Chapter 39 - The Delegation

A few hours earlier.

The military headquarters in the capital was always busy, but anyone could see that this level of activity was abnormal. Every available employee was running themselves ragged, to the point that Aiden began to wonder uneasily whether he really ought to be sitting here doing nothing.

'Hmm...'

His eyes darted about as he swallowed a groan.

He already knew that he was the reason for the delegation's visit. The problem was who was in it.

Aiden propped his chin on his hand at the desk, his face impassive, giving the impression that he had everything under control.

'Princess Laila...'

He mulled over the name portentously.

After all, extraordinary he might not be, but he currently held the devastating advantage of knowing the original game. He could handle anyone. He knew who they were and had information about them in advance!

'Who the hell is that...?'

... Or that was how it was supposed to work.

No matter how hard he searched his memory, he couldn't remember hearing that name.

Seriously, who was she?

"..."

Even as he grew increasingly anxious behind his expressionless face, the thought that something was wrong flashed through his mind.

Given what he knew about the Holy Kingdom's major figures, that was only natural. The royal family tree of the Holy Kingdom of Craven might be the most complicated on the continent, but he knew all the key players inside out.

It made no sense for someone he had never even heard of to take such an important role as joining a delegation to the Empire.

'This really is strange.'

Something felt off, as though there were some hidden intention he knew nothing about.

But strange or not, the delegation's imminent arrival was cold, hard reality.

If he wanted even a little information right now—

"Katya?"

"Hm?"

"What do you know about Princess Laila?"

"Nothing?"

"..."

"My older brother was the only one who ever so much as chatted with me."

... Ah, right.

It had been terribly inconsiderate of him to ask her that.

"... Still, there's one thing I think I can tell you for certain."

"Yes?"

"Promise me one thing."

Aiden tilted his head at her quiet words. Had she ever spoken this seriously about anything before?

"I don't want you getting too angry."

"... Pardon?"

"Whatever happens, don't get too angry."

"..."

Aiden blinked blankly.

"Where did that come from?"

"... Just saying."

Katya murmured expressionlessly.

"People from the Holy Kingdom can be like that."

"..."

"I'm uncomfortable around them, and I'm sure they're uncomfortable around me."

"..."

Well.

He already knew that, but it didn't feel as though Katya was merely telling him something he knew.

It felt like a warning.

"But why bring that up all of a sudden?"

"When you get angry, you charge in without thinking."

Her eyes narrowed as she murmured calmly.

"I'll be fine, so don't do anything rash. This time, you really won't be able to fix the mess afterward."

"..."

"The person coming isn't some wastrel who's been pushed out of the line of succession like the one you provoked last time. Nor is she from the Empire. She's foreign royalty, and from a major power at that."

It was as though she were admonishing him: If you cause trouble this time, you really won't be able to handle the consequences. Understand?

Aiden's face stiffened too as he met her unwavering gaze.

'... What's gotten into her?'

Why was someone normally so imperious and indifferent to everything suddenly saying all this?

Before he could consider it any further, however, a resounding voice cut into his thoughts.

"Her Highness Princess Laila is entering!"

With that announcement, the ground-floor main doors swung wide, and a party entered in orderly formation.

There were paladins in full plate bearing the Holy Kingdom's emblem, maids, servants, and civil officials. At their head stood a woman with exceedingly sharp features.

A monocle. Gray hair. An elegant, old-fashioned dress.

'Huh?'

Aiden frowned the moment he saw her.

It was a very strange sensation. He had never heard the name Princess Laila before, yet he felt certain he had seen the woman herself somewhere.

He didn't remember her face, but an indescribable sense of familiarity rose in his mind—

"Mr. Aiden. Are you ready?"

Once again, however, his thoughts were interrupted. Dame Stella's question snapped him back to his senses.

"Yes. I'm ready."

"She's coming straight up. Please remain seated."

Scarcely had she finished speaking when the office door burst open.

