188. Revelation
188. Revelation
With a gentle smile, Dad rose from his seat and looked at Stella, Pina, Eurasia, and me.
"Lady Verheigen. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"O-oh, nooo... I-I'm... you can just call me Stella... And, please speak comfortably... I-I'm, we're Eli's friend... friend, sooo..."
"Hiii..."
Why was she dragging out the ends of her words like that, and what was with "Eli" instead of Eliarnes?
I narrowed my brow as I looked at Stella's ditzy face.
"Haha, then I'll do that. Stella, thank you for being close with my daughter even though you're in a different class. And Pina. I'm also grateful that you've been close with Eli."
"Hiii... hiii..."
[Itisn'tlikethatEliarnesistheonewhohasbeenkindenoughtobeclosetome.]
Even to Pina's utterly unreadable words, Dad nodded with a gentle expression.
"The sword and shield that protects my daughter. And now, having come this far, a friend to her—Eurasia. You, above all, I can never thank enough. Thank you."
"B-but, I'm rather the one who receives protection from my la—"
"It's all right. You have more than fulfilled your role. And right now, you're here as Eli's friend, aren't you? So set aside such thoughts."
"...Yes. Thank you."
After leaving a word for each of us in turn, Dad finally looked at me.
"Eli."
"...Yes."
I cautiously watched Dad's face, gauging his mood.
His mood... seemed pretty good.
He wasn't angry? Going by what Sara said, he should have been furious...?
Maybe things would go a little easier?
I thought.
"I understand you have quite a lot to tell your father."
Until I heard that voice...
"...W-well, uh... ahaha."
I scratched my cheek and laughed awkwardly.
Dad stared at me for a long while, then swallowed a sigh and turned his gaze away.
"You all must be tired, and this old man seems to have wasted your time for nothing. The palace servants will show you to your rooms, so it would be best to rest a little before dinner."
"Ah... understood..."
"Hiii..."
"We'll do as you say."
"Then I'll also come back later—"
"Eli, stay."
"Yes."
A gentle dismissal fell upon the three others, excluding me.
I chewed my lip as I watched them grow farther away.
If only Eurasia had stayed by my side, I might have gotten scolded a little less...
"Eli."
"Y-yes..."
"I heard that you saved many students at the academy."
"Umm..."
I stole a glance at Dad's expression.
Blank. I quickly lowered my eyes.
"Well done. I am truly proud of my daughter."
I stole another glance upward.
A smile. I raised my head and smiled too.
"Hehe. I did good, right? I was there—"
"However."
I quickly dropped my eyes again.
"Perhaps it's because this father of yours is lacking. I, you see, think that Eli's life alone is more important than all those other students. Incomparably important, and precious."
"That's... I was confident I'd win no matter what..."
"So my heart is truly conflicted. The daughter I love and treasure most saved countless students, and on top of that, she came back with all four limbs intact."
"Th-then you should be twice as happy... right...?"
"Eliarnes."
"U-um... I'm sorry."
"No, no. This isn't something Eli needs to apologize for. If anything, it deserves praise beyond measure. And yet... this father of yours is angry. The human heart is a fickle thing. When the news came, I prayed only that you were alive. When word arrived, I hoped you weren't hurt. When I heard the story, I hoped you wouldn't be left with trauma. But seeing you in person like this... I'm both angry and smiling. My feelings are truly complicated. So the one who should apologize is your father. I can't even praise you, and instead I'm scolding you."
"Um... uh..."
With a deeply sunken expression, I scrambled to gather up the words pouring out and racked my brain.
-If nothing comes to mind to say, give the Duke a hug.
Then Sara's words came back to me.
Now? Was now okay? Wouldn't he scold me for treating this like a joke?
Groaning and fidgeting with my hands, I approached Dad and spread my arms wide.
Dad looked at me with surprised eyes.
I... I... squeezed my eyes shut and hugged Dad.
His body was so huge that I probably looked like a cicada clinging to a tree... but still, I was the one hugging him.
Then I lifted my head and looked up at Dad.
His face was mostly hidden by his massive pectorals, so I couldn't see him well, but he looked a little more haggard than the last time I'd seen him.
And there was a cut mark along his jawline.
For someone who had reached Dad's Realm, cutting himself while shaving was rare.
He hadn't even had the presence of mind to look in a mirror...
That meant he'd been that worried.
Feeling complicated in many ways, I smiled bitterly.
"I missed you..."
Dad's lips began to twitch.
"Oh, right. I brought a gift for you too, Dad."
"...Ahem, hm... A gift? What kind of gift do you mean?"
"I agonized over choosing it. It's probably the only one of its kind in the world. I was going to send it by mail, but I held back because I wanted to give it to you in person. Want to see it?"
I tilted my head and asked.
Beyond the massive pectorals, Dad's expression completely melted.
*****
I told him about the current situation.
However, I didn't hand over the gift yet.
It was insurance in case Dad's mood turned sour.
Just in case I got scolded again... I should keep at least one insurance policy.
Anyway, I explained everything in as much detail as possible, so that Dad wouldn't have any doubts.
