Close Friend (2)
Having finished the letter, Karen wore a look of complicated feelings.
Its contents were concise and unmistakable.
A disaster would soon descend upon this world, and so she was to devote herself to cultivating and uncovering talent.
"…So that Nabi outfit or whatever is spouting nonsense again."
The so-called Nabi—The Speakers.
It was the prophecy organization officially recognized by the Ruthenia Empire.
By common account, their rate of accuracy was considerable.
Every prophecy, however, was maddeningly vague.
Nowhere could one find precise information of the sort the letter claimed—"a disaster will soon arrive."
There were even groups among the imperial citizenry that gathered solely to parse the hidden meanings of those words.
That same prophecy organization had supposedly foretold Derrick's death as well, but Karen dismissed it as nothing more than fitting the pieces after the fact.
She regarded prophecy as superstition, and she had always been the sort who believed only what she had seen and lived through herself.
"Well, don't take it too hard. I'm not the type to believe that stuff either, but it never hurts to be careful."
"What did the prophecy organization say?"
"Hmm, nothing much. Just like the letter—'A disaster will soon be upon us!'"
"Hmm. Still, the fact that they went so far as to send a letter suggests their influence is rather strong."
"Right. That prophetess old woman or whatever went to my mother and begged and pleaded. From the imperial family's standpoint, where public sentiment comes first, they have to take some kind of show of action at least. Plenty of imperial citizens believe in that prophecy organization."
At present, the single greatest threat to the Ruthenia Empire was, without question, the magical beasts.
War between nations was far less likely to break out than not, whereas the danger of magical beasts had sunk its roots even into everyday life.
That meant the Northern Continent—where the majority of magical beasts congregated, and which stood as the barrier against their invasions—would draw the greatest attention.
If they could make plain that House Agnes, which broadly governed the Northern Continent, remained sound and strong, the unsettled public mood would settle of its own accord.
That must have been why the letter had been sent.
"Anyway, that's why I almost went all the way up to the Northern Continent just to meet you. Since I'm close with you, my mother asked me to. But thanks to you coming down at the perfect time, I scored a huge win~"
"You put it off because it was a bother, no doubt."
"Ah, busted."
Alice bonked herself on the head and pulled a ridiculous face.
Seeing it, Karen could only sigh.
Other reasons would be things like train rides being boring, or her backside hurting.
Karen understood that well enough, so she decided to let it pass this time.
"Still, as an apology I secured one talented person for you, so we're even, right?"
"A talented person?"
"Yeah. This man."
Alice pointed at the documents.
After a beat, Karen grasped her meaning.
She had been wondering what this man had to do with everything they had been discussing—and that was it.
There was an old saying that strength was power.
Even among beasts, the strongest individual became the leader of the pack.
But was that saying wholly inapplicable to the present age?
That would be a stretch.
One need only look at House Agnes itself.
The reason the world called Karen the Grand Duke was that she commanded a powerful army spanning the Northern Continent.
Overwhelming physical force meant overwhelming power.
"In this day and age, finding even one competent talent is so hard. They're hard to find in the first place, and nine out of ten get bloated with superiority complexes and self-destruct."
Seized by a sudden surge of irritation at a thought that had struck her, Alice bit down on the handkerchief she was holding.
"Uuuugh!!! After I took them in and raised them, what!? 'This place seems too confined a space for my talents to blossom'!!? And then they start some business and completely tank it!! Even if they come crying back, I'm never taking them in again!!"
"Calm yourself."
It was a sudden outburst, but Karen was long accustomed to this and patted her on the shoulder.
Once Alice had settled, every trace of her previous state vanished, and she grinned.
"In that sense, you never know. If you balance the carrot and the stick well, they might work under you for life. Since they're an outsider, if you handle them right the odds might be pretty good?"
"You've never even seen this person yourself. And even granting they are a competent talent as you say, how am I supposed to trust someone I have never laid eyes on?"
"Come on—as if the great Karen Agnes having trouble making one person submit is any great feat. One glare from those sharp eyes of yours and they'd go 'eek!' and tuck their tail for sure."
"You've been reading too many novels. And that is something people who understand the terror of power do. Would an outsider of unclear origins even know the terror of power?"
The founding head of House Agnes had been an outsider.
Karen knew that story well—the tale of how they had claimed a title by pure martial force, surpassing countless nobles.
At first she had not understood. She had thought it mere reckless bravado born of ignorance.
But as she grew older, her thinking changed.
As the saying went about one-in-a-million chances—it was not as if the possibility were entirely nonexistent.
And had there not been an example among her own ancestors?
"Hmm. If that's how you think, there's not much I can do. But don't you feel the need these days too?"
"For what?"
Alice pointed at an old soldier standing guard at the door.
He was someone Karen knew as well.
