Chapter 12

Although Ryuba made a minor mistake, the assassination of Nilion fortunately ended in failure.

Luckily, Nilion survived the rain of arrows.

It was thanks to his escorts who threw their bodies to protect him until the very end.

Of course, he wasn't completely unscathed.

Nilion seemed bewildered by the sudden disaster that had befallen him.

It was clear to anyone that the arrow lodged in his thigh had greatly affected his mental state.

I looked at Ryuba in disbelief.

“Who’s the good archer now?”

Ryuba hastily made an excuse.

“Hey, this might not be my arrow….”

“Are you making excuses now?”

“I wouldn't say that's necessarily the case….”

“Booo, you suck.”

“He makes excuses when he can’t even keep his promise.”

When the other retired soldiers joined in the jeering, Ryuba became sullen.

“You’ll be responsible if Nilion dies. There's a mountain of things to find out.”

“Alright….”

“Hey, Ryuba. Shut up and just wrap the bandage.”

“Damn you all. I really want to punch one of you.”

The retired soldiers tore some cloth on the spot to make a makeshift bandage.

It was first aid to save Nilion.

After a great commotion to pull out the arrow, they wrapped the bandage around the wound on Nilion’s thigh.

There was a risk of infection, but stopping the bleeding was the priority for now.

Nilion's face was already pale from blood loss.

Nilion, groaning in pain, spotted me among the Snow Elves and was horrified.

At that sight, I inwardly clicked my tongue.

He knows my face. Lies won't work.

There's no choice but to be straightforward.

“Leon Akardi? Why are you here? Weren't you out hunting? What is the meaning of this?”

I answered calmly.

“Of course, I came out to hunt. Isn't that what I'm doing right now?”

“Are you saying… I’m the prey right now?”

“Then who else is there? To be honest, I didn't expect a big shot like the Count of Apollia to get caught. What unexpected luck for me.”

Nilion's face turned red, perhaps from agitation.

Oh, it’s not good to get excited when you have a hole in your body.

Before I could stop him, Nilion spewed out a torrent of abuse.

“You madman! Don't you know that attacking a feudal lord is treason! Even for royalty, this is crossing the line! Release me at once!”

I felt a little pleased.

Not because I'm a psychopath who enjoys making others uncomfortable, but because Nilion's agitated reaction felt like that of someone trying to hide something.

When you find a crack, you must attack it.

“Then can the Count of Apollia tell me where you were headed, leaving the Imperial Capital at this late hour?”

“Th-that is.”

“Of course, you can't say. Because you were on your way to carry out a conspiracy to overthrow the Empire under Duke Isak’s secret order.”

“Wh-what? How did you.”

“Oh, are you admitting to the charge now? Duke Isak would be so pleased to know.”

“I-I-I didn't say anything.”

Realizing his slip of the tongue, Nilion's face turned pale.

Red, then white; his expression changed quickly.

He’s a fun person to tease. Everyone around me just talks back, so it's no fun.

Nilion was thrown into complete confusion by the fear of being suddenly abducted, the pain from his thigh wound, and the added threat of violence.

He was in what is commonly called a state of mental breakdown.

Naturally, he couldn't hide his inner thoughts properly.

Still, having some experience, the frantic Nilion naturally tried to change the subject.

“Were you spying on me? By sending these damn Snow Elf mercenaries? Since when?”

“Since when do you think it was?”

“Huh?”

“In the first place, why do you think I went around pretending to be a worthless troublemaker? It was, of course, to prepare for a time like this. To make people like you let your guard down.”

“W-was that it?”

I diligently poured lies into Nilion's ear.

If not now, when else would I get to create the persona of ‘a being who usually pretends to be a fool but is actually a mastermind’?

It was a matter that pricked my conscience, but it couldn't be helped.

I have a social reputation to maintain too.

I have to survive.

It's better to be a fearsome entity than to be seen as a troublemaker.

Fortunately, Nilion, who had been ambushed, turned into a pincushion, and even found out the truth that he was being deceived by me, completely believed my words.

It would be an impossible thing to happen normally, but with three debuffs applied, anyone would be fooled.

Nilion stared into the void with a look of despair and muttered.

