Mess 189
by Cristae189.
“But, Your Highness, this road is used by many merchant groups…”
“If you’re so concerned, why don’t you come up with a solution yourself?”
The Crown Prince, cutting him off, tilted his head slightly and fixed his gaze on X.
Meeting those eyes, X subconsciously straightened his posture.
“I hadn’t realized just how diligent my younger brother has become.”
“……”
“This too is an opportunity, I suppose. I shall personally inform His Majesty the Emperor that I will include your opinion in this matter.”
X swallowed dryly, his face turning deathly pale.
The Crown Prince called for Marquis Castane.
“We will discuss this matter separately with His Majesty at a later time. So, shall we move on to the next agenda item?”
“…Understood.”
Marquis Castane swung the gavel once more.
Bang.
After the meeting concluded.
“Your Highness, you’ve worked hard today.”
“Are you not tired?”
“Count Loria, you did well today as well.”
“This kind of atmosphere in council isn’t so bad.”
“Resorting to crude insults and shouting matches, that’s something we can no longer afford to do if we care about our dignity.”
The Crown Prince and the nobles aligned with him wore satisfied expressions as they left the chamber. The Crown Prince, too, seemed notably at ease.
It was clear to anyone that today’s Council of Elders was a victory for the Crown Prince’s faction.
The Baglossa family had been completely eradicated, and the other issues discussed had mostly turned out in the Crown Prince’s favor.
Otherwise, they were simply postponed to be discussed again at a later date.
Because of this, Seraphie and the other nobles struggled to keep their expressions neutral.
Gathered together, they engaged in a grave discussion.
After Seraphie said something, Duke Pelichia signaled to the other nobles and began to explain, his demeanor unmistakably serious to any observer.
“Count Validus…”
Count Mars, glancing sidelong at the scene, made sure his words were heard.
“He was riding too high for too long.”
He needed to be chastened once like this—the sort of necessary lesson one learns in society, said Count Mars. The nobles nearby chuckled and agreed with him.
Having long been the scapegoat for a string of blunders, Count Mars was, for a rare moment, emboldened.
Standing beside him, his eldest son Petrick Mars drew himself up, his shoulders squared with pride.
Then Petrick shot a sidelong glance at his younger sister, Looney.
Yet Looney didn’t spare them a glance, as if she had no interest at all in their side.
Her calculated indifference stung Petrick’s pride, and his brow furrowed.
“…Everyone’s worked hard.”
Duke Pelichia tried to comfort those around him.
“Especially you, Count.”
He patted Seraphie’s shoulder. His considerate smile seemed to say he understood just how much she had suffered.
“You as well, Your Grace. And everyone else.”
Wearing a tired smile, Seraphie began to make preparations to leave.
“…Are you all still here?”
Marquis Castane, just leaving the conference room after sorting agenda documents, looked startled to see the members lingering in the hallway.
“We’re heading out now…”
X replied weakly.
“Ah… When I return home, Mother will likely scold me terribly…”
Muttering dispiritedly, X staggered forward, fatigue heavy in his gait, and was the first to push open the doors of the Consilium.
But his carriage stopped before the entrance.
“…Hm?”
Outside the Consilium, where that morning there had been swarms of journalists and onlookers, now stood rows of knights, each wearing swords.
X stepped from his halted carriage.
“Huh? Captain of the Guard?”
He recognized the man standing at the front of the formation.
Captain of the Guards—the elite commander of the Imperial Guard, a unit composed of the finest swordsmen, chosen wholly by merit.
The Captain, likewise recognizing X, greeted him with proper decorum.
“Your Highness.”
“What brings you here? Surely you haven’t come to greet me?”
“Has the Council concluded, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
Just then, other carriages began streaming out of the Consilium in succession.
But the Guards stopped each one, halting their passage.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Descending from his carriage, the Crown Prince demanded an explanation, his displeasure evident.
The Captain gave the Crown Prince a formal bow.
But rather than answering at once, he strode toward one of the carriages.
“Admisse Tifeon, Count.”
Bang, bang!
He knocked on the door with his fist, calling for Count Tifeon.
“Haven’t I just asked you what is going on?”
The Crown Prince seized the Captain’s shoulder and tried to turn him around.
But turning a man of such size and strength by force was impossible.
“My apologies, Your Highness.”
Without looking back, the Captain spoke.
“I am currently carrying out an imperial command. Please forgive me if, unintentionally, I appear discourteous to Your Highness.”
“An imperial command? What in the world—?”
Ignoring the rare sign of confusion from the Crown Prince, the Captain forced open the carriage door. The locked door was nearly wrenched off its hinges.
“Ah!”
Count Tifeon, petrified with terror, was dragged out by the knights.
“Admisse Tifeon.”
