Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord - Volume 5 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Hidden Boss Exposes the Kingdom’s Dark Secret

The last time I’d had alcohol, I’d found that I didn’t much like the taste, and I’d ended up acting differently than I normally did. That was why I hadn’t had a single drop since, but I had to admit that I also had memories of feeling like I was walking on air and having a fun time.

But right now, I felt terrible. I wasn’t sure if my mistake had been to chug the whole drink at once, or if it had been the carbonation (which I wasn’t fond of) that was making me feel worse.

Once it pulled up to my estate, I exited the carriage at once, almost falling out of it in my tipsiness. I decided to stand in the cool, night air for a while to take my mind off the sick feeling in my stomach. I took a small jump onto the roof, using the sheer strength of my muscles to forcibly maintain my balance; even without the alcohol, I felt unsteady because of the heels I was wearing. I shouldn’t have done this in a dress. I can’t even sit anywhere since I don’t want to get it dirty.

Though I regretted my decision to come up here, it was soothing to look up at the night sky. The crescent moon was peeking out from behind the clouds. I continued to gaze at the moon for a while, maintaining my unbalanced posture through sheer force of will, my ankle still twisted into a strange position.

All I was able to focus on was the moon, but eventually my sickness died down. As I prepared to jump back down, a carriage stopped beside the estate. It didn’t come through the front gates, and it instead parked next to the moat. I stared at the carriage and its unfamiliar family crest until eventually Patrick climbed out. He walked to the front gate and tried to nonchalantly enter the estate.

“Up here,” I called out.

Taking notice of me, Patrick jumped up and joined me on the roof.

“Why don’t you take a rest from the romping around at least while you’re wearing a gown?” he admonished.

“So standing on the roof constitutes romping around?”

“I feel like climbing onto a roof with a single jump actually surpasses the realm of romping... Were you waiting for me?”

“Yeah...” I finally said after a pause. “I was worried if you’d get home all right, and I thought I’d sober up in the meantime. Also, I wanted to look at the moon.”

“It sounds to me like it was mostly the latter reason. It does seem like you’ve sobered up, but the moon? Are you planning to go there again?”

I shook my head. “I think I’m done with space travel for now. I was looking to see if the thing I saw last time was still there.”

“There’s something on the moon?”

“I thought I saw something that looked like a flag, but maybe I was mistaken.”

When I’d tried to travel to the moon, during my descent, just before my reentry into the atmosphere, I’d looked back at the moon for just a moment. When I’d done so, I thought that I’d seen something flag-shaped, but perhaps I’d been mistaken. I hadn’t had time to get a close look before I’d been sucked back into the atmosphere, so it hadn’t really been clear at the time, and afterward, I’d been too busy crashing through someone’s roof to think about it very much.

Though I’d called it space travel, I’d only managed to go far enough to enter the orbital path of the planet. The way the moon looked from up there wasn’t too different from how it looked from the ground, so maybe I had been mistaken after all.

“I can’t see it from here,” Patrick said, gazing up at the moon himself.

“I think it was around the rabbit’s head...”

“I know I’ve asked this before, but what is this rabbit in the moon?”

“See how there’s a pattern on the moon? In Japan, we always said that it looks like a rabbit pounding rice cakes.”

“Oh, it’s mythology from the world you used to be in. So what pattern are you talking about?”

Didn’t I just explain it? That pattern is supposed to look like a rabbit pounding rice cakes... It doesn’t really though. Unless you explain how that part is the ears and the other part is the mortar and the hammer using a diagram, it doesn’t resemble a rabbit at all. I set aside the explanation for another time when I could draw it out and explain it—we didn’t have that kind of time at the moment. I needed to ask Patrick about a matter far more important than the rabbit in the moon.

“I’ll explain the rabbit later with a drawing,” I promised. “Anyway, what happened with Marquess Prynan?”

“It’ll work out...hopefully. We need to go to the Royal Palace tomorrow, but we should be able to suppress the radicals’ reinvigorated fervor.”

Wow. How did he negotiate us out of that situation? I’d been worried about what might happen the whole time I’d been up here, but Patrick had ended up taking care of everything. I felt bad that he was always cleaning up after the messes caused by my carelessness.

“Sorry for going on my own,” I said, abashed. “I thought it would be okay if I talked to Marquess Prynan on my own since I had nothing to lose.”

“It’s okay,” he assured me. “I wasn’t able to predict what he’d intended to do either. If you hadn’t used your wits to buy us time, the radicals might’ve already been the Yumiella faction by now.”

That would have been truly terrifying, since that was clearly where the marquess’s objective had shifted. It was probably convenient for him to have ambitious and rebellious people gather under an unambitious leader. However, it seemed that Patrick’s negotiations had convinced the marquess to back down. I’m so glad.

“I’m so glad he gave up. What did you say to him?”

“Marquess Prynan hasn’t given up. If anything, I gave him my support.”

“What?” You haven’t resolved anything, I thought, completely lost.

Patrick seemed uncomfortable, and he looked away from me as he explained, “You have no intention of getting involved in politics. But the same doesn’t go for me, so what I said was that I’d win you over and get you to agree to form a faction... He believed me pretty easily.”

Huh, so that’s what he was thinking. I can’t believe my fiancé’s taking advantage of me for the margrave’s sake. He even revealed to me that he’s going to win me over. Gosh, Patrick. You’re not good at this whole “doing evil” thing, are you?

Of course, none of that was possible, so I pressed him for clarification on what he was trying to say. “So that’s what you told Marquess Prynan you’d do. What did you talk about after that?”

“Since the party ended on an ambiguous note after you left, the plan is to have the Dolkness faction form tomorrow at the conference. More specifically, Marquess Prynan will call for the end of the position of the Lord of National Affairs, and you’ll argue against it. If you defend Count Archiam in front of the king, everyone will understand that he’s under your protection.”

“So Marquess Prynan believes that’s what’ll happen, and all I have to do is not react to his petition.”

“Exactly.”

I see. I thought I was out of moves because Marquess Prynan was able to accomplish his goal without taking any further action. If he stayed quiet, rumors of how I protected Count Archiam would quickly spread. But Patrick had used the situation to make the rumors into something that had definitively happened. The marquess was going to expect me to argue as he backed the count into a corner, but I wouldn’t do it. This meant that it would be public knowledge that Yumiella Dolkness had no intention of helping the radicals. All that would happen was that Count Archiam would lose his position... Oh, so that’s going to happen after all.

“What about Count Archiam?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, we can’t have it both ways... But if you decide that you want to help not only Count Archiam but all of the radicals, I won’t stop you.”

Sorry, Count Archiam. You’ll have to give up on your position. I promise the kingdom will be okay without another Lord of Doing Nothing.

It would’ve been nice if I could’ve actually apologized to the count in a manner that made light of the situation, but it weighed heavy on my mind. It was perhaps fortunate that I hadn’t run into him between the prince’s visit and attending the party. If I had made a formal declaration of my intention to help him, it would’ve been harder to apologize. Eleanora was going to be upset about this as well... I feel depressed...

Just then, there was the sound of something snapping. Does your heart make a sound when it breaks? Even my vision is askew...

“Oh.” I looked down to see that one of my heels had broken off. That’s what made the sound. Because I had been forcing myself to stand upright on the slanted roof for so long, I had probably put too much pressure on the shoe.

At this rate I was going to fall down, so I reached my hand out to Patrick. He stared at it quizzically for a long moment before grabbing my hand right before it was too late.

“Did you have to wait so long?” I asked him grumpily.

He shrugged. “I thought you’d do something about it yourself.”

“I can’t do too much in these clothes,” I argued.

“Then you shouldn’t have gotten up on the roof in the first place.”

Usually banter like this was fun, but I wasn’t having any fun right now. Before the court conference tomorrow, I had to go apologize to Count Archiam. His family was going to have to move to their county and become provincial aristocrats.

Maybe I can teach them how to have fun in their territory. It’s the least I could do. I think there’s a dungeon in Archiam County. It’s not particularly great with only ten levels, but... Oh, maybe it’s perfect to show them the charms of speed farming. I could convince Eleanora to go with us. She’s pretty good friends with Dorothea, and having her there would make things a lot less depressing. I’m sure Eleanora would have fun too.

All right, this doesn’t sound too bad.

I didn’t like problems that couldn’t be solved with the pow of a punch or the boom of a spell, but pow and boom both came in handy when supporting someone’s level grinding.

Though the battle for the position of Lord of National Affairs had ended up having some twists and turns, it would finally be settled tomorrow.

