Insulting a member of the imperial family was essentially the same as offering up one’s own neck.
And yet, in a situation like this, could I really stop myself from swearing like this?
Did I look like someone who would regret it?
“…The words slipped out.”
I regretted it. It was just a moment of emotional outburst. An accidental slip of the tongue.
Please, have mercy.
“You have quite an entertaining friend.”
A low voice rang out at that moment.
It was the kind of voice that made you feel at ease just by hearing it, and that very comfort sent a chill down my spine.
He was the most dangerous presence. The one I needed to be most wary of. Feeling comforted by his voice?
The situation itself made no sense.
“Would you introduce him to me as well, Princess Lobelia?”
“Oh, of course. That’s the whole reason I brought him here.”
Lobelia kept lightly tapping my back, pushing me into the private room.
What on earth was going on here? Why was this crazy bitch suddenly going off the rails and throwing me into danger?
Resisting was pointless.
I physically couldn’t stop her.
And so, pushed forward like that, I ended up sitting face-to-face with Kult.
“This is Johan Damus of the Damus County. And my dear friend.”
“How could someone like me possibly be close with Her Highness?”
“He’s incredibly humble, as you can see.”
“……”
Lobelia’s attitude was like tearing down my emotional walls with her bare hands.
“This here is Kult Hereticus of the Hereticus Marquisate. A friend I’ve grown close to recently. He’s gentle by nature and deeply considerate.”
“Ah, I see. Is that so?”
“Haha! Johan, you don’t look well. Are you shy around strangers?”
“Yes.”
“In that case, I’ll have to try harder to become friends with you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Johan. I look forward to getting along.”
“……”
And even in this absurd situation, Kult kept a straight face, as if his expression were made of steel.
Being stuck between lunatics like these made me feel like I was about to lose my mind too.
“Order whatever you’d like, Johan. I’ll be paying the bill.”
“I don’t think I could swallow anything, Your Highness.”
“In that case, let me make a recommendation. Their pasta is pretty good here.”
“Oh, then may I leave it to you as well, Princess Lobelia?”
“But of course.”
Lobelia smiled brightly.
Kult smiled brightly too.
I was drenched in cold sweat, staring down at the floor in fear.
Shouldn’t someone at least ask if I was okay?
Selfish bastards.
“Ah, come to think of it, Kult. Have you heard the news? That large-scale terrorist attack recently…. committed by Eden.”
That was you, wasn’t it?
“Something like that happened? How terrible. It’s worrying, with lunatics like that running loose in the streets.”
Isn’t that ironic?
“Worrying, you say. What exactly are you worried about?”
Is he pretending to feel guilty after doing all that?
“I worry for my friends, of course. As you know, I was adopted. So naturally, I can’t help but be concerned about what’s going on out there.”
Wasn’t it laughable that someone who probably dug into my background was now talking about guilt? He was neck-deep in filth himself.
That was more or less how the conversation went.
It was just my own speculation, but considering their personalities, I was almost certainly right.
While those thorn-laced words were exchanged, the food arrived, but no one actually touched it.
The two of them were too busy trading jabs with polite smiles, and I couldn’t eat because I felt bloated.
And then, in the middle of those light jabs being thrown back and forth—
“By the way, did you hear? There’s a rumor going around that the leader of Eden is connected to the Hereticus Marquisate.”
“……”
Lobelia threw a hook.
Kult didn’t respond immediately. But his expression didn’t falter either.
“That’s news to me. There’s no way that’s true. I trust the people of our Marquisate. There’s no way they would ever be involved in a crime!”
And using that, he responded with an impassioned reaction instead.
It was a response that matched the situation.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I swear it on my honor! That’s just a baseless rumor!”
“I see. My apologies. It seems I’ve upset you with some groundless gossip.”
“It’s fine. As the princess who must think of the Empire’s peace and prosperity, it’s only natural for you to be suspicious.”
And just like that, Kult casually deflected the hook that Lobelia had thrown.
By that point, I realized why Lobelia had dragged me all the way here.
So they dug into the Hereticus Marquisate and found nothing.
After hearing from me that Kult was the leader of Eden, Lobelia must have immediately begun investigating him and the Hereticus Marquisate.
But Kult had been thorough, and Lobelia hadn’t found a shred of evidence.
No matter how much of an imperial member Lobelia was, she couldn’t raid a Marquisate without proof.
Of course, considering how the Emperor’s authority was sky-high these days, even if a few nobles added nonsense to justify an execution, no one would dare make a sound.
But Lobelia wasn’t the Emperor.
If she pulled something like that, her rivals would pounce on her for it.
So, being someone who had to think ahead, Lobelia couldn’t recklessly go after the Hereticus Marquisate.
That’s why she dragged me into it. She brought me, the one Kult had recently targeted, and shoved me in front of him to see how he’d react.
