Under Inoxia's Spell
I put off searching for Levation's legacy until later.
"Then I'll arrange a suitable time and justification myself."
"Yes, please do."
I would have liked to go looking for it right away, but the situation simply wouldn't allow it. To be precise, it wasn't my situation—it was Eli's.
Don't tell anyone else?
She seemed to have her reasons. Well, I understood. Even in modern times, how many people would openly announce a lottery win to their entire family? You might think more than expected? Well. I recommend keeping quiet. Big money carries a powerful force, and that force is more than enough to upend an entire life. In that sense, Eli's choice could be called wise.
But right now, Eli's choice wasn't what mattered.
"Brother James."
"Ah, Brother Khtun. You've arrived? About the talk with the Count..."
"I'll explain once everyone's gathered."
I had the servant the Count had assigned to me summon the others to Brother James's room. Soon Zeke and Milo arrived.
"Young Master, you called for us."
"The loyal knight Milo has arrived!"
Hmm, is there any way to fix Milo's whole concept? Ever since the investiture ceremony, he seemed way too hung up on the status of 'knight'.
Leave him be. It must mean he likes it that much.
I didn't say anything, though.
Anyway.
"The Count rejected the proposal."
"What?"
"The Count did?"
Zeke and Milo both looked surprised. Fair enough.
Think back to the Pixer's Egg incident. Merlyn had wanted to strengthen its hold over the south so badly that Grand Prince Ahentar had stepped in personally. And now they were refusing the position of Alliance Leader?
"Hmm, unexpected. I thought they'd snatch up the Alliance Leader seat without a second thought."
"Y-Young Master, maybe the justification was too weak?"
Milo offered his opinion, but I saw it differently.
"I think the justification was nothing more than a pretext at that point. Once someone had already nominated Merlyn as Alliance Leader, who in the south could have stopped them if Merlyn simply stepped forward?"
If they had declared "I want to be Alliance Leader" all by themselves, they would have become a laughingstock. But with even a single supporting house, no family in the south could have blocked Merlyn. Hadion had even agreed to stand with us, after all.
And yet the Count had still refused the Alliance Leader seat.
Why?
But do you really need to make Merlyn the Alliance Leader?
Of course?
Falaon and Merlyn are already bound by betrothal. They wouldn't just pretend not to notice Falaon's crisis.
That was true. Even as things stood, Merlyn would help Falaon.
But.
If Merlyn unites the south, the entire south becomes Falaon's shield.
Hmm.
Think about it. Merlyn alone was already a solid shield—but Merlyn with the south at its back? Double the defensive power. Give that up? Absolutely not. I had to find a way.
"Isn't there... some good method?"
"Hmm, a difficult problem."
"The world of nobles is truly inscrutable."
While the two knights looked troubled, Brother James, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand.
"Um, Brother Khtun?"
"Yes."
"I can't be certain, but there might be a place we can dig for information."
"Really?"
"Yes. As far as I know, the Countess is a devout believer of the Holy Shade Society. I can't guarantee anything, but if we go through the Holy Shade Society, we might learn something, don't you think?"
Oh? That kind of approach?
The next day.
I had fallen asleep late after the banquet with the Count, so I only opened my eyes in the late afternoon.
Ugh, I'm exhausted.
Travel fatigue is one thing, but you drank that much.
He was right. Last night the Count had held a banquet to welcome me. It hadn't been especially grand given the sudden visit, but all of Merlyn's vassals had attended. There he had widely publicized the bond between Falaon and Merlyn and introduced Merlyn's blood relatives to me. For the record, Grand Prince Ahentar had been away on other business and couldn't attend.
Anyway, I had learned one fact through the banquet.
Just as Brother James had said, the Countess was a devout believer of the Holy Shade Society.
What was it they said?
Even the southern headquarters of the Holy Shade Society being located in Merlyn is thanks to the Countess's support?
From the bits and pieces I picked up from the vassals, the amount of money being poured into the southern headquarters was no small sum. At this level, it was genuinely worth hoping for.
Who knows?
We might actually be able to infer the Count's true intentions through the southern headquarters.
Don't get your hopes too high. It might not be some special circumstance—just the Count's personal whim.
That could be true.
But wasn't it right to grasp at even a straw?
As I was organizing my thoughts, Brother James came to find me.
"Brother Khtun, you're awake?"
"Ah, yes. Sorry. Yesterday's schedule was too grueling. So, about the matter you went for..."
For reference, Brother James had visited the southern headquarters of the Holy Shade Society early that morning. The main purpose had been to borrow the Holy Shade Society's strength regarding the southern crisis.
"Fortunately, the Holy Shade Society side promised support. They said they had already requested aid from the main headquarters."
"I see. But why didn't they step in until now?"
"It's embarrassing to say, but not every order pours its strength into eradicating demons. There are various political reasons, apparently."
"Hmm."
Well, fine. At least they had promised support now.
That aside.
"About the information on the Count's house..."
"I found some."
"What did they say?"
"I can't be certain, but lately the Count has seemed focused on internal cohesion."
"Internal cohesion?"
"Yes, in other words..."
It went like this.
As the power struggle between Grand Prince Ahentar and the eldest daughter Cashabella intensifies, he's mediating between the two?
I tilted my head.
"Is it that serious? I remember them moving to increase their control over the south during the Pixer's Egg incident."
"From the heirs' perspective, they have to prove themselves. It seems separate from the Count's own will."
"Hmm."
