After requesting a private room from the church staff, the three monarchs of the Human Realm—Ryze, Chris, and Laguna—sat around a table together, sharing a quiet conversation.
Though it resembled a small-scale Three Nations Joint Conference, the only item on the agenda was the figure who served as the world’s singular anomaly.
“Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise… but it truly was Kaito behind this,” Laguna remarked. “Even so, for the Pope herself to offer to officiate the ceremony… he must be quite high in her favor.”
“Cattleya and the groom were just as shocked,” Ryze added, nodding. “Still, this is a massive boon for them. As a former princess, Cattleya is influential in the social circles of the capital, but her connections in the more rural territories are somewhat lacking.”
Chris checked her watch to ensure they still had plenty of time before the ceremony began. “Since we three have gathered like this, even if by chance, why don't we share some information for the sake of the future? Specifically, regarding Miyama-sama… I assume everyone is keeping a watchful eye on his movements?”
“I’m in favor,” Laguna said. “That boy… the moment you look away, things escalate into something startling. Naturally, neither I nor the Hydra Kingdom have been idle when it comes to gathering intelligence on Kaito. Though I’ll admit our information is far from perfect.”
“Even the Kingdom of Sinfonia, which is closest to him, cannot claim to be perfect,” Ryze noted. “Since the Phantasm King is controlling the flow of information, what we can obtain is limited.”
It went without saying that Kaito was a figure no nation could ignore. He was quite literally a singularity; even his most casual actions had a high probability of exerting national-scale influence. Consequently, the three kingdoms allocated staggering budgets and personnel just to track his latest movements.
However, because Alice—an absolute authority in such matters—was constantly by Kaito’s side, the information they obtained was limited to whatever she deemed acceptable for them to know.
To make matters worse, she occasionally seeded the reports with fake information for her own amusement, doing so with such skill that it defied detection. Simply obtaining facts was an arduous task, and since their reports often contradicted one another, sharing intel here was in everyone’s best interest.
“For the Arclesia Empire, the situation with Amel-dono is our most recent development,” Chris stated.
“As for Sinfonia… we are still in the verification stage, but we’ve received reports that during the Harmonic Symphony after-party, the Great Tree Princess performed a dogeza to Miyama-kun.”
“Jutia-sama? Is that true, Ryze-bo?” Laguna’s eyes widened. “I can’t imagine the gentle Great Tree Princess getting into a conflict with Kaito. If you get any more details, you must tell me.”
Even these shrewd rulers couldn’t begin to fathom that the dogeza was nothing more than a desperate plea for high-quality black tea leaves.
“The intelligence I’ve gathered suggests that Kaito has partnered with a merchant association to release a new product,” Laguna shared. “Details are scarce, but I expect it will cause quite a stir. It doesn’t seem to be a major association, so we’re still looking into it.”
“A product released by Miyama-sama…” Chris murmured thoughtfully. “We must be careful to ensure it doesn’t destabilize the markets.”
After sharing their latest intel, the conversation shifted toward casual gossip. Yet, as rulers bearing the weight of their nations, even their idle chatter was thick with probing questions and careful maneuvering.
“By the way, Lady Chris,” Laguna noted, “the Arclesia Empire has been looking remarkably prosperous lately, has it not?”
“Fufu, yes. Several fortunate events have coincided,” Chris replied with a smile. “First and foremost was the Six Kings Festival. Many of our nobles were graciously ‘guided’ by the God of an Otherworld.”
“Ah, Arclesia’s aristocratic conservatives. To a reformist like yourself, they must have been quite the thorn in your side,” Laguna said.
“Exactly. But thanks to Eden-sama’s ‘guidance,’ some of them now tremble at the mere mention of Miyama-sama’s name. Any proposals involving him now pass without a hint of opposition. Since the Conservatives have lost their teeth, it’s become much easier for me to manage the empire.”
Chris spoke in high spirits, not attempting to hide her satisfaction. Indeed, the Arclesia Empire’s economy had seen a significant upturn, and that momentum was beginning to create a massive wave of change.
“I’ve also heard rumors that you’ve built a strong relationship with the Lord Trading Company,” Ryze interjected.
“Oh, your ears are quick. I see you aren’t just resting on Miyama-sama’s laurels,” Chris remarked. “Yes, having the Lord Trading Company—one of the Five Great Trading Companies—support the Reformist Faction has dramatically improved our capital flow.”
“To think you managed to win over that legendary merchant queen,” Laguna mused.
“She evaluated our commercial policies and deemed them fruitful. When I went to visit her, she happened to be in an exceptionally good mood, so our discussions proceeded smoothly.”
The Lord Trading Company was a titan of commerce headquartered in the Arclesia Empire, counting itself among the five organizations with the greatest scale and capital in the world. Its financial might was on an entirely different plane from any average association. Its chairman was Satania Darklord—which was to say, the company actually belonged to Alice. Incidentally, the reason Satania had been in such high spirits when Chris visited was that she had been able to spend time with Kaito the previous day.
“The decline of the Conservative Faction, the success of our policies, the growth of reliable subordinates, and the cooperation of a major merchant group… all these factors aligned to create a powerful momentum,” Chris explained.
“And on top of that, you have the Divine Protection of the God of Fate, which is currently the talk of the world,” Ryze added. “For someone who took the throne believing the empire needed radical reform, this must be a better outcome than you ever imagined.”
“Yes. That blessing has been a formidable tailwind. To be honest, I expected it would take at least fifty years to reach this level of stability. I truly cannot thank Miyama-sama enough.”
As Chris gave a self-deprecating smile, her expression was dramatically softer than it had been during the days when she grieved for her corrupt nation, sacrificing her own happiness to save it. The monarchs all realized that Kaito’s influence was the common thread in these miracles, and they were struck once more by the staggering weight of his existence.
Serious-senpai: “Well, that’s to be expected. Any nation would sink a massive chunk of their budget into gathering intelligence on Kaito.”
???: “And this is precisely the stage where Alice-chan is at her most active.”
Serious-senpai: “I truly pity the intelligence agencies of the world. Facing an opponent who is both impossibly malicious and invincible in information warfare—someone who harasses them on a whim—is nothing short of a living nightmare.”