◆◆◆

The next day, we planned to head to the Royal Palace in the afternoon, which meant that we had to visit the Archiam estate during the day. Patrick needed to continue pretending to cooperate with Marquess Prynan in order to “trick” me, so he left for the palace first to meet with the marquess. Eleanora was staying home, so I had to meet with Count Archiam alone.

I was led to the same drawing room as before, and it was there that I met with the head of the family. He seemed to know what I had come to discuss, and he consequently had a gloomy air about him. It seemed like he hadn’t slept properly in a while either, because the bags under his eyes were terrible.

I forced the words out of my mouth. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to greet you yesterday.”

“I’m just grateful you came to the party. However, things seem to have become quite complicated...”

“It’s all because of my own carelessness. Please, you have no need to feel responsible,” I said.

“I don’t think it’s so simple,” he countered. “By the time I asked for your help and you more or less agreed, it was already too late. If my case creates precedent, then everyone will depend on you.”

Oh, I see. Even if the marquess hadn’t come up with this plan, I would’ve gotten dragged into a similar situation either way. Although it was unfortunate, the count was going to have to give up on his position. As a heavy atmosphere filled the room, we both bowed our heads to the other and apologized.

“I’m sorry, but there isn’t anything more I can do.” I sighed.

“I’m sorry as well,” he said morosely. “I apologize for getting you involved in such a troublesome matter.”

Talking about this any longer would just make us more depressed. I was waiting for the right moment to announce my intention to leave when I heard a third person’s voice. It was the steward, Kevin—he was lurking in the corner of the drawing room.

“Please wait,” the wicked old man (the one on the count’s side) said. “Will you be able to stop the plans set in motion by the marquess? If the topic itself isn’t brought up at the conference today, surely there will be more voices in support of you, Lady Dolkness.”

“Oh, that’s all right. Patrick is...” I was about to bring up Patrick’s plan, intending to explain why they didn’t need to worry about me, but I realized what I was doing, and I quickly shut my mouth. I saw a grin spread on Kevin’s face, and it became clear that I’d already said too much.

“I’ve heard that Marquess Prynan has changed his plan to one in which he can position you as the head of the anti-moderate faction. If that’s the case, the best thing would be for nothing to be said at the conference. However, you say that there’s no issue. Could it be that Sir Patrick is feigning cooperation with the marquess—?”

This is bad. I forgot that the count has a guy on his side who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty either. Even if the information came from an unknown source, it would be the end for us if the marquess suspected Patrick. The marquess would get a passing grade on how successful his plan was just by keeping his mouth shut, whereas our plan was only going to work because he was trying to get a perfect score by forcing me to speak out in public support of Count Archiam. If he had the slightest suspicion that something was off, that nasty old man would likely give up on getting a perfect score and pick the safer option.

I was alone in this drawing room. What was I to do in a situation where I couldn’t count on Patrick to help? As I listened to Kevin go on, wondering what to do, someone else entered the room.

The person who came through the doorway was my comrade in plastic model making, Dorothea. She was quiet and preferred being indoors, just like me.

“Stop it!” she said, raising her voice. “Father, make Kevin stop!”

“You shouldn’t be meddling in an adult’s affairs—” the count began.

“Is it really so important to stay central aristocrats?!” she exclaimed, interrupting her father. “You’ve caused so much trouble for Lady Eleanora and Yumiella. Is it really so important to protect a useless position like the Lord of National Affairs?” Dorothea closed the distance between her father and herself as she scolded him.

Um, can you guys save your family squabbles for when I’m not here? My wishes were futile, and Dorothea’s father argued back with a scowl.

“Don’t you know how much I’ve struggled to maintain this position?!”

“But what is the point of so desperately clinging onto your status?!”

The argument between father and daughter looked like it was going to get even more heated. Can you quit just standing there and stop them, Kevin?

“What?!” the count cried. “It’s for you! We need status and money to find a good suitor to marry you off too. Don’t stomp all over my efforts as a parent!”

“I don’t need a good suitor!” Dorothea insisted. “I just want to make my dolls; that’s enough for me!”

“There you go with the dolls again. We might not be able to live in the Royal Capital anymore. Don’t you understand that?!”

“I don’t mind living in Archiam County. You’re the one who’s so attached to the Royal Capital, father!”

“I am not! I would love to be able to do endurance tests for new construction methods using the space we have in the county!”

The conversation stopped there, but they both glared at each other. Neither seemed like they were going to back down.

I can understand that they’d rather focus on what they want to do in the county than deal with the scheming in the Royal Capital. They both can’t back down because of that. They’re arguing to each defend the one thing they can’t... Wait. There’s no need for them to argue, is there?

They seemed like they were going to resume yelling at one another at any moment, so I checked in with them just in case. “Does anyone here actually feel like they need the position of the Lord of National Affairs?”

The sudden question made them both turn to look at me, then back at each other once more.

“I don’t need it,” Count Archiam said.

“I don’t need it either,” Dorothea agreed.

Their aggression evaporated at once. Count Archiam tilted his head in confusion, while Dorothea stood there with her mouth agape. It seemed that they couldn’t believe that they shared the opinion that the position was unnecessary.

The silence continued for a while until Count Archiam seemed to remember something.

“My son!” he exclaimed. “I need to pass on the status of being a central aristocrat to my son.”

“He’s probably the last person who would want the position,” Dorothea pointed out.

“Oh, perhaps it was a mistake to teach him trigonometric functions. I thought it would help him in the construction industry.”

“As for mom... She already spends all her time in the county when it’s warm.”

“She has to tend to her flowers, so it can’t be helped,” the count agreed.

As it turns out, none of the members of this family have aristocratic sensibilities.

Not only had the heat from their argument died down, the temperature of the room was falling toward negative. No one had yet said it, but everyone, including myself, was thinking the same thing: what had all the struggle until now been for?

Count Archiam had been trying to think of what was best for his children’s future, and so he’d clung to his status as a central aristocrat. Dorothea wanted to respect what her father valued. The other two members of the family probably felt similarly.

Since the count had no choice but to give up on maintaining his position, the tables had actually turned to a favorable result.

Well, it’s not really favorable for me. Do they know how many of my own rules I bent? Please apologize to everyone who worked to protect your position as Lord of Doing Nothing. Maybe Kevin is just a victim who was troubled by this strange family. Sorry for calling you wicked, Kevin.

Wait a minute, it seems strange that Kevin isn’t complaining... Just as that thought crossed my mind, the steward actually did speak up.

“Just wait a moment, please. The Lord of National Affairs is an important position that has been passed down for generations in the Archiam family. I’ve been told by your predecessor, as well as his predecessor, to protect it at all costs.”

What’s this wicked old man bringing all this up for now? It seemed that the tables were going to keep turning.

I expected the count to flat out ignore the old steward’s statement, but he took Kevin’s words seriously.

“You’re right... Must I follow in my predecessors’—my father and my grandfather’s—wishes?”

I don’t think you need to worry about those things. Before I could butt in, Kevin responded with a firmer tone.

“If you are the head of the Archiam family, then please make a decision like the head of a household would. You must decide what is more important: the wishes of your past predecessors, or your family members who are currently alive. All you must do is make a clear decision, and then command me accordingly!”

“I want to take the previous generations’ wishes into consideration,” the count said slowly, “but...I...I want to prioritize my family and myself!”

All right, he said it! Good job, dad! It seemed that the steward was just worried because the count seemed indecisive. Though he’d just made a declaration, the count seemed worried about something. His voice immediately reverted to his usual nervous tone.

“Would my father be angry with me...?”

“No one could disobey the great head of the Archiam family and its noble lineage. All of the servants will follow your command and prepare to move the family’s home base from the Royal Capital to the county,” Kevin said, bowing at a right angle. When he raised his head, he was smiling like he was truly happy. “It took us quite a circuitous path to get here... I apologize to you, Countess Dolkness, for all the trouble we’ve caused you.”

“Don’t get people involved in your problems,” I grumbled. “You should’ve told him what to do from the start.” I had no intention of getting swept up in this suddenly touching atmosphere, so I called them out on it. Shoot, that wasn’t at all polite. My graceful image is ruined.

The count and Dorothea looked like they were going to cry. The words that the count and Kevin had just exchanged had probably been necessary for the count to separate himself from his ancestors’ wishes and to finally let go of his position without worry. I couldn’t relate to how he was feeling, and I really didn’t want to be involved in all of this. Kevin had probably known from the beginning that this point of compromise existed, but he had also made this my problem. I had been tactfully used by this family.

It’ll probably be fine if I just help myself to a few pieces that look expensive in this room, as a fee for my troubles. I looked around the wannabe wealthy aristocrat’s drawing room, and a miniature shaped like a house caught my eye. There was a similar model on display in the hallway. Models of mansions... I feel like we were talking about them before we came to the Royal Capital.

