Chapter 33

"――In other words, you left your child with your parents?"

"Y-Yeah. Because I thought you couldn't raise them. Isn't that terrible?"

"No, not at all. In fact, it might have been better for the child... your niece."

In a waiting room near the audience chamber, I had a fateful reunion with my sister from my previous life.

It was a reunion I wasn't at all happy about.

I felt like crying when I realized that the one who had caused so much chaos in this world was my own sister.

Still, I was glad to know what had happened to my parents.

"So? Where does your memory cut off?"

"Um, well... when my boyfriend hit me, I thought, 'This is definitely not good,' and then I found myself in this world."

She made a "Hehe!" kind of face, so I pointed a gun at her, and Marie started to cower.

"I've worked hard too, you know!"

"Shut up! Don't use 'mon' when you're an old lady inside! It gives me goosebumps!"

"You said it! My rotten brother isn't a young man inside either!"

Marie glared at me, but the problem wasn't there.

"Anyway, you need to cooperate with Libya."

"…But, if this goes on, I'm going to die, right?"

"Yeah, that's true. How about facing your life seriously for once?"

Marie started crying.

"I don't want to! Help me, big brother!"

"Rotten brother, brother, big brother... what do you think I am to you?"

Marie was crying. She was really crying.

"Besides, I don't want to. I don't want to fight such a monster. I absolutely won't go to war."

"…What? Are you kidding me? It's because you became the Holy Maiden that everything went crazy. Anyway, take responsibility and get on the airship. Other than that, just support Libya."

Leaving behind a confused Marie, who said, "Why her? She could have saved me too!" she ran out.

"Ah, you idiot!"

And at that moment, Bernard entered the room.

"Viscount, everything is ready. Please come to the audience chamber."

Minister Bernard, who was moving around due to a lack of personnel, looked very busy.

I couldn't afford to be a burden, so I headed to the audience chamber, still angry at Marie and wondering what to do.

◇

Ange and Libya saw Marie run out of the room.

Ange glared at Marie.

"Is that woman planning to run away even after coming this far?"

Judging it dangerous to let Ange chase after Marie with her sharp eyes, Libya tried to persuade her.

"Ange, please go to the audience chamber. I'll go and talk to Marie!"

"Libya... Alright."

Ange was also called to the audience chamber and had to go with Leon.

Libya thought to herself,

(…I shouldn't get in the way, right?)

And she ran out.

Running through the palace corridors and chasing after Marie, she found her on the rooftop.

Tears started to come out.

Wiping them away, she chased after Marie.

(I'm not good enough for Leon. I knew that. With Ange here, why am I...)

Marie had fled to the rooftop of the palace.

Reaching Marie, who had run to a rooftop garden, both of them were out of breath.

Marie glared at Libya.

"…I'll give it back."

"Huh?"

"I'll give everything back to you, so give it back to me. You need the prince and the others. Those five and Kyle, and the Holy Maiden's position are all yours!"

Leaving behind a confused Libya, Marie pleaded.

"So give it back. Give me back my brother... Leon. If I give everything back, it will all be over!"

As Libya approached Marie, she swung her right hand with all her might.

The strong slap knocked Marie down.

Marie laughed weakly and held her cheek.

"Ah, this is how my parents used to hit me. It really hurts. What? Are you angry? Don't worry, I'll give you everything back."

Libya shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"―Don't mock me!"

Crying, Libya sat down on the spot.

Marie was stunned.

"Leon isn't a thing... I just wanted to be with him at least while we were at the academy. I didn't need anything else."

There was a huge wall between the noble and the commoner. Compared to that, the wall between Leon and Ange seemed insignificant to Libya.

They suited each other.

She wanted them to be happy.

"Don't say you'll give him back. Leon isn't mine."

Marie looked down and laughed.

"…Then what? In the end, I've lost everything. I'm the worst. Even in my second life, I keep losing."

Marie, who had started crying, crouched down and sobbed.

"I knew everything. I thought it would work out... why can't I be happy?"

Seeing Marie cry, Libya didn't know what to say.

Then,

"Are you here?"

"Marie-sama!"

Kyle and Carla ran to Marie.

When Marie looked up, they both had worried expressions.

"Why are you here?"

Looking at Carla, who was crying, Marie was confused.

"I... If Marie-sama isn't here, I'll really be alone. I was so happy to be saved... Marie-sama is so kind."

Kyle, looking at Carla crying out of the corner of his eye, had a bewildered expression.

"I have my faults too. But, my master was really harsh. Well, this is fitting. I don't know about the other five, but Kyle and Carla should stay together."

Marie shed tears.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I'm really... sorry to both of you."

