209 - Letter
The Royal Castle of Lusworth.
Mei and I, heading for the courtyard, followed the instructions of the adventurer who had been handling the exchange of letters and made our way to the room where Elsa Lusworth was staying.
While sensing the reactions moving around us, I used my skills—Dimension and Spec—to identify the individuals.
(It was a good thing I confirmed her reaction on the battlefield before.)
Once I confirmed Elsa-san's reaction, I pulled up my hood and threw a pebble at the window.
Then, the curtains were drawn and the window was opened. Elsa-san, dressed casually, was there, and seeing me riding Mei, she gripped the staff in her right hand.
She seemed wary, and my skill displayed her reaction changing from yellow to red.
I took a letter from my pocket.
"A letter from Glacia-san. From now on, I will be the one handling the exchange of letters."
While remaining cautious, Elsa-san brushed back her light blue hair and watched me with wary purple eyes.
"Hand over the letter first. If you make any suspicious movements... I'll kill you."
That sharp gaze undoubtedly contained killing intent, and for a moment, I actually thought about reaching for the katana at my waist.
I threw the letter to Elsa-san, who possessed a cold atmosphere different from Glacia-san's.
The thrown letter spun sideways as it flew toward Elsa-san. It stopped, caught between her fingers, and was immediately opened.
While keeping a wary eye on me, Elsa-san read the text and let out a sigh.
"...Understood. I suppose the previous adventurer is no longer usable. But, I heard you were a renowned adventurer?"
Facing the Queen, who directed a provocative smile at me, I removed my hood.
"Did the letter mention me as well?"
At that, Elsa-san laughed.
"No. It's just that when it comes to Kirins, the only famous one recently is Holy Knight Lariel. I'll prepare a reply immediately. Enter the room and wait."
There was a balcony in front of the large window, and after landing Mei there, I decided to wait.
However, Elsa-san said,
"Come inside. You'll stand out there."
Told to do so, I decided to go inside and gave Mei a nod. Mei jumped, spun once in mid-air, and transformed into human form.
Seeing Mei's form, Elsa-san asked,
"...Can a Kirin disguise itself as a human?"
When I entered the room, I found it to be quite bleak. It felt like the bare minimum, and while the furniture was certainly expensive, it was far too desolate for a woman's room. A medicine in a stylish small bottle on the table stood out.
(Was that a present from Glacia-san?)
I joked,
"Is it alright to let a man into your bedroom?"
When I said that, Elsa-san looked uninterested as she took some paper and other items from a desk drawer in the room and sat in a chair.
"It's a huge problem. If we're found, it'll be execution after torture. Be careful."
Since she was smiling, I felt she was somewhat used to this kind of exchange. Perhaps she had spoken with the previous adventurer like this as well.
Using the tools on the desk to provide light, she read through the letter several times.
"...I want to confirm one thing. Glacia-cha... Glacia's younger brother seems to have achieved success in colonization, but were you his supporter?"
Elsa-san, who blushed slightly as she almost called Glacia-san 'chan', looked at me to confirm.
It seemed that Reold-kun's name was starting to spread in a good way even in Lusworth. And the speed of the information was clear evidence that there was an insider in Galleria.
"The information travels quite fast. That's correct. I provided the support."
Elsa-san nodded and said, "I see."
"It seems you used the matter of the letters to threaten them, but the current state of both countries is built upon a precarious balance. I'd prefer it if you didn't stir things up too much. I don't want to fight you either, Holy Knight-dono."
She had a faint smile on her face, but I felt the same.
Glacia-san and Elsa-san were the type to exert influence over a wide area. Their individual combat power was likely high, but what was more troublesome was their unique magic.
If we were to fight, they would be dangerous opponents unless I obtained sufficient information and devised countermeasures.
"I'm not leading both countries in a bad direction. Rather, considering the future, I might be able to solve the war problem between the two nations."
At my opinion, Elsa-san chuckled. Unlike Glacia-san, she had a somewhat cold atmosphere, and I felt as though she were laughing at me from a position of superiority.
