Risou no Himo Seikatsu - Volume 9 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 — Secret Moves in Earnest

It was the day after Zenjirou had received the shocking revelations from Largo. He had immediately started to make his moves.

If one didn’t know the circumstances, it likely wouldn’t look like anything remarkable. He had originally intended to carry out the bare minimum of meetings that he couldn’t refuse and let everything else go. Prince Largo was the last of those meetings. So if one hadn’t known that he hadn’t originally been planning more meetings, his active acceptance of another request would seem completely natural.

“This morning, you will be attending a party held by Marquis Pisani and taking lunch there. This afternoon, you are meeting with Princess Margarita, and this evening, you will be attending a banquet at the palace,” Lucretia informed him briskly from his side.

She was currently benefiting the most from his change of heart. He had originally intended to shut himself away and interact less with her as well, but since he had decided to actively pursue meetings, his interaction with her had inevitably increased.

Regardless of his agreement to meet with the nobility of the Twin Kingdoms, she was the best placed to offer an overall view of the relative statuses and the locations for such meetings along with their importance.

“If you have no other plans for tonight, I would be willing to act as your partner. I would also prefer to remain in the background for your meeting this afternoon. Is that acceptable?”

“It is and would be appreciated. My apologies for the burden.”

“Not at all!” She smiled broadly.

Lucretia was actually being exceedingly helpful. She was attempting any and all means she could to appeal to him and had apparently decided to try to do so by showcasing her ability.

It was convenient for Zenjirou as well. I’d rather she kept up these attempts, to be honest, he thought to himself.

It was far better than her placing herself physically close or offering effusive praise for the most meaningless things. He briefly considered showing interest to get her to continue on this track but soon discarded the idea. Disregarding the unfairness and emotional side of things, Zenjirou was unsure he could feign interest and keep those attempts going without saying anything that could be taken as a commitment.

“Will the third uniform be sufficient for today?” he asked her.

She directed her big blue eyes up at the ceiling in thought.

“It will. There should be no issue on the whole. However, there is a dance during the banquet tonight, so you may wish to wear something easier to move in,” she suggested.

“Very well, I shall do so. Could you give me a rough description of the dress you will be wearing tonight? I would rather avoid clashing with my partner,” he replied after a moment.

Lucretia’s eyes were big to begin with but appeared even bigger as they widened, and she began speaking in a fluster. “I could never. If you inform me of what you will be wearing, I will ensure my own clothes match.”

“As far as outfits of that ilk are concerned, the woman should take the lead and I should match that, no?” Zenjirou wasn’t precisely incorrect, but there were smaller issues that he had missed.

“You are a guest from afar, though. Surely my following your lead would be more logical?” she asked. Her cheeks seemed to redden slightly as she looked up at him through her lashes.

Zenjirou felt a frisson of danger and immediately retracted his statement. “I see. I shall take you up on your offer, then. Ines, select the clothes I will wear tonight.”

“Understood, sir,” the maid replied with a bow behind him.

Lucretia’s expression looked like an angler whose fish had slipped the line just before it was hauled from the water for the barest of moments. However, she soon returned to her usual affable smile. “Very well. Flora.”

“Yes, my lady?” her maid replied

“Coordinate with Sir Zenjirou’s maid to determine my outfit for tonight. I leave it to your discretion.”

“Very well, please do. Shall we, Lady Ines?”

“We shall, Lady Flora.”

With their lieges’ permission, the two maids moved slightly away and began discussing the matter.

It was still early morning, so there was plenty of time before the banquet. Zenjirou could be fairly sure things would be acceptable if he left them to Ines.

With that in mind, he turned his thoughts to the first item on his docket for the day—the party held by Marquis Pisani.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The Pisani family was one of the most distinguished families of the Twin Kingdoms, able to trace their lineage back to its founding. It was no exaggeration to call them on par with Lucretia’s family, the Broglies.

Both families were firmly loyal to the royal family, and both had blood ties if you looked far enough in the past, making them exalted even among the exalted. The current marquis’s wife was even the wet nurse for Prince Vittore, for example.

Vittore was the second son of Crown Prince Josep and would ordinarily be the next to hold the title and therefore the subsequent king. But he was still only seven years old and so beyond Zenjirou’s reach even given Zenjirou’s position as royalty from a powerful nation. Therefore, discussion with Marquis Pisani—who himself had connections with the young prince—was indispensable at the moment.

