461 - Alfred's Return 2
...Lately, Alfred-sama has been acting more and more like Alf-san, hasn't he?
I watched Rannvald leave the room as if fleeing, and then turned back to face Alfred. Alfred had been intentionally imitating Alf for some time, but just as they had seemingly swapped places in the royal capital, when they both behaved as themselves, I could not tell which was which.
"Now then, we've digressed..."
"What were we talking about again?"
"...The fact that it is about time for me to return to the royal capital."
He pinched my cheek with one hand, as if asking if I remembered. He was holding back, so it didn't hurt much, but I felt like my face was actually going to stretch.
"You have been away from the royal capital for quite a while. It is about time for you to return."
It was only something I had heard from Leonardo, but Alfred had come to Grenore as the person responsible for my rescue after I was kidnapped. Alfred came because it would be easier for Leonardo and the others to move if someone who could make final decisions was on site, and due to the extent of the authority he was granted at the time, it seems Alfred is now set to take the next throne. He was told that selfishness, such as wielding authority only when he wanted to and avoiding responsibility, would not be tolerated.
...Because I was kidnapped, the fates of many people have changed.
I hope most of those changes were for the better, but only one example immediately comes to mind. I feel somewhat sorry for Alfred, but Felicia was able to marry her favorite knight rather than someone suited to be a royal consort. In exchange, Alfred ended up taking the throne he had intended as a backup, and he can no longer just be called Alf, Alf.
Kalisa died, Aaron lost his sight, Kokumaro still limps, and Giselle is under a distant sky. Truly, the fates of various people had changed too much.
"...As for me, I would like to take Christina back to the royal capital with me."
"That is unfortunate. I cannot go outside right now, so a long journey is impossible."
It seems he would rather have me live in the royal capital, far from the border, than leave me in a fortress town near the border. Since I was kidnapped once, I cannot refuse too strongly, but I have no intention of leaving Leonardo, so my departure for the royal capital will not happen for a while. I had said I would stay with Leonardo until I reached twenty, the age of adulthood in my previous life, but I am now wondering if I could stay in Grenore until I am twenty-two to make up for the two years I was kidnapped. My brother complex is steadily worsening. I do not want to go to the royal capital alone.
"Even if I could go outside, I have no intention of leaving Big Brother Leonardo."
"Regarding Leonardo's recall... Father has likely begun considering it. It would be more reassuring to protect Christina in the royal capital, and Leonardo has calmed down compared to a while ago."
He is thinking it might be time to let him return to the royal capital, but since he is also concerned about the movements of the Zugari Empire, it does not seem to be an immediate matter.
"When you say you are concerned about the Empire's movements... isn't that because Alfred-sama provoked them?"
I heard about this from Leonardo as well. When we escaped from the Zugari Empire, Alfred apparently gathered soldiers at the border of the Ivizia Kingdom, stoked distrust within the Zugari Empire, and by forcing them to gather troops at the border, he made the border on the Quebia Divine King's territory thin. I heard from Leonardo that it was easier to move because the number of checkpoints and soldiers had clearly decreased, but it must have been a great nuisance for the Zugari Empire. When they sent soldiers to the border, fearing an attack, it turned out the Third Prince of the Ivizia Kingdom was simply conducting exercises near the border with his troops. It would not be strange if they felt they were being mocked.
"...My provocation was one factor, but the Zugari Empire itself is at its limit. To divert the people's dissatisfaction, it is about time they try something again."
"You mean they will let them run wild in a war to vent the people's frustration?"
"I think it would be better to consider policies to make their own country prosperous rather than temporarily resolving dissatisfaction..."
"Even if they start a war, it costs money."
I wondered if the Emperor of the Zugari Empire was that foolish, and the lady (cat) who had put her hood back on slipped off. Truly, she is a lady (cat) who slips off in an instant if one lets their guard down.
"The current Emperor is surprisingly foolish. According to reports, he tortured Tina, a precious reincarnated person who can read Nihongo, nearly killing her. The one who killed the previous reincarnated person was also the current Emperor."
"Wow... the Emperor really is a fool."
I can tell just by thinking a little about what would happen if a child like me were tortured. I have no physical strength, muscle strength, or willpower, so I would probably die immediately. I am confident I would die quickly even in perfect condition, but when I was in the Zugari Empire, my physical and muscle strength must have been even lower than now. To torture someone like that, I can only think he intended to kill me from the start.
