The Eye-less Saintess
After skimming through the information I'd gathered, the one silver lining was that I'd transmigrated before the political marriage war began. The world hadn't yet started its full descent into chaos.
"...Should I be happy about this?"
Arzen von Eternia was supposed to die at the hands of assassins right after the war started. The nobles ruling their territories—the male lead candidates—would all lose their minds and spark a war, and the imperial family would respond by throwing every ounce of power and magic into the fray. It was going to be one hell of a circus.
'I need to settle things before that happens.'
By "settle things," I meant carving out a safe zone before the war could even begin.
"Ren."
"Yes."
"We're leaving the imperial palace."
"...?"
Ren stared at me like I'd gone mad. Fair enough—it probably sounded insane. But—
"No, this is the right move."
"I am curious."
"About what?"
"Is there truly a reason to leave this detached palace? The moment Your Highness steps outside, far more eyes and attention will turn your way."
"Of course they will. That's why we need to make a few preparations first."
Ren's gaze remained full of doubt. Beastkin were famous for being terrible liars. They valued martial prowess and purity, so only the most honest and upright among them were treated as great warriors in their culture.
"To be honest, it is impossible."
"Yeah, that's a perfectly reasonable answer."
Impossible. She wasn't wrong. Arzen's current position was nothing more than an empty shell wearing the name Eternia. In other words, he didn't even have the right to leave the detached palace he'd been given.
"Beep."
And the only ability he possessed right now was—
"Aw, how cute. Want to pet it too, Ren?"
"...."
Summoning a pitch-black liquid monster that was completely useless in a fight. Did this body at least have any standout physical strength? I'd been living in it for three days now. At this point, I'd been forced to confront just how pathetic its functions were.
'A damn twig of a man.'
Arzen was a born weakling with a body that had never known muscle. The third prince in the original story had mastered his own unique magic alongside swordsmanship and could split mountains with a single swing. This bastard, on the other hand, would probably die from the backlash if he tried casting even one spell.
'I need to change my constitution.'
At this rate, forget assassins and war—I was going to die of natural causes from my own failing health first.
"From now on, Ren, you're my personal physician in charge of my health."
"I have no medical knowledge."
"You know what I mean."
Still, I had a reliable guard by my side. And a guard meant someone exceptionally skilled in combat.
"How strong are you, Ren?"
"Strong enough to protect Your Highness with my life."
"How strong is that, exactly?"
"I can hold my own against the imperial family's elite knights in single combat."
"That's good enough."
Being able to put up a good fight against elite knights put her at the second tier in terms of combat power within this world's balance. Of course, the first tier belonged to the story's major characters.
"Starting tomorrow, help me fix this weak constitution—as long as it doesn't strain my body too much."
"...Impossible."
"...? Why?"
"Your Highness's current constitution is beyond what I can handle. Even a short run would quickly exhaust you."
"Then how did you manage the schedules the main palace sent down all this time?"
"You were mostly unable to carry them out."
"Ah. That explains a lot."
No wonder the few maids around here looked at me with such disdain. Forget imperial status—that was the look of someone who didn't even want to be near me as a fellow human being. At first I'd felt wronged by those stares, but now I understood.
'You really are hopeless.'
Arzen had clearly been written as an extra destined to die. The kind of extra meant to make the audience feel the weight of the political marriage war. But—
"That doesn't mean I can just sit around doing nothing."
"...."
"You'll help me, right?"
"I will do as you command."
At my somewhat desperate request, Ren nodded with her usual stoic expression. As of today, I was going to escape being a weakling.
.. ... ....
"Huff! Huff!"
"....."
"I'm dying! I'm actually dying!"
"Humans do not die from this level of exertion... though Your Highness may truly be in danger, so we shall rest for now."
The next day, Ren and I ran laps around the vast training grounds of the main palace. After the first lap my head was spinning, and by the second my legs gave out and my body collapsed on its own. It wasn't until a panicked maid rushed over with water and a towel that I finally managed to catch my breath.
'Is this for real?'
I'd known it would be bad, but this was ridiculous. My previous body hadn't been particularly athletic either, but this one was on another level entirely. It was a miracle I wasn't already bedridden.
"Okay, I'm cleanly giving up."
I could feel it instinctively. This wasn't something that could be fixed with exercise or willpower alone. I needed something that could change my very 'nature.'
"Haa, haa...!"
Lying spread-eagled on the ground, drenched in cold sweat, I spoke to Ren.
"Ren, I think we need to change the plan."
"What do you—"
"If the person themselves is weak, then it's time to rely on items—no, connections."
"....?"
I grinned as my mind started working. Maybe running had pushed my body to its limit, because my survival instincts were now screaming and forcing my brain into overdrive.
"Beep?"
"Not you."
I ignored the black slime that had reacted like it was personally offended by the word 'survival instincts.'