The pieces suddenly fell into place for me. “Is the Archit Trading Company perhaps...?”

The count nodded. “That’s right. I founded it when I was young, and it’s since grown into a large and successful company. Thanks to the business, I was able to repay the family debts, and we’re no longer struggling financially.”

“Oh, my county has been in your company’s care as well. We thank you for your help.” Back when I’d gone to transport the logs, I’d thought it was confusing that the business located in Archiam County was named the Archit Trading Company, but of course they were called similar things—the president of the company was the lord of the territory. You could’ve come up with a better name though. Is the count an architect? Is he the one that makes all the blueprints? I wasn’t sure of the actual title for that position, but I bet that he was the person who drew up the plans.

“Do you use CAD tools?” I asked curiously.

The count’s face clouded in confusion as he tried to sound out the unfamiliar word. “Ki-yad?”

“It’s nothing,” I assured him with a dismissive wave. “Please forget about it.”

Setting the count aside for now, when it came to his daughter, Dorothea... That doll room of hers had long ago surpassed the realm of a mere hobby. I was quite the hobbyist myself, but I’d at least gotten into video games of varying genres, and I had several other hobbies as well. It was a kind of talent to be able to dedicate oneself to a single hobby. Just like Eleanora with her perfumes, it was probably something she could turn into a job if she wanted to.

As for the mother, she seemed to be in the county already. The count had said something about her flowers, but from the looks of it, she probably wasn’t into simple gardening. And what’s the deal with Dorothea’s brother...?

I turned to Dorothea and asked, “What does your brother do?”

“Arithmetic? Numbers, I think? He stays holed up in his room, just doing that. He seems to have a teacher of some sort, but they only exchange letters.”

“I see.” Math was quite advanced in this world. Trigonometric functions were something that came up normally.

Academics didn’t reveal their knowledge to the public in this society. It seemed that the concept of publishing academic books wasn’t really prevalent, and so academics were satisfied just sharing the results of their research with each other. It made it hard to figure out how advanced certain topics were.

Numbers, huh? My natural enemy. Maybe I can teach her brother Euler’s equation. There’s the numbers 0, 1, pi, the imaginary unit i, and e, which is the base of natural logarithms. It’s the most beautiful equation in the universe, one that incorporates various elements of mathematics... So, what does the base of natural logarithms even mean? I read about it online, but I didn’t understand any of it. If he asked me to explain I wouldn’t know what to do, so I decided against telling Dorothea’s brother about all that.

And so, I now knew that everything that I had done for the count was all for nothing. I had racked my brain quite a bit trying to help them, but in the end, I found that I didn’t regret it. Now our evacuation plan, one which left an unpleasant aftertaste, was going to just be a wasted effort and nothing more.

It was nice to see a family in which everyone had pursued their own path with passion. I wasn’t sure if Kevin could read my mind, but he smiled as he looked at my face.

“Aren’t they a lovely family?” he asked.

I guess so, I thought begrudgingly. I won’t forgive you, though. No matter how nice they are.

◆◆◆

After Count Archiam and Dorothea relentlessly apologized to me for all of the unnecessary work I had put in for them, we discussed how we were going to handle the upcoming court conference.

The basis of our ideas was Patrick’s plan. If Marquess Prynan ended up feeling so suspicious of Patrick’s motivations that he didn’t say anything at the conference, then the count planned to relinquish the position himself. After confirming our intentions, we said our goodbyes, and I headed for the Royal Palace.

The monthly court conference was held in the royal audience chamber. The vassals would each present their concerns to the king, who would then give his decision on each matter. Most of the topics addressed had already been negotiated behind the scenes, and so they tended to pass without issue; it was rare for those attending to argue over something. Even If there was a disagreement, the issue in question would be set aside until the following month’s meeting (but it would be settled behind closed doors long before then).

The whole affair was basically a trial in which backroom deals and maneuvers were all allowed. It seemed like something that would be difficult for the judge—in this case, the king—to handle. Though the king’s decisions were ostensibly the final word, if his verdicts were considered unreasonable by his subjects, then they would no longer follow him... Thinking about all of this, I’m starting to get worried about 2, with her being an empress over in her world.

Today would mark my first time attending the court conference, and I was forced to wear a gown to the palace once again. I alighted from the detestable carriage, and I mingled with aristocrats who I detested even more. It seemed like there were even more radicals present here than there had been the previous night. The nobles who’d been lying low were crawling out of the woodwork, clearly expecting things from me.

“You look beautiful today as well, Lady Yumiella,” simpered one.

“We have all gathered here for you, Countess Dolkness,” another assured me. “I’m sure there will be customs with which you might not be familiar, given that this is your first time attending, but please let us handle things.”

They all scrambled to butter me up with their flattery. I didn’t even feel like being silly and responding with something like, “Hee hee, they said I’m beautiful.” All I could focus on was the fact that I was surrounded by people trying to make me like them. I’d lately been hearing comments from certain parties about my decreasing intelligence and maturity levels, but in moments like this, it really felt like the opposite was occurring. If only Patrick could see me now.

As I stepped forward, the crowd of people parted, creating a path. I headed to the audience chamber, still not having said a word. The large crowd of radicals moved in an intimidating pack, and the officials working in the palace furrowed their brows as they stepped out of the way.

Their expressions seemed to say, “What are they doing?” but their reactions changed when they saw that I was the one leading the posse. As I sailed by with the eager radicals crowding in my wake, some of the staff’s eyes widened with surprise while others trembled with fear. It seemed that I caused some degree of unease when walking with a crowd behind me. I guess to others it looks like Yumiella Dolkness is walking the halls of the Royal Palace like she owns the place, followed by her own private army of aristocrats, so I can see why they’d anticipate trouble.

On the way, I saw Patrick standing off to the side in a branching hallway. Our eyes met, and we acknowledged each other’s presence. He made his way toward me, but our rendezvous was prevented when several of the aristocrats behind me came forward and cut Patrick off.

“As a rule, the court conference only allows heads of households to attend,” one of them admonished.

“There’s no room for you here,” another tutted.

“It’s unnecessary to listen to the things your fiancé says, Countess Dolkness,” a third assured me.

Oh, right. Patrick ended last night’s incident just when things were about to get good. No wonder they’re all so prickly around him. They don’t want him to take me home like he did at the party. I feel like one of those gamers with a female avatar in an MMO who gets carried by a bunch of other players. I know what that’s like.

I’d been in quite a serious guild, and I remember telling one of the members who wasn’t playing as well as she could have been, “Maybe you should try this instead.” I had tried to give my advice with the utmost consideration, but a different member had become really upset at me, saying, “How dare you make accusations against her.” Yes, that was right—I hadn’t actually been the one being carried.

But I was in that position now. Right now, I was just like one of those players who would type into the chat things like, “weeeh don’t fight [insert annoying emoji here].” I wanna say it, I found myself thinking. I wanna say “weeeh.”

I choked down my desire to “weeeh,” since this was a serious situation, and instead I talked to Patrick over the heads of the people between us.

“Weeeh...” Whoops, I said it anyway. “Do you know the situation?”

“I heard it’s changed,” he responded.

I guess it’s fine, then. Although the term “count” wasn’t spoken by either one of us, there was no doubt that he was talking about Count Archiam. The only thing that had changed while Patrick was gone were the count’s plans. He’d probably had a messenger contact Patrick about it.

Our side of the plan hadn’t changed, though, so it wasn’t really a problem if Patrick wasn’t aware of the count’s change of heart, but it meant that now all his efforts behind the scenes had been wasted. Patrick was probably the one who’d put the most unnecessary work into this whole thing, now that I thought about it.

I couldn’t tell what was causing the exhausted look on his face—it could have been because his efforts had ended up being in vain, it could have been because of the radicals currently holding a grudge against him, or it might even have been because I had made such a strange sound.

Once Patrick and the group had passed each other, the other radicals fell back into formation, putting me back at the lead of the column.

We finally entered the audience chamber. I wonder if there are assigned seats or, rather, an assigned order to line up in. I’m sure those who regularly attend have designated spots, but I’m an irregular member, so... Technically, every aristocrat was allowed to participate, so there should be spots for even the provincial aristocrats.

As soon as I entered the chamber, I spoke to the official standing there. “Where do I go?”

“C-Countess Dolkness, you, um...”

“Please tell me where someone who’s just a count should be.”

