Chapter: 14
Due to the wicked conspiracy of the Empire, key figures of their nation were placed under the watchful eye of a shady imperial official. That is the suspicion currently harbored by the three kingdoms.
Bullshit.
As for me, the “shady official” under suspicion, it was merely an infuriating misunderstanding. In fact, I wanted to pose a question to the three kingdoms. Is it that easy to manipulate the actions of high-profile figures like royals and saint candidates? If I could do that, I wouldn’t be stuck in the Ministry of Finance, I’d be working for the Special Operations Agency instead!
Of course, I understand the three kingdoms’ rising suspicions. Logically, the chance of it being a scheme by the Empire is slightly higher than that some poor girl seduced a key figure into joining a club. Both possibilities crawl on their belly, but one of them has actually materialized.
“Just tell them they can come to the club room tomorrow morning.”
After pondering for a moment, I informed the vice principal. If this misunderstanding is allowed to fester too long, it could morph into something stranger. Right now, they’re only viewing it as an Empire’s trick to surveil prominent figures, but soon they might start thinking the Empire is using them as bait to pull off some sinister plot.
The vice principal understood the importance of quick contact with the three kingdoms and nodded in agreement without any resistance. Sure, he might have complaints, but refusing my orders wouldn’t have been an option. I felt a bit bad using him as a messenger, but if I chatted with the other staff, they’d probably faint from shock!
“Yes, I’ll send the message right away.”
“Thank you. I’d really appreciate it.”
With a hint of guilt, I sent him back and re-entered the club room, where I found Louise still swamped at the center. It is quite amazing that, despite being only a baron’s daughter, Louise manages to remain intact in the middle of that chaos.
But hey, the longer Louise holds those five guys hostage, the easier it is for me—so not a bad thing! Maybe she has a flair for being a tank?
“Ah, oppa!”
Right then, the aggro shifted toward me. Louise turned her gaze my way, and so did the other five.
Wow, are you guys glaring too hard? What’s so wrong with being called oppa? As if I chose to be born before you!
Surrounded, Louise managed to weave through the wall of humans and looked up at me.
“Where did you go? I didn’t even notice you were gone.”
“I was just looking for someone. Nothing much.”
I couldn’t possibly say, “Dude, entire nations are flipping upside down because some guys you’ve bewitched gathered in one place.” Louise nodded at my answer, then walked towards the shelf with a smile.
“I was just about to share the leftover cookies from yesterday to celebrate our new members!”
Opening the cookie jar, Louise tilted her head.
“Huh? Is this all that’s left?”
I enjoyed a few today. Got a little dizzy after a mental barrage, so I craved sugar big time. Sorry, I was pretty sure I’d be the only one eating!
I watched as Louise nervously distributed the remaining cookies to the club members.
The next day, after confirming that the three new recruits also had sophisticated tastes.
“I am Villar Ganelli, a knight of the Armein Royal Knights.”
A representative from the three kingdoms visited the club room. He had a stoic expression, and when he kept his mouth shut, it felt like staring at a tightly closed castle gate. As a knight affiliated with the Royal Knights of the Armein Kingdom, he held a fairly high rank within the academy—probably somewhere around the 4th or 5th most significant.
“Nice to meet you, Sir Villar. Thanks for coming.”
“The request to see you was ours, so it’s only proper.”
After a brief handshake, I gestured for Villar to take a seat. Just one representative from the three kingdoms came…
They must’ve already agreed to collaborate.
Having received a letter from the vice principal, I anticipated this. But seeing only one person shows that the three kingdoms have likely decided to work together. Makes sense; while in Empire territory, a 1:3 formation should be more beneficial than a free-for-all. Hence why someone from Armein, the most dominant kingdom, is here as a representative.
If the representative from the three kingdoms is around 4th or 5th rank among the knights, that’s comfortable enough for me to deal with. They sent me here to throw my weight around the majority of the three kingdoms’ officials. But seriously, being the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor’s Office just doesn’t feel like my style.
“As it turns out, we’ll probably be neighbors, yet this is our first real opportunity to meet. Without your letter, I can’t say we would’ve encountered each other at all.”
Translation: “You guys crawling into the Academy has been baffling and irritating. Honestly, I’d rather not have met you, but here we are since you requested.”
“As visitors, it’s our duty to request an audience first, but we hesitated, fearing we’d interfere with your duties.”
