Chapter 146 - The Child of Conspiracy

 I am finally face-to-face with the woman herself.

The Princess Shinseniza I’d heard so many rumors about was a noblewoman with an appearance so lavish it screamed "royal."

"She looks so orthodox it’s actually weird."

Especially compared to the others I’ve met here in Niosebuk. She wore a high-end dress, with skin and hair polished to a shine. Her hair, in particular, was styled into tight vertical rolls that could only be described as "drills." A woman with drill-hair who looked every bit the princess... in a word:

A Villainess.

To think a real-life Villainess would appear before me. It makes me glad I reincarnated into another world.

"Thank you for the welcome. It feels as though we are finally sitting at the game board, doesn't it?"

The Fourth Princess spoke the moment we met. Her voice was dignified and sharp, yet carried a certain sultry undertone.

Facing her were Tamagushi and me. Our expressions weren't those of a host welcoming a guest, but of defenders meeting an invading enemy.

"It’s been a while, Tamagushi. You said you wouldn't participate in the race for the throne, yet you’ve been quite active lately, haven't you? It seems you’re the most formidable of my siblings after all."

"All I said was that I had 'no interest in the throne.' I am one who serves a King; it’s only natural I wouldn't become one myself. Isn't it the same for you, Sister?"

"Oh? Whatever do you mean?"

"Your talent for conspiracy is, so to speak, the talent of a King's advisor. Your true value is only revealed when you are used by a greater being."

"My, my. To speak of your own half-sister as if she were some wicked old crone... how tragic."

"Is it not the truth? That you love nothing more than weaving a conspiracy?"

Bzzzt-crackle-pop!

Invisible sparks flew between the two women. Scary. Just plain scary. And remember—they're sisters. Both are princesses carrying the blood of the same King of Niosebuk. They call a fight between kin a "blood-feud."

A blood-feud between women... Terrifying!

"Now... won't you introduce the lovely gentleman beside you?"

The Villainess turned her gaze toward me. Well, standing here next to Tamagushi, I was bound to draw attention.

"Uh, I’m—"

"This is Sir Sao. He is the one I am destined to serve."

Won't even let me speak, huh? Tamagushi was aggressively taking the lead here, as if to say, "I won't let anyone else say anything unnecessary."

"Sir Sao, is it? I am deeply grateful to you for getting rid of that eyesore, Gangastra."

"Uh... yeah?"

"I was planning on trapping that simpleton and hanging him while he wallowed in regret. I’m not sure whether to be happy the trouble was saved, or frustrated that all my schemes went to waste."

She let out a composed smile. Rumor had it that Gangastra was the overwhelming favorite, but looking at this woman's smirk, you’d think the rumors were wrong.

"To think such a dark horse was hiding. Well done, Tamagushi, you certainly have a knack for digging up buried talent."

"What is that supposed to mean...?"

"Oh, he’s our brother, isn't he? I’d heard Father was so desperate for strong children that he even impregnated a female warrior rampaging on the battlefield. I see the rumors were true. His heart-wrenching efforts finally bore fruit."

"How do you know that...!?" Tamagushi gasped in bewilderment.

The Fourth Princess, whom I’d just met today, knew the secret of my birth. Only I, Tamagushi, and my mother (who obviously remembered) were supposed to know.

"It means I have 'branches' spread throughout the capital," the Princess said. "And very close to you, at that."

"Intelligence is the foundation of a plot. Strategies are woven from the information gathered. To me, information is as vital as spears, swords, bows, and arrows."

She said it plainly. She was bold enough to openly declare, "I am good at plotting."

"Father truly desired the strongest successor. Since you easily crushed Gangastra—the man whose power was supposedly the highest in history—I’m sure Father is rejoicing in hell."

"I have no intention of becoming the King of this country."

Also, did this Princess just casually confirm her father is in hell? Guess that’s settled.

"Is that so? Then I assume you'll bless me or our brother, Teracoas, when we take the throne?"

"Neither will happen. The Kingdom of Niosebuk is going to be destroyed."

What’s the point of a King in a country that's about to vanish?

"Oh, how scary. But I wonder... would Lady Laevateinn desire that?"

...Laevateinn? That name...!?

"Why bring up that name here?"

"I should have mentioned it in my notice. We have formed an alliance with Queen Laevateinn, the monarch hailed as the greatest ruler since the founding of the great nation of Reniosegra. To have such a superpower as our backer... nothing could be more reassuring."

Yes. That was the biggest problem right now. The shocking fact this woman brought to the table was the source of our headache.

"Sir Sao, you are a man from the Reniosegra Kingdom. Therefore, your orders come from Queen Laevateinn, correct?"

"You're well-informed...!"

"Then you should be on the side of her ally—me—shouldn't you? Thank you for sweeping the capital clean for me. We’ll take it from here."

So that was her play.

I’m often thought of as someone who acts without thinking, following my instincts (especially the ones in my pants), but I am technically a subject of the crown. Actually, even less than that. I’m just a student attending the Royal Academy in the capital (the other one), so I can't exactly go against the wishes of my Queen. If the Queen says "Right," I have to change direction even if I was heading "Left." That’s just how it works.