Kyle wiped his eyes with his sleeve, trying to hide his tears.

"Come on, let's go. Even if you're a fake, you're still the Holy Maiden. We need to keep up appearances."

Supported by Carla and Kyle, Marie stood up. They bowed to Libya before leading Marie back inside.

Libya was smiling and looking down.

"...Liar. You haven't lost everything. You have two people who support you... liar."

Muttering this, she suddenly realized and covered her mouth with both hands.

Tears came from the black feelings in her heart.

(I have nothing left...)

◇

At the entrance to the rooftop, Ange was watching Libya cry.

Ignoring the passing Marie and the others, he couldn't take his eyes off Libya crying.

"Libya, you... That's right, isn't it? We've always been together, haven't we?"

Ange, who had watched Libya follow Leon at the academy, felt a painful ache in his chest.

Being together with the three of them was fun, and he didn't want to face that.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't felt this way, I wouldn't have caused you pain. ...Please forgive me, Libya."

Ange covered his mouth and cried.

Wiping away his tears, he stood up and went to Libya.

"Libya"

Crying, Libya hid her face and acted playful.

"Ange? Ah, Marie-sama is back safely. B-But, please don't look at her face now. A lot has happened..."

Ange spoke honestly.

"I... I like Leon."

Libya closed her mouth and looked down, tears falling to the ground.

"So, you should step back too."

"Huh?"

Ange extended his hand to Libya. He pulled her up and held both her hands.

"That's fine for you. You should tell Leon your feelings."

"...I've already told him once. But, he dodged it right away."

"Then! ...Then, this time, don't let him run away. I'll tell him my feelings too, so you should too."

Ange hugged the crying Libya.

"Is it okay? Because, Ange is a noble... and Leon is a noble too."

"Idiot. There's no such thing as a difference in status in matters of the heart. You can't give up just because of that. If you do, you'll suffer. Then, there's no choice but to tell him."

He didn't mean to make her a wife or a concubine. He really wanted to know who she liked.

Ange spoke gently.

"I care about you too. So, stop crying."

Libya also put her hands around Ange's back,

"Okay."

And she whispered strongly.

◇

In the audience chamber.

Looking around, I couldn't find Libya or Ange anywhere.

Man, this is rough. I feel a bit lonely.

The five people participating had neat clothes but lacked determination in their expressions. It was easy to tell what they were worrying about.

They were troubled by love.

I, on the other hand, was seriously thinking about love. As the ultimate weapon, love can defeat even a super-large monster that Luxion can't defeat! Love is amazing! Now, where can I find some love?

You five should learn from me, who is so troubled.

The lined-up nobles and knights.

The king raised the corner of his mouth in a meaningful way and acted in good spirits.

"There are so few people left."

Nobles and knights who had fled, even soldiers who didn't gather.

The situation was desperate.

If I were a regular soldier, I would have run away immediately. No, if I were a regular person, I might not have even become a soldier.

"But... those who remain here are the true heroes! The duchy has shamelessly brought monsters to invade the kingdom. Gentlemen... now is the time to risk our lives!"

The remaining people either had their hearts set or had given up...

"To stand against the duchy, we need to unite and fight! Count Baltorf, step forward!"

Walking on the red carpet in the audience chamber, I knelt before the king and bowed my head.

"In this crisis, I appoint you as the supreme commander. Some may underestimate you for your youth. Some may not trust you for your lack of experience. But, you are the only one with the power to turn this situation around. Count Baltorf, can you win this battle?"

It was a theatrical exchange.

But, I don't hate it.

I've always wanted to try it once.

I replied with a line I had heard somewhere.

"If that is what you wish, Your Majesty."

The surroundings buzzed.

Voices I could hear were, "He's just a kid," "He talks big," "Hmm, 70 points," "That line sounds familiar," ...Shut up!

Look! The king is a bit angry, isn't he? What? Why is he angry?

"...I see."

On the other hand, Lady Mileine's cheeks were a bit red. Is she happy? What? Why!?

The king declared.

"I appoint Count Baltorf as the supreme commander, and we will challenge the duchy in this battle!"

After that exchange, a noble in luxurious attire—Duke—raised an objection.

"Wait, Your Majesty! We cannot trust such a parvenu. This man is charged with treason! How can we fight under such a person?"

This Duke was the leader of the faction opposing the Redgrave family.

Other nobles who agreed with him also voiced their objections.

"That's right. We should negotiate with the duchy."

"Leave it to me. I will ensure the success of the negotiations with the duchy!"

"It's a mistake to rely on such a person!"

Standing up and looking at the king and Lady Mileine, the king closed his eyes, but Lady Mileine opened her expressionless face.