"That's impossible. Both Lusworth and Galleria are the same, both parties desire war. In Lusworth, it's the frontiers that suffer the damage. And those who profit from war are the knights in the center... the military officials. Plunder, and promotion... Galleria is likely the same, isn't it? If they don't wage war, it'll immediately turn into internal strife. The reason our provinces don't stir is because the threat of Galleria exists."
So, they had been repeating a war that both parties desired, over and over again.
Well, this situation was bad for me. Because I couldn't utilize it.
"That precarious balance will soon collapse. In two to three years, Galleria's national power will increase. If things go well, it might not reach double, but the result will be close to that. After ten years from then, I don't think filling that gap will be easy, don't you?"
Elsa-san's eyebrow twitched.
The Fourth Head let out a laugh from the orb. However, that voice was audible only to me.
'No good. Even if he's just a figurehead, you have to explain that part properly! You shouldn't think that the victory or defeat of a war is decided only on the battlefield.'
Leaving the pleased Fourth Head alone, I smiled slightly.
"Now, may I have your reply? Also..."
"What is it?"
I took a small bottle of perfume from my pocket.
"It's a perfume popular in Beim. Please accept it as a token of my friendship."
When I handed it over, Elsa-san had a slightly bewildered expression. It didn't feel like she wasn't used to receiving presents.
"...I can't use it even if I take it, can I?"
If she used a perfume different from her usual, she would surely be suspected by the Maze Prime Minister, who managed everything thoroughly.
"Well, the Prime Minister won't enter your room. Besides, it doesn't have a strong scent. It's a token of friendship, so if you don't like it, you're welcome to throw it away."
Elsa-san put the letter in an envelope and handed it to me, and I stepped out onto the balcony with Mei. The Fourth Head said nostalgically,
'To think that Lariel would give a present so naturally... there's nothing left for me to teach him.'
(No, rather than teaching, weren't you just pointing out my faults? Well, whatever.)
While staying alert to the surroundings, I rode on the back of Mei in Kirin form and raced into the sky.
It was the next day when I returned to Galleria and delivered Elsa-san's letter.
I asked Miranda to deliver the letter along with the small bottle of perfume.
At the same time, I didn't forget to give souvenirs to Miranda and the others. I hadn't forgotten, but Miranda said at the end,
"Perfume for the new woman, and sweets for us? ...This debt will cost you dearly."
Being told that with a smile, I laughed and ran away.
Mei said,
"I'm happier with the sweets, though. As I thought, wasn't the amount insufficient?"
She said such a thing. I thought that I wanted Mei to stay that way forever.
Then, returning to the village where I was staying in Rolfis, I received reports from Novem and Eva.
Regarding Eva, it was the dissemination of rumors in Galleria and Lusworth that I had requested.
In the rebuilt house, I sat in a chair and listened to the results so far from Eva and Novem, who faced me across the table.
"On the Galleria side, I spread rumors about Reold-kun. As expected, people bit more into the part about scattering monsters than internal affairs. I wonder if it's the national character? Well, in songs and stories, fighting coolly is what's popular, after all."
I checked the Lusworth side.
"What happened with the Prime Minister?"
"It's impossible in the center. He's so popular that no one believes it even if I spread bad rumors. Even if they did, it wouldn't benefit them. However, it seems they've accumulated quite a bit of dissatisfaction in the provinces, so it's going well. 'The villain who manipulates the Queen from the shadows,' and so on. ...Actually, Lariel is cruel as always. Even we wouldn't be this thorough."
I had spread rumors about the Prime Minister. Most of it was fact, though. I spread rumors that he was a villain who treated the Queen as a figurehead and did as he pleased with Lusworth.
Additionally, I spread rumors that Galleria was strengthening its relations with Zain and Rolfis.
"Say whatever you want. It's my policy not to hold back. If it goes well, there might be contact soon."
The reason I was staying in a place that intentionally stood out was that I was waiting for contact from Lusworth.
Then, Novem said,
"Lariel-sama, recently, people disguised as traveling merchants have been investigating us around the village. Launo-san, who visited a while ago, mentioned they were agents of Lusworth."
It seemed they were investigating us.
"Their response is fast. That aside, Eva?"
