Chapter 91
“Your Highness!”
In the office of Charlotte von Bismarck, her secretary Theodore rushed in, breathless.
“What is it, Theodore?”
“It’s a serious matter. The strange artifact we collected from the guild last time…”
“Wasn’t the recovery operation completed?”
“Yes! But now, those horrific monsters that previously appeared from the Central Magic Association are reportedly reappearing in the outskirts of the Empire!”
Charlotte frowned deeply, and a general of the Empire, Schwarte, who was present in her office, spoke up.
“Is that report definitely true?”
“It was reported by Garde.”
Garde. The name of the elite unit that Charlotte commanded, known for delivering information that had never been wrong. They provided information based on thorough investigations. The fact that Garde reported this situation indicated its truth.
“Where could that have been distributed? Could there have been an artifact that wasn’t recovered?”
“That can’t be. We thoroughly searched every guild and recovered all of it. I even had the guild’s vault opened; there couldn’t have been anything left hidden.”
Schwarte was correct. Charlotte had verified this herself. She pondered for a moment, lightly resting her chin on her hand.
“Then it means someone else spread it.”
“Who could possibly do such a thing…?”
“Theodore, who was the one supplying that to the guild?”
“It was an adventurer named Eli. They were said to be an AAA-ranked expert, but since then, they have completely disappeared.”
“An adventurer supplied it.”
The adventurer identity is quite convenient. High-ranking ones receive treatment and trust akin to knighted officials, yet there are few ways to know what they originally did.
There was no way to verify whether they were true adventurers or not, making it one of the most commonly used disguises.
“That which was supplied this time was definitely a magical artifact.”
“Yes.”
Magic. Where that power originated was a question anyone could easily answer.
“…The Demon World.”
“Are you saying the Demon World could be involved!?”
“It isn’t impossible. Didn’t the Demon World take away funds and resources several times during the reign of the previous emperor under the guise of prisoner exchanges?”
Charlotte contemplated what actions to take if the Demon World were involved. Then she commanded Theodore.
“First, clean up the monsters appearing in the outskirts and recover the artifacts. Also, investigate the whereabouts of the adventurer who supplied them once more.”
“Understood.”
As Theodore left to carry out the orders, Schwarte asked her.
“Shouldn’t you go verify this yourself?”
“No, that would be problematic.”
“Excuse me?”
“Last time, trouble erupted in the capital, and now it’s only stirring up issues in the outskirts. Don’t you understand what that implies?”
Schwarte pondered Charlotte’s question for a moment. And finally, he realized what she was hinting at.
“You mean to divert your attention outward.”
“Exactly. That’s all there is to it. Therefore, we needn’t react. We must leave it to Theodore and focus on cleaning up the central part.”
“What could they be planning by turning your attention outward?”
“……Who knows.”
If the Demon World were truly involved, what could their purpose be? It would have been easier to consider if they were dealing with mere humans, but the demons of the Demon World… it wasn’t easy to predict what they wanted.
Their existence began to weigh on Charlotte’s mind. Though she had left it to Theodore, she also had to remain concerned about what might unfold should the issues in the outskirts not be resolved quickly.
“…For now, I’ll trust Theodore with the matters in the outskirts. I need to focus on what I must do.”
“That is a wise decision.”
…
‘…That’s what they’re probably thinking.’
Nahun was now joined by Eri. Following his orders, Eri was spreading artifacts among the small and medium-sized magic associations in the outskirts, with devastating results.
That report must have reached the central authorities, and knowing Charlotte’s tendencies, Nahun accurately predicted her thoughts.
He didn’t forget her after being caught off guard previously; it was just that he had temporarily overlooked her existence. There was no way Nahun wouldn’t know about her tendencies, which were depicted as a major adversary in the game.
Considering Charlotte’s tendencies, the events caused by Eri this time were unlikely to trigger her into action.
But….
‘That’s enough.’
A little disturbance was all that was needed. Meanwhile, Dein would contact Emperor Leonardo, and the plan would be set in motion.
Even if Charlotte quickly sensed the movements of the Northern Alliance, it didn’t matter. After all, Charlotte would have no options before her.
