Chapter 85

After completing the reconnaissance of Lastock and the royal capital Aldaros, I returned to Volzard and started discussing the next steps with the teachers, but the atmosphere was still heavy.

It seems that even Mr. Oda did not expect the king and the second prince to be such worldly people.

"That bad, huh..."

"Yes, to be honest, even if we manage to bring the king and Bernst to the negotiating table, I don't think it will work in our favor."

Although the same people are gathered as last time, the other teachers are also at a loss.

Even Mr. Nakagawa, who had been advocating a hard-line stance, is deep in thought and silent.

"From the information that Kunitomo investigated, if we try to negotiate with Camilla alone, we can't even be sure if we can perform the repatriation ceremony, let alone get compensation. With the current king and second prince in such a state..."

The heavy silence in the meeting was broken by Mr. Furukubo.

"Should we just start a revolution?"

Everyone's gaze turned to him, and although he seemed a bit intimidated, Mr. Furukubo continued.

"From what I've heard, Camilla is the only princess in the Reisenburg royal family who seems to be reasonable."

"Are you suggesting we make Camilla the queen?"

In response to Mr. Oda's question, Mr. Furukubo nodded firmly.

"The king, the first prince, the second, and third princes are all useless. We should eliminate them."

"Good idea, Furukubo, I'm with you!"

Mr. Nakagawa immediately agreed.

"Wait a minute. Eliminate... as in kill? Are you going to make Kunitomo do the killing?"

"That's easy, just let the familiars do it."

Mr. Nakagawa tried to brush off Mr. Chikasaki's protest.

"But that's the same as Kunitomo doing it himself."

"We will give the orders, and Kunitomo can't refuse... We will take the responsibility."

"Taking responsibility is not that simple. How do you plan to take responsibility?"

"If the media criticizes us when we return to Japan, we will take the blame..."

"I don't think that will erase Kunitomo's guilt."

"Then, what do you suggest? You've been criticizing everything, but if you disagree, come up with a better plan."

"That... I need more time..."

"Hmph, you're just criticizing without offering a solution."

"But, we just started talking..."

"Then, when will you come up with a solution? We can't afford to be idle. When will you have a plan?"

"That..."

"Enough!"

Mr. Kato intervened between the heated Mr. Nakagawa and Mr. Chikasaki.

"Both of you, calm down... We just started, and Furukubo's proposal isn't the only option. Rushing to a conclusion will only increase the chances of failure."

Mr. Kato's calm tone made the two of them sit back down and take a breath.

With a nod from Mr. Kato, Mr. Oda resumed the meeting.

"Furukubo's idea of eliminating the other royals and giving Camilla the power is very tempting. However, as Mr. Chikasaki said, we should avoid ordering Kunitomo to kill if possible. If we can't, we need to weaken the people we consider unnecessary and let Camilla take control."

"But how do we weaken them?"

Mr. Nakagawa naturally raised a question.

"We will think about the specifics later."

"Will that work?"

"I don't know, but even if we assassinate the royals, there's no guarantee Camilla will take control."

"That won't happen. If only Camilla and her brother are left, there's no other choice."

"The nobles might try to eliminate Camilla and her brother and take over the country."

"If we consider every possibility, we won't be able to do anything."

"That's true, but we can't ignore them. We need to consider all possibilities and choose the most likely one. If assassination is the only option, I will make the decision."

The teachers' gazes turned to me, and I instinctively looked away.

Mr. Nakagawa mercilessly asked me a question.

"Kunitomo, you can slip sleeping pills into someone's food, right? Can you change them to poison?"

"Uh, yes... that's possible."

"Wait a minute."

"What is it, Furukubo? You were the one who suggested eliminating the royals."

"That's true, but poisoning might leave evidence. Is there a better way that doesn't leave evidence?"

"Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?"

"Of course. If the assassination becomes public, someone might question the legitimacy of the succession. They might even claim to be the king's secret child."

"Then, we need to do it without being caught... What do you think, Kunitomo?"

"Uh... I..."

It's possible, like when I defeated the salamander, by cutting the brainstem or blood vessels while they sleep. It's possible, but being asked to kill someone is not something I can easily agree to, especially in a situation where saying yes means I will be forced to do it.

"Both of you, wait a moment. As teachers, we should first consider methods that don't involve Kunitomo killing anyone. I can't agree with discussions that start with murder."

"I agree with Mr. Sato. We should first consider methods that don't involve killing."

"I think so too."

With Mr. Sato's words, Mr. Chikasaki and Mr. Kato also agreed, and the questioning stopped, but Mr. Nakagawa looked clearly dissatisfied.

"But, how do we eliminate them without assassination?"

"Excuse me..."

It was Mr. Kato who raised his hand.

"From what I've heard, the second prince seems the most attached to the throne and is the most active. He has the third prince on his side, but what if we make them turn against each other?"

