89 - The Truth Revealed
The royal castle of the Laurel Kingdom. The castle interior, which had been in an uproar while the Undead Legion was running rampant, had regained its composure after reports arrived that the battle against the Demon King's army was likely to end in victory.
Most of the people working in the castle knew that this was only temporary until the next battle. And that the start of that next battle was not far off. That was precisely why there was a desire to spend the present moment in a normal daily life.
The Captain of the Royal Guard was the same. It was rare for the Captain of the Royal Guard to go to the battlefield. In fact, it was something that should not happen, but as the head of the Royal Guard, the final fortress protecting the country, a certain level of tension persisted once a war began.
Moreover, in this particular battle, speculations had flown that the enemy's Undead Legion might even advance to the outskirts of the royal capital. These rumors spread while the forces guarding the capital had already marched out. The Captain of the Royal Guard had steeled himself, thinking that his turn to act was finally coming.
It was only natural that a desire to spend a little time leisurely would well up.
"Huh? Say that again."
Trouble finds its way to you even without a war. Between husband and wife, between lovers, or even in relationships slightly different from those.
"So, what will happen to us when we become adults?"
The one who threw this troublesome question at the Captain of the Royal Guard was Prince Neil's page. He was one of the boys who had been snatched away from the slums.
"Even if you ask me what will happen..."
"Then I will change how I ask. When His Highness the Prince marries, what will happen to us?"
"..."
The Captain of the Royal Guard could not answer the page's question immediately. If he spoke an answer without thinking, it would be that they would become "useless."
"Will we be able to continue working as pages? Without... being partners."
The most important duty of the pages was to be partners at night. However, it was not believed that such a relationship would continue after Prince Neil married. He was anxious because of that.
"That depends on your performance. If you are evaluated as useful, you will be able to continue working."
"...Can't you make a promise?"
"N-no, I do not have the authority to decide your treatment. I believe it will be fine, but there is always a possibility of the worst."
This was a lie. It was true that the Captain of the Royal Guard did not hold personnel authority, but he had already decided their treatment. He could not let those who knew the secret leave the depths of the castle. Eventually, he would have to kill them all.
"...Can't even the Captain of the Royal Guard decide that?"
The page doubted the Captain of the Royal Guard's words. He believed that the Captain of the Royal Guard was the one who had made them Prince Neil's pages.
"My authority only concerns matters related to the Royal Guard. Of course, I will pull strings so that you can stay, but the final decision is made by another person."
"...Then, could we not be employed by the Royal Guard?"
"The Royal Guard?"
"Yes. As the Captain of the Royal Guard, you should be able to employ us."
"...Are you trying to threaten me?"
There was no way that their admission into the Royal Guard, they who had never even held a sword, would be permitted. The Captain of the Royal Guard thought that the page was making this request knowing full well that it was impossible.
"I have no such intention. I simply do not want to lose my job."
"But..."
They also held a weakness of the Captain of the Royal Guard. Prince Neil was not the only one they had served.
"It does not have to be the Royal Guard. Just give us work, regardless of where."
They were former residents of the slums. They could not accept returning to their former lives after losing their jobs in the castle.
"...I will consider that. Right now, you are fine pages who have properly acquired etiquette and manners. There must be a place for you to work."
"When will that be?"
"Huh? I said I would look for it. Wait for that."
The Captain of the Royal Guard was irritated by the page trying to make him promise a specific timeframe. What awaited their future was death. There was no way he would do something as tedious as looking for work for them.
"But His Highness the Prince's marriage is soon."
"What?"
The Captain of the Royal Guard had not heard any such thing.
"Once that happens, His Highness the Prince will need to sever that... relationship, as it has been until now."
"...Marriage is still a story for the future."
"No, I have heard it is soon."
"There is no partner."
"The partner has been decided. A woman named Akemi, one of the Heroes."
"W-what?"
An unexpected answer. The Captain of the Royal Guard was greatly shaken by it. Marriage to a Hero was not impossible. Even if whether she would be welcomed as the primary consort was debatable.
"His Highness the Prince already has a relationship with her."
"...I haven't heard about this!"