“It is an honor to be able to greet such a fine example of Capua, Your Majesty. I am the current marquis of the Pisani family, Alan Pisani. I look forward to making your acquaintance,” said the man in question, bowing deeply.

“I am Zenjirou, husband of Queen Aura I of Capua. I appreciate the personal invitation from the head of the family,” Zenjirou replied with his shoulders held high. He was sighing internally despite that, though.

Yet another important person. I was the one who took him up on it, so I can hardly complain, but there are too many people to remember. I feel like my brain’s been put through the wringer.

His mental complaints were not without cause. Even narrowing the people down to those he had to remember, there were: King Bruno, Crown Prince Josep, Prince Largo, Prince Francesco, Shuura from the Elehalieucco family, Nazeema from the Reierfon family, Talajeh from the Elementaccato family, Fiqriya from the Animeeum family, Lucretia from the Broglie family, and now Marquis Pisani. With the future inclusion of the marquis’s wife and Prince Vittore, his complaints were somewhat justifiable.

It would hardly be worth mentioning if he just needed to remember their names and appearances. However, he had to avoid the plots surrounding them and gather information, which meant he needed to know each of their relations in terms of blood and society, their abilities, and even their dispositions. A complaint or two was practically inevitable.

Either way, he had to focus on the man in front of him.

Zenjirou seated himself in the seat he was offered as the marquis mirrored him across a table. The table between them was a large, round piece of furniture, covered by a lace tablecloth. With the lack of sewing machines in this world, it had to have been made by hand. How much was it worth?

His instinctive hesitance to touch the cloth at that thought was proof that he was a commoner at heart, no matter his title. He managed to hide any of that hesitance as he put both hands on the table to speak.

“I have heard that you made a name for yourself as a valorous warrior in your youth. Could I trouble you to recount some of that now that we have had the opportunity to meet?”

Asking after martial skill like this was a common tactic for negotiations between men if the person in question had any inclination in that direction. It was like complimenting a woman’s clothes or accessories, a safe opening topic.

The marquis was well aware of the implications with his high position in society. He laughed. “It was rather modest in truth, but I would indeed be willing to tell you about it. It was my first engagement, and I was still seventeen...”

His speech flowed like water as he smoothly explained his time on the battlefield from his youth. It was not an epic tale, but one with youthful failures and the amusing situations he made for himself. The story kept the interest of all those who listened.

“...so, I rode the line between bravery and recklessness, and with a great deal of luck along with a smattering of skill, managed to bring down the enemy commander despite his greater skill. Making it back alive was a significant achievement. Truly, I thought I was not long for this world back then. You often hear rumors on the battlefield of the men wetting themselves. Whether they’re true or not, those men were far braver than I. Before I knew it, my pants were sopping wet and you couldn’t even tell whether it was sweat or something less pleasant.”

“Impressive that you lived through such vicious battles despite your youth,” Zenjirou said, keeping the conversation moving with a marveling tone.

The other man shook his head with a rueful grin. “Well, it was truly closer to a single vicious battle. I rather lost my nerve at that point and have done nothing worthy of note since then. I enjoy hunting but am not particularly skilled. My wife tells me to have my subordinates shoot since it is a waste of ammunition to do so myself. Truly embarrassing.”

The marquis guffawed and Zenjirou showed interest to keep the conversation moving.

“You have a taste for hunting?”

“Indeed. I have a good rapport with the Elehalieucco family, so I head to their capital once a year and take part in a real hunt. Though as I said, my achievements during it are rather pitiful.”

“Interesting...” Zenjirou mused, tamping down the urge to leap for the unexpected link in the conversation. “That sounds splendid. Personally, I have little nerve for such pursuits in the first place and know nothing of war or hunting. However, I still do have an interest in them as a man. Capua is densely forested and the Twin Kingdoms has wide plains of sand, so I assume the drakes that call the two countries home differ? What are the drakes you have hunted like?”

He had originally aimed for information from the man’s wife on the young prince. However, he would not refuse information on one of the four dukes either.

The marquis smiled at the indirect request to continue whether he caught Zenjirou’s ulterior motives or not.

