The problem we’d managed to let slide until now had finally come calling.
Truthfully, it wasn’t something we’d intentionally ignored. From the moment Mina and I had made our contract, it was something we had both braced ourselves for and prepared for. But with Gilford’s duel uproar, and then the trip to the Phoenix County, we had kept putting it off and putting it off—until, at last, it happened.
It wasn’t as if this was coming out of nowhere now; if anything, it was the sort of thing better settled decisively at an opportunity like this. So I walked with Mina, following behind Professor Reina.
—“If it’s about the contract, then those of us unrelated to it had better not come along.”
Noel said it apologetically, as if she had wanted to sit in on it.
Given Noel and Erika’s status, if they accompanied us, their mere presence would amount to pressure. And depending on how one interpreted it, there was room to think that the Duke of Nexia’s house and the Count of Phoenix’s house were involved behind the contract.
Erika acted as if she didn’t care about such political risks, but when she heard that the other side had requested it as well, she withdrew together with Noel.
After that, we simply followed behind a rather tense Professor Reina as she led us toward the reception room.
“Aren’t you nervous?”
“Not really?”
When I answered Mina’s question and looked over at her, I saw her leisurely half-closing her eyes.
If she was that confident, then there was no problem at all.
The one who was actually more nervous was Professor Reina, and she looked at us in disbelief.
“I don’t know if you two have nerves of steel, or if I’m just timid.”
“I don’t think it’s either, but why are you nervous, Professor?”
“Because depending on how they interpret it, there’s room for them to think that your contract was induced by our academy.”
I wondered what that was about, and it turned out that when Mina had entered my dorm room, an academy staff member had helped her.
“I bribed them.”
“So it was money after all.”
It was such an obvious reason that I had nothing much to say.
As a result, the Cyclops had been able to come out far earlier than I had expected.
In any case, since the staff member’s corruption was the issue, the academy seemed nervous as well. But because the actual parties involved were taking such a casual attitude, Professor Reina seemed to grow a little frightened.
“I’m begging you, please settle this properly.”
“You seem like the type who would go in and flip the desk over, Professor, so this is surprising.”
“I learned with my own body that after flipping over a conference table, the aftermath is heavy.”
Judging by how she’d apparently been unable to control her temper and flipped things over before, only to end up in all sorts of trouble, Professor Reina seemed to have softened a great deal and become a person of common sense while working as a professor.
Positions really do shape people… and as I was thinking that—
“We’re here.”
Professor Reina opened the door to the academy’s reception room and let us inside.
And when we entered, a handsome middle-aged man distinguished by his white hair was seated within.
“…Oh?”
Mina narrowed her eyes.
On Mina’s face, which usually put on a mask suited to the other person unless they were someone she was close to, hostility appeared.
Meanwhile, the man rose.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. With the royal palace presently busy, I have come as a proxy by request. I am Hephaes Avatus of the Count of Avatus’s house.”
The handsome middle-aged man bowed politely and spoke with a gentle smile.
“I came upon the recommendation of Her Majesty Queen Rien Avatus Vespia and of my elder brother, Count Gaster Avatus. I look forward to working with you.”
****
A variety of tea implements were set out in the academy’s reception room.
Since it was originally a place where noble students received outside visitors or discussed family matters, brewing and drinking tea there was common, and usually, the one brewing the tea was the student.
There was the fact that one could not very well ask someone who had come a long way to brew tea, and since nobles needed to learn how to receive guests, it was also meant to teach the students.
But above all, because the other party was a guest, it was a kind of etiquette telling them to treat the academy student as if they were the master of that house.
“However, it seems there are no tea leaves here suited to my taste. Pardon me, but I shall prepare the tea myself.”
In such a place, Hephaes was personally serving tea.
For an instant, I felt killing intent from Professor Reina, who was standing a little behind us as if wondering what might happen.
“Please, drink. I must convey the royal palace’s words and deliver its voice.”
He was subtly dragging the royal palace into it.
Whatever his affiliation, the other party had come here as the palace’s proxy.
It was a warning that rudeness toward him was rudeness toward the royal palace.
I drank from the teacup as it was and slightly furrowed my brow.
‘It’s bitter.’
I could tell he hadn’t put in some sort of drug, but it somehow felt like he had brewed it to mess with us.
Even Mina beside me had her composure briefly disturbed, so that said it all.
When I set down the bitter tea, Hephaes smiled gently.
