Chapter 70

"Hmm, this is unusual. Is Yuki oversleeping?"

During breakfast, only three people had gathered in the living room. Yuki was nowhere to be seen.

Sylvia, concluding that Yuki must be oversleeping, stood up straight.

"Well, I'll make it then."

"Can you?"

"Yes, I can."

Sylvia was appointed to prepare breakfast. Eco looked slightly worried as she watched Sylvia's back. Then, she turned to me with a face that seemed to ask, "Will it be okay?" while tilting her head.

"Ah—"

I made some kind of sound. I didn't have the energy to respond with actual words.

"Second, are you tired?"

"…Exhausted."

Indeed, I was utterly exhausted. He was a formidable opponent. I went in fully prepared, launched a barrage of attacks, and engaged in a prolonged battle, but his endless stamina and bottomless eroticism gradually began to overwhelm me. The battle was a seesaw, and even the doping with potions was almost ineffective. In the end, I had to use the ultimate move, the "Transformation." It was only after all that I managed to win. Even the intense battle with Anko wasn't this tiring. The Dark Elf was truly terrifying.

One thing I learned was that stats don't matter much in nocturnal mixed martial arts. This is bad. I need to come up with a strategy and study it quickly, or I'll lose soon.

Eco opened her mouth slightly and nodded, saying, "I see..." as if she understood something. I wonder what she understood.

"Hey, it's ready. Come and get it."

That was quick. It took less than 10 minutes. I walked to the kitchen like a zombie and saw six slices of toasted white bread and a large plate piled high with stir-fried meat and vegetables. It was an unusual combination, but it looked quite delicious.

She placed the lavish meal in the center of the table, and we each used tongs to take some and put it on the crispy, fluffy bread.

"Wow. Yeah, it's good."

Not bad. It had a rough, manly feel, but it was something you could eat heartily. This is what you need, this is what you need. Simple is best. A home breakfast should be a simple combination of a staple and a main dish, to be eaten quickly before you get tired of it.

"Delicious, maybe!"

"What do you mean, 'maybe'?"

While scolding Eco, Sylvia smiled with a look of relief.

Just as we were finishing, Yuki appeared in the living room.

She apologized for oversleeping, looking unusually flustered, and opened her notebook to tell me about today's schedule. She looked a bit tired.

"Yuki, take a break today. Eco, you can take a break too."

"No, that's—"

"I've already heard the plans from Winfield. Today, we'll have an audience with the king and then visit the workplace. Sylvia, you said you're going to the Third Knight Regiment, right? Winfield has something to do in the capital. There's no big deal."

"Ah, if you say so. But, Master, an audience with the king is a big deal."

"Indeed."

"…But not just 'indeed.'"

I laughed and stood up. At that moment, Cubello appeared, bowed, and spoke.

"The carriage is ready."

Impressive, no wasted time. I wanted to take a little break, but I'll go with the flow. I can rest in the carriage anyway.

"Yuki, get the carriage ready."

"As you wish."

Yuki immediately activated her "Spirit Summoning," and Winfield was summoned.

"Hey, let's go."

"Sure. Let's get moving."

I led Winfield and Sylvia, following Cubello. We were seen off by Eco, who seemed to be excited about her day off, and Yuki, who looked a bit unsteady on her feet, as we left the house by Lake Vanilla.

Four of us, including Winfield, got into the carriage. I got in first and sat in the back seat. Sylvia followed and, after a moment's hesitation, sat across from me. Winfield sat next to Sylvia without hesitation, leaving Cubello to sit next to me.

"Hey, Cubello. Are you looking for any survivors from R6? Do you know anything?"

The conversation had died down shortly after the carriage started, so I decided to bring up a topic.

"Survivors... Yes, I have a younger brother named Biside."

"Younger brother?"

"Yes, though he's actually older than me. I think he's 29."

"Hmm."

"…Could it be, Second?"

"Yes, I'm looking for him. I asked Yuki yesterday. Apparently, the All-Purpose Maid Squad has a specialized team for this. Winfield was confident, so I think we'll find him soon."

I told him about the search. Cubello bowed deeply, saying, "I am truly grateful." I hurriedly lifted his head and told him about the plan to use the R6 member as a "living witness." Cubello bowed even deeper and spoke.

"The long-awaited opportunity for revenge, could there be anything better? I am overwhelmed with gratitude."

"Right. If you want to thank someone, thank Winfield. It's his strategy."

"Yes, Winfield, I am truly grateful for providing such an opportunity—"

"Wait, wait. To be honest, I don't care about revenge. I just did what I thought was best for Second."

"That's the same as showing concern, I think..."

"Well, if you want to thank someone, go ahead."

Winfield said dismissively. Cubello, taking it as permission, began to express his gratitude. He's a good guy, but sometimes he's too serious.