"I haven't missed a beat. I've been subtly spreading rumors about us, like 'they're at a standstill because their opinions are divided.' However, they seem to be more popular than I thought, as the bite is better than expected."
I had also spread rumors that we were unable to move in a desolate village due to a disagreement in opinions. I thought it would be good if they bit into that, and it seemed they had started moving immediately.
It appeared there was no need to go and pitch ourselves.
Placing my hand over my mouth, I said,
"Eva, you spread the rumor that the Prime Minister and the lords of Galleria are connected, right? If the rumors are spread in conjunction with the movements on the next battlefield..."
Novem followed me with a serious expression.
"...Will they move as Lariel-sama desires?"
They will. Or rather, I intended to take advantage of it once a certain amount of confusion was created. Lusworth is a country that is harder to penetrate than Galleria. Because it is united as a single nation centered around the Prime Minister, as adventurers, even if we were to officially enter service, we would start as low-ranking officials.
However, as long as a chaotic situation is created—that was the strategy of the successive heads of the family.
The voice of the Fifth Head came from the orb.
'Do everything that can be done. Now, let's see how they move from here...'
And it was a few days later that Lusworth moved.
It was a few days later when a messenger from Lusworth came to the village in Rolfis where I was staying.
Those who visited the house we were renting, as if hiding, were a group of eight people including guards, consisting of one mid-level official and low-level officials.
They had left a letter in the house beforehand saying they would visit, and when night fell, three representatives and one guard entered the house.
Facing the four people with solemn expressions, I dealt with them in casual clothes and without weapons.
Naturally, the rebuilt house had traps installed, and the Valkyries were waiting in hidden locations with weapons.
Mei and Eva were outside monitoring the movements of the other guards.
It was a situation where I and Novem spoke with the representatives.
"...I had heard, but you really are quite young. A few years younger than the Queen."
The mid-level official stated his impression of me. In reality, I wanted to speak casually, saying things like "Man, it's really tough in many ways," but since the atmosphere wasn't like that, I sat in the chair with a relaxed smile.
"So, what is your business?"
The low-level official and the three guards stood without sitting in chairs. They looked at me with nervous expressions. Then, the mid-level official opened his mouth.
"...It is about the matter of Galleria. We heard that you have had your companions enter service in Galleria and are even supporting them from the shadows. If an adventurer with a title and the Savior of the Nation makes such moves, it is only natural that we would be suspicious. I would like to hear your true intentions. Rumors have already spread throughout the country that Galleria intends to form an alliance with Zain and Rolfis. There are even stories that they will support Beim."
I didn't let my smile fade. The opponent drank the tea Novem had prepared and steadied his breathing. He had been somewhat excited in the latter half, so he was probably a bit tired.
In the light of the lantern placed on the table, I looked at the ceiling.
"It's all true. Even I cannot leave Rolfis, which is constantly exposed to the threat of the neighboring country, alone forever. I have investigated the internal affairs of Lusworth and Galleria. In that case, isn't it a not-bad choice to side with one and strike the other?"
I explained it in a way that suggested, since you guys keep continuing this cozy war and Rolfis is anxious, I'm going to do something about it.
In reality, no such request had been made from Rolfis, and neither Zain nor Rolfis would likely wage war. They might if told, but there was little merit for both countries. Rolfis was already full with the management of the expanded lands. If extra land were pushed onto them, they would burst.
"...Are you saying it's fine to crush Lusworth?"
When one of the low-level officials took a step forward, a guard held him back with a hand. He was looking around, and beyond that, the Valkyries were deployed. It seemed he had noticed they were surrounded.
"Galleria is just more flexible, that's all. Or, will Lusworth stop the war and take a seat at the negotiating table? I told you I know the internal affairs of both countries. I also understand the current situation where the war cannot be stopped."
The seated mid-level official looked down. Then, he glared at me with a sharp gaze. The opponent probably didn't mean it that way. There was no killing intent.
"...Then, you must also understand that the current Lusworth is pushing forward with biased policies that emphasize the center? And that because of that, the provinces are neglected, and the center alone gains profit from the war without considering the places that become battlefields?"
"Of course. Prime Minister Letre is quite popular in the center. How troublesome."
