Although Ariel said, “See you tomorrow”, we didn’t actually see each other the next day.
Well, she was a busy person.
From the beginning to the end of today’s classes, I didn’t even catch a glimpse of Ariel, let alone actually see her.
Since I was a bit worried that things might get awkward, I was actually relieved.
However, there was a problem…
“It’s boring.”
“Uh, yeah…”
“It’s really boring.”
“Uh…”
That was Yuna’s reaction when I told her what had happened recently.
She looked serious.
With a reaction like that, I couldn’t help but recall my previous suspicions.
Of course, I didn’t have the courage to ask.
How hard is it to ask something like that between friends?
If it were someone like Ariel, with whom I had a distant relationship, maybe it’d be different. But with Yuna, we spend nearly half the day together.
We were even in the same class.
If I asked and she said no… I’m not sure I could keep going with life.
“…By the way, is the Great Warrior really that strong?”
“So that part was interesting to you.”
“Mhmm.”
“You’ve really become a Cradle student now.”
Her interest lined up exactly with the Cradle students who enjoy blood and battle.
“Even if you tried, I doubt you could assassinate him. He might seem like an airhead, but he’s actually very meticulous.”
“Well, someone whose daily life is basically a battlefield would have sharp instincts.”
“Even more than that. I’m not sure a blade would even pierce him.”
“…He’s that tough?”
“He’s a monster who rivals the Emperor in raw physical ability.”
Kult chosen by a god.
Tillis who commands demons.
Faust who awakened the power of the soul after countless years.
The fact that he can stand on equal ground with such monsters says it all.
What was even more surprising was that, compared to the others, he was relatively moderate.
Even in this recent arrangement, that much was clear.
Once you strip away the “barbarian” label, he was someone you could actually talk to.
“Ugh, anyway, what you’re saying is that you’ll be too busy to hang out with me again for a while, right?”
“Probably not that bad? Unlike last time, I’ve got plenty of time now.”
Back then, there was an invisible countdown on Ariel’s life.
There was no way I could have stayed calm with a ticking time bomb next to me.
But this time, there was a clear deadline set, so as long as I finish before graduating from the Cradle, it should be fine.
After all, once I graduate from the Cradle, I won’t be able to continue my research anymore. I simply don’t have the ability to pursue something of that scale.
In the worst-case scenario, I might have to go to university like Senior Jabir…
I can already picture Professor Georg’s smiling face.
I’ll just have to live diligently and earnestly to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“So then, are you hanging out with me today?”
“I’m still tired… can I go and sleep instead?”
“Nope, not allowed. You’re coming with me to a café, and we’re going to conquer all the desserts we didn’t get to try last time.”
“Sounds like you really liked it.”
“Mhmm!”
“My sins are deep…”
What can I say? I brought this on myself by telling her about it.
“By the way, has the café recovered enough to reopen already?”
“I heard the Andvaranaut Guild helped out a lot.”
“Ah, right.”
Those guys again.
They just have to stick their nose into everything. It’s getting a bit annoying at this point.
***
The next morning, someone came looking for me bright and early.
It wasn’t Yuna, whose face I see every single day to the point of exhaustion, nor was it Ariel, who told me “see you tomorrow” and hasn’t shown her face since.
“Oh, Johan. How have you been?”
“…Your Highness?”
“Yes, it’s me. I heard things went well with the Duke’s family. Hmm, just as I expected, it seems everyone came away satisfied, no?”
“Wait, how did you…!”
“What? Don’t tell me you’re not pleased with Ariel. Objectively speaking, isn’t she a hundred times too good for someone like you?”
“……”
Attacking me with facts. How cowardly.
“…But Your Highness, you didn’t really get involved in this matter, did you?”
“I’m a bit disappointed if that’s what you think.”
“Did you… do something?”
“I did. I diverted the gaze of our great Emperor, didn’t I? If the incident with the Great Warrior had escalated any further, His Majesty would’ve caught wind of the dealings between House Ether and House Damus. And in that case, you’d probably already be a corpse.”