"By the way, Sylvia, are you still involved with the Third Knight Regiment?"

"I believe it's fine. I had forgotten about it, but Winfield told me to go and report. I'll be reporting to the Third Knight Regiment today as well."

What's that about?

"Sylvia, isn't it a two-year contract?"

"Yes, I believe so. It's a two-year term under the guise of being Second's bodyguard, which is actually a form of surveillance."

Ah, I remember now. The Third Knight Regiment had given Sylvia the mission to "seduce Second and bring him into the regiment." I had completely forgotten about it because there had been no contact from the regiment for a while.

"We can use the relationship between the Third Knight Regiment and Sylvia to find clues about the location of the original documents and public records. Maybe."

I see. That's why Winfield arranged for Sylvia to go and report today.

The sudden appearance of the First Court Magic Corps' special temporary lecturer, a man, in the audience room was suspicious. If we want to gather information on such a person, a slightly deranged, justice-loving female knight from the Third Knight Regiment, who has been assigned as a bodyguard, would be perfect. If we act in a way that aligns with the Third Knight Regiment's interests, we can create a perfect double agent.

In other words, Sylvia and I are about to deceive the core figures of the kingdom. Thinking about it, it's a big deal. We'll deceive one side, then the other, and even brainwash them to change the country's politics. Is this the first step in that grand plan?

"...Hey, Winfield. What about directly brainwashing the prime minister?"

A sudden idea came to me. If we could do that, it would be much easier, but I couldn't help but ask.

Winfield, after hearing my overly simple plan, prefaced her response with, "I wish we could."

"Probably, he's very cautious. Because of the duchess incident. He might already have countermeasures in place."

"Ah."

Lucia Aischen, the duchess, was framed by the prime minister himself, and the reason was his fear of brainwashing magic. It makes sense that he would be cautious. Hmm, if he has countermeasures... he might boost his MGR or wear accessories that provide magical defense. For the prime minister, it would likely be the latter.

"What about knocking him out, stripping him naked, and then brainwashing him?"

"That might work if he only has equipment as a countermeasure. But—"

"But?"

"The problem is if he has countermeasures against the method of undoing the brainwashing."

"!"

Wow, that's a blind spot.

"Besides, even if we brainwash the prime minister, we'd still have to do similar things. It might be more efficient to work directly with the people instead of focusing on the prime minister."

"...You're right."

Winfield, as always, has a well-thought-out plan. Trying to take shortcuts would only add unnecessary risks.

"We're almost there."

Cubello said this after looking out the window. The conversation ended there. Now, we just had to do what we needed to do.

When we arrived at the palace, a maid assigned to the second prince was waiting for me. She led me directly to the audience chamber, where I met Mine.

"…Second, are you nervous?"

"Of course not."

"Ahaha, that's right."

We exchanged a few light words before entering the audience chamber. I could see King Bawel sitting on his throne, with Prince Klaus, Queen White, and Prime Minister Bar Moro by his side. Mine and I walked up to King Bawel and bowed.

"Raise your head."

In the past, I would have raised my head at this point. But I had a tip from the genius strategist: it's better not to raise your head on the first prompt. Apparently, this is the proper etiquette for an audience with this king.

"Very well, raise your head."

Bawel's tone was slightly more relaxed as he repeated the command. Mine and I slowly raised our heads.

"Is this the temporary lecturer for the First Court Magic Corps?"

"Yes, my name is Second."

Mine answered for me. Bawel scrutinized me.

Our eyes met. Just as I remembered, Bawel was a middle-aged man with dull blonde hair. He had dark circles under his eyes, which couldn't be completely hidden by makeup. In the original story, King Bawel of Mevion falls ill and abdicates. But that's supposed to be much later. Perhaps, in this world, just as the prime minister didn't obtain brainwashing magic, Bawel's illness has also changed.

"This Second is a mysterious person with no known background. I don't think he is suitable to be a lecturer for the court magicians."

A sudden interruption came from the prime minister, as expected.

"I also oppose it, Father. This person has refused the knight regiment's recruitment twice. I don't sense any intention to contribute to the kingdom."

Klaus spoke next. Seriously? Using "I" and "Father" in the audience chamber is a level of blunder even I can recognize. And no one is correcting him. What is the education staff doing?

"Indeed! How impolite! Get this person out of here!"

First Princess White, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. I see, the first princess's bratty behavior is her mother's fault.

...At that moment, two knights from the First Knight Regiment approached me. Is this it? Am I allowed to do it? I glanced at Mine, who was pale and shaking her head. It seems I'm not. Hmph, I guess I'll live another day.

"Please wait. Adventurers are often people with no fixed background. Moreover, those who are not interested in status or honor and are highly skilled often find the earnings of an adventurer more attractive than those of a knight. It would be too arrogant to dismiss someone just because they refused a recruitment."