"But it is a fact. She has visited many times, and while that woman is there, we are not allowed into the room."
"...It's just a fling, isn't it?"
It might be a fact that they had a relationship. Even if he accepted that, he could not bring himself to accept the marriage.
"We thought so at first, but it seems that is not the case."
"His Highness the Prince does?"
"No, it seems the woman herself is talking about it to those close to her."
"Could she not just be saying it on her own?"
"That is a possibility, but if it is a fact, what will you do?"
"That is..."
If the marriage were a fact. What the Captain of the Royal Guard worried about was not the pages, but himself. He feared that he too might be eliminated.
"If His Highness the Prince's feelings lie with that woman, it will be a grave matter for us. Even if not, if His Highness the Prince's interest turns toward women..."
"...It will be necessary eventually."
He could not remain single forever. Prince Neil had the responsibility to leave the royal bloodline and produce the next king.
"But I do not think it is now. Especially not if the partner is that woman."
"True."
Prince Neil's marriage should happen after he himself had seized the highest power as a subject. The partner woman also had to be someone under his influence. She had to be a woman who could keep their secrets and not get in the way. That was what the Captain of the Royal Guard thought.
"Will we still be in time?"
"...We'll be in time. Marriage requires His Majesty's permission. I have heard absolutely nothing of such a thing yet. That means the news has not yet reached His Majesty."
"...Then, please do whatever is possible."
"Right. I will try to exert some influence as well."
"I leave it to you."
From this day, the Captain of the Royal Guard actually began to move. He had no intention of moving for the sake of the pages, but the matter was important as it concerned whether he could obtain power. He could not help but move energetically.
A conspiracy by fools begins to stir. A conspiracy by fools who do not even consider whether they are the ones moving or the ones being moved.
◇◇◇
Geel and Sera reached the cave in the Forest of Bewilderment. At this point, Ray had already left the Forest of Bewilderment, but the two did not know that. What they knew now was that far from catching Ray, even catching up to him was not easy.
"He's beaten us to it."
Looking at the state of the inside of the cave, Geel made that judgment.
"It is not my fault. It is because Geel's feet are slow."
Far from overtaking Ray, they could not even catch up. She did not want this to be blamed on her. Sera had the feeling that there was no way she could lose to Ray.
"If something is slow, it's not me, it's the horse. Complain to the horse."
"I will complain to the horse later. Since it is not here now."
The horses had been left outside the forest. The Forest of Bewilderment was not suitable for traveling by horse. Many trees grew thick, making it impossible to gallop. Carrying food was also a hassle.
"...You can say some funny things."
Telling her to complain to the horse—there was no way he was serious. Sera took it literally, and moreover, she seemed genuinely intend to complain.
"What did I say?"
Naturally, he had no memory of telling a joke to Sera.
"That's what's funny... well, whatever. Now, will he come back?"
"Do you think he won't come back?"
Sera still believed Ray was in the Forest of Bewilderment. She did not realize that they had been left far behind in terms of movement.
"Knowing he is being pursued, would he linger here?"
"Then let us look for other dwellings."
"Search them one by one? How many are there?"
"...I think there are quite a few."
Many members of the demon race lived in the Forest of Bewilderment. Their dwellings would be numerous. Because here, they lived in family units rather than by race or tribe.
"Whether we meet him is a matter of luck."
"...Then I will search for other bases. Geel can stay here and prepare for the case that he returns."
"That also requires luck. Is Sera on the lucky side?"
"That is..."
Having been threatened by the Demon King and forced to betray her allies, there was no way she was lucky. That was what Sera thought.
"I'm on the lucky side, but as for whether he'll return..."
Geel thought the possibility was quite low.
"Even so, my movement is far faster. I am the most suitable for searching the outside."
"...If you have the ability to catch up."
"What?"
Her ability was inferior to Ray's. Sera took Geel's thought as an insult.
"Do not think of Ray as the same as ordinary humans. He far exceeds humans."
"I know that. The Undead Legion he led... continued to move without resting. Could it be that he was matching the pace of the undead?"