“…I am deeply grateful for your grace.”
Strangely enough, when she put it that way, it didn’t sound wrong.
Either way, thanks to Lobelia not blowing things out of proportion, the attention on our side had significantly decreased.
In the public eye, it was known only as an incident involving House Ether. No one suspected any connection with House Damus.
If this was Lobelia’s doing, then it could be seen as her helping me.
It may not have been about the marriage, but considering all of it was to ensure my safety…
“So my visit today is also for your sake.”
“Huh?”
“You said it yourself, ‘seems like information may have leaked’. If that’s true, then even if we cover things up on our side, there’s a high chance the other party already knows about the dealings between House Ether and House Damus.”
“Ah.”
I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
I really couldn’t see the big picture. I was always just scrambling to handle what was right in front of me.
Well, if I were capable of seeing the bigger picture, I probably wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.
“You’re right.”
“Do you have any idea how it might’ve happened?”
“I only have suspicions.”
“Let’s hear them.”
I told Lobelia everything about Andvaranaut.
Still, Andvaranaut was a necessary evil. They harbor hostility toward the Empire, yes. But thanks to them, the economy was flourishing.
If it weren’t for them, we’d probably still be chewing raw grains on stone floors.
“Hmmm…”
“They might be a thorn in our side, but I’m against moving on them immediately.”
“Well, they do have their uses. Negotiating might be the better option.”
The head of Andvaranaut’s Merchant Guild might bear hostility toward the Emperor, but unlike some lunatics, they’re not aiming to destroy the Empire itself.
If it was Lobelia, who aimed to dethrone the current Emperor Abraham and become the new ruler, she might be able to persuade them somehow.
Of course, they might not think much of the Emperor’s bloodline itself, so it would be a rather dangerous gamble…
But the gamble was Lobelia’s to take, not mine.
“Well then, I suppose I’ll have to arrange a meeting with them sometime.”
“You’re probably going to get assassinated.”
Still, I told her anyway.
“I deal with that kind of thing every day.”
Lobelia, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, said she would take the risk.
Well, I figured as much.
She’d handle her own business however she liked.
“Now, onto something else.”
“You have more to say?”
“Unfortunately for you, yes.”
“Aaah…”
“Where did you learn to sigh in front of imperial members like that?”
“Please, forgive me.”
“…Forget it. It’s about the upcoming external training.”
“Huh?”
“The external training, I said.”
“We’re going on external training? Outside? Has the Headmistress gone crazy?”
How much attention was she trying to draw with a stunt like that?
For Olga Hermod, who always put student safety above all else, this was an unusually reckless idea.
“Well, who knows? I’m sure the Headmistress has her reasons. She’s not the type to act thoughtlessly.”
“I certainly hope that’s the case…”
All I could picture was us being attacked by a terrorist group.
“Ahem! So, on that note. Would you consider joining our team?”
“Huh? No, thank you. That ‘team’ is practically the front line.”
All the trouble would end up going that way. Ten lives wouldn’t be enough.
“You’re assuming we’ll be attacked. But still, it’d be better for you to join us. Ariel has been wanting to see you.”
“Why doesn’t she just come see me then? Normally she sticks out like a sore thumb anyway…”
“Ariel probably doesn’t know how to set the right distance either.”
That was… fair enough.
Since the engagement had been kept a secret, even just approaching me must have felt awkward.
Ariel and I didn’t have that many points of contact, so even if she wanted to act as if nothing had changed, she might’ve hesitated to seek me out without a clear reason.
But for Lobelia to try to connect us like this…
“That might just backfire.”
Meeting Ariel one-on-one
vs.
Joining Lobelia’s party.
If it were me, I’d choose the former without hesitation. The only reason I tried to avoid Ariel in the first place was because of the danger. So why would I jump into the lion’s den?
“But Johan, you haven’t been able to form a team because you don’t have any friends, have you?”
