kscans

Chapter 39 - Chapter 1: Part Two - The Royal Family's Turmoil

The Grand Duchess led me to an alcove where a long corridor widened. It was a narrow space with only one table and two chairs, but the semicircular wall was lined with portraits, making it a decidedly aristocratic space.

A handmaiden poured tea into our cups and left immediately.

This is the first time I've been alone with her. I can't let my guard down, precisely because she's a reasonable person. After all, she won't be letting her guard down with me. Especially with Mia's safety on the line.

"How much do you know about Alfie's birth?"

"Only that Alfina-sama's father was His Majesty's younger brother, the former Grand Duke Bertold, and her mother... was from the Fellbach Ducal House."

I answered without relaxing. This was information I had Mia look into before getting involved with that prophecy.

"When I call her Alfie, you need not use ‘-sama’ either. To be precise, the third daughter of Duke Fellbach was Alfie's mother. This means my niece is the granddaughter of the duke who started a rebellion twenty years ago."

Alfina's paternal grandfather was the former king. Her maternal grandfather was a rebellious duke. There was no doubt this was the most important factor defining her position.

"Furthermore, the current King, myself, and Alfie's father are all children of the former king. And..."

The Grand Duchess looked towards a particularly large portrait. An energetic face with a full white beard glared down at me.

"The former king was also the cause of that past rebellion."

The Grand Duchess had said something bold. I wished she wouldn't just casually drop information like the Grand Duchess of the West criticizing the former king.

"Though we are siblings, there is an age gap of over twenty years between His Majesty and myself. That is why I may seem young for Alfie's aunt."

She casually highlighted her own youth. Come to think of it, for the Grand Duchess, both Princess Alfina and the former Grand Duchess Alfina were her nieces. How complicated.

"The former king was rather... enthusiastic in his duty to maintain the bloodline. I can hardly complain, as I was born from it. He was also a father with deep affection for his family. Even for me, his daughter by a concubine. Well, it was probably because I was the youngest daughter, and I was so very adorable."

The Grand Duchess pointed a feathered fan at a small painting. A depiction of the Grand Duchess as a young girl, perhaps ten years old, was there. It must be an idealized... though, looking at the woman before me, maybe it isn't much of an exaggeration.

"The problem for the royal family, and the state, was what to do with us. The only option was to push us off onto prominent families as adopted children. The Grand Ducal houses of the East and West were, in a way, suitable for such things, so it wasn't an issue. But a Ducal house, even if they are relatives, has a strong attachment to its own bloodline. The Fellbach Ducal House was particularly old. They have a history of once being an independent power in the buffer zone with the Empire."

"I see."

In terms of the Edo Shogunate, I'd imagined the Grand Ducal houses were like the three main branches of the Tokugawa clan, and the Ducal houses were like related lords or the heads of the hereditary vassals. But it seems there was also a powerful, outlying lord. Was discontent over having their house taken over the cause of the rebellion?

"Just as the three year rebellion was finally suppressed, the former king passed away. My eldest brother who succeeded him, His Majesty, seems to have had a very difficult time resolving the squabbles among relatives. I was still young, so this is only what I've heard. It was then that my fifth brother, Alfina's father, who had just succeeded the Bertold title, declared he wanted to marry Fellbach's daughter. It seems the two had been in love since their academy days."

I see. While he was busy cleaning up the mess between relatives, his brother did something that was guaranteed to cause controversy. No, you could frankly call it selfish. The King must have had his own plans for whom his brother would marry.

"As the Grand Duke Bertold, my brother was competent. I understand that well, having succeeded him. However, His Majesty and the Chancellor's policy was to secure the stability of the royal family and the kingdom by placing all the blame for the rebellion on the Fellbachs. His proposal flew directly in the face of that. Once Bertold had settled down from the effects of the rebellion, my brother retired. Or perhaps it should be called a de facto confinement in the Royal Capital. Alfina was born around that time. Perhaps the only act of mercy was allowing the husband, wife, and daughter to be together."

So that's how she became such an incredibly sheltered girl who's never left the capital. The west is her mother's homeland. So that's what her longing was all about.

"I know little of my brother's family's life in the capital, but it seems that until she lost both parents one after the other, her situation wasn't so unhappy in terms of family. At least, judging from the Alfie I see now."

I want to believe that. It would be too tragic if they forced a marriage out of love, lost their position because of it, and then their family fell apart.

"So, what do you think after hearing all that?"

"If I think as a commoner of no consequence who would be the first to suffer if the nation's stability is lost, I can't say the kingdom's policy regarding the rebellion was wrong."

If the rebellion had been a purely domestic affair, they could have tried to get along after it was over. But with the Empire's influence involved, somewhat ruthless measures were justified.

"Oh...?"

"However, that is speaking as a commoner. As someone who personally knows the innocent girl who has suffered for it, I have other thoughts. I'm afraid I'll have to prioritize those."

"You have a complicated way of putting things. Well, that is fine. It is natural for one's perspective to change with their position."

"By the way, as a merchant, I must say this country is a bit stifling."

"This nation has always favored stability by nature. That tendency only grew stronger after the rebellion. The current King is one thing, but the Chancellor, who was entrusted with the country's administration while His Majesty was consumed by royal family squabbles, is especially strong in that tendency. He is not incompetent, but he is obsessed with maintaining budgets and regulations."

I can feel that myself. And Alfina's existence must be a multi layered annoyance for the Chancellor.

