BANG!
There’s a tunnel under the Palace of Great Blessings, and hundreds of North Korean tanks are waiting down there!
CONFETTI FALLS
Yeah, right. Who would actually believe that? Probably not even the folks claiming it! Most of them are just after a quick buck.
So what if it was Charlotte, out of nowhere, bringing this up?
WHAM!
The story goes that the North Korean army dug tunnels to attack the South and they usually just doodle on a map claiming “Here’s a tunnel, and here’s a tank,” with zero evidence.
If some serious politician or so-called expert took it seriously and rushed in with fancy gear, who knows what would happen? It’s an investigation of something nonexistent, so the only conclusion left is “nope.”
But if, by some cosmic miracle, those experts said, “Uh, there’s actually something here?”—then, oh boy, things will change!
Imagine if they really found tanks and bombs down there. What could you even say when the evidence is just chilling in front of you?
In that sense, I was definitely not an expert.
NOPE!
No expertise here, just a little history from Velbur learned from a textbook and some basic classes in this world. Naturally, that “external history” doesn’t talk much about how their folks oppressed others.
Actually, modern historical research just started popping up around here. Most historical accounts are just massive events seen from their perspective.
Given that, calling myself an expert would be a joke, so it’s totally understandable if my claims about a tunnel get ignored—
DING!
“…Can you take responsibility for what you say?”
That night, I went straight to the Lutetia palace and got my shot to convince King of Velbur with my claims.
Sure, I’m no expert, but I’m definitely a ‘proficient crackpot’ who can spin a tale nicely!
WHOOSH!
Proficient crackpots are usually semi-experts in another field, showing off their “barely mingling knowledge” to humbly contest actual experts’ claims.
In that sense, I was the perfect crackpot.
“I swear on the name of the Fanggriffon!”
A perfect crackpot, no doubt.
POP!
In an authoritarian society, I had the best credential to boast about.
“…”
With my chest puffed up, the King of Velbur touched his forehead, looking confused.
WOWZA!
No matter how serious Velbur is about planning a military alliance with the Papal State, having a tunnel dug in someone else’s country—well, it’s a world of wonders!
“What’s the reason for sharing such ‘important information’? Do you want something in return?”
Um, that wasn’t the plan from the start!
I took a glance at Charlotte beside me. Her eyes trembled slightly. It wasn’t from panic but rather trying not to betray any thoughts in front of her dad.
You can’t just shake your head at the King—no way!
If someone’s sharing info and doing that while standing next to them, it just screams “STOP TALKING!”
Last year, I was practically an enemy to her—so if she’s doing a sneaky exchange now, that’s a whole other mess!
“Just passing this information gives a massive profit to the Empire.”
Not that I didn’t think of an excuse beforehand!
It was a little forced, but hey, it kinda makes sense.
“Does the Empire still believe we could make an alliance with the Papal State?”
KA-CHING!
As long as the Kingdom thinks there’s no opportunity for military alliances with the Papal State, it’s a huge win for the Empire! Moving military force is a pre-war situation, after all.
But saying “yes” directly would be too obvious.
“Does the Kingdom think the Empire is still capable of starting a war?”
My question threw the king into a brief silence.
PAUSE!
At least the current Emperor doesn’t seem to be planning a war. Or, rather, it’s not showing on the surface.
But from the Kingdom’s perspective, they can’t just trust the Empire’s attitude either.
As Charlotte said, if suspicious circumstances arise with the Papal State, the Kingdom and Papal State might have formed a covert alliance.
“Then let’s change the question.”
The King said, adjusting his posture to one that radiates royal authority.
“Does the Empire wish the relationship between the Kingdom and Papal State to become irreparable?”
GASP!
“…”
From the Empire’s perspective, sure.
From my perspective—well, it’d be great if there’s some kind of control over the Empire. But ideally, I would prefer the Kingdom to hold that power, not relying on the Papal State. They’re super shady!
I didn’t want Charlotte turning into a puppet of the Papal State ten years down the line.
But spilling all those thoughts here? No way!
Tunnels can be dug and checked on, but info about the Papal State? Nah, there’s no way I should know that right now!
Thankfully, it looked like the King interpreted my silence correctly.
“Whatever the reason is.”
He gazed down at me.
“You swore on the name of the ‘Fanggriffon’, so you didn’t say that without consideration. Perhaps you’re confident in it. We’ll have to find out how the Imperial Crown Princess knows such information unknown to our Kingdom.”
GRIMACE!
He seemed to be trying to assert authority while maintaining his gaze, but his lips curled slightly, as if he wanted to cover his forehead in frustration.
YIKES!
If the roles were reversed, I’d probably feel the same way.
“First things first, we should confirm the urgent matters. Do you know how that underground facility is concealed?”
I took a moment to think.
The tunnel sits beneath the sewers of Lutetia. Clearly, the quickest route involves the entrance via the Cathedral of St. Latina… But is there a guarantee the Papal State didn’t hide that entrance?
Oh, of course, they did hide the entrance. What I’m questioning is whether they left that ‘original entrance’ intact after realizing my existence.
I mean, sure, I could just blow up the cathedral, and the entrance would pop out, but that’s exactly why I’m over here, right?
BOOM!
Still, that doesn’t mean I don’t have any alternatives.
“There are ways to get underground besides the St. Latina Cathedral,” I said.
In true JRPG style, Azernar’s lore was filled with hidden spaces. Common fields—like towns and cities—often had treasure chests in places you’d least expect.
And those ‘unreachable areas’ were designed to later be accessed through other dungeons, typically found in the sewers or ruins beneath towns or cities.
Of course, just grabbing items from people’s homes without facing consequences is the game’s way of saying “not gonna happen.”
Much like the underground facilities spread across Lutetia, the entrance isn’t limited to just the Cathedral of St. Latina. There must be ways for forces to sneak in from the outside or escape without making a fuss.
The most critical structures might be near the Cathedral, but now isn’t the time to quibble about that.
“I have a hunch about a few places.”
“…Is that so?”
The King narrowed his eyes.
I felt like his doubts just shot up to a maximum level, almost stretching beyond the limits. You know that feeling when a game’s meter suddenly spikes into the danger zone?
“If so, you must disclose the locations of all those places… We’ll discuss how you knew about those locations after the search.”
RUN!
Once the search wraps up, I’ll have to bolt.
“While it’s not like we can just do anything to a princess, the Emperor will likely show interest in this issue.”
SERIOUSLY, RUN!
I really need to escape before this whole mess wraps up!
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