“They are. The dash drakes would probably be the easiest example. Dash drakes from Capua are green, but those native to here are a light yellow—a sandy color, if you will. As their appearances would imply, the Capuan drakes do well in humid environments while the converse is true for those of the Twin Kingdoms. Still, both are called dash drakes, so they are indeed the same species and capable of interbreeding.”

The country, therefore, had crossbreeds which could at least manage in both environments. Francesco and Bona’s group had traveled via dash drakes and carriage, and the dash drakes they had used were those crossbreeds.

“I had heard that the best dash drakes on the continent were those from the Twin Kingdoms.”

Marquis Pisani puffed his chest up happily at the statement. “I am glad that such regard is true even in the west. However, strictly speaking, the best drakes are not those of the Twin Kingdoms, but of the Elehalieucco and Reierfon duchies.”

“I see. I suppose when considering their lifestyles, it is inevitable. You mentioned that you sometimes travel to their capitals. I assume that there are many dash drakes there?”

For the two nomadic families, “capital” referred to a large collection of tents around a larger one that belonged to the duke—or to the families in question, the chief. Everyone who lived there were nomads. Other than infants and the elderly, each had their own dash drake, which would naturally lead to a huge number of dash drakes around their capitals.

“Indeed. The drakes that belong to the family are the best of the best. I was actually gifted a male drake as a sign of my friendship with Duke Elehalieucco. It is a truly splendid specimen and would be coveted within the royal capital. Yet in their capitals, it is nothing more than one of many fine examples.”

“I suppose that’s what you get from the source. Though I must admit. I am curious. Which would you say is more like the source, the Elehalieucco or Reierfon’s stock?”

The marquis gave an exaggerated raise of his eyebrows before speaking in an even more deliberate tone of voice. “The general logic is that the Elehalieucco’s drakes are the strongest while the Reierfon’s are the fastest. Asking which is better overall... I say this with all due respect, Your Majesty, but I warn you not to make such statements around those from either family.”

“I see. Thank you for the advice,” Zenjirou replied with a chagrined smile.

Apparently, the question was one to which there was no agreed-upon answer, so it would inevitably lead to heated arguments. The question was, therefore, not a good one to ask.

“Also, speaking of rare drakes unique to the desert,” the marquis continued once he’d gotten Zenjirou’s agreement, “morph drakes are perhaps the best example.”

“Morph drakes?” Zenjirou parroted.

“Indeed. They do as their name implies and change. Well, the only thing that actually changes is the color of their hide. They are small, herbivorous drakes. Their dull movements and lack of offensive ability make them easy targets once you spot them. However, spotting them is much easier said than done. They are a light yellow during the heat of the day to become one with the sand. As the temperature drops, they morph to a dark indigo and are hard to pick out from the darkness.”

“How intriguing. I have not heard of their like before,” Zenjirou replied, his question implied.

“That is hardly surprising. They are only found within the Elehalieucco and Reierfon lands even within the Twin Kingdoms. There is a particularly large number within the former.”

All Zenjirou could dredge up from his memories in relation to a drake—or rather reptile—that changed color was the chameleon. Even without having seen one before, Zenjirou’s image of a morph drake was cemented as that of a chameleon.

“The morph drakes are ideal first targets for children as they take up their bows. The creatures are fairly benign, yet hard to spot while still being easy to bring down.”

“What do they do with the drakes afterwards? Eat them, perhaps?” Zenjirou asked out of curiosity.

The marquis gave a slight shrug. “Unfortunately, they are inedible. They are not poisonous, but they taste disgusting and are little more than skin and bone. The nomads see them as pests to be exterminated.”

The morph drakes ate the same plants as the other drakes that the tribes reared. In addition, their shorter stature meant that they ate just the base of the plants but still destroyed the entire crop, leaving nothing suitable for the drakes the tribes wanted. With their livestock being the tribes’ greatest asset, the morph drakes were most definitely pests.

In truth, the detritus the morph drakes left behind would then fertilize the area for the next crop. However, the ecological understanding in this world was not developed sufficiently to realize that. Even Zenjirou wasn’t one to consider it so deeply and therefore accepted them as pests that harmed the nomads. He wondered if there was something that could be done with them rather than just exterminating them.

“What of the hide, then? Is there no utility to it?”

