Uninvited Guest (6)
At that moment.
"Tsk."
On the roof of a residential house beyond the barrier outside the mansion, the shadow gazing at the count's residence clicked his tongue openly.
"Failed. Now how am I supposed to report to him... haa."
The shadow pulled down his mask and let out a smirk.
"His daughter died during the mission, so he can handle the internal cleanup properly. Hmm, good. Trash cleared out. If we're at it, maybe a bit more—"
As the shadow chuckled to himself.
Bwoooong!
A faint green light sliced through the air.
If the shadow had reacted even a fraction slower, his head would surely have been severed by the sword.
"Well now... I never heard there was an Advanced Knight among the knights left in the mansion."
"......"
Atop the roof, a green-haired girl wielding a sword as long as her own body stared silently at the shadow.
A flicker of raw regret at the failed strike showed in her slightly furrowed brow.
"That build... Lady Mente of Morgania's Black Rose Knights?"
"......"
"Tch. The kingdom's knights really have no sense of romance. I even cast a silence spell around us so I could mutter to myself in peace—"
Bwoooong!
Mente's swung sword cleaved the air once more.
The shadow leaped back dramatically to dodge, landing lightly like a monkey on a thick tree branch.
"A barbaric knight who won't even talk... tch."
"Next one will hit for sure."
The shadow clutched his chest with his hand.
"At least a centimeter. Pretty deep, right?"
"Indeed..."
Very faintly, the scent of blood began to drift on the wind.
"Going full-on against an Advanced Knight without prep is insane."
"That's why I was trying to talk—"
"Heh heh heh. It's not that I'm scared and running. Soon, he'll come..."
The shadow pulled a round orb from his bosom.
"It's the Margrave he's afraid of."
"!!"
As he touched the end, sparks flew from the orb.
"No way—"
"See ya!"
The moment the shadow hurled the orb to the ground.
Kwaaaaang!
An explosion erupted, thick black smoke billowing everywhere.
"Kuh...!"
Mente immediately swung her sword forward to whip up a sword wind, but through the parted smoke, she saw the shadow already bounding across the rooftops in escape.
"Tch. Lost him."
She couldn't catch up at her speed.
Judging that, Mente pinched her nose with her sleeve, dispersing the smoke with her sword wind as she examined the footprints the shadow had left.
"......"
Footprints from worn shoes, like those a coachman might wear.
"Sigh."
Mente lowered her sword and bit her lower lip.
"Need something faster."
As she gazed at the blade wider than her forearm, scanning for more traces.
Weeeing.
The mansion's barrier deactivated.
* * *
The shadow was disposable.
If a ten-year-old could load mana onto a dinner knife and slit his throat, that said it all.
'Basic spy work undone. A newbie?'
The Empire's shadows were mostly like that—insane types who loved to blab despite being an intelligence outfit.
But their skills were real. No hesitation in crime, no qualms killing on orders. That cold-bloodedness wasn't easy to acquire.
And the tool that turned their arrogance into pride in their abilities was—
"Whoa there."
I casually released the tension in my hand, letting the dead shadow collapse fully onto me.
"Young master!"
"I'm fine. He's dead."
I caught the front of the shadow's collar, slipping my hand secretly into his inner pocket.
There it was.
Brand new, no signs of use.
'Not total junk—mid-low grade.'
Just one packet, but the sharp, acrid scent wafting through the paper told me its quality.
"Sir Robert. Mind cleaning this up?"
"Yes, sir!"
I handed the body to Robert, then slipped the paper packet into my bosom.
"Tch."
Stabbed straight through the throat, my whole body was splattered in blood.
No mirror in the underground morgue to check, but from the feel, I was drenched head to toe.
'Like Letar.'
White dresses stained red with others' blood were her specialty, not mine.
'Wonder how she'll turn out.'
If left alone, would Letar just grow up as is? As a sadist who enjoyed torture.
'I'll watch.'
Letar was only four now. No telling how Mother would raise her, but when she neared adulthood, I'd step in.
'People should stick to what they're good at, but talent isn't always helpful for the times.'
