Aria and I headed out to do some shopping, going through my list as we picked up everything we needed.
Most of it was food.
For the equipment I'd been using up until now, I'd arranged to sell off anything that had worn out beyond repair. Clothes went to the secondhand shop, and for gear, I'd gotten trade-in value or outright buyback.
The reason I'd built in time for intelligence-gathering and a vacation was that my last job had paid quite well.
It wasn't like I didn't need to work at all, but I'd still managed to carve out some leisure time.
"Let's see… next up is camping equipment, right? I'm pretty sure most of it was in rough shape."
Aria checked things off against the list while I carried the bags.
I didn't think it was strictly necessary, but making time for this kind of holiday communication was important.
Lately, I'd come to realize that these were exactly the kinds of things I was bad at.
That was precisely why I made sure to set aside this kind of time.
"Oh, speaking of which… Monica asked me to pick up lumber and some tools. She also mentioned putting in an order for nails."
Aria looked exasperated.
"That girl can make everything herself, can't she? Just the other day she was hiding away savings and whatnot… So she's secretly richer than me? What's that supposed to mean?"
Monica had been carefully managing her living expenses to set money aside. She also received payment for her work, so she handled her finances more diligently than Aria.
As a result, unlike Aria, who spent freely on various things, Monica was something of a small-scale wealthy woman.
"Well, she does need to maintain and replace her equipment too… Besides, she basically never spends money on herself."
Everything Monica used personally — well, she could make practically anything from scratch, not just personal items. As long as she had the materials, there was nothing she couldn't do.
But this time, it seemed she didn't have the time, so she'd asked a blacksmith to handle it.
"I know that, but it still feels like I lost somehow…"
"Don't try to compete with the Automaton. Actually, can you stop the bickering too? You'll never win."
Aria, who's always full of openings, has all sorts of information in Monica's hands.
From her underwear rotation to how much she sneaks snacks.
All sorts of things have been investigated.
(Come to think of it, Novem and Miranda don't have many openings. Clara is pretty indifferent about daily life, but Shannon's on the same level as Aria.)
Now that I think about it.
"...Aria, you're on the same level as Shannon."
"What's that supposed to be?! Take it back right now!"
Being told she's on the same level as Shannon, Aria protests.
I quickly—
"I-I meant that you have cute quirks like that too!"
At my excuse, Aria's face turned slightly red and she kept walking.
(Was that a success? Or did I fail?)
Just as I'm thinking that, I hear what sounds like the Fourth Generation's voice, smirking.
"You've grown quite a bit, Lyle. I'll say it clearly — you're still hopeless, but you're better than when you started."
The Fifth Generation—
"Better than before. You wouldn't even talk back then, after all."
The voices of my ancestors teasing me can only be heard by me.
I shake my head and chase after Aria.
(Was it really that bad?)
As I thought that and chased after Aria, I caught snippets of a rumor.
"Oh, so the Crown Prince's Highness chose that side, then?"
"Looks like it. It's a shame for the princess of Fanbayu, but from our perspective, it's only natural…"
The conversation was all about the Crown Prince and some princess.
It had nothing to do with me, so I kept following after Aria.
When we returned to the inn, Aria took her belongings and headed back to her room.
Down on the first floor, Novem and Miranda were talking.
They weren't discussing what to have for lunch or anything like that—they wore serious expressions.
I called out to them.
"What's wrong, you two?"
At that, Novem spoke up.
"Oh, Lyle. Welcome back. Well, actually…"
What Novem told me was a rumor coming out of Central.
Miranda, for her part, looked troubled.
"I went to buy tickets, but they're completely booked for a while. Apparently, they're saying there's some important announcement coming in Central…"
What made Miranda so uneasy was that the rumor appeared to be true.
I recalled the time I had gone out shopping with Aria.
It was a rumor about Crown Prince Rufus Vancem and Princess Rianne Fanbayu of another nation.
Novem explained further.
"They're saying that along with the annulment of the engagement, a new fiancée will be announced. I thought it sounded absurd at first, but even within the royal palace, discussions have been moving in that direction."
It was only natural to feel bewildered.
After all, the princess who was his fiancée was right there in the royal palace.
