Inside the Hamilton Marquis estate in the Arclesia Empire’s capital, Marquis Hamilton and Eris were in the middle of a discussion. The previous plan to gather the parents of the noblewomen who had attended the recent tea party for follow-up talks had been abandoned. The sudden, hurried departure of the Rich Baron family had thrown everything into flux, as the entire agenda depended on whatever had prompted their exit. Consequently, the meeting was postponed to a later date, and the Marquis house had provided teleportation magic to see the other nobles home.
"So the Rich Baron family made their move first... I expected the Sharon Count family would be the first to spark an incident," the Marquis mused. "Well, Eris, you did assess that the ones most likely to—or rather, most 'at risk' of—deepening their ties with Miyama Kaito-sama were the Rich and Sharon families, did you not?"
"Yes. Based on what I saw at the tea party, Cornelia-sama and Marie-sama had clearly piqued Kaito-sama’s interest far more than the others," Eris replied. "They were the only two who secured actual promises from him. Marie-sama promised to send Ripples from her family’s orchard, while Cornelia-sama arranged to guide him to the Victor Trading Company to find specialized monster brushes. Since that meeting was scheduled for today, I assumed any potential developments would arise there, but..."
By observing Kaito’s interactions with the other ladies, Eris had formed a fairly accurate prediction of who had made a positive impression on him. It was partly because Kaito tended to wear his heart on his sleeve, but Eris was also naturally gifted at reading the subtle shifts in human emotion. Her guess that he favored Cornelia and Marie had been spot-on.
Furthermore, she was well aware of the arrangement for Cornelia to guide Kaito to the Victor Trading Company, as the date had been set right there at the tea party. Since she had expected that any significant events would occur there, the emergency news regarding the Rich family had caught her slightly off guard.
"You have people stationed in the city where the Victor Trading Company is based, correct?" the Marquis asked.
"Yes. We couldn't send a large number, but we should receive word if anything noteworthy occurs near their headquarters."
The Sharon Count House was the most powerful noble family within the Hamilton faction after the Hamiltons themselves. If a major event occurred there, the ripples would be felt throughout the entire faction. Because of this, both Eris and the Marquis were on high alert. For today’s excursion, they had dispatched several personnel to the commercial city—not for anything as grand as espionage, but simply to ensure they would be contacted the moment something happened.
Just as the conversation turned toward these strategic interests, a heavy knock hammered against the door. A frantic maid scrambled into the room the second they granted her entry.
"I-I have a report! An emergency communication just arrived! In the commercial city, the War King-sama and the Dragon King-sama have been spotted! They are reportedly traveling with Miyama Kaito-sama and Cornelia Sharon-sama!"
"What!?"
Both Eris and the Marquis were struck with shock. A moment later, Eris pressed her finger to her temple, her mind racing through the possibilities.
(If our observers saw them visually, they must be outdoors. Given the Victor Trading Company’s location and the surrounding landmarks in that city...)
Eris was an exceptionally talented woman, and the map of the commercial city was etched into her mind. She rapidly visualized places near the Victor headquarters where one might encounter Megiddo or Magnawell.
"...The concert hall?"
"Y-yes! Forgive the delay in the report. They were confirmed in the vicinity of the concert hall entrance!"
"...I can’t fathom the Dragon King-sama’s motives, but the War King-sama is a known patron of the arts," Eris calculated. "It’s not surprising he’d visit a theater. For Kaito-sama to cross paths with them so perfectly... well, that’s just Kaito-sama. But this effectively confirms that he has introduced Cornelia-sama to two members of the Six Kings."
"This is disastrous," the Marquis groaned. "The War King-sama is trouble enough, but the Dragon King-sama’s ties to the Arclesia Empire run deep. This won't just impact the Sharon family; it’ll shake the entire nation. If word gets out, it will be a stampede."
Crossing paths with two of the Six Kings was an overwhelming development in itself, but Magnawell’s connections to the Empire were particularly profound. His presence would hold immense weight for every noble in the country.
"We need to talk with Count Sharon before the rumors spread," Eris said. "Inquiries will surely flood his house, and the benefits our faction stands to gain are far too immense to ignore."
"If our initial response is delayed, we risk making a staggering number of enemies. But the location is terrible—a public concert hall, and with the War King-sama and Dragon King-sama, who never bother with Information Concealment Magic..."
If it were Kuromueina or Isis, who regularly used such magic, the spread of information would be naturally suppressed, giving the nobles time to prepare. If the Marquis and Count houses coordinated, they could manage the delicate balance of power among the nobility.
However, if they were slow to act, other houses would move first. While they likely wouldn't target Cornelia directly, they might seek political marriages with the Count’s other children or pressure him to break away from the Hamilton faction to form his own. They would be buried in damage control.
Speed was everything. But just as Eris and the Marquis reached a consensus, the maid spoke up with a jarringly calm, composed tone.
"...Well, honestly, I feel a bit sorry for Cornelia-san. I think I’ll lend her a hand on this side of things."
"!?"
Shocked by the sudden shift in atmosphere, Eris and the Marquis turned their gazes toward the maid. The woman who had been trembling with panic seconds ago was now smiling with a serene, terrifyingly calm expression.
"...Phantasm King-sama?"
"Correct. Oh, and it’ll be a few more minutes before the actual report from the seven people you sent to the city reaches you."
Alice spoke as casually as if they were discussing the weather, perfectly aware of the exact number of personnel the Marquis had dispatched. Eris and the Marquis broke into a cold sweat.
"Anyway, I’ll suppress the rumors for about two days on this end. Use that time to get your countermeasures in order."
"Understood. We offer our heartfelt thanks for Phantasm King-sama’s mercy... although... Phantasm King-sama? Why are you looking at me with such pity?"
"...Because I’ll make sure to help you out properly when it’s your turn, which will probably come soon..."
"Why are you saying such terrifying things in such a gentle voice...?"
Alice, as enigmatic as ever, gave Eris a final, sympathetic look before vanishing. Sadly, Eris knew exactly what that look was for. She had a promise to visit Kaito's home, and more importantly, she had received a guaranteed commitment to participate in the tea party where Shiro’s participation was already set in stone.
Feeling an indescribable weight of foreboding, Eris softly placed her hand over her stomach.
Serious-senpai: "Come to think of it, Kaito already gave Eris a verbal guarantee for that tea party where Shiro’s participation is confirmed... talk about a scheduled disaster."