Beyond Repair

View of Rigaro-Rangas, Chancellor of the Lufelon Holy Kingdom

“…”

Impossible!?

What in the world were they thinking!?

After hearing the report that had suddenly been brought to me, I wanted to clutch my head, but I could not do that here and now.

Because I was currently in the middle of a private meeting with Kiriku, Einheria’s strategist.

This man… seemed extremely young, but as expected of one of a nation’s important figures… he had no openings at all. Honestly, making an enemy of him would be quite troublesome, but… it was far too late for that now.

More importantly, I had to tell him about this matter.

“Sir Kiriku, forgive me for the interruption during our meeting. A report that I cannot overlook has just come in.”

“Given Sir Rangas’s position, it is only natural that all sorts of troublesome matters would come your way. Please do not mind it.”

“You have my thanks. Also, allow me to apologize first. I believe you are aware that His Holy Majesty and His Majesty the King of Einheria are currently conversing pleasantly…”

“Yes. When His Holy Majesty visited our country, it seems they deepened their friendship considerably and now share a very easygoing relationship. But an apology, you say? What happened?”

Kiriku tilted his head at my sudden words.

He seemed perfectly calm, but I could also sense an atmosphere from him as though he was enjoying something.

I did not know where that emotion was directed, but…

“It is a most joyous thing that Their Majesties are on good terms, but… I have just heard that they were attacked by someone.”

“Attacked…? Inside this royal castle?”

“Shameful though it is…”

In truth, this was far beyond a mere blunder.

One’s own king and the king of another nation had been attacked inside the royal castle… and the attackers were without a doubt men of our own country’s nobles… No matter how we apologized, war would begin… no, in all likelihood, that was Einheria’s aim.

Judging from this strategist’s demeanor, there was no doubt this had gone according to plan. I still did not know who had ordered the attack, but had they been incited by Einheria?

Or had a fool run out of control…?

Damn it… It had only been one day since that meeting.

Did they not understand when I told them not to lay hands on the king of Einheria? If only we had at least one more month… Even if war with Einheria began, we could have coordinated with the Kingdom of Sorakil…

“However, we have confirmed that both of Their Majesties are safe.”

“That is excellent. Well, I already knew His Majesty would be safe… Most likely, all of the attackers have already been captured. You should be able to obtain as much information as you wish, and matters from here will proceed smoothly.”

“…That is welcome information.”

Whether that was true or false, if the attackers were alive… it would be troublesome if they said anything unnecessary.

Their mouths needed to be sealed quickly, but… had people already moved?

“Sir Kiriku, though I was the one who requested this meeting, I apologize for leaving it half-finished. It seems urgent work has arisen that I must handle. For today, allow me to excuse myself here. Please guide Sir Kiriku to His Majesty the King of Einheria.”

I assigned the person who had come to report to guide Kiriku, then immediately left the room where we had been meeting so the other party could say nothing more.

We were the ones who had guided them until now so they could consider assassination as a means against royalty when the time came, but… to think they would take such thoughtless action…

In any case, I needed to obtain detailed information… and then move immediately.

“Your Excellency, this way.”

After I left the room, someone who served the Kingdom of Sorakil like me while infiltrating the Lufelon Holy Kingdom invited me into a nearby room.

Outwardly, there was almost no connection between me and this person, and until now, no matter how serious the matter was, he had never contacted me in this manner.

In other words, the situation was the worst possible…

After I entered the room and confirmed that the door had been firmly shut, the man opened his mouth with a deep sigh.

“Marquis Afron, Viscount Zackle, Baron Munuru, and Baron Rogai led thirty soldiers and attacked the Holy King.”

“…What did you say?”

What did he just say?

They led soldiers and attacked…? They did not send in assassins…?

“The king of Einheria was also present at the scene of the attack, and they were suppressed by the Royal Guards and the king of Einheria’s guard. Every person, from the marquis downward, was taken alive.”

“…”

…Tell me that is a lie.

“This is important, so I will confirm it. The marquis and the others did not send attackers?”

“No. The marquis personally led soldiers and carried out the attack. Openly, from the front.”

In the already dim room, I felt my vision darken even further.

Why would they commit such folly…? No, it was true that the marquis was a rash man, but this was far too terrible!

What had the marquis been thinking when he took such action…?

…I understood the attack on the Holy King. We had been preparing that in advance… and when the time came, the role of issuing the direct order was supposed to belong to the marquis.

But to suddenly do it the very next day… and carry out an attack that involved the king of Einheria? Personally led by the marquis…? Most likely, after hearing the conditions Einheria had thrust upon us, he thought that if he defeated the Holy King by standing at the front while she was supposedly selling the country, he could become the next Holy King.

There was no way such an outrageous act would fulfill his long-cherished wish without any advance arrangements… no, to begin with, there was no way thirty or so men could break through the Royal Guards and kill the Holy King.

If it had at least been assassination, I could still understand it, but an attack from the front? Even as a mere suicide attempt, it was far too shoddy!

“What is the deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau doing? Control of the chancellor’s faction was supposed to have been entrusted to him.”

“That is the problem. The deputy director is nowhere to be seen. No one has seen him since before the attack.”

