kscans

Chapter 180 - Episode 1: Two Demands

"I am alright, Ricardo-kun. It is only a slight headache. My head was probably just startled since it has been so long."

Alfina pushed herself up in bed and smiled at me.

Three days had passed since the spectrum analyzer was finished, the day Alfina was summoned to the cathedral. She had returned the next morning, unsteady on her feet, and had been resting in her room at the grand ducal residence for two days since.

"And this way, I get to eat your French toast."

Alfina smiled mischievously. On the table beside the bed sat an empty plate. Compared to her pale face the day she returned, the color had certainly come back to her cheeks.

◇◇

"She is not running a fever. And her appetite has returned."

Clau, who had followed me when I left the room, told me this. Alfina was apparently only resting today as a precaution under Euphillia's orders, and she had been telling the truth when she said she felt well enough to go to the Royal Academy.

It was true that even when she had felt unwell after touching the crystal before, the effects had never lingered. But what Maytyl had said about the ancient dragon's eye still bothered me. Even without that, my own theories about the prophetic crystal's mechanism were cause for concern.

"But this is the first time the strain has affected her health so early on, isn't it?"

"That's right. It is also true that the crystal's reaction this time seems different."

The intervals between the crystal's signals were long.

"You do not get to see what Lady Alfina is like when she is actually with the crystal, do you."

"During the process, she is isolated from everyone. No one but the Oracle Princess may enter the chamber. Well, there are exceptions. In any case, I am usually standing guard in the corridor leading to the room."

"..."

Measuring the crystal was not going to be straightforward. I steeled myself for the discussion to come. I arrived at Euphillia's office. A butler was waiting in front of the room as always. He gestured for me to proceed further inside. So it was that room.

"Please look after Her Highness."

"...I know."

Clau turned back to return to Alfina's side. I really was not the kind of person who should be involved in this sort of thing. For a moment, a thought of self preservation crossed my mind.

"How foolish. This is the result of a decision I made myself in that library."

I muttered the words under my breath.

I followed the butler's wall-like back deeper into the office. The door to the room I had entered only once before was opened.

◇◇

Two people, a man and a woman, were in the candlelit room. It looked like a secret rendezvous between two people of noble birth. The fact that they were aunt and nephew gave it a touch of the immoral. I was only joking, of course. Three seats were arranged around a circular table. I silently took the empty one. Both Craig's and Euphillia's eyes turned to me.

"I have two things to say. The first is that we must begin analyzing the crystal with the new analysis device as soon as possible. The second is that we must stop Alfina's contact with the crystal until we have the results."

I tried my best to speak in a calm tone.

"Calm down a little."

Ephillia looked troubled. No, you can tell from my voice, I am calm.

"We should sort out the situation first."

Craig said. Was it not a little late for that?

"The crystal is emitting signals in a new pattern, and it is placing a greater burden on Alfina than ever before. That is the situation."

I stated the objective facts.

"An unprecedented reaction could also mean a disaster of unprecedented scale or nature may occur."

Craig said.

"Expectations for the prophecy are also high. A clear image has yet to appear, but a meeting has already been convened at the Chancellor's Office by royal decree to prepare a response."

Thinking back to the first prophecy, it felt like a different era.

"The prophecy is certainly a great power. But that is exactly why we must understand its limits and ensure it can be used sustainably. If you rely on one person, what will you do if another with the aptitude fails to appear?"

This situation, where they were weighing Alfina's health against disaster countermeasures, needed to be torn out by the root.

"I do not disagree with that. Nor with the fact that you have been arguing for this from the very beginning. We understand."

Ephillia said. Craig nodded as well.

"Alfina's health is also our first priority. That is why you investigated the health records of all the past Oracle Princesses, is it not."

"And was it not your own conclusion that, for the most part, there were no significant effects?"

"That is... That is only if the previous patterns hold true. And we now have new information about the ancient dragon's eye..."

"We have received the report. It is certainly something we cannot ignore. However, considering the source of the information, we cannot simply take it at face value without verification. Am I wrong?"

"That is..."

That was true. My principle was to verify everything, regardless of whether I trusted the person providing the information. There were plenty of people who passed on incorrect information with the best of intentions.

"Of course, if she says she is unwell, I will force her to rest as her guardian. Just like today. But Alfina herself would not consent to abandoning her duties."

Ephillia said. I recalled Alfina's demeanor just before I came here. She was staking the honor of her beloved parents on her duty. That was unlikely to change, even with the relief repaired.

"My thinking is this, we maintain the current situation until the next prophetic image appears. Once it does, we will form a hypothesis and do everything in our power to verify it, which will allow us to counter the disaster and reduce the burden on the Oracle Princess."

"Then..."

I cut myself off. I understood it was a reasonable course of action based on the information we had and the information we lacked. My priorities were just different from theirs. And the difference in our priorities did not outweigh the disadvantages of me rejecting their plan.

I unclenched the fist I had been holding under the table.

"Alright then, two things to deal with the prophecy. First, as I said at the beginning, I want to hurry the measurement of the crystal."

"...Hmph."

"...Yes, that is true."

Their response was sluggish.

"Is there a problem?"

"Well, there are those who are wary of you getting too close to the crystal's power, Ricardo. But you can leave that matter to us."

"...Indeed."

The crown prince and the grand duchess nodded.

"For the two of you to be concerned... Ah, I see."

The king. Well, I would not say it was unfair. But if that was the case, there was a better way.

"There is a simple and fundamental way to solve this."

"And what is that?"

"We destroy the crystal. Then no one can monopolize it. His Majesty would surely rest easier, would he not?"

"Calm yourself. We are going in circles. Leave the matter of taking measurements at the cathedral to us. We will not keep you waiting, for Alfina's sake as well."

"...My apologies."

He was right, that last comment was not very calm. If these two had taken on the task, then I could trust them.

"And the other thing?"

Craig asked.

"Measures to expedite the investigation of the Blood Mountains, a possible source of the disaster or large scale fluctuations in the leylines. In other words..."

"The research being conducted at the Great Sage's laboratory."

"The talk about being able to strengthen that fire magic..."

Craig's expression became unreadable, and Euphillia's face grew stern.

"With the new measurement device and the magic catalyst, it should not be too difficult to improve existing formulas. As things stand, it would be a necessary technology for the Empire as well..."

"A necessary technology, you say. This would push us towards a form of alliance, with the demonic beasts as our common enemy. To be frank, it is premature... Understood. I will propose negotiations with the Empire at the next council meeting."

"We will have to speak with Duke Yvelg, who is in charge of diplomacy with the Empire."

I felt a sense of urgency precisely because I expected this to take time. But knowing the two of them had taken it on, even if it was not a perfect solution, made me feel a little more at ease.

All that was left was for me to do my best with what I could control. First, I needed to revise the research policy at the lab. We had to hurry and start measuring the leylines at the magic spectrum level.