The Villainous Pact and the Road to Aurelium
The wind swept through with a rushing sigh, setting the coniferous forest rustling in a pleasant whisper. Sephirot struck the ground once more with his staff—a crisp tap—then spoke.
“My, my. So you wish to become emperor?”
At Sephirot’s question, Duke Lucas Eisenvelt gave a firm nod.
“To be perfectly honest, yes. But the current situation isn’t exactly favorable.”
“Not favorable? The great Lucas Eisenvelt, of all people… Don’t you already hold more than enough power? The emperor is little more than a puppet these days, isn’t he?”
When Sephirot responded that way, Eisenvelt cleared his throat, his face tightening with displeasure.
“Power? I’ve had more than enough of that for a long time. The problem is legitimacy. I lack a just cause.”
“A just cause?”
Sephirot tilted his head, genuinely puzzled. Eisenvelt let out a low, uncomfortable groan. Of course a wicked mage who’s lived like an outlaw his whole life wouldn’t understand how vital legitimacy is. Sneering at Sephirot inwardly, Eisenvelt continued.
“The people still don’t support me. Far too many in this nation still pity that foolish emperor. And just recently, that blonde woman who appeared out of nowhere defeated the Demon King Apocryon. The emperor claimed all the credit and the public’s favor.”
“Ah. So it’s a political issue.”
Sephirot let out a soft chuckle, as if he had only just understood. Eisenvelt pressed on.
“If power alone were enough to make one emperor, I would have taken the throne long ago. The other factors simply refuse to align in my favor.”
“Very well. Then what exactly do you want from me?”
At Sephirot’s question, Eisenvelt cleared his throat again before answering.
“Stir up another war. If I then step forward and negotiate a victory against the Demon King’s forces, the people’s hearts will naturally turn to me, won’t they?”
Sephirot let out a short, dry laugh.
“I’ve spent half my life as a wicked mage myself, but… Eisenvelt, you’re no better. Planning to summon the Demon King’s army just to seize the throne…”
“Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it? To those ignorant masses who know nothing, I can become the hero who single-handedly repelled the Demon King’s forces.”
Eisenvelt and Sephirot burst into hearty, wicked laughter. After they had laughed for a long while, Sephirot spoke again.
“But what about that blonde woman who defeated Apocryon last time? Or the maid who gave me so much trouble? If those two step forward again, even the Demon King’s army would be useless, wouldn’t it?”
“I already have plans for them. No matter how powerful a mage may be, they are still human in the end. I will take care of those humans, so don’t worry.”
Sephirot thought to himself, This Eisenvelt fellow… he might actually prove quite useful. He would be an excellent tool for destroying the empire and exacting revenge on the imperial family.
“All right. I’ll speak with Demon King Apocryon. He is still recovering, but he should be strong enough to summon his army once more.”
At Sephirot’s answer, Eisenvelt smiled faintly.
“Answer me honestly, Sephirot. Your true goal isn’t the death of every human in the empire, but the destruction of the Saint-Clear imperial family, correct? In that case, we share a common objective.”
“Correct. My purpose is the destruction of both this empire and its imperial family. Not the death of every human. After all, I am human myself.”
“How will you control Demon King Apocryon? What if he refuses to follow your orders?”
“Don’t concern yourself. I was the one who summoned Apocryon. I also know the method to seal him away again. So we simply use him where needed and reseal him when the time comes.”
“It’s refreshing to speak with someone so reasonable. Shall we work well together from now on?”
When Eisenvelt extended his hand, Sephirot took it, and the two shared a firm handshake. It was the moment a sinister alliance was born.
In the distance, a crow cawed loudly.
Sigh. Another busy day.
I was rushing around, brewing tea, baking pastries, and taking orders. Over there, Princess Mage was busy washing dishes, while Charlene diligently carried out the dishes I had prepared. Oh. She seems to have gotten quite used to washing dishes now. Even that strict Charlene can no longer find fault with the princess’s dishwashing skills.
That said, the princess is surprisingly resilient. I thought she’d grown up too pampered and would quickly give up and surrender, but… she’s holding on longer than expected. Does that mean she really needs our help that badly?
“Kailon? Could you take these finished dishes back? Customers are waiting.”
Princess Mage called out from where she was washing dishes.
“Ah, yes. Understood. Sigh…”
Surprisingly, the three of us—me, Charlene, and Princess Mage—work together surprisingly well. Maybe the princess actually has a maid’s disposition? Hmm…
Just as we were deep in the rush, a familiar voice rang out.
“Princess! Are you here, Princess? It’s Guard Captain Mikhail!”
Why has Uncle Mikhail come again? Soon Princess Mage poked her head out slightly and answered.
“Mikhail? What brings you here?”
“An urgent message just arrived from the imperial palace. It’s for you, Princess.”
“A message?”
Princess Mage glanced at me. Hmm… It was almost time for our lunch break anyway. Might as well send the customers off and take a short rest.
We gathered around a table. Each of us had one of the sandwiches I’d made. Today’s lunch.
Princess Mage quickly unfolded the small note the pigeon had carried and read it. Her expression grew serious.
“Princess. What’s wrong?”
When I asked, Princess Mage frowned slightly and answered.
“Reports say the Demon King’s army is appearing again across the empire. Our imperial forces can still repel them for now, but… it’s being called a bad omen. The pattern is similar to the last war.”
The Demon King’s forces have begun appearing in various regions of the empire.
Imperial troops can still handle the current scale, yet this mirrors the pattern from the previous war.
Considered an ill omen. Immediate attention advised.
“The Demon King’s army?”
Charlene took a light bite of her cheese sandwich and hummed.
