"Seeing as you're not missing this opportunity, you're just as sinister as they come."
Zenon muttered in a sour voice.
"With such a fine opportunity presenting itself, there's no reason to let it slip away."
I replied with a smile, and Samuel, who had been sitting beside Zenon, spoke calmly.
"The Temple has repeatedly suspected the Resurrected One, and the Emperor's distrust as he shielded the Crown Prince has become a talking point."
"Isn't it embarrassing for a religion to openly interfere in politics?"
"We have no intention of intervening in the struggle for the throne. The Temple has always been sensitive to matters of 'distrust.' And the High Priest has expressed concern that the Lord of All People is a nonbeliever."
"My, my. Heinry is going to be busy."
At least half of the Empire's citizens were believers, so a soured relationship with the Temple would bring no good to the Imperial family. In the end, cleaning up this mess would fall to Heinry.
Well, if he desires the throne, this too is a burden he must bear.
Samuel asked me.
"By the way, how did you destroy that palace? I haven't heard any mention of monsters appearing."
"I didn't summon any this time. Imagine how startled everyone would be if a wyvern appeared at an event meant to demonstrate divine blessing."
I had considered calling a wyvern, but I couldn't exactly draw in monsters while claiming that the evil energy had vanished thanks to Maxell's departure.
So I thought of magic tools. After all, can we not use this very convenient power called magic?
Samuel's expression showed slight surprise as he listened to my words.
"A man named Dekin can create magic tools that won't be detected even when used inside the Imperial Palace, so I commissioned him."
Of course, if a magic tool couldn't be detected by the Imperial Palace's barrier, its power would be quite weak.
But if the power was weak, we could simply overwhelm with quantity. Installing mana bomb-type magic tools everywhere was easily achievable with the help of animals.
"It's expensive, but the magic tools he makes are reliably effective."
Zenon nodded. Whatever happened between them, his face showed no doubt about his brother's skills.
Zenon asked.
"But when will you be leaving the mansion?"
"All the necessary work is finished, so I'll gather the documents tonight."
My gaze, lost in thought, dropped downward.
Father would strive to pass off the Crown Prince's palace's collapse as a simple mishap.
The Empress awakening was surprising, but since the Emperor ultimately establishes the successor, he would likely think things would work out in the long run if handled well.
Of course, things would not be fine. Before long, Heinry would drive the Emperor into being 'mentally and physically unfit.'
'An Emperor who has lost his judgment...'
Heinry hadn't told me directly, but I knew he had started administering drugs to the Emperor at some point.
The crow that brought me news reported that the Emperor, having taken the medicine, was becoming increasingly tyrannical. Losing his subjects' trust was only a matter of time.
As I wore a meaningful smile imagining that sight, Samuel posed a question.
"Weren't you planning to take revenge on Roam? If you leave now, they still appear quite intact."
"Intact? How long do you think they'll keep wearing that haughty shell?"
"I don't think making people talk about them is the entirety of your revenge."
Oh my? Surprisingly, Samuel was accurately reading the situation.
I looked at him with unexpected eyes and shrugged my shoulders.
"Roam supports Maxell. So if Maxell falls, Roam will naturally fall as well."
Samuel didn't point out that Maxell hadn't yet knelt to the extent of using the word 'fallen.'
Instead, he expressed doubt about another matter.
"In this situation, will you support that man?"
"I will."
I declared.
"Because I will make it so."
Samuel wore a puzzled expression but asked no further. And now I finally had the opportunity to mention the reason we had gathered.
I asked.
"But what was this urgent matter you needed to convey?"
Perhaps because we were meeting Zenon and Samuel after so long, we'd been busy sharing recent news and progress, seemingly forgetting the main topic for a moment.
Zenon exhaled a low sigh and spoke first.
"You remember the rumor about monsters that can transform into animals appearing? When those monster attacks occurred."
"Ah, yes."
I remember. I had heard that rumor in my father's office.
At my confirmation, Samuel also spoke quietly.
"There was also a rumor about a Dullahan."
"Right. I heard that."
Hearing those words, at first my heart sank, wondering if Nadav's identity had been discovered.
But as it turned out, Nadav had no connection to it, and though Mori had been present at that location, his identity hadn't been exposed.
After learning that neither of them had been discovered, I'd been too busy dealing with Roam and Lilia to pay attention to such rumors...
"Why does that matter?"
I instinctively grew tense at the rumor suddenly resurfacing.
"I and this holy knight looked into the source of that rumor. Exactly, this holy knight started a few days earlier, but I was the one who found it first."