"The second prince's power would be significantly weakened if the third prince defects."

Indeed, as Mr. Oda said, if the third prince defects, it would deal a significant blow.

The third prince I've seen seems to be very fond of his brother, but can we really make them turn against each other?

"If the third prince defects from the second prince's faction and joins the first prince's faction, the situation could change dramatically. The second prince might be eliminated, or the first or third prince might be eliminated, but in any case, we can manipulate the situation so that we don't have to get our hands dirty."

Mr. Kato's words made Mr. Nakagawa and Mr. Furukubo start thinking.

Mr. Oda began to share his thoughts.

"In our world, information from the other side of the planet can be instantly delivered through the internet, but in this world, information takes time to spread. However, we have someone who can instantly deliver information over long distances. Using this information advantage, we can stir up internal conflicts in Reisenburg and drive them to self-destruction."

"But, won't that take too long?"

Mr. Nakagawa still seemed dissatisfied.

"We won't know until we try, but at least it's better than inciting Kunitomo to commit murder."

"But..."

"Can we at least try? If we create a situation where everyone is suspicious of each other, it will provide a reason if we need to carry out an assassination."

Indeed, if the second prince is killed now, it will be blamed on the first prince's faction, but if we make the third prince turn against him, the situation will change.

"Mr. Kato..."

"What is it, Kunitomo?"

"About making the second and third princes turn against each other, will we involve the king and the first prince as well?"

"In my opinion, it would be best if only the fourth prince remains."

"But, if the king is killed, won't the country fall into chaos?"

"Maybe not. If a useless man is eliminated, it might not be a big deal."

Indeed, the only ones who would be troubled by the king's disappearance are his sycophants, who would likely find new patrons quickly.

Still, is it right for us to manipulate the fate of a country from behind the scenes?

"What's wrong, Kunitomo? Not feeling it?"

"Deciding the fate of people in the heart of a country is something I never thought about in Japan. It feels unreal, you know..."

"True, I can't say I have a real sense of it either, but it's necessary for us to return to Japan, so we have to do it."

"What about negotiating with Camilla? Should we wait until she has control?"

"What do you think, Mr. Oda?"

While looking at Mr. Oda, Mr. Kato also glanced at the other teachers.

"Yes, we should observe for a while..."

"No, if we cause internal strife, shouldn't we contact her first?"

Mr. Nakagawa spoke with enthusiasm.

"We should convey our demands and threaten to hinder the response to the Great Occurrence if they don't negotiate. If they agree, we will help the fourth prince ascend to the throne. This approach will be more effective."

"That's a good idea. Showing the benefits of cooperating with us will make them more likely to negotiate."

Mr. Furukubo also agreed with Mr. Nakagawa.

This time, Mr. Sato and Mr. Chikasaki had no objections, and Mr. Kato nodded.

"Yes, but there is one problem..."

"What is it, Mr. Oda? Do you have more complaints?"

"No, it's not that. If we proceed with these conditions, our existence cannot be known by the king's faction, the first prince's faction, or the second prince's faction."

"That's true..."

"In that case, we can't send Mr. Sato or me to negotiate..."

Mr. Oda's gaze turned to me.

"Uh... You mean I should be the negotiator?"

Mr. Oda nodded, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

I was relieved to be off the hook as the negotiator, but it's too cruel to ask me to do it now.

"Uh... I can't negotiate..."

"Is that okay?"

Mr. Chikasaki came to my rescue.

"From what I've seen, I don't think Kunitomo is suited for negotiations. How about we conduct negotiations through written correspondence and have Kunitomo deliver the messages?"

"I agree with Mr. Chikasaki. Written correspondence will also prevent 'he said, she said' issues later."

Mr. Nakagawa also nodded in agreement with Mr. Sato's suggestion.

"Yes, to be honest, I was also worried about Kunitomo."

"Uh... Really..."

Everyone laughed at Mr. Oda's words, and the tense atmosphere eased.

Well, I am unreliable, so it's understandable.

"Then, let's draft the letter by noon tomorrow. Kunitomo, deliver it without being noticed by the other factions."

"Understood. Camilla is usually in her office late, and her secretary will have left by then, so I'll aim for that time."

"Be careful not to make any mistakes."

"Uh... I'll do my best."

The meeting was filled with laughter again.

Is this bullying? I'll report it to the education board.

The meeting with the teachers was over, and as I was about to return to my boarding house, I stopped at the entrance, remembering yesterday's events.

The words of the boys who had a crush on the committee chairperson deeply pierced my heart, and I felt like I might end up doing what they said.

I was worried that different boys or angry girls might be waiting for me outside the entrance.

I hesitated, thinking about sneaking back in, but since this is a decision I made, I need to face it head-on.

I took a deep breath and opened the door, only to find an unexpected person waiting.

"Kenji..."

"Yui."

