Kays Translations

[Volume 1 Release Commemorative SS] Events at the Beginning of Autumn (Part 4)

As the three girls walked through town,

Licia and Fiona wondered where their hidden escorts might be.

Sera suddenly turned to them, realization on her face.

“I knew it. They’re going to dig up the ground.”

That was what Sera had heard from Elk the previous night. The Norman Trading Company had purchased magic tools used for leveling land and similar work, so it clearly intended to use them.

“That may be what they intend to do, but why?”

“Because they stand to gain something by digging, I suppose.”

Faced with that statement of the obvious, Licia could only reply, “I would imagine so.”

“What do you think, Fiona-sama?”

“Perhaps ‘excavation’ would be more accurate than simply ‘digging.’”

Fiona placed an index finger against her lustrous lips.

The unconscious gesture made her breathtaking beauty stand out all the more.

Fortunately, there was no one nearby to be captivated by it.

The three had donned ordinary travelers’ robes; otherwise, merely walking together would have caused a commotion.

They now looked like a party of three young adventurers.

“I’ve heard Gargazia was once famous for hot springs. They dried up long ago, but many people used to visit the city for them.”

“And the landowner’s property lay within that area, didn’t it?”

“Yes. The family must have made a fortune from the springs in the past.”

“Oh… Is that why they sold only part of the mountain?”

At Licia’s murmur, Sera exclaimed, “That’s it!”

“I heard the landowners were reluctant to sell. Perhaps they believed the hot springs might someday return!”

“And you think that is why they went so far as to buy those magic tools?”

“Exactly! It would explain everything, wouldn’t it? The geological survey may have shown that the springs could flow again.”

Fiona, however, answered apologetically.

“If the money was a bribe intended to secure a joint venture with the Norman Trading Company, that alone would not be especially strange. If the company hoped to monopolize the project before its competitors, paying the landowners to win their cooperation would be understandable.”

But there was another problem.

“In that case, however, the Norman Trading Company’s expected profit is far too small.”

Fiona explained that the hot springs alone could not repay the cost of the magic tools it had ordered.

Considering that money resembling a bribe had already changed hands, the benefit the company could obtain from hot-spring water was simply insufficient.

“M-maybe they expect the springs to generate a permanent profit…!”

“If they anticipated that much water, it should eventually emerge elsewhere as well. If it would not, then—given that the springs dried up once before—wouldn’t this be an extraordinarily reckless venture?”

Both Sera and Licia immediately saw her point.

Why, then, had the company ordered land-leveling equipment and routed what appeared to be bribe money through such a complicated trail?

The ceremony at the magic ship terminal had filled the entire city with activity.

As the girls moved through the crowd, Licia considered the question in silence.

(They must have a reason for forcing the issue.)

More precisely, there had to be a way for them to profit.

Yet Fiona’s objection remained, leaving the answer frustratingly unclear.

“You adventurers over there! Come take a look! It’s a festival today!”

A street-stall owner called out to the three girls.

Still deep in thought, they approached and examined the goods arranged in wooden crates: inexpensive magic stones, fruit, simple clothing, and other miscellaneous wares.

“…..”

“…..”

Licia and Fiona suddenly found themselves staring at the magic stones.

“—Fiona-sama.”

“—Licia-sama.”

A few seconds later, they spoke each other’s names at the same time and exchanged a nod.

“I suspect we’re thinking the same thing.”

“Hehe. Yes, I believe we are.”

The stallholder, distracted by other customers, failed to hear their exchange.

“Wait—what did you two figure out?”

Sera Riohard, descendant of one of the Seven Heroes, pouted as Licia patted her head.

“Fiona-sama may have been right when she called it excavation.”

“Yes. It appears the answer may be surprisingly straightforward.”

Under normal circumstances, Sera would have protested, “Don’t treat me like a child!” The mystery, however, interested her too much to care.

“As you know, Sera, anyone purchasing land for road construction would first investigate the condition of the property, correct?”

