Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Returning to the Past (6)

 

"What? Suicide?!"

The King jumped up from his seat and shouted. A report he had never expected had come in.

In response, the knight who was continuing the report wiped away cold sweat and nodded.

"That is correct. It is understood that he took his own life after the fact that he was involved in the rebellion was discovered."

"Then what happened to the information regarding his accomplices?"

"I am sorry. He was already dead when we discovered him......."

"Hmph!"

I thought it was an opportunity granted by the heavens, but to think it would be blown away so hollowly.......

The King, clutching his aching head, let out a sigh and spoke.

"Are there any newly discovered facts?"

"Yes. First, as a result of checking the nobles who usually had a close relationship with Viscount Honore, most of them were nothing more than superficial acquaintances who were not involved in this situation."

"......And?"

"Also, based on the code we obtained, we are closely investigating the Viscount's safes found in the mansion."

"Wait a moment."

The King raised his right hand and stopped the knight's report. His eyebrows twitched as he felt doubt from the previous conversation.

"You obtained a code? Did you not say that the Viscount was already dead when he was discovered?"

"T-That is......."

The knight, who was biting his lip as if in a difficult position, answered in a crawling voice.

"We completed the code based on a document submitted by the First Prince."

"......Is that document evidence that can prove Viscount Honore participated in the rebellion plot?"

"Yes, it is."

"The person who found out he was involved in the rebellion was the First Prince, the one who brought the confirmation of it was the First Prince, and even the one who gave the clue to the code was the First Prince......."

"......."

Among the knight orders directly under the royal family, the Argon Knights were in charge of the 3rd Knight Order. Unlike the Royal Guard, who protected the palace, and the Sun Knights, who fought on the front lines of war, they were not a knight order specialized in combat.

What they fought was internal order. They were a sort of investigation team that collected intelligence and moved to execute justice.

Therefore, the one who should be flustered right now was not the King, but the Argon Knights who had been working hard on intelligence activities.

"Were the Argon Knights not investigating Viscount Honore initially?"

"That is...... Y-Yes, that is correct."

"Ha! I told you to urgently help the First Prince and execute those bastards, yet all you did was act as a sidekick? At this rate, it would be a relief if you did not hold the First Prince back."

"......I have no excuse."

"Tsk, enough. This was a matter I entrusted entirely to the First Prince."

The knight bowed his head deeply and showed an attitude of reflection. Meanwhile, the King's mind was filled entirely with thoughts of the First Prince.

Allen Esteban. When did you grow so much.......

Memories of the time he delegated full authority came to mind.

It was the day he called the First Prince, who had finished his period of self-reflection, to inform him of the current situation.

While telling him about the nobles who opposed the establishment of the intelligence department, he had tried to save his words as much as possible, hoping the frail First Prince would not be hurt.

However.......

-Trust me and entrust the work to me.

The image of his son, brushing back his hair and giving a cold smile as if it were nothing.

Leaving aside the sense of incongruity, he had been flustered by the far too confident appearance.

As if he had truly expected even this situation.......

Because he had asked to be entrusted so confidently, the King had entrusted everything as if possessed, even if only to recognize the achievement of revealing the Asus incident.

But what was this?

Not even a week had passed since he delegated full authority over the Asus case.

To solve the matter in such a short moment and return, his greatness had its limits.

"What is the public opinion of the nobles like?"

"Most seem to be lying low for fear of being caught in the crossfire. Of course, the opinion admiring the ability of the First Prince is dominant."

"......Is that so."

Despite having struck down two nobles already, the public opinion was not bad. In any case, to the nobles, only the image of him leading the way for the country was visible.

From the father's perspective, it was a situation that was not bad, but rather as good as it could be.

"However, excess is as bad as a deficiency."

The consecutive purges starting from Asus would inevitably create a sense of unease and fear among the nobles.

Especially now when sensitive matters like the intelligence department overlapped.

In the end, it was not important by what means the First Prince was seizing information.

"It would be good if it turns out well......."

What was in the King's heart now was not anxiety about the future.

It was between the nervousness of wanting to continue making a better nation and the worry for his son who bore the weight.

Before he knew it, the First Prince was no longer a frail existence that created anxiety in the King's heart.

"Then what is the First Prince doing now? Is he finding out additional information about the ringleaders?"

"......That is."

This time, the knight, who was in trouble in a different sense, scratched his head and spoke.

"He said the evidence is sufficient so we should handle it ourselves, and he stepped away from this matter. He said there was something he absolutely had to do......."

"......."

For a moment, the King almost changed his evaluation of the First Prince once again.

***

After having a day of rest, I immediately summoned Baron Vidor. Shortly thereafter, the door to the office opened and the Baron appeared.

George, who followed naturally, was a bonus.

"Your Highness. Did you call for me?"

"Yes."

"I heard that you caught a noble who participated in the rebellion plot with your insight. You are truly amazing."

"It seems the rumors have already spread."

Although I did it as an example, everything was something I had designed, so it was not a wrong statement.

By the way.......

I called Baron Vidor, but the one who caught my eye was George.

He was out of his previous simple clothes and in a black suit with a silver shoulder cord. Even though it was a look that did not suit him, his appearance definitely gave the impression of symbolizing an aide to a Baron-level noble.

I tilted my head at the somewhat puzzling situation.

"George's attire is strange."

"I-I am sorry. Actually, that is......."

Baron Vidor, with a stiff face, held out a document from his chest. In the content I glimpsed, there seemed to be a sentence about an aide appointment.