"If he is that foolish, wouldn't it be better to just swap his head?"
"Unfortunately, it seems the more foolish they are, the better they are at self-preservation."
The Emperor's power in the Zugari Empire is strong, and many people aim for the imperial throne. About sixty years ago, the previous Emperor passed away, and using that as a catalyst, relatives with succession rights sent assassins to one another, and it seems the imperial family almost died out, leaving only Edeltroute, who was three years old at the time. Those who rejoiced at this hopeless situation were the high officials who had been by the Emperor's side. They put the three-year-old Edeltroute, who knew nothing of national administration, on the throne and controlled the government under the pretext of supporting the young Emperor.
That is the story I often hear. And the Zugari Empire is the kind of place where it does not end there.
The high officials, who raised the young Emperor foolishly for their own convenience, were beheaded by that very young Emperor. The charge was treason. The young Emperor, who had been spoiled and given no proper education because it was convenient for them, beheaded them on a whim after offering a word of criticism.
Having eliminated all the high officials who had controlled the government while keeping the country running, the Emperor moved the country as he pleased. The result is the current, collapsing Zugari Empire. Naturally, there were many movements to eliminate the Emperor who only implemented reckless policies. Each time, Edeltroute suppressed the situation through forceful methods, and in exchange, exhausted the land.
When he reached a certain age, it seems Edeltroute had a child whose father was unknown. That child became a trigger for a plan to depose the Tyrant Edeltroute and put the child on the imperial throne, but Edeltroute suppressed this as well. The method of suppression was the simple act of 'killing my own child who was being pushed forward,' something that someone with a sane mind would never even think of, let alone execute.
Through this incident, it seems Edeltroute learned that if he had a child, his own life would be threatened.
"From here on, it is a guess mixed with information from spies, but there is a rumor that the Emperor secretly gave birth to and raised a second child, and when that child reached a certain age, he arranged a partner to have a grandchild. The child who gave birth to the grandchild was immediately disposed of as a threat to the imperial throne."
And when the grandchild reached a certain age, a similar rumor seemed to spread. That he arranged a suitable partner to have a great-grandchild, and the grandchild was disposed of as a threat to the imperial throne. If the great-grandchild reaches a certain age while Edeltroute is still alive, the same rumor will likely spread again.
"To stay on the imperial throne as long as possible, it seems that for Emperor Edeltroute, children or grandchildren who can inherit the throne are nothing but nuisances."
"...He's the real deal."
A real fool seems to be on the imperial throne. I feel sorry for the citizens of the Zugari Empire.
"Even if he manages to cling to the throne until he dies, wouldn't the next person to become Emperor be another child who cannot make any decisions?"
"Since the current Emperor took the throne through a similar process, he probably does not care about that. Or rather, if he were a person who could think about what happens after his own death, he would not let the country fall into ruin."
"...I suppose so."
The more I hear, the more the country called the Zugari Empire seems finished as a nation. If there were just a small trigger, it would be in a state where it would simply collapse.
"Ideally, I would like it to split from within and become fragmented before the whole thing collapses."
"What about attacking and crushing it from our side?"
"There is no charm in the land to be taken."
When I asked if we should go and crush it rather than wait for it to collapse, Alfred dismissed the idea, saying there was no profit. In the Zugari Empire, the roads are not even properly maintained, they lack the strength to try new farming methods, the land is devastated, and it is a land with little harvest. Even if the Ivizia Kingdom started a war and took the land, Alfred's estimate is that it would take more than ten years to maintain the farmland, increase the harvest, and be able to collect taxes. It would be disastrous if the land they worked so hard to cultivate were taken again in another war.
"It would be easy to destroy the Empire out of spite, but the cleanup afterward is not worth it. At least during my father's and my generation, we will not actively start a war. ...Well, regarding the Empire, for the five years until Christina turns twenty... no, a little less, four years. I suppose we will keep Leonardo at the fortress for another four years and see how things go."
Alfred told me to make sure I can go outside by then, so it seems I must cure my trauma within four years. I only answered that I would make an effort at a snail's pace.