“Of course… What about it?”

“They may have discovered something during that survey—something the Norman Trading Company would desperately want.”

“Something other than the hot-spring water?”

“Yes, and something more valuable than the springs that dried up.”

“Licia-sama and I would still like to verify a few things, but from what we’ve seen, that is probably the answer.”

“Gargazia has a library, if I remember correctly. Let’s go there.”

Fiona nodded at Licia’s proposal.

Partway through their reasoning, Sera murmured, “Could it be…?” and quietly agreed.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

At the library, the girls found maps of the surrounding region and carried them to a table.

The large map they unfolded compared the present landscape with its appearance several centuries earlier.

“This is where we are now.”

Fiona traced the terrain on the old map with one fingertip.

“These blue lines mark the underground channels through which the hot-spring water flowed before it dried up. As you can see, they were concentrated beneath the mountains near the newly constructed road.”

(Just how wealthy was that landowner’s family in its prime?)

The scale was great enough to make Licia wonder.

Hot-spring water was not to be underestimated. The deeper one delved into Gargazia’s history, the clearer it became how many people had once traveled there in search of it.

One could hardly blame the family for clinging to the memory of its former prosperity.

“As you both understand, however, the springs themselves are not the point this time. No… It would be inaccurate to say they have nothing to do with it.”

“To add to Fiona-sama’s explanation, what they found must be a by-product of the springs.”

“Exactly. The survey probably revealed—”

To reach the answer, Fiona opened a second book on the table.

Its title was Introduction to Magical Studies.

By coincidence, it was the same academic text Licia, Sera, and Ren had used while studying for their examinations.

Magical studies covered not only spells, but a broad range of phenomena involving mana.

“I believe this is it.”

A two-page spread near the beginning described a particular mineral.

It was a precious metal formed when intensely heated groundwater and atmospheric mana interacted with rock.

“As you can see, it is extremely valuable.”

Licia and Sera both had a general understanding of its market price.

As noble daughters, they could easily imagine the implications.

“The geological survey must have discovered a deposit underground. Licia, if we confirm that the Norman Trading Company was involved in that survey, wouldn’t that all but prove our theory?”

“Yes. The landowners must have been delighted by what the project uncovered.”

The family had almost certainly searched for underground resources before; its attachment to the land made that obvious.

Yet even a limited survey required enormous funds, so it could not have conducted such investigations repeatedly.

The precious-metal deposit was probably buried at considerable depth as well.

A project of this scale employed geological-survey magic tools far superior to ordinary civilian models and could mobilize a large workforce.

It was easy to understand how several favorable circumstances had finally revealed a resource that had remained hidden for centuries.

“So the wrongdoing was not limited to an illegal flow of money.”

Fiona sighed.

“What do you mean, Fiona-sama?”

“I mean the excavation itself. Altering terrain for ordinary construction is permitted, but in this case they would clearly be breaking the law.”

Sera still did not fully understand, while Licia nodded at once.

“The effect on the terrain would be nothing like normal construction. If the deposit lies deep beneath a privately owned mountain, excavating it without imperial authorization would be outrageous.”

Any undertaking expected to alter the terrain on such a scale was effectively an injury to the nation’s land.

Because no one could know how the surrounding area might be affected, an imperial agency had to grant permission and conduct an official investigation before underground resources could be extracted.

There had even been cases in which excavation was prohibited after an investigation found unacceptable risks to the surrounding terrain.

“Come to think of it, that is covered by imperial law.”

Sera took slightly longer than the other two to follow the explanation, but as the daughter of a Hero House, she too had received a thorough education.

A moment later, she rejoined the discussion.

“Licia, Clausel has a place where underground resources may legally be mined, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s near the town.”

“Then it differs from this landowner’s situation. In Clausel, whenever the extracted material enters the market, the proper tax is paid, correct?”

If the goods passed through the guild, the guild handled the payment. If House Clausel sold them, the tax was remitted through the house instead.