“Since you are a provincial aristocrat without a designated court position...you are in the very back...” He blanched and then tried to backpedal. “Oh, and that is just in terms of being a participant of this conference; it does not mean that the officers of the Royal Palace aren’t taking you seriously... I-I’ll try speaking to my superiors!” The man was about to run away, but I grabbed his shoulders and brought him to a halt.

I just asked where I should stand, since I know aristocrats care about seating and things like that. I remember Daemon racking his brain over the seating chart for the wedding.

“I don’t mind being in the designated area. I’m letting you know that I’m fine with it,” I assured him.

“Of course! Understood,” he stammered.

Things are settled for now... Not. Those claiming to be part of my faction immediately dogpiled on the hapless official.

“You’re saying that Countess Dolkness belongs in the very back?!”

“Are you saying she’s no different from those who are mere provincial aristocrats?!”

Please stop. These kinds of things are going to bring down my image. The very back is the best place to be—I’ll finally get away from you all, and I won’t stand out.

I turned to the radicals. “Please stop. Today is the only day that I’ll be participating from the furthest row.” It’s just for today. Today is the only day I’ll be in the furthest row, because I’m never participating in this again, no matter what row I’m in.

Though I spoke the truth, the radicals took that to mean that I would be in the front row after today, and their eyes glimmered with hope as they let the official go. You guys really are easy to manipulate. Now I can get away.

I was guided to my designated spot. The front row was reserved for heavyweights like the marquess (who hadn’t arrived yet). After him was the margrave (who wasn’t usually in attendance anyway), followed by an annoying set of rules that governed which central aristocrat would stand where, based on a complicated calculus that took into account their rank and position. At the very back were provincial aristocrats, who lined up in order of their ranks only.

I had thought I could relax for a moment now that I was in the back row, but I still had noisy people around me.

“I can’t believe they would treat Lady Yumiella like any old provincial aristocrat.”

“The order of precedence might completely flip around during next month’s conference.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful. It’d be quite the sight to see us and the marquesses switch places.”

Right, they’ve all become radicals because they can’t get important court positions. Of course they’re in the back. Maybe the front would’ve been better, I thought regretfully as I waited for time to pass. There were no chairs, which meant that we all just stood around. Once the king arrived, I knew we would all have to get on our knees.

Seeing how empty the front rows were, I figured that the bigwigs were off in a waiting room somewhere until it got close to the starting time of the conference. Actually, we’re the only aristocrats here. The radicals aren’t treated very warmly.

“Until recently we used to enjoy our time waiting for things to get started while having tea with Hill—I mean, with a certain person, but things aren’t so nice these days...” grumbled someone near me.

I felt bad for Duke Hillrose having to socialize with these people on top of dealing with them politically.

I didn’t want to participate in this game of catch masquerading as a conversation, so I kept every ball thrown to me and maintained my silence. I ranked my favorite stew ingredients in my mind, and time dragged on. Once I got to number eight, onions, there was movement at the front of the hall.

One after another, aristocrats began to gather in the audience chamber. Count Archiam was there as well. Our eyes met, but we didn’t say anything to each other as he moved to a place in front of me and a little to the side. Ah, so your position is near the back too.

Tensions were rising, and the long-awaited Marquess Prynan finally arrived. He glanced over at me very briefly before looking away. Now that all the central aristocrats had arrived, the court conference began.

“Please kneel for His Majesty’s arrival!” cried a court official.

As one, the assembled crowd kneeled down and bowed their heads. I wasn’t sure about what I was supposed to do, so I watched those around me before I moved into position, trying not to lag noticeably behind. So this is why long gowns with voluminous skirts are a good choice for this sort of thing, I thought as I went to my knees and inclined my head.

The silent audience chamber echoed with the sound of footsteps clacking against the dais before a deep and resonant voice rang out.

“Thank you for gathering. Raise your heads.”

I looked up, and my eyes met those of the king, who I hadn’t seen in a while. He was staring at me incredulously as if to say, “You really are here.” He could actually pretend like I’m not here if he wanted, but I guess he doesn’t know what my plans are.

Though my intentions hadn’t been communicated to the king, he clearly knew that this conference needed to go smoothly. The king looked around at the entire room as if to collect himself. I thought I was probably the only one who noticed his unusual demeanor, since I was pretty sure I was the sole person who’d made eye contact with him.

Oh, Prince Edwin is here too, off to the side. Perhaps he had come in with the king and had decided to keep out of the way.

The meeting progressed. Everyone was acutely aware of the irregularity that was my presence, but the central members didn’t seem terribly bothered. The proceedings seemed to go on just as usual... Admittedly, I didn’t actually know if it was as usual, but no one seemed particularly flustered as they reported on their various political matters. The only ones who appeared disconcerted were the radicals.

An approval of a matter; a question and response to a topic; a confirmation of documents that would be submitted at a later time for a petition, followed by a response to that petition; an opinion on an issue brought up at a previous conference during which dissensions had been put off to the following month... This perfectly normal, adult, bureaucratic gathering felt exceedingly corporate, and it continued interminably. Is this like that horrible practice in Japan of having pointless meetings that could have been emails instead?

With nothing but time on my hands, I continued ranking my favorite stew ingredients in my mind. Once I got to number seven hundred and three (pine cones), the king cleared his throat.

“And next to speak is...the Lord of Finance, Marquess Prynan.”

This is it. I looked to Count Archiam, and I could see his hands trembling with anxiety. If Marquess Prynan didn’t say anything, then the count would have to announce his intent to step down from his position himself. I held my breath as I waited, and Marquess Prynan stood up to address the assembly just as planned.

“Yes,” he said respectfully to the king. “I would like your permission to humbly present you with an idea.”

“You have my permission,” His Majesty responded.

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity. At this time I would like to bring up a matter that concerns the Lord of National Affairs, Count Archiam. Although he claims to be a crucial part of the protection of the kingdom, there doesn’t seem to be any concrete activity proving he is taking any meaningful action toward doing so. If he is not going to fulfill the duties of the role he was granted by the royal family, I think it would be only just to revoke a position that clearly does nothing but provide him with an ultimately meaningless title.”

“Your observation seems reasonable,” agreed the king. “Count Archiam, Lord of National Affairs. Do you have anything to say regarding this matter?”

In the blueprints drawn up by Marquess Prynan, I was at this point supposed to jump in and protect the count while the radicals frothed at the mouth. But unfortunately for the marquess, neither the count himself nor I were interested in the position any longer. The soon-to-be former Lord of National Affairs, now embracing his life as an architect and a father, trembled as he stood up, but the words he spoke were confident.

“I am Darren Archiam, head of the Archiam household. I must regretfully admit that I have not been adequately fulfilling the role of the Lord of National Affairs, which was so graciously given to me by the royal family. Therefore, I wish to step down from the position, effective today. I am deeply ashamed that I wasn’t able to carry out the duties of this role, and I will instead endeavor to put all of my efforts into managing my county from now on in order to help the Kingdom of Valschein become even more prosperous.”

The king’s eyes widened with surprise as the count’s words sank in. The corners of his mouth twitched up; it seemed like he couldn’t completely hide his happiness at this unexpected turn of events.

“I see,” he said. “Well then, we will remove Count Archiam from the position of the Lord of National Affairs starting today. I wish you well in managing your county... And may I say, you are looking well, Darren. I fondly recall the times back when you were my underclassman at the Academy.”

Despite the jovial atmosphere, the radicals around me didn’t hesitate to pointedly stare in my direction. I don’t care what you guys are expecting from me; I won’t say anything. Marquess Prynan turned around as well, glaring at me with a look that said, “You’ve really done it.” You got what you initially wanted, didn’t you?

I tilted my head in what I hoped was a cutesy manner, trying to communicate that I didn’t want him to get too upset. The anger on his face seemed to die down, all the emotion draining away before he turned back around to address the king.

“I have one more issue I’d like to report, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll allow it.”

“It is regarding Countess Dolkness,” the marquess continued smoothly. “She is harboring the missing daughter of the insurrectionist Hillrose, the Lady Eleanora.”

The king’s eyes widened theatrically as he turned my way. “Is this true, Countess Dolkness??”

Marquess Prynan was shooting me a nasty glare. Really? Now he’s just being spiteful.

Though the king had asked me to confirm this claim, he was well aware of the truth. He actually even knew that Duke Hillrose was still alive. In fact, everyone here knew about Eleanora. This wouldn’t benefit anyone or change anything—there was no point at all to this action other than spite. I can’t believe a marquess would do something so petty.

I had nothing to hide—or rather, I wasn’t able to hide anything—so I spoke confidently.

