Chapter 118: Their Respective Moves (2)
Chapter 118: Their Respective Moves (2)
Day broke, and the world changed without a sound.
A change and movement known only to those who knew.
The Emperor silently stared down at the report that rumors about the demon world were spreading rapidly, then summoned the Chancellor.
"Do you know what the Duke's weakness is?"
"The Duke had a weakness? I thought he was someone who conceals such things tightly, so I thought it would be hard to find, but how on earth did Your Majesty discover it...?"
"He himself likely does not know that such a weakness exists. Nor will he ever know that I am aware of this weakness, even if he lives his whole life."
Because it was that kind of weakness.
A cold sneer spread across the Emperor's face.
"Of course, even if he did know, he could never fix it. How could one possibly fix 'arrogance'?"
"...Arrogance, Your Majesty?"
"He believes he is the smartest, looking down on everyone from above. He never once considers that someone might be looking down on the crown of his own head."
Had the Emperor truly never considered the possibility that someone might side with the demon world? A throne where the naive cannot survive?
Ridiculous. He had simply known all along.
That if he feigned ignorance, the Duke would step forward as if doing him a favor.
"Thanks to that, I was able to save manpower that was already insufficient."
"...How truly audacious of Your Majesty. To entrust a matter upon which the fate of the Empire hangs to an enemy within."
"I entrusted it precisely because the Empire's fate hangs upon it. The Duke covets this seat, covets the Empire. Such a man would never allow the Empire to fall."
Though it also felt as though the Duke particularly looked down on him as if he were a child... Whether it was arrogance or underestimation, he had used it, so it was fine.
Pushing aside his lingering unease, the Emperor flipped the report over.
"One day, that arrogance will trip him up and bring him crashing down. I am curious what expression the Duke will wear then."
***
I became a honorary marquis!
I had clearly expected fierce opposition from the Noble Faction, but when I looked into why things were surprisingly quiet, I found out that Cruel had become an honorary count.
Well, since they even granted a title to the dog of the Noble Faction's leader, they could grumble a little and be done with it. Actually, from the Noble Faction's perspective, there were plenty of issues to tear into, but it was more like they kept quiet because their leader, the Duke, shut his mouth and accepted it. Honestly, even I find it strange. Did the Emperor and the Duke make some secret deal?
Well, that's not the important part. More than that...
"I... really made it back alive..."
"Why would you say something so terrifying?"
Rememver set a cup down on the table and looked at me with gentle pressure.
But it really is amazing, isn't it? Going into some organization's secret base and coming out alive—this is a miracle. And I was even in a state where my identity had been exposed. When they blindfolded me, I was sure they were taking me somewhere secluded to finish me off neatly, so I was honestly shocked when they actually returned me safely to the streets.
Unable to bring myself to explain the turbulent events of last night, I just rolled my eyes around and picked up the cup.
"Pffht—!"
"Oh dear. Are you all right?"
"Cough, what the... what is this?"
"The imperial physician sent another tonic."
It's a tonic, so why does my sense of taste feel like it's dying?
Damn it, I thought it was coffee. To think he'd serve tonic in a coffee cup. There was no need to develop in this direction too, old man...
It felt like my tongue had no sensation left. Maybe it was just my imagination.
"This is... attempted murder by poison..."
"The poison test has already been completed. Please stop making this old man's heart lurch and drink it all up quickly."
"..."
God damn it.
I held back tears and downed the cup in one go. And to make it worse, it smelled like coffee, which made it even shittier.
A horrifying taste paired with the fragrant smell of coffee—what an utterly mismatched combination.
"Why does this smell like coffee?"
"I made a special request. I told them that since you, my lord, tend not to take your tonic willingly, a little trick might be necessary."
"Am I a child?! No, and what kind of person is that imperial physician for going along with it...! Hoo...!"
"Please calm down and take deep breaths. It is dangerous for your blood pressure to rise, my lord."
"Rememver, you're doing this on purpose right now."
I clutched the back of my neck, huffing, and glared at Rememver.
The snake-like butler simply smiled faintly and smoothly changed the subject.
"I heard you control plant-type monsters."
"Cough!"
"That you have been cultivating plant-type monsters for a long time, and you have been using them to secretly dispose of troublesome people at night..."
"Cough cough, what kind of nonsense is that!"
Aaah, here we go again. Even though I knew he was changing the subject, I fell for Rememver's words again this time.
I tried to pull myself together, albeit belatedly...
"Oh, is it not? Then the rumor that your lordship is a vampire, and those plant-type monsters were born from your lordship's blood..."
"That's some inventive bullshit."
"Then the rumor that you are plotting world domination..."
"Do I have a death wish for treason?!"
Given what kind of man the Emperor is!
...Speaking like this, how could I not get dragged in?
Is this what they call the wisdom of age? I shoved a corrected definition of the word 'wisdom of age' into my head as I shook my head, and Rememver spoke with a voice tinged with subtle mischief.
"Ah, on the contrary, there was also a rumor that you are plotting world destruction."
"Insane. How on earth do rumors get blown up that much?"
I felt like applauding people's imaginations.
At the mention of world destruction, Dan, who had been doing paperwork in one corner, snapped his head up, but I ignored him and clicked my tongue.
No, more importantly, why is he here?
I looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, then looked at Rememver. As if asking what the problem was, a smiling face met mine.
