Chapter 97
The next Grand Duke.
McManus.
I wondered why he seemed familiar—so that was it.
Fiona's older brother and first in line to succeed as Grand Duke.
But his impression was quite different from Fiona's.
Not that they had nothing in common, but there were clear differences.
While Fiona's default expression was cold and expressionless, Piakra had a strange smiling face that brought to mind an uncanny valley.
Even their coloring was slightly different.
Unlike Fiona's brilliantly silvery hair, Piakra's was nearly white.
Only their deep purple eyes were identical, making Fiona come to mind.
"...By 'that child,' you mean Fiona?"
"Hmm? You're on first-name terms? I was half-joking."
"We're just classmates."
"Being classmates with a Grand Duchess is different."
What's he trying to imply?
Simply concerned about a man close to his sister?
Or investigating those around a potential competitor to his succession?
"Ah, no need to think so hard."
As if reading my mind, Piakra spoke, "Just answer my questions, that's all."
Piakra smiled saying, “Simple, right?”
This feels more like an interrogation than an interview.
While both interviews and interrogations had one-way questioning, the atmosphere was completely different.
Even in a pressure interview, one could tell them to fuck off and leave, but one couldn’t do that in an interrogation.
The latter intention was clearly readable from Piakra, who emanated intense energy like an Explorer himself.
"You're quite famous. A newcomer appearing from nowhere... they say you're the central figure among your classmates, in the same year as that child."
After laying this groundwork, Piakra thrust in with a fundamental yet crucial question.
"What's your purpose?"
"...Does an Explorer have any purpose besides exploration?"
Countering his instruction to just answer with another question.
But Piakra's expression didn't change.
Though I'd never met one, his poker face was what I'd imagine from a seasoned politician.
"You're simply pursuing exploration?"
"Yes."
"While skipping two ranks at once?"
"Is there a problem? Senior rank is needed to freely descend to the Fourth Floor anyway. Why go through the trouble of multiple promotions?"
"...Is that all?"
Not to build power by creating a guild?
Piakra's sunken eyes seemed to ask this.
It wasn't my imagination.
His overflowing aura clearly expressed that intent.
"The essence is singular. Everything else is just building steps toward it."
Piakra is suspicious.
He might think I was a frontman managing influential classmates for Fiona.
Like a figurehead or facade.
But it was all meaningless suspicions.
"I don't understand politics. Nor do I want to be involved."
I already have enough to worry about.
I needed to raise my abilities and level to return, I needed to go deeper into the Abyss and fight strong opponents, meanwhile blocking the Abyss Worshipers' interference... thinking about all the side branches made my head want to explode.
Where's the capacity to add politics?
Just figuring out how to persuade supporting guilds seemed overwhelming.
To properly handle political dynamics, I'd have to cut out most of what I mentioned before.
So my position was exactly as I stated.
With one exception.
"However, if there's a threat to Fiona's safety..."
I was indebted to Fiona.
Though I think I repaid that debt by saving her life, I had also received benefits, known and unknown, from being her classmate.
And even before counting such things.
It was just my way of thinking.
"I won't stay idle."
Sensing my answer was truthful, Piakra nodded once and muttered, "In other words, you won't move unless that child is harmed."
And having accepted this, he suddenly asked, "Then how about trying to persuade her?"
"Pardon?"
"No need to hide it. You must know? That those trying to interfere with my succession are gathering around that child?"
Without waiting for an answer, he continued his story as if no longer interested in this interrogation or interview.
"But if she refuses, they'll naturally disperse. Then the succession will naturally come to me, and that child won't be hurt either. I don't want strife between family either."
If that was how he felt, why tell me instead of going to Fiona directly?
Are they on bad terms?
They say siblings were programmed to eliminate each other from birth, and with the drug of power added, bad relations would make sense.
Perhaps my still-immature expression management seemed amateurish to the politically-seasoned Piakra.
"You seem curious why I'm making this proposal."
"...Somewhat."
"Do you know how many floors the Abyss has?"
If I knew that, I'd be an information broker.
Even Pioneers at the forefront of Abyss exploration had yet to learn its bottom.
How would a mere Novice Explorer like me know?
Though I might find out with my Patron Devils' wisdom.
While Devils were near-omnipotent in their dimension, even they might struggle to perceive all truths in a world I was illuminating with just one small flashlight.
"I don't know. Perhaps the Grand Duke's heir knows?"
"No!" Piakra proudly denied.
Then spoke in an elevated voice, as if giving a speech, "But don't you want to know? Don't you want to reach the deepest bottom floor? Our holy ancestor recorded, 'We surely set foot on the edge of the Abyss!' That means this bottomless pit has an end. I want to go there. I've decided to recreate the path taken by the city's founder, the great Robard, and the First Expedition."
Returning to a calm voice, he asks, "What's the biggest obstacle?"
An obvious question.
"That would be the Abyss Worshipers, wouldn't it?"
"Well. They're annoying, but that's not the answer. The answer is guilds."
Just as I thought “What nonsense,” Piakra began his explanation, "Guilds create useless losses through their conflicts and competition. If they united all their strength and explored the Abyss with maximum force, we could have descended at least one or two more floors. Allowing them freedom was a mistake. The First Expedition wasn't like that."
In the era when gods hid themselves and the Abyss returned mystery to the world in their place.
Those who stood at the edge of that time, between the Age of God's Existence and the Age of the Abyss, were truly miracles of their era.
They challenged the Abyss with massive support from various countries and succeeded.
While detailed exploration processes and immediate aftermath weren't passed down, it was a clear historical fact that Robard and Cordelia, members of the First Expedition, established this city Res Limen as an independent nation.
"In other words, challenging the Abyss requires national-level power projection, not individual effort. For that, we must first restore the Grand Duke's now-nominal authority."
Piakra was utterly serious.
Like someone who unquestioningly believed this was his given mission.
This guy's not right in the head.
Restructuring the existing power structure to recreate ancestral achievements?
Just forcefully suppressing any resistance?
A complete dictator in the making.
How was this different from fundamentally denying the values built by Res Limen and previous Grand Dukes through power distribution and separation?
I was momentarily speechless at Piakra's ambitious vision—or rather delusional fantasy, to put it negatively.
If national-level support was needed, why not just cooperate more with existing powers?
Instead, suppressing each faction and challenging the Abyss under state control could only be understood as wanting all glory and honor for himself.
"Don't you think so too?"
Perhaps this was the final question.
My answer would determine the relationship between Piakra and me.
Just as I realized this intuitively and opened my mouth—
"Brother!"
Fiona's shout cut off the questioning as she burst through the reception room door.
"Ah, well."
The heavy atmosphere forcibly reset.
Fiona's intrusion marked this meeting's end.
Piakra rose without hearing my answer.
"Is it this time already? Regrettably, our conversation ends here. It was quite enlightening. Ah, I'll process your examination as passed. Please continue working hard for Abyss exploration."
Speaking in the same somewhat glib tone as when we first met, Piakra patted Fiona's shoulder as he passed her.
"When you invite him home, be sure to call your brother too. Since His Grace the Grand Duke is busy, at least I should look after family matters."
"...It's not like that!"
"Haha, alright. I understand. See you again, Roman."
You don't seem to understand at all, Mr. Heir.
After Piakra disappeared, Fiona's sigh settled in the empty space.
"Haa..."
Pat pat.
Coming to my side with slightly weaker steps than usual, Fiona sank deeply into the plush chair.
"Um... Lady Fiona?"
Despite my call, Fiona remained silent, completely covering her face with both hands.
After a moment of quiet, she finally spoke, "I'm sorry. I showed you an unsightly side."