“Your Majesty, I am completely innocent of such a thing. I am indeed looking after a woman by the name of Eleanora, who lives in my home, but she is completely unrelated to Eleanora Hillrose. I found her under a bridge.”

That last statement was apparently too much for someone else in the room, and they burst into a laugh. Since this world didn’t have DNA testing, it was obviously going to be the word of the marquess against mine. If this wasn’t resolved today, then we might even have to bring Eleanora herself here so that she could say, “I’m not Eleanora Hillrose.” That would actually be kind of fun.

Man, the marquess is probably going to be really mad. Though all I could see was the shiny surface of the back of his head, he turned around once more, and I was able to see the expression on his face.

“Under a bridge?” he seethed. “Who would believe such a lie? I’ve seen the girl with my own eyes, when Countess Dolkness brought her here two days ago.”

I shrugged. “That’s where I truly found her, so there’s nothing else I can say. I think you are mistaken about the woman you saw two days ago. I saw her every day during my time at the Academy, so I can easily tell her and the woman living with me apart. They’re completely different people.”

Eventually, the king would have to side with one of us. For me, it was a matter of life or death that would determine whether or not I would flee the kingdom with Eleanora. But for the marquess, this was just a petty power move. That was why I believed the king would choose the side that had more to gain—in other words, I was certain that he would side with me.

Still, the king had to be fair when making judgments in disputes between aristocrats. I had added in the little detail that I could tell which was the true Eleanora Hillrose because of our time together at the Academy, and I was pretty sure that the king could use that as a reason to side with me.

I’m, um, sorry I joked around and said I found you under a bridge, Eleanora...

“I see, at the Academy.” The king considered my words. “Does that mean you haven’t seen her since you graduated?”

“It hasn’t even been a year since then,” I pointed out. “We’ve met several times since.”

How shocking. It was weird to think that it had been less than a year since we’d graduated. In that time, I’d become the lord of my territory, been inadvertently involved in Duke Hillrose’s plans, Yumiella 2 had showed up and we’d fought a god, then I crashed into the neighboring kingdom and met Patrick’s older brother... There were so many things that had happened, and it had all somehow taken place in the same short span of several months. Though a lot had happened during my three years at the Academy, the sheer density of post-Academy activities was something else entirely.

Did I see Eleanora while she was still the daughter of a duke...? Yeah, I did. I’d been to the duke’s home as well, so that would serve as enough of a record of us interacting. I hadn’t had any communication with that Eleanora (the duke’s daughter) since all the commotion with the attempted coup. A little after that, the Eleanora from under the bridge started living with me.

It was a total coincidence that I had interacted with both Eleanoras at roughly the same time, which meant that I was technically correct when I said they were different people (from a certain point of view). I was using reasoning that everyone knew was a sham, but I was a tough opponent encased in my armor of stubborn pseudo logic.

Marquess Prynan gritted his teeth and pasted on a courageous smile. “So you only knew her for the three years you spent at the Academy. Perhaps it would be more accurate to ask someone who has known her from a young age all the way up to the point when she went missing—someone who has known both her and her family.”

The marquess turned his attention away from me toward all the radicals standing around me. They were looking from one to another, wondering what they ought to do. Those who noticed me looking at them averted their gazes awkwardly. Yeah, you guys are the type to easily switch sides if there’s something in it for you. Their lack of loyalty was almost refreshing and endearing at this point.

It would be bad if they switched sides, though. Even if I manage to get out of this current situation, if this issue gets drawn out to next month’s meeting, it’d be annoying to have to come to the Royal Capital again to deal with it.

My argument that I could tell them apart because we’d been friends at the Academy had been shot down. I needed to come at this from another angle... As I thought about what kind of rhetoric I could churn out, another voice spoke out, one that didn’t belong to the marquess or the king.

“If we are discussing who has known Eleanora Hillrose the longest, that would be me. I’ve known her since a young age, and we attended the Academy together as well.” In a room containing a majority of older men, a younger man’s voice stood out.

“Your Highness...” Marquess Prynan muttered in frustration, surprised at the unexpected interruption.

If someone were to poll all the people here on who’d seen Eleanora’s face more than anyone else, there was only one name people would be likely to answer: Edward Valschein, the second prince. He had spent a great deal of his time with Eleanora throughout the years—or more accurately, he had been forced to do so.

“I also know of the lady Countess Dolkness is looking after,” the prince continued in a confident tone. “Though her name is Eleanora, she is a completely different person than Eleanora Hillrose. There can be no doubt about it, since I am making this claim. I declare it with certainty as the second prince.”

Surely there had been moments in his life during which the prince had noticed that Eleanora, the daughter of the leader of the radical faction, had feelings for him. While at the Academy, I’d seen Eleanora throw herself in front of the prince countless times, only to be treated coldly in response. But even so—even if they had spent their childhood in an awkward manner that had led them to settle into such a relationship—what they had built over the years was real.

It was clear that the prince was worried about Eleanora now that she was a fallen aristocrat. And for her part, Eleanora had scolded the prince when he’d been down on himself. Their relationship wasn’t something that could be described as a simple unrequited romance—there was something there of which I had been previously unaware, and perhaps they were the only two who could see it.

Still, saying that the Eleanora staying with me is undoubtedly a different person is a huge lie, Prince Edwin... I guess when all’s said and done, though, I’m still the biggest liar here. But thanks to the prince’s fib, the current in the room had shifted. The marquess had fallen silent, and the king was about to give his decision.

“If you insist to such a degree, then I’ll believe you, Edwin,” the king announced. “The woman that Countess Dolkness is looking after is clearly not related to Eleanora Hillrose. However, if any evidence to the contrary comes to light in the future, then there will have to be some punishment meted out to Edwin, considering that his statement was the most taken into account.”

Eleanora’s vague status had now been publicly sanctioned by the king. This was perhaps the first time I had ever felt gratitude toward Prince Edwin. He’d even put his own position in jeopardy to protect her, and I was touched.

Thanks to the prince’s help, I was able to dodge Marquess Prynan’s ridiculous act of spite. However, the marquess wasn’t finished. He changed gears remarkably quickly.

“How impressive, Your Majesty. It was an excellent decision. Since His Highness, who is a childhood friend of Eleanora’s, says that these two women are indeed different people, that surely must be the case... And so now that this matter is settled, let’s circle back to the former—do you have someone in mind to take over the position of the Lord of National Affairs, now that Count Archiam has stepped down?”

“If there is someone who is appropriate for the position, they must be appointed.” the king explained.

“If that is the case, I would like to recommend Viscount Alton. He is a good man with an impressive territory in the north. I believe he is an appropriate candidate for the Lord of National Affairs, which is a position that aims to encourage the people of this nation, including aristocrats, to protect this kingdom from both external and internal forces.” Every time the marquess opened his mouth, my heart raced wondering what bomb he was going to drop next.

Oh, I get it. I understand why he’s recommending one of his minions. So his original plan was to take the position from Count Archiam and pass it on to that guy. He gets to weaken his enemy while gaining an ally.

I didn’t really care who became the next Lord of Doing Nothing. It was frustrating that Marquess Prynan would end up benefiting from this whole affair in the long run, but there was nothing else for me to do other than watch silently.

As the topic switched from something that might have ended unpleasantly to a question with an obvious answer, the tension in the room relaxed. I heard several people let out sighs of relief, and I exhaled in a similar manner. I was really worried for a bit.

The king and the marquess continued to go back and forth about the position. The king seemed less inclined to maintain a pointless title, but I could tell that he was probably going to give in so that he didn’t end up antagonizing Marquess Prynan too much. They went back and forth, bringing up different points to provide a foundation for this decision, probably so that in the end it would seem that the king had made a reasonable judgment on the matter.

What even is the Lord of National Affairs? Encouraging people to protect the kingdom from external and internal forces... That’s impossible without an army. Just like Count Archiam, that viscount or whatever won’t be able to fulfill his duties. Even I’m more useful to the protection of this kingdom, as someone who’s been an actual, proven deterrent to external forces. That viscount probably doesn’t have that high of a level either, nor would he do something helpful like launching a campaign to get everyone in the kingdom to level up... Hm? Wait, does that mean...

As I experienced the revelation, I couldn’t help the words slipping out of my mouth. “In other words, the Lord of National Affairs is...” My synapses were firing off spectacularly as I examined the available information and arrived at the obvious conclusion. I was certain that I was in this moment the sharpest I’d ever been in my entire life. My IQ was at its peak. “So that’s what it is...”

Those around me turned to look my way. Only those who were closest to me had heard my muttering, and the king and the marquess had almost settled on the viscount as the man to take over the position. This is bad. I can’t let them destroy the will of those who came before us, and what they wanted from the position of the Lord of National Affairs. It’s me! I’m the only one who can do it. I’m the one who truly understands what our forefathers intended, and so I am the one they’d want to pass it down to!

