When asked exactly what she had been up to, Estelle simply crossed her arms.
She didn't look flustered in the least; she remained perfectly composed. "It was for the sake of the knights being dispatched to Erendil. I have been away from Leomel for years, so I needed to see the state of things with my own eyes."
"To ensure everything was in order, you mean."
In truth, Estelle had been walking through the town quite openly. If she had been trying to hide her presence, she wouldn't have been seen gulping down ale at the guild first thing in the morning. Even if someone had spotted her, what was there to actually suspect?
She offered her explanation naturally, as if her reasoning were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Fine," Radius said. "But the conversation isn't over."
Estelle wondered when he had begun to harbor such an aura, or when his gaze had become so piercing. She had known Radius since the day he was born, but she had never imagined he would grow into a young man capable of exerting such pressure.
"I suppose... it's thanks to Ren," she whispered, her voice so soft it was little more than a sigh that failed to reach the prince’s ears.
Radius’s voice then echoed clearly inside the carriage. "I know you were in Erendil for a time, Estelle. That much is obvious. You weren't exactly hiding it. However, why did you leave the town and head for the highway? And why did you act like a ghost, evading the eyes of the public?"
He was implicitly stating that he knew she had been trying to keep her movements secret. Radius didn't care that Estelle had been in town; his focus was entirely on her suspicious behavior outside of it.
To that, she replied, "Perhaps you have the wrong person?"
"The wrong person?"
"Yes. If I were truly attempting to move in concealment, then even Your Highness wouldn't—"
She tried to cut the matter short with those few words.
However, she was forgetting something crucial. Even if she were to learn later that Estelle was up to something, she wouldn't know the specifics of what happened during the holidays. One cannot go back in time. Unless he had sensed her movements and acted beforehand, Radius would never have noticed. This meant Radius had been monitoring the situation from a very early stage.
Furthermore, there was the girl of mixed Cait Sith blood by his side. For a brief moment, Estelle had overlooked the existence of Mirei Archayse.
"Even me... what?" Radius prompted.
"No. It is nothing."
Mirei was a civil official, not a spy. While she might be able to manage some basic mimicry, she wasn't skilled enough to deceive Estelle. However, Mirei’s talent for investigation surpassed even the prince’s. She demonstrated a capability that felt almost like future sight—a power that even surprised Estelle.
And if you added Radius’s own resources to that...
"Come to think of it, Ren also left Erendil on the morning in question," Radius noted. "It seems you were heading in the same direction. Were you aware of that?"
"With all due respect, I was never by Ren's side."
"What a strange thing to say. Did you conveniently lose your memory?"
"I don't lose my memory so easily. Such a thing simply never happened."
"My apologies. But you know how it is, Estelle. The foolish, crafty nobles in the assembly often find their memories failing them when things get inconvenient. I simply couldn't imagine a woman of your stature becoming one of those fools."
The conversation didn't end there. Radius acted as if he knew far more than he was letting on.
"This isn't just about what happened in Erendil. Did you think I wouldn't notice you lurking in the shadows, no matter how deep you went?"
"Prince Radius, I—"
"I don't need excuses. I only want to know one thing: Why were you following Ren?"
His entire response to her would depend on this answer. Radius stood before her with an expression that made it clear this was her final chance.
"Phew..." Estelle exhaled a long sigh of resignation.
At the same time, the stifling pressure Radius had been emitting vanished.
"I apologize. It seems I had a momentary lapse in memory."
"Ah, I thought so."
"By the way—if I had remained unable to 'remember,' what would you have done?"
"At the very least, I wouldn't have entrusted you with any more work."
"There is no greater punishment than that for me. Well, then..." Estelle 'remembered' the truth right there in front of him, though she did so with a touch of theatricality. "As for what I was doing, I cannot tell you anything directly. I have been ordered to answer in exactly that way."
"Ordered... you say?"
"Yes. That is the truth of the matter."
Which meant exactly what it sounded like. Taking her words literally, the person who had given Estelle her orders had anticipated that Radius would eventually see through her.
"Then suppose I were to ask someone else about your movements?"
"I have no opinion on the matter. How you choose to proceed is entirely up to you, Prince Radius."
"Heh. Then I'll do just that."
Fortunately, Radius was smiling. Seeing that fearless grin, Estelle finally felt a wave of relief.
"Sorry for taking your time. Proceed with security as usual, Estelle."
"Understood!"
Radius stepped out of the carriage. Estelle followed him a moment later, clearing her throat and straightening her posture with deliberate care. As they walked across the cobblestones, they exchanged words in their usual manner.
"Your Highness, I was telling the truth earlier," Estelle said.
"Oh? Which part?"
"The part about not actually meeting Ren."
"Regarding the incident in the forest?"
"Yes. I intended to get close to him, but I found it impossible. I had a strange feeling that he would detect me immediately, so I gave up."
