"It's a lot bigger than I thought."
"It is. This has been the capital of several kingdoms for thousands of years."
I ca to the imperial plaza in the capital with Ross.
This plaza was located in the center of the capital, and wide roads stretched out in all directions: east, west, south, and north from the plaza.
In the middle of the plaza stood a magnificent triumphal arch, and to the north of the road was a trendously large palace.
Although it couldn't have been real gold, the entire palace glead with a golden light. A temple could also be seen partway up the mountain.
The capital was located between the central and western mountain ranges.
With steep mountains on either side and a desert to the south, the road to the capital was so treacherous that it had beco the capital since ancient tis for this very reason.
"What day is the audience again?"
"In three days. The banquet is the day after."
"Let's get sothing to eat first. I know a place with good food."
Ross and I strolled through the plaza.
The wealth of the empire was apparent just by looking at the sculptures in the plaza.
Huge bronze statues, carefully tended flower gardens, and rows of street trees.
The streets were also extrely clean.
No wonder they said the east was the countryside of all countrysides.
Everything here looked wealthy and splendid. Everyone was dressed like a noble.
Not a single person looked shabby.
"I don't see any commoners."
"Of course not. All those buildings belong to nobles or huge rchant guilds. Commoners have no reason to co here. Everything is expensive, and first-class citizens give disapproving looks."
"First-class citizens?"
"In this capital, people call the citizens of the capital 'first-class citizens'. Commoners, who are a grade below citizens, can't even set foot here. Here's the inn."
I followed Ross into an elegant restaurant. We sat by a window on the third floor.
When the server ca, Ross ordered with practiced familiarity. All the dishes were ones I had never heard of.
"Did you co here often?"
"When I was young. Mother's family isn't far from here. Whenever we ca to the capital from the west, we always ate here."
"I wonder what happened to your maternal family."
"I'm not sure. I think they're still around, though."
"Let's go visit after we eat."
"I feel a bit reluctant."
"Because it reminds you of mother?"
Ross nodded.
If mother's family was in ruins, it would be painful to see. The image of his relatives who died tragically would be vivid in his mind.
The food ca, and we ate.
The steak was to my taste, similar to those I liked. I couldn't recall clearly, but it felt like sothing I'd eaten as a child.
/ / /
After eating, we headed to his maternal family's ho.
Ross headed to the luxury inn where we would be staying for a few days, and I went out alone.
I walked around the city for about thirty minutes, and as I entered the nobles' estate district, I sensed soone tailing .
Pretending not to notice, I kept walking.
Estates were sowhat different from regular houses.
There were no grand buildings, but instead many low buildings on very broad land.
The estate was surrounded by a wall, another distinguishing feature.
The maternal family ho that was said to have burned down was gone.
The symbol of the Stranger house had completely disappeared, replaced everywhere by another house's emblem.
I was looking at mother's forr house when—
"You've arrived, sir."
"Yes. Has everyone assembled?"
"They're waiting in position across the area."
It was Donnie, disguised as a traveler.
A few team mbers were probably nearby, assigned to guard .
Donnie's tailing skills were a bit awkward, but it didn't matter. He wasn't a surveillance expert.
"Who lives here now?"
"The Landan viscount house. They're called the Syren family's lackey and are also subordinates to the head of that house."
"They're the ones who wiped out your maternal family?"
"Yes."
I burned the image of the Landan house's symbol into my mind.
A white stag emblem.
The number two house slated for eradication after the Syren family.
"What's the current state of the nobles?"
Donnie glanced at a note before speaking.
"There are 18 prominent noble houses in the capital. Six of them, including the Watts count house, used to be close to the Hader house and the Stranger house. Two of these have switched sides to the Syren family."
"What about Count Watts?"
"He's always been neutral. In fact, two houses closer to us seem to have moved to the Syren family's side."
"They must have done it to survive."
Donnie neither agreed nor disagreed.
"Which house represents the neutral faction?"