“No, I do have friends.”
“Each team consists of five members.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“You don’t have five friends, do you?”
“No…!”
Fine! I don’t!
I wanted to argue, but the fact that I couldn’t made it all the more frustrating.
Was the world really this narrow-minded and cruel?
“I’m only bringing this up because I think you could be in danger if you don’t form a team soon.”
“…What do you mean?”
“There was someone from outside who requested to observe the Cradle this time.”
“Some aspiring warrior?”
“Helena Hereticus.”
“She’s just some clueless little girl… Wait a second.”
“Her guardian is Kult Hereticus.”
In an instant, two siblings with snow-white hair flashed through my mind. Just imagining them made my head spin.
“There’s a high chance they’ll request you. And unless you’re already in another team, it’ll be hard to decline.”
“Ugh…”
Honestly, I wanted to say no, but Kult was the kind of person who could make it happen.
To begin with, he was friends with Dietrich. If he used Dietrich to name me specifically, getting out of it would be tough.
If it were just Kult, I could say we had no particular connection, but I knew Dietrich. That alone made it hard to refuse without a solid reason.
“Ugh…”
I needed to think.
Kult Hereticus.
That lunatic….the cult leader and so-called prophet of Eden was completely crazy.
Lobelia Vicious von Miltonia.
A lightning rod for provocation, constantly under threat from that group and countless others.
An impossible balance game.
Should I join Lobelia’s side and enjoy her extreme killing spree?
Or should I take Kult’s side and try to survive real-time brainwashing?
“…Still, I think Kult’s side might be better?”
“Are you serious?”
Well, honestly, isn’t it true?
Besides, Kult doesn’t seem as eager to crack open my head as he used to.
If worst comes to worst, I can rely on Yuna, and Kult himself probably wouldn’t pull anything crazy right in front of Helena and Dietrich.
“Ha… I didn’t expect you to distrust me this much. Ariel’s going to be disappointed.”
“I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. I had no intention of tying you down over something like this. You already signed the contract, so when the time comes, I’ll just blackmail you properly. For now, enjoy your temporary freedom.”
“Your Highness, are you perhaps upset?”
“Are you trying to gauge the mood of an imperial member?”
Yep, she’s definitely upset.
Well, I guess imperials rarely experience rejection.
“Oh, of course not. How could I ever doubt Your Highness, when your will is what all the people desire?”
“Good, then.”
Ugh, appeasing her was exhausting.
***
The Hereticus Marquisate.
Kult Hereticus was walking toward the Cradle, hand in hand with Helena Hereticus.
“Helena, are you really okay? Please let me know if it gets too hard.”
Kult asked Helena, who was striding ahead with determination.
Though he had treated her illness, Helena had been born with a frail body and still needed rehabilitation.
“I’m fine! Big brother, I feel even better than usual today! And if you’re tired, you have to tell me too! I’ll help you!”
“Then I’ll rely on you as well, Helena.”
“Yes! Big brother!”
Kult smiled gently.
Perhaps it was thanks to his recent lightened schedule.
Helena had been spending more time with Kult than ever before.
Their visit to the Cradle today was one such occasion.
It all started because Helena had grown curious after watching Dietrich leave the mansion every morning.
Normally, she would’ve kept such feelings to herself, but thankfully, Kult had noticed early on. And that’s how this visit came to be.
Helena who was physically weak by nature, and Kult who was publicly known to be blind.
“Just don’t get hurt from being too eager, either of you…”
Dietrich, whose job was to protect them, felt the weight of responsibility.
For him, this also marked his first assignment as a knight of the Hereticus Marquisate.
Still, even if he was tense, the smile on his face wouldn’t fade. Just like theirs.
Seriously, those two really do look like actual siblings every time I see them.
Kult supported Helena to keep her from falling, and Helena became his eyes, guiding the way.
To Dietrich, the sight of the two leaning on each other was nothing short of heartwarming.
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