As soon as I saw Reto buried in a heap of trash, a hot wave of anger surged through my mind.
I knew my surroundings would be troubled. However, there was an ocean of difference between merely imagining it in my head and witnessing it firsthand.
After grinding my teeth for a while, I was ready to stomp the ground.
“…These bastards, seriously!”
“Arthur.”
But at Reto’s surprisingly calm voice, I was left with no choice but to freeze in place.
Reto, who still couldn’t get up and was groaning, had a look of pity on his face.
“What are you going to do, huh? Stick by my side all day to protect me? The more you show your anger, the more counterproductive it becomes. Do you really think it’s effective?”
It was all sound reasoning. Yet, I couldn’t accept it, so I paused briefly before speaking.
“But…”
“Stop it, I-an. I’m fine.”
With that, he grunted and unsteadily got up. I reached out my hand, but he shook his head as if to say he was fine and stood up by his own strength.
Sighing, Reto leaned his back against the wall.
His expression was sullen.
I felt awkward and couldn’t look Reto in the eye. To be fair, it wasn’t my fault, but I couldn’t deny that I was part of the problem.
The fundamental issue was that the soul of my future self was inhabiting me.
For a long time, I scratched the back of my head in silence before cautiously offering an apology.
“Um, I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine.”
But, as always, Reto only responded with that disinterested tone.
He brushed off his clothes with a few taps. Yet, his expression twisted slightly as the lingering smell wouldn’t come off easily.
Soon, another sigh escaped Reto, followed by a voice trying to comfort me.
“…It’s not your fault. And this is all probably to prevent the world’s destruction or something, right?”
To be honest, I wasn’t so sure.
So, I had no choice but to maintain my silence. It didn’t ease my mind knowing that not only Reto but also those I was close to were likely facing similar torment.
It seemed Reto could gauge my expression and took a wild guess at what was going on.
He scoffed and shook his head. Perhaps his head was throbbing too; he started pressing on his temples.
Still, he was the only one I could rely on, so I had no choice but to share my concerns like a lament.
“Why did the future ‘me’ do that?”
That question was at the heart of all my issues.
The future ‘me’ provoked the imperial princess. No matter how much the princess had instigated first, the process wasn’t smooth, and the violence was excessively brutal.
While I couldn’t know the exact details of the exchanges between the princess and ‘me,’ at least it appeared that way publicly.
What if it was simply that I couldn’t control my anger?
In that case, it would be even more hopeless. It would mean I had to tackle the problem by myself with no help.
As always, what quelled my anxiety was Reto’s reasoning.
He quietly shook his head.
“That’s not going to happen. There have only been two precedents so far, but when that guy takes initiative, there’s always a reason.”
Then he snapped his fingers. Instantly, shapes began to emerge in the air.
Lines of bluish light connected to form a certain shape.
It was a picture of a wolf. The named monster that I had hunted for the first time.
“When the first letter arrived, for a week, the future ‘you’ forged a connection with Ceria. Even if it was violent, without Ceria, you wouldn’t have been able to participate in the Hunting Festival, let alone win it.”
That was true.
Without Ceria, I wouldn’t have been entangled with Senior Elsi or Senior Delphine, and I wouldn’t have been able to assemble a team powerful enough to win the Hunting Festival.
And then the next drawing depicted the scene of Gilford Orphanage.
“The same goes for the second letter. If you hadn’t managed to get information from the Lady Virgin Saint then, you wouldn’t have had to go to Gilford Orphanage.”
“…Then what about this time?”
To my obvious question, Reto paused briefly as he propped his chin and deep in thought.
The last shape was a question mark.
“I need to find that out from now on. But at the very least, there’s a clue… During that week, before provoking the imperial princess, find out where that guy went and whom he met.”
“Something proactive, different from the usual schedule…”
I had no choice but to swallow my words.
The information was too scarce. I had no idea what actions I had taken while I had lost my memories.
Then Reto laughed as if he had expected this.
With a clap, he brought his palms together, causing the shapes in the air to disperse like mist. Reto then looked at me seriously and offered his advice.
“First, there are two people you should see today. One is Senior Delphine, and the other is the Lady Virgin Saint.”
“Why Senior Delphine?”
The Lady Virgin Saint was relatively free from the imperial court since she belonged to the Holy Kingdom, but I couldn’t understand why I should visit Senior Delphine.