The people around her were visibly disconcerted by the way she barged in as though she owned the place, without knocking or asking permission. But Princess Laila, at the head of the party, clearly couldn't care less.

Striding into the room, she surveyed her surroundings coldly before fixing her gaze on one spot.

"Aiden Kellermain?"

At her imperious voice, Aiden bowed his head politely.

"A pleasure to meet you, Princess Laila."

"Sit. We have much to discuss."

... Well.

She seemed like someone who would be exhausting in any number of ways.

▣

Reviewing his objectives, winning her favor clearly had to come first.

'The Holy Kingdom is basically a gold mine.'

In a country where the ability to wield divinity was a prerequisite for retaining royal status, every member of the royal family possessed all manner of individual traits related to that power.

Even if they weren't on Katya's level of outright immortality, each had several sets of powerful traits that helped them manipulate divinity.

At the very least, she was bound to have abilities that would be invaluable in the coming subjugation battle against the Lord Protector.

And with that goal in mind, Aiden could say one thing for certain.

It wasn't worth the trouble.

At least, not with this woman.

"You must be tired after such a long journey. Would you care for something to drink—"

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"..."

What good were her powerful abilities if he couldn't win her favor and copy them?

Her complete lack of interest in even conversing with him immediately set his temples throbbing.

"... I heard you came because I can wield divinity."

"Divinity is a resource exclusive to the Holy Kingdom of Craven. Those capable of using it are individuals of the highest importance, to be managed by the state. They are part of the foundation supporting our nation. If you can wield divinity, that makes you one of them."

"I see."

"Accordingly, I was dispatched to bring you back to our country."

Then Laila casually dropped a bombshell that sent his sense of reality reeling.

"The day after tomorrow. Be ready."

"..."

After blinking blankly for a long while, Aiden spoke, looking stunned.

"Pardon?"

"You need to put your affairs in order before leaving, don't you? Given the circumstances, I should take you immediately, but custom dictates that you be given two days—"

"No, no, wait a moment."

Aiden hurriedly cut her off.

"You should at least hear where we both stand before saying something like that. Isn't this rather sudden?"

"You seem to be under a misapprehension. This isn't a negotiation."

Princess Laila replied without batting an eye, utterly indifferent to his reaction.

"You will shortly be taken into custody and escorted to the Holy Kingdom. I have no intention of accommodating every little circumstance of yours."

"..."

"Be ready. We will proceed according to the schedule you've been given."

... She sounded so utterly assured that he couldn't respond immediately.

Beside him, he could see Dame Stella's jaw dropping.

Rudeness on this scale went beyond a diplomatic disaster and verged on outright tyranny. She might as well have been picking a fight.

The atmosphere in the room rapidly chilled. The Holy Kingdom's personnel and the armed guards led by Dame Stella sensed it most keenly.

As more hands began to drift toward sword scabbards, someone's voice fell into the explosive silence.

"Listen."

It was Katya, who had remained silent at Aiden's side until now.

"Don't you think that's going too far?"

She spoke with a faint smile.

Laila's eyes slowly turned toward her, as though she had only just noticed her presence. As though she hadn't spared her a single thought until then.

And the moment she saw Katya, the emotion in the eye beneath her monocle was unmistakable.

Derision and contempt.

The look one gave something pathetic.

"This is diplomacy between nations. You should at least observe common decency. You're acting like a complete thug—"

"Princess Katya."

Laila's icy words matched her expression perfectly.

"Who gave you permission to speak?"

Aiden's expression immediately hardened.

... Yet Katya herself kept smiling, even after hearing that.

"You're a watchdog who exists to do Her Holiness the Pontiff's bidding. If you couldn't even fulfill your reason for existing, shouldn't you keep quiet?"

"..."

"Had you done your job properly in the first place, I wouldn't have had to come all this way."

Aiden's eyes narrowed as Katya obediently fell silent.

