The next day, I took Zoe along to the tavern once more.
Just like before, seats happened to be open for us.
I gave a bitter inward chuckle at how convenient it all was, but without letting a trace of it show on my face, I continued listening to Alice's song.
As the performance progressed and most of the patrons were thoroughly captivated by her, I timed my move and established a connection with Zoe.
"Can you hear me?"
"Yes, Master... Wait, what?"
Zoe turned toward me and answered normally.
A moment later, however, she noticed something was off.
"Is that voice... not mine?"
"No, that's how it's supposed to be. A person's voice sounds different in their own head compared to how others hear it."
"I see... Ah, it's remarkably clear."
Zoe murmured to herself as she glanced around the room.
Alice's singing filled the tavern, drowning out most ambient chatter and making normal speech difficult to catch.
Whenever the waitstaff came by to take an order, they practically had to bellow straight into a customer's ear.
Despite the roar of the room, our exchange was coming through loud and clear, leaving her thoroughly mystified.
"Have you ever played with a tin can telephone?"
"Yes, I have, but..."
"Just think of this as an invisible tin can telephone powered by Huwawa."
Strictly speaking, it was a bit more intricate than that, but there was no need to overburden her with the details.
"I understand... Ah, Your Majesty's mouth isn't moving."
"Only those linked by the thread can hear it, and I don't need to move my lips to speak."
"A secret line, then. Truly remarkable, Your Majesty."
Zoe immediately grasped the utility of the technique. At the same time, the way she addressed me shifted back.
Precisely.
Sound and voices typically travel through the air.
Much like a tin can telephone, however, they can also travel through physical objects.
It was the same principle behind pressing one's ear to the ground to catch distant vibrations.
By utilizing Huwawa, this technique bypassed the surrounding air entirely and carried our voices exclusively through an invisible thread, ensuring that only the individuals I connected could hear anything.
It was a tier above standard soundproofing magic when it came to thwarting eavesdroppers.
"Did you pass along the message?"
"Yes. When I told them Your Majesty had taken a liking to Alice-san and intended to linger for a while, they looked utterly miserable."
"Good, that's fine then. That will make things easier for us."
"Easier, Sire?"
Perhaps because she was conscious of our private line, Zoe refrained from her usual habit of tilting her head, conveying her curiosity with a subtle shift of her gaze instead.
"If we stay idle, they'll grow restless. Zoe, between us and them, who do you think is in more of a hurry?"
"Um... Your Majesty... has no reason to rush, correct?"
I gave a faint nod.
I had posed the question as a small test to sharpen her wits, and she had grasped the core of the issue splendidly.
"Indeed. The shortfall in the salt tax is a chronic imperial malady, so to speak. Even if we don't resolve it this very second, the overall situation won't deteriorate drastically."
"However, the opposition cannot smuggle a single grain so long as Your Majesty remains here."
"Precisely. Intimidating an entire town to put on such an elaborate farce not only costs a fortune, but it also grinds their revenue to a dead halt. Considering that every coin the Empire lost in salt tax was flowing directly into their pockets, a single day of inaction costs them at least a hundred thousand Rien."
"That much...?"
Zoe fell speechless.
To an ordinary maid, such an astronomical sum was beyond comprehension.
"And that is why, if We do not move, their impatience will force their hand. We need only sit back and take our time."
"I see! As expected of Your Majesty!"
I offered Zoe a faint smile, took a sip of alcohol, and popped a morsel of food into my mouth.
"Still... a hundred thousand... To embezzle such a fortune is unforgivable. Once everything is brought to light, they must be executed."
"..."
I offered no reply.
I understood Zoe's indignation, and her feelings were entirely justified.
Yet in most circumstances, a person is far more useful alive than dead.
All the more so if they had the brilliance to engineer a syndicate capable of siphoning such immense revenue right out from under the Empire's nose. If I could win them over...
People are assets, rich with potential.
It would be ideal if I could bring them to my side.
Turning those thoughts over in my mind, I listened to the music, nibbled on my food, and kept up the appearance of a carefree patron enjoying the show.
