kscans

Chapter 140 - Chapter 10. Shadows in the Royal Capital

"How dare you show your face before me. Guards… no, perhaps I should hand you over to Zangrich."

Inside the dim room, the masked man spoke. His voice was so vexed that the pattern on his mask seemed to warp. In contrast, the man in the black robe, looked down upon by the mask, did not move a muscle.

This was a plain, unassuming mansion on the outskirts of the Royal Capital’s noble district. It was the residence of the masked nobleman’s mistress, a place known only to a handful of his closest confidants.

Needless to say, the risk of holding a secret meeting with a citizen of an enemy nation during wartime, right here in the capital, was immense. But he had no choice. The man held the relationship he and Grand Duke Zangrich of Kurtheite, who was to have become his father in law, had cultivated as leverage against him.

With his patron Zangrich under house arrest for refusing to join the war against the Empire, the revelation of this meeting could prove a fatal blow to Second Prince Delnius.

In other words, his earlier words were clearly a bluff.

"The Empire is hardly a monolith. We are of the faction that serves Prince Dagobard. The matter concerning Kurtheite was entirely Princess Maytyl’s unilateral decision…" the robed man explained with a reverent attitude.

"Factions, you say. But that Dagobard of yours has been reduced to one of Craig’s prisoners. Thanks to that, that man has… Surely you haven’t come crying to me to secure Dagobard’s release, have you. Hah. If the Imperial army abandons Kurtheite and retreats beyond the great river, then I might consider it."

Delnius’s tone shifted, becoming haughty. The robed man shook his head.

"Princess Maytyl would never agree to that, nor would the homeland. After all, the Empire is currently pressing the Royal Capital from both sides. As long as our food supply is secure, the Empire can remain in the Kingdom indefinitely."

"Hmph, it won’t be that simple. It cannot be easy to station troops for long in a Kingdom with such vastly different geographical conditions. The moment you begin to falter, the Kingdom’s army will sweep you aside."

Recalling the two conflicting analyses of the Empire’s ability to sustain the war that were circulating in the Chancellor's Office, the prince deliberately spoke with a confident air.

"I see. ‘As long as we have the hero prince, the invaders are no enemy.’ That is the rumor on the streets, is it not. Craig is now a living god of war. Some have even begun to voice their desire for Prince Craig to be named Crown Prince over the ailing First Prince. The western lords saved from the brink of crisis, and the Grand Duchess of the west who defended Bertold to the last. Then there are the eastern lords, shaken by the fall of their own Grand Duke. In a situation like this, I imagine such sentiments are not limited to the common folk…"

"This is all your fault."

Delnius slammed his hand on the desk.

"...Tradition and order will not permit such a thing. The Kingdom is built on order, unlike your nation of barbarians."

Delnius managed to calm the voice he had unintentionally raised. Yet his fist, still resting on the desk, continued to tremble faintly.

"Those are the traditions of peacetime. Times of crisis have a way of leaping over such pretenses, do they not."

"Silence. What could an Imperial spy possibly understand. State your business. You are here only to relay your master’s words."

"My apologies for the presumption. In truth, I have come today to propose that Your Highness take out something of an insurance policy. Should the Empire conquer the Royal Capital, your position and safety will be guaranteed if you cooperate with us. Indeed, even in post war negotiations with the Kingdom, we can ensure you are treated as a figure of great importance."

"...I can hardly trust you. Zangrich would say the same."

As he spoke, the trembling in Delnius’s fist ceased.

"Please hear the proposal before you pass judgment. The Empire desires to take custody of the Great Sage Fulsy and the court magician’s apprentice, Noel."

"That’s out of the question. That old man is practically a national advisor now. By rank alone, he is a baron. The legitimate head of a noble house. And even if she is an apprentice, a court magician is an official government post."

Delnius struck the desk again. The robed man paused to think.

"So those with official rank are indeed a problem… In that case, what of a commoner who has been assisting them."

"…A commoner, you say."

"Yes. Offer up one or two commoners, and your security is assured, Your Highness. It is hardly a bad proposition. This collaborator is someone from a firm called the Vinder Company."

"Vinder. I’ve heard that name somewhere…"

"It is a company that sides with Craig and the Grand Duchess of the west. They were also involved in that carriage race."

"Come to think of it, that’s right. A mere silver ranked company… Wait, a silver ranked company. That means they are ‘just’ commoners, then…"

Delnius slowly stroked his chin.

"Dealing with commoners will not require Your Highness to lift a finger. We will handle the matter ourselves. We only ask that you facilitate our escape from the Royal Capital after the fact."

"That is a remarkably generous offer. So much so that I find it hard to believe. What is this commoner to you."

"It concerns the poison that felled the dragon. We have learned that it was that very company that supplied it to Craig. In fact, it was the reason Craig was victorious against Prince Dagobard’s Horse-Dragon corps."

"Hoh. So he used poison in battle…"

"A poison effective against dragons is of immense value to the Empire. If we can learn how to obtain it, our faction’s prestige will rise considerably."

"So that is what you get out of this."

"Yes. We must widely publicize our achievements, no matter which way this war turns. …What if, at the same time, the ‘fact’ that Prince Craig only defeated the dragon thanks to poison were to spread throughout the Kingdom. A hero who boldly slew a dragon with his sword versus a schemer who used poison to kill it… I imagine the people’s impression of him would change rather dramatically, wouldn't it."

The robed man looked up, his gaze meeting the mask. Delnius unconsciously looked away.

"You will not cause a scene, I trust."

"Of course not. What we want is information. Killing them would defeat the purpose. We wish to transfer them to the Empire. That is precisely why we require Your Highness’s cooperation."

"…The Royal Capital is on high alert. Entry and exit are strictly controlled. But that also means everyone is terribly busy. It’s possible… that a document or two might go missing."

"Thank you very much."

The man bowed his head.

"By the way, is Your Highness certain you know nothing more of the Vinder Company. I hear they have dealings with the Chancellor’s Office."

"How am I supposed to remember the name of every silver ranked company. …No, wait. Come to think of it."

Delnius’s eyes darted from side to side beneath his mask.

"I did hear a name like that once in the Chancellor’s Office. I only remember because it was so out of place."

"Oh…? And was that name, by chance, the head of the company, Paul Vinder."

"As if I would remember the name of a commoner. But I doubt it. After all, they said the person was dressed like a student. The Chancellor’s secretary, the Records Administrator, was acting as if…"

Delnius continued to prattle on about what he considered to be worthless gossip. He remained completely unaware that deep within the man’s hood, his expression had changed.