Chapter 25
"The kingdom cannot be saved."
The idea of a country's demise, much like the end of the world, is a concept too abstract to feel real.
It's human nature to want great things to remain great forever, and Leius was no exception to this sentiment.
While he wasn't the patriot everyone would recognize, he did love the country where he was born and raised.
"Why don't we first accept this fact and discuss it with as many citizens as possible?"
"...You're right. The kingdom is finished."
Setting aside his personal feelings, he accepted the unacceptable truth and moved forward.
"With the Hero's death, the Hero Coin has become an absurd time bomb. If we announce it, we fear the blades of other nations. If we don't, we fear the nobles who sold their estates to buy Hero Coins."
In this situation, if there was anyone who could be a variable, it was Elang alone—possessing power greater than a corps commander and demanding land no one else wanted.
That's what Ivanna thought, and Leius had no objection to her opinion.
"Make me Elang-nim's attendant. I'll comfort him in his despair and help him lay the foundation for his territory, creating an environment that can accommodate as many refugees as possible."
The pretext could be that she was caught by Leius while trying to relay information about the coins to her family.
Usually, maids often come from noble families, and passing information to their relatives isn't particularly unusual.
Normally, she should be executed, but using this as leverage to request Elang to take custody of Ivanna—he surely wouldn't refuse.
"...Commander. Excuse me."
In the middle of their conversation, Leius received news that an official with connections to Karin's family had contacted her.
Moreover, when the strange information about procuring some maid outfit was also relayed, Leius sighed and caressed the hilt of his sword.
"They give me no rest. I'll handle it, so keep that bastard detained. I've been wanting to kill him anyway... We got a bit sidetracked. So, what's next?"
Leius, his heart now completely detached from the kingdom, urged for the next step like a person pursued by anxiety.
"When the kingdom rushes towards its doom, you should lead the knights to the El Berg Mountains. By the time you arrive, the El Berg Mountains should have become a habitable place."
"...But will he accept me? No matter how kind he is, he wouldn't accept a traitor, would he?"
"What if you become an investor instead of a traitor?"
"An investor?"
"I'm talking about His Majesty's secret funds."
The first thing Leius thought of was the royal treasury, protected by numerous security spells.
"Miss, are you out of your mind?"
"It's not the treasury."
The story that followed was something even Leius, who thought himself close to the king, didn't know—something only a maid might know.
"It seems His Majesty believed this country would fall someday, so instead of using a vault far from his bedroom that takes time to open, he hid his secret funds in a closer place."
"Wait, how do you know this?"
"Because that place is under the bed."
"...What?"
Leius was surprised yet understood when told that such a thing was hidden under the bed, as if it were a child hiding a toy.
Indeed, it was a place no one would expect, for better or worse, just as Leius now looked at her as if asking if this was some kind of joke.
"As you know, there are several royal bedchambers in the palace to prevent assassination."
These chambers are chosen according to King Germis' whim without any set rule, and only Germis himself knows which chamber he'll choose the night before.
Ivanna, as the maid in charge of the royal family, was responsible for tidying up Germis's bedchambers and thus knew well which room he slept in.
"Whenever His Majesty looked unwell or something ominous happened, he always insisted on one particular chamber. I thought that there must be something in that room."
While cleaning the room and scrubbing the floor, she noticed that one of the tiles, which should have been perfectly laid, was misaligned.
Finding this strange, she looked closer and saw a tile that was slightly different in height.
Using telekinesis magic to lift the floor, what she found was a treasure trove large enough to buy a castle.
Ivanna thought it must be escape funds for when the kingdom falls.
Unlike the treasury, there were no security spells.
This is because when a castle is invaded, the first thing a magician checks is these protective spells.
"If there were protective spells on a remote tower, it would certainly look suspicious. Even if not, if an assassin were a magician, they'd find it suspicious and check it first, so it's not a good choice."
"I see... When an enemy magician breaks into the castle, the first thing they check is rooms with protective spells. So this is using that psychology in reverse."
"If you offer these funds to Count Elang, you'll become an investor, not a traitor."
"And I assume you'll be there to put in a good word for me?"
"Yes, but Count Elang is a kind-hearted person. If we bring this up from the start, he'll refuse and won't accept it."
