Menemen was pacing anxiously indoors.
Staggering slightly, he would take three steps, turn around, then take about four steps back, repeating the same restless pattern.
From afar, a faint clamor could be heard.
It was the outcry of the Empire’s yellow press, all clamoring to cover his story.
“…Damn it!!”
A series of incidents that had occurred in Harun, the satellite city of the Magic Tower territory.
Fireworks that had suddenly exploded, a spell that left behind an enormous trace of destruction, and even an unidentified monstrous creature that had blocked it.
Rumors were circulating through the streets that all of it was connected to the eldest son of House Harunsdel.
This was a disaster. With the successor selection approaching, it was far too serious a setback.
As if to check whether his body was functioning properly, Menemen drew in a rough breath.
…I was nearly assassinated. Me.
And not in the dead of night, but in the early evening just after sunset.
In Harun, the city said to be ruled by House Harunsdel.
Damn it. Damn it!!! Erdem. Was it you? No. Irina is suspicious too. She suddenly asked to meet… But if not for Drei, she would have died as well… So it wasn’t her…? Damn it!!
The first to come to mind were his brothers competing with him for the position of successor.
No, he couldn’t be certain. It might even have been another merchant house.
There were no clues at all. The attack launched at him yesterday had clearly been a high-level spell, yet not a single trace of mana-wave residue remained at the scene.
But is that even possible? I’ve never heard of a magical tool capable of something like that. Who was it…?
Just then,
The shadow at his feet spoke.
– …Young master. A guest—
“…In the first place, Drei!!! Why did you reveal your true form!!”
– …I did not believe I could defend against it otherwise. My apologies.
“What? It was only a single high-level spell!!! And you exposed your true form just to block something like that…!!”
– Young master. Forgive my boldness, but that was no mere high-level spell.
Back talk.
Was that how he took it?
Rage burst from his lips. His stress had reached its peak, and he lashed out at his own subordinate.
Menemen’s muscles and tendons trembled violently as he ranted, looking as though he were about to hurl a cup.
“What would you know, opening your mouth however you please? You useless bastard—!!!!”
But at that moment,
A languid voice filled Menemen’s office.
“He’s right.”
“Who are you? I clearly ordered that no one be let in—.”
Irritated, Menemen spun around.
Standing there was a girl who looked about fifteen.
Not a complete child, yet not quite someone who could be called an adult either.
What stood out most…
were her eyes, the color of blood diluted with a single drop of milk.
“…Lady Maria.”
The Archmage Maria.
She walked lightly over and sat down on the sofa without invitation.
“A magical construct created by weaving together four unique spells. That’s what was fired at you.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“It means that even if I had been there, it would’ve taken some effort to block it. You should actually be thanking Drei, you know?”
Maria narrowed her eyes as she smiled.
The curve of her lips was unmistakably mocking.
“He saved your life.”
But Menemen did not direct his anger at her.
He knew very well what kind of person the woman before him who looked like nothing more than a young girl truly was.
Instead, he asked politely,
“…What brings you here…?”
“Hmm? What brings me here? You’re asking that when you already know? I came to check if you were doing all right. It’d be a shame if a valuable ally got pushed out of the succession race.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Are you sure? It’s already quite a mess, you know? If the Special Operations Knight Order weren’t in such disarray right now, an investigation team would’ve been dispatched already.”
“…Yesterday’s incident was merely a moment of carelessness. Once we identify the force that plotted such a cunning move, everything will proceed smoothly. There isn’t any faction capable of withstanding House Harunsdel’s hostile measures.”
“And do you have a way to find them?”
“…If you would assist me just once, I won’t disappoint you.”
Maria let out a small laugh and rose to her feet.
“You want me to take care of it… Fine. I will. But remember this.”
A chilling cold swept through the office.
Beyond her strangely colored eyes, something appeared like a hallucination. It was shaped like a horizontal slit.
As if to instill fear, Maria stared directly at Menemen.
“There won’t be a second time.”
“……!”
“Oh. And Drei. Look forward to it. It seems your younger sibling will be born soon.”
“…I shall look forward to it.”
With those words left behind, she departed.
Thunk.
At the sound of the door closing, Menemen finally exhaled.
“…The master of House Harunsdel will be me. Without fail.”
***
Attacking the bastard in broad early evening. And in doing so, identifying the shadow guard attached to him.
If there were plenty of witnesses and it stirred up controversy as well, that would be killing two birds with one stone.
All things considered, it wasn’t a bad move.
I pulled the cup away from my ear and tugged on the string.
The cup on the other end slid toward me.
If I had to describe it, it was like a paper cup telephone.
At a glance it looked like a child’s toy, but in reality it was quite an excellent eavesdropping device.
It was an item currently being presented at the academy collaboration seminar hosted by the Magic Tower.
What was it called again? “Smiley Doctor Play,” I think.
Why it was called doctor play instead of detective play, I had no idea… but being Heinel’s experimental assistant certainly had its perks.
When I asked if I could have a sample, they practically scrambled to hand one over.
Menemen nearly crushed it halfway through and gave me a scare… but still, that worked out well.
Dressed in an aide’s uniform, I gave a small nod.
I was at work.
At Harunsdel headquarters.
So he was already in contact with Maria.
And that Maria had said she would investigate yesterday’s incident.
