Episode 198

There was something I should explicitly clarify before we proceed.

“Princess Naria has what you call a ‘perfect memory.’”

While traveling with Lord Carlos, the mysterious twin-tailed elf girl, and a person cloaked in a black robe, I decided to reveal a secret that would satisfy the curiosity lingering within them.

“She lacks the blessing of forgetfulness granted to humans.”

“The blessing of forgetfulness…?”

“It means she can’t forget anything.”

The elf girl, also known as the Platinum Lord, chimed in on my words.

“Happy memories, sad ones, even the most repulsive ones, they all remain in her mind. The moment she tries to recall them, they appear clearly, one by one.”

“And Princess Naria has been tormented by threats to her life since childhood. At the hands of none other than Saint Gio Nostrum.”

“How could that…?!”

Lord Carlos’s jaw dropped in shock.

“Are you saying that rumor was true?”

“Rumor?”

“The rumor that Saint Gio Nostrum secretly had a child who would obey him better than Princess Naria, intending to kill her and hold onto the throne until he died of old age at 50 or 60.”

“From the way he acts, it seems like he’s eager to die early, but that’s just a rumor.”

Saint Gio’s illegitimate child did not exist. No matter what, Queen Carmen thoroughly monitored that aspect.

“But the fact that such rumors circulate shows how low public sentiment is towards Saint Gio. Now that Naria has started to take action, some assassins are also moving against her.”

“…Wouldn’t it just be the kingdom? There’s no reason for the Empire to send assassins…”

“It’s not impossible, but there’s no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily.”

To the Empire, Naria was a variable. As they said, a dog couldn’t be born from a tiger, but just as a lotus bloomed in the mud, Naria could become a competent ruler, unlike her inept father.

Facing someone who didn’t step into the ring versus facing someone who did.

There might be differing opinions on which was more challenging, but common sense dictated that the latter was more formidable than the former.

At least those known as the ‘heroes,’ who were the kingdom’s core strength, would only show themselves after Naria stepped forward.

“Princess Naria is currently going around the camp, observing and ‘remembering’ each of the students.”

“…She’s looking for talent among the students, isn’t she?”

“She’s trying to discern their true nature under extreme circumstances. If someone displays a twisted character even in this situation, can they be trusted as future assets to lead the kingdom? I doubt it.”

“Grey. We’re almost there.”

“Understood.”

Talking while walking, we soon arrived at our destination.

“This is….”

“We confirmed that the supplies leaving Baron Rembourg Gunter’s domain were being taken out through here via wagons. Things like sausages from the Empire, and liquor.”

There stood a large, two-story wooden structure nestled within the forest. For a cabin in the woods, its overly conspicuous features revealed its shady nature.

“Why are there no windows?”

“They don’t want anyone outside to see inside. They probably even have blackout curtains installed.”

So that even if someone found this place, they wouldn’t realize what was happening inside.

“…! My lord.”

“Stay calm.”

Carlos almost drew his sword upon seeing something through the mansion’s window.

“We haven’t even started yet.”

“Ugh….”

The door to the mansion burst open, and someone dashed out in a panic. Dressed in disheveled clothes that looked like they could fall off at any moment, the person was barefoot, running outside.

“Someone, please-”

Grab!

“Mmmph!”

“Ugh, how annoying. Where do you think you’re going? Huh?”

“Mmmph, mmmph!”

The half-dressed woman struggled to resist, but a burly man, easily twice her size, had her mouth covered with his hand and gripped her waist tightly, making escape impossible.

“Mmmph!”

“Heh, now she’s even trying to bite my hand. Is she a beast? Well, playing with such a wild thing can be fun in its own way.”

The woman fought with all her might, but the man paid no attention and dragged her back inside the mansion.

“My lord…!”

“Calm down.”

“But right now…!”

“I know. That woman was sent by the baron.”

“…….”

Was it possible to stay calm in this situation? Lord Carlos was the kind of person who would blurt out such a question, but I exposed the uncomfortable truth to keep him from saying something regrettable.

“She’s prepared for this. That’s why she was sent.”

“But it’s forced….”

“There are courtesans in the barony, and that’s her role—getting paid for such things.”

“…….”

“This information was obtained through Morgania, so don’t feel too bad about it.”

The subtle details of what happened in the shadows couldn’t be known by those in the light. If you did know, it meant you had one foot in the shadows, or you had come from the shadows into the light.

“If you’d found that out yourself, I would’ve been disappointed in you.”

“Hmm.”

Lord Carlos cleared his throat, averting his gaze. It seemed he was somewhat relieved that the awkwardness had shifted from his almost making a mistake, but he couldn’t hide his discomfort entirely.

“Lord Carlos, could you talk about such matters with your sister?”

“……Not at all.”

“Same here. I don’t want to tell my sisters about such things, and especially not Princess Naria.”

We could soon forget scenes like what we just witnessed. If we thought it was unimportant or enough time passed, we could forget it completely.

“But Naria remembers everything. June 1st, Imperial Year 98, 7:44 PM, a knight of the Golden Dawn assaulted a maid sent by Baron Rembourg Gunter at his mansion. The maid’s clothes were torn, and she was crying and screaming.”

“…….”

“And if she sees what’s happening inside that mansion with her own ‘eyes,’ it will remain an indelible memory for her, even if it’s just a fleeting scene.”