Zenon answered quickly. Samuel looked at such Zenon disapprovingly but quietly closed his mouth.
Zenon, wearing a triumphant smile at Samuel's reaction, put strength in his shoulder and spoke.
"There was a witness."
I opened my eyes wide.
"A witness?"
"Yes. Perhaps because the sighting location wasn't far from the Lindea River, the rumors seem to have gotten somewhat mixed together."
Zenon, scratching his cheek, added in a quiet voice. Words that could only surprise me.
"They saw a real Dullahan. One that can transform into animals."
* * *
My father's office, visited at midnight, was somewhat desolate.
After surveying the dimly moonlit interior, I drew a deep breath. Cold air filled my lungs.
I had long known about the secret space, and I had long since pilfered the key. Perhaps because I had indiscriminately fired servants recently, the mansion's security wasn't as thorough as before.
Moreover, with Dullahans keeping watch around the perimeter, there was no cause for concern.
It was Minte who explained things beside me.
[I will monitor the corridor.]
Leaving the corridor to Tristan and the balcony to Jigor, I placed the lamp I held on the desk.
[The inkwell on the desk, the eighth book on the third row of the bookshelf, under the carpet.]
Minte reminded me of the information once more. I nodded and first picked up the inkwell from the desk.
After confirming the uneven shape beneath the inkwell, I pulled out a book from a specific position. Through the gap, a faint lattice revealed itself.
I took out the long metal bookmark that had been wedged between the books and pressed the lattice according to the shape.
Rattle.
The lattice slid backward, revealing a small space. There, a silver key hung.
Hooking the keyring onto the end of the bookmark and pulling it out, I immediately flipped over the carpet.
The floor appeared smooth at a glance, but when I felt it with my hand, I could sense a protruding section.
[I will do it.]
Minte, who had been watching me from the side, extended his claws and scratched the floor.
Scrape.
The faint sound of wood grain being scratched echoed. A cover that had been firmly fixed slid to the side, revealing a keyhole.
Before inserting the key, I took out a disposable magic tool I had brought in advance. It was an auxiliary item used to disable security magic.
When I activated the magic tool, the metal device flickered a few times before turning completely black. It meant the security magic had been disabled.
Click.
"More things than I thought."
Various documents including contracts, several pouches of unknown purpose, an expensive-looking box, and so on.
After roughly scanning the documents, I first took everything out and put them into subspace. From what I could see at a glance, they were documents related to Roam's financial resources.
Perhaps there might be other things if I read more carefully. However, I had no intention of reading through them one by one here.
'No need to waste time reading.'
While I was putting them into subspace without hesitation, no separate warning sounded. Was this security magic the only one?
I was briefly puzzled, but soon dismissed the thought and hurried. Then, after restoring everything to its original state, I called Jigor who had been at the balcony.
"Let's go."
The corridor was silent. Having quickly exited the office, I went straight down the stairs.
The path out of the mansion was smooth.
However, instead of fleeing immediately, I suddenly stopped walking.
Roam was where Lilia would return. Unless she married Maxell, Lilia's home was here.
Looking around the mansion and garden showing dim outlines in the moonlight, I fingered my bracelet.
'They said fire magic has many wide-range types.'
Then would it be large enough to burn all of Roam's beautiful garden and more?
I twisted my lips crookedly and took in the beautiful night scenery. It was scenery I wouldn't see anymore. I intended to fully savor the atmosphere one last time.
* * *
During the night, a massive fire broke out at the Roam mansion.
Starting from the garden, the fire spread instantly, reducing everything to black ruins.
The flames moved to the mansion. However, fortunately, because the mansion's personnel had evacuated while the garden was burning, there was no major loss of life.
Only, the flames were strangely difficult to extinguish, and both Roam's main building and annex were consumed by the fire.
Many people took interest in the severe property damage Roam suffered. But that topic was soon pushed aside as news spread that the Resurrected One had gone missing on the day of the fire.
A rumor swept through the capital that someone, coveting the Resurrected One's holiness, had fearlessly set fire to Roam and abducted the Resurrected One.
Amidst this, Roam family's youngest son kept prattling about seeing a Dullahan that night.
The youngest son's claim that a vicious Dullahan had appeared briefly only at the Roam mansion without any commotion and then vanished was utterly absurd.
Some expressed pity, saying the frail young son, shocked by the fire, must be suffering from delusions.
Following the eldest son who had fled the family over an outrageous engagement, now the third son was unstable enough to spout nonsense!
Everyone cautiously kept their mouths shut. Regarding Roam's uncertain and bleak future.