“Is this really okay as it is?”
“We have no other choice. I must be honest with you.”
“Yes, I suppose so. But then how you think His Majesty will react…”
As concern filled the master’s aged face, Logan intuited there was more trouble on the horizon.
Not wanting to pry into matters in this situation, Logan took a deep breath and stood in front of the office door.
At Logan’s nod, the knight guarding the door announced their arrival loudly.
“Duke Felix Esperanza and Count Logan McLain have arrived.”
– Let them in.
Creak.
The door opened with a familiar voice.The king’s stern expression came into view immediately.
Logan sighed inwardly and stepped forward with determination, kneeling down.
“Forgive us, Your Majesty. Although we have captured some of the assassins, they all took their own lives before we could learn their affiliations and those behind them.”
The king sighed in response.
“Just as I thought…”
Logan’s eyebrows twitched involuntarily.
‘Is he suspecting me?’
It was an unpleasant thought, even if expected.
But then.
“It means they were thoroughly prepared. There’s no wonder you couldn’t find it. Well done, Logan.”
An unexpected response came from the king.
“…Excuse me?”
Taken aback by the surprise, Logan couldn’t hide his astonishment.
However, the king was now smiling at Logan, unlike before.
Moreover,
“I might have come across a bit irritable after all the troubles we’ve faced. Please forgive this inadequate ruler, Lord Logan. If I cannot trust you, then whom can I trust?”
At the moment when the king, having risen from his seat, approached Logan and patted his shoulder,
The Sword Master, standing behind Logan, looked visibly brightened.
“Your Majesty…!”
Yet Logan couldn’t smile like his master.
Although the king was smiling at him, his eyes remained completely still.
It was an eerie discrepancy that Logan felt, an act he was all too familiar with from his previous life as a freedom fighter, concealing his own identity.
‘An act…’
A chilling feeling crept into Logan’s heart, but he couldn’t show it.
Logan managed a similar smile and bowed his head.
“Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty.”
“Ha-ha-ha. It’s only natural. No need to thank me for such. Perhaps our estranged relations were due to the distance we’ve kept. Let’s take this chance to grow closer.”
“…Pardon?”
“Let them in!”
An abrupt order from the king.
With the command, court ladies carrying all sorts of foods and drinks entered as if they had been waiting.
Logan, unable to hide his confusion, cringed slightly.
“Your Majesty, to do this at such an hour…”
“Oh, Duke. It’s unnecessary to intervene today. This is a reconciliation between Lord Logan and me. Come and have a drink too.”
Even the Sword Master’s attempt to dissuade him couldn’t stop the king’s benevolent face.
And so began a most unexpected midday drinking session in the king’s office for Logan.
“Ha-ha. Cleo, bring more wine.”
“Your Majesty, you’ve had enough.”
“On such a fine day, when are we to drink if not now? Bring more! But this Flamma seems to taste a bit different, doesn’t it?”
“The taste of the noble wine changes slightly depending on the brewing time and the accompanying food…”
“Is that so? Ha-ha. I’m learning so much. Enjoy freely, Lord Logan. I shall fill your cup as an apology.”
Ha-ha, Logan laughed at the awkwardly pleasant gathering, which now included even the usually stoic Sword Master with a broad grin.
The drinking affair that started in broad daylight continued until the sunset viewable from the castle windows.
The king, Logan, and the Sword Master left the merry gathering with promises to meet again.
“Did you enjoy yourself, Your Majesty?”
After everyone else had departed and they were alone,
The king’s smiling face suddenly stiffened upon hearing Cleo’s words.
“Hmm. It’s tough to keep up such a forced smile.”
“…Your Majesty?”
“How could it be enjoyable? It was just a gesture of goodwill, a cover-up for the naive mistake I made by revealing my true feelings before.”
Cleo’s eyes widened, upon which the king managed a bitter smile.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s just the conduct a powerless king must maintain.”
“Ah, I sorrowfully ask for forgiveness, Your Majesty. That wasn’t my intent…”
“Although the Duke may not understand, Lord Logan surely felt my intentions.”
“Then…”
“It’s a roundabout apology, or even a display of submission, within what the monarch can do.”
Crunch.
The king, who had been smiling so brightly just half an hour ago, grimaced menacingly.
It wasn’t merely the outburst of emotions caused by alcohol.
It was the explosion of something that had been building up and building up.
“Cursed be! It’s all because I don’t have the power. Because the royal family lacks strength.”
As the king spat out rough curses, Cleo’s eyes shone oddly, but the moment the king turned to look at him, he quickly bowed his head, concealing his gaze and smile.
“The royal family needs a way to gain power. We need a method…”
It was then that the desperate voice of the king reached Cleo’s ears.
“If Your Majesty pleases, may I present a modest suggestion…?”
* * *
“It’s fortunate that Your Majesty has cleared up the misunderstanding. Ha-ha.”
The master’s proud laugh wasn’t just due to alcohol.
It was the laugh of a heart that had long been anxious and concerned, now relieved.
However, Logan’s expression as he heard that laugh was not as bright.