So I’m a suspect too. That’s why she brought me here.
She didn’t fully trust the information I gave her. Naturally.
She had acted on my intel and investigated the Marquisate, only to come up empty-handed.
When you point to someone as the culprit and they turn out not to be, there’s always a next person lined up to take the blame.
That’s why Lobelia wanted to identify the liar here and now.
Was Kult just that perfect at wearing his mask?
Or was I rambling in the face of death, trying to escape with lies?
One of us was lying.
Wait a moment……
I quietly got up from my seat and stepped out of the private room.
But just because I came out like this didn’t mean I could actually go anywhere.
Who knew what might happen, or when, or by whom?
At that point, I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without Lobelia.
How could I go alone when I was so scared…?
So I just leaned against a wall about ten steps away from the private room and let out deep sighs.
It wasn’t like I had a plan.
I had just run away, that’s all.
“As expected, you didn’t go far and stayed close by, did you, Johan?”
“……”
It was while I was blankly staring at the patterns on the ceiling.
Lobelia, who had also slipped out of the private room like I did, was smiling brightly at me.
“What did you do with Kult, Your Highness?”
“I told him I was going to enjoy a secret rendezvous, and he readily told me to go ahead.”
“The world’s gone mad.”
“Unfortunately, it’s true.”
“……”
“If you’ve got something to say, go ahead. Whatever you say now, I can pretend I didn’t hear it.”
In other words, she didn’t care whether I cursed at her or not.
An opportunity like this didn’t come often!
But launching into insults right away wasn’t the smartest move, considering my current situation.
“Do you think I lied, Your Highness?”
“No, I believe you.”
“And yet you dragged me into this.”
“I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”
Even at my sarcasm, Lobelia simply shrugged as if it meant nothing.
“I’m not just saying it. I truly believe you. Even though we found nothing when we searched the Marquisate, Kult’s vibe was definitely… strange.”
“……”
“I’m halfway convinced.”
“Then why…”
“Because it’s annoying.”
“Huh?”
Was she really saying she threw me into danger just because she was annoyed?
“I’m certain he’s the culprit, but there’s no evidence. And chances are, he won’t slip up anytime soon. He knows I’m watching the Marquisate.”
“That makes sense.”
“And I don’t like that.”
“So?”
“So, let’s tear off that mask. Don’t you think it’ll be satisfying to at least turn things upside down?”
“No, I don’t.”
Are you crazy?
You’re throwing me into the lion’s den just to provoke them a little?
Please, do that kind of thing among yourselves.
Why do I have to risk my life for this?
“Since when is it right to drag a victim in front of their abuser? What exactly did I do wrong?”
“Johan, sadly, I’m not some fairytale hero. Of course I want to protect the people. But I’m also not the kind of person who’ll sit quietly while others try to use me to get rid of their enemies.”
“……”
“Eden is my enemy, yes—but you tried to use me to strike him, didn’t you? That was arrogant. And you have to pay the price for that.”
“…I suppose I did make a mistake.”
Lobelia wasn’t a pushover.
If she were just a kindhearted person, she wouldn’t have gotten involved in the fight for the throne in the first place.
She was someone who knew how to balance principle with pragmatism.
Damn it, there’s no way I’ll be able to use her to clean up the Class F rebellion mess.
If I wanted to use her, I would have to pay a price equal to what I gain.
“But I’m someone who always keeps her promises.”
“……”
“When I rescued you, I promised to protect you. So no matter what happens today, even if I end up dying, Eden won’t be able to harm you.”
“……”
“So trust me. I’m not asking for much. Just being able to rip that mask off that damned lunatic and see the look on his face. That’ll be enough to keep me going.”
At the end of the day, she was fighting to protect the lives of the many.
She might not be an idealist, but there was no doubt she had the makings of a good leader. And if I worked with her here and now, maybe that future will come a little sooner.
“If things go well, we might be able to catch Kult right here. I’ve stationed the Imperial Knights nearby.”
“If that lunatic snaps and comes at us with a knife, we could execute him on the spot. Even if one or two people witness it, that might not be enough, but if a whole crowd sees it at once, that would be undeniable proof.”
“Exactly.”
“Do you think that’ll work?”
“No. If he were that stupid, we would’ve caught him a long time ago.”
Then Lobelia burst into hearty laughter. I had no idea what was so funny.
Well, how could I possibly understand the mind of a lunatic?
Lobelia chuckled to herself and suddenly changed her expression and said:
“So please, help me.”
“But I refuse.”
Yeah, not happening.
Emotional appeals don’t work on me.
Just look at the outcome. It’s all about making the other person feel guilty.
I was not risking my life for something that might not even produce clear results.
Like Lobelia said, unless Kult actually tried to harm us directly, which was extremely unlikely, there was no real reason to go that far.
It was just going to be a miserable ordeal.