The precise route varied and was more complicated in practice, but in every case the revenue ultimately reached Leomel.

After confirming the distinction with Sera, Licia gave a wry smile.

“The secret payment suggests the Norman Trading Company and the landowners intended to work together and sell the resource abroad. They could avoid the tax and make a handsome profit.”

It was no baseless accusation; by then, no other explanation seemed plausible.

“Perhaps they believed they could deceive Ulysses Ignat—my father. But he oversees nearly all maritime shipping. They would inevitably be discovered…”

That did not mean crime could be eliminated entirely.

From time to time, people appeared who were convinced that they alone could never be caught and tried to enrich themselves through some elaborate scheme.

(The remaining question is where the money came from.)

Licia folded her arms and thought.

The unexplained sum was far beyond what a company the size of the Norman Trading Company should have possessed.

If someone claimed it had scraped the money together by betting the company’s future, Licia might at least admire the brute force of the attempt.

But was that truly what had happened?

“There’s something I need the two of you to help me investigate.”

Licia’s words immediately drew their attention.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Every invited guest had changed into splendid formal attire.

The gentlemen wore visibly expensive suits, while the ladies’ colorful gowns adorned Viscount Gargazia’s residence, where the party was being held.

Its grand hall was said to be Viscount Gargazia’s pride, and even in the Imperial Capital, a room of such scale would have been uncommon.

Several hundred guests conversed throughout the hall.

No doubt some were engaged in political maneuvering, but that could be set aside for the moment.

Sera found herself staring in admiration at the friend who stood out more than any other young lady present.

“…Licia, are you really human?”

“Don’t tell me you have a fever.”

Sounding puzzled, Licia leaned closer and nearly pressed her forehead against Sera’s.

Halfway there, she remembered they were in the middle of a formal party and realized the gesture would be inappropriate.

Instead, she reached out and touched Sera’s skin with one hand.

Sera, meanwhile, found herself distracted by Licia’s flawless white complexion.

“You don’t seem feverish. Why did you suddenly say something so strange?”

“…It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Very well. I’ll leave it at that.”

Licia swept her hair aside and smiled, radiating both beauty and delicate charm.

“You look much more grown-up than you did last spring.”

Sera was the one who said it.

“So do you. More than a year has passed since then, so of course we’ve changed.”

“That isn’t quite what I meant… Never mind. In any case, I expect you’ll receive plenty of invitations to dance tonight.”

(If I dance, I’d rather it be with someone I love.)

Although House Clausel’s rank was modest, someone revered as a saint could decline invitations without causing offense.

Her age also made it understandable that she would wish to avoid rumors linking her romantically to a partner.

As the two watched the bustle of the party, their conversation returned to the day’s investigation.

Specifically, they discussed the enormous payment the Norman Trading Company appeared to have made despite its limited size.

“Did you learn anything afterward?”

“You mean after we investigated House Gargazia?”

At the library, Licia had asked the other two to help investigate the Gargazia family.

She had wanted to determine whether the ruling house itself might be involved.

Their search, however, had uncovered no evidence implicating House Gargazia.

One possibility had been that Viscount Gargazia financed the illegal mining and used the Norman Trading Company as an intermediary to falsify the records.

The evidence did not support that theory.

Instead, the girls had discovered a different and intriguing lead.

“Sera, there you are.”

Just as she was about to explain it, Sera’s father appeared.

Elk apologized for interrupting and led his daughter away from Licia.

As a member of a Hero House, Sera had many formal greetings to make.

With Licia left alone, numerous young men turned their attention toward her.

It would not have been surprising for one of them to approach, yet several factors kept every one of them at a distance.

First, Sera had been standing beside her until moments earlier.

The Hero Houses wielded influence across factional lines, so the guests had hesitated and watched.

Some were simply transfixed by Licia’s appearance; others found the thought of addressing her almost intimidating.

Still others were checking one another, each trying to read the room.

