It's Human Nature to Want to Use Power
On the road back, the prince and princess traveled together. Princess Mage, riding atop her horse, spoke first.
“Brother. I won’t be returning to Aurelium.”
“What?” Prince Cassian stared at his sister in shock.
“The Demon King’s army has been wiped out and Father is about to return to the imperial palace. Why in the world would you stay here?”
“Because of Mr. Kailon and Miss Charlene.”
“Excuse me?”
Still sitting perfectly upright on her horse and gripping the reins, Princess Mage continued.
“For the sake of our empire, I absolutely must bring those two onto our side. I’ll remain here and get close to them.”
“I-if that’s the case, then I’ll stay behind as—”
“No. Brother, you must stay at Father’s side.”
Though he wanted to argue against his sister’s proposal, Prince Cassian couldn’t find a solid justification. He simply let out a displeased “Ugh—”
“Brother, do you have feelings for Miss Charlene?”
When his sister asked so bluntly, Prince Cassian’s face flushed bright red.
“W-what are you saying, Mage? S-suddenly asking something like—”
“Give it up, Brother. It seems Miss Charlene only has eyes for Mr. Kailon.”
Hearing that, Prince Cassian made an even louder, irritated “Ugh—” than before.
“What does that Kailon bastard have that I don’t? Status? Appearance? Wealth? I surpass him in every single way!”
At her brother’s furious outburst, Princess Mage gave a faint smile and replied.
“Brother, you truly don’t understand a woman’s heart at all. I think I know exactly why Miss Charlene likes Mr. Kailon.”
“What’s the reason?”
“Mr. Kailon is a genuinely kind person. He’s also fun to be around. I feel like it would be enjoyable having him nearby too.”
“What? D-don’t tell me you feel the same way, Mage?”
“Don’t overreact so much, Brother. We’re still young, after all.”
While the siblings exchanged words, they arrived at the lord’s castle they were using as temporary lodging. Prince Cassian dismounted and spoke.
“Mage. Are you truly planning to live out your days in this city?”
“Not forever. My first objective is—”
Princess Mage also slid down from her horse, stroking its mane as she added.
“...To firmly secure Mr. Kailon and Miss Charlene as our allies. After that, I’ll bring the two of them back to the capital, Aurelium.”
“I see. Very well. I’ll inform Father of your plan.”
From somewhere distant came the faint sound of crashing waves. Princess Mage gazed up at the full moon floating in the sky with her large, clear eyes.
The next day, we opened for business again, only to be swarmed by a massive crowd. They had all come to catch a glimpse of Charlene, the woman who had fought the Demon King on equal footing.
I finally lost my patience, stepped outside the shop, and shouted.
“Listen! If you’re not here to drink tea inside, please leave! Other customers can’t even get in!”
The onlookers began to slink away, reading the atmosphere, but soon a fresh wave of spectators came pouring in from the other direction.
“Is it true a ridiculously strong maid works here?”
“Show us the maid!”
“I want to become her disciple!”
“I’ve got plenty of money. Can’t I just hire her myself? How much weekly wage do you pay her anyway?”
Complaints and pleas erupted from every side. Ugh… damn it.
Fortunately, Guard Captain Mikhail arrived with his men and drove the crowd away, finally bringing some quiet back to the teahouse. Heh. It really pays to have connections with the guard captain at times like these.
Mikhail, who had come as usual to drink cold water, sat down at a table and spoke.
“I want to thank Miss Charlene too. If not for her, our empire would have been in serious trouble. Right?”
“Yes, that’s true, but…”
Charlene was loading empty cups onto a tray as she answered.
“I didn’t fight to protect the empire. I fought to protect my master and this teahouse.”
“Where did that blonde woman who defeated the Demon King Apocryon go?”
“I don’t know. My sister is quite busy. She isn’t in the empire at the moment.”
After giving that vague reply, Charlene cleared an empty table and disappeared into the kitchen.
Mikhail stared hard at her retreating figure, then turned to me and lowered his voice.
“Kailon. Isn’t it about time you told me?”
“Told you what?”
“Charlene’s true identity. That blonde woman from before too. You’re close with both of them, aren’t you?”
“Ah, w-well…”
When I hesitated, Mikhail continued in a serious tone.
“Right now, the one protecting this city isn’t our guard unit—it’s effectively Charlene. There isn’t a single human in this city stronger than her. So I believe I need to know exactly what kind of person she is.”
“…I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit distracted lately—”
Right at that moment, the door suddenly burst open and someone stormed in.
“Kailon! Kailon Bladehart! Is Kailon here?”
Who is this? Doesn’t look like anyone from town. Whew. What perfect timing. Mikhail was asking something difficult to answer, but now someone’s come looking for me.
“Yes, I’m Kailon Bladehart…”
I stood and raised my hand slightly. The man who had come for me spoke in a stern voice.
“Lord Lucas Eisenvelt summons you. Prepare to follow me at once.”
Lucas Eisenvelt? Why would that man want to see me?
From the dishwashing station, Charlene poked her head out and said.
“It’s almost break time anyway, so go ahead. He’s an important person, isn’t he?”
“Huh? Y-yes, but… Ahem. Why would he want to see me?”
Mikhail tapped his fingers on the table and muttered.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
The lodging where Lucas Eisenvelt was staying was a mansion previously used by one of the city’s most successful merchants.
Ugh. What could that unpleasant noble possibly want with me?
The moment I stepped inside, Lucas Eisenvelt himself came forward to greet me.
“Good to see you, Kailon. Come, sit down.”
