Chapter 84

Nagame.

"Second-sama!"

As I broke through the wall and declared to the court magicians, Mine ran up to me.

"You finally made it. We need to get out of here before they realize I'm here."

If it becomes known that I, the suspect in the king's murder, have arrived, there's a good chance the chancellor will launch an arrest. That would immediately escalate into a full-scale war. Given the current disparity in military strength, I want to avoid that. Besides, it would throw off Winfield's plan. We need to stick to the original plan and make a quick getaway.

"Yes! I'll follow you!"

Mine replied with a cheerful expression. Behind her, Minister Hailai looked displeased. Oh, damn. I shouldn't have used the word "get out" in front of Minister Hailai.

"We need to leave before they realize I'm here."

"Why did you rephrase it?"

"Idiot, don't worry about the details."

"You! How dare you speak to the prince like that!"

Suddenly, an old man standing next to Minister Hailai started yelling. He was wearing a sharp military uniform and had a small mustache.

"Who are you?"

"You insolent—!"

"I'm the commander of the Second Knights, Memphis. There's no point in arguing with this person, Second-sama. Just let it go for now."

"Hmph. If the prince says so."

His name is Memphis, the commander of the Second Knights. So, he's on our side. And it seems Mine has really started to speak her mind.

"Alright. Memphis, lead the Second Knights and protect the prince. Are you ready?"

"I will follow the prince without your command. There's no need to worry about preparations."

He seems to have a bad first impression and is a bit aggressive. Oh well, we don't have time for that now.

"Zephyr, bring all the court magicians."

"Wait. I understand, but where are we going?"

"To my house."

"…Huh?"

Cheri's voice of exasperation, which I hadn't heard in a while, made me feel a bit happy. I rubbed her slightly red head, and she blushed, saying, "Stop it." But she didn't push my hand away, which might be a sign that she's warming up to me.

Her cry was heard a little by those on the other side of the wall. That's why I can't stop rubbing her head.

Now that I and Mine have appeared, the court magicians seem to have made up their minds. I'm glad that Cheri's speech wasn't in vain.

"This will lead to a war, no doubt."

While the court magicians were forming ranks, Minister Hailai said this. He's right. The chancellor will soon join forces with the empire to eliminate the Second Prince's faction.

"I understand. What we need to consider now is how to win."

"…I apologize. I was a bit flustered."

"Where is that woman?"

"You really are… She's over there."

As the minister tried to introduce the mysterious woman standing next to Mine, she approached us first.

"I am the late Bawel Castor's second queen, Front Castor. You must be Second-sama. I've heard a lot about you. Mine is always in your care."

"Oh, thank you. I'm Second Firstest."

"Firstest?"

"It means 'the best.' I named my team that, thinking it would be perfect for me, who will be the best in the world. But somehow it became my family name."

"Hehehe."

She seems to be Mine's mother. She covered her mouth and smiled elegantly. Her eyes look just like Mine's, and she seems to be an older version of Mine. It's strange, considering they are of different genders.

"Hey, Second-sama! We don't have time for this!"

"Ah, right. Let's go."

With my casual command, the entire Second Prince's faction set off for our base, the Firstest residence.

* * *

"They seemed to have left without any need for force, Chancellor."

"Yes. It seems we didn't need to resort to violence."

Jalm, the commander of the Third Knights, sighed in relief as he watched the Second Prince's group leave. He thought this was a "de facto victory."

The chancellor, however, felt a bit relieved. He wanted to avoid a conflict while his forces were not yet fully prepared. He wanted to crush them when he was sure he could do so. This was the thinking of a man who had spent his life infiltrating the kingdom's inner circle.

"Once this is over, the next king will be Prince Claus. The only question is when he will ascend the throne."

"The sooner the better. We need to strengthen our power and eliminate them completely before my vision of a stable government can be realized."

"What do you mean by 'strengthen our power'?"

"We will seek the empire's support. I have already requested reinforcements."

"What! You mean to bring in imperial troops? But that would mean—"

"No, Jalm. The kingdom will enter a new era. We will walk together with the empire."

"…Even if it means becoming a vassal state?"

"Formally, yes. As long as we can enjoy the sweet nectar, that's all that matters, isn't it?"

"Haha! You're right! You are truly the chancellor!"

* * *

"Aah, Claus. Finally, you will be king!"

"…Yes, Mother."

"I'm so proud! Look, that bastard's son is running away with his tail between his legs!"

"……"

Claus felt a tightening in his chest as he looked at the scene outside the window.

Second, who had killed his father, and Front, who was smiling beside him, made his heart race uncontrollably.

Moreover, the more he thought about it, the more his doubts about the chancellor grew. His sense of justice was severely shaken.

"Mother… Is that man really the one who—"

"What are you saying, Claus! I told you to focus on becoming king!"

"I know, but—"

This woman didn't care about Bawel's death—Claus knew that from the start.

And the chancellor, the commander of the Third Knights, felt the same way.

"I need to clear my head."

As usual, he said this and fled from his mother. There was no one in the palace who could give him advice.

