The Plant Family
Even so, there was no way I would cast a curse like that.
"Even back in Noah-nim's day, people talked a lot. 'For some reason, it feels like Seto's gargoyle unit will raid today.' And sure enough, the gargoyle unit attacked the Magic Tower."
Ah. Had that happened?
Well, I mean, things like that could happen.
"Nah. Stuff like that can just happen."
"Anyway, there's something to it, I tell you. Every single time you open your mouth like that, something goes down."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Worked out well for me, then.
"In that case, get ready. When we go this time, something is probably going to ambush us."
"Uwaaaaaaah!"
I wasn't doing this for nothing.
It was always a situation ripe for explosion, so I said it would explode.
Realistically, when else would the anti-imperialists target if not then?
Whether anti-imperialists or black mages, something was bound to blow. If so, there was no harm in preparing in advance.
The Slums
Dark shadows sat gathered around a round table.
They were anti-imperialists, the Revival Group moving to restore Kart. They were currently cooperating with the New World Group—a black magic cult and religious order—and the Revival Group had been watching Atelina's recent movements closely.
It was right before the exam, after all.
"This time the central nobles will be taking their exam in Plant Territory."
"You could call it tradition again this year."
"So we're targeting that?"
"Not a bad idea, is it? I think it's worth a shot."
"It's true that the place is crawling with the Empire's central nobles."
Even if they just swarmed in and slaughtered every student, the effect would be considerable.
"Perfect for a terror attack. A way for us to throw our names into the world, so to speak."
"But don't forget the Saint is there."
"That Ashtar princess?"
She was clearly the Empire's first Saint.
"That's right. Word is she's quite the powerhouse. One of the key figures who made Ashtar's second Demon Realm expedition a success."
The rumors had already spread far and fast.
Olivia Lapa Ashtar, the princess of Ashtar, had supposedly achieved considerable merit in the second Demon Realm expedition—following Eldacrad's first expedition forty-odd years prior.
"Big talk, I'm sure. Typical noble bluster. Look at the Imperial Church. The nuns carry weapons, and even the slum thugs are supposedly supplying arms—and taking bribes on the side. The Magic Tower mage and the young master of Ribelt are a bit of a concern, but how much can those two really do?"
Even if Ribelt and the mage Celia had some reputation, the Revival Group had been gathering strength for a long time.
If they struck without warning, what could those people do?
"That settles it, then. We'll take a shot this time."
"If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to hit them while they're heading to Plant Territory?"
"Even so, they'll have escorts then."
"Conveniently, one of the knights in the Plant family is our man."
They had already planted a knight steeped in anti-imperialist ideology inside Plant Territory.
If it was nothing but noble bluster, then people as desperate as them—people burning to overturn the Empire—had a real chance of winning. It was worth trying once.
"We'll soon arrive at the Plant family's territory."
The day had come, and the students taking the exam were traveling together by carriage to the test site.
The Plant family's territory was the southernmost domain directly adjacent to the Imperial Direct Territories. It was land ruled by the Plant family, a knightly house said to possess the continent's finest order of knights.
With dozens of knights hailing from the territory alone, if you assumed they all came from nearby noble lines, that said everything.
"Can there normally be that many knights?"
"That's why they're a knightly house—and the only one that founded their own knightly order. You also have to look at the era."
The Plant family had become a knightly house about two hundred fifty years ago.
At the time, their founder Plant had been serving in the Capital Knights when he achieved victory in the war against the barbarians. For his successive triumphs he was granted territory, along with the right to raise an independent order of knights, and thus the house became a knightly family.
"Then is that land filled entirely with nobles?"
"Only the nobles under Plant."
Only those of noble rank could become knights.
Of course, the Empire had special cases where non-nobles could become knights, but Ashtar alone already had more than a hundred knights.
"Strange how the house still keeps running."
"There's support from the Imperial Family, and even Ashtar recognizes them. Besides, for all that they call themselves a knightly house, not everyone is a knight."
It was only called a knightly house because the proportion was high. Not everyone was actually a knight.
They simply maintained a higher military ratio than other houses, and the entire territory had been fortified across several generations of the Plant line. That was all.
Of course, a territory fortified over multiple generations alone was enough for Plant to project considerable presence.
It was just that Lailer acted like such an idiot that the entire Plant family looked pathetic by association.
"So they're still a military house, then?"
"That's right. Why, interested?"
Surely she wasn't taking an interest in something like this?
Jealousy aside, if she truly was interested in the Plant family, I was prepared to tearfully send her off.
"No. I'm devoted to Lady Olivia alone."
"Ah. How very kind of you. No—before that. Then why were you prying?"
If she was devoted to Olivia alone, there was no reason to ask.
No, looking closer, there was a mischievous glint in her eyes that made me suspicious.
"Isn't it obvious? We have to prepare."
"Prepare?"
Celia preparing?
Normally she was the type who only caused trouble once things already blew up.
"Thinking about it, Plant Territory really is the perfect place for them to target."
"It is, yes."
"Think about it. The soldiers under those knights are commoners, aren't they?"
"Hmm. True."
They might slip in among them.
But raising the issue was awkward right now, because the soldiers currently escorting the Atelina students all the way to Plant Territory were Plant's own men.
Lailer would know this best if I grabbed him.
For now.
I looked at Lailer sitting in front of me.
