Chapter 45
Our discussion with Fiene ended, and Linfia joined us.
Linfia noticed that Fiene's eyes were slightly red and turned a sharp gaze toward me.
"What happened?"
"A Sea Dragon has appeared in the south. You should know how bad a situation that is, right?"
"A-A Sea Dragon?!"
"Silver-sama apparently can't act unless he receives a request from the Adventurers' Guild..."
"The situation is different from when I defeated the vampires in the east. The two southern countries have formed an alliance and begun taking action. If I intervene personally under these circumstances, I could only complicate matters in another way. Besides, even though they're all designated S-rank, a Sea Dragon is several times more troublesome than those two vampires. If we want to take it down for certain, we'll need some backup."
"Naturally, considering that our opponent is a dragon."
Linfia immediately understood how serious the situation was.
That's what you'd expect from an adventurer. Though dragons are dangerous enough that even a non-adventurer could understand.
"So what is your aim in coming here?"
"There is a Holy Sword wielder in the south. If she can use the Holy Sword, she and I will be enough. That's why I want the Empire to dispatch an imperial representative."
"Is there a restriction that the Amsberg family's Holy Sword cannot be used outside the Empire? Where did you learn that? I didn't know until the princes told me."
"Once you become an SS-rank adventurer, you can learn things that ordinary adventurers could never know. Is that explanation unsatisfactory?"
"Can you learn the Empire's state secrets, too?"
"The Holy Sword's restriction isn't a state secret. It isn't being hidden; the information simply hasn't spread. There are few opportunities to use the Holy Sword in the first place."
"...I see. Understood."
Linfia still regarded me suspiciously, but she didn't press the matter any further.
There was no point in pressing the matter now.
It was more important to settle the problem in the south than to ask where I had obtained that information.
"The fact that you went out of your way to visit means you had a request for Fiene-sama. Should I take it that the Empire's upper echelons are trying to interfere in the southern problem?"
"You're perceptive. Yes, that's right. Somehow, confidential information within the Adventurers' Guild leaked to the Empire. The Guild is wary of the Empire's intervention. As far as the Adventurers' Guild is concerned, they don't want the Empire involved at all, but I want the Empire to at least authorize the use of the Holy Sword. As things stand, though, the Empire will probably dispatch one member of the imperial family as the Emperor's representative while also sending an army. That army would only get in the way. I want to find a way to keep it out of this."
"Is that why you came to Fiene-sama? What approach are you planning to take?"
"The three people fighting for the throne are all asking to be named the Emperor's representative, aren't they? The most likely candidate is probably Prince Gordon, who is a general. That said, the army will move even if one of the other two is chosen. I want to avoid that. What I'm looking for is an imperial family member who can serve as the Emperor's representative, along with a small number of skilled guards to protect them. I can transport them all with my teleportation magic in no time, and that force will be enough to resolve this incident."
"So you want Fiene-sama to persuade an imperial family member other than those three?"
That was Linfia for you.
Her understanding made things much easier.
When I nodded, Linfia seemed to accept the idea, at least for the moment.
The problem was deciding whom to persuade.
"The three fighting for the throne will never accept my proposal. If they go as the Emperor's representative and the Holy Sword wielder resolves the problem, they won't receive any credit. They will insist on leading an army. Even if the Holy Sword wielder ends up doing all the work, they won't lose all the credit that way. Ideally, we need a prince who isn't involved in the succession struggle."
However, there weren't many princes like that.
Almost all of them were supporting one of Erich, Gordon, or Zandra because of their maternal connections.
But there was one ideal candidate.
"Then the Fourth Prince would be best."
"Yeah."
The fact that she had immediately come up with such a precise answer meant she must have studied the current succession struggle.
She was diligent.
The Fourth Prince's mother was the Empress. In other words, he shared a mother with the Crown Prince and had nothing to do with the power struggles of the inner palace.
He had also found his life's purpose in writing and showed no interest in the throne.
Put bluntly, he probably wouldn't object to the unglamorous role of carrying the Holy Sword.
The question was whether he would agree to travel outside the Empire, to a place where a Sea Dragon was present.
That would depend on how well Fiene could persuade him.
"Then let's go."
Fiene was the one who broached the subject.
Her eyes were full of determination.
Well then, time to negotiate.
■■■
"I don't wanna."
A large man rejected us without hesitation.
That said, he wasn't built like Gordon. Well, he was a big man too, but his belly stuck out more than anything else.
