The floating fortress Chaos Breaker. The audience chamber.
Lined up within it were the twelve spirits.
Silvaril of the Void.
Almanfi of Radiance.
Yulz of Atonement.
Karowante of Insight.
Skea Cort of Time.
Clenance of Thunder.
Dot Birth of Destruction.
Trophimos of Waves.
Hakenmael of Life.
Gallow of the Earthquake.
Furious File of Madness.
Partemto of Darkness.
And seated at the very back was their king.
The Dragon God King, Perugius Dola.
Standing before him was the Second Princess of the
Ariel Anemoi Asura.
"……"
After that meeting, Ariel had requested an audience with Perugius through Silvaril.
Silvaril had moved immediately, and Ariel had used the time to arrange her clothing.
Apparel befitting the Second Princess of the Asura Kingdom and her bodyguards—elegant and sharp.
As for me, I was wearing the robe
Well, technically it was on loan from Orsted, so there was no problem.
Ariel walked between the twelve spirits with a determined expression.
Unfazed by the gazes converging on her, she stood before Perugius and performed a graceful bow.
At that, Sylphie and Luke knelt.
This time I knelt too.
"I humbly thank you for arranging this audience, Perugius."
"Enough with the formalities. What business brings you here today? Judging by your attire, I doubt this is an invitation to a tea party…"
Perugius said, making a show of feigning ignorance.
He possessed the spirit Clenance of Thunder, which meant he should have been able to hear every sound within the floating fortress.
In other words, his line here was a complete act.
But then again, setting the stage like this and engaging in dialogue was probably part of the formality.
"I have come to ask for your support in making me the king of the Asura Kingdom."
Ariel did not flinch at Perugius's performance. She declared it straight to his face, clearly and directly.
"Oh… Then allow me to ask you."
Perugius leaned his elbow on the armrest of his throne, resting his cheek against his hand as he posed his question.
"What is the most important quality of a king?"
Ariel raised her chin at the question.
"The most important quality of a king is…"
I hadn't heard what answer she'd prepared.
So I had no way of knowing whether it was correct.
Ariel said she'd found the answer, but there was no guarantee it was the right one.
Though even if I had heard it, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell if it was right or not…
Still, I probably should have at least checked whether it was an obviously wrong answer.
No, let's trust Ariel here. She had that much confidence, so the chances of being wildly off should be small.
"To carry on the will of others."
Her words echoed through the quiet audience chamber.
A chamber so silent that you'd never guess seventeen people were present.
"Oh."
Perugius responded with a breath, a sound barely above a sigh.
There was no way to tell from his expression whether her answer was correct.
To carry on the will of others.
I could understand the reasoning that led Ariel to this answer.
Ariel's path toward becoming king had begun with death.
Starting with Derrick, and the deaths of thirteen attendants.
Who those people had been, what kind of future they had wished for.
Even in death, they had entrusted their will to Ariel.
And beyond them, many others had surely entrusted their will to her as well.
That was the foundation of Ariel's desire to become king.
And then there was Perugius's friend.
Guinis Fliarean Asura had been a wartime figure. From what I'd heard, he sounded like a king you could treat as a friend.
That man had become king.
Wasn't it because he had inherited the will of those who had died during the war?
It was a answer that, at the very least, connected the dots.
That was probably why she had chosen this answer.
But was it really right?
Personally, it felt a bit too simplistic…
"…………Heh. To carry on the will of others, you say."
Perugius looked down at Ariel and laughed.
"In other words, your ambition to become king is ultimately something shaped by others. Can such a person truly be called a true king?"
His tone was mocking.
If that was the case, then this answer must have been wrong.
But Ariel did not waver.
"Yes, that is exactly right, Perugius.
My ambition is indeed something shaped by others.
I am likely far from what people generally consider a true king.
However…"
Ariel drew a breath and spoke with unwavering resolve.
"As long as I am a king to those who have entrusted their will to me, I am fine even if I am not a true king."
"Oh…"
Perugius did not look amused.
Still resting his cheek on his fist with a displeased expression, he posed another question.
"So you're asking me—this great being—to lend my power to a foolish king?"
"Yes. It is precisely because I am foolish that I humbly ask for your support."
"This doesn't feel like it's going well.
Ariel's answer was admirable, in my opinion.
