The Plan
"Your Grace."
"Yes, sir!"
"Good, you look to be in fine shape."
The duke nodded with a light smile, his gaze soon shifting to Drexler, who had been summoned alongside Tiny.
"How did it go?"
"...I can hardly believe it myself, but I've confirmed that this Expert-level child possesses combat prowess comparable to a Superior-grade knight."
The duke's eyes widened in surprise at those words, and he flashed a grin at Tiny. "Impressively beyond expectations."
Is 'beyond expectations' really all it merits?
...From what I saw, he's on the level of a mythic hero.
Drexler swallowed the words rising in his throat as Tiny met the duke's gaze with a soft smile.
"Thanks to Your Grace's consideration."
The duke returned the smile—seemingly oblivious to the lingering grudge from three days prior—with equal warmth. "Indeed, at that level, I can entrust it to you without worry."
...Entrust what, exactly?
Drexler blinked in confusion, but the duke offered no chance for questions.
"Sir Drexler, you may go. I need a word alone with Tiny."
Who could refuse such an order? "...Understood."
Only after Drexler had departed did the duke's expression harden as he revealed the true reason for summoning Tiny.
"Now then, shall we discuss what we must do?"
"Yes."
"The first calamity you spoke of: the sacred relic Humanitas of Karon vanishes, and the capital Ortus is shattered... Frankly, it's still hard to believe, but you say it happens this year?"
"Yes. Precisely on the first day of the new year, the relic disappears, and afterward, the island housing Ortus suffers a Kraken assault—or so I heard."
The Kraken. A colossal sea beast dominating the oceans. But due to its deep-sea habitat and rare surfacing, its very existence was now dismissed as mere legend.
If it truly emerged, it would be a catastrophe in itself.
"The relic vanishing is unbelievable enough, and now a Kraken..."
The seven relics said to have been bestowed by the Goddess were humanity's treasures, instrumental in preserving ancient human civilization. These artifacts blocked demonic beasts infused with demonic energy from approaching city-sized areas, serving as shields for mankind's first seven fledgling cities in antiquity.
Of course, in the present era of sprawling metropolises, they functioned merely as national or tribal symbols. Yet when the Demon King Army descended, their absence would prove a devastating loss to the human alliance.
"What in the world was the Karon royal family doing?"
"...I don't know that either. But from what my comrades told me, it was stolen just before the incident."
"Hah..."
Sighing once more, the duke narrowed his eyes at Tiny. "Knowing the calamity's details is useless without countermeasures."
Tiny bristled at the accusatory stare. "What do you expect me to do... damn it! Should I dive into the deep sea and hunt the Kraken beforehand?!"
Had he known he'd return to the past, he'd have investigated more thoroughly and prepared accordingly.
Sending me back without a word...
The duke sighed again at Tiny's aggrieved expression, tapping his desk. "In the end, all we can do now is bolster security around Karon's relic... As you know, I can't intervene personally. Karon may not be part of the kingdom alliance, but it's still a neutral power."
If Duke Valentia of the Aslan Empire meddled directly, Karon might rebel. Forced measures could be seen as interference in internal affairs, potentially reigniting opposition from the once-quiet kingdom alliance against the empire.
In other words...
"...An outsider—someone privy to this information—must act. Someone exactly like me."
Had Tiny planned to handle it alone, blind infiltration of the kingdom would have been his only reckless option. But...
"Fortunately, my subordinate Garen has ties to the Tide Mage of Karon, Gail Anderson. Get a letter of recommendation from him to enter the royal court. Karon's court is perpetually short-staffed, so a talent like you will be welcomed."
The duke had an even better path. Though it wasn't flawless.
"Will they accept just anyone on a recommendation? Surely one's identity must be verified to enter the royal court."
The objection seemed reasonable, but the duke chuckled dismissively. "Spirit User."
"...Ah!"
"The master of spirits, attainable only by those with pure, kind souls. In human society, it's an unimpeachable proof of identity. Of course... you do seem a bit off."
"...I could do without the caveat."
"I'm just honest."
The duke shrugged infuriatingly, but Tiny knew the myths about spirit users were 'slightly' misconstrued. Setting aside his own peculiarities, spirit users weren't inherently virtuous.
It was true that contracting spirits required a childlike pure soul... but
Spirit users can fall from grace afterward. Like Raphtan, that bastard...
People change. A villain who proved even spirit users were no exception had shaken the entire continent.