Reto merely clicked his tongue, as if to say I was clueless.
“Hey, is dealing with one of the five noble families a joke? Of course, they know more about the imperial family than anyone else. Get some information no matter what and start protecting yourself. Can you even imagine what’s happening to Perkus Manor right now?”
In other words, it meant to minimize the damage and buy time through Senior Delphine.
I thought it might be too much of an inconvenience for Senior Delphine, but I had to prioritize saving my family over any concerns.
Once the five noble families began to move, it would already be too late. The Perkus family, barely a rural noble, wouldn’t last a month or two at most.
After staring at me as I fell into contemplation for a while, Reto casually threw out a comment.
“Still, why don’t you look for the Lady Virgin Saint first?”
“Why?”
“Yulen mentioned a while ago that you went to see the Lady Virgin Saint.”
That was obviously something I didn’t remember.
If that were the case, it meant that the future ‘me’ had met the Lady Virgin Saint, and clues would likely lie in that meeting.
Before long, my destinations had become complicated. Now, I had three places to go.
The News Department, the Temple, and Idalos Lodge.
First, I decided to heed Reto’s advice to head to the Temple. As I was about to turn my back after some brief farewells, I hesitated and glanced at Reto.
He was merely wearing a wry smile.
“Don’t worry about it and go. It’d also be better not to see me and Celin for a while.”
“…Okay.”
Understanding his feelings, I nodded and took my leave.
Reto shouted after my departing back.
“And if that guy returns again, can I just hit him once?!”
If I could, honestly, I wouldn’t know if I could hit a guy who could crush even the imperial princess’s knights in just a few exchanges.
I bit my lip with that thought.
I had to come up with some plan.
After finally arriving at the post office, the contents of the letter I got were incredibly short.
It was more like a postcard. However, its weight was substantial, and I sighed once more.
—-
To. To my dearly respected older brother.
Thanks to your wonderful support, the Company is on the verge of collapse. I will be cheering you on for your future Academy life.
From. Your sister who loves you, Ria Percus.
—-
It seemed it had already begun.
The consequences of touching the imperial court were this immediate. Soon, overwhelming pressure started to build, and the family and territory were nearing suffocation.
Meanwhile, the imperial court just stood back with its arms crossed.
That made the imperial court all the more terrifying. If they could exert this kind of influence with just their subordinate’s actions, what would happen if the absolute power that could subjugate even those subordinates got angry?
In the empire’s long history, there were only a few instances where the imperial family had taken direct action.
But the outcomes had always been the same.
Devastation; no matter how powerful a family was, they could not survive if they touched the imperial family’s wrath. Compared to that, I might have to be thankful that I could still write a letter to my sister.
As I was moving forward with a gloomy face, I sensed a presence following me from behind. In truth, I had been aware of it for quite some time but had deliberately ignored it.
I thought if I didn’t give it any attention, it would eventually walk away.
It didn’t take long to realize that judgement was wrong. Ultimately, I sighed deeply and turned around.
A woman, startled and freezing at our eye contact, bowed her head low.
It was a girl with a doll-like appearance, fiddling with the brim of her hooded hat. Without needing to go through much reasoning, her identity was clear.
Elsi Rainelle, the same person I had declared to part ways with just yesterday.
“Elis Senior, why are you following me? I told you yesterday. Let’s not see each other for a while.”
However, Senior Elsi only kept glancing at me anxiously, wearing a timid expression. My heart tightened again at her pitiful face.
I attempted to persuade her in a comforting tone.
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? If you hang around someone who’s clashed with the imperial court, it could get you into trouble too.”
“…I-I don’t care.”
Senior Elsi, who had been wavering, spoke in a voice with resolute determination.
“I-I only need you… Um, it was that person’s fault first, right?!”
“Shh!”
I gasped in shock, placing my finger to my lips. My heart sank. No matter what, calling a member of the imperial family ‘that person’ was not acceptable.
I quickly glanced around. Fortunately, there were no passersby.
My heart was still racing. I quickly approached Senior Elsi and whispered in a small voice.
“Are you out of your mind?! Even if that’s the case, you shouldn’t say that to a member of royalty…!”
“B-but she’s messing with my master!”
Senior Elsi argued, seeming aggrieved, but that wouldn’t hold any weight.