"Regardless of Leonardo, I feel like I want to bring Alf back soon..."
"Alf-san is Big Brother Leonardo's partner, so you must not take him."
When I protested not to take Alf, who is in some ways more reliable than his brother (Leonardo), Leonardo made a subtle face behind Alfred. The Alf I was talking about was the current Alfred.
"...Are Alf-san and the others swapping again?"
"It seems they were in a swapped state to begin with. The current state is their original position."
"In other words, Alf-san was the prince?"
The truth seemed to be the opposite of what I had heard until now. I understand the meaning of the words, but my understanding cannot quite keep up.
...Ah, but I understand the true nature of the discomfort I have felt for a while.
The reason I thought Leonardo and Alfred were strangely close was probably because the one I thought was Alfred was 'Alf.' And since this Alf is actually Alfred, it is confusing. Anyway, the one I had thought was 'Alfred' ever since returning to Grenore was Alf, who was assisting Leonardo. That certainly would look close. Because Leonardo and Alf have been friends since before I was taken in by Leonardo.
...So when Evelina-sama said in the royal capital that 'my son is not returning from Grenore for some time,' she was just complaining to the person himself, telling him to 'show your face once in a while.'
Once I know about the swap between Alf and Alfred, it is nothing. That was not a complaint toward Alfred who had swapped with Alf, but simply directed at her own son in front of her.
...I also understand why the real Alf-san said that regarding Alfred-sama's marriage, it was 'just returning to the original sheath.'
The woman who became Alfred's wife, Ariel, was originally Alf's fiancée. Since the Alf at that time was the current Alfred, it is indeed 'just returning to the original sheath.' As the current Alf also told me, there was truly nothing for me to worry about.
"Regarding Alf's return, it depends on Leonardo. The one Father assigned as Leonardo's assistant was Alf."
"In that case, will it end up being around four years from now?"
"That's right. As for me, I'm thinking I want to do something about Solana soon..."
Why Solana now? I tilted my head and remembered. Alfred must have said it in the royal capital. That he was thinking of Solana as Alf's bride. He must have been surprisingly serious about that.
"...Wait? In that case, she would be marrying the current Alf, the former Alfred-sama, who Solana is not fond of...?"
"Rest assured that the 'Prince Alfred' whom Solana is not fond of is mainly me."
He seems aware that when they behaved as each other, the acting was a bit excessive to make them look more like the other. As a result, an image of 'Prince Alfred who is mean and makes unreasonable demands' was born for Solana.
...But doesn't that mean Alfred-sama was a little mean to Solana from the start?
I noticed that, but I decided not to point it out. Although I didn't point it out, for some reason Alfred pinched my cheek. It seems my inner thoughts were showing on my face.
"It hurts."
"No, it's because you had a face that looked like you were thinking something rude again."
"It's a false accusation. I'm not thinking anything rude. I just thought that Alfred-sama was originally mean to Solana."
"That's only natural. The 'Alfred who loves Alf' was also originally me."
"Umm...?"
Because of the swap between Alf and Alfred, I feel like I am unnecessarily confused. I started using my fingers because my head alone could not keep up, deciding to organize the information one by one.
"Alf-san and Alfred-sama were swapped, but this is their original form. Since they were both acting as each other, even though their personalities returned, they remain Alf-san and Alfred-sama."
And since that Alfred loves Alf and was mean to Solana, I finally noticed after lining them up.
"...Alf-san has liked Solana for a long time. And that is why Alfred-sama was mean to Solana."
"That's how it works."
It seems that Solana, the daughter of a Baron, was kept by Alfred as a maid for Alf's sake. He put her under him so that Solana would not marry someone else while Alf was away in Grenore. For Solana's family, having their daughter under a prince, even as a maid, is a lucrative story. If Solana were to become Alfred's consort, there is a possibility that royalty would be born from the daughter's womb.
"The problem is whether to let them marry and send Solana to Grenore, or wait for Alf to return to the royal capital..."
"If you say it depends on Big Brother Leonardo, and we wait until he returns to the royal capital, Solana will be kept waiting for another four years."
"Couldn't Alf just woo Solana during those four years?"
"...Hmm? Isn't something strange?"
From Alfred's way of speaking, it sounds like Alf has not yet won Solana over. Even though Alfred has already secured Solana.
