Book 9: Chapter 4

Elreim Castle, located in the center of Vice-City Kashnart, was normally the castle where the second in line to the throne, such as the crown prince’s younger brother, would reside.

It was managed by an appointed prefectural governor since there currently didn’t exist any royalty that should be living there……but First Princess Narika’s army came along, and occupied it.

The one sitting on that throne was a single woman. Having her golden hair in tight little curls, she was beautiful; however, she emitted an intimidating air that would make one want to fall to the back from just a glance.

Her name was Narika. Being the First Princess of the Canal Kingdom, she was the commanding officer of the army that was stationed here in Kashnart.

Today, the usually displeased-looking Narika was in a rare good mood.

However, in front of her the Royal Court Magician Mazenda was making a face as if she had bitten a bitter bug.

「……Narika-sama. What is this paper?」

Mazenda thrust out a torn down copy of the 「Chivalric Order member selection」 proclamation that had been pasted up throughout the town to Narika.

The time that Mazenda came back from bustling about here and there was just this morning.

The official notice of the 「Chivalric Order member selection」 that had already been widely propagated couldn’t be taken back at this late point in time.

In response to Mazenda’s question that had anger packed within it, the enthroned Narika smiled while fiddling with the golden staff that was in her hands.

「Just as you can see, it is a proclamation of a Chivalric Order member selection.」

「Why would you do such a thing?」

「Is there really a need to explain.」

Narika and Mazenda glared at each other……and before long, Narika shrugged her shoulders in a way as if to say that it couldn’t be helped.

「As long as we are at war, knights will be consumable goods. Preparing for the decisive battle with that failure, and obtaining excellent personnel is a duty that I have.」

「Putting aside if it were just a normal war, do you understand that this is a civil war? What will you do if special agents get mixed in.」

「That is impossible.」

Narika waved her hand at Mazenda as if she were exasperated with her.

「Listen well, Mazenda. Who am I?」

「You are the First Princess of the Canal Kingdom, Narika-sama.」

「That is right. I am the one with first rights to the inheritance, Narika……The legitimate successor of this country. You also know about how even father had guaranteed my legitimacy, right?」

「……Yes, I know that very well.」

Seeing Mazenda become expressionless, Narika made a face filled with confidence while patting the palm of her own hand with the golden staff.

「That is right, everyone knows it. That I……am the one who is legitimate. Fools that wouldn’t obey that, wouldn’t possibly be here.」

Even while listening to those words that were all too foolish, Mazenda persisted with being expressionless.

It was because there was a great number of people that didn’t accept that legitimacy that Narika heralded that a civil war had broken out. The question of why the ones who obeyed her were not 「all of the Chivalric Orders」 had probably not even crossed Narika’s mind.

The ones gathered here in Kashnart were those that 「revered Narika」 or 「opposed Celis」, but there was no guarantee that there weren’t people that pretended to be those to be found.

Putting aside if this were a time of peace, in this situation of being in a civil war, things like authority and legitimacy were nothing more than tools to advocate one’s own justice.

「……Yes, it is just as you say.」

However, Mazenda agreed with her and lowered her head.

When she did, Narika snorted with a “hmph”, sounding satisfied.

「It is fine as long as you understand. Mazenda, you are just a Magician after all. It cannot be helped that you are estranged from the matters of politics.」

「I am nothing but ashamed……By the way, Narika-sama, it would seem there is something about an armed tournament on this proclamation but……?」

「That is right. There would be no use in hiring weaklings, right?」

「I see, I see. Well then, what about this document examination test……?」

「Knights also need to be educated. There is no need for idiots.」

Saying “so that was the case”, Mazenda nodded.

It wasn’t an idea made up on the spot, it seemed that she had more or less thought about it.

「Well then, Mazenda, I will leave the management of it to you.」

「Ha?」

「I am saying that I am giving you work. If it is that much, you can do it, right?」

「……At your will.」

Mazenda made a bow, and left the throne room.

After closing the door, going down the hallways, and entering her own room, Mazenda went *pu* and burst into laughter.

「Good grief……that a troublesome person. I knew that she was a fool, but to think it would have been that bad. Just what did she plan on doing if I weren’t around.」

「Is that alright? If you give me the order, at any moment, I could……」

「You can’t.」

Speaking to the man that appeared behind her, Mazenda replied without turning around to him.

「It will be a problem if Narika-sama doesn’t stay like that.」

「However……」

「As long as Celis-sama is currently unusable, there is no substitute for Narika-sama.」

「Th, that is why I can go at any moment if you just give me the order!」

*Kon* Hearing the sound of Mazenda hitting the floor with her staff, the man was startled and fell silent.

「I would be fine with sending you if you could say that you could win against that Reina. Do I need to start explaining things to you from the fact that it would be meaningless to kidnap Celis-sama?」

「Eh, ah……」

「Idiots should just shut up. Putting aside the idiot within the plan, any more idiots than that just piss me off.」

Mazenda turned around to face the man who shut his mouth.

What was reflected in her vision was the figure of the man who had the position of Captain of the Staves of Light Chivalric Order.

With cold eyes, Mazenda looked down at that man, who had gone down to one knee and saluted while his face had gone pale.

「Listen and pay close attention. About that Chivalric Order member selection or whatever that Narika-sama thought of……mix in our pawns as appropriate.」

「Ha!? And, and how would I go about doing that……」

「Tsk, you incompetent little……Let’s see, some trash that wouldn’t be a problem even if they were to vanish……I think that some Adventurers would be suitable?」

Receiving Mazenda’s words, the man stood up and saluted.

「Understood. I shall prepare two or three people.」

「Please do that……Ahh, you know the objective, right?」

「Yes. It is in order to permeate our ideology even further, isn’t it!?」

「……That is enough. I will give you orders later, so just be prepared for now.」

「Yes ma’am.」

Mixing in a sigh as she saw the man off when he left the room, Mazenda brushed up her hair.

Why didn’t they understand that annihilating the participants was in order to defend against secret agents coming in. Even those Adventurers, it wouldn’t be a problem to silence and dispose of them after the selection was done.

She couldn’t have her way at all. Idiots can’t be used normally, but that being said, ones with smarts would think of unnecessary things. Someone in the middle would be the best, but there weren’t that many people like that. At the very least, Mazenda knew better than anyone else that there wasn’t anyone like that in Narika’s faction.

「It’s already the last stage. Even if I don’t do anything, it might be a castle of sand that will eventually collapse.」

Expressing a dark laugh, Mazenda thought.

She flowed a river of poison into a collapsing castle of sand, and laid out a ground of needles.

How luscious would it be when the people who are lost in the fear of being injured expose their disgraceful behavior.

Just one more push. Even though everything would be smeared with despair and collapse with just one more push, unnecessary interruptions keep coming in here and there.

The legendary Maid Knight, Reina. Even though she alone was enough a nuisance, the Zadark Kingdom led by Demon King Vermudol had put their hand in. Thanks to that, the plan was compelled to have a certain amount of modifications.

However, looking at it from a broad perspective, it wasn’t a problem.

No, instead……she thought that it even rolled into an even more interesting direction.

「Fufu, fufufu. I’m looking forward to it.」

Mazenda laughed to herself in the room that had no one else in it.

There was no one there who could see that smile of hers that was warped in evil…