"Lailer Plant."
"Khh. Y-Yes. Yes, Miss Olivia."
Why was this bastard so scared?
"This isn't a battlefield, and I don't intend to keep hounding you over past matters, so there's no need to tremble. But is the territory in good shape?"
"Shape, my lady?"
From that reaction, he clearly had no idea.
"I mean, are you thoroughly screening for anti-imperialists?"
"I doubt they would be."
Oh. Ribelt, who had been completely invisible until now, cut into the conversation.
"Oh. Young Master Ribelt. Heard something?"
Looking at him, his face said he was wondering whether there was even anything to hear.
"Isn't it obvious? This is the Plant family that made a complete dullard like him the heir. Anti-imperialists? Forget anti-imperialists. They'll accept anyone as a soldier as long as he sings the family's praises."
"Oho. That sounds plausible."
With Lailer in this state, what about his father?
You could usually know ten things from seeing one.
With a son in this shape, there was no guarantee the father was properly governing the territory.
And they had to weed out anti-imperialists among the soldiers—yet Plant would accept anyone as a soldier as long as he swore an oath of loyalty?
"How dare a barbaric northern Ribelt slander our house! Ribelt has never once even been selected as an Atelina test site!"
Oh, was Plant about to fight Ribelt right here?
"Ribelt isn't chosen because of the northern cold and because it's so far from the capital. Your Plant family, frankly, has already grown as corrupt as it can get."
"There's a real possibility."
Honestly, Ribelt would have been ideal for the exam.
It was cold, military discipline was strict so there was no worry about anti-imperialists, and it was far enough away that anti-imperialists would have a hard time straining to target it.
"Miss Olivia. Young Master Ribelt. Your words are too harsh!"
"No, I'm speaking purely objectively."
"What do you mean by that?"
Didn't this kid need to know at least this much?
At this rate the answer was already clear. Some nobles would die off and Atelina would get a clean sweep.
"Atelina would have contacted the Plant side. You didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Exactly what I said. About the anti-imperialists."
For him to be this dense...
"Anti-imperialists? Surely you don't think there are any among our Plant family's soldiers?"
"I'm saying there might be."
If you really dug into it...
I didn't particularly care if people died.
In fact, the nobles needed a thorough culling before they would wake up and start hunting anti-imperialists.
Maybe it would even be better to just leave it alone.
Looking at the previous cafeteria incident, I figured another incident needed to explode at least once more.
In the first place, the ones who suffered direct damage in the Lily incident were the central nobles—not the provincial nobles who had been thrashing about like fish in water.
If the provincial nobles took heavy damage this time as well?
Even with the Demon King's army invading, the fact that nobles who still hadn't come to their senses were running rampant made that outcome look better.
"Even so, how could you..."
"Last time with the Lily incident the Plant family was a victim, but this time the Plant family might end up painted as perpetrators rather than mere victims?"
"Uh. Surely not."
They said "surely not" was the phrase that killed people.
"I'm serious. Common sense says if there are anti-imperialists among your subordinates, you immediately become the perpetrator. You didn't know that?"
At my words Lailer's face turned deathly pale.
"Looking at that face, you clearly never thought that far."
"That's why you got tangled up with Lily."
"No. Why does it keep connecting back to Lily?"
With people like you, everything connected to Lily one way or another.
Nobles of a great nation dancing to the tune of a single succubus.
And right now a former Four Heavenly King of the Demon King's army was even serving as acting Saint of the Imperial Church.
"More importantly, does Aslan know about this?"
"Aslan? Even so, he is a prince, so please..."
Was his pride pricked at least?
"Speak nicely, you say? I'm the Taesa, you know? If you want nice, then you lot should speak nicely first. Ah. That includes you, Ribelt."
Ribelt's face crumpled as well.
If you don't like it, you know what to do?
"Khh. I believe His Highness is aware. According to the Taesa's words, he held a private conversation with Professor Adran before departing for the Plant family."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
That was a relief.
"No wonder I haven't seen him. It's for the best, actually. Aslan shifted his major entirely to politics anyway, didn't he?"
"Yes."
"If Adran got his hands on him, he won't be coming to Plant, so I can rest easy."
Aslan had almost certainly wanted to go to Plant.
And Adran would never have tried to send Aslan to Plant.
So that side shouldn't be a problem.
"Then are you saying something will happen here?"
"Obviously."
"If Lady Olivia says so, then it's certain."
Celia was straight-up worshipping me.
Not a bad thing.
"Then what do we do?"
"Why are you asking me? Before you go 'then then,' this is your front yard, so try doing something yourself."
Why was the heir of the Plant family asking me?
He needed to handle at least some of it on his own.
"Umm."
"Does that guy even have a brain to work with? He doesn't have strategy like me either."
"No—I've been listening and listening, and this bastard—"
Young Master Ribelt had no right to talk, but at least he had real combat experience, so when something actually blew up his improvisation would be excellent.
"Then let's hear our Taesa's thoughts. Are you going to tell the students?"
"There are over a hundred of them. Tell them? They'd just cause a riot. It would only increase the chaos. First we'll meet the head of the Plant family. Lailer. Guide us."
I needed to meet the family head now.
"My father, you mean?"
"If you don't like it, can you handle everything alone?"
"Understood."
Honestly, he only ever got it if you raised your voice.