"...Aren't you playing favorites a bit too much? Still, he's an outsider, no... a guy who has not been here that long."
"Since you, my lord, allowed him in, there is no need to be wary, and it is only natural to give him trust according to his competence. And you call him an outsider after bringing him here yourself? If it were the very beginning, I would understand, but after he reorganized the document filing system, you have fully accepted him, have you not? Dan would feel hurt if he heard that."
"I am hurt."
"...Uh, yeah... sorry..."
Indeed, the wisdom of age is terrifying.
I cannot hit an old man, and I am outmatched with words, so the best policy is not to clash with Rememver. I slightly turned my head and brought up something else.
"It seems I will have to be away again for a while to carry out the mission His Majesty gave me."
"Then the tonic will all go bad."
"That is really great... I mean, too bad."
"I will pack it for you when I prepare your luggage."
"..."
I will just throw it away.
Just as I was hatching an ambitious plan for my taste buds' sake, Dan threw out a question with a puzzled expression.
"...Did you say it is a mission from His Majesty?"
"Yeah. Like last time, I will be away for a while."
Just thinking about the Emperor made my head start to ache. Not just a headache—my stress was shooting up.
I pressed one hand firmly against my throbbing temple and slowly regulated my breathing to drive out the inexplicable stress, when Dan, who had been watching for an opening, cautiously spoke up.
"Could I not accompany you? I will assist you."
"Yeah, no."
"...I see."
"No secretly following me either. You or I, one of us might have to die."
Because witnesses must be eliminated.
But he said he had learned some swordsmanship, so conversely, I could be the one to die. After all, he saved me once from an ambush during the hunting competition—I cannot completely ignore that possibility.
If I do not notice him and end up going all the way to the Demon Castle with that bastard on my tail, it will be the worst. I would be executed together with him for the crime of bringing a human in.
'At least I would not die alone, so it would not be boring.'
Ah, so stressful. I kept my hand pressed to my temple and spoke in a calm, measured tone.
But why is it so quiet? No response coming back.
I stealthily raised my head.
'...?'
Rememver and Dan were looking at me with unreadable expressions. Especially Dan—his eyes seemed to tremble, but I must have seen that wrong, right?
The eyes that met mine, unlike their trembling, held a strange elation, and I hastily averted my gaze, so I did not have time to look closely.
As I rubbed my goosebump-covered arms, Dan seemed to collect himself and slightly bowed his head.
"To think you could make such threats even in your usual condition..."
"Huh...?"
"I will not follow you."
"Uh, yeah..."
I answered awkwardly and rolled my eyes.
The atmosphere was weird. It was just a light warning.
As if trying to turn the strange atmosphere around, Rememver changed the subject.
"When do you plan to depart?"
"...Right now?"
If I stay here any longer, I will have to do paperwork and drink bitter medicine.
I would rather go to the Demon Realm a day sooner.
"Then I shall prepare."
"Please do. Ah, and those Murderous Knights..."
What they did last time was already a pattern; at this point, I start looking for another method. So far, I have been lucky that no one got hurt, but it is still dangerous. I cannot film a chase scene every time either.
Is there not some... easier, less troublesome way?
The sharp-witted butler immediately offered an alternative.
"If you could delay your departure just a little, I could mix sleeping pills into their meal to make the departure smooth."
"They have a tolerance to drugs, so ordinary sleeping pills will not work on them."
"This time, through Dan, I procured a rather strong drug. They say that depending on the dosage, it can put an elephant to sleep in three seconds."
"No... that is a bit..."
Are you trying to kill someone?
...But if he knew such an easy method, why did he not mention it before? The fact that he answered immediately made it seem like he had known this method for a while. If obtaining the drug was the problem, he could have told me.
I looked at him, full of questions, and Rememver, immediately reading the meaning, smiled faintly.
"It is amusing, is it not."
"...It was not amusing for me."
It felt like a matter of life and death, I tell you.
Grumbling internally, I waved my hand to tell him to hurry up and go prepare.
Rememver bowed once, turned his back, and opened the door. He ran into a servant who had his hand raised as if about to knock.
'...What is this?'
Craning my neck, I peered past Rememver's shoulder at the servant. The guy flinched as our eyes met and shrank back.
His voice, shrunken along with him, barely crawled out.
"Th-the Crown Prince His Highness... has come to visit."
***
The Princess insisted strongly.
"He definitely likes men!"
The Crown Prince expressed reluctance.
"Surely not."
And then he paused, recalling.
A man whose relationships with women were excessively clean. A man with an excessively imbalanced gender ratio among those around him, who showed far less interest in women than normal...!
"That cannot... be..."
"Could be, right?"
"..."
It was not that there were no women at all. Since he was the man the Princess was targeting, he had thoroughly investigated and monitored whether there were women around him, so the Crown Prince knew.
There is a knight named Rien Rainer. But that was a strictly public relationship bound by lord and knight, nothing more. The Crown Prince had dismissed it.
During the Salvation Church mission, Deon Hart had brought back one man and one woman from somewhere. Their names were Dan and Ran, were they not?
And when the mission ended, the man remained and the woman left. That man was currently residing with Deon Hart at the Hart residence. The Crown Prince, who had worried that the woman might be the object of his affections, had been relieved.
'Was I supposed to not be relieved...?'
To think he would like men.
"So, what do you think about seducing him, Brother?"
"...What?"