Oh great, I brought a crazy person into Saige's house.
That was my initial reaction to hearing Levin claim that the world was ending. And under normal circumstances, I would've heeded it and tried to find a way to inconspicuously cancel this meeting.
But that flash of light that shot out of my hand kept appearing in my mind over and over. Even now, I could still feel that knowledge in my head, and the sensation of transforming raw mana into something... more. And this boy was able to grant me such knowledge instantly. Who, or what, was he really?
"... let's say for the moment that you're not crazy, and that the world is ending," I ventured cautiously. "What exactly are you expecting Saige to do about it?"
"There will be an incident involving the Emperor soon, and preventing it would go a long way towards stopping the end," he said. "The problem is that I need someone who has his ear. The Empress died years ago, Prince Mavir isn't on speaking terms with his father, and Prime Minister Ortney is too busy with foreign diplomacy at the moment to look at anything happening inside the Empire's borders. Right now, Saige Ortney is the only one who can get the Emperor to listen."
"An incident involving the Emperor? Can you be more specific?"
"There's a threat that will bring about the destruction of the Imperial family and the collapse of the Empire. I'll say more when Ms. Ortney gets here; it's a long story and I don't want to repeat myself."
I wanted to trust him, I really did. But, something just felt... off. He was fidgeting nonstop, and I realized he was still sweating even though we had been sitting for a bit now.
I don't get the feeling that he's told me any lies... maybe I'm overthinking, and he's just nervous about meeting a big shot like Saige?
Of course, said big shot chose that exact moment to enter, accompanied by her butler.
"Tione, Faulk, what a pleasure," she said with a perfect curtsy, her straight black hair swaying slightly. "It's been way too long."
She looked up at us with fiery orange eyes that seemed to burn holes right into me even though she was smiling, and a shiver went down my spine. I knew from experience that she was fairly nice girl, but I often wondered if she realized how intimidating she could be. I didn't look at Levin, but I could imagine he was shaking like a leaf.
"Yes, it has, hasn't it?" I answered. "I think the last time we talked was during the Winter Festival a few months back."
"I remember. You were saying that you were aiming to take the top spot in your year, and if I've heard correctly, you achieved that today, did you not?" Saige took a seat on the opposite couch, maintaining impeccable posture as she did so.
"I did, although it was a hollow victory since Veryl was out sick."
"Ah, yes. I hope he recovers soon so he can continue to train. He has a bright future ahead of him as a royal guard."
I felt a nudge on my arm. Levin must've been feeling impatient, having to listen to this small talk, but that's just how polite conversation goes.
"Right, I must introduce my companion here. This is Levin Aiken, my classmate. He has something important to discuss with you."
Saige raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? It's rare to see a brown-eye attending our school. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Y-Yes, likewise."
I knew it, he's terrified. This is like a mouse seeking an audience with a lion.
"Well, you have my ear now. What is it you wish to discuss?" Saige asked.
Levin gulped, then took a deep breath. I realized I was tensing up in anticipation. That uneasy feeling I had before came back.
What is it? Why am I so agitated? He's just going to warn about a danger to the Emperor, isn't he? No, wait, his exact words were 'an incident involving the Emperor'...
"In three days, the Emperor is going to summon a devil, and you need to—"
I leapt out of my seat and tackled him off the couch and onto the floor, slightly pressing my forearm up against his throat to silence him.
"What the actual hell is wrong with you!?"
Gods, if I had known he would commit lèse-majesté right in front of the Prime Minister's daughter...
"Lady Ortney, I am so sorry, I didn't realize he would say something so horrible, I'll remove him right now!"
"Hold, Ms. Faulk. Allow him to speak."
Her smile was gone, and those eyes appeared to be burning with a fearsome light now. I swear the temperature in the room had also risen a few degrees.
I mentally prayed to all seven gods and released the pressure on Levin's throat. He coughed a bit, then looked at Saige. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He was frozen stiff in fear. Saige must've noticed, and decided to give him a prod.
"Mr. Aiken, you have made a very serious accusation. Do you have evidence to support this claim of yours?"
That seemed to do the trick, as some life came back into his eyes.
"Ah, y-y-yes, I do!" he managed to stammer out. "If you go into the deepest floor of the palace cellar, you'll find a summoning circle being constructed! P-Plus, prisoners have been disappearing from the dungeons, but it's being covered up!"
Saige then turned to me.
"And you, Ms. Faulk? Do you believe this person's claims?"
I shut my eyes and thought about how I should respond. If we demanded an investigation in the palace and nothing turns up, Levin and I would be arrested at best, and the Ortney family's relationship with the Emperor would sour. It was a huge risk to take based only on the words of a single teenage boy, even one with mysterious powers that defy the laws of magic.
What does my gut say...
I quickly realized that I had already decided.
"Lady Ortney, I'm not sure if I believe him, but I feel that the potential danger more than outweighs the risk."
She nodded.
"I had a feeling you would say that. Frederick," she called to her butler, who had been standing silently this whole time.
"Yes, my lady?" he asked, his purple eyes inscrutable.
"Take the two of them to the storage shed out back, and place them under guard for the time being. I will arrange for a meeting with Uncle immediately."
'Uncle' referred to the Emperor. While not related by blood, he and the prime minister had been best friends since childhood, so to Saige he was practically family. It spoke a lot about her willpower that she didn't lash out in anger at Levin's accusations.
"Of course, my lady. Please follow me, esteemed guests."
Frederick led us out of the room, towards the back of the villa.
"Welp, my parents are gonna have heart attacks when they hear about this," I said idly. "You happy now, Levin?"
Levin nodded.
"I'm just glad she listened. If we stop this summoning, it'll be a massive blow to ■■■■■'s plans, so we'll be well on our way to stopping the end of the world."
I gave him a strange look.
"What did you say? Stop whose plans?"
"■■■■■'s plans."
I swear I could hear him saying a name, but it was like it was literally passing into my head through one ear and out the other.
"I, uh, still didn't catch that name."
He looked puzzled at first, then a dawn of realization came over him and he nodded sagely.
"... aha, so that's how it is. Don't worry about it for now, then."
At this point, we had reached the back door of the villa, and Frederick led us outside and towards the shed. He held open the door and waved us in. Levin seemed hesitant, so I went in first. It was pretty roomy, with surprisingly little clutter.
"By the way, any idea how soon we'll get to leave once this whole investigation is sorted out?" I asked while looking around.
"You will not be leaving."
The words were spoken with the same calm politeness that he had been using this whole time, but the weight of their meaning struck me like a bolt of lightning. I snapped my head around to see Frederick standing behind Levin, a shortsword's blade protruding from my classmate's stomach.