I never really considered the possibility of a direct approach. I thought he would move quite discreetly.
The first time I met him was when I killed Teresa, and I thought I would never see him again.
“Cain.”
His long hair swirled in the air like a crimson ribbon.
Perhaps it had been tied up until now; the Cain, whose face was revealed, didn’t look particularly threatening.
In fact, unlike Kaitel, he had a kind impression.
I couldn’t see his face behind the mask, but his smile definitely mixed with a hint of goodwill.
… He didn’t come to offer help. If that were the case, I had to judge him as someone who could perfectly conceal his emotions.
As I scanned my surroundings, I didn’t sense any other presence.
It seemed a bit too risky for a mere visit to converse.
As I reached for my sword, Cain, who had been gazing quietly at the direction of my hand, let out a small smile.
“I didn’t come to fight, but it seems you might be on guard against me? I thought you would know that I am a close aide to Lord Kaitel.”
“I know. But showing up like this in the Imperial Palace is bound to cause some trouble.”
If there’s anyone who didn’t know the influence apart from Kaitel, it could lead to issues for Miragen if such power roamed so boldly within the palace.
Being close to Kaitel didn’t mean that drawing my sword wouldn’t become problematic.
If things went south, I’d perhaps reconsider, but it seemed he recalled what I had discovered last time.
It wouldn’t be prudent to casually overlook this… It still wasn’t the time for that.
Putting my sword away, Cain slowly continued his speech as he tucked the mask into his cloak.
“I understand that you’re on guard. We had a little ‘accident’ in the North, and you saw some blood, so it’s only natural to be wary of me in a mask.”
“I don’t quite know what kind of bravado you have to call an encounter with demons an accident. Is His Highness aware?”
“Of course, he is. Naturally, this was all initiated under the instructions of Crown Prince Kaitel.”
The atmosphere turned chilly; it was only natural. I didn’t expect him to reveal such things directly.
I expected it, but it was bolder than I anticipated, earning a click of my tongue.
I know it, but I have to be suspicious. If I don’t deny what I heard, it would mean I was already suspecting Kaitel in the first place.
“… You know what you just said, right?”
“I do. I just said the Imperial Family committed an act of denying the moon. As a mere subordinate, how dare I?”
Swish—
The sword drawn with precision cut through the air cleanly.
Even though he knew the blade was at his throat, his composure remained intact. Was he doing it deliberately?
If it wasn’t to test me… could it be to convey something?
He came to meet Miragen.
It was suspicious enough that he timed it just then, but it was odd to speak like that after fighting the Minotaurus.
He probably knew, at least to some extent, that the North had been turned upside down once.
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Cain quietly smiled and gazed at the blade that touched his neck.
Noticing something, Cain quietly smiled as he gazed at the blade resting against my neck.
He didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking or putting me in danger.
Just shrugging his shoulders, as if to clarify a misunderstanding, he finally opened his mouth.
“It’s only natural that you’d be suspicious. I was against it myself at first. I thought it was too soon, but it seems His Highness the Crown Prince has deemed it alright to let you know.”
“…His Highness the Crown Prince, then.”
“Yes, the reason I’ve brought you here is simple. Although you came to meet Her Highness the Princess, there is someone waiting for you before that—the Duke.”
I wasn’t foolish enough not to understand those words.
If Cain himself was the one to call me here, then it must be someone of his rank or higher.
Could it be Kaitel? Even without hearing it from him, I could guess who it was. I smiled softly as I thought of Kaitel.
To speak with me about the dead dragon… It seemed I had shattered Kaitel’s expectations.
It was a quicker engagement than I had anticipated. I withdrew the knife from Cain’s neck.
Now that I knew Kaitel had been the one to call for me, I had to appear as a complete ally to him. Wasn’t I getting used to wearing a mask?
“Well then, shall we go?”
“I will guide you.”
Going to see Kaitel held a lot of significance for me.
It felt like I was finally reaching him, but it also meant I needed to do something to deceive him.
He might already have some doubts about me, or perhaps he was being swayed by the residual thoughts of the dead dragon.
It seemed I would be meeting Miragen a bit later than expected.
What should I say when I meet her? As I pondered that, I followed Cain toward where Kaitel was.
#
If I had to name the person I think the most differently about now compared to when we first met, it would definitely be Robert Taylor.
That frail image had completely vanished, and now he managed the Taylor family purely on his own capabilities.
How could anyone think he was the same person back then?
When we first met, I thought he was just being brash.
He claimed he would become a duke, but I never really believed that.
No matter how many rumors spread about him being different now, he was still a headache for the Taylor family.
At some point, I thought I could just brush everything off lightly.
Even mentioning the relics, I thought that being so honest wouldn’t matter because he was bound to die sooner or later.
But now, with Yuria falling apart and everything he secretly organized being grasped by Robert,
he still seemed intent on keeping his circle close. What was he trying to achieve?
He was walking a path completely opposite to the Taylor I had known, acting in such a pro-imperial manner that it felt unnatural. What was behind this change?
What could it be?
