Orihime's Request

The Emperor immediately summoned the S-rank adventurers to the castle and gathered the Empire's key figures after hearing my report.

Since I held no particular office, I left the throne room, and Leo entered in my place.

That was convenient.

It meant I didn't have to make up an excuse to leave.

There was no time to waste. Whether the barrier had collapsed because of the Thunder Brave Corps' unilateral action or for some other reason was irrelevant.

What mattered was the fact that the barrier had broken and the Spirit Turtle had started moving. It was like a mountain itself had begun to move. We had to save the people nearby.

"Well, I'm off. I'll leave all the various deceptions to you."

"Understood. Take care."

With that, Sebas bowed to me in my Silver guise. I left an illusion behind in the room. Sebas would handle the rest.

However, I stopped before teleporting.

"Sebas... do you think it's time to reveal this secret?"

It was the first time I had asked him that.

So I wouldn't have minded if he didn't answer.

But Sebas answered immediately.

"Does it prick your conscience? Is keeping the secret becoming too painful?"

"...I suppose it is. Elna might well start suspecting something soon. If that's the case—"

"You think revealing the secret would make things easier? Please don't disappoint me, Arnold-sama."

"Sebas..."

"You had the option of revealing it from the beginning, but you chose not to. You've kept it secret this long. The reason for revealing it must not be that it would be 'easier.' A secret is useful only when it creates a decisive advantage. Revealing it to Elna and having her cooperate with your covert operations would provide little benefit. Once you've decided to keep something secret, you must keep it secret to the bitter end. If you expect Leonart-sama to stay true to his principles, you cannot waver either. Once you've made a decision, you should see it through to the end. That's what it means to stand by your principles."

It was a scolding.

This wasn't his usual nagging.

So I nodded earnestly. He was right. I had chosen to deceive everyone around me. If I was going to give up halfway just because it had become painful, I shouldn't have started in the first place.

I had been demanding that Leo stand by his principles, so it truly wouldn't do for me to waver.

"You're right... I should stand by my principles."

"Yes. You must keep the secret completely. Your secret has grown heavier with the passage of time. This is different from the matter involving Fiene-sama. You should deceive everyone thoroughly and become Silver completely."

"Yes, I understand. I'll do that."

"If you can't deceive even one childhood friend, you'll never deceive Prince Erich. Do your best. I will lend what little aid I can."

"...I'm counting on you."

With that, I teleported away.

■■■

After teleporting to the lower levels of the castle, I headed for the throne room, climbing the stairs without stopping.

Everyone I passed wore a startled expression and hurried off in every direction.

Before long, I reached the entrance to the throne room.

Several nobles had stopped there, presumably trying to inform the Emperor of my arrival.

Angry shouts could be heard from inside. The meeting seemed to have become heated. The nobles had probably been intimidated by the pressure and couldn't enter the throne room.

The knights guarding the door seemed to understand the situation as well. When they recognized me, they bowed and asked a question.

"The Emperor is inside. I apologize, but may I ask your name?"

"Silver, an SS-rank adventurer affiliated with the Imperial Capital Branch of the Adventurers Guild."

"May I see your Adventurer Card?"

At their request, I handed over my Adventurer Card.

Trau and Fiene had been with me the last time I came, but I was alone now. Even if my appearance made it obvious that I was Silver, they couldn't simply let me through.

"I've confirmed it. However, an important meeting is currently in progress."

"I'm not asking you to open the door. I'm going in on my own."

With that, I pushed the door open myself and entered the throne room.

The knights didn't try to stop me. They probably knew I would simply force my way through.

"How many times do I have to tell you?! The adventurers will handle the biggest target!"

The man making that forceful argument was rough-looking, with hair as red as blood. A greatsword was strapped to his back, and he wore a provocative grin.

This must be Ignat. He has no manners, even in front of the Emperor.

"That's why I've told you repeatedly, Ignat-dono! This is no time to compete over who gets the glory! The other target monsters have started moving as well, stirred into action by the Spirit Turtle! We need to follow the original plan: the Empire will deal with the Spirit Turtle, while the S-rank adventurers handle the other monsters!"

"The plan has already fallen apart! Obviously, it's back to square one! Who exactly is going to handle it if the Empire does? Even if you dispatch your vaunted House of Heroic Dukes, the location is near the border. Wouldn't it be a problem if you swung the Sacred Sword around and crossed the border? Are you seriously planning to wield the Sacred Sword in another country's territory? If you did that under the pretext of fighting monsters, who knows what the other countries would say? Leave the Spirit Turtle to the adventurers!"

Franz and Ignat were fiercely arguing their respective positions.

Franz's argument that the Empire should deal with the Spirit Turtle made perfect sense. However, sending Elna to the northern border would be a problem if the monster changed course and headed for another country.

If the Spirit Turtle crossed the border, it would become a diplomatic incident, and Elna couldn't cross it either. The issue wasn't whether she could use the Sacred Sword. Establishing a precedent of crossing the border because it was necessary to pursue a monster would be the real problem.

