Chapter 76
──More than ten days later, in the Imperial capital──
"Here is the report from Isaac Muira, commander of the Northern Expeditionary Force."
At the Imperial Court, a council of high officials had begun.
The agenda concerned the new species of demon beast that had appeared along the Imperial border and how to respond to the Demon Lord's Territory.
The high officials of the Dolgaria Empire—as well as the Emperor and Crown Prince—were in attendance.
"This would normally have been sent to the military authorities, but for some reason, it arrived at the Chancellor's Office under Princess Sofia's name."
The presiding civil official began reading the documents aloud.
"We have also received a report from the subordinates of Mariela, Isaac Muira's adjutant. At the Chancellor's Office's direction, we obtained a copy of the report that had reached the military. Which would you like me to read aloud?"
After finishing, the civil official looked around at the assembled high officials.
The chancellor, generals, and ministers all looked toward the throne.
"...Read the commander's report."
From a chair set higher than the others, the Emperor spoke.
He was a middle-aged man.
His build was muscular, but his hair and beard were white like those of an old man.
Waving his dry arm, the Emperor continued.
"The chancellor and Crown Prince have reviewed the other report. Read the commander's report here."
"Yes. However, this report was written by a military officer, so the prose is somewhat stiff..."
"That is fine."
"Understood. Then, if I may, I shall read it aloud."
The presiding civil official began reading Isaac Muira's report.
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I hereby report that a new species of demon beast has appeared in the territory of the great Empire.
The new species was a giant centipede.
It measured more than ten meters by the standards of the hero's world.
The demon beast was ferocious, and it seemed certain that leaving it unattended would result in damage to a town.
To protect the people, my unit decided to exterminate the demon beast.
The battle proceeded in our favor, but the demon beast possessed the ability to burrow underground and evade our eyes.
By the time we noticed, the demon beast had appeared before Her Highness Princess Sofia, the Emperor's daughter.
It had even attempted to harm Her Highness.
Just when we thought all was lost, we heard the voice of 'Omawarisan.'
At that voice, the demon beast stopped moving.
I remembered the words left behind by the hero.
'I'm calling the Omawarisan!' 'I'll tell the Omawarisan on you!'
Apparently, they were the hero's words of power for calling a guardian spirit from another world.
The words of power from the hero's world struck the demon beast and stopped it in its tracks.
In that opening, Princess Sofia unleashed light attack magic and annihilated the demon beast.
The demon beast's materials have already been sent to the Imperial capital along with this report.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the giant centipede had emerged from the lair of the 'dormant demon beast.'
It is believed that after some Imperial soldiers approached the lair of the 'dormant demon beast,' the centipede thought its territory had been invaded and came into human settlements.
Those who provoked the demon beast are currently being sought.
Their names are listed below. I request a fair investigation.
This concludes the report on the appearance and defeat of the 'giant centipede.'
'Isaac Omawarisan Muira, hereby records this.'
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"...Oh."
The chancellor, generals, and ministers exchanged looks.
The matter of the new species of demon beast had already been brought up for discussion many times.
"Following the 'Demon Beast Gargarossa,' another new species has appeared..."
"We obtained materials this time. Begin investigating at once!"
"In any case, let us be grateful that it was defeated."
The high officials breathed sighs of relief.
Furthermore, they continued voicing their opinions.
"I had heard Princess Sofia was sickly, yet she defeated a new species of demon beast."
"Should we not recall Her Highness to the Imperial capital and give her a new post?"
"No, someone with power like that should not be moved from the border with the Demon Lord's Territory."
"The Demon Lord's Territory must be terrified of her 'Light magic.' Moving Her Highness would be problematic──"
──Tap.
"────"
Upon hearing the unexpected sound, the high officials all fell silent.
It was the sound of the Emperor tapping the armrest of his throne.
Everyone present knew that it was the signal the Emperor gave when he wished to speak.
"Just because someone without the right to inherit the throne has defeated a demon beast, what does it matter? If she is my daughter, she ought to be able to display that level of power. She should simply remain at her post and do her job."
The Emperor declared.
The young man standing beside him nodded.
He was the only prince permitted to attend the council of high officials—the Crown Prince Dias.
"High officials, listen to the words of Dias, my representative."
"──Yes, Your Majesty!"
At the Emperor's command, the high officials all bowed their heads.
"Then Crown Prince Dias has a message for Minister of War Zagran."
Beside the throne, Crown Prince Dias raised his voice.
In response, the white-haired Minister of War Zagran stepped forward.
"...At the summons of His Majesty the great Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince, Zagran is present."
"I am relieving you of your positions as Minister of War and as Riana Dolgaria's tutor. Regrettably, I can no longer entrust you with such heavy responsibilities."