Forget about being a true king—she wasn't hung up on some intangible ideal. She wanted to repay those who had devoted themselves to her.
That was why she would become king.
She would govern for their sake and become the king they wished for.
Whether it was the right answer or not, I thought it was commendable.
But wasn't it worlds apart from what Perugius was looking for?
"And you really thought that answer would make me—this being—lend you my power?"
"No, Perugius. But this is my honest feeling.
It is the true resolve of Ariel Anemoi Asura to become king—without a single lie."
Ariel fixed Perugius with an intense gaze.
"If that is rejected, then I have no need for your assistance, Perugius."
A refusal.
Perugius's eyes went wide. A ripple of shock ran through the twelve spirits.
Sylphie was stunned. Luke was stunned.
I was stunned too.
"You claim you have no need for my power to become king?"
"If my ideals and yours are too far apart, then your help might only hold me back."
Perugius stopped leaning on his fist and slowly rose to his feet.
Was that expression anger?
His mouth was tight, his eyes wide open.
Though his fists weren't clenched, his shoulders seemed to tremble.
He raised his hand swiftly.
For a split second, I mistakenly thought Perugius was unleashing the twelve spirits upon Ariel.
"Well spoken, Ariel Anemoi Asura!
I have heard your conviction, and I accept it!"
I gripped my staff, ready to channel mana—then froze at his words.
"I, Perugius Dola, the Dragon God King, hereby swear by my departed friend Guinis Fliarean Asura to lend you my aid!"
Perugius raised his voice even further.
"A teleportation circle will be prepared!
Return to the royal palace at once, set the stage, and then call upon me!"
"Thank you very much."
Ariel expressed her gratitude.
Sylphie and Luke bowed their heads even deeper.
I remained standing frozen, staff still in hand.
Honestly, I had thought things were going badly.
The answer had been wrong.
Ariel had made a choice that wouldn't please Perugius.
And yet, Perugius had declared he would lend her his support.
Had he seen something in his exchange with Ariel?
Regardless, Perugius had announced he would stand on Ariel's side.
Perugius had become one of Ariel's backers.
--- Ariel departed from the audience chamber.
She wore a composed expression, while Sylphie and Luke looked like they had accomplished something.
"……"
I started to follow them, then paused and turned back.
There stood Perugius, lounging smugly surrounded by his twelve subordinates.
Perugius was watching us leave, and our eyes naturally met.
"What is it,
"Nothing…"
I turned back and moved to follow Ariel again.
But I couldn't help but ask.
"In the end, was her answer the correct one for the most important quality of a king?"
Perugius let out a snort and answered.
"It was not the answer I was looking for."
"Then why?"
At my question, Perugius grinned with amusement.
"Ariel Anemoi Asura is nothing like Guinis.
And yet, watching her words and her bearing, I was reminded of something.
The 'ideal king' that Guinis once spoke of—was he not describing someone just like her?"
An ideal king, as Guinis had envisioned?
"Once upon a time, we all believed that Guinis was the true king.
But for him, his own existence fell far short of the ideal.
Whether in taverns in his youth, at military camps during the war, or after becoming King of Asura—he was always talking about his 'ideal king.'"
Perugius spoke with fond nostalgia.
In other words, Ariel was not the kind of king Perugius envisioned.
But she was close to the kind of king Guinis had envisioned.
Everyone has their own ideals.
"I see… So what kind of king did Perugius envision as the ideal?"
When I asked that, he shot me a sharp glare.
"There is no need for me to tell you that."
"Fair enough. Forgive me."
I bowed and turned to leave.
If he wasn't going to tell me, then I didn't need to know.
And even if he did tell me— Even if I then told Ariel the answer— She had just declared her conviction with such confidence. I didn't want her second-guessing herself again.
Some things are better left unknown.
"Rudeus Greyrat."
Just as I'd decided that, Perugius called out to me.
I turned back. Perugius had risen from his throne and was about to exit through a different entrance.
"I have one more question for you."
"What might that be?"
"Why did you not bring up Orsted's name?
I despise the man, but even I cannot ignore his name.
If you had invoked Orsted's name in that setting, things would have gone much more smoothly, would they not?"
Orsted had told me he'd asked Perugius and been refused.
There was no way me casually dropping Orsted's name would have led to a good outcome.
