical tools without hesitation. If he were only doing this for her, it could be dismissed as a man's bravado or scheme to look good in front of a woman, but after investigating various things, that did not seem to be the case either. If one were to say his spending was extravagant, that was all there was to it, but from Cuella's perspective, money for Chrome was not an end but a means, closer to the feeling of covering necessary expenses to achieve his true objective. Above all, he was someone decisive enough to regulate the Cube business—which could generate enormous profits if he wanted—at an appropriate level, and to cut it off the moment he sensed something ominous. Controlling him through money would be impossible.
Then the only thing left was……
"Kyaa!"
Chrome firmly caught and supported Cuella's body as she lost her balance after misstepping. "Are you all right?"
"Ah, yes. Th-thank you! …Ugh!"
Cuella furrowed her brow, showing signs of pain in one ankle. It was not mere acting. She had deliberately fallen in a way that would cause this from the beginning, and had even manipulated the magical power within her body to enlarge the injury enough that the swelling was clearly visible. "N-no, this is……"
Flustered, embarrassed, ashamed. She played the role of a girl who had made a foolish mistake in front of someone she held goodwill toward. For Cuella, who could even manipulate the blood flow within her body, controlling things like complexion or sweating was not difficult.
The location was a deserted park. In a place where there was no need to worry about people's eyes, how would Chrome respond? Would he support her while showing ordinary concern? Or would he laugh at Cuella's appearance and find it absurd? Either way did not matter much. If he attempted to support her, she would simply use that as an opportunity for physical contact. If he was exasperated and called her clumsy, she could lower his wariness toward her. Rushing in all at once was not her way. She would simply observe Chrome's reactions little by little and find the appropriate response.
"Cuella." Calling her name while grabbing her shoulder, Chrome brought his face closer with a serious expression. Huh, wasn't this progressing too fast? Whenever she actively approached, he would subtly maintain distance or avert his gaze when she wore clothes that emphasized her figure, so she had realized he had some interest in women. If he were truly indifferent, he would not have shown such rejection in the first place. Still, she had not thought he was the type to act this way. Had the effect of openly displaying goodwill and affection worked so far? But wasn't the order strange somehow?
As Cuella pondered her next response, Chrome whispered in her ear. "I'm actually being blackmailed."
…… …………Huh?
"I know you've approached me for some purpose. But I have no real authority. I'm just a puppet."
Eh? What?
"I don't know who's behind you. But whoever it is, they'll be better than those people. Please, help me……!"
??? ?????
"I won't ask for an answer right away. But if you seriously intend to negotiate, please let me know then."
Even in a situation where her mind was filled with question marks, Cuella, who did not break her acting, was truly first-rate.
"S-Senior? What do you mean by that?"
"──Ahem, ahem!" And as if interrupting between the two, a voice full of discomfort spoke up. "What a coincidence to see you here, Chrome."
Who knew when she had approached so closely, but looking at Princess Lyla standing there with her arms crossed, glaring at them, Cuella thought: No, seriously, what is going on?