“Please wait!” I exclaimed.

“What is it, Countess Dolkness?” the marquess asked, a little impatiently. “I’m in the middle of—”

“Isn’t the Lord of National Affairs actually...the Lord of Leveling?” I said, interrupting the dubious marquess as I revealed the truth that had been hidden for all these years.

“Excuse me?” he sputtered.

“If an individual of this kingdom raises their level, then they can protect the kingdom from the threat of other nations, as well as the harm caused by monsters inside our borders. The fact that the position description makes a point to mention all people of this nation, which would include aristocrats, is further proof of this. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a commoner or an aristocrat when it comes to leveling. Leveling up and then encouraging everyone else to do the same—that is the job of the Lord of National Affairs! It’s an extremely important position!”

Time seemed to stop in the audience chamber.

Perhaps the king, the prince, and the aristocrats were all shocked by the same realization: “So that’s what the position was for all along! That makes sense!” They were so surprised that they couldn’t say anything. I had been just as shocked when I’d figured it out.

It was like when all the foreshadowing in a mystery novel came together to reveal the true culprit, or like when everyone in a battle manga—allies and enemies alike—all gathered to take down the final boss... Perhaps this was what catharsis was. It felt like there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky of my mind, and I felt a deep satisfaction. It was like when a series had such a perfect ending that the small inconsistencies didn’t matter.

The one to get in my way was once again Marquess Prynan.

“What are you talking about?” he snapped.

“Do you not understand?” I asked. “Everyone aside from you understands.”

I know it’s hard for you to accept defeat, but this is just pathetic. As proof that everyone else understood exactly what I was talking about, even the king himself sat there with his mouth agape. I turned to my side and addressed one of the radicals.

“Do you understand it?” I demanded.

“Huh?”

“The Lord of National Affairs is the Lord of Leveling, right?”

“Um, I have no idea what that means...” he insisted, clearly feigning ignorance.

Wait, why did he lie and say that he doesn’t understand? There must be a reason he chose to not tell the truth. He’s a radical, and they are always the best at protecting their own interests, so...maybe there’s more than one Lord of Leveling?

I wanted to keep pursuing this, so I started interrogating the man next to him. “You have a position, right?”

“Yes...” he admitted reluctantly.

“What is it?”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“The way you’re hiding it is suspicious... Is your position also the Lord of Leveling?”

“N-No,” he stammered.

“What level are you? If you’re also a Lord of Leveling, you must go dungeon crawling every day, which means you’re level 99, right?!” Bingo. He’s a Lord of Leveling too.

If he wasn’t going to tell me, I just had to ask others. I looked around me at all the radicals standing around me; they had strength in numbers if not anything else. But those who were looking at me with blank faces all looked away with extreme speed once our eyes met. No one would meet my gaze.

Could it be that they’re all Lords of Leveling? All of them hang out together as members of the leveling faction, and they don’t even have regular meetings to go dungeon crawling together? Oh, but going as a group lowers the efficiency of leveling, so having meetings where you exchange dungeon information would be more constructive.

I had accidentally brought the hidden “darkness” festering within the Kingdom of Valschein to light. This wasn’t just a matter for the radical faction. I decided to address the king directly.

“Your Majesty! There are plenty of aristocrats who are actually Lords of Leveling, yet they classify themselves as having other positions, and they are therefore not fulfilling their duties! Let me ask you something, as an aristocrat concerned about the future of the kingdom—what do you think of this situation, Your Majesty?!”

Even though my question was directed at the king, Marquess Prynan was again the first to answer.

“How dare you speak to His Majesty in such a tone!” As anger washed over his face, he shot a significant look toward the guards. I don’t think they would do anything in this situation even if they are the king’s personal guards.

It was obvious to everyone here that the Lord of Leveling was the most important position in the entire aristocracy. It was precisely because they were the king’s personal guards, who had pledged their loyalty to His Majesty and to the kingdom, that they knew exactly which person in this room was the most fit to take on the position of the Lord of Leveling.

But in a kingdom where even the Commander of the Knight’s Order is only level 60, the only person who can appoint someone to the role of Lord of Leveling is...me? Am I the only one? I am Yumiella—Yumiella Dolkness, the Lord of Leveling for the Kingdom of Valschein!

I had steeled my resolve to go against the will of our leader in order to fulfill my sacred duty. I ignored the lower-ranking Lord of Finance and instead focused on the king. I noticed that his expression seemed strangely tense.

“Your Majesty, please answer,” I demanded.

“If I think about it, the Lord of National Affairs might be the Lord of Leveling?” he repeated. “Was that it?”

“Which means that the Lord of Leveling, who advocates for leveling, should naturally raise their own level to level 99, correct?”

“That line of thinking could be correct...”

The king’s statements were a bit vague. It seemed like he was trying so hard to not misspeak that it made him unable to articulate himself properly. Why are you using the kind of language that important people use at press conferences to avoid making definitive statements?

“Could it be that you’re also a Lord of Leveling, Your Majesty?”

“Please listen carefully. The king and the Lord of Leveling are not the same thing,” the king said very seriously. He seemed as serious as someone who’d had their palace taken over and was about to be overthrown.

I guess they are different. The Lord of Leveling has considerable aptitude, but one of its cons is that it doesn’t give you any right to rule over a kingdom, which means that they’ve got to be separate positions. As I stood there, impressed by the king’s ability to compare the two so quickly, he continued without a pause.

“It is an undeniable truth that there are possibly some members of this kingdom’s aristocracy who are Lords of Leveling but have neglected their duties.”

“So you understand!” I’m glad. Those who get it, get it.

The king, who clearly deserved to be the one at the top of this kingdom, relaxed his expression a bit. He seemed relieved, as if he’d just been about to be dragged down from his throne but had been saved at the last minute.

Since it had become the official view of the kingdom that there were hidden Lords of Leveling, I could rest assured of the accuracy of my arguments as I continued the discussion.

“Which means that the Lord of Leveling, who advocates for leveling, should naturally raise their own level to level 99, correct? After that, they should devote themselves to supporting those around them, and they should create an environment in which as many people as possible can level up. I believe that is the true objective of the Lord of Leveling.”

“Countess Dolkness, the Lords of Leveling are...”

“Yes, there are several who are present right here,” I said, turning around and scanning the chamber.

One person who did actually make eye contact with me turned blue and shook his head from side to side. He seemed very suspicious. There was another man trying to hide behind the man shaking his head. That person seemed even more suspicious.

Actually, now that I’m paying attention to it, everyone in the room is facing this way, but I can’t seem to make eye contact with anyone else. There were even some people shutting their eyes tightly, like they were waiting for a storm to pass. Could it be that...they’re all Lords of Leveling?!

The mission of a Lord of Leveling was to help others, and those who were helped could then in turn help more people—mutual support was important. I needed to start the cycle of happiness. Who should I help... In other words, who should I bring into a dungeon with me?

I tapped the shoulder of the person beside me.

“Eek?!” he shrieked.

“Wait, Countess Dolkness.” The king brought me up short. “First we must unravel who the Lords of Leveling are.” It seemed that I had been too hasty—that was my bad. The king cleared his throat to give his decision. “Regarding the positions aside from the Lord of National Affairs, we will launch an investigation into whether there are other positions that are actually Lords of Leveling. If they appear to be Lords of Leveling, instead of punishing the person who holds the position, we will handle it by instead changing their title.”

That’s fair. I’m sure there are a lot of people who were unaware that their job was actually to be a Lord of Leveling, just like Count Archiam. It wouldn’t be right to punish someone who wasn’t willfully neglectful, I guess... The king is a kind man.

“Regarding who will take over the position of Lord of National Affairs,” His Majesty continued, “we will postpone the decision until next month. This future discussion will examine whether it will be dissolved, whether the title will be changed, and what the position will be if the title for the position is changed.”

It was a wonderful decision. I got on my knees and bowed deeply to show my loyalty.

“And finally...” The king rounded on the marquess. “Marquess Prynan, this was all started by you.”

The court conference concluded on a deeply satisfying note, with the king scolding Marquess Prynan.

◆◆◆

The king exited the audience chamber, and we were dismissed from the court conference. I wanted nothing more than to sprint home, but I was worried that the marquess might bother Count Archiam. I scanned the area, looking for either one of them, and... Oops, I made eye contact with the guy next to me. I’d at no point managed to hear what his position was either. It was probably fine because the king had said that he intended to investigate this matter, but I decided to ask anyway.

