The First Mission (3)
“Are you talking about Viscount Ian Miller?”
“Yes, that bastard.”
The guild leader gave his subordinate a disinterested look.
“He’ll probably come.”
“Ah, that guy’s always been unpleasant.”
“Watch your mouth. He’s one of the young nobles Marquis Redcliffe favors.”
“Exactly. He acts like he’s above everyone even though he’s just a messenger who didn’t even pay for the job himself.”
The guild leader frowned at the man’s grumbling.
“Don’t even think about saying that in front of him……”
“Enough with the nagging, Leader. Do you think I’m stupid enough to miss something that obvious?”
The man must have been feeling the alcohol. He half-closed his drowsy eyes and sprawled across the sofa.
“Aah~ I just want to get out there and collect the payment already.”
“To speak such blasphemy inside the temple. You really aren’t cut out for heaven.”
“And what about you, picking a fight with me this whole time? You want to go at it?”
“Think you can win?”
The two mercenaries shot to their feet as if they were about to brawl.
But the moment they felt the guild leader’s piercing killing intent, they clicked their tongues and sat back down.
“……Hm?”
Just then, the young member who had been quietly feeding dry logs into the fireplace tilted his head.
He had stayed out of the seniors’ conversation until now, but he finally spoke.
“Did anyone else just hear something?”
“What sound? Are you hearing things now?”
“It wasn’t my imagination. I heard something outside the door……”
“This is a secret room only the deputy cardinal and us know about. If there was a sound, it was probably just him passing by.”
Strange. He would have noticed the deputy cardinal’s presence long ago.
The young member scratched his head and glanced at the leader.
‘The leader isn’t reacting, so I must have misheard.’
He offered an awkward smile and nodded.
“Ah, I must have been mistaken. Sorry, everyone.”
“Look at him, trying so hard to act like one of us.”
The young member only smiled sheepishly at the teasing.
That was why he missed it again.
The faint sound that came once more from beyond the door.
* * *
‘The Leon Holy Kingdom.’
I walked at a pace that wouldn’t seem unnatural to anyone watching.
By deliberately sticking to places where no one’s presence could be felt, I encountered no one.
‘They commissioned the guild to release mutant monsters inside the Holy Kingdom.’
The conversation I had overheard in the secret room was shocking.
Even for someone like me who had experienced all sorts of absurd things, it was difficult to comprehend.
‘What on earth are they planning?’
If the Holy Kingdom gave the order, then it ultimately came from the Holy Emperor.
Why would he issue such an incomprehensible command?
‘Even if the current Holy Emperor is far from being pure and upright……’
Though he accepted all manner of bribes and was rigid in his thinking, he had never before committed acts that would cause mass casualties.
He simply wasn’t foolish or bold enough for that.
‘If it ever came out that the Holy Kingdom was behind it, the backlash would be enormous.’
Releasing monsters on purpose, knowing full well that victims would appear.
I couldn’t begin to guess the reason.
Why would they do something like this?
‘And what about the commission from the Redcliffe family?’
Those people were clearly willing to do anything to put the Second Prince on the throne.
Did that mean they had commissioned the guild to eliminate Edwin?
‘But the ones in the organization weren’t involved.’
The man who targeted Edwin during the hunting competition had clearly said, “The Angel’s Breath will reach him.” The people trying to kill Edwin definitely belonged to the guild.
‘So they must have received a different commission.’
What could it be?
I stopped in place, frowning.
‘Honestly, that isn’t the only thing bothering me.’
Accepting a commission from the Redcliffe family while also taking one from the Holy Kingdom.
Unless the requests were easy to fulfill, it was rare for a guild to accept multiple commissions at once.
Whether it was a mercenary group or an assassin guild.
‘Neither side is the type to hand out simple jobs. That means the commissions can be carried out together. Or perhaps……’
Maybe the Holy Kingdom’s request and the Redcliffe family’s request were connected.
My thoughts grew increasingly tangled.
‘And what about that viscount at the end?’
Viscount Miller, was it? The name sounded familiar.
‘Ah, the letter in the empress’s room.’
Among the names written in the letter found in the empress’s study drawer, there had been someone with the surname “Miller.”
‘I remembered it because the first name was the same as Ian’s.’
I didn’t know who he was, but he didn’t leave a good impression.
