Chapter 83

"Hey, are you Paloma?"

"! ...Who are you?"

Silently appearing in the director's office of the Royal Library was a tall, beautiful elf named Winfield, with her silver hair cut in a two-block style.

Why did she visit Paloma at this time? It was the result of searching for someone who could activate the king's information network after Bawel's death.

"At least, an ally of the kingdom?"

"Hmm. Then, what does this ally want from a humble librarian like me?"

"I have a favor to ask, to use the king's information network."

"You! Where did you hear that from?"

"From Second."

"......I see."

Upon hearing Second's name, Paloma stiffened for a moment, then nodded in understanding. She knew well that the king had taken an interest in Second, and that Second was not the kind of man to kill the king.

"Go on."

Winfield, proud that Paloma had listened to the name of the person she admired, smiled faintly and then opened her serious face.

"Kamel's divine country is secretly importing a tobacco-like substance called Karamelia. This is actually a very dangerous drug, and I want to stop its spread as soon as possible."

"......If it's true, it's dangerous."

"Yes. There's no time to waste. And if we regulate it, they will retaliate immediately."

"I understand. My job is to spread the correct information about this drug and work to prevent it, right?"

"No, I want to ask you for something more direct."

"Something direct?"

Nodding, she took a step forward with a solemn expression.

"Find out where the dealers are, and if possible, eliminate them."

"Hahaha!"

Then, Paloma burst out laughing loudly.

Why did she laugh? It was because Winfield's prediction had hit the mark perfectly.

"I don't know where you found out, but well done."

"I didn't find out. I just predicted."

"Even better. I accept. Leave it to me. It's been a long time since I did 'work,' but my skills haven't diminished."

"Good."

Paloma was once the "King's Personal Shadow." A mere librarian could not manage the information network spread throughout the kingdom.

"Then, don't mess up this time."

Winfield delivered one last word and left the director's office.

"......"

Paloma, whose sore spot had been touched, saluted strongly to the portrait of King Bawel hanging in the room and headed to work with a determined expression.

"Cowards."

Was this word directed at the prime minister, the First Knights, or the current king's personal shadow? Or perhaps at herself.

What she had lost through deception was too great for her. Yet, there was no one to punish her, nor anyone to use her.

The request to save the country given to her now felt like atonement for the sins against the late king, or like avenging the late king. Paloma was determined to hunt down the Karamelia dealers with all her might.

If Winfield had come to Paloma with this information, it was no longer a simple "guess." The best strategist in the elven world was about to demonstrate her true abilities.

"Your Highness, the Second Knights are about to split into two."

"How many are likely to defect?"

"About 30%. If the tide of battle turns, 40% will. Those fools intend to ride the winning horse."

"I see..."

The Second Knights' commander, Memphis, reported to Main. The Minister Hailai was also present.

Currently, the kingdom is divided into the First Prince's faction and the Second Prince's faction, with the First Prince's faction in the lead. This was because, in addition to the First and Third Knights, about 30% of the Second Knights had defected to the First Prince's side, leaving the Second Prince's faction with only the remaining 70% of the Second Knights and the Court Mages.

"The time left is short. We should leave the capital for now."

Minister Hailai's advice made Main bite her lip.

Once the capital was abandoned, it would be extremely difficult to reclaim. On the other hand, if they stayed, they would be surrounded and cornered.

"There's no time to hesitate!"

Minister Hailai urged Main, who was hesitating. He was also quite anxious. It was too late to turn everything around just before victory. It was impossible not to be anxious.

"...Yes, I understand. Leave the capital—!"

Just as Main broke her silence.

A thunderous sound shook the ground.

"What's happening!?"

Memphis rushed to the window and looked in the direction of the sound. He was speechless. The wall near the Court Mages' training ground had been completely blown away.

"What is this!?"

Memphis and Hailai were confused. In other places, the prime minister, Jarm, and Claus were probably also in great confusion.

However, Main knew the source of the sound without looking outside the window.

It was a lightning strike. In this tense situation, with a clear sky, the only person who could drop a thunderbolt of such ridiculous power... Main could think of only one person.

"Let's go. Second is calling us."

A few minutes before Main stood up, the Court Mages were gathered at the training ground.

