Chapter 79 - The First Truth

In any case, the conversation continued to flow.

“...However, I will not ask you to believe blindly.”

“Then?”

“I cannot present conclusive evidence right now, but there are clues from which you can infer that the series of events that have occurred so far… no, the events that occurred at the factory this time, are related to the Prince's faction.”

At my words, Regina took a sip of her tea, then nodded as if telling me to speak.

“Your Highness has assigned an informant to me. To keep an eye on my movements.”

“That's right, you are quite… an unpredictable person.”

“But, wouldn't the Prince's faction have done the same?”

“...Heh.”

From the Prince's faction's perspective, I was certainly a huge and utterly mysterious variable.

An illegitimate son of a ducal family who had lived as nothing more than a loser until now, suddenly displaying outstanding skills and siding with the Princess's faction.

Furthermore, seeing the reaction from the Enlight family, they hadn't anticipated my identity or secrets… it would be a complete enigma.

Furthermore, from Ad Astra's perspective, I was even interfering as if I could see through their plans at every turn. How could they not pay attention?

Just as the Princess's movements were monitored at every turn by the Prince, it would be reasonable to think that I too was being monitored at every turn.

And Regina muttered as if she understood what I was trying to say.

“Probably so. They would have assigned watching eyes… and it's highly likely they also know you went as far as the Palkart District.”

“However, the Prince's faction did not mention this.”

“Certainly… even though there was enough material to link your actions with the Palkart District factory explosion.”

My current actions, even excluding Ad Astra, were a thorn in the side of the Prince's faction.

It sounds like I'm praising myself, but it was true that I was breathing new life into the Princess's faction.

And at this point, there's a situation where I'm linked to an explosion incident in the outskirts of Endinium?

With a little embellishment and exaggeration, this was enough to frame me as a criminal.

But the Prince's faction, which held a card that could pressure me, or more precisely, the Prince, did not use that card.

Why?

“That means, my brother is reluctant to bring the Palkart District factory explosion to the forefront.”

As expected of Regina, she's quick to understand.

“That is correct.”

“...The question of why… is not resolved.”

“But if you consider what I have told you, all the pieces of the puzzle will fit together.”

“……”

The reason the Prince was hiding this matter and not making it public was that if the events at the factory were made public, there was even a slight possibility that Ad Astra's tail would be caught.

This situation proved that the claim was true.

“Haa…”

Regina let out a deep sigh, a rare sight from her.

Her trademark formal smile was already gone without a trace.

“This is only circumstantial evidence, but… well, I can take some comfort in it.”

“The comfort of believing in my ridiculous conspiracy theory, that is.”

“Fufu.”

At my words, Regina showed a bitter smile. As if to say that was exactly right.

“The fact that you've confessed this to me means you want to exterminate the society my brother belongs to, right?”

“That is correct. In return, Your Highness will gain the downfall of Prince Claudio.”

“A win-win, is that it?”

At her words, I just shrugged.

“...You approached me with this intention from the beginning, is that it?”

Regina shook her head. As if she was fed up.

“I'm speechless, it's absurd… no word can express this feeling right now.”

“I'll take that as a compliment.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.”

Seeing Regina with one layer of her mask peeled off was also quite refreshing.

This cynical side must be her true nature.

“Well, whatever. Let's get to the main point then. If you want me to cooperate in exterminating the Prince, or more accurately, the society behind the Prince… you must have prepared some useful information, right?”

“Of course.”

“Let's hear it. I'll listen to it as if I'm reading a novel.”

Once Regina's approval was given, I revealed a certain amount of information I knew about 『Ad Astra』.

Its members, its purpose, and so on.

Of course, I didn't reveal everything to Regina.

I didn't bother to say that I knew about the future. It was a topic close to my very essence, so my calculation was that it was better to hide it as much as possible.

Regina probably took into account that I was hiding a certain amount as I spoke.

Did Regina believe everything I said?

I don't know. It was something I couldn't know, but honestly, it didn't matter.

This matter would surely be helpful to Regina, and Regina would also know that fact.

That was enough.

“...That is all.”

As my story ended, Regina calmly opened her mouth.

“The most urgent thing to do is, it seems, to erase Ad Astra's lackeys from the upper echelons of the empire.”

“That is correct. If we leave them as they are, there is a high probability that we will be obstructed at every turn no matter what we do.”

“My brother and the Enlight family… haa.”