I could hand her a whip like before regression, or if needed, research tongs instead.
"Noir."
What about this one?
"H-Hiiik...!"
"Come to think of it, I told you not to go out, right?"
He'd become a Sword Master. If not, I'd force it.
"B-Bathroom...!"
"Once."
"Huh...?"
"I'll let it slide once. You've lived peacefully in the Gibraltar mansion, so you might not know. Father or Mother might not have told you."
I squatted in front of Noir, slumped on the floor.
"The Empire will always target us. Because they still don't know."
"M-Mmph!"
Noir clamped his mouth shut the moment he met my eyes.
"Really lucky. Or I'd have to ask Father."
I pointed at Robert, busy handling the shadow.
No matter how close Robert was to me, it was too soon to reveal the 'treason' plan.
"You always disappoint me."
"A-Aaah, uuu...!"
"But it's okay. I'll forgive you once. Next time it happens, though, I won't save you like this."
I reached for Noir, then pulled back my blood-smeared hand.
"Become a Master, yeah? I firmly believe you can protect yourself."
"O-Okay. I'll... do that."
"Good. And let's make a promise?"
"Pro...mise...?"
"Yeah. This is the most important."
I grabbed Noir's hand, spreading his index and middle fingers to point at my throat.
"We'll say you did it."
"Wh-What...?"
"Noir Gibraltar. Kidnapped, but showed guts, stabbed the kidnapper, escaped, saved his own life."
"......"
His eyes said it: I killed him—why make me take credit?
"Father ordered it. Hide me."
"......!"
"Your talent, strength, skill—all of it. Why do you think Father took you to the training grounds for no reason?"
"Th-That's... "
"The Gibraltar family's talented, righteous second son, loyal vassal. Your place isn't in shadows like this—it's out in the warm sunlight. Getting blood on your hands here is my job."
Noir had to be the public loyalist. The brighter his light, the darker the shadows aimed at me.
"Or switch? I train with swords, you take the knife?"
I wanted to ask once. See what choice he'd make.
I knew a seven-year-old's answer meant little, but—
"If... that's what you want, brother..."
"Hm?"
"I-I'll... do it..."
"Ha."
"Hiiik!?"
I lightly bonked Noir's head with my fist without thinking.
"Nonsense. You just swing swords in the training grounds. Dealing with shadows like this is brother's job."
"......"
"But I said it once. Get strong."
"......Yeah."
Father's time should be with Noir.
"Get up. I need a fresh change too. Can't go out like this—"
"Gray—!"
At the columbarium entrance.
"You...!"
"Ah."
Father, breathing a bit ragged but no sweat, blinked at us.
"Hm."
I straightened my disheveled clothes, made sure the pocket item stayed hidden, and pointed at my head.
"Now I look a bit like Father's son, right?"
What to call the looks on Father and Noir's faces?
"......Why are you staring like that?"
Eyes like they were beholding something incomprehensible.
"Situation's over, so relax a bit."
Really, what was their deal?
* * *
"General. Looks like the Margrave's returned to his territory."
"Hm..."
The veteran, Marquis Claydoll, gazing up at Gibraltar Canyon, tilted his head at the 50-meter walls.
"Why?"
"No idea."
"You think I made you adjutant to hear that crap?"
"Even if I explain, the result's the same, isn't it?"
The bespectacled brown-haired adjutant calmly pointed at the soldiers behind.
"Give the order, and we'll prep retreat immediately."
"Brat! The commander's still raring to fight—what retreat?!"
"Then how? Gonna climb those walls without ladders?"
"......"
Marquis Claydoll scowled fiercely.
"This is our golden chance with the Margrave gone."
"Only Masters can scale walls like that. Us regular knights risk our lives."
"Argh, fine! You win! Wasn't serious anyway!"
Claydoll grumbled, turning his horse.
"Photos good?"
"Yes. Snapped with the camera before midnight, sent off. Rotaries spinning by now. You facing off the Margrave."
"Tch. Gonna get an earful. 'Why poke when you're not fighting?'"
"Better than hanging back like corpses, getting flak for no show of force."