“I see, so that's why the Emperor protected Leon Akardi and didn't chase him out of the Imperial Capital. I thought it was strange. So that was it. The dead Emperor arranged all of this. Truly unbelievable.”

No, that's not it!

The Emperor didn't do anything!

But there was no getting through to Nilion, who was already lost in his own world.

Finding the scene strange, Ryuba, who was loitering nearby, approached.

“Did you find anything out?”

“No, we’ve just started talking.”

“Really? But what did you say to make him lose his mind like this?”

“I just told him a few facts.”

“Oh my. Knowing the truth is always the most shocking thing. You're truly cruel.”

“Is this my fault?”

Ryuba ignored my words and examined the dazed Nilion.

“But he won’t be able to talk like this.”

I was in a difficult situation as well.

“Do you have any good ideas?”

“Of course. There's a traditional method for communicating with a person's psyche.”

“What is it?”

“Ta-da.”

Ryuba smiled brightly and pulled a dagger from his waist.

Suddenly, Ryuba felt less like a friendly neighbor and more like a ruthless plunderer.

It was like lifting a veil and peering into a deep abyss.

“There's no easier, faster, or more convenient method than this.”

“No, thanks. I'm not buying.”

“Come on, just leave it to me. With this one thing, I can make this friend remember things he forgot in his childhood, you know?”

“No, don't talk like you're in a play. You're being a hindrance, so go away.”

At my nagging, Ryuba stepped back with a look of disappointment.

What is that, a magic shotgun or something?

But on second thought, this was a medieval fantasy world.

There was no way a Geneva Convention prohibiting the torture of prisoners existed, so that was probably common sense.

Hmm.

It should be avoided if possible, but.

It would be a good idea to prepare a dagger or poison in advance, just in case I get captured.

I probably wouldn't be able to withstand torture.

If I have to go, it’s better to go as painlessly as possible.

As I was lost in such thoughts, Theo spoke to me from the side.

“Your Highness, what will you do then? The Count of Apollia doesn't seem likely to open his mouth at this rate.”

“We have to try to talk first.”

“Talk? Will that be possible? He doesn't seem to be in a good state….”

“Could you not talk about a living person as if he's a fish? I'm not dead yet. I'm just a little hurt.”

“Sometimes, I think Your Highness is the worse person. Anyway, good luck.”

“I'll have to. If it still doesn't work, I'll have to take him to Zeta.”

Since Zeta was a mage, I figured she would know a spell or two to make someone confess.

Going back to the Imperial Capital after saying I was going hunting would attract suspicious looks, but wouldn't it be too much of a waste not to extract the high-level information inside Nilion's head?

It couldn't be helped.

I scratched the back of my head and decided to use my last resort.

“Nilion, look at me.”

“……”

“Look at me.”

I grabbed the weakened Nilion's head and forced him to meet my gaze.

Soon, a purple flame reflected on Nilion's pupils flashed.

「Trait Activated: Descendant of a Demon

Extend a rope to a cornered person. A severed rope.」

***

A cool summer night.

The retired Snow Elf soldiers were searching for survivors.

The battle-experienced veterans knew from experience that human lives were surprisingly tough.

It was common for survivors who had avoided vital spots or suffered relatively minor injuries to feign death and hide on the scene.

The retired soldiers had no intention of leaving a single one alive.

A potential survivor could ruin everything.

“H-help me.”

“Here's one alive. Looks like an Orc from Erdei. How did he end up all the way here?”

“If you're going to ask that, then why did we come all the way here from Selan for no reason? Just hurry up and send him off without pain.”

“I was about to.”

Stab!

The retired soldiers acted mechanically.

It was so one-sided that it was embarrassing to even call it a battle.

The retired soldiers didn't even have time to get drunk on the excitement of the fight.

In the first place, very few arrows had missed their mark.

Their skills may have rusted a bit, but the retired veterans were still sharpshooters.

After finishing off the last of the wounded, the retired soldiers began the cleanup.

“It'll be difficult to bury these guys now. What should we do? It'll be hard to claim they were attacked by bandits from the capital.”

“It’s ridiculous for bandits to appear at a time like this. Let's make it simple. Make it look like there was infighting among them.”

“That's a good idea.”