Crown Prince Dias spoke.
"A letter has arrived from one of your direct subordinates. It says, 'Because of a mistake by someone named Mariela, a new species of demon beast was lured into human settlements.' Mariela is your subordinate, is she not? And it was on your orders that she was sent to the demon beast's lair. That is correct, is it not?"
"...Y-yes, Your Highness."
"Very well.
You have three demerits. First, you issued vague orders based on outdated information, without knowing the local situation. Second, you sent a subordinate unsuited to the mission there. Third, you failed to coordinate with Isaac Muira, the commander selected by the council of high officials.
As a result, the giant centipede-type demon beast reached human settlements and attacked Imperial soldiers. We even had to borrow the strength of the Demon Lord's Territory to subjugate it. This can only be called an unprecedented demerit.
For these reasons, I have judged Zagran to lack leadership ability and am relieving him of his positions as Minister of War and tutor to Princess Riana."
Looking around at the high officials, Crown Prince Dias continued.
"From now on, Riana will travel throughout Imperial Territory as the Sword Princess, slaying demon beasts. Zagran, you will discuss matters with Riana and prepare a patrol plan. Once that is done, your role will be over."
Dias paused for a breath as he watched Zagran's reaction, then said,
"You have served well until now. Live quietly after your retirement. However, I will use part of your property to compensate the wounded soldiers. And... under these circumstances, it would be difficult for you to remain in the Imperial capital. I will have a manor prepared somewhere far away──"
"Wait, Your Highness...!"
Zagran said in a voice that seemed wrenched from him.
Crown Prince Dias looked puzzled.
"Are you dissatisfied, Zagran?"
"...I have no intention of disobeying His Majesty the Emperor. However, I have a question."
"I see. Let me hear it."
"It concerns the new species of demon beast. I admit that my subordinate Mariela acted independently and failed. However, even I, Zagran, did not know about a new species like that giant centipede. It was entirely unforeseeable."
"Investigating the new species is the responsibility of the next Minister of War. You need not concern yourself with it."
"Then what of Princess Sofia and Isaac Muira?!"
Minister of War Zagran shouted.
"According to my investigation, Her Highness and Isaac Muira held talks with people from the Demon Lord's Territory. They made contact with those detestable demi-humans and demons! Should they not be punished?!"
"I see. Then let us hear His Majesty's opinion."
The Crown Prince looked at the Emperor seated on the throne.
The old Emperor waved his hand wearily.
"...The purpose of the military exercises in the border region was to show off the Empire's strength. That has been achieved, since my daughter Sofia defeated the demon beast. Furthermore, one could say the damage from the demon beast was limited because Sofia made good use of people from the Demon Lord's Territory. Am I wrong?"
"...That is..."
"Furthermore, I ask you this: Will punishing my daughter Sofia and the commander make the border more peaceful?"
"...B-but!"
"I do not even want to think about the Demon Lord's Territory. That territory is incomprehensible. All I ever receive are reports filled with things I cannot understand."
The Emperor leaned back against his throne and let out a long breath.
"Mysterious chains restraining demon beasts, or an Omawarisan stopping an enemy's movements... Everything about it is incomprehensible."
"──Your Majesty."
"Leave that region to the next Minister of War. Selecting that person is Dias's duty as Crown Prince. That will suffice."
"His Majesty has made his wishes clear, Zagran."
Taking up the Emperor's words, Crown Prince Dias declared firmly,
"Would continuing to trouble His Majesty with this be contrary to a subject's duty?"
"...Guh."
Minister of War Zagran bit his lip.
'Do not trouble His Majesty the Emperor'—that was a devastating phrase to use against any subject.
Anyone who heard it had to be discussing an incident or problem serious enough to justify troubling His Majesty.
And the problem at the northern border had already been settled.
(Princess Sofia had demonstrated the Empire's strength to the Demon Lord's Territory. By holding talks, she had restrained the hostility of demons and demi-humans toward the Empire. As a deterrent, that was already sufficient──was that it?)
Zagran had no words with which to refute him.
He should have taken measures to prevent this.
Mariela, who knew the circumstances, had been sent to the southern front.
Of course, he had no intention of making her fight. He intended to send her to the rear and have her recover alongside the wounded and sick soldiers.
She had sworn loyalty to Zagran. She would not say anything unnecessary.
(...And yet... I had reached this position by proceeding with the utmost caution, taking care to avoid failure...)
He believed he had spent a long time devising a way to succeed.
Thus, he had educated Princess Riana—and Mariela—to share his way of thinking.
Mariela was something like a prototype for Riana.
More than ten years ago, when it was decided that Zagran would become Riana's tutor, he began tutoring Mariela as a preliminary step.