The possibility that he didn't have the ability to keep up with the skeleton soldiers of the Undead Legion, but that Ray had matched his ability to the skeleton soldiers. Sera considered this for the first time.
"I don't really get that story, but he runs faster than a horse. That much is certain."
Geel had actually seen it.
"...I was a fool. His ability cannot be measured. And yet the King must have been troubled."
Even while acting together, the Vampio race could not grasp Ray's true ability. Since Sera herself did not think she had failed to grasp it, she tended to underestimate Ray's ability.
"Now then, this is a problem. We're left with no method other than an ambush. Or a plan to make him come meet us."
"...If we can convey it to him, there is a slight possibility."
"What kind of plan is that?"
"I betrayed him. If we tell him that I am here, he might come."
"...I see. To kill you, huh. I get that, but is it worth that?"
Would Ray forgive the traitor Sera? He likely wouldn't, but would he go out of his way to come and kill her? Geel could not make that judgment. It depended on Ray.
"...Am I not even worth killing?"
"Don't belittle yourself like that. I'm talking about priority. The priority of who he wants to target for death is... huh?"
"What? Making a strange noise all of a sudden."
"I forgot to think about the most important thing. Why did the brat come to the Forest of Bewilderment? The person he most wants to kill should be in Nordende."
He didn't understand Ray's objective at all. Geel realized that chasing him without thinking about that was a mistake.
"You think he's moving solely for revenge?"
"Of course. Other than that, he has no reason to live."
"...You say revenge is his reason for living?"
"After killing the Vampio girl, he desired death. I think he still does. Fulfilling his revenge is his goal. But his actions are far too fearless of death."
If he had the feeling of wanting to complete his revenge, Geel thought he would avoid risks more. He began to feel that what lay at Ray's core was not completing the revenge, but dying for the sake of revenge.
"For the sake of Kamiira-sama, Rui-sama, and Kara-sama..."
For the sake of the Vampio royalty, Ray was trying to throw away his life. Sera felt the weight of her own sin once again.
"Is that the family Ray lived with?"
Even if he knew Rui's name, Geel did not know the names of Kamiira and Kara.
"Yes."
"Adding -sama... could it be?"
"...Kamiira-sama was the Queen to us. Rui-sama and Kara-sama are princesses."
There was no need to hide that they were royalty. Moreover, the three of them were already dead.
"That's quite... is this hope or despair?"
"What do you mean?"
"Ray and the Vampio race have a connection. Thinking about it that way, there's a possibility that luck will be on my side if I'm with Sera. But if Sera's betrayal completely severed that connection, it's the opposite."
"You say unpleasant things."
If it were the latter, her actions would have also severed the wishes of King Dracul. Thinking that was painful for Sera.
"For now, the immediate course of action is decided."
"Is it?"
Sera had no idea why it became that from the current conversation.
"I'm going to the royal capital. If he takes any action for the sake of revenge, it will be the royal capital. Because that is where the Heroes will certainly return."
"You'll do something so dangerous?"
"I said it before. He isn't afraid of death."
"...Am I going to the royal capital too?"
Ray might be, but Sera feared death. She believed she could not die until she achieved King Dracul's order.
"How could I let you do something so dangerous? Sera, stay here and look for Ray. He isn't necessarily in the royal capital. Normally thinking, the possibility is higher here."
"...I understand."
She could understand Geel's instructions. But she did not understand his first words. Why would Geel, a human, want to cherish her? Or was she wrong to take it that way?
"Just let me rest a bit. Even I don't have the confidence to go back through the Forest of Bewilderment just like this."
"A-ah, true. You can rest in the inner room."
"...I don't have a hobby of forcing myself on women, but I don't refuse those who come to me."
"Huh?"
"I mean, if you want to be held, you can tell me anytime."
"...A-are you an idiot!? There's no way that would happen!"
Sera shouted at Geel, her face turning bright red. A natural reaction. The fact that it was a natural reaction was the change in their relationship.
"At least you didn't suddenly kick me, so that's progress. Is this what they call progress? Well, whatever."
Geel headed inside while muttering to himself.
"...Eh?"