At the current point in time—
'The original protagonist hasn't appeared yet.'
I didn't know where she was honing her ambitions, but when I'd asked Ren, the answer had been clear: 'There is no one by that name currently in the imperial palace.'
—Elicia. The original novel's female lead, the madwoman who would seduce every male lead candidate and spark the political marriage war. And I was planning to interfere with all the opportunities she was supposed to claim.
"Ren, if there's gold lying on the street and someone's going to pick it up in five seconds—"
"Its owner would—"
"Obviously it's ownerless, clean gold. So if I pick it up and keep it safe before anyone else does, would that be wrong?"
"It would not... be wrong."
"Right?"
I'd just finished scraping off what little conscience I had left through that conversation with Ren. From here on out, it was full shameless mode.
'You're going to have the crown princes and grand dukes wrapped around your finger later anyway.'
Would someone who commanded the strongest people in the world and threw the ultimate mad party really care about a few measly opportunities scattered on the street?
"No, wait. That's not it."
That's why I'd made my decision.
"Ren, look into the orphanage I mentioned."
I was going to outright steal the 'treasures' the madwoman from the original story was supposed to obtain.
"Understood."
The owner of the gold I was about to snatch was in the imperial capital—specifically, at a run-down orphanage on the outskirts. Its guardian was a pitiful woman who had lost her parents in a war against barbarians. She was also someone burdened with the noble duty of protecting abandoned children all on her own.
"Ren can handle the combat side, and right now I need a competent healer."
The Eye-less Saintess, Ayla. It wasn't that her eyes were actually blind. It was simply a title given in honor of her choice to stand with the weak by turning away from a hopeless reality.
'Let's team up, two pitiful people together.'
That was why I was more than willing to seek out a way for her to heal my body.
#
"It is not permitted."
Just as I was about to leave the detached palace, I was blocked by imperial guards standing boldly in my path. I blinked in disbelief.
"I'm royalty, you know?"
Blocking a member of the imperial family's path. What kind of army was this? No matter how far my status had fallen, being interfered with like this every time I tried to go somewhere was—
"This is a direct order from the imperial family. You have not been granted permission to leave the detached palace."
"Who gave it?"
"...."
"So who was it?"
"I cannot say."
What do you mean you can't say? It was obviously one of my brothers. The emperor had been bedridden for a long time, and beneath him were the first through fourth princes—plenty of lunatics just waiting to block my path. Any one of them fit this situation perfectly.
"Your Highness."
I heard Ren call my name from beside me. Turning my head, I met her expressionless gaze.
"What will you do?"
What would I do? Her eyes said she would carry out whatever order I gave without question. If I told her to break through? Ren would gladly fight the guards the imperial family had stationed here.
'That wouldn't be good.'
If it came to that, Ren would make an enemy of the imperial family because of her own status. How dare a filthy beastkin—
The same situation would repeat itself.
"Hey."
So instead—
"You can't say who ordered you, and you can't move aside either, right?"
"....."
I decided to break through these ridiculously stubborn guards using only my own power.
—Swish.
I drew the dagger hanging from Ren's waist. I brought it up to the guard's throat and spoke.
"I don't know whose name you're hiding behind, but if you don't move, you're going to die right now."
I felt the guard's gaze waver for a moment. He was probably scared. No matter how seasoned someone was, death made everything else meaningless...
"Beep?"
'Oh, come on.'
Ignoring the slime's untimely reaction, I kept my eyes fixed on the guard and curled one corner of my mouth upward.
"Do you really think killing one guard who watches over this pathetic detached palace would change anything? You know they can replace people like you as many times as they want."
"....."
"So move. I won't say it twice."
—Press.
I pushed the tip just enough to touch his skin. Ren must have kept the blade well maintained, because a single drop of blood welled up.
—Clink.
With that, we gave the retreating guard one last look before stepping outside.
"You should've done that from the start."
I threw in a little taunt for the loser as a bonus.
"Let's go."
Together with the silently following Ren, I set out to find my future personal physician and the original protagonist's treasure—the healer in the capital.
.. ... ....
#
"Arzen left the detached palace?"
"Yes."
—Hahaha!
—Kyaa~!
In the middle of a den of pleasure where the room's occupants laughed and chattered noisily, a man with brilliant golden hair showed interest in the report he'd just received. Golden hair was both a mark of the noble Eternia bloodline and a source of pride. Unlike that filthy black hair and the even filthier blood that came with it.
"He must be trying to enjoy himself one last time, since he doesn't have long to live."
"...."
"Leave him be. Paying any attention to a man who's already dead is a luxury in itself."
With that, the man spoke with a leisurely smile.
"There's no need to report this to our elder brothers either. Just keep tracking his general movements like you have been."
"As you command."
The man—the proud Eternia bloodline—simply continued to enjoy his current pleasures as always.