“Impossible… Why on earth…”

That man, like me, had spent many years infiltrating the Lufelon Holy Kingdom.

Moreover, he held the position of deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau, a position very close to confidential information. In a sense, as an operative, it would be fair to say he occupied a more important position than I did.

That was precisely why he had been perfectly suited to watching and guiding the movements of the chancellor’s faction, but… for him to have overlooked this movement was far too unnatural…

No… Perhaps Einheria had discovered that fact and already eliminated him…?

And after that, they manipulated the marquis and the others into attacking… Then Einheria, having obtained a just cause, would declare war.

If they had advanced matters this carefully, then there was no doubt they had already prepared to invade the Lufelon Holy Kingdom.

However, with their king and other important figures in this country, they could not begin war.

Einheria’s military strength here numbered only around two hundred… Even if all of them were Royal Guards, it would not be easy to return to their own country from the heart of enemy territory while protecting important figures.

Then we should strike first and capture the king… no, that was wrong. Having created this situation, that king was likely a fake.

Most likely… the one with value as a hostage was the strategist Kiriku.

At the very least, that man’s abilities were not fake. For that reason, they would not use such a person as a disposable pawn.

He had likely come to this country as the planner and executor of this plan. To ensure failure did not occur at the final stage… he must have entered the Lufelon Holy Kingdom prepared to die.

His loyalty to his country was admirable, but I could not overlook him.

Because of that loyalty, he was the most detestable opponent to me, since the plan I had advanced for many years was on the verge of collapsing.

“You may use the members of the chancellor’s faction. Secure the persons of Einheria’s people. However, do not lay hands on the soldiers yet. Prioritize securing Strategist Kiriku and the king of Einheria… especially Strategist Kiriku! He is the highest priority! Send messengers to close the castle gates and the royal capital’s gates as well! Also, if possible, eliminate the ones who were captured. Hurry!”

“Yes, sir!”

Receiving my orders, the man hurriedly left the room.

Would we make it in time…? If only we could capture that man… Kiriku, we should be able to delay the outbreak of war until the last possible moment.

Most likely, when I had tried to hurry out of the room earlier… Kiriku must have been laughing inwardly.

That moment may have been… the final chance to capture Kiriku.

I could only be astonished by my own stupidity, but… now was not the time for regret.

Handle this calmly. The next thing to consider was… to make clear who was enemy and who was ally.

What I wanted now was enough military strength to seal in the two hundred Einheria soldiers and secure Kiriku… The troops I could move immediately numbered one hundred fifty at most. To suppress two hundred enemy soldiers, I needed the cooperation of the Holy King and the regent.

They must have been planning to bring down the chancellor’s faction by borrowing Einheria’s power… That was exactly why they had invited Einheria into the country.

However, now that it was clear Einheria’s aim was not to become the backing of the Holy King’s group and manipulate this country, but to annex it, it should be possible to temporarily join hands with the regent.

If I joined hands with the regent, I could move the Royal Guards, and those who had sworn loyalty to the Holy King could be moved as well.

With that much military strength, we should be able to suppress the Einheria soldiers and secure Kiriku.

I could not waste any more time. While I was doing this, Kiriku must be escaping the castle and beginning to move toward the border.

Whether or not I could secure that man now would determine what happened to my plan!

I hurriedly rushed out of the room and headed toward the regent’s office, but on the way, when I confirmed the whereabouts of the regent and Holy King with someone I passed, I was able to learn that they had gathered in a conference room.

When I headed to the conference room I had been told of, Royal Guards were standing before the door, making it clear that the Holy King was there.

Given this situation, there was no doubt the regent was here as well.

When I tried to enter the conference room, the Royal Guard waiting before the door opened it… Judging from this, it seemed safe to think that I was not yet being regarded as an enemy.

“Your Holy Majesty, I apologize for my delay! To get straight to the point, what we must prioritize above all right now is…”

As I entered the room, I tried to continue speaking in a rush… and froze when I saw the people inside.

“So you have come, Chancellor. I was waiting for you.”

The Holy King and the regent beside her were fine. But why… why were the king of Einheria and Kiriku here!?

Had my prediction been wrong…?

Or… did they intend to act after killing me here…?

That meant they were more wary of the Kingdom of Sorakil than the Lufelon Holy Kingdom… This was bad. If my guess that the deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau had been dealt with was correct, then our movements had been exposed… That meant there was a possibility the messenger to the Kingdom of Sorakil had been crushed as well.

I had thought I was sufficiently wary of Einheria’s intelligence capabilities, but did that mean I had still been far too naive!?

I had thought that if I could somehow buy time, we could repel Einheria through the Kingdom of Sorakil’s intervention, but… this was bad!

If contact with the Kingdom of Sorakil had been completely stopped, all of my plans would collapse…

“Chancellor? Why are you frozen? You understand what has happened, do you not?”

“Y-yes… My apologies. I did not expect His Majesty the King of Einheria to be present as well…”

“It is only natural that the king of Einheria is here, is it not? He was attacked together with me. And by nobles of our own country, at that.”

“…”

That was true… and precisely because of that, I did not understand why the king of Einheria and Kiriku remained in this place.

I did not know how many times I had thought this over the past few days… But even so, I could not help thinking it again.

What in the world was going on!?