“Unfortunately, that is the least useful part of them. It is thin to begin with, so no matter how it is treated, the skin is unsuitable for armor, and as it changes color, it is not suitable for even decorative clothing or drake parchment. Well, the color persists once you expose it to a high enough temperature. However, that makes it brittle and hard, so it serves no purpose.”

The man had a somewhat regretful smile but Zenjirou was so shocked he couldn’t really take that in. “What? So the color-changing properties persist even after the morph drake has been killed and skinned?”

“Indeed. During leather production, the skin is soaked in water and boiled. When that happens, the colors change and it produces an unsightly mottled pattern and therefore has absolutely no value. The original color does not return even after completion. It is honestly rather impressive that something so useless can exist,” he said, stressing just how little worth the morph drakes had.

Zenjirou let the latter half of his statement wash over him, though, and muttered to himself. “Natural heat-sensitive paper?”

The pieces were falling into place and he was thinking of a new magic tool. I need to ask an actual enchanter about the details, but this seems promising. Has no one thought of this before?

He’d found an unexpected hint as to a solution to the current situation and spent the rest of the meeting keeping the conversation going. Even as he did, however, his mind was spinning with the possibilities the skin might represent.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

His meeting had given him a glimpse of a huge chance, but that didn’t mean he could pull an immediate about-face. Currently, Zenjirou saw the most influential people in the country—King Bruno and Crown Prince Josep—as potential enemies. If it would help him avoid their notice in any capacity, he needed to act naturally. Therefore, he followed his original plan: spending the afternoon talking with the queen and thanking her for the enchantment on his wedding ring, and then attending the evening banquet with Lucretia as his partner.

“Wow. No matter what they try, Capua can’t match that,” Zenjirou mused to himself.

He was wearing mostly red formalwear and escorting Lucretia, who was wearing a green dress. His eyes were directed towards the lavish chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The main body of polished silver was much the same as those in Capua. The lights within it were beyond the other country’s, however. They were magic tools of light. Not of fire, light.

They had been created as a collaboration between the Sharou family and another country’s royalty that held light as their lineal magic. Therefore, it was something that could only ever exist within the Twin Kingdoms.

A mere eight light sources lit the entire room almost evenly in white light. Even the lamps that Zenjirou had brought with him could not measure up to them. It was perhaps a perfect demonstration of magic. The lights gave off no heat at all, making them completely cold sources of illumination.

A further look around revealed static flames on each table to heat the food in place. Mist generators around the space raised the humidity while wind tools circulated the air to prevent it from stagnating.

“Ah, it is the blazing season,” Zenjirou commented.

Lucretia chuckled proudly. “Staying within the Purple Egg Palace certainly makes you forget the seasons,” she said, tightening her grip on his arm slightly.

In truth, as the statement implied, he hadn’t had much perception of the season since he arrived. It wasn’t as cool as his air-conditioned room but was maintained at a pleasant enough level to be unremarkable once he was used to it. Being a desert rather than a forested country, the Twin Kingdoms were the exact opposite of Capua, with dry air.

Further, while the temperature during the blazing season was constantly above body temperature in Capua, it dropped drastically at night in the Twin Kingdoms. The temperature was much more pleasant most of the time, but the night was too cold, so walking around in your daytime clothes would have you shivering.

However, Zenjirou had not experienced any real variation in temperature during his stay in the palace’s annex. The heat was kept in check by the mist generators and water circulation, which simultaneously kept the humidity high enough. Fire and wind magic tools kept the interior warm enough on cooler nights.

The annex naturally had no light magic tools, but the static flames illuminated the space to enable later nights. In terms of a pleasant daily lifestyle, the Twin Kingdoms was several levels above Capua. Of course, that was limited to the palace and its profusion of magic tools as well as a very few wealthy nobles.

Whatever the case, he strode through the room with Lucretia on his arm. He could feel everyone’s gazes on him regardless of age or sex, but no one spoke to him. The norm was for the higher-ranked person to start a conversation. That part of their etiquette was common throughout the Southern Continent, and Zenjirou was grateful for it.

Conversely, with his current goal being to gather information and discover the connections between them, it meant that he had to do so proactively. He prepared himself and looked around, finding someone familiar. In terms of their standing, she was suitable as the first person he spoke to, he decided. With Lucretia still attached to his arm, he walked towards the woman.

She was unaccompanied by anyone who seemed to be a partner, so she appeared to have come alone.