"That would also be the Watts house. The Watts counts have traditionally produced military commanders, and their private army is the largest among the houses."
"Is anyone from the Watts house in the current military?"
"Yes. The current commander of the capital defense forces is Count Watts, and the deputy-commander of the central army is his eldest son. Count Watts and the head of your house were classmates at the Imperial Sword Academy and commissioned in the sa year."
"I heard my uncle was also a friend?"
"That's right. Viscount Nave of the Stranger house was also a classmate of the head of your house at the Imperial Sword Academy and was the deputy-commander of the Imperial Knight Order."
My father and Uncle Nave.
And Count Watts.
These three were classmates and friends.
"What about the Imperial Knight Order commander?"
"Regardless of his forr stance, right now he's close to the Syren family. At present, the only influential people in the capital to whom we could appeal for help in an ergency are just two."
"Who?"
"The Tower Master of the mage's tower and the royal palace guard captain."
"They belong to the Emperor's faction, right?"
Donnie smiled in obvious surprise.
"You're exactly right. Both are strictly neutral groups and are not close to the Syren family. In fact, the guard captain tends to keep his distance. I couldn't confirm his relationship with the previous head of the house."
"What about the commander of the Royal Guard Knight Order?"
"He's a relative of the Syren family."
"I see."
The most powerful ard group in the capital is the Imperial Royal Guard Knight Order. The best knights from the Imperial Knight Order are transferred here. Naturally, the Syren family put one of their own at its head.
The mage's tower has always been extrely closed off and uninvolved in politics, and so it's remained neutral for generations.
As powerful as the royal guard knights, so even the Syren family can't wield power arbitrarily.
And then there's the royal palace guard captain.
He might not have been especially close to my father, but I could sense what kind of person he was.
I also understood why he kept his distance from the Syren family.
He probably clashed often with the royal guard knights. The guard is made up of soldiers, and would have been looked down on by the knights.
Even so, they constitute the major ard force of the royal palace.
"What are the numbers for the royal guard knights and the palace guard?"
"That's classified, so I'm not certain. According to a forr retainer of the Stranger house, the royal guard knights number about a hundred, and the palace guard around thirty thousand. That's from a roster ten years ago."
"They probably kept the knights as is and reduced the palace guard."
"That's likely."
They wouldn't have expanded the royal guard knight order further.
It's not easy to select knights from the Syren family with both loyalty and ability, nor is it as easy for them to wield magic as it is for us.
Hopefully nothing happens, but if sothing does, I'll need the help of the palace guard captain.
Even if he just ignores us, that would be a huge help.
Is he soone who could really help?
The magic tower is out of the question for now. Unless there's a war, they won't erge.
Still, it's significant that they're not part of the Syren family's forces.
"Approach the guard captain cautiously. There are three days until the banquet. If he shows an intention to et , I'll get a response by tomorrow. If the go-between seems suspicious or demands a huge sum, call it off."
"Understood."
"We enter the palace in three days. The team will standby near the palace. Move according to the signal. If nothing happens, we all withdraw together."
"I'll keep that in mind."
I left imdiately.
This banquet could well be the Syren family's trap.
If sothing does happen, there's no going back.
There's no way I'll let myself get caught and executed, so I'll turn everything upside down and flee to the east.
/ / /
The next morning.
After breakfast, I took a walk down the flower path in the plaza with Ross.
But from last evening, so people started tailing us.
n watching from afar.
They were the Syren family's watchers. Fortunately, they hadn't caught sight of
eting Donnie.
"I wonder whether I'll pass the revalidation."
"I'll have my title recognized after eting His Imperial Majesty before the banquet. If sothing happens after, it'll all be aningless anyway."
"Do you think Art Syren will appear?"
"He'll show up at the banquet hall."
Just then, a woman carrying a shopping basket approached. As she passed us, she casually dropped a slip of paper.
Probably sent by Donnie through a restaurant employee to avoid the watchers.