Licia welcomed the reprieve because it gave her time to think.

(Father and the others have probably already reached the answer.)

They must have discovered both what Licia, Fiona, and Sera had reasoned out together and what lay beyond that discovery.

Given the way Ulysses had broached the subject, it was difficult to believe he had not already solved it.

“Today, our company will take this opportunity to unveil a new product! The hall will grow a little dark, but lights will remain on the tables and at your feet, so please bear with us!”

The hall abruptly dimmed.

The tables and floor remained faintly illuminated, but the darkness was deep enough to hide the faces of anyone more than a short distance away.

Although the announcement seemed sudden, the guests had been warned before the party began.

Because the development project had been so large, several nobles and affiliated trading companies had advertised that they would make presentations during the evening.

Assuming that moment had arrived, Licia looked toward the rear of the darkened hall.

Several magic tools stood there, each illuminated like an exhibit beneath a spotlight.

All had been fashioned to resemble musical instruments. When a company representative activated them, music filled the room.

“Would you care to dance to the strains of our company’s music?”

With that invitation, part of the hall became an impromptu dance floor.

As the atmosphere changed, nobles began leading their partners forward. Dancing was social interaction and, in its own way, diplomacy.

The entertainment was unusual, but the guests received it favorably.

Watching them, Licia felt a pang of envy.

“…I wish I could dance with Ren.”

“With me?”

His voice came from beside her like an auditory hallucination.

“Yes. Think about it—we’ve never attended the same formal party.”

“I believe I attended your birthday celebration.”

“Honestly! That isn’t what I mean. I’m talking about a proper party like—”

The reply was far too realistic to be a hallucination. Tilting her head, Licia turned to her right.

Ren stood barely two steps away, close enough that she could clearly see his face despite the darkness.

“—Are you real?”

Licia reached out and touched his hand.

His warmth was unquestionably real.

“W-w-w-why are you here, Ren?!”

“I’m sorry. There were…circumstances.”

Ren gave her his usual smile.

They had been apart for less than a week, yet seeing him felt like a reunion after far longer. Perhaps every day away from him had simply seemed that long.

(He heard what I said!)

Once she recovered enough to think, Licia remembered that Ren had answered, “With me?”

He had unquestionably heard her wish to dance with him.

Nevertheless, she fought to preserve her composure.

“A-anyway, what circumstances?”

“…”

“Oh—is this about the illicit money?”

“So you already know about it, Licia-sama.”

Realizing there was no longer any reason to conceal the matter from her, Ren continued.

“As Ulysses-sama and the others have probably told you, money has been transferred illegally between the landowners and the Norman Trading Company. I came tonight to bring that matter to a head.”

“Bring it to a head… You aren’t planning to expose them here in the ballroom, are you?”

Knowing that Radius had been traveling with Ren, Licia immediately suspected as much.

“Not here, of course. Ultimately, we’ll confront them in this mansion’s old archive—which was supposed to be a secret…”

“It was obvious. You’re planning this with His Highness the Third Prince, after all.”

“…True.”

Ren explained that he needed to mingle among the dancers.

Many members and relatives of House Gargazia were currently on the floor.

“Hmm… So I was right.”

“You figured it out as well, Licia-sama?”

“Probably,” Licia replied with a lovely smile.

“But Ren, what are you supposed to do once you get near the dancers?”

“I was ordered to observe a particular man at close range.”

“…By His Highness the Third Prince?”

“Yes. Radius and I determined that we can corner him and send him to prison tonight. The preparations require time, so I’m to watch him in the meantime.”

Apparently, their target was among those dancing.

Licia wanted to ask more, but because Ren was acting at Radius’s request, she wisely refrained from prying.

Instead, she made another suggestion.

“Would you like to compare answers?”

“Certainly. Tell me what you concluded, Licia-sama.”

“I will—but only while we dance.”

Licia extended her hand, plainly asking Ren to take it.