“Talajeh. What a coincidence to meet you here.” He smiled at the branch member of the Elementaccato family.

She was a voluptuous woman with blonde hair that fell in waves around her shoulders, wearing even now a dress that showed her deep cleavage as she smiled.

She gave a respectful bow. “Ah, Your Majesty. It is an honor that you would speak to me right away.” She kept her head slightly lowered as if to invite glances down her cleavage, but directed her eyes upward with a victorious grin.

The creaking sound of gritted teeth from the blonde at his side was most definitely not his imagination. Personally, he would rather they didn’t make it a competition. A more well-endowed person like Talajeh was certainly his type, but Zenjirou’s heart was dedicated only to his beloved wife and son. He was here to secure a healer for her and to stop Carlos from being dragged into the country’s plans. Those were the only things on his mind right now. He wasn’t a prodigy by any means, and there was a limit to what he could keep in mind.

“I must say, though, that it would be hard to call this a coincidence, Your Majesty. I attend almost all social events held in the capital,” she said as she raised her head. The movement brought a snake to mind.

“Oh, so you enjoy these events?”

“I would say that I consider them more worthwhile than enjoying or disliking them. These are places where people’s desires show on their faces. At the same time, it is at the forefront of fashion trends in clothing and finery. The information I can obtain here will pay for itself in time.”

It wasn’t a case of information being worth more than money, but of information becoming money, judging by her words, and it showed her personality.

“I see. It would appear the rumors of your acumen in business are well-founded,” Zenjirou said.

“You have business sense the likes of which you would never associate with a relation to the ducal families, Lady Talajeh,” Lucretia added.

While what they said was practically the same, the emotions in their faces and voices were directly opposing. Zenjirou was genuinely impressed and praising her, but Lucretia had implied scorn at her un-noble like behavior.

While she gave no reaction to the ridicule from Lucretia, Talajeh’s eyes sharpened slightly in surprise at Zenjirou’s praise. It seemed that Lucretia’s behavior was closer to the norm than Zenjirou’s in regard to a relation of one of the ducal families playing merchant and personally negotiating business.

He considered he may have erred before deciding it likely wouldn’t make much difference. “Incidentally, are your three compatriots not present as well?”

“Shuura went right back to the capital and Nazeema rarely leaves the palace outside of official functions. Fiqriya has been over there the entire time.”

As she spoke, Talajeh pointed towards a dark-haired and dark-eyed woman who had collared an attendant and was questioning him about something passionately. Judging by his clothing, the man was likely a mage working in the palace. Perhaps he was responsible for managing the magic tools present in the venue.

Only the Sharou family could make the tools, but anyone could use them. With that said, the only mages allowed to control them in the palace like this were handpicked.

Unsure what to say at the sight, Zenjirou deflected somewhat. “That...is certainly one way to enjoy the night, I suppose.”

Talajeh couldn’t hide her amusement at his response. “She probably found some new magic tool. Fiqriya is always looking for more knowledge about them.”

“A spirit of curiosity is important.”

While he considered her part of the honey trap as well, she’d not spared him a glance. His attendance had been made public beforehand, so there was no way she didn’t know.

Was I just being oversensitive by assuming that? he thought suddenly to himself.

He’d felt they all seemed significantly friendly during their first meeting. However, a calmer consideration made him realize that it would still be the case to a certain extent due to his position. He at least couldn’t count Shuura—who had immediately left to return home—or Fiqriya—who was focused solely on questioning the mage—as part of it.

I still can’t let my guard down, though. It’d be easier if they were all as obvious as Lucretia.

Zenjirou turned his thoughts to the blonde on his arm. She seemed to sense his gaze and smiled slightly back at him.

“Is something the matter, Your Majesty?” she asked.

“No, nothing.” He shook his head in deflection. “Excuse us, Talajeh,” he added, bidding them farewell.

The only reason he’d even addressed her was that she was a familiar face.

“Very well. Enjoy your night, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you.”

As he wandered somewhat aimlessly, Zenjirou questioned the girl.

“None of the Sharou family are present tonight, are they?”

She seemed to leap for the chance to have him rely on her, and her hair bounced as she answered. “Indeed. Crown Prince Josep is the official organizer of the party but is only lending his name so that the palace can be used. In all real senses, the party is being held by Marquis Pisani. He holds these as part of his duties but is not ardent about them and will likely only show himself towards the end for some minor greetings.”