I ran my hand over my face, and even washing it wouldn’t alleviate the frustration.
I continued to whisper urgently to Senior Elsi.
“No, not only you. The family could also get into trouble, you know?”
“I don’t care! If they wanna disown me from the family, so be it…”
At first, she was outspoken, but the thought of being disowned seemed to make her a bit afraid. Soon, her voice trailed off.
Yet, the sorrowful look in her eyes as she glanced at me was distressing.
Although my decision had been made for Senior Elsi’s sake, it was actually her who was clinging to me. So much so that I was stumped for words when all of a sudden.
“Elder sister!”
From somewhere, that shout rang out.
I briefly glanced over my shoulder and saw a familiar face, one I had seen before.
Right, it was ‘Ru Pin.’
The brother of Senior Elsi.
A memory of him being Elsi’s younger brother skimmed through my mind, and I saw him glaring fiercely at me with clenched teeth.
He took a look around, presumably assessing the situation, before grabbing Senior Elsi’s wrist and tugging her away. Senior Elsi’s eyes widened in surprise.
Ru Pin shouted with veins bulging in his neck.
“Elder sister, did that bastard do something to you? I told you… he’s a complete madman! He even touched the imperial princess!!”
What was he talking about, Senior Elsi’s eyes turned blank upon hearing his words.
However, Ru Pin continued, his gaze filled with malice toward me.
“Did that guy threaten you? It’s okay now! I’ll go talk to the imperial princess for you… that guy is a cursed being; being around him could lead to disaster!”
No matter how I looked at it, calling someone cursed was far from appropriate.
So, just as I was about to reprimand him, a sudden thought struck my mind.
Wait, what if I just let this unfold?
If it were my persuasion, maybe it would be different, but Ru Pin was the sibling whom Senior Elsi was especially fond of. If it were family, it might resonate even deeper with Senior Elsi.
Since the matter at hand involved the family, she wouldn’t be able to ignore it.
Once that calculation crossed my mind, I immediately nodded in agreement.
“Right, that’s true. Senior Elsi, listen to your brother.”
“…?”
Ru Pin cast me a bewildered look, but seemingly still in confusion, he brushed it off.
He continued with his persuasion.
“A lowly noble like him is not someone worthy of our attention! Getting entangled with that lunatic will only cause you harm!”
“Sadly, that’s correct, Senior.”
“The imperial princess will take care of that cursed being! So you can rest easy… let’s go now, Elder sister.”
“Yeah, your brother is reliable. I envy you, Senior Elsi.”
Ru Pin’s words and my agreement alternated, the rhythm becoming more assured. At this point, I figured Senior Elsi would understand, and just as I turned my gaze to check on her, I fell silent.
Senior Elsi was trembling, deeply clutching the brim of her hooded hat.
It was clear; it was not a positive sign. My mouth snapped shut.
Yet, Ru Pin seemed oblivious as he continued his rant against me. His voice was raised, spitting venom.
“That killer bastard! He’s probably killed at least dozens without even realizing! Rumor has it that an evil spirit resides within that axe he carries….”
“No, that’s a bit much.”
That was an outrageous accusation. I felt the need to clarify at that moment when suddenly…
“…Hey, Ru Pin.”
A voice filled with rage was released from Senior Elsi.
Now it was Ru Pin’s turn to look bewildered. Without hesitation, Senior Elsi pushed him aside and stood resolutely beside me.
Her eyes, resembling blue sapphires, were glowing with fury. Trembling with intensity, Senior Elsi shouted her indignation.
“What kind of language are you using towards my master?!”
Ru Pin’s body froze in place.
Only dazed murmurs escaped his mouth.
“…M-master?”
“Exactly! What right do you have to speak like that to my master?!”
With that, Senior Elsi shot a chilling glare at Ru Pin and then turned her gaze towards me with a sorrowful look. What a surprising change of demeanor.
Then came the sweet tone as she further pleaded.
“M-master… Ru-Ru Pin probably doesn’t mean it. Please forgive him… he’s just immature. I’ll make sure to educate him!”
Her puppy-like demeanor as she begged for forgiveness took a toll on Ru Pin, whose eyes began to bulge with anger.
At that moment, I realized.
I could not carelessly abandon Senior Elsi.
She was a bombshell.