At such close range, the darkness could not conceal her face or any detail of the deep-crimson gown she wore.

The saint would have declined the invitation of any other man.

Now, heart racing, she was the one inviting Ren.

“L-Licia-sama, you intend to dance too?”

“Is that so bad? And if I don’t join you, how exactly were you planning to mingle with the dancers? Don’t tell me you meant to invite someone else…”

“No! We were supposed to arrive much earlier, so I hadn’t planned on this. I only need to enter the dance out of necessity—um…”

“Do you not want to dance with me?”

“…What if someone recognizes us?”

“It will be fine. In this darkness, they can’t see your face clearly. Even if they do, you are the son of a knight in our service, so no one will object. Besides, dancing with me will bring you closer to your target.”

“That is certainly true, but…”

Ren never received the chance to ask whether a noble daughter and a knight’s son ought to dance together.

“Come now. We don’t have time for a long discussion. Shall we?”

Hearing Licia’s coaxing voice, Ren took her hand. “Then, if you’ll permit me.”

He and the visibly delighted Licia approached the dance floor.

While the guests focused on another newly unveiled magic tool, the pair quietly slipped among the dancers.

“Now, let’s compare our answers.”

Licia spoke while moving through a series of light, graceful steps.

Ren had far less composure. Although the household servants had taught him the fundamentals, he had never danced at an occasion like this.

“Marquis Ignat made us a proposal.”

She began by explaining what Ulysses had told the three girls.

“Knowing Ulysses-sama, he intended the proposal as a trial for the three of you.”

“I’m sure he did. We realized that partway through. But we still wanted to do everything we could, so we spent the entire morning investigating.”

Licia then turned to the source of the illicit funds.

“After identifying the underground resource, I learned that a man had once been disinherited from House Gargazia.”

“You investigated thoroughly.”

“Hehe. We did, didn’t we?”

Licia smiled proudly at Ren’s surprise.

“He was disinherited for misconduct and neglecting his duties as a noble. At first, I considered whether he might have conspired with the Norman Trading Company out of resentment.”

“…I see.”

“He was said to have accumulated a substantial amount of money, so I wondered whether he hoped to stage a return.”

Her initial theory was that this former member of House Gargazia had financed the fraud through the Norman Trading Company.

In other words, the Norman Trading Company, the landowners, and the disinherited man would have been acting together.

Those were the three parties in her first hypothesis.

But it did not survive closer scrutiny.

“No matter how much he saved, a disinherited man could not have provided that sum. And if he tried to gather it from elsewhere, the trail would be too obvious.”

“Agreed.”

“So there must be someone else—an extremely wealthy person who believes the risk is worthwhile. Almost certainly an ambitious one.”

That realization led Licia to another piece of information.

With Fiona and Sera’s help, she had collected enough material to isolate one suspicious detail.

Their investigation of the disinherited man eventually led to one of House Gargazia’s branch families.

The branch was reputedly capable and had taken him in for several years in an attempt to reform his character. The attempt had failed.

“We investigated that branch more closely. Its head is an ambitious man with ample wealth, and he has been aggressively taking work from the main family. We also learned that the Norman Trading Company once approached his family for financing—revealing its weakness to him.”

Still dancing, Licia looked up at Ren and waited for his verdict.

Feeling almost drawn into her eyes, Ren smiled faintly.

“As expected of you, Licia-sama.”

Just as Ren began to explain the rest, the music swelled.

The louder volume made conversation difficult. When Ren leaned only slightly closer, Licia’s cheeks reddened.

“Leave the rest to us. Please don’t do anything dangerous.”

“But what about you, Ren?”

“You needn’t worry about me. We’ll finish this quickly.”

Licia listened with her cheeks still faintly flushed.

After a quiet sigh, her expression softened.

“Since you’re here, will you stay with me a little longer?”

“Gladly.”

When their target moved and the dance came to an end, Licia found herself reluctant to release Ren’s hand.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Fiona did not join the dancers, instead remaining near her father, Ulysses.