"Let's sit here for a mont."
"It's a good spot."
We sat naturally among the flowers.
Ross sniffed at the flowers, and I picked up and unfolded the note. As expected, it was an urgent ssage from Donnie.
《Lichel Garden. Noon. Back gate.》
"Guard captain?"
"Yeah. I didn't expect there was much chance, but this is a surprise."
"Will he help you?"
"He might not. Elder Brother, go back to the room. They might attempt an ambush, so don't let your guard down."
"Okay."
We got up side by side.
We resud our stroll.
Judging by the watchers' complete lack of reaction, they hadn't seen the woman drop the note. They were pretty far away.
Around noon, I headed to the place called Lichel Garden.
It was an estate arranged like a botanical garden. Through the walls, a beautiful forest could be seen. When I approached the gate, a security officer asked,
"What brings you here?"
"Is this the back gate?"
The security guard looked
over, then said,
"I need to check for weapons."
"Go ahead."
He searched .
I had nothing that could be considered a weapon.
"Please follow ."
I followed him into the estate.
I couldn't tell if "back gate" was a code word or just a literal description.
Most likely, the captain's side had agreed on the wording.
It was also impossible to discern the guard captain's true intentions for eting .
The security guard led
into a labyrinth overgrown with ivy. I tried to morize the path going in, but soon lost my sense of direction.
Not that I needed to worry, since I could leap over the walls if needed.
Still—
The maze was masterfully constructed. I couldn't figure out if I was heading toward an exit or deeper inside.
It felt like I was treading the sa path over and over.
"The guest has arrived. Well then."
The security guard rely showed
the way before leaving.
Where I arrived was a round clearing.
A round table and two chairs had been placed. Was I at the center of the maze, or had I co in by a separate entrance?
"Are you Roger Hader?"
"I am."
The voice ca from my right, beyond a wall. No one could be seen near the way I ca in.
"What business do you have with ?"
"It seems sothing will happen after His Imperial Majesty's banquet. Whatever occurs, I ask that you pretend not to know our group."
"You want my help to get away safely?"
The guard captain clearly knew sothing.
"That's right."
"What benefit do I gain by helping you?"
"Then why did you agree to hear
out?"
He was silent for a mont.
It was an obvious question for
to ask.
"I heard your house was completely destroyed and that your entire family was killed. I have a good idea who orchestrated it. But oddly enough..."
What was he trying to say?
"A high-ranking knight from a certain house, believed to be responsible for what happened, has gone missing. That house is trying to keep it quiet, but nobody's seen him since. Do you know anything about this?"
It was the man called Doge who ca to our fortress.
"I'd rather not say."
"You investigated . That's why you wanted to see . You must trust , then. Tell —did your house kill him?"
His intent was still unclear.
"I cannot tell you."
"What if I said I would help your house?"
What did the guard captain want from ? He wouldn't have agreed to et just to help us for nothing.
"Do you trust , Captain?"
He said nothing.
After a mont, an unexpected comnt:
"You look like you're still in your teens."
"I'm seventeen."
"To reach that level at your age..."
He had sensed my magic power. Just by the faint traces I unconsciously gave off, the guard captain had figured out my level.
"Be honest with . Was it your doing?"
I couldn't answer carelessly.
I couldn't even be sure that the person hiding behind the wall really was the guard captain. But I couldn't just drag things out forever.
"You're just curious about my strength. Those who do the right thing don't haggle or do things for calculation. I hope you're that kind of person."
His sincerity ca through in his voice.
In any event, I was already committed. Trust is built by reaching out first. After all, we had asked to et him.
"If a house attacks us..."
"...?"
"That house will be annihilated."
There was silence beyond the wall.
Then, a man stepped through what had only appeared to be a wall. Was it an optical illusion, or so kind of magic?
The man who erged was the guard captain.
A look of surprise and admiration showed in his eyes, as if he truly believed I could do such a thing.
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