"An aide appointment......."

"I decided to follow your will to appoint George as an aide, but I judged that he would not be able to properly carry out that will just by receiving education."

"You appointed him as an aide under your command for better practical education?"

"T-That is correct. Since this incident also happened, if you feel uncomfortable......."

"Well done."

"......I will cancel it right away...... yes?"

Baron Vidor's face turned blank in an instant. I put the document carefully into the first drawer and spoke.

"Was it not a judgment made with me in mind? Why are you making such a face?"

"H-However...... to dare appoint the person who will be the First Prince's aide......."

"I prefer a situation that benefits me over useless formalities."

No matter how much it was an action carried out without permission, if it was correct in the end, I could tolerate it.

Of course, if it was a judgment as good as this time, even more so.

"Please continue to work hard for me in the future."

"I-I am deeply honored."

"Then let us move on to the main point."

GULP.

My voice lowered as I looked at the calendar placed on one side of the office. Baron Vidor's Adam's apple bobbed at my suddenly changed atmosphere.

"What is the official schedule for this month?"

"One month from now, a diplomatic mission from the Federal Empire is scheduled to officially visit the royal palace."

"I see. They finally took the bait."

Asus, who tried to assassinate the King and start a rebellion, was no longer called by the title of Count.

Also, his family was in a situation where they were just waiting for the day they would die in the palace prison.

The house of Viscount Honore was also a foregone conclusion to turn out that way.

In the midst of that, the strong protest sent to the Empire would have been too heavy a topic to just let pass. But what was important now was not about those bastards.

"Anything else?"

"T-There is nothing scheduled for the immediate future."

"A month...... it is quite short."

An inward groan escaped me.

The one month of time before those bastards arrived. That time was the only time I could prepare for the future that had become opaque.

The events of the future I know are only when the sequence of events fits together like clockwork.

However, it was clear that the future would already be greatly twisted due to the aftermath of the actions I had taken.

Especially, killing Count Asus, who was the King's closest associate and the center of the nobles, would never be a light matter.

Just like how people trying to limit my actions appeared.

Although I had strengthened my own position by showing the image of a righteous royal, it was a natural story that a faction hostile to me was created as a counterweight.

Therefore, I had to move steadily from now on to prepare my foothold. A foundation solid enough to endure even if pressure from the Empire came in.

I spoke to George, who still had a grumpy expression.

"The reason I need you. Can you guess it now?"

"......Well, I think I heard that you thought highly of my work ability."

"What I want to hear is not such a superficial reason."

George glared at me as if asking why I was asking such a thing. Soon, as if he noticed something, he reluctantly nodded and continued speaking.

"You probably wanted such secret actions like embezzlement, deception, or conspiracy. Like what you showed this time."

"Yes."

"If you were to say what you want from me among those right now...... I think it would be about information collection."

"Accurate."

"W-Wait a minute!"

A conversation between the two that was proceeding at a rapid pace. Eventually, Baron Vidor, who did not understand the situation, hurriedly interrupted the conversation.

"What is going on?"

"Secret actions? And what is this sudden talk about embezzlement?"

Sudden?

There was no way such words would come out without reason, right? I threw an answer in a nonchalant tone.

"I say it because his ability is naturally specialized in such things."

"Ah, specialized in such things...... W-What?!"

I grinned as I faced the Baron, who was gradually turning into a face of shock.

"Have you not heard yet? The fact that he is a criminal who committed various frauds at a merchant group?"

"T-That is, just what......."

"Seeing that reaction, it seems you have not heard."

To think you readily appointed him as your aide for me without knowing that? I patted the shoulder of the Baron, who had a dazed expression, and spoke.

"I expect proper education. If the Baron's budget happens to go missing, I will pay it back instead."

"Ack!"

Then the Baron began to mutter unknown words continuously, such as "I am ruined" or "I was deceived," and showed strange behavior.

Leaving that behind, I approached George.

"Information collection. That is the first command I give to you. You may use any method."

"......Well, I roughly understand what you mean."

"It seems you are confident."

It looked like he was answering casually, but to me, who already knew his ability and personality, the words "I roughly understand" were the most reliable sentence.

"So, what information should I collect?"

"Do you know my current situation?"

"I certainly heard that the public opinion of the nobles has been fluctuating since you killed Asus."

"You know it well."

I tilted my head and continued speaking.

"Besides the fool I killed this time, there must be bastards who manipulate public opinion. Find them out, every single one of them."

"......Is that all? Like at least bring the weaknesses of the nobles in question......."

"I dislike giving commands twice. Did I just tell you to find out even those things?"

Then the fellow narrowed his eyes as if he did not like it.

"You are looking down on me."

It was a similar feeling. To be precise, I did not doubt his ability, but I thought his experience was insufficient.

I pushed him by intentionally speaking in a sneering tone.

"You can think as you like. I have given you plenty of time, so you will not use the adaptation period as an excuse, will you?"

"I do not care if you regret it because the information was useless."

It did not matter what information he brought in the first place.

Even a single piece of trivial information he brought could become an important clue to me, who knows the knowledge of the future.

It was enough to just combine the flow of events.

That being said, it did not mean that the information he would bring was useless. Rather, it could be said to be the most necessary information in the current situation.

The calculation was already finished.

Including all the actions afterward.

But.

There is something I have to handle before that.

My gaze reached George and then fell away.

It was a gaze that had subsided to a point of surprising calm.