Chapter 10
Night.
I headed underground beneath the castle and placed my hand against an ordinary-looking wall. A glowing line ran across it, and the wall opened.
Without being surprised by the phenomenon, I stepped inside.
The passage was a straight staircase leading downward. As I proceeded, I came upon a wooden door.
When I opened the door, I found a beautiful study waiting for me.
Countless old books sat on the shelves, and the candles had remained lit the entire time despite no one tending to them.
The person who used this room had been too lazy to tend them, so he had cast a spell to keep them burning forever.
"Your research into magic never ceases to amaze me, old man."
"The essence of magic cannot be fully understood, no matter how many years pass."
The one answering me was a diminutive old man. And he was semi-transparent, to boot.
He sat on the desk, happily reading a book. Whenever he turned a page, he skillfully used magic to do it.
You would never guess from his appearance, but he had once been an emperor.
"You ended up sealed inside a book after pursuing your magical research, yet you still have the nerve to say that. People out there call you the Mad Emperor, you know?"
"That was a grave oversight. I, of all people, allowed a demon to seize my body. It was an utter disgrace."
The old man's name was Gustav Lakes Adler.
He was my great-grandfather, and the emperor two generations before me.
As anyone could see, he was obsessed with magical research. He had even built this hidden room so he could continue his studies.
Because of that obsession, a demon sealed inside a book took control of his body. Since that demon rampaged through the Imperial Capital, history recorded that he had gone mad while researching ancient magic.
That was why ancient magic had become taboo among the imperial family.
However, in time, he met me and became my mentor, teaching me ancient magic as well.
Only his spirit now resided in the book; he had no physical body. What I could see was a thought-form.
The seal on the book had been undone when I opened it, but he had no desire to regain a physical body. Apparently, he was happy continuing his magical research here in leisurely comfort.
"Must be nice, not having a care in the world. Because of you, I have to hide the fact that I can use ancient magic."
"Think of it the other way around. If I had not been sealed here, you would never have learned ancient magic. My treasured silver mask has been useful to you too, has it not?"
"Well, to some extent."
"What an ungrateful great-grandson."
The old man never took his eyes off the book as he spoke.
He devoured books on magic, and whenever he came up with a spell or a new theory, he began writing it down. That was how he had spent all this time here.
In truth, he was satisfied with that life, so I had no reason to deliberately disturb him.
Even so, I had a reason for coming here.
Apparently, he knew that too.
"You came to consult me about something, did you not? Out with it. Do not hold back."
"My younger brother has been dragged into the succession struggle."
"If he is talented, he will be dragged into it eventually. That is the nature of a succession struggle."
"As I thought... I should assume that someone deliberately dragged him into it?"
"That is what I would do. If he became my enemy, I could dispose of him openly."
It was something I had been considering all along.
The old general's assassination had forced us to choose between two options. However, no matter how much the old general supported Leo, he should not yet have been a serious threat to the three older siblings. Even so, they had resorted to assassination at such an early stage.
They might have been wary of Leo, but was their true intention to make him an enemy so they would have an excuse to eliminate him?
"I have one more question."
The man before me was a former emperor.
In other words, he was a victor in the succession struggle. If anyone who had overcome every kind of intrigue could answer my question, it was someone like him. I opened my mouth to ask, but the old man answered before I could.
"If I were the second or third son, I would assassinate the crown prince. That is your answer."
"...I have not asked the question yet."
"If the subject is the succession struggle, I knew you would ask eventually. I was the eldest son, but I faced the threat of assassination countless times. If you ask me, an eldest son who gets assassinated has only himself to blame. Once the leading candidate is assassinated, all that remains is a quagmire of conflict."
"Even Father investigated it, but nothing turned up besides death in battle."
"Either the plot was exceptionally clever, or the emperor's close advisers were involved. Or perhaps... the emperor himself was involved. In any case, is it not strange for the crown prince, who was leading the succession struggle, to die in battle? If your younger brother went to the battlefield, would you not protect him at any cost?"
"Of course I would."
"That is your answer. Many others must have felt the same way. If he still could not be protected, the shadow of a conspiracy begins to appear. Judging from the history of succession struggles, that is hardly unusual."
The old man had a knack for saying things that made me depressed.
But his words were convincing.
And if all his guesses were correct, I would have to assume that every event to come involved some sort of conspiracy.
In other words, something must be going on with the Knight Hunting Festival too.
"Is there any magic that can control monsters, old man?"
"Magic!? Excellent! Tell me more!"
I sighed when the old man abruptly turned toward me.
Perhaps because he had nothing but magic on his mind, that was the only subject that caught his attention.
The fact that he prioritized magic over a serious consultation with his disciple and great-grandson made me wonder whether he really was insane.
"Monsters have recently started appearing throughout the Empire. Some powerful rare monsters have shown up among them as well. I was wondering whether someone might be controlling them."
"Hmm... It would be possible to control a few monsters with magic, but no magic exists that can control monsters over such a wide area."
"I see... I suppose I was overthinking it..."
I had thought the Second Imperial Princess, Zandra, might be involved if magic was being used, but if the old man said no such magic existed, then it probably did not.
In that case, had the monsters simply appeared by coincidence?
"Magic like that does not exist, but there is an artifact that can do something similar."
"An artifact?"
"An ancient magical artifact. It produces a melody that monsters favor and lures them out. Depending on the user's magical power, it could lure out monsters from a very wide area."
"Something like that exists?"