“Mmm~. This sandwich is delicious. As expected, Master’s sandwich-making skills are unmatched.”
“Charlene. Are you even listening to the princess?”
“Of course I am. Please continue, Princess.”
Having finished reading the entire message, Princess Mage spoke again, her face grave.
“Last time, thanks to that mysterious blonde woman’s efforts, Apocryon was forced to flee. Is he seeking revenge already?”
“No. Apocryon was heavily injured. He probably hasn’t recovered yet.”
At Charlene’s answer, Princess Mage’s eyes widened.
“How can you be so sure, Charlene?”
“Because Big Sister Annette really let him have it back then. After taking a beating like that from her, even the Demon King Apocryon will be too badly hurt to move for a while. Mmm~ This sandwich really is good. Nom nom.”
Ugh. Charlene, you just casually dropped Annette’s name.
Princess Mage narrowed her eyes slightly.
“So that blonde woman’s name is Annette. I don’t suppose she’ll help us again this time?”
“No. I can guarantee she won’t. In fact, she’s probably not even in the empire anymore.”
Sigh. Yeah. It’s probably better for Princess Mage to naturally learn about our situation like this.
Hearing my answer, Princess Mage nodded.
“Then we’ll have to prepare using only our own strength. Kailon? Charlene? It looks like you’ll both need to accompany me to the capital, Aurelium.”
At those words, Charlene answered with her usual shameless tone.
“Huh? Why should I?”
Princess Mage’s face instantly turned bright red.
“Wh-what did you say? Why do you think I’ve been working as a maid here washing dishes all this time? You clearly said that if I worked as a maid, you would help our empire!”
Princess Mage slammed her hand on the table as she shouted.
I poked Charlene in the side.
Charlene. Stop teasing the princess so much.
When I gave her that look, Charlene huffed.
“Fine. A promise is a promise, I suppose. Ugh, how tiresome.”
I cleared my throat and spoke carefully.
“If we go to Aurelium, we’ll have to close the teahouse for a while… The lost income during that time…”
When I reluctantly brought up the awkward subject, Princess Mage answered.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I understand the teahouse’s profits quite well now. I’ll repay you double. Selling just one of the rings I left at the palace would cover a year’s worth of this teahouse’s revenue.”
“Well… if that’s the case, then it should be fine.”
Then Mikhail, who had been sitting silently beside me, stood up and bowed deeply.
Huh? Why is Mikhail suddenly acting like this?
“Kailon. I’m entrusting the princess and the empire to you. Without your and Charlene’s help, the Arcadia Empire is like a candle flickering in the wind. Understood?”
At Mikhail’s serious request, I scratched the back of my head and answered awkwardly.
“Well, I am a citizen of this empire too, Uncle Mikhail. Please don’t bow like that.”
When I waved my hands, Uncle Mikhail bowed to the princess and said,
“I will now focus fully on defending Marenost once more. Princess, I leave the empire in your hands.”
“Yes, Mikhail. Thank you for your continued hard work.”
Having bowed, Uncle Mikhail withdrew from the teahouse.
Princess Mage stretched and spoke.
“Right. Let’s prepare for departure. Everyone, pack your things.”
Charlene, who had lightly popped the rest of her sandwich into her mouth, whispered to me in a small voice.
“The princess looks excited. Why do you think that is?”
“Who knows…”
I can never quite figure out what the princess is thinking. Come to think of it, her status as princess must have made it hard for her to make friends until now. Maybe she sees us as friends? Nah, no way.
The next morning. The sea waves were too rough for ships to sail, so we decided to travel by carriage. The horses and carriage were, of course, purchased with the princess’s money.
Sigh… How long has it been since I last left Marenost? And I’ve never been to Aurelium before. That aside…
“Charlene. You’re wearing your maid uniform even for a long trip?”
I asked Charlene, who was sitting in the coachman’s seat beside me in her maid dress.
“This outfit is the most comfortable. Do you dislike me wearing a maid dress, Master?”
“No, I just thought you might want to wear something more comfortable for travel—”
“This is the most comfortable thing I can wear, so it’s fine. Shall we depart?”
When I lightly shook the reins, the horses set off with a pleasant clattering of hooves.
“Princess. How long will it take to reach Aurelium from here?”
When I asked, Princess Mage poked her head out the carriage window and answered.
“If we travel diligently, we should arrive in two days. Though the ride is a bit uncomfortable. It shakes too much.”
“…My apologies. It’s not an imperial carriage, after all.”
Charlene, sitting beside me, muttered with a huff.
“The princess really does demand the most expensive things.”
…For some reason, I found myself agreeing with Charlene’s complaint.
Anyway, we rode the carriage, gradually leaving Marenost behind. Sigh. Yeah. Taking an occasional trip like this and breathing in fresh air isn’t so bad.
As we moved away from Marenost, a dense forest soon appeared. Just as expected, the further we got from the sea breeze, the taller and thicker the leaves grew on trees that hadn’t absorbed salt. The cries of nameless birds echoed around us.
“Master. Hey. If Apocryon fully recovers, how are we supposed to defeat him?”
Charlene asked, sitting beside me with her chin resting in both hands.
“Hmm?”
“Last time we barely got through the crisis thanks to Big Sister Annette. But right now Apocryon is recovering somewhere. I don’t think I can beat that Demon King.”
R-right. With so many things happening lately, I had forgotten about the most important problem.
“W-well… If you and I combine our strength, maybe we can manage somehow?”
“Yes. The only variable is you, Master. The future of this empire will depend on how well you can use Annette’s divine power.”
As our carriage continued deep into the thick forest, a sudden shout came from ahead.
“Halt!!”
What now?