"Sigh..."
Claydoll covered his face with his hand.
"Damn. Wanted a real clash at least once."
"Wait it out? Wonder why he suddenly went back..."
"Nah. Palace must've pulled some stunt."
"Stunt?"
"Torched his house or threatened the kids."
Claydoll ground his teeth, eyes turning east.
"Really rubs me wrong. Even if he's the heir's line..."
"......The most imperial of them all."
"But also the most dangerous man."
"Pretend I didn't hear that."
"Kuhaha! Smart kid. Don't wanna die yet, huh?"
"Obviously."
The adjutant pushed up his glasses with a grin.
"Can't die before seeing the continent's top beauty, Charlotte Gibraltar, with my own eyes. Especially that... heh heh."
"Lunatic."
"Lunatic? The Emperor himself wanted her as consort. Could've changed the crown prince."
"An adult woman? Sure. And with grandkids already."
"Hearts flow who knows where. Like you retreating without even trying Gate 1."
"......Tch."
Claydoll smacked his lips, eyeing the archer-manned walls.
"Adjutant. Can we breach that gate?"
"Master could. Most troops, no."
"If we fly over..."
"Troops alone? Supplies too."
"Right. Someday..."
Whiiiing.
"The moment we pierce that wind and cross the canyon, we'll topple the kingdom and truly unify the continent."
"Yes. Gibraltar falls, the petty kingdoms raise white flags quick."
"I meant Nostrum Kingdom."
"Haha. Joke."
Adjutant smirked.
"Just take Gibraltar, kingdom crumbles on its own. What country you think I'm from?"
"Nostrum."
"Yes."
"I see."
Moments later.
"Got the Master's show-of-force photo too. Time to head back. Secure the orc hides, mana stones, spines well."
"General."
"We'll eat at dawn before leaving. Relax."
"""Yes, sir!!"""
The 5,000 troops led by Marquis Claydoll began packing to greet the dawn.
* * *
Once Father returned to the mansion, things settled fast.
Those gathered in the study dispersed to clean up everywhere; those who'd gone underground handled bodies.
The knights would try gleaning info from the shadow I killed, but they'd get nothing useful.
Me? I washed the blood from my hair, changed in my room, and stood before Father again.
"Good work."
Unlike in the basement, Father greeted me in his usual stoic form.
"You had the hardest job, Father. Sprinting that distance full tilt again."
"Natural. But..."
"But?"
"Now that you've experienced it, we should avoid outsiders in the family."
Father drummed the desk with a complicated look.
"That's why I rarely hold banquets. Never know what vermin come with guests."
"Understood. But we can't give up entirely."
No one else in the study.
"Saint Geo Nostrum. What message did he send about this incident?"
"......"
"Empire's elite 5,000, with a Master. Their response?"
Father stayed silent.
"Right. None. No reply at all. Like 'handle it yourselves' for something that size."
"......"
"Having the ability to handle it is different. Not even 'defend the border best you can,' no reinforcements or supplies."
"You really hate him."
"Yes. Least, he needs to vanish from this country, this continent."
"...Fine. Then seriously."
Father rose and approached me.
"What do you want? Gibraltar ruling the royals? Joining the Empire? Or founding Gibraltar Kingdom?"
"Thinking of becoming king yourself?"
"Answer my question with yours. State your intent."
"Father."
I bowed lightly in respect.
"I want to dethrone Saint Geo Nostrum."
"And?"
"No immediate successor? Then Princess Naria Geo Nostrum takes the throne."
"Then what?"
"Then?"
I answered in earnest.
"That suffices."
"What?"
"Get Princess Naria on the throne ASAP. Or put inversely, drag the incompetent king off it."
Simply.
"That's enough."
Everything.
"Whatever she does with the kingdom after, or if the Empire destroys it—that's not my concern."
"......"
Make Naria queen.
"Planning to be regent?"
"Me? Hm, if that's the path to dethroning Saint Geo, sure, one way."
"You..."
"Yes. As you guess."
One more time.
"I just need to dethrone the incompetent king and make Princess Naria queen."