The Captain withdrew a document and began reading it aloud.
“By the authority of the sacred laws established by the Imperial Family, you are hereby arrested for murder and human trafficking.”
“M-murder?!”
Count Tifeon cried out in protest, his face drained of all color.
“Further details will be addressed in the investigation.”
“No! I’m innocent! This is a mistake!”
“You have the right to retain counsel, and any testimony you give—”
“I’ve been here the whole time, perfectly quietly! Who is it I supposedly killed?!”
The Captain stared listlessly at the protesting Count. Then, as though he had just remembered, he spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.
“And one more thing.”
He had forgotten to mention one last charge.
“You are also accused of violating laws on the allocation of industry and factory establishment.”
“……”
Count Tifeon’s eyes quivered.
“N-no, no…”
As he was tied and led away, he gasped with terror, thrashing like an animal faced with death.
He turned desperately to look back at the Crown Prince.
But the Crown Prince had already returned to his carriage. The coach sped away at great haste.
As though fleeing.
And then—
“…Indeed.”
Seraphie, who witnessed the scene from within her own carriage, murmured to herself.
“Count Tifeon was indeed riding too high.”
“Well, it’s all part of learning to survive in society,” added Orkis.
Looney giggled.
“Ah, but everyone really worked hard to keep from laughing aloud.”
For this very moment.
To deceive the Crown Prince’s faction.
Seraphie, Duke Pelichia, X, and the Emperor’s nobles all gave the performance of their lives, suppressing their laughter to the point of bursting.
Time winds back three days.
That is, after Seraphie obtained the evidence to pressure the Crown Prince, via Lady Baglossa, and at last managed to deliver it to the Emperor.
And then, two days later—
“…Hmm, so there’s no need to go any farther, then.”
We can finish things here, right?
Pura asked.
The Kia trading company and mages from the Tower had entered the Tifeon estate, busy installing telephones to test long-distance communication magic.
As part of the experiment, Pura finished the call with Validus and glanced at the green-haired mage beside her.
Meeting her gaze, Er grinned affably.
“Did the connection work?”
“Hm…”
Hanging up, Pura shrugged.
Dressed as a Kia trading company employee, she cut a confident and vigorous figure.
“The distance is pretty far, so maybe that’s why it felt a little shaky. The voice seemed to waver now and then.”
“Then perhaps we should try again at dawn? At night, the flow of magical energy is usually more stable.”
“It would be foolish to ignore a mage’s advice.”
Saying so, Pura relaxedly scanned her surroundings.
Her sharp vigilance stretched like a honed blade toward the dense forest beyond the estate.
‘That’s where they are…’
The missing Glakes.
She wanted nothing more than to rush out to rescue them right now, but Pura forced herself to calm her excitement.
If she acted recklessly now, she would squander all the efforts it took to get here—and lose this chance, perhaps forever.
‘This is the last opportunity.’
Honestly, Pura hadn’t believed she would ever see her missing neighbors again.
Not just Pura—all the other Glakes assumed they had all perished.
Helpless members of a powerless minority, all they could do was curse and resent the Empire.
But now, everything had changed.
‘In the name and honor of Validus, I promise you.’
‘The moment you join me, the Empire will remember the name Glake forever.’
‘Whatever you do, you will succeed.’
‘Now, you must find the missing Glake.’
‘You promised to help me find them.’
Seraphie had accomplished what no one else thought possible.
‘She’s truly like a god…’
To Pura, Seraphie was already a deity.
So all that was left for her now was to keep her wits and fulfill her role to the utmost.
Reaffirming her resolve, Pura gently twisted the ring on her left pinky finger.
Seraphie had given it to her, just in case.
Though the ring looked like the crude trinkets sold in city squares, it was imbued with the healing magic of a white magician.
“……”
Pura gazed quietly at her left hand, then clenched her fist tightly.
“Lara!”
“Can you help over here?”
“Yes! Coming!”
And together with the Kia traders who called her, she went to help with the company’s work.
Unloading cargo from the wagons, loading new cargo,
And setting up magical devices for the communication experiment,
The Kia company and the mages spent an entire day, working through a relentless schedule.
On top of this, the overt stares of the cadet houses who lived within the Tifeon estate made the day even more exhausting than usual.
“The surveillance is intense…”
Is this really all right?
One Glake, disguised as a trading company employee, whispered so that only Pura could hear.
“It’s fine.”
Pura, as though nothing was amiss, opened a crate to check the goods inventory. In her hand were real records and ledger.
“We’ve delivered the Emperor’s and Mage Tower’s cooperation requests, so all we have to do is our own work.”
“Still…”
“If anything, this is a good sign.”
Pura’s lips curled slyly, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
“The more watchful they are, the more it means they have something to hide.”