* * *

"Second-sama. It's a bit strange for me to say this, but why didn't this become a problem before?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your house is just too big. Bigger than the palace. What's that about?"

"Isn't it amazing?"

"…Yeah, I guess."

The First Court Magicians and the Second Knights, totaling over three thousand, easily fit into the Firstest residence. There were a few buildings short, but it was manageable.

Not only Mine, but Minister Hailai, Memphis, Zephyr, and even Front were all stunned.

"Since there are not enough houses and servants, you'll have to manage on your own."

"The Second Knights can camp out, so it should be fine. By the way, how many servants do you have?"

"I was surprised when I heard it last time, but there are about three hundred."

"Why do you sound so happy about that?"

"Because they're my pride. They're all quite strong."

"Wait, that's scary. Does that mean Second-sama gives them daily training like the First Court Magicians?"

"Not yet, but eventually."

"Please, don't go overboard. Really."

With three hundred elite warriors, the kingdom can't ignore them. When I teased him about his growing sense of responsibility as a king, he quickly changed the subject to a meeting.

"Ah, Second-sama. Welcome back. How are the preparations?"

"Hey, Winfield. As you can see."

As soon as I entered the lakeside house with the main members, Winfield appeared. Sylvia, Echo, and Yuki were also in the living room. It seems the butler, Cubero, is busy dealing with over three thousand guests.

"Since we just arrived, let's start the meeting."

As we gathered around the round table, Minister Hailai spoke first. Cheri was still looking around the luxurious house, seemingly fascinated.

"Hmm. What do you mean by a meeting?"

However, everyone except me must have thought, "We're the ones who should be asking that."

"Tomorrow afternoon, we will annihilate them. That's all."

"……What!?"

Everyone was shocked.

Of course, they just fled in panic. Who would think of launching an attack so soon?

But—because "they think we won't" is exactly why now is the only chance.

"Wait. I don't think it will go well."

Mine made a valid point. Minister Hailai, Memphis, and Zephyr all agreed.

"Winfield, do you have a plan?"

Front, the second queen, remained calm and encouraged Winfield to share her strategy to move the discussion forward.

"Of course. With our current strength, we can't annihilate them. So, we need to strengthen our forces."

"! I see. We need to increase our strength. But where from…?"

Zephyr's realization. Then, Cheri suddenly raised her hand and looked at me.

"What is it?"

"Well, it might not be related, but…"

She looked around the living room again before speaking.

"Sherry should be here, right?"

Sharp, Cheri. That's right.

Sherry Lambajack. The noble lady has been absent since the day the king was assassinated. It's obvious who gave the order.

"Right. How Second-sama bought this house and made money. It was because the Lambajack family sold a large amount of mithril alloy through their connections."

"Mithril alloy… So, from the Proline dungeon…"

"Exactly. The count might have anticipated this and produced mithril alloy weapons and armor in his territory."

"Could the Lambajack family's troops…"

"Right. First, we need to strengthen our own troops."

This means that at least two thousand troops equipped with mithril alloy will join us. Not just any reinforcements, but mithril alloy-equipped reinforcements, which are incomparably more powerful.

"It's a speed battle. We need to annihilate them by tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, their reinforcements will arrive, and we'll be outnumbered."

The nobles haven't decided which side to support, and the First Prince's faction hasn't raised their flag yet. If we can cut off the root before the First Prince's faction sends reinforcements, we will win.

"An impressive plan… But the empire is a concern. As Second-sama said, the chancellor has likely already requested reinforcements."

Mine's point. But Winfield smiled confidently and replied.

"They won't come."

Why? She continued to explain.

"Because we will use the Camael Theocracy."

Everyone's heads were probably filled with question marks. I also didn't understand her strategy when I first heard it, knowing about Camael. For those who don't know about the spread of Camaelia, it must be even more confusing.

"Behind the empire's activities, the theocracy has been planning something. Camaelia, a drug, is spreading within the kingdom. The theocracy is ready to act. They are likely gathering troops near the border now."

"What!?"

The minister shouted.

Of course. The kingdom is already in a critical state, and now it has to deal with both the empire and the theocracy. It's no longer a matter of just a crisis.

"The theocracy plans to start a war by taking advantage of our weakness and then force the import of Camaelia through a peace treaty. This will leave the kingdom in ruins, both economically and socially."

"……"

Silence fell. They now fully understood how dire the situation was.

"The empire, which wants to take over the kingdom, would also want to avoid this. Knowing the theocracy's plans, the empire will hesitate to send reinforcements."

"Why?"

"Protecting the kingdom from the theocracy while it's in a weakened state is high risk and low reward. It's better to wait and then offer an agreement to the kingdom, which will be exhausted from the war with the theocracy."

"The empire will lose the incentive to invade."

"Exactly. Moreover, the kingdom's secrets were already known through the chancellor. The empire has already gained enough benefits. There's no reason to send reinforcements now. The chancellor is no longer useful."

Poor guy, but no one here sympathized with the chancellor.

Now, the immediate problem is the theocracy, not the empire. There's no time to relax just because the empire won't send reinforcements.

"First