"Solana thinks Alf still pines for his former fiancée, but the Alf Solana thinks of is me, and I, as Alfred, took the former fiancée as my wife."
"Does that mean... there's a possibility that things have become complicated inside Solana's head...?"
If one did not know about the swap between Alf and Alfred, the Alfred who loves a single woman named Ariel is the same person, but from Solana's perspective, it would look like two men love Ariel. If one of the two successfully unites with the woman he loves, and the one left over starts proposing to her, her heart would surely become complicated in its own way.
"...Couldn't you just tell her normally that the two of you swapped?"
"That in itself would likely make Solana confused, which would be fun. Wondering whether the one she fell in love with was Alf or Alfred."
"Ah, that's true? Somehow, it has become very complicated."
Even I do not know exactly when Alf and Alfred swapped and for how long. If I consider factors such as whether it was feasible in terms of timing, I can make a guess like 'maybe from around this time?', but I have no confidence in stating definitively that the two swapped from this exact period. Even I, who have only known them for a few years, am like this, so thinking from the perspective of Solana, who is apparently a childhood friend of Alfred and the others, the period during which the two swapped must be even more complex.
"The swap was originally supposed to be to avoid danger."
The danger was avoided, but the human relationships were made complex. Now that Chadwick has been eliminated, he seems intend to slowly untangle the knotted relationships.
"Alf-san... Alfred-sama, are you really going back to the royal capital?"
"The assistant assigned to Leonardo is the 'Alf' side. I cannot stay away from the royal capital for too long when I have a newborn daughter."
Alfred shrugged, saying he trembles every time a letter arrives from the royal capital, fearing she might finally lose patience with him. I thought Alfred would say something like he would just make her fall in love with him again even if she lost patience, but as a father with a child, he probably does not want to be abandoned by his wife even for a moment.
"...It will be a little lonely."
"If you feel that way, why not come to the royal capital with me?"
Alfred suggested coming to the royal capital, saying I could just live in the detached palace again, but I declined, saying I would hate it if I were not with Leonardo. If he wants to move me, being with Leonardo is an absolute condition.
"In other words, if you are with Leonardo, you are okay with coming to the royal capital with me."
"Please don't rephrase it. That's unfair."
I pointed out that he just said Leonardo cannot be moved for a while because he is monitoring the Zugari Empire. Leonardo should not be able to leave the fortress.
"The threat of the Empire existed even before Leonardo became a Black Knight. It's not as if he absolutely cannot be moved."
"But the initial response when something happens will definitely be delayed."
"If you put it that way, the one to move first is not Leonardo. The Black Knight of the fortress... considering the position, it would be the Black Knight of Mey Fortress."
As for the Restham Knights of Mey Fortress, Leonardo is the commander, but since Leonardo is mainly at Grenore Fortress, the one practically in charge of the knights is the vice-commander, Yurgen. Even in the current state where Leonardo serves as commander, the initial response is delayed. In that case, it could be thought that it would be better for Leonardo to return to the royal capital and have some other Black Knight watch the Zugari Empire from Mey Fortress as the knight commander. Rather, that could be said to be more rational.
...This is bad. Is there anything? A reason why it has to be Leonardo-san.
At this rate, I will be talked into it by Alfred and end up going to the royal capital together. While I was worrying if there was any clear reason to refuse, Alfred burst out laughing. Because I had fallen into such a serious state of thought, that face must have been amusing.
"You don't have to worry so much; as long as Christina cannot go outside, it is a story that cannot be executed."
Therefore, there is no need to seriously worry about being taken away right now. Although I am working on building my physical strength, I am still unhealthy. Even without the trauma, there is no way I could endure the long journey to the royal capital, so it would be difficult to take me out.
"...For now, if Christina comes to the royal capital with Leonardo, Leonardo will likely return to being a Silver Knight and be attached as Christina's guard."
"What is this, Big Brother Leonardo's ideal workplace?"
To be able to stay with me all day as part of his job is too much of a dream workplace for the sister-complex Leonardo. As a brother-complex myself, it is relaxing to have Leonardo as my guard. He dealt the final blow by saying I could spend the winter with Leonardo, and I started to seriously consider going to the royal capital for a moment.
That is a more than slightly attractive offer.