“I see.”

He’d already had the general explanation, but to hear it so bluntly again was somewhat disheartening. Since the event was being held in Josep’s name, and implicitly in Marquis Pisani’s, he had hoped to be able to meet some more important people.

The person he most wanted to get into contact with currently was Crown Prince Josep’s second son, Vittore. As an intermediate step, he had the potential of Crown Princess Tosca and Lady Pisani, the prince’s mother and wet nurse respectively. He had therefore hoped that this banquet—which was under both of their husbands’ names—would be an opportunity to connect with them.

However, it seemed his hopes were in vain. He could probably meet the marquis himself if he insisted, but he had already done so that morning. There was little benefit in doing so again during the evening.

“Let’s offer our greetings to two or three others before leaving for the night. Can I ask you to select the people?”

On Zenjirou’s part, the request was given without any deep thought, but the girl’s reaction was dramatic. She started before answering.

“You can! I will introduce you to those worth your consideration. Perhaps Count Raymond would be a good start. He is the same age as King Bruno and an extremely genial person. He has many friends of all ages.”

“It’s in your hands.”

“This way, then.”

In the end, Lucretia was the one to gain the most. She was escorted by Zenjirou and even managed to gain the privilege of choosing who he would speak with.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

While Lucretia was responsible for aiding him, that aid didn’t extend to the bedroom.

“Good night, then, Your Majesty,” she said.

“Right. I appreciate your help today.”

Having somehow made it through the day, Zenjirou bid farewell to the girl who had been around him the entire day and entered his room.

The only people in the room other than him were maids from the inner palace who knew him well, including Ines.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted...”

Once he’d shucked the red clothing and was left in a T-shirt and his boxers, Zenjirou collapsed onto the sofa.

“Good work, Sir Zenjirou,” Ines said as the younger maids quickly put his clothes away. She placed a silver cup of cold water in front of him.

“Thanks,” he replied before downing the drink. The water seemed to reinvigorate him somewhat and he looked up at the maid, albeit from his slumped position.

“Ines?”

“Yes?”

“Did you get anything from the soldiers and maids?”

The middle-aged maid moved a step closer to the sofa before speaking.

“It has only been a day, so the information has yet to be scrutinized. However, with what I have heard from Kate, there is nothing to refute what Prince Largo told you. With regard to the Unity Faction, we have followed your instructions to avoid disclosing that information, so we have asked nothing directly and have no information. Frankly, we cannot yet confirm whether they truly exist or not.”

“I see...”

While he was already aware of the fact, information like this could not be gathered in a mere few days. Zenjirou didn’t have sufficient time, so he was acting on the assumption that the information from Largo was correct, but he was also trying to gather corroborating evidence.

“Gathering evidence” might be too grand a term for listening to the rumors between the soldiers and maids. The knights and soldiers Capua had sent were furnished with a minimum number of maids. It was far from a true information network. On top of that, he was working on a deadline.

Zenjirou had been asked to consult on magic tools to give the four dukes as a gift, but he would need to offer his response within ten days at the latest. He needed to decide who he trusted before that time came.

Even as optimistically as I can make things, I doubt we’ll have all the information before then. I’ll need to make my mind up before I’ve got all the facts.

Ordinarily, he’d be able to feel an oncoming ulcer at the weight of his thoughts, but that wasn’t the case today. If it was him, or even Aura—despite her having much higher abilities and resolve—then that would be one thing. But with the looming possibility of his son being dragged into politics here before he could even walk, he couldn’t relax enough to feel that discomfort.

“Our current knowledge is that the nobles coming and going within the palace see Prince Josep’s ascension as a matter of course. Things are more ambiguous with regard to the throne afterwards, but the majority seem to assume it will be Prince Vittore. Additionally, everyone appears to see Prince Largo as either a political opponent of the Crown Prince or someone who covets the throne himself.”

Zenjirou nodded consideringly at the detailed summation from Ines. None of what she’d found contradicted Prince Largo’s information.

“Then should we consider Prince Largo’s claims to be fact? Well, Prince Josep has not specifically lied either, so there is the possibility Prince Largo is doing the same. Honestly, it feels even less likely he’d come completely clean to a foreign royal like me...”

The more he thought things over, the murkier they seemed.

“Ines,” he said eventually.

