A short while ago, the Magic Tent had been crowded with rebel leaders, including a host of nobles and adventurers.
Now, the number of people inside had dwindled, yet the gathering was still significant.
The primary figures present included Mercurio—the Figurehead of the Rebel Army—along with Vihera, Theoreme, Tilleul, and Gurgast. Rei was also among them.
This core group made up the usual inner circle, but they were joined by a handful of other nobles and adventurers.
These were the individuals who led the various nobles, adventurers, and mercenaries who had rallied to the cause the moment the Rebel Army was formed.
Conversely, those absent from this meeting were the ones who had only joined after the army secured its decisive victory in the first clash with the Subjugation Army.
In other words, the people in this room were those the rebellion considered loyal and trustworthy.
And yet...
"His Highness Mercurio, everything is a fabrication! That adventurer, Rei, has framed us! We have absolutely nothing to hide!"
"He's right! Besides, no matter what titles he claims, Rei is ultimately just an adventurer of the Kingdom of Mireana. He is only involved in this Civil Strife for the sake of the Kingdom of Mireana's interests!"
"Our families have sworn loyalty to the Bestia Empire for generations. Are you really going to believe an adventurer man of unknown origin over us?!"
Before the assembled crowd, the three nobles stood bound by ropes, treated like common criminals.
They hurled accusations of Rei’s supposed tyranny, shouting at the top of their lungs to proclaim their innocence.
The other nobles present wavered, unsure of how to judge the situation. Rei, for his part, remained silent, watching the events unfold with a detached gaze.
"I see," Mercurio said calmly. "Rei claims he overheard the three of you consulting each other about betraying the Rebel Army."
Rei nodded and spoke up.
"They were discussing how they would switch sides once the Rebel Army and the Subjugation Army finally clashed. But they changed their minds when they learned about the news from Frizion. They decided that instead of taking a dangerous risk, they could simply inform the Empire of her proposal to secure a substantial reward."
"...That is Rei’s account. Do you have a rebuttal?" Mercurio asked.
The three bound nobles shouted in unison.
"It’s all lies! That man is only trying to frame us to inflate his own achievements! He wants to increase his influence within the Rebel Army!"
"Exactly! The man is a foreigner from Mireana!"
"He likely wants this Civil Strife to drag on as long as possible if it serves his own country’s interests!"
The trio shouted their desperate defense, but there was a fundamental truth they were blind to.
Specifically, that this entire rebellion had been orchestrated from the start with the aid of the Kingdom of Mireana—or more accurately, with the support of the Kingdom’s Neutral Faction and Noble's Faction.
Since only a handful of people within the Rebel Army knew the full extent of this arrangement, their ignorance was perhaps inevitable.
Mercurio feigned a look of deep conflict, his brow furrowing slightly.
Seeing the prince’s hesitation, the nobles likely believed that one final push would secure their victory. Before Rei could say a word, they pressed their advantage with renewed fervor.
"His Highness Mercurio! Who do you trust more—us, who have served the Bestia Empire faithfully for years, or an adventurer who inflicted terrible casualties upon the Empire during the Spring War?!"
"Yes! We demand to know where your trust lies!" the other two shouted together, drowning out the silence.
Mercurio listened to their demands before eventually raising a hand to quiet them.
He turned his gaze toward Rei, who was standing apart from the others.
Since he was inside Mercurio’s Magic Tent, Rei had already Stored the Death Scythe inside his Misty Ring.
"Rei. Based on their story, it seems as though you are attempting to disparage them... What do you have to say about that?"
"Your Highness! Why even listen to a man like him—!"
If Rei spoke, he would surely reveal facts that would doom them.
Recognizing the danger, one of the nobles tried to cut Rei off, but Mercurio’s gaze stopped him.
"Could you be quiet for a moment? I have heard more than enough from you. Now it is Rei’s turn. Is there something wrong with that? Or perhaps... is there something inconvenient about letting Rei speak?"
Mercurio’s words were polite, but his gaze was razor-sharp.
Transfixed by that piercing stare, the nobles reflexively caught their breath.
They instinctively understood that the man before them was truly of Imperial blood—a son of the current Bestia Empire Emperor, Trajist Gnos Bestia.
For a moment, they feared their true plot had been exposed.
Ignoring their distress, Mercurio turned back to Rei and prompted him to speak.
"So, Rei. If you have anything you'd like to say, please proceed."
"I've said everything I need to say. I'll leave the decision to you."
"I see. If you are satisfied with that, then so be it. But keep in mind that I won't listen if you try to bring this up again later."
"Fine by me. I didn't think you were the type to be so dense that you'd miss what's right in front of you."
The bound nobles were overjoyed by Rei’s dismissive response.
They saw this as an opportunity not only to clear their names but perhaps even to drive a wedge between Rei and the rebel leadership.
If they succeeded, they might be able to remove the Rebel Army's greatest weapon—its trump card.
If we pull this off, my military merits will be unmatched, one of them thought, his heart racing.
He was excited, yet he maintained a composed expression—a testament to his status as a noble. The other two were thinking along the same lines, convinced that they had turned a life-threatening crisis into a golden opportunity.