Naria already remembered too much. She probably wished she could forget the moment her father tried to kill her or the look in his eyes, but she couldn’t forget even that. She remembered everything.

“That’s why we have to act from behind the scenes.”

Just then, a group of people began to approach on the wide path leading to the mansion.

“Those people are…”

“Hernandez Barcel and other knights of the Golden Dawn.”

“They said they’d set up a camp, but it seems it’s not a camp, but a mansion.”

“A privilege.”

Staying in the mansion was part of their political leverage, one of the privileges they enjoyed by using their connections.

“I like sleeping in a comfortable place. Whether they drink or smoke after work, or even mix Caroline into their drinks or sprinkle White Silver on their tobacco, it’s their choice. But…”

Click.

“Don’t you think it’s crossing the line to invite underage students to those men’s parties?”

“…….”

“Well, if that’s their idea of fun, there’s nothing we can do.”

“My lord, will you wait… to gather evidence photos?”

“Who knows.”

There were many ways.

“Entering at 4 a.m. when they’re all passed out drunk, or at midnight when things are at their wildest, or when they’re all busy whispering to each other. Any time would work, as long as we can confirm what’s going on.”

“What do you think is the best option, my lord?”

“Well, it depends. Whether it’s white, gray, or black.”

“…….”

“Personally, I have a preference for black, but going for gray or white isn’t a bad choice either.”

After taking a picture of the mansion with the magic camera, I put it away and drew a sword from my staff.

“But if I planned to do that, I would have come alone. Would I have brought you, Lord Carlos?”

“I thought you were going to make me gray or black.”

“Why would someone who shines brightest in the light need to dirty themselves?”

One person was enough to handle the filth.

“If we’re going to choose white, it’ll be a bit of work. Both of you, wear these.”

I handed each of them a pre-prepared item.

“Masks…?”

“It’s a new design.”

“Yes. I carved these myself.”

Wooden masks, made in preparation for the Lemveri camp.

“I’m not giving a history lecture, but you should understand the principle of acting while wearing this mask. It will help you act better.”

“Um, my lord? I think I recognize this.”

Lord Carlos ran his hand over the mask with a troubled expression.

“This… isn’t this the traditional mask from that country that was destroyed 80 years ago?”

“Destroyed…?”

“Yes, Platinum Lord. From the country that was conquered and destroyed by the former Emperor of the Empire.”

“If you choose a difficult path instead of the easiest one, you’ll have to make it plausible and establish ‘context’ and ‘settings.’”

I pressed the mask from the destroyed country against my face.

“Make your choice. Should we break in at 4 a.m., after the women have gone in and all sorts of things have happened, and take pictures of the naked, passed-out Golden Dawn knights to distribute? Or….”

“I’ll wear it.”

Lord Carlos put on the mask.

“What should we do now?”

“Two things.”

I tapped my lips with my index finger.

“Speak awkward Kingdom language.”

“…….”

“And one more thing.”

I pointed my sword toward the mansion.

“Cause chaos.”

Five Minutes Earlier.

“How many did you catch this time?”

“I don’t know, damn it. Couldn’t even say a word because I was worried about that princess catching on.”

The Golden Dawn knights were venting their frustration over cold beers, even before the meat on the grill was done cooking.

“Damn it. I thought I’d have some fun for once….”

“Didn’t you succeed?”

“Success, my ass. I barely managed to give her the invitation.”

“An invitation… Baron Balzac will handle it.”

“Of course. They won’t come here directly. He’ll spray sleeping incense, blindfold them, and bring them in the carriage. Heh heh. Cheers.”

The beer glasses clinked, and the Golden Dawn knights quickly downed their drinks.

“By the way, Captain, why did you go to the cripple?”

“…….”

The man called Captain, Hernandez, silently sipped his beer.

“Did you think he might have secretly smuggled Lionel out?”

“You think he’s alive? I bet on him being dead.”

“Hey. Isn’t that too harsh, considering he’s the Captain’s brother?”

“Look at the Captain’s expression.”

“Hmph.”

Hernandez took another sip of beer, twisting his lips.

“I tried to lure him in, pretending to be a caring older brother, but there was no reaction.”

“Nothing?”

“Yeah. If they’d kept him alive, I thought they’d drop a hint. But there wasn’t a word. If anything, he seemed unaware of Lionel’s details. From that, I’d say…”

He snickered.

“Maybe they didn’t even know it was Lionel before they killed him, or something like that.”

“But Captain, they haven’t found the body yet, have they? I haven’t heard of any bodies being recovered.”

“Who knows. There might be a secret passage in the Director’s office at the foundation, and the body could’ve been dealt with there.”

“Is that how it is…”

“Most likely. Anyway, do we still have the goods? If not, we can always use the maid sent by the Baron…”

BANG!

The door was violently smashed open, and the Golden Dawn knights instantly put down their glasses and drew their swords.

“Who’s there?!”

“We are the shadows.”

“…What?”

Clad in black clothing.

“The burning flame of resistance that carries on the true Emperor’s will.”

An unknown mask.

“Die, you kingdom trash.”

“T-That stance!!”

Hernandez shouted as he saw the masked figure raise his sword.

“Imperial…! That’s Tersian swordsmanship—!!”

“With your deaths, we will bring chaos to this land.”

The eyes behind the mask were a deep, dark gray.