Hearing that mutter, Sera was surprised at herself. If it had been when they first met, she certainly would have attacked Geel. Instead, she, who would have otherwise frozen her body in fear, took it as a mere joke.
"...Strange man, n-no, human... well, fine. I think it's not a bad thing."
She had begun to let her guard down toward Geel, a human. She did not find it unpleasant, nor did she feel fear, nor was there a part of her wanting to correct it. She felt that such a version of herself was not wrong. Sera felt that it was fine.
◇◇◇
Ray, whom Geel and Sera were searching for, was in the royal capital. Just as Geel predicted. Even so, it was not certain they would meet in the future. Ray was about to leave the royal capital soon. He was trying to finish his final errand.
One of the buildings in the slums. In the place that had once been prepared as a rest area for Princess Ekaterina, the place where their first relationship, mixed with sadness, had begun, Ray was facing a man.
"Thank you. This is a reward."
"Yeah, sorry."
The reward Ray offered. It was by no means a small amount, but the face of the man receiving it was expressionless.
"...What's wrong? After it succeeds, I'll give you enough money so that your family can live normally, though I won't say richly. I will keep this promise."
"It's not that. I'm grateful to you. My son might come back. You're trying to manage the life after he returns like this. It's a grateful story."
"Then what? Are you thinking about what happens if it fails?"
"No."
"...If there's something you want to say, I want you to say it. I'll do as much as I can. Because I'm asking you to do that much."
"...I'm satisfied with this matter. I intend to cooperate gladly. But the matter of the Princess is different."
"Eh?"
He had not expected the talk of Princess Ekaterina to come up here.
"I think your relationship was that kind of thing. I don't intend to deny it. As a woman, she might be happy."
"...Then what?"
Ray had no idea what the man wanted to say. The treatment of Princess Ekaterina. He could tell that the man likely knew about it. However, the man seemed to accept the relationship itself.
"The partner is a Princess. The man has to be more considerate."
"...What did I do?"
"Could it be that you don't know?"
"That 'could it be'."
"...You have no common sense. It's bad news if you knock up a princess, isn't it? A romance between a princess and a commoner is something that should be ended while it's still a secret."
"..."
The meaning of the man's words. It took a little time to understand them. Even after understanding, it took time to accept it.
"Hey? Are you listening?"
"...Just to confirm, does 'knocked up' mean that a child was created?"
"What other meaning could it have?"
"...That's my... ah, no, of course. But how did you find out?"
"I heard it from my son. It hasn't spread that much yet, but it seems it reached my son's ears."
Strict information control had been imposed by the King's will. Even so, it was not something that could be completely hidden. Especially for those who were concerned about Princess Ekaterina's movements and were investigating.
"...I want you to answer my question without getting angry."
"Yeah."
"In this world, is abortion not possible? I mean, abortion."
"I understand the meaning. And the answer is that it is possible. It's not a rare thing in the slums."
There were many women selling their bodies in the slums. Women who became pregnant with unwanted children. Not for the reason that the father was unknown. Many of such women did not have the means to support a child.
"...Why didn't Her Highness the Princess do that?"
"It's a dangerous procedure where one might die, but it seems she desired it herself. There's also a story that she left the royal capital to hide the pregnancy."
"..."
Not a child created out of desire. Princess Ekaterina, who ended up giving birth to it, what was she thinking now? Was there a reason to carry out that much revenge on Princess Ekaterina? Ray wondered.
"...Could it be that you didn't know?"
"Yes."
"She didn't tell you, huh. You're not in a relationship that would be forgiven."
"That's true..."
How the man who found out a child was created would react. Ray had no such intention at all, but there must be men who think of bad things. Though doing that to the royal family would likely just result in being erased.
"What do you intend to do?"
"...I can't do anything. I... am even less qualified to meet her than before."
"That's right... You're a fool, you."
The current Ray was an enemy of the Laurel Kingdom. From the perspective of the Laurel Kingdom, he was an unforgivable traitor who killed many allied soldiers. There was no way such a Ray could meet Princess Ekaterina. Thinking this was proof for Ray that Princess Ekaterina was not a target for revenge.