Was I being tested too?
Was he looking for a slick answer?
"Because neither I nor Orsted will be the one becoming king."
"But he wants Ariel to become king, does he not?
And you are cooperating with that goal?
If so, wouldn't it make sense to use Orsted's name to its fullest advantage?"
"Even so, the one becoming king is Ariel, and the one cooperating is you, Perugius. I and Orsted will lend a hand, but at the end of the day, we're outsiders. I judged that flaunting the name and forcing the conversation forward would not be wise."
Heh. Nailed it.
Even I had to admit that was a good answer.
Yeah. At the end of the day, this was something between the people involved, and it was best settled by their own discussion.
After Ariel became king, I wasn't planning on doing anything in particular.
I mean, I had nothing to demand.
I didn't know what Orsted intended to do, but…
Either way, I was in a pretty irresponsible position and couldn't push too hard.
"Your thinking is too soft."
Perugius spat the words out and left the room.
"……"
I, too, couldn't withstand the stares of the twelve remaining subordinates any longer and slipped out.
That was a bit embarrassing.
Well, I guess just talking a big game without substance doesn't cut it.
--- Leaving the audience chamber, I headed straight back to Ariel's room.
I apologized for the slight delay and opened the door.
Translucent, snow-white shoulders filled my vision.
Ariel was in the middle of changing.
A luxurious outfit was being peeled away by Sylphie's hands, and she was loosening her corset in her undergarments.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing, Rude!"
"It's perfectly fine. Rudeus is the hero of this endeavor.
No matter the circumstance, he need not ask for permission to enter."
"But, Ariel…"
"Oh my… I do apologize, Sylphie. I was lacking in consideration.
Rudeus, I'm sorry, but would you mind stepping outside?"
The moment those words came, I was already outside the room, in the process of closing the door.
I didn't know what Ariel had misunderstood, but I was not the kind of shameless man who would linger while someone was changing.
Still, wow, Ariel really has a great figure.
A gift from her genes, perhaps.
Though in terms of balance, Sylphie wasn't lacking either.
She had neither bust nor hips to speak of.
Perfectly balanced.
I loved that about her.
"From now on, I should probably knock…"
The reason I knew knocking was important was because when I opened a door without knocking, I usually found a scruffy man hugging a doll.
You'd think I would have learned from that experience.
I really need to work on my habits.
Wait, hold on.
Wasn't Luke in the room too?
Was he fine staying in there?
…He probably was.
If there was anyone Ariel felt safest with, it was surely Luke.
"Rude, you can come in now."
After a while, Sylphie peeked her face through the gap in the door.
I entered as instructed, and noticed Sylphie had a slightly pouty expression.
"Did you see… Ariel's?"
"Her underwear was white."
Sylphie's cheeks puffed out.
For the record, her underwear was also white.
I had confirmed it when she was changing last night, so there was no mistake.
I poked Sylphie's cheeks a couple of times with my finger, then moved to enter the room.
On the way, I got pinched on the butt.
"Sylphiette, come on."
"What is it, Rudeus?"
"Let's save the flirting for when we get home."
"…Ugh!"
Sylphie slapped my butt hard, then stomped over to a chair in the corner of the room and sat down roughly.
Her face was red. She was so adorable.
Well, anyway.
Inside the room, Ariel was now fully dressed.
Even in casual clothes, she had a princess-like air about her. That probably had something to do with the cost of what she was wearing.
No, that didn't matter.
First, I should apologize.
"I'm sorry about earlier, when you were changing."
"That's quite all right… So, what did you think?"
"Think about what?"
"About my body."
Did I really have to answer that?
No, I was definitely being tested again.
Today was a day of tests.
This time, I would not get the answer wrong.
"It was magnificent… though I should say, personally, I prefer Sylphie."
"I see. Then I'm sorry for subjecting you to my appearance."
Ariel giggled. Sylphie turned red, muttering, "What are you even saying…"
Luke shrugged.
Maybe it was because persuading Perugius had gone well, but the mood was light.
"Please, have a seat."
When I sat in a chair, her expression turned serious.
I should switch gears too.
"Thanks to you, Rudeus, we've been able to move on to the next phase."
"No, I didn't really do anything."
"Don't be modest. Isn't it exactly as you said?