So that was it.
On the other hand, I still had doubts.
But is their power struggle really so severe that Merlyn would abandon the southern dominance it has longed for so much?
Honestly, I couldn't picture it. After all, I had met Grand Prince Ahentar myself. The Grand Prince I had seen was ambitious, yet still a rational man who knew where the line was.
So what was the problem?
The eldest daughter, Cashabella?
Right now that was the only lead I could grasp... If I had known it would come to this, I should have talked with her more at last night's banquet.
Was there any way to meet Cashabella?
While I was fretting, the opportunity arrived sooner than expected.
"Young Master Khtun, did you rest well last night?"
"You are..."
"I am Molt, a knight serving Lady Cashabella, the Count's eldest daughter."
"Ah, Sir Molt. What business brings you to me?"
"The lady has a message. If it is not too presumptuous, she wishes to hear of your martial exploits. Would that be acceptable?"
I exchanged glances with Brother James and the rest of the group.
"Then I'll be back. Let's go."
"Young Master, please be careful."
Following Cashabella's knight Molt, I arrived at a garden.
"The lady is waiting further inside. I shall take my leave here."
"Ah, yes."
I walked alone through the well-tended garden. On one hand, I was puzzled.
Why did she call me? She was so cold yesterday.
I'm certain wanting to hear martial exploits is just an excuse.
Right?
The fretting didn't last long. I would know soon enough, after all.
That aside.
What kind of person is she? Someone competing with Grand Prince Ahentar for the heir's seat...
Let's take a look.
I steadied my nerves while calming my heart. How long did I walk?
"You've come."
"I greet Lady Cashabella."
"Please, sit."
Cashabella brushed back red hair identical to the Countess's and gestured to a seat. Tea and refreshments were already laid out on the table.
"I didn't know what you might like, so I prepared things to my own taste."
"I'll gratefully partake."
I raised the cup Cashabella had poured to wet my throat. Or rather, I tried to—if not for the question that flew at me immediately.
"So, what did Ahentar promise you?"
"Pardon? What do you mean..."
"Frankly, it doesn't matter what he promised. Whatever Ahentar can give, I can give as well. So choose."
Her red eyes gleamed strangely as her lips parted.
"Will you fall together with Ahentar? Or take my hand and survive?"
What the hell was this now?
Faced with the unexpected situation, I blinked for a moment.
What kind of situation is this?
...I don't know.
Suddenly demanding I choose?
Perhaps my attitude irritated her. Cashabella's previously expressionless face twisted slightly.
"This isn't a matter that requires long deliberation, yet your hesitation is lengthy."
"Hmm. May I speak honestly?"
"Yes, go ahead."
Cashabella tilted her head as if inviting me to try.
For an instant the impulse of Valhalla boiled up—the urge of a valiant warrior who believed in violence over words. But I couldn't do that.
"First of all, I cannot understand what the lady has said."
"Why is that?"
"Because the Grand Prince has promised me nothing at all."
"You're dodging. Then let me ask. Why did the Grand Prince share information about the Pixer's Egg with Falaon? Why did you introduce the Twelve Hour Church to the Grand Prince? Are you claiming all of that meant nothing?"
I introduced the Twelve Hour Church?
Ah, that.
Something come to mind?
It had.
When spreading the information about the Pixer's Egg, I had borrowed the influence of the Twelve Hour Church through Brother James. There hadn't been any particular scheme. I had simply thought it better for a church sincere about demon hunting to vouch for it rather than saying "the Grand Prince supposedly did this." And the Twelve Hour Church had readily accepted the proposal. Why? Because even that, broadly speaking, was a path to destroying demons.
And she was interpreting it like that?
"It's a misunderstanding. The Pixer's Egg matter was the Grand Prince's goodwill, and I have never introduced the Grand Prince to the Twelve Hour Church."
"Then?"
"I merely borrowed the name of the Twelve Hour Church to stop the demons."
"Pure good deeds?"
"Yes."
At the time it truly had been pure good deeds. But Cashabella did not seem to believe me.
"A ridiculous story. Pure good deeds... Then what is the reason the Grand Prince has been treating Eli so specially ever since returning from Falaon?"
"...?"
Why was she asking me that?
I was so dumbfounded that words wouldn't come out.
Wait, and she's casually dropping the honorifics?
Is that what matters right now?
Of course it did?
Perhaps she misread my expression. A crooked smile tugged at Cashabella's lips, and her eyes wavered strangely.
"Enough. Ahentar has... always been like that. He has a talent for bewitching people while pretending to be a good man. Enough. I have no more desire to listen, so withdraw."
"My lady, there seems to be some misunderstanding..."
"It would be best to enjoy the current peace. On the day Falaon burns, you will regret today's choice."
What the fuck?
In that instant the string of reason snapped clean through. How dare she bring up my house?
I was about to educate that precious little thing on the spot when the ancestor stopped me.
Descendant, endure. Something is strange.
What is?
Those wavering eyes—I've definitely seen them before.
The ancestor approached Cashabella and peered into her pupils. Then he spoke.
This... is certain. It's Inoxia's magic.
What?
Inoxia's magic is clouding her mind.
The ancestor declared that the magic of his old comrade, the archmage Inoxia, was bewitching Cashabella.
In that moment, the words Merlyn's founder had spoken yesterday flashed through my mind.
—Beware Bastil and Inoxia.
That warning to beware a founding king and an archmage who should have been long dead.
It wasn't just empty words?