Translation: “We didn’t want to come over and interrupt whatever dubious business you were cooking up as the Executive Manager.”
I threw a few simple questions his way, and he responded adequately. It seemed they were on alert for the important figures cramming into a club overseen by the Prosecutor. Aside from that, they didn’t voice any grievances. They even appeared uneasy about being stationed at the academy in the first place.
What a very archetypal knight!
From the perspective of the three kingdoms, having their key figures enrolled was likely a sudden decision, and dispatching escorts was a result of intense negotiations. They probably struggled to find someone who ticked all the boxes: strength, rank, eloquence, and negotiation skills. Hence, this rustic knight before me. Ideal for smooth conversations.
Of course, it’s not like I check all those boxes either. I just have a wider authority because I’m both the manager and the prosecutor and am fully prepared to toss everything onto a minister if needed. Anyway, it’s a relief to have a representative from the three kingdoms who’s easy to deal with.
I plastered a smile on my face and spoke.
Okay, let’s stick together for the long haul.
“Thank you for your consideration. As you’ve mentioned, things have been quite busy lately. Especially, I’ve never had experience overseeing a club before, making it all rather strange.”
At my statement, Villar raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. Even though the club was the reason for his visit, I didn’t think he expected me to bring it up so directly. After a brief silence, he seemed to decide to speak bluntly.
Good, this is more comfortable for both of us.
“I’ve heard the news. It seems an imperial noble has established a pastry club to make snacks for her friends. Although I haven’t met her, she appears to have a warm-hearted nature. Even the Prince of our kingdom seemed to think highly of her, given that he joined the club.”
“Indeed, and I believe there are others from the United Kingdom of Yuben and the Holy Kingdom participating. That caught me off guard.”
“I did hear about that too. You have a lot on your plate.”
“Well, it’s an open club, so it’s not odd for anyone to join. I just need to be a tad more cautious, and it’s no great trouble.”
I playfully declared that the three kingdoms’ representatives joining was just a stroke of misfortune. Villar caught onto my honest approach without the runaround but seemed torn over whether to trust me or remain suspicious.
In that case, I’ll help him decide.
“I was rather surprised by how enthusiastic those notable figures are about the club.”
If I were to kick them out or disband the club entirely, I wouldn’t know how they would react after falling for Louise.
“I’m also anxious about any potential fallout.”
If something went wrong with the representatives from the three kingdoms, I would certainly be in hot water too. Beyond that, as the adviser, I’d likely be the first to get grilled!
“If it were up to me, I’d prefer to pass this duty to someone else… Haha, but alas, I’ve got to handle it myself.”
If I throw in the towel, maybe one of you will have to take this mess on yourself. Want to give that a shot?
Encouraging Villar’s internal conflict with a light push, he squeezed his eyes shut.
*
Well, that went smoothly.
Villar ultimately left without raising further issues. He must have been juggling pressure from above while managing his subordinates. Not to mention, he became the spokesperson for all three kingdoms. Now, the other two kingdoms would likely badger him with questions like, “Why can’t you manage more? Is this really your best?”
Besides that, undoing their admission to the club or shutting down the club entirely wasn’t feasible. If that ever happened, the wrath unleashed would be beyond imagination.
In the end, if they wanted to keep the club without interference from the Empire, I’d have to resign as the advisor, but what would come next? All the faculty would scramble to avoid this whole situation, and there’s a danger that the three kingdoms might pounce if they took down a perfectly good imperial advisor.
If there was a high chance my successor would be Villar… Well, while we’re at it, he’d also get tasked with running the scorched-earth group project.
That’s why Villar returned without voicing further objections regarding the club’s predicament. Though it seemed he still didn’t grasp why so many prominent figures flocked to the club, he appeared to accept that he couldn’t reverse the situation.
That’s more than enough.
Honestly, I’m still baffled why five prominent individuals were so smitten with Louise. If I hadn’t been the possessor, I would have assumed they were orchestrating something formidable in the Empire.
What, they’re all pouring into a club just because they’re bewitched by a girl? Nonsense!
“Life, seriously.”
I popped one of Louise’s freshly baked cookies into my mouth from yesterday. Naturally, I was the only one enjoying those delicacies; the other five members mostly watched as if they were at a performance.
I heard footsteps approaching in the distance. I guess it’s time for the club to start.
Do they have any clue how much I’m sweating behind the scenes?
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