The person who emerged from the crowd hardly seemed like someone who belonged to the Third Prince Faction, a group currently labeled as a rebel army.
Of course, he had likely trained to some extent, but the first impression Rei got upon seeing him—especially right after clashing with a man like Count Schwindel—was simply that of a "civil official."
However, that was merely a superficial impression. The rapier hanging at his waist was housed in a well-worn scabbard, and his footwork suggested he possessed a fair amount of martial experience. At the very least, Rei judged the man had enough power to defend himself.
The man stepped forward with a faint smile. Rei watched his theatrical, self-conscious gait and made a silent guess about his personality. The fact that the other members of the Third Prince Faction looked upon him without a trace of disdain made his high standing clear.
"Tiull, is it? Showing up at this exact moment suggests you’ve been waiting for your cue for some time now," Count Schwindel muttered.
Rei nodded inwardly. Given the man's perfect timing, it was only natural to assume he had been lurking nearby, waiting for the right moment to make an entrance.
The man called Tiull Bugle made a show of looking displeased at Count Schwindel's remark.
"Gulgast, you are as fond of crude behavior as ever. You seek to shatter the tranquility of this moonlight-drenched night."
"Hah! As usual, everything you say is needlessly flowery."
On the surface, their exchange was prickly, but it carried the casual familiarity of close friends. Though they were far apart in age, perhaps their shared experience of serving Lady Vihera—both in the past and the present—had forged this bond.
In any case, after their banter, Tiull Bugle turned his gaze toward Rei. His eyes did not hold the warmth he showed toward Count Schwindel—or Gulgast—but rather a sharp light intended to evaluate his subject.
Rei frowned slightly at being subjected to such scrutiny so soon after meeting, but he had to accept it. Given his reputation within the Bestia Empire, such a reaction was unavoidable.
"So you are Rei... Crimson. You are a bit different from the impression I gathered from the reports, but..."
Tiull Bugle trailed off and glanced toward Theoreme, who responded with only a slight nod.
"So there is no mistake, then. Well, considering you clashed with Gulgast and emerged unscathed, you are certainly no ordinary adventurer..."
Though he voiced his acceptance, Tiull Bugle's words carried a suggestive undertone. Rei looked over at Theoreme.
"So, who is he?"
"Ah. He is—"
Theoreme began to explain, but Tiull Bugle interrupted him, raising his voice with a grand, sweeping gesture as if he were an actor on a stage.
"I am Viscount Tiull Bugle! A man who once had his soul stolen by Lady Vihera and his heart captivated by her very existence!"
Rei paused for a second. "Soul stolen"? For a moment, he wondered if some kind of magic or contract had been involved. However, the rest of the man's flowery sentence made him realize that his concern was unnecessary.
Watching Tiull Bugle's exaggerated performance with a suspicious expression, Rei finally spoke.
"So, in the end, who actually are you?"
"I told you, didn't I? I am one whose heart was captivated by the existence known as Lady Vihera."
"No, look... Sigh. Theoreme."
Rei judged that the conversation would never move forward at this rate and turned to the general. Theoreme offered a thin smile, having watched the exchange with amusement.
"Very well. Back when Lady Vihera was still active in this country, there was a Second Princess Faction, and he was one of its central figures. Between civil and military affairs, he is our head of civil administration. For your information, the one in charge of military affairs is Count Schwindel over there. In fact, the reason the Third Prince Faction has any logistics or combat power beyond Lady Vihera herself is largely thanks to Tiull Bugle's political groundwork."
"Hoh."
Rei let out a sound of genuine surprise. In terms of raw martial prowess, the man likely possessed only a moderate amount of strength; that much was evident from his aura. However, being the head of civil administration—the person in charge of internal affairs and logistics—was a completely different matter.
Because Rei was not particularly skilled at that type of work himself, he viewed someone like Tiull Bugle as an exceptionally valuable asset. However...
(There's a sharpness in his eyes when he looks at me. Well, I can guess the reason.)
This man was a core member of the Second Princess Faction—a former subordinate of Vihera. For a man who publicly declared himself captivated by her to look at him with such scrutiny, Rei figured he must know about the feelings Vihera harbored for him.
Rei hesitated for a moment on how to proceed, but Tiull Bugle spoke first.
"Now then, allow me to guide you to your tent."
It was a reasonable offer, as he had come forward specifically to act as a guide. Even so, Theoreme, knowing the depth of Tiull Bugle's devotion to Vihera, hesitated to leave the two alone. If Rei was provoked and decided to incinerate the encampment, it would be a disaster. They had only just stood up as the Third Prince Faction; such an incident would make their rebellion utterly meaningless.
Of course, Tiull Bugle had served as Vihera's top civil official for years. Theoreme didn't truly believe he would be so foolish, but his fanaticism where Vihera was concerned meant it wasn't a guarantee of safety.
Seeing Theoreme's hesitation, Tiull Bugle offered a reassuring smile.
"Rest easy. I would never do something so indiscreet. I simply wish to have a little chat with him."
Observing the man's expression and seeing that his gaze was free of actual malice, Theoreme finally nodded.
"Fine. I'll leave the guiding to you."
"Yes, leave it to me! I shall show you how I can brilliantly navigate this difficult task!"