What is he scheming? I sat on the chair he had personally pulled out for me, utterly bewildered. Pulling out a chair for someone like me? What game is this man playing?
Once he sat across from me, he asked without preamble.
“Where is Charlene? Where is she right now?”
So he’s after Charlene too?
“She’s working at the shop. May I ask why you summoned me…?”
“Enough with the formalities. I’ll speak plainly.”
Eisenvelt stroked his beard with a confident air.
“At this point, I am the one truly ruling the empire. Emperor Valderic is nothing more than a puppet dancing in the palm of my hand. After a thousand years, the Arcadia Empire has clearly reached the end of its lifespan. Wouldn’t you agree it’s time for a new empire to rise?”
“Pardon?”
What kind of treasonous nonsense is this man spouting?
“I intend to become emperor and found a new empire.”
…I was stunned. No matter how uninterested I was in politics or power, even I understood exactly what this old schemer was saying. Treason? Why the hell was he suddenly telling me this?
As I stood there with my mouth agape, wearing a completely flustered expression, Eisenvelt ignored my reaction and kept talking.
“To become emperor, I require a definite and absolute power. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Hand over your maid Charlene to me.”
…Huh?
When I frowned, Eisenvelt extended one hand and continued.
“Naturally, I’m not suggesting I’ll simply take your maid without compensation. Kailon, I will give you enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of your life. If you wish, I will even consider granting you a noble title.”
Ugh. This man is completely drunk on power.
I tilted my head and thought for a moment before answering.
“Why are you telling this to me?”
“What?”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to speak to Charlene directly?”
When I replied in a clearly displeased tone, Eisenvelt laughed loudly.
“I know very well that Charlene is a maid who follows only you with absolute loyalty. That’s why the transaction must be made with her master. Where exactly did you obtain her?”
…This conversation felt incredibly dirty.
I shot up from my seat and answered.
“I’ll speak with Charlene. However, given her personality, I doubt you’ll receive a favorable answer.”
“What? Do you not know who I am? I am Lucas Eisenvelt, the true power behind this empire—”
“Charlene isn’t the type to care about who holds real power in the empire. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
I bowed politely and left Eisenvelt’s room.
So people are already scheming to get their hands on Charlene’s strength. Ugh. For some reason, it really pisses me off. Am I only seen as Charlene’s owner?
I scratched the back of my head in irritation. On another note, I’ve become a Grim Reaper’s acolyte now… How exactly do I borrow divine magic? I’ll have to ask Charlene about it properly later.
After Kailon left, Eisenvelt sat with a sour expression, fist tightly clenched. One of his subordinates approached cautiously.
“Lord Eisenvelt. In that case…”
With his face flushed red, Eisenvelt let out a long sigh.
“Don’t worry. I anticipated this and already have the next plan in motion.”
“Should we search for the blonde woman who defeated Apocryon?”
“No. Even if we found her, she wouldn’t listen to me. She’d probably react the same way that insolent Kailon just did. Forget it.”
Eisenvelt, whose mind worked quickly in situations like this, slowly rose and gazed out the window. After staring outside for a moment, he asked his subordinate.
“Has the imperial family departed for Aurelium?”
“Yes. They left about an hour ago.”
“Good. Then we shall return to Aurelium as well.”
His loyal subordinate asked once more.
“Is it truly fine to leave Charlene and Kailon alone?”
“Leave them for now. My position isn’t so desperate that I must cling to them. Prepare for departure.”
“Yes, Lord Eisenvelt.”
The subordinate bowed and withdrew. Eisenvelt muttered to himself.
“This empire is already a candle flickering in the wind. Once the sun sets, night cannot be stopped.”
He let out a low, ominous chuckle.
That night, another day finally came to an end. Thanks to all the customers who had come to see Charlene, our sales had risen considerably. Heh heh. If business keeps going this well, I should be able to pay off the debt soon.
After I finished washing the dishes, Charlene, who was mopping the floor, spoke up.
“Master? What exactly did that man Eisenvelt say when he called for you earlier?”
Ah, right. I had planned to bring it up after work anyway. Perfect timing.
“Well… he made a ridiculous proposal. I’m not even sure how to explain it. It was that absurd.”
“A ridiculous proposal?”
Charlene finished mopping, tilted her head, and said.
“Business is over for the day, so it’s time for a bath. Master, shall I scrub your back for you?”
“What? Are you joking or being serious?”
“Helping the master bathe is also part of a maid’s duties.”
Charlene laughed brightly. Seeing her like this, she really did look like a proper maid. Having Charlene scrub my back… that actually sounded pretty nice.
While I was grinning at the thought, Charlene wrung out the mop and continued.
“The house next door was empty, right? Someone moved in today.”
“Next door?”
Now that she mentioned it, there was a small two-story building beside the shop that had been vacant for a long time. Who could have moved in? Should I go greet them?
Charlene stepped on the mop to wring it thoroughly and kept talking.
“Anyway, let’s get ready for the bath. I’ll heat the water. Also, I wanted to ask what happened during that ritual with Sister Annette last time—”
Right then, someone knocked on the door. Knock, knock, knock.
“I’m the person who moved in next door. I’ve come to introduce myself.”
A woman’s voice came from outside. Huh? The neighbor came to greet us first?
I jumped up and opened the locked door.
“Oh, hello! I should have gone over to greet you first—Huk.”
I stumbled backward in shock. What the— It was Princess Mage.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mage Saint Claire, your new next-door neighbor.”
Princess Mage smiled rather boldly and held out her hand.
I could almost hear the vein popping on Charlene’s forehead.