Investigate it for a hundred days if you want.
The site where the spell had been fired had already been thoroughly cleaned up.
Evidence erased through the trait Total Magical Structure Analysis couldn’t be seen through, not even by an Archmage.
Just then—
“Aide Deran, are you inside?”
“Yes.”
“Excuse me.”
Click.
The door opened, and a black-haired beauty stepped in. She was tall and dressed in a formal uniform. My first impression was simply that her tie looked uncomfortably tight.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I’ve come to relay information regarding the regular merchants’ council meeting the day after tomorrow. Since you’ll be accompanying us as an aide, I thought I should brief you in person.”
“Oh? So I get to go with a pretty lady like you, big sister?”
I shook my leg and spoke in a flippant tone. The black-haired beauty’s brow furrowed at once.
“That manner may be tolerated in front of me, but such frivolous behavior will not be accepted at the council meeting.”
“Frivolous? That’s a bit harsh. This is just how I am.”
“…It will suffice if you simply maintain the attitude you displayed toward the maids in Tane.”
At that, I looked at her as if she were talking nonsense.
“What’s that supposed to mean? You know I worked as a butler in Tane? I don’t recall ever seeing you before.”
“…I am aware of the new aide’s personal background. That is a basic qualification expected of you as well.”
“Really? That’s pretty intense.”
So that’s the face she makes when she’s flustered. I should remember that.
I completely changed my tone and manner of speaking. Come to think of it, maybe I actually had a talent for acting.
“Then I’ll mind my manners. Something like this should do, right?”
“…From now on, I will relay what you need to know in order to assist your master.”
“I’ll take that as approval and listen attentively.”
“……”
It was information I already knew, but I pretended to listen carefully.
The regular meeting is held on a lake outside the city of Harun, combined with a party aboard a ship.
If I remember correctly, this is where Menemen solidifies his advantage in the succession struggle.
Recalling that, I observed the woman in front of me.
The reason she knew my background was simple. She must have already seen me from within Menemen’s shadow.
She was flustered because I had inadvertently touched on that point.
Drei.
This woman is the shadow guard Harunsdel prides itself on.
A demonized human.
***
Two days later.
Dawn.
“……..!!!”
Irina’s eyes snapped open. Her body was drenched in sweat.
“……”
Before her was the familiar sofa.
“…That dream again.”
The sofa, soaked with sweat, felt unpleasantly sticky. The air she had breathed all night felt stifling.
“…Haa.”
It was a horrible dream. Irina pressed a hand to her head and thought. Her eyes were open, but she couldn’t move a muscle. It felt as if someone were sitting on top of her head.
It was still dark. The day had not yet broken. She realized that from the faint glow of dawn visible through the window.
– …My lady.
“…Zwei, what time is it?”
– It is 6:13 a.m.
“…At least I slept two hours.”
With trembling hands, she covered her eyes. The faint light irritated them.
– Did you have that dream again?
“…Yes.”
– How did it go this time?
“…I was trapped in a small, box-like place, screaming for someone to save me. The pain felt like my whole body was being crushed, over and over again….”
– ….
“No one came to save me….”
– It was all just a dream. Please do not dwell on it.
“Do you… really think so…?”
She muttered faintly. Her overworked mind felt as though it might slip back into sleep at any moment, but she forced herself to endure it.
She clung to the fragile thread of consciousness and refused to let go.
Just as she always had.
“…Zwei. If I properly become the successor, do you think I’ll stop having these dreams?”
– I am certain you will.
It hadn’t been long since she began having nightmares.
She couldn’t remember the exact time, but it was probably around when Adel died.
Had her mind fallen ill?
Had she really cared for Adel that much? Were these symptoms born from loss?
Maybe that was truly the case.
After hearing that Harunsdel was involved in Adel’s death, the nightmares had grown more severe and more frequent.
“…Do you really think that’s true?”
– There is a high probability it is. As you saw yourself, Drei… that woman.
“…Yes. There’s no denying it… she was a worshiper. Which means Menemen must be connected to the worshipers as well.”
– Even so, you have lowered your guard too much around that man… I know these daily nightmares are wearing you down, but…
Irina let out a small laugh.
“He’s Adel’s friend.”
– There is more than enough possibility that he is not.
“…I’ll choose to rule out that possibility, Zwei. Even if I’m betrayed later… for now, I just want to be satisfied knowing there’s someone who shares the same pain.”
– …My lady.
Zwei called out to Irina, troubled.
She was unraveling.
Crying in front of someone she had just met over a single keyword, believing his words without any concrete proof.
It was proof that Irina was mentally cornered.
Fortunately, the man called “Deran” who had approached them did not seem to be lying….
Still, there was no helping the concern.
After all, he had proven to be far more formidable than expected.
A man capable of casting high-level magic from within enemy lines without being detected.
From what it appeared, he had connections to Heinell Shifter and could cancel their magic in an instant….
Most likely, a mage well-versed in combat magic.
There was no harm in remaining cautious.
But Zwei did not voice those concerns.
– …My lady. It is today.
“I know. The regular meeting, right?”
– At 6 p.m. You should try to get some more sleep until then.
“No. I’ll review the materials.”
He would simply continue to support his master in silence.
The regular meeting of Harunsdel.
Only twelve hours remained until it began.
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