Shuffle, shuffle.
Ariel walked toward me with the moonlight at her back.
There was nothing I could do.
I didn’t have the ability to run, and I was too afraid of the consequences to even try anything.
The only small hope I had was that Tronios Ether had come with her.
If Ariel really tried to kidnap me, imprison me, or mess with my mind, surely he’d step in to stop her.
“Johan…”
What is she thinking right now?
As Ariel shuffled closer to me, I froze, unable to move a muscle.
At the height of my tension, I swallowed hard.
And then—
Poof.
Ariel gently hugged me. It wasn’t forceful at all. Just a soft, ordinary embrace.
Cautiously, I wrapped my arms around her back as she leaned against me.
What is this? What is she trying to do?
“Ariel…?”
“I’ve always wanted to do this.”
She didn’t do anything else.
Just a hug. Ariel didn’t seem to want anything more.
“You know… It wasn’t until I reached the Archmage realm that I realized it, but I think I have… affection issues.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ve never been hugged by my mother or father. At home, I was always treated like a burden. The only one who ever understood me was Her Highness… but how could I ever ask her to hold me?”
“I see.”
Of course, she couldn’t act that informally toward an imperial member like Lobelia.
And it didn’t seem like Ariel had any other friends, either…
“I just wanted to feel human warmth. Not just through touching hands, but with my whole body. Mmm… Johan, you’re warm.”
Maybe I’ve been misunderstanding Ariel all along.
Looking at her now, I remembered a conversation I had with Helena not long ago.
Back then, I compared Helena to Chris. We talked about how much bias comes from appearances.
But now I have realized that kind of prejudice also applies to someone’s power.
Because Ariel had the power to easily overpower me, I feared her and kept my guard up.
But all she wanted… was a little warmth from another person.
“I’ll hug you as much as you want.”
“……”
“And maybe, as time passes, those hugs will feel natural. And when that time comes, I’ll try to give you even more than just that.”
This was a matter of trust.
It was my fault for avoiding the conversation, for letting fear take over without ever asking what she really wanted.
Given everything that’s happened, I guess I didn’t feel I had the right to face her properly.
No, that’s just another excuse.
“I’ll do better.”
Right now, all that mattered… was sincerity.
***
Whether it was from relief or exhaustion from the earlier battle, Ariel had dozed off in my arms, breathing softly in her sleep.
I thought about just staying like that for a while, but then…
“Ahem.”
“…Father-in-law.”
At some point, Tronios Ether had appeared, staring down at us.
I had no choice but to gently pull away from Ariel.
Wow. I can’t breathe.
This is unbearable. The awkwardness is going to kill me.
How long had he been watching? From when?
Was it really okay to be seen like that in front of my father-in-law?
The tension was so thick, I had no idea what to say.
“Come outside.”
“Yes.”
I still had no clue what he was thinking.
His expression rarely changed, so I couldn’t tell whether he was planning to kill me or spare me.
More than that, I was still too stunned to even process the fact that he was here.
Why did he even come all this way?
“Um… What brings you here…?”
“Her Highness, the Third Princess, requested assistance.”
“Ah… I see.”
I’d heard there were plans to escort Ariel with the help of an Archmage.
But I had assumed Lobelia would summon Olga Hermod.
Tronios Ether, though?
What was she thinking?
“The Tower Master was summoned by His Majesty the Emperor, so I came in her place.”
“Ah…”
So that’s how it happened.
Then… did Lobelia not expect Tronios Ether to come either?
I really hope that’s the case.
So I don’t end up hating her more than I already do.
Of course, there was another question that came to mind first.
“…Still, how did you get here so quickly?”
No matter how you look at it, he arrived far too fast.
Even if Olga Hermod had rushed over the moment she heard, there’s no way she could’ve made it in time.
Physically, it just didn’t seem possible.
“That’s because of me.”
At that moment, the air split open with a sound like shattering glass, and a figure in a hood appeared.
The Oracle.
“Ah.”
Well, Tronios Ether was essentially the Emperor’s right-hand man.
It’s only natural they’d know each other.
“Johan Damus.”
“What?”
“You should consider yourself lucky.”
“…Lucky? How?”
“Think about why I had to rush all the way out here personally. Can’t you figure it out yourself?”
Seriously, what the hell is she talking about?
Would something terrible have happened if Ariel hadn’t been subdued early?
Something on the level of when Kult awakened?
If that’s the case, I guess it does make sense that Tronios Ether came in person.
Still…
“I don’t think Ariel would’ve caused any real trouble.”
I believe in Ariel.
From what she just said and did, I’m sure of it.
No matter how angry she might get, she’s not the type to cross a line.
She’s someone who simply wanted a hug. That’s all.
“…Are you just that dense? Or do you not think at all? Do you even remember what you did?”
“So what?”
If you’re just going to talk in circles, then at least give me a straight answer.
“Ariel Ether becoming an Archmage. Do you really not know what the trigger for that is?”
“Trigger…?”
The reason I was so desperate to make Ariel an Archmage.
The background behind our engagement.
And the reason Tronios Ether, the one in charge of the northern front, came here.
“The Great Warrior…?”
The chieftain of the barbarian tribe who made a deal with me.
At the Oracle’s words, I finally realized something.
“Vidar is in the Damus territory?”
“I don’t know how you see him, but he’s far more perceptive than you think.”
An animal-like intuition.
No, even sharper than a beast’s.
There’s a reason he leads a barbarian tribe made up of beastkin.
“In the future I saw, the Great Warrior reduced the Damus territory to ashes. Please don’t misunderstand. That was merely the collateral damage from the battle.”