After greeting more nobles than she could count, she left the darkened hall without looking back and took a brief rest outside.

She sat in one corner of the mansion’s garden, with Edgar standing guard nearby.

Ulysses had returned to the ballroom shortly before her.

Viscount Gargazia prized his garden and did not normally open it even during parties.

Fiona herself would ordinarily have been unable to enter. Several dozen minutes earlier, however, the viscount had come to greet Ulysses and invited her to look around.

Just as Fiona was considering returning to the ballroom,

“I-impossible! How did that information leak?!”

“I don’t know… Perhaps someone from the main family noticed…”

“Impossible! Not unless an extraordinarily clever person was investigating. Marquis Ignat and the others still haven’t—”

She heard several men whispering as they approached.

Fiona rose from her seat.

Sensing something amiss, she was about to rejoin Edgar when—

“This way.”

A hand suddenly reached toward her from a blind spot.

Fiona turned and found Ren standing there.

“R-Ren-kun?!”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry, but please come this way for a moment.”

He pulled her somewhat forcefully into the shadow of a nearby hedge.

His abrupt appearance had already set her heart racing; having him suddenly take her hand made it feel ready to burst.

She did her best not to let him notice.

“W-what is happening all of a sudden?”

Her tone was flustered, though she kept her voice low.

Someone had entered the place where she had been sitting only moments earlier.

“I’m investigating something, and I wanted to hear what those men had to say.”

“…Oh. Is this about the illicit money?”

“Exactly. I’m here because of that case.”

“You startled me… His Highness the Third Prince is here as well, isn’t he?”

“As expected of you. You realized that too.”

Ren and Radius had become close friends.

Fiona had known Ren first, yet Radius now seemed much closer to him. She could not help feeling a little jealous.

The two boys were evidently well suited to one another.

“Find out what happened, whatever it takes.”

“Yes, sir. We’ll investigate at once.”

Ren and Fiona held their breath as they listened through the hedge.

They were hidden so close together that each could hear the other breathe.

Fiona began to say, “Um—” just as the men on the other side started speaking again.

Ren raised a finger.

“Shh.”

He pressed it to his lips with an uncharacteristically playful expression.

The rare sight nearly made Fiona stare at him in fascination.

“Go to the old archive immediately and finish the matter.”

“Understood.”

The men’s conversation soon ended.

Once they had gone, Ren and Fiona emerged from behind the hedge.

Although Fiona was astonished by Ren’s sudden arrival, she did not ask why he was there or what he intended to do.

She knew such questions would be pointless.

“Edgar wasn’t beside me because you had come to protect me, was he?”

“I’m sorry. I asked Edgar-san a short while ago to contact Ulysses-sama. I might not have been enough to protect you by myself, but we were in a hurry.”

“N-no! You are more than enough! I was actually happy that you—”

Embarrassment made the final words fade into a hoarse whisper.

When Ren asked, “What did you say?” she felt guilty for making him repeat the question.

“…Nothing. I was only getting carried away.”

Edgar returned soon afterward.

Ren entrusted Fiona to him and went to rejoin Radius, his partner in the operation.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Viscount Gargazia’s residence occupied an enormous estate and, like the Clausel mansion, included an old wing.

Several men moved toward it unnoticed beneath the cover of the bustling party.

They forced the lock and entered a dusty old archive.

The fan-shaped room held rows of shelves across the first floor. Beyond the wide central atrium, shelves containing rare volumes lined the rear of the second floor.

The men ignored every other shelf and immediately climbed upstairs.

“You’re late.”

Near their destination, they were greeted by a robed boy.

He sat calmly in a wooden chair.

“Who are you? Why did you summon me here?”

The speaker was the same man who had been conversing beyond the hedge where Ren and Fiona hid.

The boy did not answer his question. Instead, he began with something else.