Zephyr, the First Court Mage, who takes command of all the Court Mages in the absence of the king, was addressing all the Court Mages, not just the First Court Mages. However, there was no guarantee that the Court Mages would follow his orders.

"We, the Court Mages, will serve Prince Main. This is the king's command."

At Zephyr's declaration, the Court Mages were suddenly in an uproar.

Currently, the First Prince's faction is in the lead. Joining the Second Prince's faction would be considered "suicide" by many.

If King Bawel were still alive, no one would have disobeyed. However, given the current situation, this reaction was understandable. They no longer had the sense of being the kingdom's soldiers. They were a group of cowards who had not experienced the war over 20 years ago.

"Can we do this!"

One voice rose. Then, two, three, ten, twenty... the number kept increasing.

"You, are you defying the king's command!"

Zephyr's angry voice was met with a counterargument.

"The king is gone, and now it's our lives that matter!"

"You, you—!!"

The enraged Zephyr and the rebellious Court Mages. The Court Mages were also split into the First Prince's faction and the Second Prince's faction.

If the Court Mages' forces also moved to the First Prince's side, the Second Prince's faction would have no chance of winning. Zephyr knew this but could not come up with a good strategy to keep them.

"Please, think carefully!"

Then, a woman's voice rose. It was Cherry, the ace of the First Court Mages.

"He could not have killed the king! It's obvious now! This is clearly a plot by the other side! Do you really intend to surrender without a fight to those who killed the king! Have some shame!"

The overwhelming pressure from the small-framed woman made the Court Mages, who had been restless, flinch.

"As long as he is here, we will surely win! Do not yield to fear and do not bend your beliefs! We must never forgive them! You know this well, don't you!?"

Cherry was right. The Court Mages who were about to leave were not agents of the empire or anything. They were simply afraid of death. Of course, they knew that Second did not kill Bawel and that this was a setup by the First Prince's faction. But they were still afraid of death, which is why they were about to join the First Prince's faction.

"Cherry, you..."

The First Court Mages were moved by Cherry's cry. She believed in the man she once despised so much and was prepared to entrust her life to him.

If we don't stand by her, what kind of comrades are we—They, the men and women, stepped forward, lined up next to Cherry and Zephyr, and bowed their heads in unison.

"Please believe us!"

"Fight with us!"

"Please!"

The Court Mages' feet stopped. They had heard the rumors. Since Second came as a teacher, the First Court Mages had grown exponentially.

They might really win. Many thought so.

But they still lacked the resolve to stake their lives on it.

What was missing was the decisive factor.

"Then where is that teacher now!"

"Hasn't he run away?"

"How can we believe him!"

They were desperate. Their lives were on the line, of course.

"That's..."

Cherry was at a loss for words. She herself did not know what Second was doing or where he was.

"See! You can't answer!"

"Of course, we can't believe it! You've been deceived by a fraud teacher!"

Taking advantage of the silence, the Court Mages regained their momentum.

Her words did not reach them—Cherry, with tears of frustration in the corners of her eyes, screamed.

"He's coming! He will definitely come! He didn't run away! He's not a fraud! He will definitely, definitely come back!!"

"......Cherry..."

Her reckless determination united the hearts of the First Court Mages.

...But they knew. If Second did not appear here and now, her speech would be in vain. It was a hope that was almost despair. Accused of killing the king and surrounded by enemies, there was no way he would come here.

There was nothing left but to give up. Even though she knew this, Cherry continued to cry out, as if praying to the gods.

He will definitely come. He will definitely come. He will definitely come. And.

"——!?"

The rear wall of the training ground was destroyed with a thunderous sound.

In the dust, the remnants of a lightning bolt, visible to the naked eye, raged. Just touching the aftereffects would turn a human into a charred corpse in an instant, such was its ridiculous power.

Lightning magic—The illusionary magic they had only heard about was performed right before their eyes. This alone stopped the Court Mages in their tracks.

No one understood what had happened. But they could guess. It was probably the "maximum level" magic, the "Lightning Attribute Type 5."

Then, a huge gust of wind blew away all the dust, and a man appeared from within.

"We're taking back the kingdom. Follow me."

Thank you for reading.