Recalling the spirit user he'd once faced as an enemy in his previous life, Tiny gave a wry smile—which the duke took as assent, nodding to continue.
"For safety's sake, claim you're around twenty. Say you're a quarter-elf, and they'll buy it."
"Pardon? Who'd believe that?"
With eyes and conscience intact, Tiny knew his looks fell far short of elven standards.
But the duke thought otherwise. "Well, you're cute enough on average? And quarter-elves often show no outward signs."
Tiny grimaced at 'cute,' then shook his head in disbelief. He held back the retort that a true quarter-elf's youthful appearance would still raise questions.
A graver issue loomed.
"If I claim mixed blood, they'll all assume demonkin first."
Fiddling with his black hair, Tiny couldn't help recalling his past life's misconceptions—born of black hair, black eyes, and an unreasonably massive build.
Few dared say it to his face, of course.
The duke's expression softened unwittingly at the reaction.
"Why are you looking at me like that...?"
As Tiny's face soured further, the duke hurriedly pressed on. "...Karon's different. An eastern archipelago, a maritime kingdom. They thrive on trade with the East Continent. Plenty of black-haired mixed breeds there, I've heard."
Come to think of it...
"Well... you're probably right."
In his previous life, when he'd emerged, Karon's capital lay in ruins amid chaos, so he'd never bothered visiting. But yes, he'd heard such tales.
"So infiltrate the Karon royal court and volunteer for the relic guard. That's your first mission."
"Will that even work on my say-so?"
"If not, just fight the Kraken yourself."
As Tiny's face fell, the duke chuckled. "Kidding. The relic's long been symbolic. Guard duty's a sinecure these days, so volunteering should get you in easily enough. Though I can't guarantee it."
"...Guess I'll make it work somehow. But I'm still worried. If it's really stolen, I need to be there at the exact moment."
"There'll be signs. No matter how lax the watch, the relic can't just vanish unnoticed at that precise time. Most of the calamities you described smack of foul play."
A vague hunch, but persuasive enough.
"You said the same in my past life. Definitely tied to those Demon Worshippers."
"Yes, that was hindsight after the fact. This time..."
"We stop it."
"We stop it."
Their words overlapped; their gazes met, and matching smiles curved their lips.
"...To earn trust and secure a position, I'll head to Karon as soon as possible. I'll watch for those signs too. Or camp near the relic under the guise of training."
An extreme measure, but he'd do it if needed.
As Tiny rose to leave, the duke's voice stayed him.
"One more thing first."
"Yes?"
"I trust your strength, but we must prepare for contingencies."
"...?"
"An Expert with Superior-level combat power... Perfect for lulling enemies into complacency, but you need an ace up your sleeve for true safety."
"Heh... You're that worried about me?"
Tiny blinked in bemusement; the duke coughed and shook his head. "Ahem, just ensuring our investment isn't wasted. Enough chatter."
"If you're adding cards to my hand, I'm all for it...?"
No direct aid, he'd said—how?
Meeting the quizzical stare with a leisurely smile, the duke replied, "I'll have an artifact warhammer made for you. We have time yet—take it."
"...Pardon?!"
Even Tiny jolted at that. Artifacts were weapons imbued with semi-permanent magic. Their value varied wildly by utility and power—from years of a knight's salary at minimum, to transcendent arms beyond the price of a castle at maximum.
This one wouldn't be transcendent, surely.
"Haha... You don't have to go that far..."
The duke spoke casually, but it wouldn't be trivial.
"Nothing spectacular, so no need to get excited. And truthfully, preparations started months ago."
Mmonths ago?
"How? You couldn't have known I'd come."
The duke coughed again, averting his eyes. "...A secret. But it was meant as a long-service gift for Drexler anyway."
"Ah..."
Tiny pictured Blue Wing's vice-captain—tender-hearted beneath his stern exterior—who'd accompanied him here. Guilt weighed briefly, but
...I'll reward you greater later, Sir Drexler.
He resolved inwardly, tuning back to the duke.
"Giving it to you means you'll look after Drexler when you see him later."
"...Isn't that too much? Volunteering with an artifact in hand?"
"Claim quarter-elf from Elvenheim; a low-grade artifact won't raise eyebrows. It'll also excuse hiding your true power."
"...Fair enough."
Better a twenty-year-old elf-blood spirit user wielding an artifact than a thirteen-year-old boy smashing skulls barehanded.
"So where do I pick up this artifact?"
Tiny's eyes sparkled, calculations complete.