‘Charlotte cannot avoid a civil war.’
If Emperor Leonardo chose civil war, Charlotte would have two choices. One was to relinquish power and leave everything to Leonardo. The other was to fight for power.
Charlotte, full of ambition, would surely never opt for the former, leaving only the latter as an option. Then, what could Charlotte do to seize power?
The most straightforward choice would be to engage in direct combat. The Empire would become embroiled in a civil war, and the surrounding forces aiming to weaken it would begin their interventions.
Charlotte would absolutely despise such a situation, but there were no other methods available to her. While there was one more way aside from fighting, it was something Charlotte could never choose.
That is to eliminate Leonardo by her own hand. But reflecting on how Charlotte seized power, that would be nonsensical.
‘The princess who seized power by using her younger brother would face even greater backlash if she were to remove that brother, more than if she chose civil war.’
It wouldn’t matter once Charlotte stabilized her hold over the Empire, but making such a choice under the current circumstances would only be a self-defeating move.
Charlotte was surely aware of that, so she would never choose it. The moment Leonardo was persuaded by Dein, Charlotte would be left with only one choice.
“Nahun, will everything go as planned?”
At Eri’s question, Nahun looked at her. Then he smiled leisurely and replied.
“The princess will absolutely not be able to avoid a civil war.”
Of course, all these discussions were premised on the assumption that Emperor Leonardo would choose civil war. It would be great if Dein succeeded in persuading the Emperor, but if not…
“I’ll have to prepare to step in.”
He would have to intervene personally.
#
“Phew…”
Leonardo von Bismarck. Originally positioned as the crown prince under Claude, he was now seated upon the imperial throne he had long desired.
However, this was neither a legitimate succession nor the form he had hoped for. His sister had seized all power, including that of the court nobles and the military, and had left him to play the role of a puppet.
Along the way, powerful allies like Marquis Everde, who would have supported Leonardo, had been eliminated early on. His sister, flesh and blood yet terrifyingly meticulous, had orchestrated it all.
“With this…”
He would continue to live a life of merely being used. History would likely record him as an Emperor merely maintaining his position while being stripped of all real power by the princess, a thought he entertained himself.
‘That can’t happen.’
He knew it shouldn’t, yet he lacked the strength to change the situation. Surely there must be a gap in the iron-willed Charlotte…
At that moment, a man was standing behind him, unnoticed for quite some time.
‘…How?’
The royal guard should be stationed throughout the palace, yet there was no way to tell how he had gotten in. Startled, Leonardo was about to call for guards, but something entered his throat first.
“Quiet.”
“…Who are you?”
“I have something to discuss, Your Majesty. A proposal that could become your lifeline.”
“What? Who the hell are you…”
“From the Northern Alliance.”
Leonardo’s eyes widened. Why would someone from the Northern Alliance send a messenger to him? He silently waited for the man to continue, and the intimidating figure simply spoke.
“Don’t you need power?”
“…Power?”
“Do you plan to continue living as a puppet forever, ultimately meeting a fateful end being discarded?”
“Are you saying my sister will abandon me?”
“I’m sure you realize she is quite capable of doing just that.”
Leonardo knew it well. Charlotte was an ambition-driven individual who would not hesitate to remove him from the throne when the time came.
“So if you agree, the Northern Alliance will lend you soldiers.”
“Are you suggesting bringing in enemy troops to incite a civil war…!”
Leonardo retorted sharply.
“I can’t do that! To start a civil war with the help of an enemy… I know very well that even if I win, it wouldn’t be a true victory! Don’t try to feed me such nonsense….”
At that moment, the space beside the throne was crushed, and a strange passage opened. Then a man walked out. His black hair and golden eyes elicited a sense of awe and intimidation even from Emperor Leonardo.
“Dein, did you fail?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright.”
He stood before the Emperor. As he approached, the blade around Leonardo’s neck was removed, but for some reason, Leonardo found himself unable to make any movements.
The noble golden eyes, shining with imperial grace, gazed upon the most exalted figure of the Empire.
“I will take care of this.”