Other countries might use that precedent to justify their own Sacred Sword wielders crossing the border. They couldn't possibly tolerate that. Elna's involvement could set off a wave of mutual suspicion.

But leaving everything to the adventurers wouldn't necessarily be reassuring. If they were capable of handling it on their own, Elna wouldn't have been included in our calculations from the beginning.

We had included the Empire's strongest force because there was a chance the adventurers wouldn't be able to win.

"Leave it to us! We're the best people for the job, and we're the strongest! A monster whose only virtue is its size will be a cinch! Or are you saying someone else is better suited for the job?!"

Perhaps because the two of them were arguing, no one noticed that I had entered.

So, to make them notice me, I said one thing.

"The person best suited for the job is standing right here."

"Huh?"

Ignat turned his eyes, the same color as his hair, toward me.

Then, upon confirming my presence, he gave a slight laugh.

"Well, well, if it isn't Silver-sama, the SS-rank adventurer. What the hell are you here for? Nobody invited you. Isn't that right, Clyde?"

Ignat tossed the question to Clyde, who was standing nearby.

Clyde grimaced and gave a single nod.

"That's right. Silver, you cannot take part in the plan."

"Did I hear you wrong? I heard the plan had been scrapped."

At my words, Ignat glared at me with undisguised disgust.

He really doesn't like me. Well, to him, SS-rank adventurers—including me—are nothing but eyesores.

"The monster we planned to hunt has already started moving. We were supposed to take the initiative, but we've already fallen behind. Would you call clinging to the original plan the behavior of a fool, Your Majesty?"

"...The Adventurers Guild and I made an agreement that you would not be involved."

"And if that results in civilian casualties, doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

At my words, the Emperor shifted his gaze to Clyde.

Clyde grimaced, forced into a difficult position. If he authorized my participation, he would be ignoring the wishes of the upper echelons of the Adventurers Guild. That would only worsen Clyde's position.

However, refusing would go against the principles of adventurers. Adventurers acted for the sake of the people. That was their first principle and took priority over everything else. Even free and selfish actions like mine were tolerated because they saved people.

Seeing that Clyde was at a loss for an answer, the Emperor began to speak. He was probably going to have the Empire bear all the consequences in order to let me participate.

From the Empire's perspective, my participation would save many lives and allow the situation to be resolved quickly. No adventurer was better than I was at rapid deployment.

But before the Emperor could speak, someone else did.

"I shall hire Silver."

It was a voice different from her usual one.

When I turned around, Orihime was standing there.

Then—

"The Empire and the Adventurers Guild should proceed according to the original plan. Separately, I shall hire you, Silver. I want you to defeat that loathsome turtle that destroyed my barrier!!"

"What the hell? Who's this little brat?"

"Watch your mouth, Ignat! That is the Fairy Princess!"

"That's the Fairy Princess!?"

Ignat's eyes widened when Clyde pointed her out to him. The image he had formed was clearly quite different.

But that was irrelevant now.

Orihime's request was extremely high-handed, but it was a considerate request that took the Empire, the Adventurers Guild, and even me into account.

This gave us an excuse. The Empire could claim that Orihime had acted on her own, and the same applied to the Adventurers Guild.

Besides, Orihime was an influential figure known as the Fairy Princess. Even if the upper echelons of the Guild disliked it, they couldn't do anything.

At most, they might resort to harassment, but that wouldn't be a problem either.

"...Thank you, Fairy Princess-dono."

"Indeed! You should be more grateful! This is a great debt! If anything happens to my country, you must rush to our aid first. Unless you do that much, I couldn't repay this debt!"

No matter what kind of harassment came my way, I could simply fend it off.

"Understood. Just once, I will accept any request you make free of charge. Whether it's a dragon or a Demon Lord, this Silver will defeat it. Will that suffice?"

"Oh! You're generous, masked adventurer! You seem like a good fellow! What reward would you like?"

"A reward..."

Hiring an SS-rank adventurer would require three rainbow coins.

Even Orihime probably didn't have that much money on hand.

I could do it for free, but that would diminish the value of an SS-rank adventurer.

That meant I needed to receive something valuable that wasn't currency.

So I asked for something Orihime took pride in.

"Then let me see the finest barrier on the continent. I use barriers myself, but I've never had the chance to see the Fairy Princess's barrier. Let me learn from it."

"Oh-ho! You have a discerning eye! You understand the value of my barrier? Very well! I shall show you the Fairy Princess's barrier!"

"Then we have a deal, Your Majesty. That's settled: I'll be going north on a personal request from the Fairy Princess-dono... Will anyone be coming with me?"

"Wait a moment. I will select several people. The other S-rank adventurers are to handle the monsters other than the Spirit Turtle as planned. Is that acceptable, Deputy Guildmaster-dono?"

"No problem."

Clyde said that while restraining Ignat, who was about to protest, and bowed his head.

And so the matter was settled.

All that remained was to act.