"You really are something, leaving the palace without a word. What were you thinking?"
Fernandez spoke in a gentle and calm tone.
"The soldiers were waiting to find you, and I even had to scour the Imperial Capital as if searching for a thief."
Fernandez approached me and reached out, carelessly messing up my hair.
This guy, he seems to be about 5cm taller than me.
"Truly, you're a troublesome younger sibling, our youngest."
"..."
"Anyway... what's going on here?"
Fernandez examined the scratches all over my body and then narrowed his eyes at the sight of Elize's sword embedded in the ground.
"From what I can see, it seems like the two of you fought a duel to the death."
"..."
"And that fallen lady over there looks like a maid from the Silver Winter Merchant Guild."
Fernandez, inspecting the sword marks on the wall, let out a hollow laugh.
"Daring to draw a sword against royalty? We'll have to hold the Silver Winter Merchant Guild responsible. We should investigate if there was a traitorous intent."
"..."
"The tax revenue was reduced this year, and it was quite troubling. It's a good thing; the treasury will be enriched for a while with Silver Winter's contribution, right?"
Elize had closed her eyes tightly as if giving up on everything.
My mouth was parched. What should I say? What excuse could dispel this situation?
"...!"
Then, something came to mind.
Yes, Ash, this rascal is a famous womanizer...!
"That's not it, brother."
"Huh?"
"That is, it's strange to say this, but."
I grinned mischievously and calmly told a lie.
"Elize and I are dating."
"...?!"
Elize looked at me in astonishment.
"What, what did you say?"
I approached the bewildered Elize, smiling, and formed my lips into a small shape.
'If you don't want to hurt Serenade, play along, fool!'
'...!'
I practically pulled the shuddering Elize to her feet and smiled brightly at Fernandez.
"I mean, before I headed south, this lady and I spent some hot nights together? Her fiery temperament is exactly my type. But now that I'm back, seeing me only with her master, she got a tad~ jealous."
"Ho ho..."
Fernandez laughed as if incredulous.
"So? You two lovers had an intense quarrel?"
"You know how it goes in love fights, right? Harsh words and swords clash, but then love flows again. Isn't that how it works?"
"Oh, dear..."
Fernandez surveyed the totally collapsed building, the blood-soaked Elize, and my body scratched all over by a blade before clicking his tongue.
"You're having a passionate love affair, my little brother. I'm truly proud of you."
"Thanks for the praise. Sometimes I am quite proud of myself."
I managed to annoy Fernandez.
"Hey, but what now? We were just reconciling, and then you appeared and ruined the mood."
I looked back at Elize and grinned.
"Right, darling? We were all~ reconciled, but my brother here is funny, huh? Huh?"
"..."
Elize just stared at me in a dumbfounded way, so I whispered to her softly.
'Smile, quickly!'
If she didn't want to lose her head for attacking royalty, she had to pretend to be in love!
"..."
Then Elize lifted her trembling lips and let out a hideous, eerie grin.
Eek! That smile is scary. Totally the face of a murderer. No wonder she always looked expressionless.
Anyway, as we cozied up, giggling together, Fernandez laughed as if he couldn't believe it.
"Even so, my little brother, playing with your fiancée's maid? Aren't you ashamed before Serenade?"
"She's my fiancée's maid, so I played with her. Oh, I might have to lecture you on how I enjoy my thrilling love life."
"Enough, enough."
Fernandez, waving his hand, stared at Elize with stern eyes.
"Hmm. But attacking royalty is a serious offense, even so..."
"Oh, come on, brother! Please! If the maid I courted is charged for drawing a sword at me, what will become of the rumors among the ladies in the Imperial Capital?"
"What would become of them?"
The conversation continued, keeping the audience in suspense about what exactly would become of those rumors. The clever use of humor, tension, and intrigue paints a vivid picture of the game's world and the complex relationships between the characters.
"If you mess around with me, people will talk about her going to jail! That's not good. Do you know how much it'll interfere with my delightful love life?"
I pulled Elize close and grinned widely.
"So, please? Please understand. I want to continue having fun with my Elize."
Squeeze.
With our cheeks pressed together, I whispered to her.
'Smile.'
'...'
Grin.
Grimace.
Elize and I held the most awkward smiles in the world, laughing together.
"Hmmm..."
Fernandez looked at us with a sharp, inscrutable gaze before finally letting out a faint laugh.
"Ha ha, really. In any case, our youngest here is more than I can handle."
Did I win, or did he give in?
"Alright, alright. If you say so, I won't make a fuss. I'll turn a blind eye."
As Fernandez waved his hand, the soldiers began to step back, one by one, disappearing into the alleyway.
Fernandez murmured softly as he, along with the soldiers, began to walk away.
"But Ash, it'd be best if you didn't play so loudly in the future."
"..."
"Finish up with the young lady and come. I'll wait for you in the carriage. Let's return to the palace together."
Fernandez vanished out of the alley.
Phew. I let out a sigh of relief as Elize suppressed a moan.
"Ugh!"
Blood was seeping from various places in her maid's uniform. She must have been standing forcibly, despite her injuries.
I pulled a potion from my bag and handed it to her.
"Drink this. You'll feel a bit better."
"..."
"And forget about what happened today. Nothing happened between us."
