Noble's Duty (3)
Seirene Territory bordered the Empire directly. If Gibraltar had its canyon, Seirene had its great river. A vast waterway flowing down from the Elf Forest. At its downstream point, it widened to match the breadth of Gibraltar Canyon—less a river's end and more a sea in its own right. The prevailing theory held that a dragon had once blasted through from the Elf Forest to the southern continent with its breath, carving out the riverbed.
The Empire had tried crossing it several times before, but the terrain here was, in a word, shitty. To advance from the Empire's side, they had to scale not a riverbank but sheer cliffs. In the distant ancient past, it almost seemed as if someone had deliberately raised the land to bolster the kingdom's defenses. Seirene's elevation was that extreme. And over the past few centuries, the Seirene Viscountcy had fortified the position meticulously. From the Empire's perspective, it was no exaggeration to call it another impassable wall of despair.
So how had this Seirene fallen open?
"I'm gonna die—! I'm telling you, I'm gonna die!!"
The moment their carriage arrived in Seirene Viscountcy, a woman was up on the castle walls, staging a protest.
"Ah, miss!! Calm down, please!"
"Does this look calm to you?! Aaaah!!"
A disheveled blonde woman stood screaming on the rampart railing. Her eye makeup was smeared, her clothes all black like mourning garb.
"Hah."
Hex Viscount looked up at the walls and sighed.
"We arrive in the viscountcy, and she puts on this unseemly show right away."
"Is that the Seirene lady?"
"Yeah. Ariana Seirene. The tragic woman who fell for an Imperial general."
Why tragic? Because the man she loved had died.
"She thinks Hailredin was assassinated because of her, and now the king wants to throw a festival on top of it."
"I heard they barely managed a memorial space."
"Even that got wrecked by Her Highness, probably." Hex Viscount shook his head as he stepped down from the carriage. "Throwing tantrums like that changes nothing... Tsk."
"Hex Viscount."
"What? You think I'm wrong?"
"You're quick on the uptake."
I stepped down with him and pointed up at the walls.
"Most folks who pull a suicide stunt like that are just desperately craving attention."
"Right. So?"
"But someone lovesick? Nah."
I lightly drew the edge of my hand across my throat.
"They're dragging it out to gather a crowd and broadcast their message."
"...Message?"
"Yeah. A message of rage and hatred aimed at someone."
For instance—
"Her father."
"Ariana—!!"
A middle-aged noble scrambled up onto the walls.
"Seirene Viscount. Not quite a margrave."
Seirene Territory was a borderland too, technically. It wouldn't be odd for it to hold margrave rank, but Gibraltar already had that title, so it couldn't. A sacrificial lamb to check Gibraltar. Nostrum's bizarre system had slotted it awkwardly between marquis and viscount because they couldn't deny Gibraltar a marquisate but felt a plain viscountcy was insufficient. The head of that viscount house had suffered for it.
"Is he up there as a father desperate to save his daughter, or ashamed that this commotion erupted with royals visiting?"
"He loves his daughter, but she's given him major headaches over this Hailredin mess."
Hex Viscount wearily turned toward the castle gate—
"Wait. You don't think the lady's been waiting for—"
"Better run."
"...Damn it!"
Hex Viscount bolted forward.
"You've come, Father."
"Daughter! Come down! What are you doing?!"
"The man who saved your daughter—the man I loved—is dead, and you can't even hold a funeral? A festival instead?"
"Daughter...! Please! That's not something I can—"
"Let's see if you can still hold your festival after I die. I'll watch from the afterlife."
Whoosh.
Lady Ariana Seirene hurled herself straight off the walls.
Over ten meters. No trees or flowerbeds below to break the fall.
"Ariana—!!"
Seirene Viscount cried her name in panic but clung to the railing, unable to leap after her. Despair and terror flashed across his face—then fury. Was it anger at her attempting suicide? Or outrage at having to explain this face-losing spectacle to the king and queen inside the castle?
The latter, probably.
I knew what kind of man Seirene Viscount was, so I couldn't suppress a smirk.
Still.
If Lady Seirene dies, the Empire will exploit it. Can't let that happen.
Whether Ariana Seirene jumped to spite her father and everyone alive or not.
Conveniently, there's someone who can save her.
Since it had caught my eye, I couldn't let her die in a way that benefited the Empire.
Not my gain, but I won't hand them one either.
That's why I prodded Hex Viscount—to get him moving fast.
Boom—!!
Dust billowed up. Something slammed hard into the walls with a resounding crash, and I casually brushed away the dirt flying my way.
"Kyaaaaah—!!"
A belated scream erupted. Onlookers who'd feared the worst cried out—
"Urgh..."
"......"
But to someone's disappointment, the worst didn't happen.
"Are you... alright, milady?"
"Ah..."
Hex Viscount lay sprawled on the ground, cradling Lady Ariana—dust lightly speckling her back—with him.
"Nice catch."
Safely snatching a midair fall into a princess carry and landing lightly? Only a master like Father could pull that off. Hex Viscount fell short, unfortunately—
"No injuries, it seems. Good... haah."
"Viscount Hex...?"
"I get the gist of your feelings, but... ngh, you can't just die."
Hex Viscount patted Lady Seirene's back.
"He wouldn't be happy if you followed him in death."
"Ugh, sniffl, waaaaah—!!"
Lady Seirene sobbed into Hex Viscount's arms. She wept so heartbreakingly that everyone around pitied her—
"Huh? What."
Up on the walls.
"Thought it'd be a good show, damn."
A blonde red-eyed man—different spot from where the viscount had climbed—smacked his lips, flushed face in hand with a liquor bottle.
"Too bad. Tsk."