The answer was already inside me."
Well, in the end, yes.
Though that might have been fate too…
No, let's just say that without my advice, Ariel wouldn't have made it this far on her own.
That's what I'd prefer to believe.
It felt better that way.
"Regarding the next steps, Perugius said to return to the royal palace immediately and set the stage. I intend to follow his instructions and go back to the Asura royal palace."
"Set the stage? What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
I didn't really get it, but…
No, let me think for myself a bit.
Putting it all together, Perugius wasn't going to leisurely walk with us to the Asura Kingdom.
So Ariel would return first and prepare a setting worthy of Perugius's arrival.
For example, a party venue packed with nobles.
She would arrange something like that and then formally summon Perugius.
Then, with the blare of a gong, Perugius and the twelve spirits would make their entrance.
The nobles would gasp—"It's Perugius!"—and prostrate themselves in awe.
Something like that.
"…Wouldn't it be fine to take our time? Maybe spend more time on preparations?"
"Unfortunately, we can't. Information has also reached us that my father is gravely ill."
Ariel delivered the shocking news with a composed face.
So she already knew. I'd thought the report might come a bit later, but Ariel had already received the intelligence.
That meant the likelihood of Luke being a disciple of the Human God was slightly lower.
If he'd gotten the information from the Human God, the chance was reduced.
Oh, but it was still possible Luke had received the information from the Human God and relayed it to Ariel.
Wait, wait, hold on.
There was also the possibility that Ariel had received the information directly from the Human God.
The possibility that Ariel herself was a disciple.
If Ariel was a disciple, it felt like the entire premise would crumble.
Orsted could have miscalculated the timing…
Either way, I needed to ask Orsted about the possibility of Ariel being a disciple.
"Judging by your expression, Rudeus, it seems you already knew."
"Huh?"
"As expected of someone who serves the Dragon God.
To hear that the King of Asura is ill and not bat an eye…"
"Well… seeing how Luke made that sudden plea and how anxious Ariel was, I could guess something was going on."
That's what I'd say.
Ariel nodded with satisfaction.
No problem there.
"Rudeus, you must have your own schedule to consider…
How about this—we should have no trouble departing in about fourteen or fifteen days?"
Ariel intended to leave in roughly two weeks.
That was rather hasty.
No, the diary hadn't included exact dates.
She might have originally planned to depart around this time.
It was possible Orsted had misread the timing.
"Fortunately, if Perugius prepares a teleportation circle, the travel time won't be too long, so we do have some leeway. But if Father is ill, we may need to return immediately—it could become too late. I want to get back before my brothers have fully consolidated their position."
Judging from the flow of conversation, the king would die from this illness.
And a new king would be born.
If Ariel dallied too long, she wouldn't even be able to participate in the contest.
I understood that, but there was a concern.
As Orsted had mentioned, there was one troublesome figure in the Asura Kingdom.
A senior minister named Darius Silba Ganius.
According to Orsted, as long as that man was in play, Ariel's chances of winning were slim.
To neutralize him, she needed to make contact with a person who could serve as Darius's Achilles' heel—Tristina.
If Tristina was on their side, it would be possible to bring Darius down.
With Perugius's backing, a mere senior minister of a kingdom would be nothing to fear.
That's what I wanted to believe, but if that were the case, Orsted probably wouldn't have brought it up in the first place.
Perugius's cooperation would make them roughly equal to the First Prince's faction.
Bringing down Darius would tip the scales in their favor.
To make victory a certainty, they needed to make one more move.
"Ariel, regarding the teleportation circle—I think it would be best to have it deposit us near the Asura Kingdom's border."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"If a princess of the kingdom enters without even crossing the border, people will suspect she's up to something.
Moreover, teleportation circles are considered taboo.
If it became known that she used one, it could draw unnecessary scrutiny.
I think it would be better to travel on foot from the border to the capital, allowing the people to see Ariel."
"I see. That makes sense."
Good.
Now I just needed to come up with a plausible reason to make contact with the organization where Tristina was.
I hadn't figured out how to approach them yet, but it should work out.
With organizations like that, as long as you had money, things tended to work out.
"I am opposed."
Luke cut into the conversation.
"If the king falls ill, the First Prince and Second Prince's men may be lying in wait along the road. Teleportation circles are taboo, but if no one sees where you emerge, you can make up any excuse."