“Are you a Lord of Leveling?”

“Eek!” he whimpered, seeming excessively terrified. Judging from how scared he is, he’s probably a Lord of Leveling. Since the king had said he was going to handle the punishments, there was no point in me pressing this guy any further.

It didn’t seem like I was going to get any more out of him, so I took another look at the rest of the radicals around me.

“Are there any other Lords of Level—” I began.

“Run! She’ll take your position!”

For once, the radicals seemed to be of one mind, and they all began moving at the same time. They stampeded together toward the chamber exit. Running home from school like someone who doesn’t have any after-school activities isn’t very classy, you know?

The back row was now deserted, and Count Archiam seemed to be the only other aristocrat left in this part of the chamber.

“Hello,” I greeted him with a bow. The count tried to respond through his evidently lingering anxiety, but just as I’d expected, Marquess Prynan materialized beside him.

“Countess Dolkness, you did well,” he said in a tone that dripped with deep displeasure. “Your technique of clouding matters by spouting nonsense was masterful.”

“Spouting...nonsense...?” I slowly repeated.

“So you’re choosing to keep feigning ignorance...” The marquess shook his head. “His Majesty is waiting for us. Archiam, you’re coming too. Follow me.”

I wasn’t feigning anything, but the marquess seemed to be growing ever more irritated. He turned around and walked off, so I followed after. We headed for the front of the audience chamber, passed through the door through which the king entered and exited, and continued to follow the hallway beyond. The count seemed tense with nervousness, and he walked alongside me with awkward footsteps.

Soon enough, we were led into a small study. Bookshelves lined both sides of the room, but it didn’t seem like an office. I understood it to be the king’s private space.

We were surrounded by books, and a writing desk faced the window at the back of the room. In the center of the space stood a round table just barely big enough for four people, as well as four chairs. The room felt cramped, but in a good way. I like this place.

The king, who had removed his ceremonial cape, was sitting at one of the chairs at the table. A smile appeared on his face as he caught sight of the marquess and me, and it grew even wider when Count Archiam crept through the door behind us.

“I’m glad you came too, Darren,” His Majesty said warmly. “Both of you, sit.”

The marquess hadn’t waited for an invitation, and he’d already taken a chair next to the king’s. I was sure that the count wanted to keep his distance from the marquess, so I chose the seat facing the king, next to the marquess. Count Archiam attempted to sit in the open seat—the seat between the king and myself—and Marquess Prynan shot him a glare, which made the count flinch.

“Don’t bully him so much,” the king scolded. The marquess huffed and passive-aggressively averted his gaze from the count instead.

The king gave a signal, and an attendant brought us tea. All four of us silently sipped from our teacups. I couldn’t tell if this was a moment of relaxation, or if there was just too much tension in the air to allow for any conversation, but time passed... Eventually, Count Archiam couldn’t take the silence anymore and spoke up cautiously.

“Um... Why are we here...?”

Oh, he came along without knowing what he was in for. He’s probably scared. In order to help soothe the count’s anxiety, I jumped in to explain why we were gathered.

“You see, Count Archiam, this is a meeting during which we’ll discuss how we’re going to deal with the insolent members of the aristocracy who have neglected their duties as Lords of Leveling!”

The marquess snorted in disbelief. “Excuse me...? Do you intend to keep up this act?”

Huh? I was expecting the king and the marquess to agree and say I was spot on, but the marquess had instead scoffed at my explanation. I looked to the king to confirm who was in the right, and he seemed uncomfortable.

“If this incident is resolved in this manner, people will remain discontented. I had us gather here so that the parties involved could discuss things alone.”

“What are you going to do about those who claim to be Lords of Leveling?” I asked again.

“Let’s first get something out of the way...” the king said with a constrained sigh. “I truly believe that there isn’t a single member of the aristocracy who has ever claimed to be a Lord of Leveling...”

“Oh, right,” I agreed with a sage nod. “They’re crooked aristocrats who are secretly Lords of Leveling, but they aren’t raising their level.”

“Perhaps I should’ve invited a certain person...” the king muttered to himself.

It seemed that this pressing issue of our nation’s plague of false Lords of Leveling was going to be set aside for later.

A discussion with just the involved parties... This honestly feels like a roundtable. It was true that with the way things were going that the marquess and I were going to end up being enemies for the rest of eternity. Although we probably wouldn’t be able to reconcile our differences at this point, we could perhaps escape the fate of becoming complete adversaries.

Many topics couldn’t be discussed openly at the court conferences because of the other aristocrats in attendance. I decided that I needed to apologize to the king for the trouble I’d caused him.

“I apologize for speaking up like that in the conference despite knowing that it would cause unnecessary confusion.”

“No, no. It’s all right,” the king reassured me. “All the heads of aristocratic households in Valschein are welcome to contribute. I should apologize for watching silently while knowing you were getting pulled into such a troublesome situation, Lady Yumiella.”

I shook my head. “I can’t see what you could have done to prevent this. It was only this morning that Count Archiam decided to let go of his position. It only would’ve caused issues if I’d discussed it with you prior to the conference...right?”

If I had gone to the king directly and asked him to protect the count’s position, the king probably would’ve had a hard time deciding what to do. Though he couldn’t ignore a request coming from me, if he did as I asked without hesitation, he would have run the risk of upsetting the marquess, along with the rest of his faction.

It seemed that my assumptions were spot on, and the king responded with an ambiguous nod. In complete contrast to the king’s vague answer, Marquess Prynan evidently decided to speak the quiet part out loud.

“If the leader of our nation is to be at some little girl’s beck and call, perhaps the day on which I take the throne isn’t so far off.”

The count and I froze, shocked to hear such a bold-faced declaration of possible insurrection, but His Majesty seemed surprisingly blasé.

“You shouldn’t say such things, Prynan,” he responded mildly.

Oh, he’s joking. I didn’t think the marquess would have gotten away with a statement like that if this was truly a feudalistic society, but the pair of them seemed used to this sort of banter. If they talk like this often, are they actually close friends?

I stared at the two, thinking about how they were as far apart in age as a parent and his child. In this case, the “parent” wore an audacious smile, while the “child” let forth a long-suffering sigh. The king turned to Count Archiam.

“I must say, I feel bad for making this observation, but...I’m grateful that you decided to step down from your position. I’m glad you decided that for yourself, and I think it was a good choice.”

“I-It’s nothing,” the count stammered. “I feel embarrassed for clinging onto a position with no substance to it for so long.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” the king assured him. “If anything, I’m envious of you. I’m similarly a prisoner to the previous generations of kings. Though I must admit that I’m curious about one thing... For whose sake did you decide to make this change?”

“I changed for my wife’s sake, as well as my own, but most of all, it was for my children.”

“I see, I see.” His Majesty nodded. “There’s a lot that can be learned from our children.”

I don’t think there’s anything His Majesty can learn from that prince. I kept that thought to myself, and it didn’t even appear on my face, yet the count reacted to the king’s statement in obvious surprise.

“You have something to learn, Your Majesty?!”

The king tilted his head curiously. “Parents grow as people by watching their children both fail and learn from their mistakes. Surely you had this experience too?”

“Oh, I see now what you’re saying,” the count said thoughtfully. “When interacting with my son as an infant, when he still couldn’t understand a thing I said, I wondered why he cried so much. I know that I always listened to my parents.”

“You’re asking too much of an infant,” the king chided.

“I knew that, but I guess I never thought of how I myself behaved at the same point in my development. But after experiencing it for myself, I now think about how my father and mother must have had their hands full with me.”

Hrm, I don’t quite follow. The dads continued their conversation, leaving me in the dust.

“There are some parents who don’t pay attention to how their children are doing,” the king said. “While I must admit that the most difficult parts of child-rearing were largely handled by the servants, when I think about what it would’ve been like if I hadn’t been there when Maurice started walking... It’s terrifying.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” the count agreed. “By facing those who are younger and less experienced, you can also face the juvenile, inexperienced parts of yourself.”

I still don’t think I get it. Oh, but when I compare how I was before and after Ryuu was born, I think I’ve changed. I guess that change was a kind of growth. The conversation led me to think about my dear Ryuu, who I hadn’t seen for several days, and I briefly felt the contented glow of a proud parent...until a tasteless person didn’t read the room and changed the subject.

“Speaking of children, your child got in our way, Your Majesty,” Marquess Prynan accused.

He’s talking about Prince Edwin. I’ll have to thank the prince later for backing me up on Eleanora’s identity. I decided that now would be a good time to remind the marquess that it wasn’t wise to get involved in Eleanora-related matters.

