"Big Sister Frizion is moving suspiciously? Specifically, what kind of movements?"
Schurus, who had been reviewing documents in his office, reacted sharply to the report from Amare, his trusted subordinate and adjutant.
"Recently, the First Princess Faction has shown a sudden surge in activity," Amare replied. "Several of them have abruptly returned to their private territories, while many others are actively amassing military forces."
Schurus let out a wry smile and returned his gaze to his paperwork as he spoke. "Didn't we receive word about that already? They claimed that while Big Brother Cabajid and I formed the joint subjugation army, they would strictly maintain order in the Imperial Capital to prevent any unrest."
From Schurus’s perspective, while it was a pity that his sister, Frizion, refused to dispatch troops to the subjugation army, her offer to keep the capital stable after their departure was quite helpful. If a disturbance broke out in the Imperial Capital—their own home base—while they were confronting the rebelling Mercurio, it would deal a devastating blow to their supply lines and crush morale.
The front lines weren't terribly far from the capital, but without a functional supply unit, they would be forced into a premature retreat.
However, Schurus currently had a far greater concern.
"More importantly," he continued, "is it truly wise not to dispatch escort soldiers to the territories of the nobles in my faction? Crimson has shown he can decimate an entire army on his own. If he launches an attack on those lands... the damage would be catastrophic. It would make the casualties among the men I first sent with the subjugation army look like a joke."
It was a grim reality. Reiji specialized in wide-range annihilation magic, and his Gryphon flew freely through the skies, slaughtering even Dragon Knights with ease. If that pair were left unchecked, there was a very real possibility that the territories belonging to his faction’s nobles would be burned to the ground.
Fortunately, the Imperial Capital was protected by a powerful barrier that made aerial intrusion impossible. However, the magic items and mages required to generate such barriers were not easily procured. While great nobles like Dukes and Marquesses might have their own defenses, it was impossible to install them in every city, town, and village throughout the Empire.
To say nothing of the lesser nobles.
Amare, however, remained composed as she countered his worries.
"To begin with, doing such a thing during a civil strife would only earn the rebels the undying hatred of the populace once the war ends. The situation might be different if this were a foreign enemy, but within the Empire, they would not—and likely could not—be so reckless. Besides, as long as the people-minded Lady Vihera is with them, I doubt we need to fear such tactics."
"But what about Crimson? He isn't a citizen of the Bestia Empire. He has no reason to show us any restraint."
"I cannot say what Crimson’s true intentions are in joining the Rebel Army," Amare admitted with a sigh. "However, since he is accompanying Lady Vihera, he cannot simply ignore her wishes. ...To be honest, if Crimson could be bought with gold, I would be tempted to hire him myself."
Schurus was a man who enjoyed strong support from the military. It was easy to imagine that if they acquired a weapon capable of opposing an entire army single-handedly, his supporters would be completely polarized. If they brought in Crimson—the man who had put them through such a miserable ordeal during the Spring War—almost everyone in the military would object.
Military support was the absolute foundation of Schurus’s power. Amare considered it an unthinkable risk to jeopardize that foundation just to bring Crimson onto their side.
The nobles felt the same. Many had sent family, friends, and acquaintances to the Spring War, and far too many had never returned.
Of course, there were some among the military and nobility who would welcome the move. After all, having such a massive power on their side would certainly reduce the damage the Empire suffered during the rebellion.
In terms of raw combat potential, Crimson might be equivalent to an entire army, Amare thought. But that is only as a blunt instrument of war. As an actual military force, a single individual is fundamentally insufficient.
Although it wasn't happening in this conflict yet, Rei alone could do nothing if it came to occupying a city. For that, an actual army was required.
Even so... the Rebel Army must be full of people who harbor resentment toward Crimson as well. I'm impressed they've kept dissatisfaction from boiling over.
Inwardly, she felt a sense of admiration for the leaders governing the Rebel Army—Mercurio, Theoreme, and Vihera.
In truth, there were more than a few within the rebel camp who were unhappy with Rei’s presence. However, after witnessing him destroy an army alone and experiencing the training he conducted, that antipathy had begun to dwindle.
Furthermore, Seto’s presence in the camp had undoubtedly helped. The Gryphon’s endearing, puppy-like behavior had done much to soften the soldiers' hearts, particularly among the female soldiers and knights.
"In any case," Amare concluded, "there should be no fear of Crimson burning our cities. We simply need to be wary of him on the battlefield. The same applies to our supply units, as he will likely target them to cripple our main force."
"That’s exactly what makes him so troublesome," Schurus muttered, tapping his fingertips irritably on his desk. "Good grief. The Fighting Tournament is over; he should have just gone back to the Kingdom of Mireana. I have no idea why he lingered here."
As Schurus continued to tap his desk, Amare spoke up again. "I apologize, but I must inform you of another unpleasant incident."
"What, there's more? Don't tell me Crimson has been found lurking in the capital."
Schurus meant it as a joke, never imagining it could be the truth. Amare offered a fleeting, bitter smile before continuing.
"I received a complaint from the Imperial Guard just now. It seems Dune was involved in a confrontation with the White Rose Knight Order near the castle. The atmosphere was reportedly so hostile that it wouldn't have been strange if they had drawn their weapons then and there."
