"When you consider who the Creator of this world is, you should realize how narrow-minded that perspective is."
"Unlike you, I'm not some religious fanatic, so I place more trust in the rational causality of life and the natural world."
How strange.
Even after sending the Durahans into subspace, my journey doesn't feel any quieter or more peaceful. ...Damn.
I watched the mage and paladin discussing the origins of the world right in front of someone else's mansion gate for a moment, then simply withdrew my gaze.
"We have a long road ahead, Nadav."
I needed to move quickly to receive the forged identification papers I had ordered before leaving the city.
[I will bear you safely.]
"Your ride quality has always been top-notch. Let's go."
I lightly mounted Nadav.
Those two will follow along once they tire of arguing, I suppose.
* * *
The noisy mansion fell silent.
With few servants to begin with, the absence of the guests felt even more pronounced.
"...Hmm."
Dekin crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe of the empty reception room. After pondering for a while, he lightly circulated his magical power.
Thanks to the teleportation circles and magic stones installed throughout the building, he, as the mansion's master, could travel directly to any room he wished.
In a flash of blinding light, his location shifted. It was a secret room accessible only through the magic circle.
Dekin stood before one of the bookshelves lining the walls and pulled out a book from the center. Simultaneously, the bookshelf slid away with a heavy sound, revealing a hidden corridor.
The narrow, dark corridor had no lighting. However, the magic circles densely drawn across the walls glowed brightly, illuminating the interior. Thanks to this, Dekin moved forward without difficulty.
At the end lay another room. Essentially a massive vault.
Amidst the room filled with magnificent gold bars and jewels, he found a necklace with a red gemstone.
Compared to other gems, it appeared somewhat worn and crude, yet it was the most precious among them.
The gemstone glowed as he held the necklace and activated it. After blinking for some time, a bright light finally emanated from the gem along with a welcoming voice.
―You've finally made contact...!
"My greetings after so long, Your Highness."
―...Ah, it was you.
The other party's bright voice became tinged with disappointment. At the stark change, Dekin spoke in an absurd tone.
"You seem terribly disappointed?"
The person receiving this necklace's communication was the lord Dekin supported with all his might. To the extent that they exchanged greetings through this magical tool.
Yet rather than welcoming such a loyal retainer!
Whether Dekin's hurt feelings transmitted through the connection, the other party hurriedly spoke.
―I was surprised after so long. Hearing your voice, it seems you've been well without incident.
Dekin looked down at the gemstone with a sour expression and narrowed his eyes.
"Were you perhaps waiting for someone else's contact besides me?"
―Who else would contact me? You made this magical tool, so it's not something one can obtain in the market.
"Yes, I did make it for you. Do you remember I asked you to give the spare necklace I made to a trustworthy subordinate in the palace?"
―Of course I remember.
The red gemstone necklace was a communication magical tool Dekin had created.
Since he had designed it to operate on minimal magical power to avoid detection by the imperial palace mages, it only allowed one-way communication, but he had judged it better to establish some form of connection.
His lord, the Empire's First Prince Heinrich, had been under considerable surveillance immediately after his defeat. Leaving him with a useful magical tool had been extremely difficult.
After a moment of silence, Dekin asked quietly.
"Have the military forces been prepared?"
―Military forces? Didn't I discuss that matter with Sir Kyle before? At best, the remaining forces are still far from matching the Imperial Army's scale. It will be a long while before we restore our former numbers.
"Then has your political standing suddenly improved?"
―What?
"I'm asking if you've regained enough position that you no longer need to watch your step."
―What are you suddenly talking about?
At Heinrich's bewildered questioning, Dekin frowned.
"If not that..."
Dekin grit his teeth firmly and struggled to calm himself.
"Did you truly give that precious magical tool to a woman simply because you were blinded by love? The magical tool I poured my heart and soul into creating?"
For a moment, silence flowed through the magical tool.
Then shortly after, questions filled with bewilderment followed urgently.
―What do you mean, weren't you in Clime? Where are you now? Who did you meet?
"I'm in Clime. Here, I met a guest who was openly wearing the magical tool I gave Your Highness around her neck."
Dekin's brow was deeply furrowed as he spoke.
I thought she was just a particular guest, but I can't describe how flustered I was upon seeing the necklace she wore.
I even felt excited thinking perhaps Heinrich had finally decided to step forward and sent someone.
Yet despite letting her stay at the mansion, she hadn't approached Dekin. She only kept demanding he quickly produce the magical tool she had ordered.
Come to think of it, it was strange that Zenon, who detests politics, was traveling with Heinrich's subordinate.