The reason for messing up the traces left on the battlefield was at Leon's request.

Leon said that Isak, being a cautious man, would send pursuers if he lost contact with Nilion, so there was a need to create confusion.

─ Please mess up the traces left on the battlefield. Make it look natural so that whoever finds it won't be suspicious.

─ That? Us? Why?

And the retired soldiers, naturally, resisted.

It wasn't because Leon's request was too difficult or because their free-spirited nature kicked in, but simply because of Leon's authority.

That's right.

Leon did not have the authority to command the retired soldiers.

─ What was that? I can't hear you, neener-neener.

─ I do not take orders from someone weaker than me.

A childish reaction that was beyond edgy.

To understand this, one first needed to understand Zeta's status among the Snow Elves.

To the Snow Elves, Zeta's status was extraordinary.

─ Lady Zeta is... just a god!

A very long time ago, after Zeta saved the crumbling Selan, she became a light, an idol, and a god to the Snow Elves.

Of course, they were not the generation that experienced it directly; it was a story they had heard from their elders, but that did not diminish Zeta's authority.

Moreover, even after their retirement, Zeta continued to look after them by arranging new jobs, so her grace could be said to be as vast as the sea.

That's why everyone dropped what they were doing and came running at the sudden emergency summons....

But when they arrived, Zeta was nowhere to be seen, and only the notoriously troublemaking royal from the Imperial Capital was there, so everyone got sulky.

It could be said to be a situation similar to when a male singer shows up at a military base concert instead of the female idol the soldiers were expecting.

─ Ah, I came out because Lady Zeta called for the first time in a while, so why is this troublemaker here?

─ A representative, he says. Do you want to die? Seriously.

However, the retired soldiers' complaints were easily suppressed by Ryuba.

─ You're the ones who'll be dying, you bastards. Aren't you going to get a move on? Does the title of Lady Zeta's representative sound like a joke to you? Do you want to holmgang with me?

Holmgang is the word for duel in the Selan language.

And Ryuba was a man who had once risen to the position of Zeta's adjutant on his fighting skills alone.

The retired soldiers also possessed considerable martial prowess, but they had no confidence in defeating Ryuba.

They grumbled about the extra work but carried out the instructions Leon had given.

“No, you shouldn't stab there. Did you forget all the vital points after retiring?”

“It would be strange if he died in one hit. It looks more plausible if there are a lot of wounds.”

“Ah, I see.”

“More importantly, collect the arrows properly. I smuggled them out of the state armory when I retired.”

“What? You used them all by yourself? You cheap bastard.”

The retired soldiers were fundamentally veteran soldiers familiar with battle.

Creating plausible traces was not that difficult.

After finishing by creating a long line of footprints, the retired soldiers returned to the hill where they had ambushed.

What greeted them was Ryuba with a dumbfounded expression.

“……?”

For a moment, the retired soldiers got goosebumps.

While the retired soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield, Ryuba had remained on the hill to guard Leon.

For such a Ryuba to be making a serious face must be a sign that something bad had happened.

Although they regarded Leon as dirt on their toes, was he not still Zeta's representative?

He was even Zeta's disciple at one point.

Even though Zeta was the first to quit, saying she couldn't do it anymore, it was a fact that they had a master-disciple relationship.

Besides, if Zeta truly had no affection for Leon, she wouldn't have assigned them to him.

Of course, the reason they were summoned was because Leon had intentionally escalated the incident and overstepped his authority, but the retired soldiers, unaware of the exact circumstances, suddenly became afraid.

Did something really happen to Leon?

How disappointed would Zeta be?

What would she think of them, who couldn't even carry out a mission properly?

“N-no!”

“Hey, what is it? What's wrong?”

“It's not an accident, right? Where's Leon?”

Ryuba's silence greatly stimulated the Snow Elves' anxiety.

The Snow Elves, terrified at just the thought of Zeta being disappointed, began to interrogate Ryuba.

Just as the atmosphere was about to turn sour.

Ryuba finally opened his mouth.

“Leon, that guy, what on earth is he?”

It was a monologue.

As if he couldn't believe what he had witnessed.

Only the Snow Elves who didn't know the situation were bewildered.

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