So it truly hadn't happened. Just as Estelle said, they had never actually occupied the same space.
"Heh... You were actually wary of Ren's intuition?"
"Of course. It’s the kind of instinct common in those who have survived life-or-death situations, but Ren's is exceptionally sharp, even among veterans."
"Hahaha! Well, Ren is extraordinary in more ways than one!"
A short distance away from the carriage, Mirei was waiting. Despite the heat, she stood there as composed as ever, without a single bead of sweat on her brow. Estelle slowed her pace, lingering a respectful step behind the prince.
"Highness, shall we go-nya?"
"Let's. We all have to work hard today."
"Yes-nya!"
"I'm counting on you today as well, Estelle."
"Sir!"
Estelle watched as Radius and Mirei walked off toward the headquarters in the plaza.
"Estelle talked," Radius murmured as they walked. "She said she was ordered to tell me she couldn't say anything."
"Wow... it really feels like we're being played with-nya..."
"Yeah. Honestly, I don't like it."
"What should we do-nya? Shall we schedule an audience right away-nya?"
"Please. Make it for the night of the seventh day. Once the festival has settled down, I'm going to have a talk with His Majesty—no, I’m going to confront my father."
Radius felt as if a weight had been lifted, but he knew this wasn't the end. He wouldn't stop until he had questioned everything and uncovered the true intentions behind these maneuvers.
"The Martial Arts Tournament goes up to the quarterfinals today, right?"
Ren recalled the schedule as he woke up in his room that morning. By the end of the day, the four semifinalists would be decided. Since all the Imperial Academy representatives were still in the running, there was a high chance they would sweep the brackets. Setting aside how the Legend of the Seven Heroes originally played out, Ren turned his thoughts to the task at hand.
"Fuaa..."
He finished getting ready for his committee duties and left his room. Lezard had already departed for the day, so Licia arrived at the dining hall shortly after Ren sat down.
"Good morning, Ren."
"Morning. Licia-sama, your hair is sticking up a bit right there."
"What!? Where!?"
Ren pointed out the spot, and Licia quickly pressed it down with her hand. With her cheeks slightly flushed, she gave a small cough and sat in the chair next to him, keeping her hand on her head.
They enjoyed their breakfast together.
"We have to do our best today, too," Licia said.
"Right," Ren agreed.
As they finished eating, Ren added, "I’m feeling great physically. I haven't had any of those strange dreams since that night, so I've been sleeping well."
"Me too. Though I still wonder what that dream was all about."
"I'm not sure... but we were together from morning till night that day, looking at the same sights. Maybe we just had similar dreams because of that."
"Maybe."
A few minutes later, Licia finished her meal. They grabbed their bags and left the manor, greeted by the brilliant morning sun. Licia narrowed her eyes against the glare, shielding them with her hand.
"It's another beautiful day."
As always, Licia's smile was every bit as bright as the sun.
That afternoon, after Ren had finished lunch at the headquarters.
There was a knock on the door, and Ren went to open it. Outside stood Sera, Vane, and Nemu. Noticing them, Licia joined Ren at the entrance, and the two of them stepped outside.
"Listen to this! We won again today!"
Before Ren or Licia could even get a word in, Sera shouted with joy. She was so excited that she lunged forward to hug Licia, knocking the other girl back half a step. Licia caught her and held her tight.
"I knew you could do it, Sera. I never doubted you for a second."
"Licia-chan, all four of our academy representatives won their quarterfinal matches!" Nemu added.
"Oh? So the semifinals will only be Imperial Academy students?"
"Yeah! Isn't it amazing? Our reps usually do well, but I heard it's been years since we've completely dominated the semifinals like this."
"Exactly! So, Licia! Is there any way you two can come watch the semifinals and the finals? I really want you to see us fight!"
Licia looked at Ren, silently asking for his opinion with a glance.
"Workload is lighter on the sixth day, so I think it should be fine," Ren said.
As the Lion King Grand Festival reached its final stages, the committee schedules were adjusted so that students could actually enjoy the festivities. With the faculty and festival management coordinating the bulk of the remaining work, the students who were the stars of the show were given more free time.
"Really!? I'm sure you know, but the last day of the tournament is in the afternoon. All the other events finish up in the morning, so our matches are the grand finale!"
"Alright. I understand. As long as no emergencies pop up, we'll be there. I'm looking forward to it, Sera."
"Yes!"
Licia smiled as Sera continued to hug her.
"It's all thanks to you, Ren. Thank you, seriously," Vane said.
On the first day of the tournament, Ren had helped Vane overcome his nerves. In the Legend of the Seven Heroes, there was a notorious event where Vane’s stage fright caused his stats to tank—a plot point that always frustrated players—but this time, it seemed that hurdle had been cleared.
"By the way, Ren..."
Vane, having just finished his thanks, moved on to a new topic.