New Connection (2)
“That’s not possible. An Inquisitor would never refuse a direct order from above.”
Because my master was such an extraordinary figure, I couldn’t help but feel curious about Inquisitors despite his own position. With so many grim rumors swirling around them, how many people wouldn’t wonder how much of it was actually true?
“Is it really appropriate to assign someone so valuable to me?”
“Didn’t you earn considerable merit by discovering the Evil God Altar this time? It seems Priest Arthur’s contributions won’t end with just this one occasion.”
“It was only luck that we found it.”
“You also handled the aftermath of the Evil God Altar admirably. That must be thanks to never neglecting your studies even as a child. Quite commendable.”
Bishop Haman didn’t seem to notice how crushed I felt under the weight of it all. While having an Inquisitor join our party would indeed bring tremendous benefits, I couldn’t refuse the bishop’s proposal simply because it felt burdensome.
“…I’ll pass this on to Her Highness the Princess and ask for her opinion.”
“There’s no need to worry about the concerns you’re having. This friend has only just come out into the world, so they won’t be swayed by ordinary temptations.”
I knew that all too well. That was exactly why it felt so burdensome. It meant that such an extraordinary Inquisitor would be working solely to protect me.
After parting with Bishop Haman, I stopped by one more place before returning to the temple. It was the residence where Princess Reciel was staying. The location was kept secret from everyone. With unknown forces targeting the princesses, it was necessary to hide their whereabouts as much as possible. The fact that those who had once aggressively tried to kill the princesses had now gone eerily silent only heightened the unease.
“The priest has arrived.”
The knight guarding Princess Reciel recognized my face and greeted me warmly. After being thoroughly scolded by Princess Canaby for wandering around alone in the beginning, Princess Reciel had inherited the knights who had been protecting her sister and was now under their protection. In other words, they were people I was already acquainted with.
“I’ve come to see Her Highness.”
“Please come inside.”
I stepped through the door the knight opened. Though it appeared to be an ordinary house at first glance, the interior was anything but ordinary, befitting a princess’s residence.
How much must all this cost?
Even to my untrained eye, the furniture looked expensive. After waiting briefly, Princess Reciel appeared in casual attire.
“Priest Arthur!”
Princess Reciel came running over and immediately bombarded me with questions.
“How is my sister? Did she look well?”
“Yes. She was perfectly fine. The medicine’s effects were remarkable. Normally, muscles would atrophy after being immobile for so long, but there was no sign of that at all.”
“It’s a secret elixir passed down through our imperial family for generations. Of course it should have that level of effect.”
Princess Reciel lifted her chin, proudly displaying her imperial pride. She seemed unaware that, combined with her appearance, it only made her look endlessly adorable.
“How is the next Labyrinth expedition progressing?”
“Ah… about that…”
Princess Reciel let out a deep sigh, looking troubled.
“Things are getting more complicated than expected.”
“Could you tell me more?”
Princess Reciel had more than one or two reasons for her difficulties.
“It’s not easy to gather people. And they have started moving.”
“You mean the ones who were targeting the princesses’ lives?”
“Yes. They pressured me by saying my sister suddenly stopped contacting them. They claimed that even knowing she was ill, I failed to properly lead the subjugation force, so I must take responsibility. I offered to do it in her place, but they refused, saying I’m too young. And soon, he will come as the leader of the subjugation force. In my sister’s stead.”
He referred to the mastermind behind all of this incident.
“Who exactly is the person tormenting the princesses?”
“You already know perfectly well, yet you insist on hearing it from my mouth. He is my brother and my sister’s sibling, though born of a different mother, making him no better than a stranger with only half the blood connection.”
Looking at the Deltrack Empire’s imperial family tree, there was one princess above Princess Canaby. However, the eldest daughter was born to a court lady rather than the empress, so her treatment was said to be far from favorable.
She was supposedly the empress’s childhood friend.
She was also said to be the daughter of the empress’s wet nurse. She had grown up with the empress and was treated exceptionally well, only to be betrayed in the end. Princess Canaby was the empress’s first daughter and the empire’s second princess. Below her was the first son born to a concubine, and after the empress gave birth to another daughter as her second child, she passed away from illness shortly afterward.
“The first son born to the concubine. He’s the one desperate to kill us.”
Though a concubine, her family was apparently quite formidable. Even so, the emperor had not elevated her to empress.
“Instead of making her empress, His Majesty chose a new empress. And the son born to that new empress is six years old this year.”