“This is not normally a matter in which I would involve myself, but I happened to be nearby. I looked into it on a whim and discovered what you were doing.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“You still don’t understand? You may believe you concealed everything cleverly, but such tricks are meaningless against us. I discovered your crimes, and tonight I intend to throw you into prison.”

The intruders immediately radiated killing intent.

The man addressing the boy was especially enraged.

“I committed a crime? Stop making absurd accusations. More importantly, who are you? Do you even know whom you are accusing?”

“You belong to a branch of House Gargazia, do you not? I heard your ancestors lost a succession dispute several generations ago and were reduced to a branch family.”

“They did not lose! My ancestor chose to withdraw!”

“Is that so? Then why did you bring the failing Norman Trading Company under your control, funnel money through it, involve the landowners, and attempt to mine the underground resource?”

“…How do you know that?”

“Answer me. Depending on what you say, I may tell you who I am.”

The man’s companions were experienced swordsmen.

Some had even been born with skills. Confident they possessed more than enough strength, he raised one hand to order them to kill the boy.

“Hmph. Very well.”

His voice rang through the old archive.

“I don’t know how you learned of it, but I will tell you.”

Certain that he would soon force the boy to reveal his name, the man continued triumphantly.

“The main family has done nothing but decline. My house is different! We have achieved far more than those fools!”

“I know. I also investigated the remarkable accomplishments of your branch.”

“Oh? You are well informed.”

Pleased by the acknowledgment, the man relaxed into a smile.

“Precisely! If we gained still greater power, it would benefit this territory—no, all of Leomel!”

“And for that purpose, you would even exploit a man disinherited from the main family?”

“Who are you? What exactly do you know?”

“Everything. You planned to sell the resource and immediately place the blame on him, did you not? Given the size of the deposit, you could exhaust it within a few years if you pushed the excavation hard enough.”

“…And what of it? Once my house possessed sufficient power, no one would dare object. Besides, did you know that the disinherited man himself has been building influence in hopes of striking at the current head of the family?”

“I know. That makes him an especially convenient scapegoat. He has not acted yet, but I have no intention of ignoring him. Now answer this: do you intend to enrich yourself through crime in the name of some noble cause?”

“I do.”

“Hmm. Your attempt to supplant the main family and your interest in the underground resource reveal a hunger for advancement and power. Ambition itself is not evil, but your methods are. What do you truly seek beyond wealth obtained through crime?”

“What a foolish question. What is wrong with desire?”

At last, the man exposed his true feelings.

The thin pretense of noble purpose disappeared.

“All my life I have been dismissed as a mere branch relative. What is strange about wanting to drag down the main family and seize everything for myself? I am the superior one, so of course their worthless existence infuriates me!”

His actions were the product of naked greed and an inferiority complex cultivated since childhood.

One could understand the frustration of a man who genuinely was more capable than many in the main family.

The problem was that he had directed that frustration toward an unforgivable end.

“Even after paying the landowners their share, the underground resource will yield an enormous fortune. With that money, I can expand my influence still further.”

In other words, without the money, he lacked the power to take over the main family.

As a prince, Radius understood better than most how vast wealth could translate into influence. The deposit was valuable enough to change the balance of power.

“I understand your position. Unfortunately for you, knights have already gone to the Norman Trading Company and the landowners. Your ambition ends tonight.”

Knights had already been dispatched? Impossible.

Too much had happened in a single evening. Stunned, the mastermind glared at the boy.

“…You summoned all of us here alone. Do you intend to die in vain?”

“I summoned you here only because I did not wish to disrupt the celebration. The rumor that information about your deal had leaked was merely bait to draw you away.”

“G-get him! But do not kill him! I need to know where he learned all of this!”

At last, the man gave the order, and his subordinates charged together.

Their boots pounded across the aging wooden floor as they drew their weapons and rushed the seated boy.

The boy did not even rise from his chair.

The attackers closed the remaining distance in an instant—but then—

“I’m counting on you, comrade.”

At the boy’s murmur, a swordsman stepped between them.