"...I see, I understand what you're saying."
They needed to put on an act.
That's how Leius interpreted it.
That night, Ivanna and Leius sneaked into the empty bedroom and stole all of Germis' secret funds.
And since it wouldn't be polite to just leave like that, they left a letter for King Germis.
"To the delusional monarch. How can you think only of your own safety and leave such a thing when your foolish decisions have caused the kings of other nations to eye the kingdom and the lords' territories to face ruin?
As a general shares the fate of his soldiers, and a captain the fate of his ship, it is heaven's law that a king shares the fate of his country.
The funds placed here are a bewitching object that clouds the monarch's eyes, so please forgive us with a generous heart for taking these funds to protect Your Majesty's jade-like eyes.
These funds will be used to aid the kingdom's people, so if Your Majesty is truly a wise king who cares for his people, please do not be angry.
Then, praying for Your Majesty's long life and good health, I shall put down my pen.
The mysterious beautiful maid phantom thief F Sang"
"Leaving something like this right above the bed... Miss, are you trying to kill His Majesty with anger?"
"Which do you think would be more helpful for this country: His Majesty passing away now or continuing his reign?"
"Well... More importantly, Miss, you're calling yourself a beautiful girl?"
"But it's true."
"Miss, you're clearly in your late twen—"
"Shut up."
"Ow!"
*****
The money placed on the table was an amount that even the king of a country couldn't easily misappropriate.
Even faced with such a sum that wouldn't have been strange if stolen from the royal treasury, Ivanna showed not the slightest sign of agitation.
"...What do you mean you brought it?"
"A maid sees and hears more than her master thinks. This money is one of the secret funds His Majesty had hidden."
The story she told afterwards was so astonishing that I wondered if this was really happening.
It was surprising enough that he hid secret funds in such a place, but to think there wasn't even a single security spell.
No, perhaps it's meaningful because it's a concealment method that doesn't rely on magic.
In fact, if I were a magician invading the castle, I wouldn't have found these secret funds unless I thoroughly examined the entire castle with magic.
"...So that was the deal between Lord Leius and Miss Ivanna?"
"Yes. But if we hadn't done that, you certainly wouldn't have accepted these funds, would you?"
"...Well."
Honestly, I couldn't deny it.
Even if it was someone I had parted ways with, it would have weighed on my conscience to steal such a large sum.
As I was flustered, Ivanna rose from her seat, knelt on the floor, and bowed her head.
Then, in the same gentle tone as before, she continued speaking.
"I will surely atone for the sin of deceiving my master someday. But please, take this money. It's money that would have been lost with the castle when the kingdom falls anyway. I earnestly request that you take it and use it for the right purposes."
"...Your Excellency, I think so too. You're not using this for personal gain, and if you use it for the people, isn't that the right use for this money?"
I was left speechless at their words.
It's true that we need funds right now, and it's also true that this money probably wouldn't have been used properly otherwise.
Above all, although Ivanna and the Viscount seemed to think I was very angry, I wasn't particularly upset.
I was deceived by Ivanna and Lord Leius, but it's not like I suffered any loss.
Since I already knew they had no ill intentions, I wasn't even in a bad mood.
From the start, this doesn't even compare to Karin's case of deceiving me and fooling around with the Hero when it comes to betrayal or lies.
"Miss Ivanna. Please stand up. Although the beginning may have been a lie, I know better than anyone that there wasn't an ounce of falsehood in your heart's devotion to me."
"...Your Excellency."
"No one knows how much comfort I received from you on our journey."
Each instance might seem trivial and expected, but for me, those expected things hadn't existed even once in three years.
Her contribution to helping me escape that endless sense of frustration was certainly not small.
"Just because the start was a lie doesn't mean the relationship that followed was a lie. Miss Ivanna. Please continue to assist me by my side."
I stood up and extended my hand to her.
As she barely raised her head, her eyes were red as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
Slowly taking my hand and pressing her lips to the back of it, Ivanna composed herself in that brief moment and stood up.
"From now on, I will serve you wholeheartedly with a sincere heart, Master."
"Yes, I look forward to your continued support, Miss Ivanna."