117 - A Small Misbuttoning of a Shirt
The information that the Captain of the Royal Guard had gone missing reached the King's ears by the following morning.
The Captain of the Royal Guard is the protector of the royal family and the highest authority responsible for security within the castle. It was his daily routine to visit the King's office every morning to report on the previous day and confirm if there were any changes to the royal family's schedule for that day. If the Captain of the Royal Guard failed to appear at the appointed time without any notice, the King would naturally demand a report on the situation from the Royal Guard.
They searched the Captain's room in the knights' quarters and his private residence in the royal capital, but his whereabouts remained unknown. The only information obtained was the testimony of a gatekeeper who said he had left the castle yesterday evening. At this point, he was treated as a missing person.
Had the Captain of the Royal Guard hidden himself? Or had he been caught up in some incident or accident? While the search continued without a clear answer, it was called off after ten days.
Many Royal Guard Knights and related personnel felt that ten days was too short. However, no one pressed for the reason. Even if they speculated that there was something inconvenient that would be revealed by continuing the search, everyone thought that if that were the case, they should avoid digging deeper. They knew that if they happened to learn the truth, it would only put their own lives at risk.
Their judgment was correct. The truth, at least at this point, must not be known. This was the judgment of their King.
"Have you found anything since then?"
A meeting—or rather, a secret discussion—between only three people, the King, the Prime Minister, and the Head of Intelligence. The King asked the Head of Intelligence about the status of the investigation. The investigation into the disappearance of the Captain of the Royal Guard had not completely ended. Only the intelligence organization was still conducting it.
"What we found was the body of another page. The body of the Captain of the Royal Guard has still not been found."
"So you know nothing."
"No. There was someone who saw Crown Prince Neil's pages leaving the castle on that day. To be precise, people who appeared to be them."
"...What do you mean?"
The content was ambiguous, which was unlike the Head of Intelligence. The King thought it was rare for him to report in such a state.
"They are likely using the secret passages. The eyewitness information is from after they left the castle, so the witness could not be certain if they were the pages."
"To teach such important information to pages..."
The secret passages were escape routes for the royal family in case of emergency. They were not something people other than the royal family, let alone those of page status, should know.
"We thoroughly searched the forest where the attack is believed to have occurred. Furthermore, as a result of secretly monitoring the pages' movements, I speculate that the Captain of the Royal Guard may still be alive. At the very least, they failed to kill him on the spot."
"Did he die elsewhere?"
"No, there is a possibility he is alive."
"If that is the case, why does he not show himself? Even if he cannot move himself, he could have someone contact us."
If he were alive, he should have contacted them. The King believed that the lack of contact was proof of death.
"Could it be that he is waiting for Your Majesty's judgment?"
"Judgment?"
"If Your Majesty were to disinherit the Crown Prince, the Captain of the Royal Guard might come forward. I cannot say for certain, but..."
"...I see."
As long as Crown Prince Neil remained the Crown Prince, the Captain would eventually be attacked again. Once Neil became King, there would be no need to resort to means like assassination. He could dispose of him by making up any reason. The Captain of the Royal Guard feared that.
"What will you do?"
"...There is no evidence. Even if there was a page's corpse, that alone is not enough to say the Captain of the Royal Guard was murdered. Much less that Neil gave the order."
"If we interrogate the pages believed to be involved in the attack, we will obtain testimony. However, if we do that, the Crown Prince will realize the truth has been discovered."
The Head of Intelligence took it for granted that Crown Prince Neil had given the order. There was no way the pages would have a motive to attack the Captain of the Royal Guard while risking their own lives. Even if they did, he did not believe they could have carried it out without Crown Prince Neil's backing.
"..."
"Then, I ask for a different permission."
Seeing the King lost in thought, the Head of Intelligence judged that he had no intention of disposing of Crown Prince Neil and decided to make another proposal.
"...What is this 'different' permission?"
"Permission to kill the Captain of the Royal Guard."
"What did you say!?"
"If resentment remains, there is a possibility the truth will be made public through some means. Of course, such a thing would be hushed up immediately. However, I believe any further scandal would be a problem for the royal family."
The relationship between Princess Ekaterina and Ray. Crown Prince Neil and the Captain of the Royal Guard, and other rumors of debauchery. There were even rumors of an attempted assassination of Princess Ekaterina by Crown Prince Neil. For such things to continue was a first even in the long history of the Laurel Kingdom. It was a situation that must not happen.
"...I believe it is unavoidable, but what is the Prime Minister's opinion?"
"...I believe it would be a problem to further scar the future King."
In other words, he agreed. It was thus decided that the Captain of the Royal Guard would be sacrificed to protect the royal family.
"Find him quickly. If he is injured, he must be hidden somewhere."