From the plan to crush the collateral branch, to the incident in Anketin, to the story of how I ended up going to the Holy Kingdom with Leona.
While listening to my story, Dad never once interrupted me and just listened silently.
When I finished the whole story, a very, very complicated sigh burst from Dad's lips.
"Right... I have a great deal to say, but first I should talk about the collateral branch. As for the collateral branch... I had been keeping an eye on it as well, but I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in advance."
"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Dad. I mean... obviously you and Mom had your own plans, right? I ruined them, so I should be the one apologizing."
"Eli doesn't need to apologize. The rotten branches should have been pruned long ago. It was only delayed because of this father's shortcomings."
"Umm... I think I roughly know why you were preparing so thoroughly. The reason you couldn't cut them off in the past—besides the ownership of the iron mines—was because that family has ties to the First Prince's faction, right?"
Dad's mouth opened and closed, then he smiled bitterly.
"...You looked into it that far? That kind of information would have been hard to obtain even if you poured money into it."
"I just... it just sort of happened..."
"Hoho..."
The bitter smile became a hollow laugh.
"So you've grown close not only to the Second Princess, but to the First Princess as well."
How did he know?
I blinked for a moment, then hurriedly continued.
"Since the two of them are sisters, it just sort of happened that I... got close to her too? But, um, Fabiana turned out to be a really decent person compared to the rumors. So you don't need to worry separately... I think..."
"Eli, this father of yours is a little... my head is complicated, you see."
Rubbing his brow, Dad rifled through the documents on the desk and spoke.
"Recently, Princess Fabiana's position has solidified and her influence has grown day by day. Could it be... that Eli provided help, or exerted some influence?"
Where on earth did that suspicion come from?
Was he just, really just asking?
"...Ehehe, how could I do something like that?"
"They say the Second Prince's position was taken by the Second Princess due to the Flame Emperor's statement. The Second Prince has now drifted far from the throne. And there's talk that the First Princess's power was strongly involved in raising the Second Princess up."
That was what I'd aimed for, but I didn't know the Second Prince would be completely finished.
Of course, it wasn't my problem to worry about. Fabiana and Silina would handle that themselves.
"Oh..."
"There's even speculation that the First Princess might take the First Prince's position before the year is out."
"Wow..."
"There's even a rumor that the capital flow of the Illuma Trading Company, which the First Princess had been backing, is very strange. They've barely put down roots in the iron ore industry, yet the investment funds are said to be enormous."
"...Maybe they just belatedly realized the market trend? Since Demons have been causing trouble a lot lately, you know... what was it. Iron ore is good for another big score when it comes to war, right?"
I blinked and asked back, pretending to be as innocent as possible.
"Did you make a deal with the First Princess?"
No chance.
Just how much did he know...?
How did he know I was close with Fabiana?
And how did he know about the process of squeezing the collateral branch's money supply, which Fabiana had supposedly hidden thoroughly?
And that I was behind it... he seemed to have already noticed that too...?
Where on earth was the evidence...?
"...No, look. Actually, Silina... I mean, the Second Princess... no, I'll just call her Silina. Anyway, Silina and I made a plan, right? But that ditzy little brat Silina got completely found out by her older sister, and so... um... in that process, I received a little, just a tiny bit of help from Fabiana..."
"What happened between you and the Flame Emperor?"
"...I don't know anyone like that."
The denial came out reflexively.
Dad paid no mind and fluttered the letter in his hand.
It hadn't been opened. There was no sign of resealing either.
A seal stamped in the center of the letter. A blazing flame.
Its shape was clear.
No matter how I looked at it...
"A letter from the Flame Emperor, who had no interest in worldly affairs, arrived just this morning. But if Eli says she doesn't know the Flame Emperor, then did this letter come to me?"
"U-um... that's, well..."
All of Dad's deductions had originated from the Flame Emperor.
But... had the Flame Emperor finally lost her mind? Had she gone senile? Why on earth?
Why did she send a letter to Eustetia?
Because she had something urgent to tell me?
The Flame Emperor was currently in the Catacombs.
She had gone to the Catacombs to help Leona, discovered a suspicious "past" there, and had been holed up in the Catacombs for a while.
So I had planned to stop by the Catacombs and meet the Flame Emperor before going to the Holy Kingdom... but was this so urgent that she couldn't wait for that?
Feeling cold sweat running down my spine, I was thinking about how on earth to explain this.
Flutter—
The letter in Dad's hand opened on its own.
"Eli! Watch out—"
"This Flame Emperor's friend! Eliarnes!"
From behind Dad, who had pulled me into his arms, came a familiar voice.
No, it wasn't just a voice.
"This Flame Emperor had urgent words for you, so I had no choice but to come in the form of this Flame Emperor's spirit body!"
The Flame Emperor's form appeared.
"However, your expression is not good... Has this Flame Emperor committed a rudeness...? Even so, well... this Flame Emperor and you are very close friends, so will you not forgive this much rudeness?"
"...Very close friends? Eli and the Flame Emperor?"
I looked at the Flame Emperor fawning over me and Dad frozen stiff with me in his arms, and wiped my face.
"...Well, I'm fucked."