“So you were trying to test Ariel’s power?”
“Yes.”
The aftermath of just those two fighting could destroy the entire territory…
I guess, considering the power they hold, it’s not that surprising.
“Thanks. You saved the territory.”
Even if I’m not exactly fond of the Oracle, I know how to separate personal feelings from what’s right.
This time, it was her compassion that saved us.
“Do you think I did this out of kindness for you? Do I look like I have the time to step in just to protect some countryside territory?”
“…Seriously, your attitude.”
Even when someone thanks her, all she does is criticize. No wonder she doesn’t have any friends. She’s too twisted for that.
“If the Great Warrior were to appear in the Damus territory, it’s only natural the Emperor would take notice. And if that happens, the connection between you and the Ether Duchy will be exposed, and then…”
“You’re saying either I or the Ether family could go down?”
“Hmph.”
So, she came to help after all, didn’t she? The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced. Her personality really is twisted.
“Is the conversation over?”
“Yes, Father-in-law. Thank you for your help.”
“No need for such formalities. As I said, this matter concerns the Ether family as well, so it’s only right that I stepped in.”
“Then, would it be alright to keep your visit to Damus a secret for today?”
“Yes.”
Good. Then there’s no need to wake up Father, who’s passed out.
Right after Ariel caused the commotion, he collapsed clutching his neck. There’s no reason to drag him further into this living hell. I do want him to suffer, but for today, I think he’s suffered enough.
“Before I return, let’s catch up a bit. I’ve heard some rumors causing quite a stir across the Empire.”
“Father-in-law? No, I can really explain everything properly—”
“No need. Spare me the explanation.”
Does “no need” mean my neck is no longer needed either?
I need to find some way to defend myself…
“Well done.”
“…Huh?”
“By drawing attention with the scandal involving the Third Princess and staging a fake engagement with the Tower Master’s daughter, you completely severed any visible ties to the Ether family.”
“….…”
“A truly brilliant move.”
Tronios Ether, actually admiring someone like me.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even manage to say a single word.
I didn’t even dare to make eye contact.
“How did you come up with such an idea?”
Tronios Ether wasn’t angry, even with all the nasty rumors going around.
He was confident.
That I loved only Ariel, and everything else was just a cover…
Having loved only one woman his entire life, he probably couldn’t even imagine any other possibility.
What would happen to me if he found out that my engagement to Yuna wasn’t fake?
If he had just gotten angry or shown some suspicion, it wouldn’t be nearly as terrifying as this.
This is what true, crushing trust feels like.
“Make sure you continue to act that way from now on.”
“……”
The Oracle, standing beside him, glared at me like I was completely pathetic.
And yet, even under that gaze, I couldn’t argue. I could only pray desperately.
Please keep it a secret.
I’m begging you. Please.
“……”
Thankfully, the Oracle said nothing.
She just looked at me with a look of disdain, as if she couldn’t believe how pathetic I was.
Yes, I know. I’m a pathetic person.
You’re absolutely right, Oracle.
***
The moment I completed the task of making Ariel Ether an Archmage, I was handed another task.
That task was… telling Tronios Ether the truth.
It’s something that requires serious resolve. I have no idea how I’m even supposed to bring it up. Everything just feels hopeless.
Honestly, I’d rather go fight Kult all over again…
“Please head in safely, Father-in-law.”
“Hmm.”
I bowed deeply as I watched Tronios Ether disappear through the Oracle’s strange method of teleportation.
Even after he was gone, I couldn’t lift my head for a long time.
Truly…
I’ve lived a shameful life.
“Alright, forget it for now.”
No matter how much I think about it, I can’t come up with any good way to explain things to him.
Let’s just leave it to future me.
Instead of stressing over an unsolvable future, I should worry about the present.
“The Great Warrior… the Great Warrior, huh…”
Well, it makes sense that Vidar would be keeping an eye on the Damus territory.
From the beginning, that was the basis of our agreement. He made it clear. If I broke our promise, he’d burn the territory to the ground.
Given that, it’s only natural he’s watching closely.
Then… it’s possible there’s a spy within the territory.
Even if he was a barbarian, Vidar wasn’t stupid.
I should try to root out any spies.
If there is one… where would they be?
“You there.”
“Huh? Oh, Young Master. Is something the matter? Should I prepare breakfast?”
The Damus County was still nothing more than a rural territory, but with the support of the Ether Duchy, it had grown to a decent size.
And since we’d hired more workers to match that growth, it was the perfect environment to plant a spy.
Father might’ve thought no one would bother putting a spy in a backwater territory like this, but with everything I’m entangled in, I didn’t have the luxury of thinking that way.
I called over a newly hired servant who was clearing the debris of a collapsed building.
A beastkin with a lively demeanor.
Right. A beastkin.
“Is it you?”
“Huh? Is what me?”
“Are you Vidar’s spy?”
“What’s a spy?”
“Never mind, then.”
Judging by the way he tilted his head in confusion, he probably wasn’t.
I only asked because he was a beastkin, but that doesn’t mean every beastkin is someone Vidar planted.
Sheesh. This way of finding spies is easy, sure….but it’s not exactly reliable.
“Are there any other beastkin among the new hires besides you?”
“No? I think I’m the only one who joined recently, Young Master.”
“Then that means you’re the spy, right?”
“I really don’t understand what you’re talking about, Young Master……”
Ah, crap. He’s probably the one.
If it’s not him, then there are no other suspects.
“Haah.”
In the end, I had to return to the Cradle without gaining anything.
Where the hell did that bastard Vidar plant his spy…?
This is really bothering me.
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