Chapter 34
Around the time Al and Leo headed south.
Movement was afoot in the imperial capital as well.
"Damn it! What's going on?! Damn it! Damn it!"
"Guh! Aaaah!! Aaaaaah!! Please, spare me! P-please... spare me..."
Zandra continued whipping one of her subordinate assassins, partly to vent her frustration. When she saw the assassin faint, she tossed aside the whip with a heavy, ragged sigh.
"Pathetic! Absolutely pathetic! I'm getting fed up! What's going on?!"
Biting her fingernails, Zandra paced back and forth across the room.
Watching her, Günter, the middle-aged assassin who had tried to abduct Al, spoke up.
"It seems every move we make is being seen through."
"I know that! Figure out why! Leonart and Arnolt aren't there, are they?! Are you saying that naive Azure Gull Princess is running circles around me?"
"There seems to be a sharp operator among Leonart's faction. They are reading our moves skillfully and passing information to Gordon's faction the moment we act."
"Tch! This is infuriating! How dare an upstart faction irritate me! I will never forgive them!"
Even as she said that, Zandra had no recourse.
As soon as Zandra launched an offensive against Leonart's faction, Gordon launched one against Zandra's faction as well.
While trying to win over Leonart's supporters, Zandra was losing her own, forcing her onto the defensive.
Even when she occasionally launched an offensive against Leonart's faction, Gordon's faction would appear at precisely the right moment—as if on cue—and poach Zandra's supporters.
If things continued like this, Gordon would win outright. That was the one thing she had to avoid.
"Let's stop making moves against Leonart's faction for a while. We can settle the grudge over losing the Minister of Public Works later."
"Tch... Fine. But bring me someone suitable! One person won't be enough to calm me down!"
"As you wish."
Zandra was exceptionally cruel; whenever her emotions ran high, she could not settle down until she had given vent to that cruelty and aggression.
Assassins who botched their missions were usually made to face Zandra.
As he wondered who would be suitable today, Günter steeled himself, knowing that tomorrow it could be his turn.
■■■
"Magnificent, as always. It's impressive that you can discern their objective from so little information."
"It's the same as reading a monster's attacks. When circumstances limit what they can do, they usually make the best move available. So I kept that in mind and sent information to another faction as well. The Second Princess, now more wary, probably won't be able to launch any more offensives."
"That's amazing, Linfia-san!"
Linfia was a little taken aback by Fiine's straightforward praise.
Al had assigned Linfia to serve as Fiine's guard, but he had told Fiine to heed her advice.
As a result, Fiine listened to everything Linfia had to say.
Of course, Fiine had not simply left everything to Linfia. She had indicated the direction she wanted to take, but Linfia had proposed every means of getting there, and Fiine had adopted them.
Being treated so well was not a bad thing, but Linfia found it a little strange.
"Is something wrong?"
"No... I was just wondering why you trust me so much."
"Why? Because Al-sama trusts you. Al-sama understands my importance and would never place someone he couldn't trust at my side."
There was no guile in Fiine's smile.
There was only one reason she could smile so freely: she had no doubts about her own way of thinking.
Fiine understood her position well. She was the daughter of a duke and held the Title of Azure Gull Princess. She knew that was all she was.
She was not here because anyone valued her abilities as an individual. What mattered to Al and Leo was that she was 〝there〟; beyond that, no one expected very much of her.
That was precisely why Fiine was certain that no one she couldn't trust would be placed at her side. From that belief, she came to trust Linfia completely.
"Um... doesn't it bother you? A newcomer butting in like this?"
To be honest, Linfia had braced herself for resentment.
Fiine was a duke's daughter, while Linfia was the child of refugees. Their statuses could hardly have been more different. Linfia had assumed Fiine would never readily listen to someone like her.
But that was not what happened.
Even knowing that Fiine trusted Al, Linfia found it utterly baffling that she could listen to another person's advice so readily.
At the very least, Fiine was nothing like the nobles Linfia had imagined.
"Huh? I don't mind what I do as long as I can be of use to Al-sama and Leo-sama. Whether I help or Linfia-san helps, isn't it all the same?"
"...I see. You don't place much importance on yourself, do you?"
"Precisely. That is the sort of person Fiine-sama is. Others come first; she comes second."
At Sebas's words, Linfia nodded as if convinced.
As she accepted that some nobles were like that, a new question arose: why would someone like that put herself in the midst of a political struggle?
"Why have you joined the struggle over the imperial throne? No offense, but I don't think you're suited to it."
"Ahh... You're right... I think so myself..."
Fiine lowered her head, visibly hurt by the blunt remark.
Fiine was so openly hurt that Linfia herself began to panic.
"Huh? Ah... Did I upset you that much?"
"I am upset... At this rate, I'll never be able to keep helping Al-sama and the others... I do want to be of some use, even just a little..."
As long as it produced a good result for Al, it did not matter who accomplished it.
That was Fiine's basic outlook, but that did not mean she thought it was all right for her to be useless.
If she could be useful in some way other than through her position or Title, she wanted to be. Fiine had always felt that way.
She simply refrained from making conspicuous moves because she also understood that she lacked the ability to do so.
"The fact that you are here is nothing short of good fortune for the two of them. I don't think you need to take it so hard."
"I hope that's true..."
Even Linfia, another woman, found Fiine beautiful with her eyes lowered. It was not merely because of her pretty features.
It was clear that Fiine genuinely wanted to be of use to someone. That was why she was troubled.
When they set out, Al had said one thing to Linfia.
To look after Fiine.
Linfia did not know how much meaning lay behind those words, but she decided to interpret them a little more deeply.
It seemed to Linfia that Al had meant for her to help Fiine earn some merit—and that was how she chose to interpret it.
"Then let's find a way for you to help, Fiine-sama."
"Huh? Is there something I can do?"
"There is something only you can do. You are extremely popular in the imperial capital. There are people who want to capitalize on that popularity."
"Who?"
"Merchants. Establishing strong connections before the princes return should benefit our faction."
Linfia looked at Sebas as she spoke matter-of-factly.
If Sebas had any objection to this decision, he would have said something.
But Sebas said nothing.
With no objection, Linfia continued.
"The merchant houses already active in the imperial capital surely want to benefit from your popularity as well, but the other candidates for the throne have probably approached them too. So I think we should target a different merchant house—one that wants to make a full-scale entry into the imperial capital."
"Is there a merchant house like that?"
"There is. I suspect you may have heard of it, Fiine-sama. The great trading company known as 〝Demihuman Trading Company〟."
"I see. I must think even more highly of you. Leonart-sama and Arnolt-sama had also set their sights on the Demihuman Trading Company. Yet they still haven't made contact. You understand why, don't you?"
"Yes. Because the woman who heads the trading company is a vampire. The Empire's people have a poor impression of vampires following the recent incident. I understand why they put it off, but that's precisely why we can establish a firm connection with them. I think this is an excellent opportunity."
Fiine nodded repeatedly at Linfia's proposal.
She was not merely nodding. She was thinking as hard as she could in her own way.
Whom would this make an enemy of, and whom an ally? What impact would it have on the imperial capital?
After considering everything, Fiine reached a conclusion.
"Let's meet this vampire woman. I want to get a sense of her character before deciding anything."
"Understood. I think she'll agree to meet if we send someone. May I leave the arrangements to you?"
"Consider it done. We should receive a reply in two or three days."
"I see... Al-sama, I'll do my best!"
Saying this, Fiine called out loudly toward the south, where Al presumably was.
Of course, Fiine had no way of knowing what Al was going through at that moment.