Far from getting angry, she was clearly submitting without protest.

There was even a sense of familiarity to it, as though she had been through this countless times.

'... What the hell is this?'

He had already known that Katya was treated poorly in the Holy Kingdom.

Even so, this was clearly crossing a line.

Considering that they were both royalty, an insult of this magnitude could easily have led to a duel to the death.

What followed was worse still.

Colorless flames flared around Princess Laila's body.

Divinity. Intensely hot, and carrying unmistakable hostility.

"...!"

The imperial personnel drew their swords in alarm, and the Holy Kingdom's paladins drew their own weapons in response.

"Katya."

Princess Laila's voice was merciless.

"Answer me."

As though to make absolutely clear who stood above whom.

As though disciplining an animal that had dared defy her.

"Isn't there something you ought to do?"

"..."

"You owe me an apology."

The divinity moved at once.

"On your knees."

An instant later, it reached the motionless Katya and pierced her knee joint.

It was a merciless strike, enough to disable it in one blow. As though there was no harm in injuring her, since she would regenerate anyway.

Her balance failed, and her forward leg buckled in an instant, forcing her to kneel.

"What the hell are you—!"

Before the words could fully erupt from his throat, Aiden froze.

Katya had extended a hand, signaling him not to interfere.

... Still smiling.

The meaning in her sidelong glance was plain for anyone to see.

["I don't want you getting too angry."]

["I'll be fine, so don't do anything rash. This time, you really won't be able to fix the mess afterward."]

["The person coming isn't some wastrel outside the line of succession like the one you provoked last time. Nor is she from the Empire, where you have people to protect you. She's foreign royalty, and from a major power at that."]

"..."

Only now did he understand why she had warned him beforehand.

If he saw how she was normally treated, Aiden was certain to fly into a rage and charge straight in.

"Aren't you going to apologize?"

"..."

Aiden's blazing gaze swung toward Princess Laila, who was preparing her next attack without the slightest change of expression after what she had just done.

... Honestly, he couldn't believe it.

How could he not know who this woman was?

How could he have forgotten the details of such a colossal piece of shit?

Even as his mind boiled with fury, his gaze fixed on the divinity Princess Laila was wielding.

"...?"

That was when he noticed something strange.

He frowned, slowly tracing the path of the divinity she was moving.

'Ah.'

And then, at a certain moment, he understood the source of the unease he had been feeling all along.

Why looking at Laila had given him that nagging sense of having seen her somewhere before.

A switch clicked into place in Aiden's mind.

That mechanism of his that invariably kicked into gear whenever he needed to act in a crisis.

"—"

His calculations were swift.

His decision was swifter still.

In an instant, he knew exactly what he needed to do here.

"You haven't gone mute, have you, Katya? Shall I break your other leg?"

"I'm sor—"

Aiden's voice cut straight across the apology Katya was about to offer with a smile.

"Your Highness."

Katya turned to him, eyes wide.

Anxiety was written all over her face, as though she were begging him not to cause trouble.

If this escalated, whatever happened to her, Aiden was certain to suffer for it. So please, don't interfere...

That was probably what she meant.

But Aiden was already certain of what he could do here.

Or rather, what he had to do.

"Apologize."

"... What?"

As Princess Laila asked in disbelief, divinity rose from Aiden's body.

"You heard me perfectly well, Your Highness. Don't pretend otherwise."

Then the divinity he had summoned severed Laila's divinity where it pierced Katya's knee.

As though proclaiming his own power superior to hers.

"...!"

As Laila's eyes widened, Aiden approached the kneeling Katya.

"This isn't a negotiation. I'll give you a schedule too, just as you did for me."

Taking Katya by the shoulders and helping her to her feet, Aiden spoke calmly, throwing the words he had just heard straight back at their speaker.

"Apologize to my friend before I beat the hell out of you."

"..."

"I'll give you five seconds."

Laila's expression hardened.