The Trisen Magic Knight Corps Headquarters.
“Haa, why do I have to come to a place like this…”
A man clad in silver armor sighed with a displeased look. He was Jin Dalva, the副官 (fukukan – vice-captain) of the Ironclad Knights, and the only son of the Ironclad Knights’ General, Dan. He had personally come to the Magic Knight Corps Headquarters to summon Clive Tellerace, the General of the Magic Knight Corps, who had been showing no signs of responding to the summons. Although this was a role that would normally fall to someone of lower rank, this particular summons was for a Round Table Conference. It was a meeting where even a mere soldier would not be permitted to enter. Jin, standing at the very edge of qualification for such a role, had automatically been assigned this task.
“In the past, I would have come here eagerly, just to peek…”
The Magic Knight Corps, a branch of the Trisen military, was composed entirely of women. Many were from noble families, possessing modest demeanor and beautiful appearances. In a military unit that was overwhelmingly masculine, they were considered a rare and prized flower. That is, until a certain person arrived—
Jin, recalling his father’s irritated face, forced himself to move forward with heavy steps. He finally reached Clive’s room within the headquarters.
On his way here, he had passed several female knights. However, as he was of a relatively high rank, they had only offered him a slight nod in acknowledgment. A decade ago, such an encounter would have made him stop in his tracks and offer a crisp salute.
(Honestly, he seems completely out of it, doesn’t he?)
His eyes lacked sparkle, as if devoid of life. With that thought lingering in the back of his mind, Jin knocked on the door. After a pause, a voice replied from within the room.
“Hmm? The door’s unlocked, so you can come in~”
While her voice was clear and beautiful, her way of speaking was strangely apathetic. Jin sighed once more before opening the door and reaching for the doorknob.
“Excuse me!”
Pushing open the door with some force, Jin stepped into a dark room that smelled strangely, perhaps from incense. He felt his danger perception kicking in, warning him that prolonged exposure might drive him mad, as he turned his gaze forward. The curtains were drawn, and a sliver of light pierced through, but it wasn’t enough to illuminate the room adequately. Something seemed to be wriggling on a large bed in the back of the room, but Jin couldn’t see it clearly from where he stood. However, his eyes were unavoidably drawn to the scattered women’s clothing beneath the bed.
“Oh? You’re not one of my subordinates… Who are you again?”
A figure emerged from the darkness, turning only its head towards Jin. The figure was about 180 centimeters tall, similar to Jin. At first glance, he appeared gentle, but his well-defined muscles indicated he was well-trained. Above all, what was striking was his unparalleled beauty, as if he were crafted from an ideal. Many village or town girls would have been captivated by a mere smile from him. In fact, even nobles were no exception. As evidenced by the fact that one of them was currently collapsed there.
“I am Jin Dalva, Vice-Captain of the Ironclad Knights!”
“…Ah, yes~ You’re from Dan’s unit.”
Clive made a gesture as if he were recalling something.
“His Majesty has issued a summons for a Round Table Conference. General Clive Tellerace, you are requested to attend immediately!”
“What a bother… I’m very busy right now~”
Clive’s figure vanished back into the darkness, and the sound of the bed creaking began anew. Jin was starting to get impatient, thinking he had to be going too far. But this was a battle of endurance; he couldn’t afford to disgrace his father’s name.
“A general vote is being held. The agenda will not be disclosed here, but the current vote is split 2 to 2.”
The wriggling stopped abruptly.
“…Who is the proposer of that?”
“I cannot say at this location.”
“Hmm…”
Clive stood up on the bed, as if saying, “I guess I have no choice.”
“I hope it’s Shutra-chan who proposed it~”
He felt as though his melodious and handsome face had contorted grotesquely in the darkness.
***
Kelvin’s Mansion – Underground Prison
“That’s about all the information we could extract from him.”
“…Hmm, so Trisen has finally made their move, you say?”
Last night, we succeeded in capturing the man who seemed to be the leader of the group monitoring my mansion. Just like with Kokufu, we had Sera use her Black Magic to extract all the information from him. It turns out Otto-kun is one of the captains in an organization called the Dark Section of Trisen. According to his testimony, Trisen has five armies, each with a hierarchy of General, Vice-Captain, Battalion Commander, and Captain. Otto-kun’s unit appears to be a small one. Well, it’s not like a large group of assassins or spies would be sent, is it?
Regarding Christoph and the others, they genuinely believed they were heroes of Trisen and harbored a hatred towards me and Touya for condemning them as bandit leaders, as if we had killed their parents. If even a captain-class officer of the military, albeit a low-ranking one, thinks this way, then Trisen’s true nature is likely known only to a select few at the top. Information control is truly a frightening thing.
After extracting most of the information, Sera applied some strong “fleeting dream” magic and then we tossed him into the hastily prepared prison underground. I informed the Guild Master, Rio, of the whole affair, and here we are.
“Trisen, which has so far denied any connection to Kokufu and striven to avoid escalating matters, is now plotting an assassination. The de facto mastermind behind this affair seems to be the First Prince, Azgrad, but we still lack sufficient information. …Actually, recently, we’ve observed various movements, both large and small, around Trisen’s borders.”
“…What do you mean?”
“While there have been minor skirmishes with Gaun before, they have never taken such overt actions. Furthermore, they have always been considerate of Pars, the symbol of peace, and Traage, who is crucial for our food supply. But now, they are conducting power reconnaissance and slave procurement towards neighboring countries… Perhaps, for some reason, their internal situation has changed, shifting from a moderate faction to a radical one. If this continues, Trisen may resort to acts of aggression.”
“War, you say?”
“Yes.”
Since the Kokufu incident was revealed, Traage, Delamis, and Gaun have jointly condemned Trisen and initiated an investigation. Trisen’s response has been nothing but denials, but the evidence against them is overwhelming. Are they trying to provoke a war with the three nations as a last resort, cornered as they are? Rationally speaking, that would be far too reckless…
“At this stage, it is still merely my personal prediction. However, please be extremely cautious. If his testimony is to be believed, Kelvin-kun is also highly likely to be targeted.”
“…Yes, I will keep that firmly in mind.”
In any case, it’s always better to be on guard. Perhaps I should increase the pace of making equipment for Rion as well.
“Ah, yes. I had a request for Kelvin-kun.”
“A special request from the Guild Master? It’s been a while.”
“No, this time it’s not from me. It’s from the Beast King of the Beast Kingdom Gaun, Leonhart Gaun-sama.”
Rio casually produced a very luxurious envelope from his pocket, as if he were taking out a cigarette.