The committee chairperson, leaning against the wall of the boarding house, looked so fragile that she seemed about to disappear, and I couldn't help but hug her.

"You're cold... Did you wait for a long time? You're freezing..."

"Because... I wanted to see you..."

Her slightly tearful voice made me feel so affectionate that I didn't want to let go.

"Kenji... What should I do... I want to be with you. But, I also want to see my parents... Kenji, it's so hard..."

"Sorry... I'm sorry, Yui. I want to be with you too. But, I want to live in Volzard where I'm needed."

"Because of Manon? Because of Beatrice?"

"It's not just that. Amanda and Maisa treat me like family, and Klaus and Donovan rely on me. I was useless in Japan, so it feels good to be useful and relied upon."

"But, don't you have family in Japan?"

"Yes... I guess..."

After a moment of hesitation, I told the committee chairperson about my family situation.

"Is that so..."

"Yes, after my grandmother passed away, I was often alone at home, and my parents felt like strangers even though they were alive."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

"No, you couldn't have known. I never told you."

For the committee chairperson, who wanted to talk, I took out a wooden box and a blanket from the shadow storage.

I placed the box near the wall where the second-floor window was lit and wrapped myself and the committee chairperson in the blanket.

"Hehe... This feels like when Kenji sneaked into Lastock's room."

"At that time, I was so nervous. Being alone with Yui, who everyone admires..."

"Alone...?"

"Well, you know... soft and all..."

"Kenji, you're so naughty..."

"Uh... Sorry."

While calling me naughty, the committee chairperson hugged my left arm, giving me warmth.

"Aren't you nervous now?"

"Of course, my heart is about to burst."

"I'm not nervous."

"Uh...?"

Her unexpected words felt like a cold shower.

"Because, I feel so safe with you. It's like my whole body is healing."

"Yui..."

"I want to stay with you until morning..."

"But, we'll catch a cold with just a blanket."

"Kenji, you're so silly... I want to spend the night with you, like Beatrice."

"Uh... That's..."

"Me too, me too!"

"Master, pet my tummy!"

As soon as we talked about spending the night together, Malt and the others appeared.

Right, with you guys around, we can't be alone...

The committee chairperson also started laughing at Malt and the others, who appeared and wagged their tails.

"That's right, because of the kobolds, I was able to escape from Beatrice's honey trap."

"Uh... I'm so embarrassed."

"Master, are you going to sleep with this girl tonight?"

"What about Maisa?"

"Will you be able to avoid being clung to tonight?"

Huh? We were wrapped in a blanket, but the temperature suddenly dropped...

"Kenji, what's going on?"

"Uh? What do you mean...?"

"Isn't Maisa the girl from the boarding house? Why are you sleeping with her?"

Huh? The committee chairperson is turning into a demon...

"No, it's not like that. Maisa is different. She's after Malt and the others."

"But why are you sleeping with her if she's after the kobolds?"

"Because Malt and the others come back to me, and Maisa wants to sleep with the three of them, so Amanda told her to sleep in my room..."

"So, you're sleeping together?"

"Yes, I was asked to, so I had no choice. It's like having a troublesome little sister..."

"Is that true...?"

"Really, really. I promise, nothing happens with Maisa."

"Master, you were used as a pillow."

"Yes, she drooled all over it."

"Uh... Don't remind me..."

"Hehehe... It sounds true."

Somehow, the committee chairperson seemed to believe me and retracted her horns.

"I want to stay in your room too."

"Huh? Uh... Stay the night...?"

"Right, we should invite Manon too."

"Uh... Manon too? My room isn't that big..."

"By the way, have you met Manon's family?"

"Uh? No... I've only taken her home..."

Come to think of it, I haven't met Manon's family yet.

I know her father has passed away, her mother is alive, and I haven't heard about any siblings...

"Ah... If you're serious about Manon, you should meet her family, right?"

"Uh... Yes, you're right. I'll find a good time..."

"No way! You should go as soon as possible, maybe tomorrow."

"Uh... But, Reisenburg is getting more complicated..."

"What happened?"

"Well, actually..."

I told the committee chairperson about Lastock, the royal family in the capital Aldaros, and our response plan.

"Things have come to this... Hmm, it seems Kenji will have to be on the move for a while."

"Yes, but I should also meet Manon's mother."

"Right, you should ask for her daughter's hand... Hehehe."

"Yui, you're enjoying this..."

"Because, if I stay, I won't be able to meet my parents, right?"

"Uh... I was thinking of writing a letter."

"A letter?"

"Yes, Mr. Kato said that if I stay, I should write a letter to my parents and he will deliver it responsibly. I was thinking of writing to your parents too."

"Kenji... A letter, huh... I didn't think of that..."

After a bit more casual talk, the committee chairperson kissed my cheek and went back to her room.

She seemed a bit more at ease, but maybe it was just my imagination.