Watching from a short distance, Theoreme allowed himself a hidden, bitter smile.
Indeed, based on the conversation alone, it wasn't surprising that the nobles expected a rift to form between Mercurio and Rei.
There was also the underlying tension caused by the fact that Mercurio harbored complex feelings toward Rei due to his sister, Vihera.
And yet... His Highness Mercurio is not the sort of man to let his personal emotions cloud his judgment. He would never drive away Rei, our greatest military asset, out of petty jealousy.
Theoreme’s conviction was absolute. Across the tent, Mercurio considered his options while looking back and forth between Rei and the three nobles.
The other nobles in the tent remained silent to avoid interrupting Mercurio’s thoughts, though they exchanged subtle glances.
Naturally, the original rebel nobles felt a slight irritation alongside their sense of kinship toward the accused.
They felt kinship because they were fellow nobles, but their irritation stemmed from the fact that these three were weathercocks who had only joined the cause after the first battle was won.
The attempt to expel Rei—the army's strongest fighter—only added to their annoyance.
Among the silent observers, Vihera did not move to defend Rei. Instead, she wore a faint, small smile.
...However, her eyes were cold and devoid of any mirth.
She directed that freezing gaze squarely at the three men hauled before Mercurio.
The nobles, however, were too focused on the glorious future they imagined to notice.
This was likely why they failed to see Mercurio’s lips curve into a sharp arc as he glanced at his sister.
The fact that they had made his sister feel such unpleasantness was the final straw. It was enough to make Mercurio deliver a fatal blow with his next words.
He had also noted their suspicious behavior during the earlier debate concerning the letter from his half-sister.
"I see. I certainly understand that you hold loyalty toward me and are willing to risk your lives for the Rebel Army's Victory. ...Let me ask one last time. You truly believe what you have said? It is not merely a hollow deception, but a sincere loyalty you hold for me in your hearts?"
Mercurio’s final confirmation was a trap, though the nobles didn't realize they were already backed into a corner. They simply smiled and nodded.
"Yes, of course. We believe Your Highness Mercurio is the most fitting choice to be the Next Successor to the Throne. For that cause, we would gladly risk our lives."
"I feel the same."
"Indeed. If it is for Your Highness, please use our strength however you see fit."
Yes, those were the exact words I wanted to hear.
If the nobles could have heard that inner thought, they would have been chilled to the bone.
Lacking the ability to read minds, they stood blissfully ignorant of what Mercurio was about to say next—or rather, they simply refused to understand it.
"Very well. In that case, when the battle against the Subjugation Army begins, I shall have the three of you lead your units as the Rebel Army's Vanguard."
"...Huh?"
"What?"
"Pardon?"
At their bewildered reactions, Mercurio put on a look of feigned confusion.
"Hm? Is something the matter? You were all speaking with such vigor just a moment ago. I am simply asking you to act on those words. Is there a problem?"
He spoke as if the question were genuinely innocent, but for the nobles, it was a nightmare.
They looked around frantically, only to see every person in the room nodding in agreement with Mercurio.
Finally, they realized the truth: there was not a single ally for them in this tent.
"No, Your Highness Mercurio. It's just that... well! My units aren't fully prepared yet, so acting as the Rebel Army's Vanguard Unit is—"
"Oh? Have you already forgotten what you said with your own mouths? You swore loyalty to me and claimed you wouldn't hesitate to risk your lives for our victory. Or was everything you just said a total lie? Is that what you are trying to tell me?"
Mercurio asked with an expression of pure, searching inquiry. The nobles were left speechless.
The fact remained that they had said those words, and having said them, they were now forced to back them up with action.
To these three, the Rebel Army was nothing more than a stepping stone to personal glory.
They had no intention of exhausting their own forces for the rebellion's sake.
Furthermore, if they served as the Rebel Army's Vanguard, it would be virtually impossible to defect during the heat of battle.
Moving a unit to switch sides in the middle of a front-line clash was difficult enough, and if the Rebel Army noticed the betrayal, they would surely be attacked from behind.
The nobles could not possibly accept such an order.
And yet, they couldn't refuse it either.
If they rejected the command now, they would be admitting their loyalty was a lie—which would essentially prove Rei’s accusations were true.
As it stood, they could no longer afford to take the information about Frizion to the Subjugation Army.
Given the suspicion already surrounding them, any attempt to flee the camp would surely result in their immediate capture.
What do we do... what do we do?!
They racked their brains for a way out, but every plan they conceived was a dead end.
Should they try to kill Mercurio and make a break for it? They considered the possibility, but with Vihera and Theoreme standing right there, any such attempt would end in their deaths.
Their only option was to accept the order for now and hope for a chance to escape later.
That's the only way...
If they had been given more time, they might have found a better solution. But in this moment, the only choice left to the three nobles was a desperate, near-suicidal attempt to flee when the opportunity arose.
Why... why did this happen?! Everything was going according to plan just moments ago!
Burying their agonized thoughts deep within their hearts, the three nobles had no choice but to accept the role of the vanguard.