“What’s with the long face? Did you perhaps drink too much? No, at your level, you wouldn’t be disheveled by that amount of alcohol, right?”
“Oh, no. It’s just that there are a lot of things to think about.”
“Ha-ha. Don’t worry too much. Even if there really is a rebellion following the First Prince behind this, as long as the trust between you and His Majesty remains solid, they will never be able to shake our kingdom.”
That’s exactly why it’s problematic.
Unable to share his concern with the kingdom’s model knight and idol, Logan decided to prepare his own measures instead of keeping his worries to himself.
“Sir, there’s one thing I need to ask.”
“Hmm, yes. Say what you need.”
Due to the effects of the alcohol he took willingly, or perhaps because the play between the king and himself was so convincing, the master’s expression was radiant.
It was the perfect chance to secure some unofficial privileges from the kingdom’s highest noble family.
“I’ve taken this recent event as a lesson, and I would like to create my own information network to prevent such an incident from happening again. I presume that the Duke Esperanza household has its own organization, right?”
“Oh, well, yes. It’s a secret from outsiders, but…”
Logan felt relieved at his master’s generously lenient answer.
“In that sense, may I send someone to be guided a little by your people? Just so that they can serve as a reference for creating the organization.”
“Sure. For the pillar of our kingdom such as yourself, what can I not do?”
Sorry, master.
He regretted having to deceive his master again…
‘I will at least ensure that the result will be used for the kingdom, as you said.’
Following that, Logan also visited the Count Floyd household.
“Ha-ha. I’d help my son-in-law with anything. Just ask!”
He managed to get a similarly generous permission there too.
* * *
“It’s been tough, not knowing what’s happening in the capital. We’re always on the back foot, only getting information passively.”
[Yes, I agree.]
“That’s why we in McLain have decided to start our own information network. We can’t always rely on information guilds or other families. What do you think?”
[A sound decision, my lord.]
“That’s why I want you to lead this organization.”
Dermian, within the communication orb, agreed mechanically at first but then was utterly surprised.
[My lord, why would I be suited for…?]
“It’s because you’ve been helpful in the recent event, and you seem to have the talent.”
In his past life, he knew Dermian had been exceptionally good at it.
…Instead of saying that, he attached a plausible excuse.
[It was just a small idea that came to mind.]
Of course, the excuse was not without basis.
Logan remembered the recent reports and smiled.
“Not only that. Weren’t you the one who established a periodic reporting system in the McLain domain near the castles to build a network?”
Fortunately, the Evil Brain from his past life had already begun to exhibit his talents in his current life.
It seemed he just lacked the confidence he once had.
[But… but that was merely a small trick to quickly spread news throughout the domain.]
“That’s fine. Right now, I need that trick. Expand it nationwide, or even to the empire if possible, discreetly, of course.”
[My… that seems too much to ask of me, my lord.]
“Triple the monthly salary.”
[…Where do I start?]
Heh.
If he lacks confidence, filling it with ambition should do.
“You’ll learn the ropes at the houses of Duke Esperanza and Count Floyd. Start there and then apply what you’ve learned to the system you’ll create. And focus on the royal palace’s information network.”
[Understood. So, shall I head to the capital immediately?]
“Yes.”
Since the king suspects me, I can’t simply return to my territory without doing anything.
Never again will I be caught off guard so foolishly.
‘At least before leaving for my domain, I’ll establish a system that can thoroughly collect information from the royal palace and the king.’
Logan thought about the king’s eyes that couldn’t laugh and made that resolve.
However, barely a week had passed,
When he heard of something else he would have to worry about even more.
– To celebrate the coronation of the new king, a special envoy from the Ares Empire will visit the royal palace.
The announcement of a visit that would play a significant role in redefining the relationship between the two countries.
A major event that now focused the attention of most of the kingdom’s nobility.
* * *
“Do the empire’s envoys just send notices like this without any prior arrangements?”
“That shouldn’t be the case. The news was already sent to the neighboring countries after the coronation ceremony, so maybe this is just a delayed reaction.”
“But shouldn’t they have told the royal family beforehand?”
“They did, actually.”
At the Sword Master’s words, Logan asked incredulously.
“Pardon?”
“His Majesty was aware of it.”
“And only now do we learn about the envoy when they are about to reach the border?”
“Well, there were big troubles, you know. His Majesty said he simply forgot because of that.”
How could he forget something like that? There must be…
As Logan looked at his master in disbelief,
“Being a friendly envoy, would it really matter if we were informed a bit later? Let’s just go in.”
The master, with an embarrassed look on his face, turned his gaze away from Logan and led the way.
Logan could only sigh and follow.
‘If this had happened before, the master would have consulted His Majesty and informed me immediately…’
The apparent change in his master’s demeanor was disheartening, but that thought was fleeting.
For there were much more pressing issues now.
‘The worst case couldn’t be… No, it won’t be. Not yet.’
The sudden visit by the imperial envoy – Logan hoped it was not a declaration of war.
Suppressing his growing anxiety, Logan entered the great hall.