"Your plan to let the Third Prince take the credit was the right move, but the Prince and the Chancellor also do not get along. Especially with the recent Monster Flood, the lines of conflict have been clearly drawn, with the Prince demanding the expansion of the Third Knight Order and the Chancellor controlling the budget. For a Chancellor whose influence over the military is weak due to knight order reductions, it must be quite a nuisance."

The Grand Duchess covered her mouth with her fan. She was likely hiding a sigh.

"And now, this prophecy. It doesn't seem to have taken a clear form yet. But seeing Alfie, I doubt it is anything to be happy about."

With the background and current situation explained, we finally arrived at the main topic. As expected, the problem was the prophecy.

"You said it yourself, didn't you. That a second time would be bad."

"I did. Last time, the prophecy itself was ignored, so we could focus on preventing the disaster. But it will be different from now on."

"Exactly. Unlike last time, a proper strategy meeting is scheduled to be convened. And the one organizing it is the Chancellor. This is a top level response."

"...That's reassuring."

In a normal world, a certain amount of absurdity is to be expected. An ideal situation where you can go all in on either offense or defense doesn't even exist in games. At best, maybe in the training mode of a fighting game.

But even so, there are limits. They call it internal strife and external threats. It's debatable whether the prophecy's disaster is an external threat, but depending on its content, it could link directly to the factional struggles in the royal court. It makes me think the last time, when it was ignored, might have been easier.

"As I said, the prophecy is not yet confirmed. Therefore, the Chancellor's strategy meeting has not yet made any serious moves. Although, it seems they are making sure information does not flow my way."

The Grand Duchess's lips twisted.

"I hope it doesn't come to this, but it will surely get complicated. So, what do you want from me?"

"For now, nothing specific. I just want you to be a source of strength for Alfie."

"That's a bit abstract. My life is on the line here, you know?"

And not just my life. Of course, the last time wasn't exactly safe, nor was that business at the Shoken Festival, but this is an even greater risk. The difference between the Chancellor's second son and the Chancellor himself is like a lizard and a dragon. No, more like a small bird and a dragon.

"I mean it exactly as I said it. As for the court's squabbles, I can act as a shield to some extent. That is what a guardian is for, and I am the Grand Duchess of the West, after all. However, there are areas I cannot cover. And there is someone who can cover them."

The Grand Duchess stared at me intently.

"In other words, a framework separate from the framework of power. For example, I should help Alfina as a merchant. Is that what you mean? By supporting her with two different frameworks, we increase her safety. Because if there's only one framework, everything collapses at once."

I couldn't nod along to a request to be Alfina's shield and risk my life like a commoner, and it would be technically impossible anyway. But if that's what she meant, then it's a matter of mutual support, and that's something I can do.

"The way you talk. You must not have many friends."

"Leave me alone."

I'm well aware that I'm being overly logical. I'm steeling myself for this, which isn't easy, so I wish she wouldn't tease me.

"I meant that as a compliment, of a sort. It was the right decision to have her attend the academy at Alfie's request."

"Grand Duchess?"

In a space where no one was watching, the great noble bowed her head to a commoner's son.

"I ask you to continue looking after Alfie. As long as you lend your strength to my niece, I will do everything in my power to protect all of Vinder's shareholders."

Someone of higher status bowing their head. It's a dirty trick. It takes away my options. But well, I suppose I can see a sliver of sincerity in her phrasing 'all of Vinder's shareholders'. As a shareholder myself, I can't go back to being uninvolved anyway.

Besides, I looked at the woman who was too young to be Alfina's aunt. As someone who sees himself in the role of Alfina's uncle, she's something of a comrade.

"I'll cooperate, within my means."

"It should be 'to the best of my ability.' ...Are you thinking something strange? The way you're looking at me is rather... lukewarm."

"Not at all."

The Grand Duchess tilted her head.

"First, we need to establish intelligence sharing between your side, which can get information from above, and our side, which can get information from below. Through Jacob and your butler..."

I feigned ignorance and moved on to practical matters. The Grand Duchess, still looking unconvinced, rang a bell.

"...Then, we will coordinate the actual contact methods and frequency with your people on the ground."

With the butler's words, the matter was left to the practitioners. This would improve our situation of being overwhelmingly short handed for the type and amount of information we needed to gather.

"I suppose that's it. You have a large gap between what you know and what you don't."

"Well, I'm just a commoner. Oh, there is one last thing I want to ask."

It was a question I'd had before. The role of Oracle Princess was a raw deal forced upon Alfina. And yet, she insisted on her duty to deliver the prophecies, even going against the wishes of the king and chancellor who had forced it on her.

It was just like her, in a way, but knowing the background made it feel even more out of place.

"Why does Alfina..."

"Is something the matter with me, Ricardo-kun?"

A voice suddenly came from behind me.

I turned to find a beautiful girl, fresh from a bath. Instead of the formal attire from before, she wore a simple one piece dress, almost like loungewear.

I couldn't help but feel my heart skip a beat as Alfina tilted her head, as if to protect her damp, blue silver hair. The faint scent of fragrance reached my nose.

"Senpai. Your gaze is lecherous."

Mia was back in her uniform. However, her hair was down, hanging over her shoulders, and a different, alluring scent emanated from her. Why do girls fresh from a bath become so bewitching?

"No, hahahaha. Not at all."

Alfina was unconsciously exuding a captivating charm, while Mia seemed unaware that Alfina wasn't the only one making me flustered. I forced myself to look away from them both.