“Well, I suppose there’s no helping it. I understand your situation, so I won’t force you.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
That easily?
“But you’ll be heading back alone. I still have things to do. The cult leader of Eden is nearby, so your way back might be a little dangerous… but hey, what are the chances anything would happen?”
“I’ll just go with you, Your Highness.”
“Atta boy.”
Now that I look at it more closely… that wasn’t a request, it was a threat. Tch.
How the hell am I supposed to go back alone when the cult leader of Eden is still wide awake and watching?
***
In the end, I went back into the private room with Lobelia.
Kult was enjoying the food he’d ordered earlier, eating like it was the best thing in the world.
That lunatic. How the hell can he eat at a time like this?
“Did you enjoy your little rendezvous? I didn’t know you two were in that kind of relationship.”
“Oh, absolutely. Thanks to you, we got to share a very passionate moment.”
With that, we sat back down at the table, and the war of nerves between Lobelia and Kult resumed.
The situation hadn’t changed at all.
Lobelia trashed Eden.
Kult, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, agreed with everything she said.
I got the gist of it now.
Lobelia probably wanted to get under Kult’s skin by denying the god of the cult.
But she had chosen the wrong approach.
Kult Hereticus, though the leader of the Eden cult, was an extremely rational person.
“I swear, I have no idea what those lunatics in Eden are thinking.”
“Trying to understand lunatics is your first mistake. Don’t bother.”
They were insane, yes. But because he was rational, he was fully aware of what he had done.
He knew the extent of his own sins and had no intention of justifying them.
He always faced the blood on his own hands.
That was why no amount of criticism against Eden meant anything to him.
Because Kult himself knew better than anyone the contradictions and filth of Eden.
Therefore, if one wanted to strip away Kult’s mask, criticizing Eden wasn’t the way.
“Johan. What do you think?”
Just as planned in advance, Lobelia roped me in at the appropriate moment.
Before, I would’ve just cringed and kept my mouth shut, but now I’d been caught trying to use Lobelia.
Here, I had to take a risk.
Fortunately, since I knew the original game, I also knew Kult’s sore spot.
“Well…”
A man who knew his own ugliness, who understood his own contradictions and sins.
And the best way to torment someone like that was…
“I can understand them, to a degree.”
Not with criticism, but with a feeble show of understanding.
“They’re just… pitiful people, aren’t they?”
And with cheap sympathy.
***
From then on, I kept pressing on Kult’s sore spot.
“After all, didn’t the Eden cult also originate from Elysium? Imagine the disappointment. How could the people not be devastated when a state religion vanished overnight? Their faith likely remained intact even if it couldn’t spread.”
“You speak quite freely, Johan.”
“Oh, my apologies…”
I had just realized I was badmouthing the Emperor in front of the Imperial Princess. I’d nearly died.
“No, go on. Everyone knows His Majesty is a complete mess. Just don’t let the Imperial Knights hear you. You could lose your head.”
“I’ll be extremely careful.”
Anyway, the Empire had once followed a religion called Elysium.
At one point, it was so large that it was practically considered the state religion. But because of its size, it was eventually disbanded.
The Emperor had personally suppressed the religion to strengthen imperial authority.
And Eden was considered one of the sects that branched off from Elysium.
Up to that point, it was all true.
“I’m sure the one who calls himself the leader of Eden found that bitter reality heartbreaking. He’s probably a kind-looking old priest or something… Anyway.”
And that part was completely made up.
It made it clear that everything I was saying now was just my own speculation.
“Isn’t that why he keeps crying out for help? Even though I’ve been put in danger myself, I can understand it.”
Yes, that same feeble understanding I mentioned earlier.
What’s most annoying is when someone pretends to know something they don’t.
It was true that Eden had started from a sect of Elysium, but Kult had nothing to do with Elysium at all.
He had simply been born a prophet and, in truth, had no real religious faith to speak of.
The only reason he committed such acts, the ones that bordered on terrorism, was for a single reason.
“He must be in pain. He must believe what he is doing is wrong. But he continued on, even while suffering and in pain.”
A sense of mission.
Because only he could do it.
Because only a prophet like him could bring about such miracles.
Because he had faith in it.
“So that’s why he’s pitiful. That’s why, Your Highness, I ask that you don’t hate him blindly. There might still be a path to compromise.”
He willingly chose to walk the pilgrimage road paved with disgrace.
And so, I insulted Kult for walking that path with nothing more than cheap sympathy.
Now, someone who knew nothing had reached the core based on lies.
That someone got the answer right but got the process wrong, then boldly presented it in front of others as if it were the truth?
To someone else who knows both the answer and the process, that would be infuriating.
That was exactly what Kult was experiencing now.
“Well, this is just…”
Yes, I did it. Not with condemnation, but with clumsy understanding and cheap sympathy.
“What a ridiculous load of nonsense.”
I tore off Kult’s mask.
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