"We have already searched the locations likely to be related. All that remains are the inns. There are a considerable number, but if we limit the search to injured persons, I believe the period can be shortened."
"I leave it to you."
"...However, I wonder."
The Prime Minister spoke words that suggested he was not satisfied.
"If he is not found, we can just search again."
"No, not the search, but regarding the Crown Prince."
The Prime Minister had been thinking about the previous conversation the entire time.
"What about Neil?"
"The idea of absolutely nothing happening. Of course, I do not mean a public punishment. However, I must ask that this be the last time such a thing occurs."
If no punishment was handed down, Crown Prince Neil would not reflect on his actions. If he did not reflect, he might cause another problem. That was what the Prime Minister worried about.
"I see... I will think about that. Also... may I leave the capital for a while?"
"Pardon? Is that related to this matter?"
Despite asking this way, the Prime Minister did not think at all that the attack on the Captain of the Royal Guard and the King leaving the capital were related.
"No, it is not related. I just thought I might visit Anfang."
"That is..."
Anfang was the town where Princess Ekaterina lived. Considering the meaning of the King going there, the Prime Minister frowned.
"...Is it a bad thing to see my daughter?"
"Depending on the reason."
"...I am not thinking of such things."
"What exactly are 'such things'?"
The Prime Minister would not allow the King's evasion. He believed this could not be left ambiguous.
"...The father is that man."
"And if so, what of it?"
"...I cannot let Ekaterina's son become King."
Pressed by the Prime Minister, the King ended up uttering these words. He did so reluctantly, thinking the Prime Minister would not agree otherwise.
"In that case, it is fine."
Princess Ekaterina's child could not become King. If the secret of the birth were known, it would be far more serious than the current incident coming to light. As for the Prime Minister, while he had no ill will toward Princess Ekaterina or her son, he could not allow it.
"I must also consider Ekaterina's future. But before that, I wish to speak with her once."
This was not a lie to deceive the Prime Minister. He did not think it was okay to leave things as they were forever. That said, he could not bring himself to permit her to be with Ray. In the current situation, he could not allow it.
But, if she threw away her status and name. If she were made to have died. Would his daughter wish for that? Even if she wished for it, he did not want to permit it, yet the King found himself thinking even of such things.
"...Could you not... call for her?"
"Even if I call, she will not come. That is why I have no choice but to go."
Even if he called Princess Ekaterina to the royal capital, he could not let her bring her son. If he told her not to bring her son, Princess Ekaterina would not come to the royal capital. The King believed she would not come even without being told. He suspected that Princess Ekaterina had already discarded her status as a princess of the Laurel Kingdom within herself. Including such things, he wanted to try talking to her.
"...I understand. However, before that, please speak with the Crown Prince. Not only about the incident, but please ensure he does not misunderstand your purpose for meeting the Princess."
Hearing that the King would meet Princess Ekaterina, he himself had misunderstood. The Prime Minister believed Crown Prince Neil would undoubtedly misunderstand in the same way. If such a misunderstanding occurred, he might cause another problem. That had to be avoided.
"Yes, I will explain it properly. I wish to depart as soon as possible."
"I understand. I will arrange things so that you can return before the next battle begins... I will handle the arrangements for your departure, but your return is Your Majesty's responsibility."
He meant for the King not to linger and to return quickly.
"I know. I do not intend to spend many days talking."
"What will you do about your guard? I think appointing someone as a proxy for now is one option?"
The Captain who led the Royal Guard, the King's protectors, was gone. A replacement was necessary, but the Prime Minister wondered if appointing a new Captain of the Royal Guard at this point was appropriate.
"...I see. I can choose from the vice-captains... Would Chaos be suitable? It is not a matter of a knight's prowess, but what is needed now is to calm the confused organization."
Vice-Captain Chaos was still the one coordinating the knights. While he was inferior to the other vice-captains in swordsmanship, the King thought he was the right person in terms of leadership.
"I understand. Then, Vice-Captain Chaos shall be the Acting Captain of the Royal Guard. I will prepare the documents immediately."
"Right. One more personnel matter, I ask of you."
"What personnel matter is it?"
"Julius, who is in the Mage Corps. Send him to the Nordende Garrison Force. He can be in the position of Geel's adjutant."
"Julius... may I ask the reason?"
The one who had brought Julius down was the Prime Minister. But that was precisely because he highly valued Julius's abilities. While he had no intention of permitting him as long as he himself was in power, the Prime Minister even thought that Julius would eventually be the person to succeed him. The Prime Minister did not understand the King's intention in sending Julius to a garrison in Nordende, which could be called the frontier.
"I will entrust him with the role of negotiator with that man. It is good that they have a favorable relationship, but that alone is unsettling. In negotiations, that man is one or two steps ahead of Geel."
"True... I understand."