“Yes, sir?”

Zenjirou decided that he couldn’t pull himself from the bog of his thoughts alone, so he turned to the maid who was quickly becoming a highly trusted confidante.

“Has there been any movement from King Bruno or Prince Josep?”

“Not as of yet.”

“Hmm, that’s really weird as well.”

They had gone so far as to call for an urgent meeting to stop Zenjirou and Largo meeting. Yet now that they had, the two had said nothing. That seemed even more ominous.

“Perhaps it isn’t so important to Prince Josep? Or perhaps Prince Largo was indeed lying? There are too many people and too many plots. Whatever choice I make, I’ll be playing into someone’s hand.”

“Sir Zenjirou,” the maid’s soft voice answered his groaning. “If I may interrupt?”

Zenjirou gestured for her to continue.

“The most important things are the costs and benefits to yourself and Capua as a whole. Taking that to its extreme, if it serves your purposes, is there any real problem with following either of their plans?”

“I see...”

Her question made him realize that he had been considering things too narrowly. In all likelihood, that was due to Prince Josep seeking to use Carlos Zenkichi as a political tool. He’d taken it completely emotionally and gotten his thoughts trapped in a desire to not permit it were it true.

Thinking things through more calmly, there was no reason Josep needed to suffer if he could guarantee his son’s safety. Of course, such “reprisals” could also be a diplomatic advantage in the future. There was therefore no need to stop it if that would be possible. However, it was also not something he needed to insist upon to such an extent that it harmed him. Zenjirou was ill-suited to such heavy-handed diplomacy.

“The most important thing is making sure Zenkichi’s safe. That, and ensuring I have access to a healer for Aura and the child she’s carrying. Everything else is secondary, then?”

Squeezing out his goals, his thoughts suddenly cleared. He could ignore the plans that did not directly impact him. If he tried to control everything, he would inevitably fail and come off all the worse.

“Which means the thing I need to find out is whether the Total Unity Faction exists. Ideally, I should also have some proof that the king and crown prince are part of that faction so I could take Prince Largo’s word...”

“The ‘Total Unity Faction?’ The Twin Kingdoms’s system being formed of two equally ranked families certainly does cause issues. I can see why it would give rise to such a faction.”

Even so, the reigning king and his heir apparent being part of the faction without it being public knowledge meant that normal evidence gathering would be ineffective.

Zenjirou considered things. “But if both of them are part of the faction, it’s even stranger that the faction’s a minority. If I can trust what Prince Largo said, there are members in the Gilbelle family in it as well. It doesn’t seem to make sense that it’d still be a minority in that case.”

“Political factions are not just a product of the current situation. If you consider the length of the country’s history, then perhaps the monarchs who supported it were in the minority,” Ines suggested.

Zenjirou clapped in realization. “Right. It could be a way of thinking that’s not been the norm over the long term. That would make the two sequential kings who were in the faction a golden opportunity for them.” At that point, he noticed an implication in his own words. The issue wasn’t two sequential kings. The clincher came with the third’s position.

“What about Prince Francesco? Is he part of the Total Unity Faction as well?”

“Perhaps? I cannot make any firm claims, of course, but it seems unlikely from His Highness’s actions so far,” the maid answered. Her tone wasn’t definitive, but it was fairly certain.

“Right. That’s right. Prince Francesco was the only reason Prince Largo and I got to meet in the first place. He probably isn’t part of his father’s faction, then. Still, he’s definitely the key to this...”

Zenjirou fell into thought for a while and then made his mind up. The stiff expression on his face as he looked up at Ines didn’t suit him.

“Ines, I want to speak with Prince Francesco in as natural a way as possible. Do you have any idea how to make that happen?”

The capable maid tilted her head in thought before giving an awfully simple answer. “Perhaps simply doing nothing would be the best choice?”

“Huh?”

The firm look on his face morphed into a taken aback expression, prompting Ines to explain.

“I doubt that Prince Francesco, of all people, can simply sit in silence during this situation. Does prior experience not suggest that he will attempt to contact you if you simply wait?”

“Ah, right. I’m on a time limit, though, so I want to talk with him as soon as possible.”

“How soon would that be? I doubt he can wait more than a few days.”

“Oh. Then I guess we’ll wait and see for a few days,” he said, slightly anticlimactically in response to her utter surety.