He was the largest and fattest member of the imperial family.
In short, he was huge and round.
That was Fourth Prince Traugott Lakes Adler.
He had brown hair, blue eyes, and a pair of ridiculous glasses.
I was probably the most looked-down-upon member of the imperial family, but this man was probably the one they laughed at the most.
Our eldest brother had been such a sleek, handsome man that I couldn't help wondering how Trau had ended up like this.
"However, Your Highness..."
"Even if it's a request from Miss Fiene, there are things I simply cannot do. I'm in the middle of creating a masterpiece, you see."
Brother Trau said that and showed us the writing he had been working on.
Fiene dutifully accepted it and read it briefly, but soon fell silent. That's right. Brother Trau, unfortunately, had no talent for writing. He would have been better at horseback riding or swordsmanship. At least he was more athletic than I was. Why was that...?
Trau glanced at me as I stood there with mixed feelings.
"I take it you're the famed Mr. Silver?"
"Indeed. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Was it your scheme to bring me this request, Mr. Silver?"
"Pretty much. Sending an army to the south while a Sea Dragon is there would be troublesome. I figured you would agree to go south as the Emperor's representative with only a small escort."
"That is an astute observation. However, as you can see, I'm in the middle of creating a masterpiece. I can't tear myself away, so I must ask you to leave."
Trau had a ridiculous appearance and an equally ridiculous way of thinking, but he wasn't an idiot. He was our eldest brother's younger brother, after all. He couldn't be that foolish.
He had understood my intentions perfectly, yet he was refusing for that ridiculous reason.
Why...?
"Your Highness! For the sake of the many people in the south and the soldiers of the Imperial Navy, please!"
"I would like to accept a request from Miss Fiene, but I'm an imperial prince, while the people of the south are citizens of another country. I have no obligation to go that far for them. Besides, they chose to become soldiers. If I acted every time they were in danger, this would never end, would it?"
That was a surprisingly sharp retort.
Why couldn't he put that kind of talent into his writing?
"That..."
"Please leave. I have no intention of going."
"...What about your brothers in the south?"
Even after being refused, Fiene continued to press him.
She realized that Trau wouldn't be moved by appeals to the people or soldiers, so she brought up me and Leo instead.
That got a stronger reaction from Trau than her previous arguments.
"That hits a sore spot. However, Arnold and Leonart are both adults. I'm sure they'll manage somehow on their own."
"Then what about those who aren't adults? If you refuse, I'll have no choice but to ask those whom you ought to be protecting."
Fiene must have been referring to Krista and our youngest brother.
She was saying that if he continued to refuse, she would drag one of them into the matter.
The instant he heard that, Brother Trau shot Fiene a piercing glare.
"Are you planning to threaten me by using my younger brother and sister?"
"You may take it however you wish."
"...Putting the youngest prince aside, Miss Krista is a treasure of our imperial family. I have no desire to send that golden-haired beauty into danger, and if I did so, I would surely be condemned by my fellow human beings."
"Uh..."
That was overdramatic, and once again, I had no idea what he was talking about.
And he was fine with the youngest prince? He was only ten years old.
I nearly sighed, but somehow managed to hold it back.
"However, it is also true that I am in the middle of creating a masterpiece... This is a difficult decision."
"If you're having trouble deciding, then you should act! Since ancient times, the best writing has come from people who've had rich experiences! You can help your sister while gaining valuable experience yourself—that's killing two birds with one stone! And if you stand up for the sake of the south, your reputation will grow as well! Many people of letters will be drawn to you by that reputation! Isn't that worth more than writing a masterpiece?!"
Fiene listed one benefit after another in rapid succession.
Hearing that, Trau hesitated for a moment.
And then.
"May I ask you one thing, Miss Fiene?"
"Yes."
"Why are you willing to go so far, Miss Fiene? Is it for the sake of the succession struggle, or is there another reason?"
"Do I need a reason to save someone dear to me from danger?"
It was a straightforward answer.
Trau looked slightly surprised, then nodded once.
"Noble. Truly noble. Very well. When faced with such a straightforward and beautiful answer, for this Traugott not to act would be a disgrace to a man of letters. I'll be borrowing that phrase. That will be my reward."
With that, Brother Trau adjusted his glasses and stood up.
I couldn't understand it at all, but something had moved inside him.
And so, thanks to Fiene's persuasion, we had secured the key player.