The Prime Minister was satisfied with the King's explanation. Considering when Ray was in the royal capital, he was worried if even Julius could hold his own, but if there were anyone else suitable, he thought there was not.
"Then, please begin preparations immediately."
"Before that, one more report."
To the King who was about to close the meeting, the Head of Intelligence announced he had another report.
"I am listening."
"There is another missing person case."
"What?"
"The whereabouts of Akemi Sakuragi are unknown."
The other missing person was Akemi. That had finally come to light.
"...Could it be, that as well?"
The possibility that Crown Prince Neil was involved even in the Hero's disappearance. Considering that possibility, the King was shaken.
"I cannot say there is no connection. She visited the Crown Prince's room many times."
"Did he even kill the Hero..."
"No. It has not been decided yet. I believe the other possibility is higher."
"The other possibility?"
"Yes. He also visited Crown Prince Neil's room. And it seems there was one change after that day."
The Head of Intelligence was quite confident in his own thoughts on this matter. He had obtained that much information.
"What kind of change?"
"It seems the traces of sexual acts have disappeared from the sheets and such."
"...Huh?"
"It is a report from a subordinate working as a maid. From a certain point, the stains on the sheets had become quite severe. Those disappeared from the day he visited the Crown Prince's room. That is the report."
The Head of Intelligence's subordinates worked in various places within the castle, hiding their true identities. This was to obtain information within the castle on a daily basis, and to be prepared for cases like this where information needed to be obtained secretly.
"...How should I understand that... no, I will stop thinking deeply for now. She was doing, well, those things in Neil's room, but that man came and it ended."
"No, I believe it is sufficient to say she was taken away by him."
"...I suppose. That man again. No, does this not mean he broke the promise?"
Kidnapping the Hero was a hostile act toward the Laurel Kingdom. It could be perceived as such. That would mean breaking the secret pact. It was certainly so, but when the opponent was the Hero, it was subtle. Ray had said he wanted the act of killing the Hero and the secret pact with the Demon Race to be kept separate.
"There is a possibility he saved the Hero."
"Saved her?"
"She was confined and forced into such acts, likely by people other than the Crown Prince. There is a possibility he saved her from that situation."
"...Is there evidence?"
If there were, he would have to dispose of it immediately. Since he had decided not to punish Crown Prince Neil for the Captain of the Royal Guard's matter, this matter also could not be made public.
"It has become a problem in the Mage Corps that a Collar of Subordination has gone missing."
"..."
The Collar of Subordination had a different level of importance than ordinary magic tools. It was a magic tool to make others obey. The act of stealing it and using it for one's own desires was not something that could be permitted. Originally, it was also something used to make the Demon Race obey.
"...I now understand the reason he secretly left the castle. I suspect it was intentional that we were able to catch up to him so easily."
To hide the fact that he was with Akemi. He had almost all the supporting evidence. The Head of Intelligence had no reason to hesitate in interrogating the people of the slums. He had made them confess that they had taken a black-haired woman near the Forest of Bewilderment at Ray's request.
"What should be done?"
"If it is about what to do with the Hero, we should first confirm the facts. We can just ask the person himself."
"Will he speak honestly?"
"I do not know. I said he saved the Hero, but I am not confident if that is truly the case. There is a possibility he took her out to kill her."
The Head of Intelligence also considered the possibility that Ray sympathized with Akemi's circumstances. But Akemi was a target of revenge for Ray. It was normal to think he took her to kill her. However, even in that case, the question remained as to why he went out of his way to take her to the Forest of Bewilderment. Ray's feelings could only be heard from Ray.
"I see... still, I will at least ask. As for Neil... this is not something to ask. Anything else?"
"No."
"Then this is the end. Good work."
Following the King's words, the Prime Minister and the Head of Intelligence left the room. They had many things to do urgently. And the King needed time to think alone. Both of them understood that.
◇◇◇
After the meeting with the Prime Minister and the Head of Intelligence, the King had been thinking in his office for a long time. That time had finally come to an end. Not all his thoughts were organized, but he felt that no answer would come even if he worried alone any further. Thinking so, he stood up from his chair and left the room.
He headed for Crown Prince Neil's room. He was reluctant, but nothing would be resolved unless he spoke with him.
"Is he in the room?"
He confirmed Crown Prince Neil's presence with the page standing before the door.
"...Please wait."
Showing obvious agitation, the page opened the door and went inside. Making the King wait in the hallway was quite an impolite response, but he had no room to care about that.
"...Thank you for waiting. Please, come in."
Waiting for the page to return, the King entered the room. He did not want to enter suddenly and end up seeing something he did not want to see. That was what he had been thinking.
"Father. If you had called, I would have come to you."
"Yes. I thought it would be good to see your room once in a while."
"...I see. Please, have a seat."