With such thoughts, Dekin had observed carefully for several days. And thus he could confirm. The fact that she was not Heinrich's subordinate.
Judging by Heinrich's reaction just now, his judgment had been accurate.
―Why is she meeting you? Is she requesting help? Is she in danger? Did you actively assist her? Is she safe now?
"Is that what's important right now?"
Dekin clicked his tongue. No, was ruining the succession struggle not enough for him?
―...Dekin.
"I almost made a mistake, thinking she was someone sent to verify the scale of the slush funds!"
―You should have contacted me.
"She was a guest my younger brother brought, so I couldn't move rashly. That fool thinks I've completely withdrawn from this matter."
This mansion was a location for storing Heinrich's slush funds. Also a place for gathering political funds.
If he had moved magical power to come to this room, Zenon would have detected it, and if luck was poor, he could have revealed that he was still conspiring with Heinrich.
"Anyway, I truly never imagined something like this would happen twice. Another woman? Is love so easy for Your Highness?"
As he spoke, old grievances seemed to rise up, and Dekin's voice grew increasingly loud.
Dekin truly thought Heinrich was a good lord. That he would make a far better emperor than Maxel.
Honestly, he had believed without doubt that Heinrich could win easily. Even now, he found it most absurd that Heinrich had lost to Maxel.
But no person is perfect, and Heinrich had his flaws. Heinrich really did have a tendency to be too swayed by love.
Quite severely, in fact. He had never seen anyone else squander their entire life over a grand case of unrequited love like Heinrich.
'Wouldn't once be enough for such an experience?'
"You were waiting for that woman's contact just now, weren't you? Who is it this time? What kind of remarkable woman is she that Your Highness has finally ended your pure love story?"
―You seem rather excited.
"Was I made to not get excited? After wandering for years, you finally got your mind right, and now this bolt from the blue!"
What kind of woman was she that his lord would open a communication route that must never be discovered?
'Come to think of it, she's traveling with Zenon too. And then some grim paladin showed up later...'
That woman must be quite skilled at manipulating men. She was too dangerous a match for Heinrich.
Following his endlessly expanding imagination, Dekin's wariness rose sharply. Amidst this, Heinrich spoke in a calm tone to reason with him.
―She may not use that necklace, but she won't hand it over to Maxel.
"Oh dear, oh my. He's already blinded!"
―She is Anelli.
"Yes, I believe that was the name she was called. Good heavens, falling in love again. Love is a sin. Wretched love, it should all vanish from this earth."
―Anelli Roam. Maxel's former fiancée. The woman I love. I never ended my pure love story in the first place.
Dekin, who had been lamenting his fate to the empty air, paused.
Anelli Roam. Was that the name of Maxel's former fiancée?
Since he had always used appellations like "that damn first love of another" or "that fiancée of his," the name hadn't immediately registered.
He had heard the news that the executed woman had resurrected and turned both the Temple and Imperial Palace upside down...
Dekin looked down at the red gemstone in a daze and answered haltingly.
"The resurrected one? The one the Temple has been actively promoting lately? The one everyone is desperate to capture?"
―Yes. So as far as I'm concerned, to shake Maxel, I must help ensure she isn't caught.
Of course, Heinrich's words were likely just an excuse. Unlike others, Dekin was certain.
If Heinrich helped Anelli, it would be out of pure selfish motivation.
If the guest who visited the mansion was truly Anelli, the paladin's sudden appearance made sense. Dekin covered his mouth and muttered.
"No wonder her personality was... No, then why is that bastard Zenon traveling with her?"
―Hmm?
"Ah, I mean my brother. That guy has no interest in worldly matters..."
Zenon had even raised a fuss about unsealing his sealed magical power without the Magic Tower's permission.
His appearance was unmistakably that of someone wanting to show off his true skills to a woman, so Dekin had thoroughly mocked him before extracting a generous sum of money to be used as political funds.
Could it be that the fool didn't even know who he was traveling with?
―By chance, is that brother of yours a man with red hair and golden eyes?
"Yes?"
―Does he travel around with a wolf?
"How did you know?"
―...I met him together with Anelli. Thinking back now, his attitude was exactly like yours. To think they were brothers.
It seems Zenon acted quite arrogantly toward Heinrich. Dekin let out an awkward laugh. Then, struck by a realization, he spoke.
"Your Highness, weren't you barely surviving in the palace, just managing to breathe?"
―Lately, things have opened up a bit.
"If you can go out to meet women, I'd say things have opened up quite a lot."