"Indeed! Highley!"

Oh, that's Highley. A balding man with thick round glasses, he's the epitome of a middle manager. According to Winfield, he's the leader of the second prince's faction and a strong ally.

"If he refused the knight regiment because the earnings of an adventurer are better, why did he apply to be a temporary lecturer for the court magicians? Highley, what do you think?"

The prime minister countered the minister's argument. These two are really at odds.

"I've heard that Second is close to Prince Mine. They studied together, ate from the same pot, and even competed in magic duels to improve each other. This application for the temporary lecturer position is purely out of friendship. Prince Klaus, you should know this as well."

"I will add to that. The minister is correct. This time, I asked Second to do me a favor, and he agreed despite his reluctance. However, I know of no one more suitable for the position. If he becomes a lecturer, the court magicians will surely make great progress."

Highley smoothly responded to the prime minister's question. Mine added her support. The prime minister looked at Klaus to confirm the facts. Klaus nodded reluctantly, and the prime minister finally fell silent.

"Second's achievements are already known to the king. Please consider it."

"Could you approve his appointment as a special temporary lecturer? If there are no results in a month, I will take full responsibility. Please, I humbly request your approval."

Mine bowed, and I followed suit. The trio of troublemakers looked like they were about to grind their teeth. However, Mine's use of "I" made her look like a woman.

"Raise your head. Second, I have a question for you."

Just as I was thinking about unrelated matters, Bawel suddenly said this. What could he want to know?

"More than half a year ago, what were you doing in the Great Library? What did you do in the magic school's library? And what did you do on the several occasions you visited the Great Library with your team members?"

—A chill ran down my spine.

What was I doing in the Royal Great Library? Of course, I was peeking at skill books. In the school library, I peeked at the magic books for the Second and Third Forms. Later, in the Great Library, I was teaching three people skills, explaining them in a way that accelerated their learning speed several times over.

"The reports have been submitted. I think the key to your strength lies there, don't you?"

He probably knows. He knows that I can learn skills by peeking, and that Sylvia, Eco, and Yuki have been able to learn skills abnormally quickly due to my "game-like advice."

"……"

How should I cover it up? Or should I just tell the truth? As I was thinking, Bawel smiled and said,

"Very well. I approve of Second as a special temporary lecturer for the First Court Magic Corps. I expect results in a month."

...Surprisingly, he agreed so easily. It felt like a letdown.

With those words from Bawel, the audience ended abruptly. The trio of troublemakers left, muttering curses at Mine and me, while the minister nodded in satisfaction and left.

Bawel's final words to me. What did they mean? Was he threatening me, saying, "I'm watching you"? Or did he just want to know the secret? That's ridiculous. It felt like he approved because he saw me hesitate. If so, why? I can't figure out his intentions.

One thing is clear: King Bawel of Castar in this world is different from the "selfish, money-loving king" I know. He might be that way at his core, but in this world, he hasn't been romanticized like a character in a story. At least during this audience, he was a serious person.

"That's good, Second."

Mine, standing next to me, looked happy. But I couldn't fully relax and nod at her words.

* * *

"Well, I have things to do too."

While Second was on his way to the audience, Sylvia went to report to the Third Knight Regiment, and Winfield headed to the center of the capital, Vinston.

However, the center was a dark and damp place. Where there was light, there were shadows. Of course, even the capital of Vinston had its "underbelly."

She hid her face with a mask and her body with a cloak. It was a suspicious appearance, but it fit the atmosphere. Her tall stature made her look like a man, so no one in the seedy alley tried to approach her.

"Hey, I need to talk to you."

"Who's there?"

Winfield approached a shabby-looking man at the end of the alley, who looked like a homeless person. At first glance, he blended in with the other homeless people, but there was one difference: his eyes were not dead.

"Having fun playing homeless?"

"……Let's move somewhere else."

After a moment of silence, the man, sweating coldly, said in a strained voice.

The man was panicking. He was thinking about how he was found out. He had crossed dangerous bridges many times and survived countless battles. This time was no different. "Pretending to be a homeless person to search the trash of the residential complex where the 'Royal Public Records Office' staff live" was a minor task compared to his past battles.

"Are you a reporter? From the Vins newspaper, maybe?"

"…So what if I am?"

The man panicked even more. He was perfectly identified.

What was a Vins newspaper reporter doing in such a place, dressed like that? Anyone in the know would recognize him. If he were to disappear, it wouldn't be surprising. Even he thought so. That's why he was terrified.

Seeing his fear, Winfield laughed and spoke.

"I have a good story for you."

The setup by the greatest strategist in the spirit world began.

The pieces are about to clash—

Thank you for reading.