"…I see. That's a valid point."
"This time is different from before—we have Rudeus with us.
There's no concern about fighting strength.
However, I've heard rumors that the First Prince's faction has recruited the North Emperor as a swordsman.
Being targeted by a master of the North God Style inside the palace would be one thing, but encountering them on the road would be extremely dangerous."
I could detect a hint of fear in Luke's words.
"Being targeted is… something I'd really like to avoid…"
Judging from their expressions, Ariel and Sylphie were also inclined toward Luke's position.
These three had fought tooth and nail to escape the Asura Kingdom.
The prospect of a journey where they could be hunted terrified them.
Still, what could be done?
Should I come up with some excuse to go ahead on my own and try to contact Tristina?
No—I didn't want Ariel and the others to end up in danger while I was gone.
The suspicion that Luke was a disciple of the Human God hadn't been cleared either.
This proposal could have been the Human God's advice.
"Both Rudeus and Luke raise valid points… Sylphie, what do you think?"
Ariel turned to Sylphie, still weighing the matter.
"Well… I think teleporting within the country would be better.
I'm not sure where inside the Asura Kingdom we'd teleport to, but if we can outmaneuver the First Prince by not crossing the border, I don't see any downside to that."
Oh, so Sylphie was also leaning toward Luke's position.
"Besides, when we left, we didn't make a big spectacle of it.
So I think it would be fine to return quietly.
Going from the border to the capital would take over a month… and that travel time would be wasted."
"I see… Understood. Then we'll go with the original plan—teleport into the Asura Kingdom."
It was a reasonable argument.
Hard to refute.
In this case, it was probably my fault for not having shared the information with Sylphie beforehand.
So be it.
I would split off on my own and make contact with Tristina.
Or I could ask someone else to do it.
Ghislaine… she wasn't suited for a negotiation role, so I'd pass on that.
Oh right—I needed to introduce Ghislaine to Ariel before we departed. I shouldn't forget that.
Which meant I couldn't drag
Was there anyone else who was good at negotiating and trustworthy?
No, if I brought Ginger along…
No, no—that would cause a huge international incident, bringing a prince of another country along.
Just as I was thinking this, knock knock.
The door was suddenly struck.
"Come in."
"Excuse me."
It was Silvaril.
She surveyed the room, then gently fluttered the wings on her back.
And then she spoke.
"It has just been confirmed that all teleportation circles within the Asura Kingdom have been destroyed."
"What!?"
The words hit me without warning.
The destruction of the teleportation circles.
"What do you mean?"
Silvaril explained calmly.
Apparently, immediately after the audience, Perugius had ordered Silvaril to activate a teleportation circle.
There existed a circle within this floating fortress designed to teleport to a location inside the Asura Kingdom.
When Silvaril went to the circle's location, it had lost its power and gone silent.
Feeling something was amiss, she had Almanfi investigate the site, only to discover the circle there had been destroyed.
When Almanfi investigated further, she found that every circle Perugius could use within the Asura Kingdom had been destroyed without exception.
Therefore, Silvaril declared: "Teleportation into the Asura Kingdom will be impossible."
The nearest functioning circle was near the Asura Kingdom's border.
From there, it would have to be on foot.
Someone had done this deliberately.
Without question, someone had taken action.
Was it the Human God? Or Orsted?
I could ask Orsted tomorrow and find out.
But dispelling the distrust this situation cast upon me was going to be extremely difficult.
Luke's suspicious gaze.
After that conversation, it now looked like my plan was the only option.
The kind of stare that said, "You knew about this and kept quiet, didn't you?"
Even Sylphie was looking at me with unease.
They probably suspected Orsted was behind it.
But only Ariel remained unmoved.
"In that case, there's nothing to be done. We'll go with Rudeus's plan."
"B-But, Ariel…"
Luke's flustered voice.
Ariel spoke over it, her tone flat and composed.
"Luke, inform Elmoa and Klyne.
Work with the two of them and begin preparations for the journey.
Sylphie, come with me to pay respects to the dignitaries of the
Rudeus, I leave it to you.
Everyone, make sure you've said your goodbyes to anyone you need to."
"…Understood."
Luke nodded quietly.
Despite lingering unease, they dispersed from the room.