No one else heard, but I'd been perking my ears toward him the whole time. Lady Seirene's protest targeted her father too, sure—but he was priority zero.
Saint Geo Nostrum.
The one who'd turned the memorial and funeral into a festival and masquerade.
Our Nostrum king.
After Hex Viscount took Lady Seirene to the infirmary.
I ended up crossing the gate alone—
"Are you young master Grey Gibraltar?"
"You're... Black Rose Knights?"
"Yes. Carlos. I was supposed to escort Viscount Hex, but..."
"Understood. If the order was to bring Hex Viscount's fellow passenger, then guide that person straight to him."
"...Follow me."
A knight who'd spotted my carriage's crest soon led me inside the castle.
Good to recognize the name.
Carlos. Not a major figure, but I remembered him from the Nostrum Governor-General's office.
The reason mattered—
Is he safe to follow, or not?
Paranoid, maybe, but Shadows change everything about my approach. Exhausting life, sure, but assassination risks don't pick times or places.
Fortunately, this one wasn't a Shadow. A Governor-General lapdog lured by Imperial pay and silver dust? Sure. But not gunning for me now.
"This way."
As expected, he took me to Seirene Viscountcy's ultra-luxury hotel.
Siren's Tears.
Odd name for a hotel. Familiar, though.
"She's waiting on the top floor."
"My thanks for the guidance."
I headed straight up the stairs from the entrance.
The hotel was top-tier in every way. No cheap materials anywhere; even the wall paintings were by capital-famous nobles.
Borderland, but tourist spot too. Rich nobles visit often.
Great sea views, plus the thrill of overlooking the Empire.
At the top, she awaited.
Knock knock knock.
"Come in."
The familiar woman's voice answered instantly.
"Your Majesty Carmen Queen."
I greeted upon entering the suite, but a chill ran down my spine at the other presence inside.
"Hm."
A white-haired elder sat opposite Carmen Queen. Lavish robes, but he'd suppressed his presence completely until I opened the door.
"Trained his stamina decently, at least."
"Father."
"Sorry, Your Majesty. Never heard the son got proper training..."
The old man fiddling with his chest-long white beard was—
"Hah, must train in secret. Pass."
"...I greet the Prime Minister."
This kingdom's Prime Minister. Head of the Twelve Ministers. One of the masters, like Father.
Winchester Morgania Grand Duke.
Winchester Grand Duke, Carmen's father.
"Hm..."
"What do you think, Father?"
"......His face takes after his parents—don't like it—but his actions are different. Good."
Never expected parental shade right off the bat—
"Grey Gibraltar. Do you know why I dislike your parents?"
"Crimson Gibraltar unilaterally broke his betrothal to Carmen Morgania, and Charlotte Lemur Gunther stole the fiancée spot. And..."
"And?"
"To preserve House Morgania's power, you had no choice but to marry your only daughter to Saint Geo Nostrum."
"......."
The Grand Duke kept stroking his beard, then pointed at me and turned to Carmen Queen.
"Daughter. You didn't secretly have that kid with Crimson behind my back, did you?"
"God, I wish. Sadly, he's Charlotte's blood."
"......Looks just like you as a kid, though."
"Tragedy of geniuses who had to be smart from childhood. Heads too thick for kid antics—spoiling for cute is embarrassing."
Carmen Queen giggled.
"Son. Meet your political grandfather."
"Allow me to reintroduce: Grey Gibraltar, who serves Carmen Queen as political mother."
"......Tsk."
The Grand Duke clicked his tongue openly at my greeting.
"Kids these days got no fun. Call me Grandpa, act cute. Granddaughter, grandson—all the same damn way."
"Hard for highborn grandkids to play normal."
"Hah. Doesn't yield an inch—same as raising you, but worse."
A wistful glint in the Grand Duke's eyes.
But I couldn't indulge him. Neither could Carmen Queen—we weren't the cuddly type.
He wants an Astasia, but his daughter is Carmen, granddaughter Naria. And now Grey Gibraltar joins the list.
"Heard you witnessed a major incident en route. Not startled?"
"I was. Never imagined Lady Seirene would stage a suicide."
"Hex rushed in and saved her, luckily. Perfect timing—miraculous. If she'd fallen..."
"No knights nearby who could save her."
I could say that confidently.
"Wall guards didn't even consider jumping. Same up top. And your senior knights can't patrol the walls constantly."
We'd arrived just in time; a bit later, and I'd have attended Lady Seirene's funeral first.
"I know why you two—with Hex Viscount—sent me here."
To prevent such incidents.
"Imperial interpreter is the cover; there's more to it."
Digging deeper.
"Using Gibraltar blood. Charlotte's blood, specifically?"
"......."
"My mere presence ensures news reaches Gibraltar."
Prime role: deterrent. To curb that mad act of holding a festival before a woman grieving her love.
"Saint Geo Nostrum. Our king will restrain his idiocy just knowing Charlotte's son is here."
Still.
"He fears real murder from Crimson."
Infuriating as hell.
"Hasn't given up on Charlotte Gibraltar yet."
The incompetent king still lusted after my mother.
"That's why—a great way to rein in Saint Geo Nostrum. Foolproof."
"No holding back against the king, huh, even if not Carmen's son. What is it?"
"A letter."
I raised my hand.
"Mother's letter."
Over the past three years.
"Leak one she sent me. Mix in vibes that she cares about the king."
"...Crimson wouldn't write it that way, even forged."
"Right. Even with margrave approval, it'd take at least three days to move. Distance..."
"I'll write it."
The queen and prime minister's faces hardened simultaneously.
"Prepare one man. Like a Gibraltar courier. The letter to entrust him..."
I clenched my fist.
"I can have it ready in an hour."
As if gripping a quill pen.