For over ten years, the Kingdom of Fonbeau, which shared a border with Vancem, had been building a friendship.
The political marriage was meant to be proof of that bond.
"Wouldn't annulling it be dangerous?"
The Fifth Generation said.
"In my era, that'd mean instant war."
The Seventh Generation added.
"Rest assured. It was the same in my era as well. This is madness."
The Sixth Generation agreed.
"They found someone they love, or what? A concubine would do just fine."
The Fourth Generation said to the Sixth.
"Ugh, that's gross."
Miranda, despite her exasperation—
"It's a disaster. It means war. But when I was in Central, I heard the two of them seemed genuinely close. I honestly thought this meant the future of both nations was secure... Of course, it wasn't as though it was purely superficial either."
It wasn't as though there was no love between them simply because it was a political marriage.
And yet, he was going to annul the engagement while his fiancée was right there and introduce a new partner to the nation.
There was no way to see it as anything but madness.
Novem, for her part, seemed to be concerned about something else entirely.
"Apparently, the next fiancée is the only daughter of a powerful Landed Nobility. That alone is already abnormal."
The only daughter of a Landed Nobility.
If she's to marry the Crown Prince, would her family have to be at least an earl's house?
Did they go so far as to sever ties with other nations just to forge a connection with that house?
The Successive Heads, starting from the Third Generation.
'Whoa, no way. That's absolutely a lie.'
'That can't be right. An only daughter... that's a dead-end house, isn't it? If a child is born, do they plan to pass it on?'
'They might choose a successor from among the relatives. But even so, how viable is that option?'
'This is looking rather ominous. Even if both sides were looking for a pretext to go to war, this seems overly convoluted...'
'It felt like things were about to blow up, and now this? The First Generation did say something about the era growing turbulent.'
Was it the appearance of monsters that made the era grow turbulent, or was it because the era grew turbulent that monsters appeared...?
Setting that aside, this situation was dangerous.
"If things get turbulent, it'll become harder to cross borders. Maybe we should hurry with preparations."
When he said that, the two of them nodded.
Past noon.
After finishing lunch, I decided to gather information alongside Miranda.
I brought Miranda, who knew Central inside and out, to verify the truth behind the rumors.
Had the Crown Prince really broken off his engagement?
It was too credible to be mere gossip.
Our destination was a stylish café. In one of its partitioned booths, I ended up paying for the information fee along with the expensive tea and pastries the other person ordered.
She was a middle-aged woman who worked in the royal palace and had been at it for quite some time.
"What a handsome man you've brought along, Miss Miranda. And that awkward air you used to have is gone, too. Nice. At this rate, I think we can get along."
The woman said that to Miranda while gesturing for her to hand over what was due.
I'd assumed Miranda was higher in social standing, but this woman certainly seemed well-connected in the royal palace.
"As always. Now then, let me hear it... the truth behind the rumors."
At that, the woman grew cautious, scanning her surroundings.
I likewise stayed alert, but my Skills showed no reaction.
(Though, there were times when Skills didn't pick up on things.)
The Sixth Generation had said something along those lines. I kept my guard up while pressing for confirmation of the rumor.
"...It's true. The annulment of the engagement has been officially decided. Lady Rianne kept going to the palace, borrowing a residence in Central to try and make him reconsider, but Master Rufus wouldn't budge. He'd gone and fallen for a young girl. And the thing is—"
The woman looked at me and smiled.
The Third Generation spoke.
'...She seems to have figured out who Lyle is. She must be quite the information broker.'
The Fourth Generation chimed in.
'There are people like that every now and then. Servants who are particularly skilled at this sort of thing. They probably make a living doing exactly this.'
"Your sweetheart's sister... Lyle Walt's sister."
My eyes widened, and the Sixth Generation's voice came from the Jewel.
'Lyle, keep your composure. She's enjoying this. Depending on how it goes, she'll try to jack up the price.'
I quickly neutralized my expression and listened to what the woman had to say.
"I only saw her from a distance, but she's something of a monster. I've been working in the royal palace for a long time now, and I thought I'd seen my share of people like that—including you, Miss Miranda."
