Chapter 81
"Come now, Duke. Please get some rest."
I was at a nearby rest area with Jurgen and the others.
It had originally been built by Jurgen as a temporary stopping point, but it was now practically a field hospital.
Knights in terrible shape kept arriving, and I spent some time administering the necessary treatment.
"I'm sorry... Your Highness..."
"What are you apologizing for?"
"You wanted to go help your younger brother too, Your Highness... But I was so useless that..."
"Useless? You?"
Jurgen, lying down inside a hut with his armor removed, said bitterly.
I could only smile wryly at that.
No one would call Jurgen useless after what he'd done today.
"You were magnificent today. If anyone laughed and called you useless, my sister would cut them down."
"But... you..."
"I'm fine. If my staying behind allowed my sister to press on, then I think I've fulfilled my role well enough."
When I said that, Jurgen quietly murmured, "I see," and slowly closed his eyes.
He must have been overcome by sleep after running without sleep or rest.
"You did well, Duke. The day I call you brother-in-law may not be far off."
After saying that to the sleeping Jurgen, I stood up.
Fortunately, Jurgen's knights, who had been scattered in various places, had gathered here.
I would leave the rest to them.
I left the hut where Jurgen was sleeping and headed for the hut assigned to me.
Then I set up a ward to keep people away and left behind an illusion of myself sleeping inside.
Though a ward to keep people away wasn't very effective when activated remotely, it would be enough against tired people. Besides, no one would enter a prince's room without permission, but Jurgen might come in when he woke up. Fiene had come in too, so I needed to be careful with people from the ducal household.
With that in mind, I teleported from inside the hut to a hidden room in the Imperial Capital.
As expected, my butler was waiting for me.
"Welcome back, Arnold-sama."
"Everything's ready?"
"Of course."
"Good. Let's go. It's time to work in the shadows."
Saying that, I put on my usual clothes and mask and transformed into Silver.
■■■
"What's the situation?"
"A mysterious sphere has appeared in the south, with large numbers of undead monsters emerging from it."
"What about Leo?"
"According to information from the Adventurer's Guild, he is safe. Prince Leonart has requested a raid quest from the Adventurer's Guild and is dealing with the monsters."
"A raid quest? I see. Linfia's idea, then."
Apparently, she had put the money I'd given her to good use.
It really was the right decision to entrust it to Linfia.
It was a clever plan, just like an adventurer.
"What has Father done?"
"That's where a problem has arisen... His Majesty the Emperor ordered the army to send reinforcements to the south, and also ordered the lords of the surrounding territories to support Prince Leonart, but he has not mobilized the Imperial Guard."
"Did something happen when helping Krista and Rita?"
"...Why are you speaking as though it is certain that they were saved?"
"There was no way Erna would fail. When Krista sees the death of a particular person, it is almost impossible to prevent. Once, when Krista saw a maid's death, I moved the maid to a house protected by a barrier in an attempt to save her. But in the end, the scene Krista had seen became reality. Her prophecy had included me protecting the maid. No matter what I did, that future scene would come to pass. So I put the strongest person I could think of at her side. Erna should have been able to solve the problem by force."
"I see. That plan certainly worked. Princess Krista and Rita-dono are safe."
At Sebas's words, I nodded quietly.
It had worked in my favor that I had deliberately avoided saying the future was certain to come.
If you know that future will come no matter what you do, you can no longer act proactively. You start wondering what to do if death draws near. That makes it impossible to intervene in the future.
That's why I bet on Erna.
Because I thought Erna would somehow manage it.
"However, Erna-sama was relieved of her post as an Imperial Guard knight and ordered to remain under house arrest for endangering Princess Krista. And because of that, His Majesty the Emperor isn't mobilizing the Imperial Guard."
"I see... Erna... I have to make it up to her properly. But Father prioritized protecting the castle, then. Well, that's only natural right after a princess was put in danger."
"So you were indeed counting on the Adventurer's Guild as a fighting force, Arnold-sama?"
"You knew?"
His words caught my attention, so I asked back, and Sebas nodded quietly.
He was speaking as if he had known what I was thinking.
It was true that I hadn't been counting on the Empire's military.
The Empire was too vast for a rapid response to emergencies to be expected. As a member of the imperial family, I knew that better than anyone. Just because an abnormal situation had occurred in the south didn't mean the army could move immediately.
If the invasion came from outside, the border defense forces would move at once, but no one had anticipated an incident within the Empire.