A server brought over a fresh dish.
The moment I picked up a piece and slipped it past my lips—
"..."
Slowly.
Like a puppet whose strings had been severed, I slumped forward onto the table.
"Yo—Master?!"
Zoe's sharp, panicked cry rang out above me.
"Master! Master?!"
She shook my shoulders, her trembling fingers darting to my nose and chest in quick succession.
"Is he... dead...?"
☆
The tavern was cleared of every last patron.
I had been laid out flat on the wooden floorboards.
Keeping my eyes shut, I strained my ears to catch the murmurs around me.
"Is he really dead?"
"Y-Yes, sir. As you can see, his heart has completely stopped."
"Let me see."
A man's rough voice, unfamiliar to me, mingled with the server's nervous reply.
A moment later, an ear pressed firmly against my chest.
"He's dead, all right. Hah, we should've just done this from the start."
"U-Um, what about our shop...?"
"Don't wet yourself, I'll take care of you. Shut this place down. I'll hand over a place twice this size on the other side of town."
"T-Thank you! Thank you so much!"
I see. A generous reward for poisoning my meal.
"Excuse me..."
This time, Zoe's voice chimed in.
"What? You looking for a handout?"
"No. Please, let me take my master's remains."
"Huh?"
"He looked after me for many years. At the very least, I wish to lay him to rest with my own hands."
"Do whatever you want."
The man scoffed, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps slowly receding into the distance.
It seemed he had stepped out of the tavern.
A heartbeat later, a pair of nervous, hurried footsteps faded toward the back of the establishment.
The server had retreated into the kitchen.
With no one else around, the coast was clear.
"You caught on quickly."
"There is no way Your Majesty could ever fall to poison."
Cracking my eyes open the barest sliver, I saw Zoe kneeling beside me with her head bowed and hands clasped, adopting the solemn posture of someone deep in prayer.
A clever move. Paired with our silent line, it made her look like she was simply observing a moment of silence over my corpse.
Quite resourceful of her.
"Your Majesty possesses Apophis-sama. There is no poison an ordinary mortal could procure that could ever threaten your life."
"Yeah, Apophis neutralized the venom immediately."
"Yes... but what of your stopped heart?"
"That's Huwawa's handiwork as well. Try touching my forehead."
"Understood... Ah, a pulse."
"I had her craft a temporary substitute right there to take over the heart's function. My chest is still, but the blood is circulating properly, so there's no harm done."
"To think such a feat was even possible... You are truly incredible, Your Majesty."
Zoe looked at me with genuine, heartfelt admiration.
"Your Majesty, what are your orders from here?"
"You set the stage brilliantly, so I'll play along."
"Me, Sire?"
"Yeah. Have them carry me to the crematorium just as planned, and toss me straight into the furnace."
"...Bahamut-sama, then."
"Right. With Bahamut watching over me, a mundane crematorium fire won't leave a scratch. If we want them to lower their guard completely, it's best they watch me burn."
"A brilliant strategy, Your Majesty. Understood."
"Once that's done, leave the town."
"You wish for me to depart your side?" Zoe asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Yeah. It's part of the performance to keep up the charade. Just leave as you normally would; there's no need to sneak back. Until I reach out to you, take your time traveling back toward the capital."
"Understood."
Zoe nodded solemnly and rose to her feet, stepping away from my body.
Before long, her faint voice drifted over from a distance as she inquired with the server about securing a cart and the directions to the local crematorium.
I remained motionless, continuing my act.
Faking death with Huwawa's aid wasn't particularly taxing.
Compared to channeling a pinpoint voice through an invisible thread, it took virtually no effort at all.
If anything, the real struggle had been calming Leviathan, who had nearly flown into a blind rage the second it sensed the poison in my food.
"—!"
Even now, Leviathan was practically vibrating with barely suppressed fury.
A loyal yet rabid hound, it had zero tolerance for anyone who dared harbor malice toward me.
Just moments ago, had I let my concentration slip for even an instant, the head of the man checking my heartbeat would have rolled across the floor.