I didn't change my expression. Novem, who stood beside me holding a staff, remained expressionless and ready to handle the guests. If they made even a slight strange movement, the Valkyries hiding, led by Novem, would attack the guests.
"Currently, Prime Minister Letre's faction holds sway in the center. It can be said that all high officials are people of his faction. There is no faction resisting. Among the high officials, there are noble ones, but in the current situation, there is nothing they can do."
I listened to the story with a smile.
"That's terrible. But it has nothing to do with me."
The mid-level official looked at me.
"...We also understand that it is impossible for Her Majesty the Queen alone to fight multiple countries. Could you please lead things in a direction where Lusworth survives?"
"That would be problematic. I have my own plans. Besides, in the current situation with the Prime Minister, wouldn't that be difficult?"
By stating several times that it was difficult because the Prime Minister was there, I was implicitly telling them, "The Prime Minister is in the way, so do something about him."
The mid-level official spoke to me with a determined expression. He straightened his back and ignored the others who tried to stop him.
"Among the officials, there are those from the center and those from the provinces. The majority are from the provinces, but many have their promotions stop at the mid-level. The Prime Minister, who favors those from the center, is not popular among those from the provinces. We could not move because Her Majesty the Queen was in his hands... but if Lariel-dono, the Savior of the Nation who reclaimed Zain, could cooperate, there is a possibility. Could you lend us your strength?"
I reached for the cup and sipped the tea. Having heard they were from the provinces, I had expected it, but it seemed the group dissatisfied with the Prime Minister had contacted me.
I thought they existed, but they came to me perfectly.
The inside of the orb became noisy.
The Third Head was overjoyed.
'An invitation to a coup d'état! I'm an expert at those!'
The Fourth Head seemed to be calculating various things.
'A gathering of low and mid-level officials... if their numbers are large, it seems we can manage even if we wipe out such people.'
The Fifth Head also seemed to have started warming up from his usual unmotivated tone.
'At what timing should we cast him down?'
The Seventh Head was also excited. He wasn't that much during internal affairs, but his tension rose once a fight began.
'If we suddenly take out the Prime Minister, the backlash in the center will be strong. In that case, shall we cast down the key figures and make it seem like they were connected with the lords of Galleria? It's not a lie, after all! After that, we'll expose their evil deeds, ruin their reputation, and then move toward execution!'
Mireia-san was also in a giddy mood...
'Shall we win over the provinces and seal the Prime Minister's movements? While we're at it, let's make the bad lords of Galleria disappear too.'
At Mireia-san's words, the Third Head laughed.
'That's not it. There are no bad lords. There are only lords who made the wrong judgment. Well, they've been sucking the sweet nectar until now. It's not that they haven't considered the risk, so let's just have them disappear obediently. We can't handle everyone, so let's pick the ones who seem most obstructive!'
The Fifth Head seemed to have an idea.
'If we have Reold lead the subjugation army of Galleria, it'll create resentment... Alright, let's have Glacia lead it. A clean-up starting from both camps in a clever way.'
My head started to ache. When I let out a sigh, the mid-level official looked a bit anxious.
"Lariel-dono?"
I put on a smile and declared that I would accept the proposal.
"Very well. I will cooperate with that plan. It seems better than crushing a whole country. However, you will follow my plan."
The low-level officials were rejoicing, looking slightly excited. The display of the skill—Search—turned blue. It was the color indicating allies.
(No, it's too fast. Let's be more cautious.)
I said to everyone with a smile,
"However, let's have the Prime Minister remain for now. Could you list the important figures among the high officials? First, we must start by greatly reducing the Prime Minister's power."
The mid-level official had a slight doubt about my opinion.
"If we don't cast down the Prime Minister, he will expand his faction again?"
I looked down slightly and made a wide smile.
"I don't mind. In the meantime, we just need to seize the core. Besides, the Prime Minister is liked by the people of the center... the capital. If we cast him down suddenly, it will cause problems."
The mid-level official had a troubled expression.
"T-That is true."
I looked up with my usual smile.
"Well... let's enjoy this. Now, as for the detailed plan, we'll discuss it another day."
I concluded by saying that.