Should the central government respond, or should the southern army handle it? Either way, it was difficult to decide.
It would be different if the Emperor's orders could be conveyed instantly, but the Imperial Capital and southern border were too far apart. Even conveying the decision would be a major undertaking.
Adventurers, on the other hand, were nimble. In situations like this, they were more reliable than the army or the lords' knights.
"Well, I was counting on the adventurers, but how did you know?"
"Fiene-sama said that was surely what you had in mind, so she acted in advance. Fiene-sama has been calling on adventurers in and around the Imperial Capital to participate in Prince Leonart's raid quest."
"Fiene?"
"Apparently, she has no basis for it..."
"That sounds like Fiene. Then adventurers are gathering at the Imperial Capital branch, right?"
Sebas nodded at my words.
If that was the case, things would be simple.
Depending on what was happening in the south, being able to take the Imperial Capital's adventurers with us would be a huge advantage.
"Then I suppose I'll be off."
"Understood. I will serve as Fiene-sama's escort."
I told him I was counting on him, then teleported to near the entrance of the branch.
The people near the branch were startled when I suddenly appeared, but I paid them no mind and tried to enter.
At the same time, however, a voice was broadcast from inside the Guild across the Imperial Capital.
'To everyone living in the Imperial Capital, I'm sorry for the disturbance. My name is Fiene von Kleinert. The Adventurer's Guild is currently seeking adventurers willing to participate in a raid quest originating in the south. I have a request for all adventurers: Please lend us your strength. There are people suffering in the south. We need your strength to save them.'
Fiene's speech rang out throughout the Imperial Capital.
Hearing the speech, I smiled.
It was a speech worthy of Fiene. A heartfelt plea, rather than an order, could move people's hearts.
'This is the Adventurer's Guild. As Fiene-sama just explained, the Guild is accepting applications for a raid quest. The quest is called "The Azure Gull's Relief." Any B-rank adventurer or higher may participate! It's been a long time since our last raid quest! It's time to make some money! Come join us!'
It was probably a Guild receptionist.
If nothing else, this was a very Guild-like advertisement.
Still, The Azure Gull's Relief? The Guild decided the quest names, but that was pretty on-the-nose.
But perhaps it was fine when dealing with high-spirited adventurers.
They'd gladly go if it meant fighting for the Azure Gull Princess, after all.
"Oh? Even Silver has come out for this? This must be serious."
The one who called out to me was Guy.
He must have rushed to get ready. His hair was sticking up from bedhead, and his clothes were disheveled.
"You're joining too?"
"Of course, right? A man can't refuse when the Azure Gull Princess herself asks him!"
Saying that, Guy flashed a bright smile.
I nearly sighed at Guy.
But then.
"Besides, my buddy's little brother is in the south. I have to help him out, don't I?"
"I see..."
Guy flashed a grin and entered the branch.
Then adventurers who had apparently hurried to get ready began gathering one after another.
Some had come to participate, while others had probably come only to cheer us on.
I stepped into the branch, now packed with adventurers.
The instant they saw me, the Guild, which had been filled with commotion, fell silent.
Amid the silence, only the receptionist recording the participants' names spoke.
"Y-your name and rank, please."
"SS-rank adventurer, Silver. I've come to join the raid quest."
Looking nervous, the receptionist wrote down my name.
Even the Adventurer's Guild had no means of transporting people to the south immediately. Even so, the reason they had gathered adventurers at the branch was because I was here.
The adventurers must have realized that too.
The one everyone had been waiting for had arrived.
At that, the adventurers all shouted at once.
"About time you got here, Silver!"
"With you here, we've got the strength of a thousand men!"
"Let's hurry up and go save them!"
At the far side of the noisy crowd of shouting adventurers,
Fiene appeared in the area where the Guild staff were gathered.
Then Fiene gave me a gentle smile and bowed once.
Though we said nothing, we understood one another.
I nodded quietly, then addressed the entire Guild so everyone could hear.
"Raid quests are generally led by the highest-ranking person. In this case, that's me. Any objections?"
No one raised any objections.
It was only natural. The highest rank at the Imperial Capital branch was SS, but the ranks below it went down as far as AA.
But that did not make them any less reliable.
They were all seasoned adventurers who had protected the Empire in their own ways.
"No objections, then. I'll be in command. I'll take responsibility for all your lives."
No one answered.
Instead, a tremendous cheer rang throughout the branch.
Morale was high. We were ready to fight.