Countermeasures
The conversation that followed proceeded smoothly.
"So, the technique you used on me at the end... you learned it from me? Ha, hahaha... Then in your previous life, what really happened?!"
"It ended in a draw, as far as I know. You acknowledged, 'At least in swordsmanship, you're superior to me,' and that's how I got the nickname Sword Emperor."
"Damn it! That's cheating! Schedule a rematch right now! Right now!"
Weapon Master Grid van Selden threw a tantrum unbecoming his age, kicking up a fuss. He yelled so fiercely that even the onlookers felt drained, but soon enough, he calmed down and began actively joining the discussion.
"The magic swordsmen aren't fulfilling their roles as superhumans? So in the end, Aura Users are the key... If we know the techniques we'll use in the future ahead of time, we'll at least be better off than before... No, honestly, we'll be vastly stronger! For that stubborn guy to come up with such a brilliant idea. Damn it!"
"Hah..."
The Sword Emperor let out a sigh as if utterly exasperated, but Grid's brown eyes sparkled with a youthful gleam unfit for his years.
"The Seven... no, you said Ten Great Knights back then? So, besides you, who are the other two?"
"The Reaper is training somewhere in the Empire, and the Magic Sword Knight is inside the Sage's Mage Tower. We can't make contact with them right now."
"Rea...per? Magic Sword Knight? Those nicknames are too on-the-nose. You don't mean who I think you mean, do you?"
Grid's expression twisted slightly, but Tiny just nodded calmly.
"That's right. So contact is impossible for now."
"Hmm. Well, if we're short on forces, we might as well use assassins or cheaters. Anyway, the priority now is preventing the imperial coup, right? But you know I can't enter the palace."
"Just stand by outside. I hope nothing happens, but if it does, you'll need to come as reinforcements."
"...Ha, reinforcements for the Empire. Never thought I'd live to see the day."
"The best outcome is you having nothing to do."
"Yeah, I'd prefer that. Then I could just train quietly. And get my revenge before heading back to the kingdom."
"As if..."
The Sword Emperor scoffed, but Grid responded with a confident smile. He'd already heard extensive explanations about the techniques he'd use in the future. The combat style linking five Transcendent Weapons was impressive enough to draw endless admiration even from him now.
The only issue was...
"...I've only got three Transcendent Weapons? You said five, right?"
"...Yes."
"Hmm..."
An unexpected variable had arisen.
'No way... because of me, history changed and he won't get the other Transcendent Weapons...?'
Tiny's mind grew uneasy for no reason, but he pushed it aside. There were more pressing things to emphasize right now.
"...Many disasters are suspected to be the work of demon worshippers, but not all. Honestly, 'that war' was more like the kingdom alliance provoking a weakened Empire after a civil war."
"...That won't happen. If we prevent this incident, the Empire won't weaken in the first place."
The Sword Emperor spoke as if affirming it to himself, but it was merely assuming the best case.
"If it does happen, you'll have to step in and stop it, right?"
"...Yes."
Grid van Selden, grand duke of Selden Kingdom—a central pillar of the kingdom alliance alongside the Mage Tower—his power was absolutely necessary.
'With that alone, we can avert one of the greatest disasters.'
Extremely speaking, the biggest reason for revealing the secret of time regression to Grid was to prevent that war.
Fortunately, the Weapon Master seemed fully convinced.
"Hmm, hmm. Yeah, if that's the case, of course I'd step in. I might regret it for the Empire, but if the enemy is the Demon King, that's different. The legendary being descends? As a knight, my blood boils! Heh heh."
His straight hair and neatly trimmed mustache belied his battle cry brimming with fighting spirit. The excitement gleaming in his brown eyes revealed the true nature hidden behind his public demeanor.
Perhaps worried by the sight, the Sword Emperor frowned slightly and chided him.
"Out of concern, I must remind you: this conversation stays absolutely secret from the outside."
"Don't treat me like a fool, oh great Sword Emperor. I know that much."
As the Sword Emperor sighed deeply at the childish retort, Grid chuckled and abruptly stood, pacing toward the window.
"If the temple finds out, it's big trouble, so the Seven—no, Ten Great Knights... Tsk, that doesn't roll off the tongue. Anyway, we definitely can't tell that God Hand fellow, right?"
"Exactly."
"...Hmm, that's a shame. Well, I'm convinced."
"...Are you really convinced?"
This time, Tiny pressed him.
"Is there more I need to hear? Rookie... ahem, Tiny?"
"Even in the previous life, you and Hainen acted like you knew everything and caused tons of trouble."
Grid's face contorted grotesquely at that, while the Sword Emperor couldn't hold back his laughter, chuckling softly.
"Hmm, looks like the dwarven First Hammer has a boisterous personality too."
Grid, embarrassed, pretended otherwise, but the Sword Emperor narrowed his eyes and drove the point home once more.
"If you're unsure, just shut up and stay quiet, Grid. Don't go doing whatever strikes your fancy like usual. Not like this sparring match."
"Hey, watch your words, Duke! 'Strikes your fancy'? What the... Ah, fine. I got it!"
Catching him on a technicality, but with a guilty conscience, Grid nodded immediately.
"The hero who repelled the Kraken and saved Carun is right in front of me—how could I not believe? I'll keep the secret. Trust me. I swear on the name of Weapon Master Grid van Selden!"
From bickering to suddenly solemn, but his dignified bearing made it feel natural enough.
And above all...