To ensure that he did not fail in educating Princess Riana, he decided to experiment on Mariela.
Thus, while considering how to make Riana think the same way he did, Zagran had raised Mariela using the methods he believed were optimal.
That was how Mariela became like Zagran.
She had become capable of anticipating Zagran's thoughts and acting on them.
He had never imagined that she would fail.
What was more, the other soldiers had given up on Zagran.
That was why they had written a report condemning Zagran and Mariela.
They had been attacked by the giant centipede and wounded because of insufficient information. It was an inexcusable failure from Zagran's perspective, but──
"At least... give me a chance to clear my name!"
Zagran cried out before he realized it.
"Order an investigation into the new species of demon beast! I, Zagran, will stake my life on uncovering the identity of this new species threatening Imperial Territory and present my findings to you!"
"That is the next Minister of War's responsibility. The council of high officials and I will select your successor."
Crown Prince Dias cut him off.
"You should think about what you will do with the rest of your life before you speak. This is advice from Prince Dias, who acknowledges your many years of service."
"...Ah."
Zagran bowed his head dejectedly.
Even so, he was not yet permitted to leave.
He had no choice but to remain seated and listen to the discussion about his successor.
(...Where did I go wrong?)
He did not know.
He had begun failing after becoming involved with the Demon Lord's Territory.
Whenever he got involved with that place, unexpected things happened.
Zagran had been tripped up by that.
Riana was the same.
Ever since he sent her older sister Sofia near the Demon Lord's Territory, Riana had changed.
Even when Zagran spoke to her, she seemed distracted—and she stopped applying herself to sword training.
Instead, she began rereading letters from her older sister Sofia.
It was unexpected for Zagran.
He had raised Riana according to the same educational policy as Mariela.
There was only one difference: Riana had an older sister named Sofia.
An older sister who was sickly and collapsed after casting a single spell, a useless older sister.
Sofia Dolgaria, a member of the Imperial family whom the Empire considered 'expendable.'
He had never imagined that Sofia would become an important emotional support for Riana.
Why did a strong younger sister need the presence of a weak older sister?
Why had Riana changed merely because an unnecessary older sister had gone far away?
──Zagran could not understand it at all.
(Where did I go wrong?! Was it when I moved Princess Sofia?! Was it when I ordered Mariela to investigate the 'dormant demon beast'?! Where?! Where did I go wrong?!)
(The cause... of the failure?)
(Did the Demon Lord's Territory change? Did that 'wandering alchemist'—no, did Thor Rigas change the Demon Lord's Territory? To the point that it could annihilate the 'Demon Beast Gargarossa' in an instant?)
(Impossible. Could a single alchemist possess enough power to change the Demon Lord's Territory?!)
(Then... why am I the one being driven into a corner...?!)
His thoughts spun round and round.
Minister of War Zagran clutched his head and simply sat there.
Before he knew it, the council meeting had ended.
But Zagran's work was not over.
He had to hand things over to the next Minister of War.
After that, he had to discuss matters with Princess Riana and create a patrol plan for Imperial Territory.
(──It was such a simple matter, so why did it weigh on me this heavily?)
Minister of War Zagran headed for his office on unsteady legs.
──In a certain place within the Imperial Court──
"Dias, you must not forget. The Empire has no hero."
Still seated, the Emperor spoke.
"There is no hero. The Empire has no trump card capable of overwhelming other nations or the Demon Lord's Territory."
"I understand, Father."
"The Empire lost its trump card of hero summoning, and so it has raised someone to succeed the hero: someone stronger, braver, and more capable of overwhelming others. The Empire must be the strongest."
"I know, Father."
"It was fortunate that Riana was recognized by the holy sword. But even so, she is not as great a trump card as a hero. And now a new species of demon beast has appeared..."
"The next Minister of War will investigate that matter."
Standing close beside the old Emperor, Crown Prince Dias murmured,
"We will assign first-rate mage soldiers to the investigation team. Even so, it may be difficult to determine the cause of the new species of demon beast's emergence..."
"We need power. The Empire must be strong."
"A change in perspective may be necessary, Father."
"...A change in perspective?"
"The hero from another world once said, 'A Skill you thought was weak can sometimes be strong instead.' Following that teaching, perhaps we should turn the threat posed by the new species of demon beast into a source of strength as well."
Crown Prince Dias gave a sly smile, twisting his lips where his father could not see.
"If we can make the new species of demon beast our familiar, it could become the 'trump card' you desire, Father."
"...Dias."
"In any case, the Empire is the strongest. As the hero's successor, it must remain the strongest. The Emperor who comes after you will carry on that policy as well. Forever. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
In the dim room, Crown Prince Dias murmured dispassionately.