I tried to picture the face of the man named Ian Miller, then gave up.
Just thinking about everything else already gave me a headache.
‘It feels like I’ve been handed a knotted ball of thread.’
The mercenary guild, the Redcliffe family, the Leon Holy Kingdom, mutant monsters.
Things that seemed completely unrelated were now intricately intertwined.
At the moment, there was no way to untangle them.
‘What is it?’
I narrowed my eyes and turned around.
Several crows were circling above the chapel where the bell tower stood.
Watching their glossy black feathers reminded me of someone.
‘In that case, does the King of Adamant—Kaiden—already have some idea about this?’
I recalled those golden eyes that seemed to see through everything.
And that unreadable gaze.
‘I don’t know.’
It was truly unknowable.
I couldn’t be certain, but I had a vague feeling that things were far more serious than I had anticipated.
‘No, there’s no point overcomplicating things right now.’
If you think something is a problem, even trivial matters become problems. If you think something is complicated, it becomes complicated.
‘First, make Edwin the crown prince. I’ll only think about that.’
All I had to do was remove anyone who stood in Edwin’s way.
By any means necessary.
‘In that case, those people are clearly obstacles.’
I slipped out of the temple without a sound and made my resolve.
‘Whatever they are, obstacles must be eliminated.’
A fitting determination for both a prince’s nanny and a former assassin guild leader.
* * *
In the dead of night, while everyone slept.
I stared at the glowing orb beneath my blanket.
[The Holy Kingdom and the mercenary guild, huh.]
The translucent image of Kaiden projected by the communication orb lit up the inside of the blanket.
[Things are getting interesting.]
“I don’t know. No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem like an interesting situation.”
When I replied in a dry voice, Kaiden laughed.
Even after hearing the full report, his expression remained relaxed.
“You’re not in trouble, are you?”
I stared at Kaiden in silence.
“The Holy Kingdom said they would impose sanctions on Adamant.”
[Hah, sanctions?]
Kaiden snorted as if the idea were ridiculous.
[On what grounds? They’re the ones who released monsters and did something shady, and now they want to blame someone else?]
The brat thinks he can act arrogant just because he founded a country.
Does he not understand why the Holy Kingdom has remained firmly in power despite being riddled with corruption?
I frowned and opened my mouth.
“The Holy Kingdom’s influence is stronger than you think. If they start applying pressure diplomatically or religiously, even you will have a headache.”
At that moment, a spark of interest flashed in Kaiden’s eyes.
[Hmm, a headache. What kind, exactly?]
“They might refuse to send priests to Adamant, or withdraw their temples entirely. Diplomatically, they could rally neighboring countries with strong faith to immediately cut off trade routes.”
Surely he hadn’t failed to consider that?
When I looked at him doubtfully, Kaiden suddenly burst into laughter.
[Haha, honestly.]
After laughing for a while, Kaiden rested his chin on his hand and tilted his head.
[You really are clever, aren’t you?]
He stared at me as if I were standing right in front of him.
[Far too clever to be a nanny.]
Did I sound like I knew too much?
I changed the subject, pretending it was nothing.
“You flatter me. I was only stating the obvious.”
Anyone could think of that.
Anyone with a brain wouldn’t overlook the Holy Kingdom’s influence across the continent.
[Is that so?]
Kaiden gave me a crooked smile at my answer.
[At least, it’s not obvious for a nanny.]
“Are you looking down on nannies?”
[Of course not.]
He widened his eyes in mock surprise.
Yet in those upturned eyes, I couldn’t detect even the slightest hint of wavering.
[I’ve never looked down on you. I simply had preconceptions.]
“The preconception that nannies are ignorant?”
[It’s a preconception I discarded after meeting you, so there’s no need to worry.]
He really was an unusual man.
Most people who were skilled with a sword lacked eloquence.
But Kaiden never lost an argument, so it seemed he had honed his tongue as well.
[More than anything, I was surprised by you again, Lady Brown. I never dreamed you would complete this mission so quickly.]
So he really had been underestimating me.
I looked at Kaiden with a blank expression.
“……So what will you do now?”
[Now, huh.]
Kaiden drummed his fingers on the desk with a deliberately serious look.
[This is troublesome. It’s still too early to strike the Holy Kingdom directly.]