"...Stop making a spectacle of yourselves. The viscount is no longer a criminal. You fabricated the charges, didn't you? Besides, the king's decision to appoint him as the supreme commander is final. Are you defying it?"

The king has the right to make various decisions. However, using it every time would invite opposition from those around him, so he had to be careful.

Well, if they wanted to make me the supreme commander, this was the only way.

The Duke's face turned red as he protested.

"What! Such words are not to be tolerated, even from a queen! In such a situation, we cannot unite and fight!"

Lady Mileine also closed her eyes.

I slowly stood up and turned around. In the audience chamber lined with nobles and civil and military officials, I took out a pistol from my pocket and fired it at the ceiling.

The sound of gunfire echoed in the audience chamber.

Following the signal, the guards and the duke's knights entered.

Seeing Vince nod slightly,

"Shut your dirty mouths, trash."

"What! What are you doing, guards? Take this man immediately—what?"

The guards were capturing the nobles who had resisted earlier.

"You are the ones who will be charged with treason. I don't fabricate charges like you. I have prepared solid evidence."

As Luxion appeared in the sky, a holographic image was projected in the center of the audience chamber. It showed the Duke and other nobles.

"Unfortunately, I was willing to forgive you if you united and fought here."

"What! Your Majesty! Stop this man. He brought a gun into the audience chamber! He is dangerous! Your Majesty must know. This man cannot be left unchecked!"

The holographic image moved, and a voice echoed in the room.

"Lord Duke, Count Baltorf has been released. It's by Lady Mileine's order. Rumor has it that she intends to appoint him as the supreme commander."

The Duke in the holographic image spoke.

"Pitiful. Even if he is somewhat capable, he is still a woman. The king is being dominated by her. Still, I didn't expect the duchy to break the secret agreement."

"What should we do?"

"Use the prince as a bargaining chip. They seem desperate to get him back. Keep it a secret from the king. Also, don't let Count Baltorf do as he pleases. The duchy's trump card was unexpected, but he is equally or even more dangerous. If necessary, make the king take responsibility and make peace with the duchy."

...Make the king take responsibility. That probably means forcing him to abdicate and hand him over to the duchy. It's a serious act of disrespect.

The Duke's face turned pale as he looked at me.

"Lies! This is all a hallucination! This man is showing us illusions!"

I grinned and pointed the gun at the Duke.

"There's more. Actually, Heltrude told us everything about your relationship. You've been betrayed by her."

Heltrude probably enjoyed seeing the kingdom in turmoil under such circumstances.

The holographic Duke spoke with a dissatisfied tone,

"They don't understand! Do they not know who is dangerous? The Holy Maiden is a nuisance, but she can be dealt with. But, he is different! How many fleets can he replace with just one person? Do you understand the meaning of one ship defeating dozens of fleets?"

"But, now the duchy—"

"Use Count Baltorf to wear each other down! Take his family as hostages. Use any means necessary! Understand? Don't think of him as a watchdog for the duchy. His airship doesn't even need a crew. Besides, he managed to prepare a factory and an airship in just a few months. Do you understand? He is the danger!"

"But, he is not such a person—"

The holographic Duke was furious.

"Can you guarantee he won't change his mind? What is the duke doing? If he is allowed to do as he pleases, the kingdom will be doomed. Even if we defeat the duchy, it will be meaningless. He—He must be eliminated at all costs!"

...To them, I was as much of a threat as Marie. No, the Duke felt even more threatened by me.

If I and Marie were so distracting, it would be unbearable to let the duchy run rampant.

If this were a game—real scenario, perhaps the protagonist could rise to prominence thanks to their behind-the-scenes machinations?

Well, there's no point in thinking about it.

"Thanks to your betrayal, the kingdom is in a crisis."

The Duke shouted at me.

"...So what? Everything I did was for the country. Who do you think has been supporting this country? Me. Us, the nobles! What can you, a mere boy, understand! To maintain the country, you were the necessary sacrifice!"

His face was very red, as if he was extremely angry.

"You seem to be misunderstanding. I acknowledge you. You have supported the kingdom well. Yes, you have done a great job! I respect you! You are the best! ...But, if you fail, it means nothing."

"Fail!?"

"The current situation is the result of what you have done. Do you understand? You have put the kingdom in danger. You are capable enough to take responsibility. Isn't that a good thing? The responsible person is there to take responsibility. Do you understand?"

"I am a Duke!"

"Yes, that's impressive. A prestigious title. That's why you are suitable to take responsibility. Don't worry. I will clean up your mess. It's a good thing to have a successor like me. I will clean up your mess."

I laughed provocatively.

Your sin is that you tried to kill me. ...If