I thought it might be because of Miragen, but it didn’t seem like there was any real reason to do that just for love.
Besides, even before things were like they are now with Miragen, he had approached me.
And now I’ve become aware of the power I possess to face the Minotaurus demon all alone.
It’s dangerous. If Robert Taylor intends to be a stumbling block to what I want to do,
then it wouldn’t be strange if everything collapsed before I could even do anything.
It’s also troubling that he’s suddenly gotten close with the forces of the North that have begun stabilizing recently. What if he later plans to team up with the North and come down to the Center?
At that point, it wouldn’t be easy to fend them off solely with the power of the Center.
This means I would have to involve other forces, and doing so would render Kaitel’s plan a mess right from the start.
“Independent power, and the restoration of former glory.”
Kaitel, holding his throbbing head, sighed.
Every time I saw Robert’s face following Cain, an overwhelming sense of murderous intent rose within me.
There shouldn’t be a need for this. Why do these impulses keep surfacing? Right now, it was just a mere errand of testing the waters.
Even if time passed and the situation changed, would he truly follow me, or would it simply be a mask he wore?
Hearing Kaitel’s mutterings, Robert lowered his head slightly and replied.
“You always said so, didn’t you? This is what you aimed for, to achieve in the future.”
“What I saw in the North was all for that future. Though it goes against the Moon, if it weren’t, we’d be coiled up in this narrow land indefinitely.”
Compared to the past, this land feels exceptionally narrow.
It occupies at most 30% of the entire continent, and excluding the vast North, the inhabited land may barely reach 70%.
Can people live in the barren South? Even excluding that, would it amount to half?
It’s narrow. Therefore, we must expand. Since I was young, my ambitions have always aimed beyond the Empire.
To fulfill such greed, I’ve considered all methods, but it always felt like I had to hit a wall sooner or later.
“The Moon God does not dislike seeing blood. The war ceased hundreds of years ago. Even then, those were defensive moves to punish those who invaded our territory. Do you remember when we ever invaded first?”
“…No, I don’t.”
“Of course not. It has never happened. The Empire has always been in a defensive position. That’s why the land keeps shrinking, and now we’ve lost even the right to rule where the Temple of the Moon is located.”
That was a remarkably radical statement for a member of the Imperial Family.
Kaitel, Robert, and Cain all knew this.
It wouldn’t be strange if he were excommunicated from the Order for going against the will of the god.
Yet, no one rebutted it.
“Thus, I’ve decided to join hands. If strength is needed, I deemed it acceptable to borrow from the opposite side of the Moon.”
It’s an excuse.
That thought arose in both Robert and Kaitel’s minds.
It was a thought that arose in everyone.
It’s true that he grasped the sun and hands out of need for power, but from the beginning, the dead dragon and the imperial family maintained an oddly twisted relationship.
Long ago, after the imperial family first settled in this land, it was to survive the first encounter with the dead dragon.
Hadn’t they made a promise that would last forever? That promise still continued.
However, Robert was unaware of it, merely suspecting that there were inconsistencies in this story.
If it was solely to borrow power, there would have been no need to discard the records.
Yet, there was something even more important. It was a question to confirm Robert’s true intentions, and with a quiet smile, Robert bowed his head towards Kaitel and answered.
“I understand. Wasn’t the original purpose of obtaining the relic to follow Your Highness the Crown Prince’s intention?”
“Thank you for saying that. So, the reason I called you here is to tell you about my future plans.”
Plans? Though I had been making them for some time, the thought that this plan might significantly align with Robert’s true intentions came only recently.
As I continued to meet Robert’s gaze, slowly Kaitel’s lips parted.
“The northern forces have been increasing significantly lately. I was amazed at how quickly the immigrant tribe was dealt with. There was a Minotaurus there, but you handled it directly, so any potential threats were eliminated.”
“It seems to be better than before.”
When Kaitel brought up the topic of the north, Robert realized what line of conversation Kaitel was heading for.
Unknowingly, the corners of his mouth twisted.
I had known, but even though I had anticipated it, I secretly hoped this topic wouldn’t come up.
Now that all futures had changed, didn’t I hope that even Adele’s death wouldn’t twist in this distorted time?
But Kaitel’s mouth continued to open, and even the unwanted conversation was spilling out.
“If such forces change their minds, the empire will fall into chaos like never before.”
“…I think so.”
“However, what if we draw them in and turn them to our side? The south? We could play with them like children’s toys, right?”
Robert remained calm even at Kaitel’s cruel smile.
This was a matter I had pondered since coming here.
Even if such a scenario arose, I believed that a time would definitely come when I would have to wear a mask.
Now was that time. I was surely shaken, but Robert’s expression remained calm.
“They are trying to kill the Grand Duke.”
It was not autumn but spring. Perhaps summer was swiftly approaching, and time was flowing even faster.
“Can you cooperate with me in this?”
Staring into Kaitel’s eyes as he looked at him, Robert fell silent.
If possible, he only wished to deny this current reality.
In Kaitel’s eyes, which should undoubtedly shine golden, a faint red gleam flickered for a moment.
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