Princess Shinseniza had calculated all of this and launched this indirect attack.

"Wait. My sister's words are far too suspicious."

Tamagushi stepped in to save me. This woman is reliable!

"Do you truly have an alliance with that famous monarch? I find even that hard to believe."

"Are you suggesting I am lying?"

"I have never met anyone whose words were less trustworthy."

"How tragic. And we are half-sisters...!" The Fourth Princess looked pained. It was clearly an act.

But therein lay the problem. She claims to have an alliance with my Queen, but there’s no way to confirm it. Knowing the rumors about the Conspiracy Princess, only an idiot would believe her blindly.

"If you've formed an alliance, it’s only natural there would be a treaty or an envoy sent from the other side, isn't it? Without physical proof, I cannot believe a word you say."

"The treaty exists. But it isn't here. Obviously. To carry something so precious around and risk dropping it from a pocket would be a disaster. It’s safely stored at our base."

"And the envoy...?"

"No such person is necessary. We are bound by a bond of absolute trust..."

She was being evasive. It was just as Tamagushi suspected: the whole "alliance" could be a lie to get me to back off.

"If you're so suspicious, why not check for yourselves?" the Fourth Princess smirked. "Sir Sao, you can simply contact your own Queen. Ask her, 'Is it true you've allied with a faction in Niosebuk?'"

"Don't be ridiculous! Do you have any idea how far the Reniosegra capital is from here...!?"

Tamagushi was right to be angry. The two capitals are incredibly far apart. This is a fantasy world; there are no cars, trains, or planes. No email, no phones. To contact someone physically distant in this world, do you know what you need?

Time.

Even a message that would take a second in a modern world would take days by letter or messenger. Frustratingly, despite being a fantasy world, there's no teleportation or telepathy magic readily available. We have to rely on human power.

"We would have to waste dozens of days just to verify if your nonsense is true. You think we'd allow that?!"

"I agree. I have no intention of wasting such pointless time either, so don't worry."

"What do you mean?!"

"Feel free to check if you like. But we have no reason to wait for you. We will proceed with the governance of the capital, where the King of Niosebuk is meant to reside."

"What?!"

In short, while we waste time verifying the facts, she gets to do whatever she wants. After we went through the trouble of defeating Gangastra and pacifying the capital, we were expected to just hand it over to the Fourth Princess, who hadn't lifted a finger.

"That... that can't be allowed!"

"Then will you remove us by force? We, who are allies of your sovereign? I hope for your sake that you're right, but if you're wrong, you'll be a traitor, you know?"

She hit me where it hurts. The Conspiracy Princess’s goal was clear: exploit my status as a subject to hide behind the Queen's authority. 99% of what this suspicious woman said was likely a lie. But if there’s even a 1% chance it’s true, I can't ignore it. The Queen is likely giving birth to my child soon; she’s one woman I can never betray.

"Well, what will it be? Will you show your loyalty to your country and hand the capital over to me? Or will you reveal your own ambitions here and now?"

The Fourth Princess watched me, her eyes testing me. She lived for conspiracy; this was her way of sizing me up.

By the way, as we negotiated, we were surrounded by thousands of Niosebuk soldiers. I couldn't let them set foot in the capital where the women I’ve claimed were staying, so I’d kept them held back in the surrounding wasteland.

These were the Fourth Princess’s troops. Since she claimed to love "conspiracy," she probably lacked direct combat power herself and relied on her subordinates.

Those soldiers...

I incinerated them in an instant.

Fwoooooosh! The flames from my [Pyro Stigma] created a literal living hell.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAH!?" 

"HOT HOT HOT! I’M BURNING! I’M BURNING!!" 

"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!?"

The Niosebuk soldiers were scum as usual; I didn't mind burning them to a crisp without a word. My motto: "Rapists have no human rights."

"Wh... what!?" The Fourth Princess stared, her eyes wide. Only she, Tamagushi, and I remained on the scorched earth.

"What is this... is this an act of rebellion against the Reniosegra Kingdom? Do you intend to become a tyrant after all?!"

"No."

My loyalty to the Queen is unwavering. I slaughtered these beast-soldiers because I believed it was in the Queen's best interest.

"I act on my own judgment. I do what I believe is best for myself, my country, and the world."

"What?! Is that how a subject acts?! A subject is but a limb meant to move only at the sovereign's command...!"

Well, my Queen is a wise one. If it's clear that what I’ve done serves the national interest, she’ll usually accept it. I also expect a bit of special treatment as her lover.

"You miscalculated, Sister," Tamagushi said. "The logic of ordinary people doesn't work on a true King like Sir Sao. Your petty conspiracies won't work either. A conspiracy can always be crushed by the raw power of a great conqueror. That is why, since ancient times, a conspirator has never truly won the world."

I mean, it’s not that big a deal. Anyway, the solution comes in the next phase.

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