With more exaggerated gestures, Tiull Bugle walked past Gulgast to Rei's side.
"Shall we? Since your Gryphon is with you, your quarters will have to be near the edge of the camp. Do you mind?"
"I expected as much. That's fine with me."
Since he was accompanied by Set, Rei judged the arrangement to be only natural and prepared to leave. Theoreme watched them go with a look of lingering concern, while Siance remained as expressionless as ever. Gulgast wore a grin as if things had just become interesting, and many of the soldiers were simply left speechless as the group departed.
A few minutes passed as Rei and Tiull Bugle moved through the encampment in silence. Set walked beside Rei, maintaining a quiet dignity without letting out any cries.
As Tiull Bugle had promised, they were sticking to the outskirts of the camp. There were almost no soldiers about other than the sentries, and only the occasional sound of sleep-talking drifted from the tents. They walked through the bright, pouring moonlight until Tiull Bugle suddenly spoke.
"Crimson... no, may I call you Rei?"
"Call me whichever you prefer."
"Then, Rei. I have heard from Theoreme regarding the relationship between you and Lady Vihera."
"I see."
So he was acting out because of that relationship. Rei felt a sense of clarity.
"You already know my position from what you heard from Theoreme, yes?"
Rei nodded, and Tiull Bugle's gaze sharpened once more.
"Then I trust you also understand that I am completely devoted to Lady Vihera?"
"Given your attitude so far, yeah, that's pretty clear. You said so yourself."
Considering his history with Theoreme, it was obvious the man was a fanatic for Vihera. And since he had just admitted it himself, there was no room for doubt.
(And the person Vihera loves is me, huh. I hope this doesn't turn into a mess.)
Rei glanced at Set as he pondered the situation. He felt certain Tiull Bugle wouldn't try anything suspicious as long as the Gryphon was there. However, what if the man was so blinded by his emotions that he didn't realize the danger? He appeared composed now, but if this was actually the "cold" phase of a rage that had already boiled over...
The thought crossed Rei's mind, but Tiull Bugle seemed genuinely calm.
"What is it? You are being quite cautious... Ah! Are you worried that I might attack you? You needn't worry. At the very least, I have no intention of doing so right now."
"Right now, huh..."
In other words, if given a reason, he might. Unless Rei knew what that "something" was, he couldn't feel entirely at ease.
Sensing Rei's wariness, Tiull Bugle continued speaking, his figure bathed in the silver moonlight.
"I'll be honest—I don't find the fact that you are the one Lady Vihera has fallen for particularly amusing. However, while I adore her from the bottom of my heart, it is not as Vihera the woman. I am drawn to the existence of Lady Vihera herself."
"The way you put it makes it sound like you think she has no charm as a woman."
"Don't you dare joke about that!"
Rei had meant it as a bit of banter, but the denial was instantaneous. Glaring at Rei with newfound intensity, Tiull Bugle continued.
"To me, Lady Vihera is an existence that has simply captivated my soul. But that does not mean she lacks charm as a member of the opposite sex. To begin with, Lady Vihera possesses exceptionally fine features—something I believe you know better than anyone."
"Well, that's true enough," Rei replied.
Vihera possessed an aggressive, striking beauty. While men's tastes varied, almost any man would have to admit she was exceptionally attractive.
"In any case, as someone devoted to her, I shall be watching to see what kind of person you are as we work together."
Rei's eyebrows twitched slightly. Not "judge," but "watch." He got the feeling the man was declaring he would observe, but ultimately do nothing.
"You're quite patient. I expected you to say you'd judge whether I'm worthy of being her partner."
"As an individual, I don't hold positive feelings toward you, that's true. However, I cannot imagine that Lady Vihera would be drawn to a man who was anything less than worthy."
Tiull Bugle wore an expression of absolute certainty, as if he had just stated that the sun rises in the east. Rei privately thought that even Vihera could make mistakes, but he judged that voicing that would only make things more complicated.
Tiull Bugle made another theatrical, sweeping gesture with his hand.
"Regardless, I can only pray that you are a person worthy of her. Please, do not disappoint me."
He offered an elegant, graceful bow while bathed in the moonlight. It was a gesture far too refined for a Viscount to give to a mere adventurer. To Tiull Bugle, however, the bow was an expression of his expectations—and a warning that he would never forgive Rei if he let Vihera down.
The two exchanged a silent gaze for a long moment. Finally, Tiull Bugle broke the silence.
"Well, your quarters are just over there. See? Those are spare tents prepared for unexpected guests or for when the storage areas are full. The material is standard issue, so you shouldn't have any trouble sleeping."
Rei looked where the viscount was pointing. There were several tents identical to the ones the regular soldiers used.
"We'll save the detailed discussion for tomorrow morning. Her Highness Vihera is already asleep... and we have the matter of Prince Mercurio to attend to."
"Mercurio? That's the Third Prince, right?"
"Indeed. You've likely heard the basics from Theoreme. You'll find out the rest tomorrow. Now, I should head off to bed soon, or it will start to affect my sensibilities. If you'll excuse me."
Watching Tiull Bugle's back as he walked away, Rei couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"...Sensibilities?"
Normally, someone would say it was bad for their skin or their focus, but "sensibilities"? Shaking his head at the man's eccentricities, Rei headed inside the tent to rest.