Randolph—former knight commander of the empire, and at present Alice's guard knight.
He was counted among the strongest even across the entire empire.
Even outwardly, his presence was considerable.
"It's good to keep at least one strong person by your side. Power is power, but the only force you can exert at once is physical force."
Alice went on while chewing a cookie.
"The common term for it is 'guard knight,' right? Anyway, I'd recommend you keep one by your side too. Honestly, watching you walk around alone earlier, you looked way too plain. Like a delicate young lady. No charisma, looks weak. Makes me want to protect you. Pat your hea—"
"Stop. Stop that at once. What nonsense are you suddenly spouting."
Finding her reaction amusing, Alice's lips curved upward.
"I'm not saying you have to make this man your guard knight specifically. I'm just letting you know, as a friend, that from what I can tell there are advantages—so here's something!"
"Hmm."
Karen fell into thought.
Was there assassination in this day and age?
On top of that, she held the title of Grand Duke, second only to the imperial family in power.
Karen disliked inefficiency.
In an era where such risks had become markedly low, was there truly a need to go about with someone in tow?
But the "guard knights" Alice spoke of still existed.
Even at the social gathering just earlier, each noble house had stationed one guard knight.
In that sense, Karen judged that Alice had a point.
A guard knight literally meant one who protected their master from danger.
But that meaning had long since faded in the present age, so it would be better to approach it from another angle.
What she settled on was the reinforcement of authority.
As head of House Agnes, Karen often held audiences with the knight orders of the Northern Continent.
At first she had been somewhat moved by their display of great loyalty, but of late their gazes had grown a touch unpleasant.
During conversation there were looks that seemed to rake her up and down, and they had even begun glancing toward her secretary.
They had not crossed the line yet, but she had a vague sense that it would not be long.
And at the social gathering just now—if she had had a strong guard knight at her side, would their gazes have been different?
"Nngh……."
Karen deliberated.
No matter how necessary it might be, she could not keep someone she did not trust at her side.
Seeing her expression, Alice judged the situation unfavorable and tentatively opened her mouth.
"W-well, actually I told my mother about this man? And she said he was an excellent talent and to snatch him up."
"Hm? If that is the case, why do you not take him in yourself? Looking at how you even investigated him, you seem interested."
"Ahaha, you know how it is. If I, an imperial princess, take in an outsider of unclear status, how the imperial citizens would react. Honestly I don't think it'd have that big an impact, but I don't want to give them even a minor handle on me."
"Hmm. So in the end you are simply dumping this on me?"
"Could you phrase it as me yielding him to you instead?"
Alice's demeanor grew meek.
Her present attitude was that of someone making a request.
She wanted to become emperor.
Karen understood how difficult it was to achieve that goal as a woman.
"Haa. Have you spoken to Lady Eileen of this?"
"Yeah, I told her everything. Don't worry about that part!"
"And if I do not take him in, what happens?"
"Hmm… She'd probably go 'This precious talent!' and give me an earful."
Karen sighed.
After all the years they had spent together, how could she not know Alice's true intentions?
"That talk is all just an excuse. You are simply being lazy, are you not."
"U-uh? What did you just say? I didn't catch that."
Even the way she played dumb after hearing everything perfectly had not changed in the least.
As emotion began to show on Karen's face, Alice spoke in a hurry.
"W-well, you know. The prophecy organization said 'soon,' so it'd be like one or two years at most, right? Just keep him until then, maybe? After that my mother probably won't say much either."
This proposal was a request from the woman before her, but it was also a request from Empress Eileen.
Karen knew that of late she had been obsessed with cultivating and discovering talent.
For the sake of the empire's safety, she must want to hold onto even one more person.
Having received so much help from her when she became head of the house, Karen could not refuse this proposal.
Leaving the rambling Alice behind, Karen rose from her seat.
"I shall handle that myself."
"Hm? Leaving already?"
"I meant to leave even before I met you. That lively social gathering does not suit me."
"Aww, what a shame~. Still, it was fun getting to talk with you after so long. We'll see each other again next time, right?"
Confirming that the proposal had been tacitly accepted, Alice returned to her cheerful demeanor.
"If you come find me first, I shall consider it."
"You meanie!"
Before she left, the documents spread upon the table caught her eye.
They interested her.
The fact that Alice had personally investigated him, and that he was an outsider.
And that he could defeat powerful magical beasts alone.
On those points, she thought he was worth meeting at least once.
Even if she did not make him a guard knight specifically, if he joined the knight order he would become a strong asset.
Even in the Northern Continent, each and every such talent was precious.
"Just in case, I shall take this with me."
"Hm? So you like him?"
"Is that something you ought to be saying?"
"Hehe, just kidding, just kidding~"
"Hmph."
Ignoring Alice, who was about to curve her lips upward again, Karen left.