The Blue Gull Princess's Story (2)

Fiene stood before the assembled adventurers and took a deep breath.

There were roughly a hundred adventurers at the branch. Many more adventurers were still in the Imperial Capital, but they were guarding other evacuation sites.

However, most of the adventurers in the Imperial Capital were core members of the branch. They were high-ranking adventurers with considerable influence.

If she could persuade them, the others would move as well.

The problem was that they were true adventurers through and through.

"Adventurers, thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak. I am the Blue Gull Princess, Fiene von Kleinert. I believe you already know this, but a rebellion is currently taking place in the Imperial Capital. The rebellion is being led by the Third Prince, Gordon Rakes Adler, and extremists within the military."

After explaining the situation, Fiene looked at the adventurers' faces.

Every one of them wore a troubled expression.

Fiene understood their true nature very well. They loved freedom and lived as they pleased, but every one of them had their own way of life and beliefs to which they devoted themselves as adventurers.

Many people called them roughnecks. In fact, that was not inaccurate. They were roughnecks.

Some had come from the outermost layer of the Imperial Capital, while others had drifted in from foreign countries. Their upbringing could hardly be called respectable.

Even so, Fiene trusted them.

Because the person she trusted most trusted them.

"I have come to ask for your cooperation. The Imperial Capital is currently engulfed in tremendous chaos. I am not asking you to fight alongside His Majesty the Emperor. I am only asking you to take an active role in maintaining public order. That would mean opposing Prince Gordon. I understand that it could put you at a serious disadvantage if Prince Gordon were to ascend the throne. Even so... would you please rise up for the sake of the people who live in the Imperial Capital?"

At Fiene's words, the adventurers exchanged glances.

They hated underhanded behavior. They became adventurers because they could not stand lying to themselves or living by someone else's rules.

Gordon's methods did not sit well with people like that.

However.

"Hey, Fiene-sama. I've got something I want to ask you. Is that all right?"

The one who asked Fiene was a rather intimidating brown-haired man.

He was Guy, Rita's sword instructor and one of Al's childhood friends.

"What is it, Guy-san?"

"We're not well educated, so we don't know much about politics. Of course, we understand that the people who started this rebellion are in the wrong. But as far as we're concerned, it doesn't matter to us whether the country's leader changes. The country doesn't interfere with the Adventurers' Guild, and the Adventurers' Guild doesn't interfere with the country. Protecting the country is the job of the nobles and knights, while protecting the people is the job of adventurers. That's how things were supposed to be divided, right? If the country falls into decline, that's the nobles' and knights' responsibility, isn't it? So, I know there's no point in asking you this, but... where are most of those nobles, and what are they doing?"

Fiene fell silent, struck by the question.

There were many nobles in the Imperial Capital. They should have had at least some military strength of their own, yet almost none of them had fought Gordon.

The curse of the arena had immobilized them, but that was only true at the beginning.

Once they were able to leave the arena, their physical condition would recover. Yet there was still no sign of the nobles making a move.

Guy and the others surely knew what had become of them.

That was why Fiene could say nothing.

"A whole lot of nobles came swaggering into the evacuation sites as though they owned the place. They shoved aside children and old people so they could save themselves. We beat the crap out of every one of those people, of course, but we want no part in cleaning up after them. We honed our strength to hunt monsters."

"...I acknowledge the corruption among the nobility. It is true that many nobles do not understand what it means to be noble and can do nothing but flaunt their status. However, please do not judge all nobles based only on some of them. There are nobles who are risking their lives in this situation even now. Every person is different. Some are good, and some are bad. Please do not look only at the negative side of things."

"We know that. There are nobles like you, and we know plenty of good nobles, too. But even so, we can't move. As far as we're concerned, the Emperor and the Third Prince are no better than each other."

Guy said this and looked away from Fiene.

No one would meet Fiene's eyes anymore.

Seeing that, a dark shadow fell over Fiene's heart.

However.

"No better than each other? They're nothing alike! What are you looking at to come to that conclusion!?"

"Mia-san..."

"W-what's with that woman who talks so strangely...?"

"There is nothing strange about the way I talk! In fact, you're the strange ones! You're comparing the Emperor and the Third Prince in this situation and saying they're no better than each other? Are you idiots!?"

"What do you mean, calling us idiots!?"

"What's wrong with calling idiots idiots!? The Third Prince started a rebellion during a festival attended by dignitaries and people from other countries, while the Emperor refuses to flee even though he could! Comparing the two is insulting! The fact that the Second Prince was able to come here means the Emperor could have escaped with a small escort if he had wanted to! He refuses because if he disappeared, the people would be harmed! Can't you understand something so simple!?"

If Erik could come here, the Emperor could come here as well if he wished.

He could even have forcibly involved the adventurers.

The adventurers would not tolerate soldiers entering the Imperial Capital Branch. If the Emperor fled there, he could have set the two sides against each other.

He could go elsewhere if he wished. But the more he moved around, the farther the flames of war would spread, and the more civilians would be harmed.

"A Third Prince who gives no thought to the people, and an Emperor who is trying to prevent the people from being harmed! The difference between them is obvious! The reason the Emperor isn't using you by force is because he recognizes that you, too, are people he should protect!"

"Even if that's true, that doesn't justify us lending a hand when we know it will put us at a disadvantage! Taking an active role in maintaining public order means clashing with soldiers! You're suggesting that we secure certain areas and evacuate the people there, but that would mean fighting a huge number of soldiers! We don't have enough lives to spare!"

"If you're afraid to risk your lives, you should have said so from the start! Cowards!"

"What!?"

Guy's cheek twitched at Mia's words.

The other adventurers also seemed close to the limit of their patience with Mia's attitude.

However, Mia slowly pointed toward the castle.