Staring blankly at the potion in her hand, Elize mumbled softly.
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Your Highness, I was trying to kill you."
"Oh, I know."
She had just been swinging a knife at my throat a few minutes ago.
"But... why are you helping me? I might still try to kill you when I get the chance."
"I know."
I clicked my tongue impatiently.
"But that's what it will take for you to trust me in the future."
"What..."
"Elize. No matter what trashy things I've done in the past, I don't want to make your master unhappy now. I mean it."
Elize looked at me with wide eyes.
I smiled bitterly at her.
"I don't know exactly how I should act to keep from hurting that person, but I do know that if you die, your master will be sad."
"..."
"So, what happened today—your trying to kill me—didn't happen."
Not just for Serenade's sake.
The Silver Winter Merchant Guild was vital to the future development of Crossroad and securing the distribution line of magical stones.
I couldn't let it be destroyed over something like this.
Besides, Elize was an SSR-ranked swordswoman in the game, one of the few.
If I could employ her in the game, there was a chance she might join me later. I had to keep her alive for the future.
I helped Elize sit down on the ground, and she continued to look at me, still holding the potion, with a blank expression.
"See you again."
I replied to her gaze with an awkward smile and walked away.
Outside the alley, Fernandez's carriage was waiting for me.
"..."
Elize stared at me, still dumbfounded, until I was out of sight.
***
Inside the carriage on the way back to the Imperial Palace.
"Don't get involved with the Silver Winter Merchant Guild anymore. Whether it's the fiancée or the maid, stop seeing them."
Fernandez blurted out.
"The engagement will be broken off in a few days, so you better not continue chasing after it."
"What?"
I asked, astonished.
"Break off the engagement?"
Fernandez looked at me, puzzled.
"Why are you surprised? Have you forgotten already? It was all decided long ago."
Fernandez's carriage was spacious.
Inside, he had everything he needed to work, including all kinds of documents and stationery.
As he leaned back on the velvet seat across from me, still holding a quill and working on his paperwork, Fernandez continued.
"It was only for the sake of the nationwide road project that we used that guild."
"..."
"Those friends, they used their nationwide distribution network to diligently pave the way for us. Not only that? They took over all the business operations and even bore half the costs."
Fernandez laughed out loud.
"How eagerly they wished to become kin to the Imperial Family. Ha ha! Pitiful fools."
"..."
"No matter how much of a pauper you may be, Father would never let you marry the daughter of a lowly guild like that... a family that bought nobility with money."
Fernandez, who hadn't ceased his smile, furrowed his brow at my rigidity.
"What's the matter, Ash? Are you actually worried about marrying into such a lowly family? You adorable kid."
"No, I..."
"Thanks to the name you lent, the empire's roads have been neatly fixed all over the country. The road project is in its final phase, so there's no need to maintain the engagement any longer."
"..."
"Having served its purpose, the Silver Winter Merchant Guild will now be slowly devoured by the Imperial Family."
I clenched my fist.
So that's how it was.
Had the Imperial Family planned to use and discard the Silver Winter Merchant Guild from the beginning?
Did Serenade have a premonition of this... was that why she was so anxious?
"That merchant woman is quite ridiculous. Whether buying nobility with money or forming connections with the Imperial Family, their lowly history won't disappear. She's even eager to mix a drop of Everblack's blood into their lineage. As if that heritage means anything."
The man born of the world's most noble blood laughed scornfully.
Fernandez then let out an 'oops!' and smiled warmly at me.
"Sorry about that. It must be unpleasant for you to hear. Your mother was from the common folk too, so you probably don't like hearing this talk."
"...?"
"I've been told many times to fix this part of me that's so insensitive. Ha ha, it wasn't intentional. I'm sorry."
I blinked, stunned. What?
Ash's mother was a commoner?
"Enough with the idle talk; let's discuss the future."
Fernandez casually changed the subject.
"You must have heard already, but a victory celebration party will be held in a week. Just behave and avoid any trouble until then."
Fernandez looked at me with warm eyes.
"As soon as Lark returns from the western front, we'll awaken Father from his hibernation. After so long, the four of us can have a 'Guardians' meeting."
"...?"
Incomprehensible words kept coming.
The Emperor's hibernation?
A Guardians' meeting?
What the heck was he talking about?
"I know you're dissatisfied with being assigned to the southern front and that you find the situation with the monsters overwhelming. I understand why you're angry this time. But Ash, we as Guardians have had a hard time too."
"..."
"Just hold on a bit longer, and speak directly to Father during the meeting. With Father's permission, I'll also send more central troops to support the south."
I was silent, unable to follow the conversation.
Taking my silence as discontent, Fernandez soothed me with gentle words.
"All of this is to protect the empire from the fate of destruction."
"The fate of... destruction?"
I frowned.
This phrase... It seemed familiar...
"Yes. To rebel against that fate, without regard for means or methods, even sacrificing everything else to protect the empire."
Fernandez reached out and warmly grasped my hand, a broad smile on his lips.
"The four of us made that vow together, remember?"
I looked at Fernandez with trembling eyes.
The fate of destruction?
Rebellion against that fate?
Sacrificing everything to protect the empire?
What did all these words mean?
'What are the people of this royal family...'
What were they doing at the center of the world?