In my view, the concubine’s son should have been trying to kill the six-year-old son of the new empress, not targeting the princesses.
“Why is he threatening the princesses?”
“Because my sister is exceptional. His Majesty favors those with outstanding abilities. And my sister has always been capable, so she has always been in his favor.”
It meant that Princess Canaby, who possessed legitimacy despite her mother’s death, had a stronger claim to the throne than the six-year-old son of the new empress.
“Moreover, it’s too risky to touch the new empress right now. She still hasn’t lost His Majesty’s love. Of course, if we’re eliminated, the next target would be the new empress. By then, his affection for her will have faded anyway.”
Princess Reciel already seemed to understand that love was not eternal.
“So the prince will lead the subjugation force in Princess Canaby’s place?”
“Yes.”
“…That will certainly become troublesome.”
“The subjugation force’s support funds that my sister was receiving have also been cut off, which is quite regrettable. They were rather substantial.”
Until now, Princess Reciel had been using her own money along with the palace support funds Princess Canaby received to form the subjugation force. But now that the prince had taken it in the middle, it was understandable why Princess Reciel would feel bitter about losing money that had no owner.
“Even if we don’t receive the support funds, it’s not like we have no money, so don’t worry.”
Of course not.
How could I possibly think that the imperial family has no money?
The biggest problem right now was how to stop the prince when he would obviously interfere with our work. He had been having his subordinates constantly obstruct us, so what would happen when he came here in person?
“What kind of person is the prince?”
“A crude pig—stupid, greedy, and a complete idiot.”
“…Your Highness?”
The moment I asked what kind of person the prince was, a violent curse flew out of Princess Reciel’s mouth. Since he was someone threatening her life, such language was only natural. Even knowing that, I couldn’t help but feel flustered because it was unfamiliar to hear Princess Reciel cursing.
“Greedy, covetous, petty, despicable, lazy, unpleasant, and disgusting!!”
Grrr—!
Princess Reciel growled like an animal.
“It would be better if someone like that disappeared from this world.”
The other side wasn’t the only one harboring deep grudges. Even though they only shared half their blood, it was pitiful to see family members so eager to kill each other.
What is power, that it drives people to this…
Even priests who follow divine will and study end up watching and fighting each other over power, so how much worse must it be for ordinary people? I closed my eyes for a moment and prayed, newly realizing the ways of the world.
“What’s even more infuriating is that an order has come down not to enter the Labyrinth until he arrives! He must have pulled some strings.”
Gathering people had also become difficult. Because everyone wanted to enter the Labyrinth, those with any skill had already joined other teams. On top of that, we were now forbidden from entering the Labyrinth at all.
“It’s only been a month since my sister fell asleep…”
When the prince arrived, there would be many more attempts to find out where Princess Canaby was hiding. If the prince led the subjugation force and earned merit while she was asleep, she might lose the emperor’s favor. Since she had disappeared without explaining the details, claiming illness, he would naturally find it displeasing.
Since we took out the medicine, will the emperor learn of the situation?
But seeing how he pretended not to know while his own son tried to kill the princesses in a struggle for the throne, he didn’t seem like a very affectionate father.
“He’ll definitely approach you as well. It’ll be difficult, but I hope you’ll do your best to protect my sister.”
Seeing the fatigue filling her youthful face stirred up a surge of sympathy.
“Of course. I’ll do my utmost.”
I had come to tell Princess Reciel that an Inquisitor might join our party, but instead I ended up listening to a long string of complaints.
“By the way, why did you come here today? Somehow I ended up talking about myself the whole time.”
“Ah! Well, there’s talk that the Holy Empire will be sending someone for protection purposes.”
“Protection? Are they worried we’ll be negligent in guarding you?”
“No. That’s definitely not it. We discovered the Evil God Altar this time, didn’t we? Because of that, they want to assign someone to me. I know Your Highness dislikes outsiders, but they’re sending an Inquisitor while taking that into consideration. They said it’s someone who has just finished their training and come out for practical experience.”
“They’re sending an Inquisitor??”
Fortunately, it seemed I wouldn’t need to explain what an Inquisitor was. Princess Reciel’s eyes widened at my words.
“Yes.”
We needed to search the Labyrinth. The Inquisitor needed to find the Evil God Altar. Even if our purposes differed, if we were heading in the same direction, wouldn’t it be fine to travel together? It was highly likely that the same thought had crossed Princess Reciel’s mind as well.