At the King's words that he wanted to see the room, Crown Prince Neil showed clear wariness. It was proof that he had something to be ashamed of.
The King sat in the indicated chair. Crown Prince Neil remained standing. The etiquette of an adult. He intended to keep that in mind.
"Clear the room. I wish to speak a bit about family."
To avoid increasing the wariness further, the King spoke in this manner.
"...Yes. Will you all leave?"
"Understood."
At Crown Prince Neil's instruction, the pages left the room. Now, only the King and Crown Prince Neil remained in the room.
"...I have decided to go see Ekaterina."
The King first informed him that he was going to see Princess Ekaterina.
"To my elder sister... I see."
As expected, Crown Prince Neil showed an anxious expression.
"You will eventually succeed me and become King. Therefore, I thought I would speak with her on this occasion."
"...Yes. What kind of talk would it be?"
Just as he felt anxious about the future, his father told him he would become King. Crown Prince Neil was bewildered by that. He did not understand his father's true intentions.
"Ekaterina has a child."
"...I see."
"You probably already know, that boy. This fact must be kept hidden absolutely. The existence of the child as well."
"...Yes."
Is he warning me? Such a thought welled up in Crown Prince Neil's heart. He could not accept his father's feelings positively. That tormented him.
"It will be the same after you become King. But before that, I thought I would see if there is anything that can be done. That is the reason for going to see Ekaterina."
"What do you mean by 'anything'?"
"For example... making Ekaterina's existence as if it were nothing... well, it is just an example."
Making her have died and letting her go to Ray. Although he intended to speak honestly, the King inadvertently evaded the truth.
"My elder sister... is it something that must be hidden to that extent?"
"That man is on the side of the Demon Race. Those who do not know his identity think he is a demon himself. That a child was born between him and her must never be known. You understand at least this much, don't you?"
"Is it not allowed to reveal his identity?"
It would be enough to reveal that Ray was an Otherworlder. Crown Prince Neil thought so.
"...It is too late for that. An Otherworlder, a Hero, joined the Demon Race. People will not accept that. It would be troublesome even if they did. Our country's Hero would lose trust."
"...Then, at the very least, would it not be fine if they lived quietly as they are now?"
"I think that is best... anyway, I need to speak with Ekaterina once."
"I see..."
Right now, no matter what he said, it was useless. Crown Prince Neil thought so.
"Also... you know that the Captain of the Royal Guard has gone missing, right?"
"...Yes. I know."
"Unfortunately, he is dead. Even though he was an excellent man. I do not want such a thing to happen a second time. You think so too, don't you?"
"...Yes."
His father knows that the killing of the Captain of the Royal Guard was his doing. That is why he is saying such things. Crown Prince Neil understood that.
"I leave things to you while I am gone. That said, just be careful that nothing happens. There are many excellent people in this country. They will handle the difficult things."
"...I understand."
"That is all I wanted to say."
"Is that... all?"
There must be more to say. But his father was trying to end the conversation without saying it. Crown Prince Neil felt no joy in that.
"...There was one more thing. Have you seen the Hero recently?"
"She... left the country. It seems she grew tired of the killing."
"...Did you permit that?"
"Rather than permit... I only heard such a story."
"I see... she left of her own accord..."
Crown Prince Neil was lying. He knew that, but there was no need to press. If he questioned Ray, the truth would be known, the King thought.
"This is truly the end. I have disturbed you."
"No."
Crown Prince Neil stared at the back of his father as he stood from the chair and walked toward the exit. But his expectations were in vain, and his father left the room with his back turned.
"...Did I do something wrong? If so, why won't he scold me?"
He had severed the relationship between Akemi and the Captain of the Royal Guard. His father should have wanted that. But there were no words of praise from his father. On the contrary, he was told not to do anything more.
He was wrong. If so, why does his father not scold him? Crown Prince Neil began to think that he was not even worth scolding.
"Elder sister... you were the same as me. The country is more important than us. For the sake of the country, we can be discarded without hesitation. That is how it is."
Crown Prince Neil was misunderstanding. He took his father's words "making her existence as if it were nothing" to mean killing her. He misunderstood that his father would take even the life of the daughter he cherished if it were to hide a scandal.
"...I must let him know. The child will surely be killed too. What should I do? What can I do?"
Crown Prince Neil panicked, feeling he must somehow notify Ray to protect the lives of his sister and the child.
Many people were misunderstanding. Crown Prince Neil was certainly jealous of Princess Ekaterina. But his jealousy was the flip side of a strong admiration. He wanted to be like his sister. If that were impossible, he wanted his sister to fall down to his level. That was how he felt.
A small misbuttoning of a shirt. That is what is tormenting Crown Prince Neil and driving him mad. Only those extremely close to him noticed that. That was his misfortune.