“Leave the rest to me.”

A second boy stood there, wielding a sword that gleamed a dull steel gray.

The men whose attacks he blocked reacted in several different ways.

Some found their legs giving out beneath them; others dropped their swords when a violent numbness shot through their hands.

One of the stunned attackers who could use magic released a blast of wind.

“Cut him apart!”

The wind formed blades sharp enough to tear flesh.

They never reached their target.

The swordsman—Ren—raised his Iron Magic Sword and cut through the spell with ease.

Before Mighty Sword Art: Star Slaying, magic of that level was no more threatening than a breeze.

“I-impossible! How did you destroy my spell?!”

“Be careful! He’s a Mighty Sword Style practitioner!”

“You have to be joking! Is he Swordmaster-class?! No one told us we’d be fighting someone like that!”

As the men panicked, Ren moved like the wind, utterly unconcerned.

He slipped into the guard of an opponent who had lost sight of him and shattered the man’s weapon. His enemies were reasonably capable, yet the branch-family head could only tremble.

“A Mighty Sword practitioner of this caliber… Why…?”

He had never imagined his entire force could be defeated in less than a dozen seconds.

Overwhelmed by the speed of the battle, he collapsed onto the floor.

“You were unlucky. Whether I discovered your scheme or Ulysses and Lessard did, your plan was doomed from the moment any of us noticed it.”

The man stared in horror.

His expression worsened when Radius threw off his robe and revealed himself.

There was no longer any need for the Third Prince to introduce himself.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Early the following afternoon, Ren was aboard a magic ship bound for home.

Radius had returned to the Imperial Capital ahead of him, leaving the aftermath of the previous night to Viscount Gargazia. The culprit belonged to a branch family, and under the circumstances, holding the viscount personally responsible would have been unduly harsh.

Viscount Gargazia had declared himself prepared to offer his head, but Radius ended the matter by telling him, “Use that resolve for Leomel instead.”

Elk of House Riohard and Ulysses of House Ignat both agreed that the decision was appropriate.

The disinherited man had not yet taken concrete action. There were only signs that resentment toward the viscount who disinherited him might eventually drive him to act.

Even so, Radius did not ignore the danger and warned Viscount Gargazia about it.

The viscount would respond swiftly.

Having been granted mercy by the Third Prince, he would now work himself to the bone.

Thus, the incident reached its conclusion.

House Clausel and House Ignat happened to board the same magic ship for the return journey.

“Ren, neither of us expected you and His Highness the Third Prince to appear.”

“I’m sorry. Radius proposed it without warning, and since there seemed to be no problem with resolving the matter immediately, I agreed.”

“Good grief… I’m not angry. The whole affair is simply very like the two of you.”

Lessard and Ulysses had already identified the true culprit.

After examining numerous records and investigating the relationships behind the scheme, they too had concluded that the branch family was suspicious.

“In any event, we can end this discussion here.”

Lessard was about to meet Ulysses and review the matter once more.

Ren left for the guest room shared by Licia and Fiona.

When he arrived, the two young ladies invited him inside.

“Thinking clearly under such a strict time limit is difficult.”

“Yes. It was a valuable experience, but it also showed me how much I still have to learn.”

Ren offered them a gentle reassurance. “Please don’t let it trouble you.”

Their expressions remained gloomy.

“What is wrong with you two?”

“…You found the answer before we did.”

“Exactly! You seemed to understand it much earlier than either of us…!”

Ren’s smile seemed to ask them to let the matter slide.

Then he gave a conspicuously deliberate cough.

“I’ll prepare some tea. Why don’t we take a break?”

The change of subject was transparent, but neither girl felt like voicing her dissatisfaction.

Instead, they found his reaction endearing and smiled.

They decided to accept his kindness.

They could tell one another what each had done while they were apart and pass the time until the ship reached Elendil.

Looking at Ren, who had once again grown even more dependable, both girls thought the same thing.

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