The woman had just categorized Miranda as one of those "monsters."
"I appreciate the evaluation. ...Or should I say?"
"Hehehe! You're a scary one, miss. Like a spider that never lets its prey escape once it's targeted. You'd better watch out."
The woman, after telling me to watch out, resumes talking about Ceres.
However, her expression was serious.
"In the royal palace, monsters aren't exactly rare. Among those who win political battles, some possess luck as if they were loved by a goddess. They have something more than just ability. But you know, among those monsters, she stands out. Anyone who sees that young lady becomes captivated. The only ones who didn't, besides you, miss, were the other monsters. Even so, there were still some who fell for her."
Miranda asks for more details.
"So the Crown Prince is one of them too?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince is excellent. Well, excellent at most, but I think he's fine for ruling the country. However... as soon as that young lady gets close, he immediately starts summoning House Walt. The ministers are the same."
The Crown Prince apparently doesn't fall into the category of monster like Miranda.
I kept listening to the woman's words.
"Central is also... little by little, I get the feeling it's being consumed by a fever. Yes... it feels just like war is approaching."
The woman murmurs, recalling a great war from the past.
"Come to think of it—"
"What is it?"
When Miranda urges her on, the woman takes a sip of her black tea and looks at me.
"—the previous war also involved House Walt. Truly, they're a troublesome family."
The Sixth and Seventh Generations inside the Jewel start making excuses, as they were the parties involved at the time.
"Don't screw around! Back then, it was the royal palace that dragged us into it!"
"Precisely! We wanted to return to our territory, but His Majesty at the time said the palace was corrupt and unreliable... thinking about it, the Vancem royal family is quite a troublesome bunch for us."
The Third Generation says.
"I know, right~"
The Fifth Generation says.
"But you guys took advantage of them too while saying that, didn't you?"
Hearing their excuses, the phrase "six of one, half a dozen of the other" came to mind.
I decided not to take the women's words at face value, and not to assume my ancestors were entirely in the right either.
That was because I'd recently come to understand, if only a little, what kind of creatures landed nobles are.
They prioritize the preservation of their own families and territories above all else.
Loyalty and duty, they claim, are only upheld because the authority of the royal family protects them.
I let out a soft sigh.
"That may be. But I've already been cast out, so it doesn't really concern me anymore."
The woman drank her tea while watching me.
Once she finished, she set down her cup.
"Well then, I'll take my leave now. You've gotten the information you wanted, I'd imagine. Oh, and I'm retiring as well. If you want information, I'll sell it, but don't expect anything new."
Miranda says.
"It's still too early to retire, isn't it?"
"Young ones keep joining one after another. There really are so many now... it reminds me of before the war. Before I get dragged into anything, I'm going to leave Central. That's what my gut is telling me."
Perhaps thinking Miranda was joking, she asked with a smile.
"Oh, your intuition, huh?"
"Yeah. If I don't get out of here, it could cost me my life. My intuition is usually pretty accurate."
With that, the woman walked away.
I took a sip of my tea.
Miranda looked at me.
"So the rumors are true. So, what are you going to do about Lyle?"
After thinking for a moment, I said—
"...The princess of Fonbeau is staying at some estate somewhere in Central, right?"
Miranda gave me a flat look.
She reached for her own baked sweets and popped one into her mouth.
"You think you could meet her?"
"Probably not. But I was curious what she was like..."
Just then, a voice came from inside the Jewel—the Sixth Generation.
*"If you were determined to meet her, it wouldn't be entirely impossible."*
The Seventh Generation chimed in too.
*"Well, that's true."*
The Fourth Generation asked for the reasoning.
*"Huh? Did we have some connection to Fonbeau? In my era, they were just some far-off country separated by a few nations."*
The Seventh Generation said:
*"...If you used the name of House Walt, I think you could arrange a meeting."*
The Sixth Generation added:
*"They probably hold a grudge. And if they found out what Ceres and the current House Walt have done..."*
Somehow, I was getting the feeling that meeting her would be more dangerous for me than for anyone else.
Or rather—
*What exactly did the Sixth Generation and Seventh Generation do to Fonbeau?*
A chill crept through me.