The First Mission (4)
What? All-out war with the Holy Kingdom?
What on earth was this man saying?
I stared at Kaiden in utter shock.
The moment we turn the Holy Kingdom into an enemy, the Pope will declare a holy war in the name of God. Adamant would instantly become the enemy of every nation that believes in the divine.
It was something that could never be allowed to happen.
Not if he didn’t want to destroy the kingdom he had only just built.
“Your Highness is the one speaking of serious matters.”
Kaiden laughed heartily when he saw my grave expression.
“But that would only return us to the starting point. The Holy Kingdom will continue producing more mutant monsters.”
It seemed he had decided to pursue any traces of the Holy Kingdom as a secondary objective while subjugating the mutant monsters.
That made sense. Doing it that way would prevent the Holy Kingdom from growing suspicious.
Besides, the Adamant Kingdom had always specialized in monster subjugation.
“But are there really that many mutant monsters?”
The only one we had encountered in Luxen Village was a single creature. Looking back now, it might have been a stray that had wandered from its pack and become trapped inside the village.
Why was he telling me this?
I simply looked at him in silence.
At my cold gaze that held not the slightest interest, he laughed again, somewhat foolishly.
“I was not aware.”
Nor did I particularly want to be.
I changed the subject first. There was no point in prolonging the conversation; it would only exhaust me. Better to address the main issue and end the communication quickly.
“Then what would you have me do now?”
The suspicious movements of the priests entering and leaving the imperial palace had already been fully uncovered. So what could I do now to satisfy Kaiden?
“Should I attempt to gather more information from the main temple?”
Kaiden stared at me for a moment before continuing.
What was he getting at?
My expression grew puzzled. Kaiden’s voice carried a hint of amusement.
“You want me to investigate behind the marquisate?”
If he had suggested such a thing to an ordinary nanny, it would have been the same as ordering her to die. Investigating one of the empire’s most powerful noble houses was a task that required staking one’s life.
…This bastard.
I fixed Kaiden with a steady glare even as he continued to smile.
Does he truly have no expectations of me, or is this a test?
He couldn’t have no expectations after I had perfectly completed the first mission he assigned me. So this was a test after all.
It wasn’t difficult to understand.
From Kaiden’s perspective, it doesn’t matter whether I fail or succeed.
Failure would simply cost him one informant inside the imperial palace. Success would hand him the Radcliffe Marquisate’s weaknesses with minimal effort. For the King of Adamant, neither outcome carried any real loss.
“…Understood.”
Kaiden’s eyes sparkled at my answer.
“I will investigate the Radcliffe Marquisate.”
In any case, the family required thorough examination. Above all, it was the maternal house of the Second Empress who had tried to kill Edwin, and the faction led by the head of the noble party.
Yes, being liked was better than being disliked.
I gave a small, indifferent nod.
“Thank you.”
“Your Highness Kaiden.”
At the sudden address, Kaiden raised one eyebrow.
“This time, may I ask a favor of Your Highness as well?”
King and nanny. An insurmountable gap in status existed between us, yet our relationship was not that of sovereign and subject but of allies. Therefore I had every right to ask him for a favor.
“Yes. We are allies, are we not?”
This time Kaiden laughed loudly enough that I instinctively scanned our surroundings again, even though I knew no one was nearby.
The young king wore a relaxed expression that seemed to say, Go on, let’s hear it.
“It is not something I need immediately.”
I kept my face as calm as possible.
“However, even after this alliance ends, I hope you will still grant me one request in the future.”
“Yes.”
Kaiden’s expression grew odd. He stared at me in silence for a long moment before offering a faint smile.
“I have not the slightest intention of making such a request, so you may rest easy.”
Since the request did not involve staking his life, he granted permission readily. Kaiden placed his hand over the crystal orb as though ending the call and smiled at me.
The members of Angel’s Breath whose whereabouts remained unknown. Kaiden was still tracking them. Not purely for my sake, of course.
“Understood.”
Kaiden’s face shimmered within the crystal orb half-covered by my palm.
With a bedtime greeting that didn’t suit him in the slightest, the light of the communication orb faded.
I stared quietly at the orb in my hand.
Should I have returned the greeting?
It wasn’t that it truly bothered me, yet the thought left me strangely unsettled. He wouldn’t accuse me of disrespect later for failing to respond when the king himself had offered a greeting, would he?
Those in high positions have always been known for their fickle natures.
Still, since Kaiden came from commoner roots, perhaps he would understand. Maybe he would simply think that, as a fellow commoner, I still retained some rough edges.
Oh well. If it happens again, I’ll return the greeting.
In all my life, I had never exchanged bedtime greetings with any man except Ian. Edwin didn’t count; he was closer to a child than a man.
What a ridiculous fellow.
Who in their right mind would first bid good night to someone so far beneath their station? Perhaps the King of Adamant had a softer side than I had imagined.
Anyway, the Radcliffe Marquisate.
I already possessed some information, but after a year’s gap it would be necessary to gather fresh intelligence.
Even with Catherine’s network, obtaining truly important details about them will be difficult this time.
The Radcliffe Marquisate was a great noble house comparable to the Crowner Ducal Family. Gathering information on them alone would be no small feat.
Then there’s no choice.
I recalled the slightly dangerous but most reliable method.
I’ll have to go there.
It was complicated, but unavoidable. Once again, it seemed I would have to make use of connections from my previous life.
“This is unfair. How can you do this?”
Edwin grumbled as he watched me load baggage onto the saddle.
“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand that you were taking a vacation?”
It was the first vacation I had been granted since becoming a nanny. Though it was hardly a vacation for my own sake.
“I apologize for not informing you in advance.”
“Can’t you just not go?”
“Even a nanny requires rest.”
“Then can’t I come with you?”
A vacation spent with one’s superior? That could hardly be called a vacation.
“Let’s go together, please?”
Edwin whined at me as I mounted the horse.
“I’ve become much stronger now. I could be helpful.”
“No.”
At my firm refusal, Edwin’s face fell. He pouted, then muttered under his breath.
“You took me with you to Luxen Village last time.”
“That situation was unavoidable.”
“Why can’t I go this time?”
“…Because it’s dangerous.”
“You said it was your hometown.”
Edwin raised one eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
“Why would your hometown be dangerous?”
“The place I lived was a harsh region. The terrain is rugged and there are few people, so public order is poor. I cannot possibly take Your Highness there.”
“Is the Brown Count’s estate in such a dangerous location?”
Of course not.
The hometown I spoke of was not that of ‘Rachel Brown.’ Nor was it the hometown from my days as ‘Kayla’ living with Emma.
It was the hometown of Kayla Angel.
Or, more precisely, the place where the person who had turned me into Kayla Angel resided.
That was the true destination of this supposed vacation.