The moment Chiji uttered the words "I know," the princess's gaze sharpened further. Yet, he continued calmly.
"This memo, right?"
From his pocket, Chiji pulled out a piece of paper he had found between the pages of a book during his investigation with Umibata in the royal library. The memo detailed how a "traitor" had infiltrated the heroes and murdered several of them.
The sharpness in the princess's eyes remained unchanged.
"A 'traitor' hiding among the heroes, killing them off... I see. Judging from your reaction, it seems this memo was telling the truth. Now, would you care to explain why such a 'traitor' was kept hidden from us?"
Despite keeping her poker face intact, Raiza couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
This young man had seamlessly shifted from being the one questioned to the one doing the questioning.
But this was still within her expectations. Whether the best or worst outcome, Raiza had prepared for any scenario that could occur in this discussion.
She took a deep breath before responding.
"There are several reasons."
"Such as?"
"The first was to flush out the 'traitor.' As you may have guessed, one among you heroes has been given the job of 'traitor' by the gods. If we in the royal family could make them believe that we were unaware of the 'traitor's existence, we hoped they might slip up and expose themselves."
"And did that approach work?"
"In most past summonings, yes. The majority of 'traitors' who appeared were uncovered in this way."
(*They must have been incredibly foolish or unlucky,* thought Chiji.)
To be fair, it was a cruel situation. Imagine being suddenly summoned to another world, appointed as a hero, and then being told to betray and kill everyone—it wasn't something a normal person could manage.
Even with the job's mental adjustments, acting on it immediately was not easy.
"And from what you're saying, that hasn't happened this time?"
"...Indeed. There have been twenty-seven summoning rituals to date. In twenty of those cases, the traitor was discovered on the first day and apprehended. Of the remaining seven, six occurred during the early summonings, when we had little knowledge of how the process worked. The last case involved someone who had been a spy in their original world. That person remained undetected until the very end, only revealing themselves in a panic during the final battle against the Demon Lord."
A spy, huh? That suggested the summonings drew people from all sorts of different time periods and backgrounds.
When Raiza had explained the magic system to them on the first day, she mentioned that the magic had been developed by previous heroes. This meant that the summoning could pull people from various time streams.
So, there was a chance that the next summoning could draw in someone from 100 years in the future or even a samurai from the Edo period.
The previous traitor was likely a spy from a time of war. A fitting choice for the role, indeed.
If even they had failed, Chiji hoped the princess might reconsider how much of a threat the "traitor" job actually posed. But it seemed Raiza didn't share his perspective.
"So, the fact that you called me here today... means that you suspect me?"
"Yes."
Her blunt response made Chiji narrow his eyes. But he said nothing, prompting Raiza to speak further.
"Aren't you going to ask why?"
"Why what?"
"Why I didn't bring any guards."
It was a good question. If she suspected Chiji of being the "traitor," being alone with him was a dangerous risk.
In truth, Chiji had wondered the same thing as they walked through the forest, but the moment they reached the lakeside, he had figured it out.
"You don't need guards."
"..."
"Look at this open space. Even in my world, magic didn't exist, but in a world where long-range magical attacks are common? Anyone would realize this."
Chiji glanced around. The lake was surrounded by trees and mountains—perfect places for an ambush.
And from this vantage point, the royal castle was also visible. A sniper's shot from there would be easy to land.
"I see. You're sharper than I expected, Nakura-sama."
"I'm just a student who struggled through his exams."
"...Hmph."
Raiza let out a small breath before raising her left arm and twirling it in a circular motion.
"What was that?"
"A signal to stand down. The guards who were watching us from afar will return to the castle now."
"I see. That's a relief. There's nothing more unsettling than a conversation where a single mistake could quite literally cost you your head."
"Don't worry about minor improprieties. Though, Nakura-sama, you've shown none of those 'minor improprieties' thus far."
It seemed that Chiji's courteous behavior since arriving at the lakeside had paid off.
"Now, would you mind telling me why I was under suspicion?"
(*Though I doubt her suspicion is entirely gone,* Chiji thought as he continued to feign carelessness.)
"Let's start with the fact that you were the last one to have your status checked on the first day. And, though this might sound impolite, you've been subtly but steadily drawing attention to yourself."
"And what exactly does that mean?"
Raiza brushed her hair aside, the movement graceful even as she spoke. Every action she took seemed to enhance her natural beauty.
"It means just that. Since arriving in this world, you've been actively expanding your network—speaking with lower-ranked heroes, knights, Rinyu, palace chefs, even butlers. Yet, unlike Shinomiya-sama, you haven't stood out too much. That subtlety seemed... suspicious."
"I see. I can assure you, though, this is a misunderstanding."
"Oh?"
"I've been expanding my network to learn more about this world. As for building friendships with the heroes, that was to prevent unnecessary conflict within the group. As someone who aims for 'everyone to return home alive,' this is only natural. As for seeming 'subtly attention-grabbing,' that's because Shinomiya naturally overshadows me."
Chiji wove a web of lies from beginning to end, but Raiza, showing no signs of recognizing his deceit, merely nodded.
"Indeed, that explanation makes sense."
It appeared Raiza's wariness had lessened.
"I'm glad you understand."
"Yes, I apologize for doubting you... but the 'traitor' does exist. Please be careful, Nakura-sama. And if you notice anyone behaving suspiciously, do not hesitate to report it. Even if you're wrong, it's better to err on the side of caution."
"Of course."
The existence of a traitor, even a weak one, was undeniably dangerous.
Even if they weren't capable of directly killing the heroes, a traitor could still sabotage their efforts or leak crucial information to the Demon Lord's forces.
(*Not that I'd know anything about that...*)
"As for that grim topic, I have news regarding a trial the heroes will face in the near future."
"A trial?"
"Yes. In one week, the heroes will enter a dungeon."
As Raiza's serious words left her lips, Chiji felt pieces of the puzzle fall into place—the enhanced species in the dungeon, and the theory he had shared with Eri.
It confirmed what Chiji had suspected all along:
The knights were intentionally creating enhanced species to provide the heroes with a significant power boost.
Even though the knights had deflected the adventurer guild's inquiries, Chiji had already been certain that his theory was correct.
After pretending to think about it for a moment, he responded in the way he had planned all along.
"Honestly, I'm opposed to it."