“Impressive. Some people spit it out from time to time.”
“It’s not undrinkable. Though I wouldn’t go out of my way to drink it.”
“It is good for your health, so you might try it occasionally. It’s medicinal tea. Then, let us move on to the main point.”
Hephaes, smiling gently, spoke quietly.
“Izen Arclight. Why did you violate the contract you made with the royal palace and independently enter into a contract with an outsider, the Saintess of the Saras Church? Depending on the degree of the matter, confiscation of the golem you possess and the related technology, as well as your imprisonment for the crime of deception, are being considered. Answer carefully.”
He was making his voice solemn, as if he were the palace’s spokesperson.
Coming on strong from the very beginning, huh.
After thinking for a moment, I quietly asked,
“Avatus… pardon me. How should I address you?”
“Haha. Hephaes will do. Please call me Mr. Hephaes, in a friendly manner.”
“Mr. Hephaes. Could you speak once about the contract between me and the royal palace?”
Hephaes smiled.
Naturally, the other party knew its contents.
“I need not mention the full text of the contract, but I shall recite what I remember slowly. First, you are to create a rideable golem and deliver the completed design and the rights to mass production to the royal palace.”
“Second. After that, the production rights belong to the royal palace, and Izen Arclight may not directly produce and sell the relevant rideable golem. That was to maintain military secrecy, wasn’t it?”
When I took over and stated the contents of the contract, Hephaes smiled quietly.
“Third, if the delivery process is fully carried out, you will be granted a barony and territory. A new Arclight territory will be born.”
“Fourth, the contract made with the royal palace is confidential, so its contents must not be carelessly disclosed to others.”
Hephaes smiled.
I smiled as well.
“Do you understand what crime you have committed?”
“I don’t know, because I haven’t violated anything.”
Hephaes pointed at Mina with a smile.
“How strange. I distinctly heard that the Saintess over there independently produces and sells Cyclopses. The authority of production is clearly to be taken by the royal palace, so how is it that the Saintess has built a factory to produce Cyclopses and is carrying out their sale?”
His smiling face and gentle tone continued.
However, he was speaking more, and a little faster.
‘Does he think he’s cornered me and gotten excited?’
As I listened quietly, Hephaes spoke softly.
“Moreover, why did you bring the Cyclops, which should be confidential, out to a place like a dueling arena? How did the Saintess know and support you? Izen, you are deceiving the royal palace.”
“It’s easy enough to explain, but…”
I looked at Hephaes and quietly asked,
“…You’ve been drawing this out since earlier, so it seems you have something you wish to say.”
“I am the royal palace’s proxy, Izen.”
Hephaes said so.
Then he picked up my teacup again and changed its contents.
Unlike before, a sweet fragrance rose from it.
“If you drink something bitter, you should cleanse your palate with something sweet. Would you like some?”
“I’d like to hear what you have to say right now, Mr. Hephaes.”
Hephaes smiled.
Then he spoke quietly.
“This is not the royal palace’s will, but the Count’s personal intent, Izen.”
Hephaes turned his body slightly toward me.
“The House of Avatus sees your talent.”
“Are you telling me to become one of your people?”
“There is a lady in the House of Avatus who is a little older than you, but of a similar age.”
That was quite the proactive proposal.
And Hephaes revealed his true intentions.
“It is unfortunate, but the Cyclops must be discarded. You have already violated the contract, and are in a situation where you must face legal judgment. But a talent such as yours should not be left to rot in prison.”
Hephaes pushed the sweet cup toward me.
“Admit your guilt, and the House of Avatus will take you in as a son-in-law and become your backing. Her Majesty the Queen will give you an opportunity. Then you will be able to start again in the Count of Avatus’s house.”
“Wai—”
Reina stepped forward to stop him.
Hephaes looked at Reina with a smile.
“I am the royal palace’s proxy, Sir Reina.”
“What part of what you just said is—”
“Her Majesty the Queen is also a member of the royal family.”
Reina’s expression turned fierce.
Hephaes opened his mouth with a smile.
“What do you say? Will you join hands with us?”
My answer, huh.
I raised my hand and drank the tea.
I drained the bitter tea from the beginning and grinned.
“Naturally, I refuse.”
Because—
“I haven’t violated the contract even once.”
After all, I hadn’t set things in motion without anticipating at least this much.
“Let me ask you something, Mr. Hephaes.”
“Is the completed form of the rideable golem in the contract the Cyclops of today?”