Bonus chapter thanks to @Bismarck04 and @haleyenda for subscription to 'Blink' tier on Ko-fi.Stars, Moon, and the Night Garden
"The force manipulating the Seekers from the shadows… is the Cult."
"What...?"
My sudden bombshell declaration left everyone in the audience chamber speechless.
Well, there weren't that many people present to begin with.
I quietly observed their bewildered blue eyes.
Neria was the first to break the silence that hung in the air.
"That's a… rather outlandish claim, Young Master Lishite."
Her words dripped with skepticism.
Or rather, it was closer to, 'What nonsense is this lunatic spouting now?'
It was an expected reaction.
It was too sudden a revelation to accept blindly.
"The Cult as the mastermind… That's a strange accusation, Young Master Lishite."
Seon, who was standing next to Neria, also frowned at .
Lucy remained silent, but she seed to share their sentints.
Everyone except one person was looking at with distrust.
Yes, everyone except one.
I turned my head slightly and looked at that person.
"......"
My gaze t the Emperor's oddly bright blue eyes.
Milliam's face was a mixture of surprise and intrigue.
I smiled inwardly.
'As expected, he had an inkling.'
'Bingo.'
The Emperor was hailed as the wisest in the history of the Empire.
Milliam von Lietro.
With his insightful nature and ability to see through the world, I had a hunch he might have sensed sothing was amiss.
And it seed I was right.
"That's a very intriguing story, Young Master Lishite."
"You were aware of this, Your Majesty?"
"Chuckle… You're treading on dangerous ground. I have no desire for conflict with the Cult."
His answer was evasive, but he didn't deny it.
He simply stated that he wished to avoid conflict with the Cult.
In other words, his statent implied, 'It's a sensitive topic, so I can't comnt, but I'll hear you out.'
It was practically a tacit agreent.
"Your Majesty...?"
"Fa-Father...?"
Neria and Seon looked up at the throne in response to Milliam's reaction.
Unfazed, the Emperor stroked his chin and smiled.
"Adventures are dangerous. Especially without adequate preparation."
= I haven't taken any action because there's no concrete evidence. The Cult is too powerful to confront based on re suspicion.
"Wise words. Stirring a hornet's nest carries its risks."
= I understand. It's a matter that could plunge the Empire into chaos once more.
" Young Master Lishite, I never thought you'd be interested in such things."
= It's a matter known only to a handful within the Imperial family. How did you co to know about this?
"I had the opportunity to learn by chance, over soone's shoulder."
= I happened to learn about it during this recent attack.
"Oh? You must have been taught by quite the expert."
= Are you certain about this information?
"I was fortunate enough to et a skilled rcenary."
= Yes, I heard it directly from a high-ranking mber of the Seekers I encountered during the attack.
Milliam, who had been listening intently, paused at my final answer.
His expression turned serious.
"Can you take responsibility for your hypothesis?"
"I uncovered this information while interrogating the attackers we subdued. Considering all mbers corroborated the sa story, I believe it's safe to assu its veracity."
Of course, that was a blatant lie.
The only conversations I had with those guys were along the lines of, 'I'm going to kill you.'
The only reason I knew the Cult was the mastermind was because of my knowledge of the original story.
Since it's a fact that the Cult is the mastermind, it shouldn't matter, right?
After all, if you mix one truth with one lie, you get two truths.
"It's not an easy story to believe… but if what you say is true, the age of adventure will soon be upon us."
= If what you say is true, a bloodbath will soon engulf the Empire.
Milliam muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Even the slight narrowing of his eyelids exuded an inexplicable charisma.
"However, Your Majesty… even with the Young Master Lishite's assurance, there's no evidence, is there?"
"Exactly, Father! How can you believe such an absurd claim?!"
"Neria, show so respect to His Majesty."
"But it's true! Brother, you think the sa, don't you?!"
Seon and Neria still seed unconvinced.
Milliam nodded as if acknowledging the validity of their concerns.
"It's an intriguing topic, but… your words lack any concrete basis."
"That is correct."
"Furthermore, there's no one but you to corroborate the claim that you extracted this information through interrogation."
"That is also correct."
As Milliam pointed out, my argunt was not flawless.
It would be difficult to prove conclusively that the Cult was the mastermind.
But this was enough.
My goal was simply to grab their attention.
This much was enough to heighten Milliam's vigilance and suspicion towards the Cult.
'I'd consider this… a success.'
I had piqued Milliam's interest and drawn him into the ga.
From now on, the Cult would have a hard ti trying to outsmart the world's greatest intellect.
Their activities would naturally be hampered.
"It's a bit audacious of you to try and manipulate like a chess piece, but the story is intriguing enough for to let it slide."
"......"
…Damn, he saw right through .
A shiver ran down my spine.
Milliam waved his hand dismissively as if telling to relax.
"No need to be tense. Consider it a complint."
"I am honored."
"By the way… you seem quite invested in this matter. The way you're approaching it so proactively."
"Wouldn't that be natural?"
I t Milliam's gaze directly.
The Seekers, and the Cult…
"They are my mother's enemies."
Milliam was montarily taken aback by my calm tone.
He coughed awkwardly as if realizing he had touched a sensitive subject.
"Ahem… I apologize for my insensitive remark."
"It's alright."
"I will keep your words in mind."
"I am grateful."
Milliam chuckled at my curt response.
"You've changed so much… I heard you've even stopped your awkward delinquent act."
"Yes, that is correct."
"How does it feel? To shed that mask?"
"It… wasn't as refreshing as I thought it would be. I lost too much in the process."
I said, glancing at Lucy and Neria standing a short distance away.
They had been lost in thought since the middle of my conversation with Milliam.
Neria frowned when our eyes t, while Lucy averted her gaze and turned her head away.
I gestured towards them with a slight shrug.
Milliam smiled wryly.
"Please take care of them… They're good children, you know."
"Of course."
"Do you know how much Lucy grieved when you suddenly disappeared?"
"Huh...?"
I was taken aback by his unexpected words.
Milliam chuckled.
"It was a ss… She shut herself in her room, refused to eat, and cried for days…"
"Yo-Your Majesty…!"
Lucy quickly intervened to stop the embarrassing revelation.
Her cheeks were flushed crimson.
I couldn't help but feel a surge of confusion.
It had only been about half a year since Raiden's disappearance.
Did that an she still cared about Raiden until recently?
Surely, Milliam was just teasing… right?
As I was drowning in a sea of doubt, Milliam smoothly steered the conversation back on track.
“Well, we can talk about that later… We've strayed quite a bit from the original topic. We were discussing your reward.”
The Emperor stroked his beard as if in thought.
"What is it that you desire? I doubt there's anything the eldest son of a Duke's family would lack… but tell nonetheless."
"I have sothing in mind."
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