"...Him again."
Schurus’s tapping grew louder and more aggressive.
Dune—specifically, Dune Conradi. He was the second son of Viscount Conradi’s House and a man who had caused nothing but problems. Schurus had wanted to dump him into that first subjugation army he’d formed out of incompetent nobles, but he’d been unable to do so.
Dune was under the protection of a highly influential figure in Schurus’s own faction—someone whose life had been saved by a member of the Conradi family during the war with the Kingdom of Mireana decades ago. Had the protector been a nobody, Schurus could have handled it, but they were a powerhouse within the Second Prince Faction, and even Schurus couldn't afford to be reckless with them.
While he could have used his authority as a Prince, the political fallout from alienating a mainstay of his faction just to remove one small fry would be far more damaging.
Fortunately, Dune's antics had been relatively minor until recently. However, realizing he wouldn't be severely punished, he had become increasingly bold. Before the tournament, he had even tried to extort a "transit tax" by blocking a road near the capital. Vice Commander Claudis of the Unicorn Knight Order had settled the matter, but it had still resulted in a formal complaint.
And now Dune had started a row with the White Rose Knight Order. Schurus felt a fresh wave of irritation. Why did he have to be the one to clean up after such a man?
"And what did the Imperial Guard have to say?"
"Only that a disturbance occurred. Fortunately, His Highness Cabajid appeared and settled the situation before it could escalate."
Schurus’s eyebrows twitched at the mention of his brother.
"Big Brother Cabajid? Why was he there? The incident happened near the castle, not inside it. Did he go out of his way to leave the grounds?"
"So it seems. Word is he made an appearance simply because he found the situation interesting."
Schurus’s face twisted slightly. He could accept that something had happened, but he couldn't fathom his brother's objective. Cabajid never did anything without a reason.
After contemplating for a minute and coming up empty, Schurus looked back at Amare.
"It can't be helped. I truly didn't want to deal with him, but summon Dune. It will be faster to hear the story from the man himself."
"Is there really a need for that? Perhaps His Highness Cabajid was truly there by mere coincidence."
"No, that's impossible," Schurus declared without hesitation. "Big Brother Cabajid doesn't step foot outside the castle for no reason. There must have been something."
While Schurus and Cabajid were currently cooperating, they would return to being bitter rivals the moment this civil strife ended. If Cabajid had discovered something or was plotting something new, Schurus needed to know.
Amare bowed slightly and left the office to summon Dune.
"Big Brother Cabajid. What have you grasped?" Schurus wondered aloud. "You're as sharp-eyed as ever, but..."
Frowning at a nagging sense of unease, Schurus calmed himself and returned to his documents to wait.
"I see. So Her Highness Frizion is, as expected..."
"Yes. Most likely... no, without a doubt."
In a secluded corner of one of the many castle gardens, two men were speaking in hushed tones. One was a member of the First Princess Faction, while the other belonged to the First Prince Faction. However, in terms of rank, the man from the First Prince Faction was clearly the superior.
"I understand. I'll deliver this information to His Highness Cabajid immediately. I'll make sure to mention that your assistance was invaluable."
"I... Thank you very much."
"Listen, do not take your eyes off Her Highness Frizion. Take action the moment she is finally ready to betray us."
"Yes. I understand."
The two continued their secret meeting under the cool autumn wind, unaware of the eyes watching them from the shadows.
"E-Excuse me. Dune Conradi. I have come as summoned!"
"Right, come in. ...Now then, do you have any idea why you were called here?"
Even a man like Dune seemed to realize he couldn't use his usual crude language in front of a Prince. Seeing Dune act so formally, Schurus felt a flash of irritation, thinking that if the man always behaved this way, he wouldn't be such a headache.
"The reason I was called? No, unfortunately..."
"It's about your brawl with the White Rose Knight Order near the castle."
Dune’s breath hitched. He clearly hadn't expected the Prince to know about it already. He did some quick mental calculations before speaking.
"Actually, regarding that... I saw the White Rose Knight Order trying to smuggle a suspicious person into the castle grounds. I only meant to confirm the person's identity, but Videre shielded them, and... well, that was the result. My sincerest apologies, His Highness Schurus."
"A suspicious person?" Schurus’s expression shifted. "Was it a man? A woman?"
"I couldn't say for certain. However, they were small in stature and wore a plain robe. They didn't look like anyone of consequence."
"...Small, in a plain robe. That's far too vague."
"My apologies."
"Robes are common enough; even non-mages use them for warmth this time of year. But... it bothers me that Big Brother Cabajid appeared right where that person was."
"Why is that? I assumed His Highness Cabajid was just out for a walk and happened upon us by coincidence..."
Schurus looked at Dune with exasperation, realizing it was pointless to expect a man of Dune’s caliber to understand how calculated Cabajid’s movements were.
"Since Big Brother Cabajid was there, there is no doubt that something significant was afoot. If there was nothing strange about the White Rose Knights or your group, then the suspicious element must be that robed figure. ...Now then, who could it be?"
The answer to Schurus’s question arrived mere seconds later.
There was a frantic knock at the door. When Schurus granted permission to enter, one of the nobles from his faction rushed in, his face pale with shock.
"His Highness Schurus! A mage among my subordinates... has detected Crimson’s magic power!"