'Anyway, he was the type who always kept promises made in his name.'
The old comrade Tiny remembered was definitely that kind of man.
* * *
"By the way, when will you tell Sir Jenas?"
After Grid left, Tiny suddenly asked the duke, who was lost in thought.
The Blue Wing Knights' captain dispatched from Carun to assist him. A genius poised to become an Aura User 'as long as he doesn't die.' With solid trust built between them, Tiny saw Jenas as someone he absolutely had to recruit.
But the duke evaded the question with a sigh, staring at the ceiling.
"Didn't you send Sir Jenas to me already planning to bring him into this?"
"...This time."
"Pardon?"
"...After this imperial incident ends safely, then we'll consider it."
"..."
As expected...
Like Tiny, the Sword Emperor presumed Jenas would die in this palace disaster.
But if so...
"Wouldn't it be better to warn him early and prepare?"
"You've already told him demon worshippers might act."
"Still, more details..."
"If I tell him to stay safe, he'll charge in headfirst. Better not to say anything."
Tiny had no choice but to fall silent. The Sword Emperor knew Jenas Priwell far better than he did.
"If we've taken every possible measure, then there's only one issue left."
"Yes, preparing for the existence of a 7th Circle black mage. And there might be more... Hah, what a ridiculous situation."
"Still, we must prepare thoroughly."
"Of course. That's why I informed His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Pardon?"
"You saw it before, right? Just like with my subordinates, I only mentioned demon worshippers might be plotting, including the possibility of black magic swordsmen."
"...I see."
Tiny wasn't entirely satisfied with the duke's response. In his mind, the Aslan imperial family were fools who self-destructed through their own madness, dragging the nation down with them.
But the duke seemed to think differently.
"Don't underestimate the imperial intelligence network. They might already have leads on them."
"If so, wouldn't there already be an uproar?"
"The key to this incident is prevention and containment. What worries me lately is..."
"...?"
"If this disaster... has nothing to do with demon worshippers and is just an internal imperial power struggle, then we have no countermeasures."
Tiny's face hardened at those words. It seemed plenty plausible to him too.
"Then I couldn't even lift a finger in the palace. A vassal can't interfere in imperial family infighting..."
The duke's follow-up pinpointed a blind spot Tiny hadn't considered.
"Even if the capital is destroyed, we'd just have to watch?"
"Yes, that's the principle. That's why I'm almost hoping demon worshippers are involved. Ha, what an ironic wish."
The duke grumbled like that, then forced a small smile as if to brush it off with a sigh.
"...That's my concern, but I mentioned it to His Highness ahead of time, so he's probably handling it."
"You're bringing it up now because you're anxious too, aren't you?"
"...Yes. Thinking of the palace's perfect defenses inevitably draws suspicion there."
"Well, the answer's already clear anyway."
"Hm?"
"There's a problem among the imperial family. Whether they're in league with demon worshippers is optional."
"...Right...?"
The duke tilted his head at the casual tone, as if it were no big deal.
"You know I'm not officially part of House Valentia yet, right?"
"...Why? What are you thinking? Don't tell me...?"
The duke's lips twitched as if guessing something, but Tiny stated his opinion with a bold smile.
"Make a list of suspicious royals, and I'll go beat them down and bolt. Just keep an escape route open."
In that instant, the duke's face flushed red as if about to explode.
"You crazy bastard...!!!"
The duke's enraged roar pierced even the mansion's soundproofing magic, echoing loudly.
* * *
"I've never seen His Excellency that furious. Puahaha! Impressive, Sir Tiny. What on earth did you say to him?"
Garen burst into mad laughter at the sight of Tiny, bandaged on his limbs and lying down.
Tiny couldn't fathom why this knight, whom he'd only met once, was here yapping and stoking his anger.
But more irritating than that was...
"No, it was a perfectly solid plan..."
The surest way to prevent all incidents: kill off anyone likely to cause trouble.
And since he'd bear the risk himself, he thought even the duke would welcome the proposal.
- You need to crack the Demon King's skull! Didn't you say you wanted to do that? And now you wanna become an imperial fugitive?
Recalling the duke beating him senseless in a rage brought the pain surging back.
'Damn it... I shouldn't have told him the Mana Body could etch in experiences...'
He'd been rolled nearly to death under the pretext of training. If this was the way to reach Blader level in a short time, he'd pass.
But at the same time, a strange itch tickled his chest. No fool could miss that the duke's fury stemmed from concern for him.
A feeling different from trusting a comrade with his back in the previous life. As the unfamiliar sensation dredged up old memories...
"Come on, Sir Tiny, what did you say to His Excellency?"
The chattering knight kept interrupting his thoughts.
"...Why are you here doing this, Vice Captain?"
"Hm? Oh, you haven't heard? Per His Excellency's orders, we'll be partnering on the next mission, so I wanted to gauge my partner's temperament. Might as well build some rapport."
"...Pardon?"
What was this? Next mission? More importantly...
Did they build rapport these days by teasing the injured?
Tiny blinked in bewilderment.
"Ah, right. I almost forgot—this is for you."
Ignoring his mood, Garen grinned and pulled a glass vial of red liquid from his bosom.
Red liquid glowing with an extraordinary sheen at a glance. That was definitely...
"Bought a high-grade potion to help you heal fast. No need to feel burdened—it's just from me. Friends help each other, right?"
As the middle-aged man winked slyly, Tiny nearly laughed in disbelief—
- Woof!
A signal came from his soul companion.