“Just so you know, the Eleanora from under the bridge staying with me isn’t the duke’s daughter,” I reiterated.

“There’s no need to lie about a fact we all know in a closed room like this,” the marquess sniffed. “I’m sure Hillrose is alive as well.”

He knows about that too? Well, I suppose he did try to force me into a similar leadership position as the one the duke used to hold, so the marquess probably knows all of the reasons that the duke tried to lead a coup. I looked at the king, who was the only person in this room who actually one-hundred-percent knew the truth, and awaited his instructions on how to proceed.

Count Archiam, who knew about none of this, seemed confused. “Duke Hillrose is...alive? Why?” He seemed flabbergasted as he looked at each of our faces in turn. What do we do about him if he decides to spread this around?

“Duke Hillrose isn’t alive,” the king said in a tone that suggested he was stating the obvious. “Of course not. Lady Yumiella herself confirmed it.”

“Yes, it’s true,” I agreed. “Duke Hillrose was swallowed by a swarm of monsters and passed away on the spot.”

“Is this room filled with people who don’t know how to go about having a private conversation behind closed doors?” Marquess Prynan complained.

Shut up, grandpa. I felt bad for the count, who still seemed utterly lost.

Even though this was ostensibly a private discussion, I honestly felt that the wicked marquess would use this conversation to his own ends, hoping to find any weaknesses to use against us later. It would be best to keep the pretenses going.

“I’m grateful to His Highness the prince with regards to his knowledge of the Eleanora from under the bridge,” I continued, ignoring the marquess. “I’d like to thank him before I leave the Royal Capital.”

“I’m proud of Edwin as well,” the king said. “He’s not always successful, but he did well this time.” The king seemed both exasperated and happy—it was interesting to see such a mingled expression on his face. He cleared his throat, and I could feel the atmosphere shift, bringing some tension into the room. I guess we’re finally getting to the main topic.

“It must be time to discuss the Lords of Leveling!” I exclaimed.

“No... Not yet.” Really? I was getting a little impatient with the king, but I kept my mouth shut and listened to him. “Prynan, don’t meddle with Lady Yumiella.”

“Oh my,” the marquess simpered. “I can’t believe His Majesty is infatuated with an unmarried noble lady.”

“This isn’t something to joke about!” the king scolded. “What were you thinking, trying to get her involved in central political issues?!”

“Are you trying to tell me that it would be better if I avoided rocking the boat so as to head off any unnecessary chaos? Aren’t political struggles all about gaining advantage after plunging the game board into a state of bewildering confusion? This is a much healthier way to go about doing things than putting on a peaceful front while filthy sludge pools behind the scenes.”

Man, this grandpa sure is combative. I’d wondered what would occur if I were to actually get involved in central politics. It seemed that the king believed that it would never happen, and it felt like he thought it wouldn’t go well if it did. Marquess Prynan had declared that if I were to end up jumping into the political fray, he’d use the commotion caused by my joining the battle to his advantage—he would welcome the chaos.

“You’re underestimating Lady Yumiella!” the king roared. “Everyone at the conference was put in danger!”

“I’m well aware of her strength.” The marquess shrugged off the king’s concern. “But she also understands that using her power can have a harmful effect. I’m sure she wouldn’t just force her way with brute strength.”

The marquess’s words implied that he thought I was someone who could participate in the subtle game of politics as well. Hee hee, that’s right. I’m totally capable of handling political matters, I just don’t actually want to do it.

Seeing that the marquess wasn’t going to stand down, the king let out a sigh and turned to me.

“The Lord of Finance is a Lord of Leveling,” he informed me.

“Huh?” I blinked stupidly at him for a moment. The Lord of Finance is actually a Lord of Leveling...?

Unlike the Lord of National Affairs, I didn’t understand what aspect of the position of finance gave it any relevance to leveling, but since the king had just said so, it had to be true. I can’t believe one of those insolent aristocrats who don’t bother level grinding despite the fact that they’re a Lord of Leveling has been right before me this whole time! I won’t allow this!

“But,” the king continued, “Prynan, the Lord of Finance, is interested in leveling.”

Oh, then that makes things easy. I jumped at the topic and turned to address Marquess Prynan, since he was a Lord of Leveling. “What level are you?”

“What...?” It was the marquess’s turn to blink stupidly. “What are you talking about, Your Majesty?”

“I’m asking what your level is,” I reiterated.

“Countess Dolkness? You’ve got a strange look in your eye.” Marquess Prynan continued to evade the question of what level he was. Is he really interested in leveling up? If I were to get mad at him now, I’d lose a comrade in leveling. I choked down the anger that was endlessly fuming inside of me and asked once more.

“Your level, what number is it? Tell me. Hurry.”

“I think it’s 15... It’s been quite a while—”

“Thank you for telling me! There’s no such thing as starting too late when it comes to leveling, so it’s no problem for seniors! There’s nothing to be worried about! Everyone starts at level 1. You can slowly get used to it, and in one...no, let’s take it easy, in two years, we can accomplish our goal. Let’s work hard together to aim to be at level 99 in two years.”

“Dolkn—”

“It would be best to start as soon as possible, so let’s head out today. It’s incredibly fortunate for us that there are two dungeons near the Royal Capital. I’m sure that they’ve always been super popular spots to visit, which is why the people of the past built their capital here. Unfortunately, those dungeons aren’t great for boss farming, so we’ll have to travel elsewhere eventually. Please keep that in mind.”

“Wh-What are you—” The marquess was no match for my enthusiasm.

“Let’s see. If you’re level 15, then... Well, there isn’t much I can do without seeing your actual performance, so let’s just head to a dungeon right away.” Marquess Prynan had tried to interrupt me several times, and I understood that he was probably worried, so I tried to use my barely functional face muscles to create something resembling a smile before I continued. “I understand; you must be worried about getting injured. It’s true that it’s harder to recover as you age, but there’s no need to worry. With my recovery magic, you can regrow a limb or two as many times as you need to do so. Though please keep in mind that I’ve never tried to regenerate a head, so if you’re ever in a situation in which you think you might be about to get your head crushed, please try to sacrifice a different part of your body and dodge it. Well, now that I’m thinking about it, maybe I can grow you another head, but I’m not sure if your new brain would retain your previous memories. Oh, but if you think about it as regenerating your neurons and synapses, maybe your memories would be intact. It’s kind of like the Ship of Theseus—if you break down a body at the quantum level and put it back together in a different location, would that be the same person you started with...? I feel like we might end up with that sort of paradox. That’s not really science though; it’s more in the realm of philosophy... Oh, I’m getting off topic. We’re talking about leveling. I’m working hard every day to understand normal sensibilities better. If you’re the kind of person who insists on wearing an amulet of protection when going to a dangerous area, you can wear one. Wow, I’ve really become—”

I was in the middle of discussing something incredibly important, but a hand had reached out from behind me and covered my mouth. Who is it?! I grabbed the arm and turned around, about to deliver a Yumiella punch, but...

“Huh? Patrick? What are you doing here?”

“I was called over here. I’m here to take you home.”

But I have so much to discuss with Marquess Prynan, who is a Lord of Leveling... Huh? Where did the marquess go? I scanned the cramped study and found Marquess Prynan cowering in a corner. Before I could ask if he was all right, the king chimed in.

“I apologize. I made a mistake—the Lord of Finance isn’t a Lord of Leveling after all.”

“What?! Really?”

The king shook his head. “There’s no connection between finance and leveling, is there?”

“That’s true... Oh, but it’s true that you’re interested in leveling, right, Marquess Prynan? If you’d like, I can—”

Since I was the true Lord of Leveling, I needed to make sure I didn’t neglect my duties. Though he was a crooked aristocrat that I detested, I spoke to him kindly, but even so, he vigorously shook his head.

“No...no, thank you. I don’t need to raise my level. I vow to never meddle with you ever again. I won’t resent your boy for tricking me either. Please, just take her away from here and leave!” The marquess seemed uncharacteristically desperate, his voice veering toward a yell at the end. He seemed to be mostly speaking to Patrick.

I wasn’t done talking, but Patrick tugged on my arm and tried to drag me out of the study.

“Even if you’re not a Lord of Leveling, you can still level...” I looked up at Patrick. “Hey, don’t pull me.”

“I apologize,” Patrick said, not to me but to the marquess. “I’ll be taking her back right away. Let’s go, Yumiella.”

If I had truly wanted to, I could have resisted, but if I was honest with myself, I didn’t really want to go dungeon crawling with Marquess Prynan either. I noticed that Count Archiam had disappeared without me realizing. The trembling marquess and nervously chuckling king saw us off as I was unceremoniously dragged out of the study.