"In that castle... the one the military has seized, there is a prince. The one you mock as the spent prince is inside, doing what he can."

"Al is...? No way! Is it true!?"

"Yes, it's true..."

"That idiot...!"

Guy muttered as he stared at the castle.

He had assumed that Al would sense the danger and flee at once. At least, the Al Guy knew was not the sort of person who would deliberately remain in a dangerous place.

The only exception would be if his family were in danger.

Al never made an effort except in situations like that.

"It's not only Prince Arnolt! Ten-year-old Prince Rupert took on the role of decoy himself, knowing how dangerous it was! And it isn't only them. Many people in the castle have been risking their lives to do what they can! You may think that risking your life for your country is only natural for royalty! But royal families in other countries aren't like that! Do you realize how fortunate this country is!?"

To Mia, who had seen the royalty and nobility of the vassal states, the Empire's royalty and nobility did not seem comparable at all.

Self-preservation was taken for granted. In the vassal states, where most of the ruling class believed the country existed for its own sake, members of the imperial family or nobles like Fiene and Alois were almost never seen.

The people had given up as well. They believed that was simply what royalty and nobility were like.

Mia had chosen to oppose that as a righteous thief. However, if the royalty and nobility of the vassal states had possessed even a tenth of the sense of duty and responsibility shown by the Empire's royalty and nobility, she would never have chosen to fight them.

That was why Mia disliked the adventurers' current attitude.

When the country fell into disorder, adventurers suffered as well. Even so, the adventurers of this country were not panicking because they assumed that whoever sat on the throne would provide at least a basic level of governance.

That had always been true, so they assumed it would remain true. Mia could glimpse that naive assumption among the adventurers.

"Let me make this clear! If you don't stand with the Emperor now, you will definitely regret it!!"

Mia stated this emphatically.

A slight stir ran through the adventurers.

It was an opportunity.

While thanking Mia for changing the course of the conversation, Fiene addressed the adventurers.

"Prince Gordon has secured the cooperation of the United Kingdom, the vassal states, and the kingdoms for this rebellion. Once he becomes Emperor, he intends to use the strength of those countries to subdue the lords who refuse to recognize him. But none of those countries will help Prince Gordon out of goodwill. War is inevitable. When war comes, the land will be devastated, monsters will appear in huge numbers, and the people will suffer. If hunting monsters is the job of adventurers, then isn't preventing their mass outbreak also an adventurer's job?"

"..."

The adventurers, including Guy, fell silent.

They were troubled. They were thinking.

Fiene believed she should press her advantage and continued speaking.

"Prince Gordon has no concern for the people. That is obvious from this rebellion. And an Emperor who does not care about the people will not value adventurers, either. The reason the Empire is said to have so few monsters is that the Empire provides funding to the Guild and always ensures that a certain number of adventurers are available. What if that support disappeared? The adventurers will go elsewhere in search of work. Those who can leave the Empire may be fine. But what about those of you with families here? If you accept requests while there are not enough people to handle them, the adventurers' mortality rate will rise as well."

The Empire was kind to adventurers.

The Emperors throughout history had never neglected adventurers. They understood that adventurers who hunted monsters were necessary for good governance, and they respected the adventurers' ideal of acting for the sake of the people.

However, Gordon had no interest in governing.

If Gordon, who placed war above all else, became Emperor, it would not be surprising if he neglected adventurers as well.

Fiene warned them of that danger.

Her words were having an effect. One more push. Just one more push.

Just as she thought that,

the final push came in an unexpected form.

'Imperial Marshal Lieselotte. Can you hear me? If you can, hand over the Emperor at once. Otherwise, Christa will be executed.'

Those words spread throughout the Imperial Capital by magic.

For an instant, a chill ran down Fiene's back.

The adventurers before her instantly bristled with killing intent.

Slowly, they looked toward the castle.

"How old is Princess Christa again?"

"She should be twelve."

"And they're going to execute her...? What a bastard."

"Does that bastard have no concern for his own family?"

The adventurers voiced their dissatisfaction with Gordon one after another.

Then they spoke to the receptionist standing behind Fiene.

"So we're allowed to take an active role in maintaining public order?"

"Yes. Prince Erik just obtained a firm assurance from the Guild's higher-ups. They said that actively maintaining public order to protect the people would not count as interference in the affairs of the state. However..."

"However?"

"They said they cannot permit Silver-san to participate."

"Ha! That's all? The Guild's higher-ups never learn. As if he'd follow their orders. He'll come out if necessary."

"I believe so as well. Then is it all right to say that the Imperial Capital Branch of the Adventurers' Guild will take active measures to maintain public order? Everyone?"

"Yeah. We'll seize control of the eastern middle level."

"I've never liked those soldiers strutting around as if they own the place. This works out perfectly."

"I don't like that prince. I'd love to punch him."

"Same here. Once we've cleared out the surrounding area, should we storm the castle?"

Fiene let out a relieved breath as she watched the adventurers begin talking enthusiastically.

They were adventurers.

They were adventurers precisely because they were the sort of people who said they disliked something when they disliked it.

And Gordon had crossed a line they could not tolerate.

"Fiene-sama... Is Al all right?"

"...I don't know. But as long as Al-sama is in the castle, he won't abandon Princess Christa."

"Yeah, that sounds like Al."

Guy said that and scratched his head.

As an old acquaintance of Al's, Guy knew that Leo and Erna were outside the Imperial Capital.

That was precisely why Al's reckless behavior surprised him.

"...I just hope he doesn't do anything reckless."

Guy muttered this, thinking that Al would surely act recklessly.

When someone close to him was involved, Al became far more proactive than anyone would normally expect.

Stay safe.

Muttering that, Guy looked up at the sky.

The sun had climbed high into the sky, dazzlingly bright.