"According to the records. If I remember correctly, it was a flute called 〝Hamelin〟. In the hands of someone with abundant magical power, it could even cause monsters to appear throughout the Empire."
People in the old days had developed some useful yet troublesome things.
Magic had been more advanced in the past than it was now, and the magical artifacts created with it had been superior as well. Such things were excavated from ruins or designated national treasures by various countries, but they also sometimes came to light at unexpected times.
"There really is something like that... In fact, the Knight Hunting Festival is going to be held. The imperial family will lead the knights."
"Oh? The current emperor is quite an interesting fellow. What is the reward?"
"The position of plenipotentiary ambassador. Given the circumstances, we cannot afford to lose. But if that flute is in the enemy's hands, we have no chance of winning..."
"That would certainly be so. It is a flute that can guide monsters wherever one wishes. Unless it is used exceptionally foolishly, whoever possesses it would win. However, I would not make such a foolish move."
The old man declared that with certainty.
I agreed with him. I would not make such a foolish move either.
At first glance, it seemed like a good plan, but in reality, it sought only short-term gains.
If one of the three older siblings were using that magical artifact, the other two and I would pursue the matter relentlessly. Even with the succession struggle underway, anyone who did something detrimental to the Empire itself would not escape punishment. Whether or not the culprit insisted they knew nothing, their faction would undoubtedly suffer enormous damage.
I could not imagine any of the three willingly taking such a gamble. Which meant...
"Someone other than the leading candidates is pulling the strings?"
"Most likely. Whether or not that person is connected to the leading candidates, anyone willing to risk luring monsters into the country would not be satisfied with the position of plenipotentiary ambassador alone."
"...Another headache has been added to the list."
I had to watch not only those at the top, but those below them as well.
It was no longer simply a matter of winning. I had to investigate who was moving behind the scenes.
This Knight Hunting Festival might not end up being a mere contest for the position of plenipotentiary ambassador.
"Is there any way to counter that so-called Hamelin flute?"
"You could probably do nothing but destroy it. Since it emits sound waves only monsters can hear, blocking it would be difficult."
"So there is no point in seriously participating in the Knight Hunting Festival?"
"Indeed. But the same applies to them. They could not have known whether the Knight Hunting Festival would be held. In other words, they intended to use monsters for something even before the festival. There is something behind this event. Stay alert."
After receiving that advice, I left the room.
■■■
On my way back to my room,
I sensed a presence behind me. I tried to turn around, but a man's voice stopped me.
"Don't move."
"You say that knowing I'm Arnold Lakes Adler?"
"Of course."
The man stepped behind me and drew a dagger with a click.
I hadn't expected anyone to make a move so soon.
"I won't kill you, but you'll be bedridden for a while."
"I can't exactly say, 'Oh, okay,' and go along with that."
I slowly turned around.
Despite the opening I gave him, the man did not move at all.
A man dressed in black stood before me. A typical assassin. However, it seemed he had not been ordered to kill me.
"Wh-what did you do...!?"
"I stopped your movements with a barrier. Calling out to you so I could avoid killing you was your downfall."
There was no doubt that he was a skilled assassin.
After all, he had infiltrated a heavily guarded castle. Even for an assassin like him, however, it would be difficult to reliably incapacitate someone while inflicting a wound that would leave them bedridden without killing them.
That was why he had called out to stop me. It had given me time to create a barrier.
Even if he hadn't, I had already set up detection barriers around me, so the assassin would never have had a chance to approach.
Walking around carelessly in the middle of the night was practically suicide, after all.
"Tch...! You aren't a useless prince after all!?"
"Calm down. First, answer my question. Since you managed to get into the castle, someone must have helped you. Who was it?"
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me! I'd rather die than reveal my client's name!"
"So you aren't denying it. Okay, that narrows things down considerably."
"...!?"
Only the three older siblings could influence the castle's security.
For anyone else to help an assassin get inside, they would have needed to make extensive preparations. That was difficult to believe. After all, the only possible reason for attacking me was Elna.
"You attacked me to keep me from participating in the Knight Hunting Festival after I drew Elna, but that was rather simplistic. Naturally, I had made preparations."
"Heh... The same goes for us! Do it!"
At the same time, someone appeared behind me without making a sound.
It was Sebas.
"They seem to have been acting as a group of four. I knocked out the other three, Arnold-sama."
"Good work, Sebas."
"Wh-what...?"
"Did you really think I would let Arnold-sama walk around alone? You've underestimated me."
"Damn it...!"
"Now then... Let's make you talk. Who hired you?"
I cast a soundproof barrier around us and used an illusion to show him the sight he feared most. I could not see that sight, but it was perfectly clear to him.
Surprisingly, that alone was enough to make it obvious who had hired him.
"Eeeek!!?? P-please forgive me!? Please forgive meee!! Zandra-samaaa!! I haven't said anything! I haven't said a thing!!"
"Well, well... An assassin in Zandra's employ. Looks like she trains them quite harshly."
"Binding them with fear is very much like her. What shall we do?"
"Turning him in won't hurt Zandra. But if we kill him, cleaning up afterward will be troublesome. Hide him somewhere. He may prove useful later."
"As you command."
Ignoring the man who was still seeing Zandra's illusion, I turned on my heel.
The fact that Zandra had made her move at this particular moment meant she was not behind the monster incidents. She had tried to eliminate me because she was aiming for the position of plenipotentiary ambassador at the Knight Hunting Festival. If she was willing to go that far, she was unlikely to be the one who had lured the monsters out.
"Now then, I wonder who is plotting this."
Leaving those words behind, I returned to my room.