Chapter 138
"So, that's how Prince Arnold decided to remain at Fiene-sama's side."
In his room, Leo was receiving a report.
The person giving the report was a brown-haired boy slightly younger than Leo.
"I see... That's just like my brother."
"His resolve may be admirable, but resolve unsupported by ability is meaningless."
The brown-haired boy who had judged Al that way was named Wutz von Lehrman.
He was the son of Marquis Lehrman and one of those who had supported Leo from the very beginning. When Leo's faction had been weak, he had gone to the provinces and negotiated with various nobles. He was one of Leo's most trusted confidants.
"Do you think my brother's actions are meaningless?"
"Remaining at Fiene-sama's side is admirable. However, he won't last long. I think it would have been wiser for him to keep his distance for now."
"Wutz has a point. If he's going to be eliminated in the end, it would be wiser to withdraw early. But if he isn't eliminated, then it isn't necessarily a bad decision."
"That's the problem. His ability and his choice are out of balance. The nobles targeting Fiene-sama will try every means available to eliminate Arnold-sama. Arnold-sama has given them a justification: anyone who cannot even eliminate him has no right to have Fiene-sama. I give him a week at most."
Leo gave a wry smile at Wutz's assessment.
Lasting a whole week was a very generous estimate of Al's endurance by ordinary standards. Wutz was giving Al credit in his own way.
But Leo's assessment was far above even that.
"I think he'll repel them all, though."
"Sigh... Your Highness, please stop showing favoritism toward your family. Even though Arnold-sama is your twin brother, he's not you."
"You're right. My brother isn't me. That's why I'm sure he'll get through this in his own way."
The absolute trust in his voice made Wutz sigh again.
It was one of Leo's few shortcomings: he trusted his family too much.
Trusting someone was fine, but one shouldn't trust them too much. Even a twin brother was no exception; Leo needed to draw that line.
"Your Highness, our faction is steadily growing. We are no longer a small group. If you favor Arnold-sama too much, dissatisfaction will arise."
"I'm not playing favorites. If anything, I'm drawing a line precisely because he's family."
Leo looked Wutz straight in the eye and said this without hesitation.
Wutz was momentarily at a loss for words. He had never expected Leo to say it with such confidence.
"Still, I understand why it looks like favoritism. What do you say? Would you be willing to work with my brother for a while?"
"You want me to serve under Prince Arnold?"
"I thought he might need more hands."
"Are you really entrusting this situation to Prince Arnold?"
As far as Wutz was concerned, the outcome was obvious.
His opponents were the many nobles who had joined the Gull Pact. If they set out to eliminate Al, all manner of trials and tribulations would come crashing down on him.
Wutz expected Al to endure them for a week before finally giving up. And if he gave up, that would be a problem for Leo's faction.
"Among the nobles supporting our growing faction, quite a few are cooperating with us because of their connection to Fiene-sama. The same goes for our connection to the demi-human merchant guild. If people come to believe that we lack the power to protect Fiene-sama, it will be a major blow. Prince Leonart should stand in the line of fire here. As long as you remain at her side, no one will complain."
The heroic prince who had solved so many problems had also distinguished himself in the struggle for the throne, making the position of next emperor a realistic possibility. His fame and stature were no less than those of the Azure Gull Princess.
The original dissatisfaction of the nobles who had joined the Gull Pact stemmed from jealousy that Fiene might be taken by the Dull Prince.
Wutz thought that if someone they could not even envy took the heat, the situation would calm down. But Leo saw things differently.
"I might temporarily settle the problem if I stepped forward. But the nobles who lost an outlet for their frustration would be left with deep resentment. And I'm sure they'd cooperate with Brother Erich—someone who might actually eliminate me. Once that was over, the struggle for Fiene-san would begin. I think my brother chose to put himself in the line of fire because he foresaw that. He'd lose face if he couldn't even eliminate someone he completely underestimated. I'm sure they'll give up before they become resentful."
There would still be some who could not give up, but far fewer than if Leo stepped forward and silenced them without a word.
Leo explained it that way, but Wutz still looked doubtful. He could hardly believe that Al had thought things through that far before acting.
"I understand what you're saying, but..."
"In the end, it comes down to whether my brother can drive them off. That's what it hinges on. So, Wutz, I want you to stay by his side."
"If that is your command, I will obey. But what will you do, Prince Leonart?"
"I have things I need to do. I'll leave this entire matter to my brother. If I stepped forward, I'd only make the problem more serious."
With that, Leo gave a wry smile.
If he merely made a token claim that Fiene belonged to him, it might bring the matter to an end. But creating so many enemies was not what Leo wanted.
Among the nobles who had joined the Gull Pact, some were involved in the struggle for the throne, but many others were neutral. For young nobles, the succession struggle was unknown territory, and their parents or those around them often told them to keep their distance.
It was all well and good if they could back a winner, but otherwise they could become targets of a purge. Escaping that fate required considerable political power. It was too much to ask of young nobles.
"I knew that if I used Fiene-san's popularity to advance my cause, a day like this would eventually come. It came sooner than expected, though. I'm counting on you to look after my brother."
"Understood. I will support him with all my strength."
"Good. But make sure you follow my brother's instructions. Even if they seem irrational."
"Even if I think they're a bad move?"
"That's right. My brother is the kind of person who can turn an apparently bad move into a good one. I think you'll get to see something interesting. It's rare for him to stick his neck into trouble of his own accord."
"Do you really believe... Prince Arnold will solve this problem?"
"Of course. If my brother can't solve it, no one can. It's that complicated. After all, they're being driven by emotion."
As long as they were acting on emotion, there was no point in trying to persuade them with reasoned arguments.
The best course would be to ignore them, but that was not an option.
Leo sighed inwardly at the thought of one troublesome matter after another arising.
It was obvious that this incident was not on Erich's orders. Erich was not in the Imperial Capital, and he was not the sort to meddle in unnecessary matters despite having been warned against it.
Whether they were Erich's subordinates or independent actors, it clearly wasn't the work of any candidate for the throne, so Leo couldn't appeal to the Emperor.
"I suppose we'll have to secure our strategist after all."
"What?"
"Our strategist. A truce is a period for preparing for the next battle. As Wutz said, resolve without ability is meaningless. Looking back, everyone who has won the throne has had a wise adviser. Just as Father had the Chancellor, it's time we had a strategist too."
"Is finding that strategist what you need to do?"
"I have someone in mind. But he probably won't act unless I go myself. I couldn't recruit him before now. Though going myself doesn't guarantee success."
With that, Leo stood up.
Everything was already packed. Since he could leave at any time, the sooner he did so, the better.
He had heard that the man changed his whereabouts frequently. If Leo arrived only to find that it was already too late, there would be no point.
"Then work under my brother. I'll be away from the Imperial Capital for a while."
"Someone important enough for Your Highness to visit personally must be quite famous."
"No, he hasn't accomplished anything particularly impressive. He was once at the castle, though. My brother and I used to play with him often. He's incredibly talented, but his difficult personality is his one flaw. That's the kind of person he is."
"So... an old friend of yours?"
"Something like that."
With that, Leo smiled.
There was no anxiety on his face. He would simply do his best at whatever he needed to do, and he had no concerns about Al.
After all, Al was the sort of person who ran away immediately when he knew he could not win. Yet this time, Al had not fled. He had chosen to face them.
In other words, he believed he could win.
Looking forward to the result, Leo set out from the Imperial Capital.