I understood Regina's sigh. I had told her that the head of the Enlight family, Esteban Enlight, and Claudio Renart Abellon were the two main opponents.

Besides them, several other high-ranking nobles were co-opted by Ad Astra. It was only natural that the thought of fighting such formidable enemies would make one's head throb.

“...I understand for now. From now on, when analyzing information about the Prince's faction, I will also consider the information you have given me.”

“Yes. I will continue to move on my own, but… if there is anything Your Highness wishes to instruct, please let me know.”

When it comes to this kind of power-related intrigue, Regina would be much more reliable than me.

If I assisted such a Regina with my knowledge of , we had a sufficient chance of winning.

In any case, after that, the conversation about future policies passed.

“Then it seems we've roughly settled things.”

“Yes, it seems so.”

-Haa.

Without either of us saying who went first, Regina and I sighed at the same time.

And as our sighs overlapped, we simultaneously let out a hollow laugh.

“Well, then…”

Just as I judged that the conversation was over and was about to get up from my seat.

“Ah, wait a moment.”

The Princess called me to a halt.

“...?”

So I stopped my motion of getting up from the chair and just sat quietly.

And Regina opened her mouth again.

“Kapa, bring the prepared item.”

Kapa? It was a name I hadn't heard in , and just as I was thinking that.

Step.

With a perfectly composed gait, the maid who had poured the tea earlier walked over, holding a somewhat luxurious-looking box.

No matter how I looked at it, it wasn't a name to be given to a female maid, so I looked at the maid named Kapa.

‘Come to think of it, when I was talking with her, she dismissed everyone else but not this maid.’

By the time she politely put down the box and retreated again, I was able to figure out her identity.

I hadn't noticed before because I hadn't looked carefully, but this time, as a result of close observation, I could tell.

‘A homunculus?’

Perhaps because I had been madly entangled with homunculi just yesterday, I was able to sense that unique, emotionless demeanor.

Anyway, I couldn't help but be quite surprised to know her identity.

It wasn't that homunculus servants were uncommon, but… there was a setting that the higher the nobility, the more they preferred human servants over homunculi.

The tone was something like, only those who had no one to serve them would be satisfied with a homunculus.

But for a princess, who was at the top of the class society, to use a homunculus servant.

“A homunculus servant.”

“Hmph. Are you uncomfortable, young master?”

“No, not particularly. I was just surprised. Since it is none other than Your Highness.”

It was a sincere statement without a hint of a lie. Compared to the servants of the Enlight family who looked down on people as they pleased, she was an angel.

As if sensing my sincerity, the princess chuckled at my words, looked at the homunculus servant, and said.

“Well, it's true that I also employ more human servants because of the public eye, but this is more comfortable for me.”

“Comfortable?”

“Homunculi at least don't lie or scheme, you see?”

“……”

For Regina, who was practically the incarnation of scheming, to say such a thing.

Well, was it that she, as expected, was also quite fed up with this kind of life?

“...Is that so.”

I couldn't deny that I understood her feelings.

“Well, let's set that aside. Aren't you curious about the contents of this box?”

“I am curious.”

“So soulless… why don't you open it yourself.”

The princess chuckled and reached for the box.

“Then.”

As she said, I opened the luxurious-looking box.

And what was inside was.

“...A robe?”

A plain black robe with simple but elegant decorations.

The decorations were of a detachable structure, considering outdoor activities.

There was no particular design, but the value of its fabric and decorations could be seen at a glance to be high.

“That's right, a knight robe to be exact.”

A knight robe. It was a protective gear favored by knights in the world of instead of armor, with the function of enveloping the wearer in a subtle barrier that blocked physical/magical attacks.

It was much lighter and easier to move in than armor, and depending on its grade, it could boast even stronger defensive power than armor… so knights mainly favored it.

However, befitting its performance, it was ridiculously expensive.

‘I couldn't even buy a normal knight robe with the reward money from the last Judgment subjugation.’

Of course, it was the same in the original game.

“It seems to be of considerable value.”

The knight robe contained in the box given by the princess seemed to be of quite high value. Just looking at the decorations and fabric earlier, well.

“Fufu, it's a custom-made protective robe for a senior knight. As you might have guessed, shall we call it a humble gift?”

Heh. For a senior knight.

If it was made for the knights who competed for the top ranks in the world, its protective power would be so considerable it would be tiresome to even talk about.

Besides, in the game, if you reached the senior knight grade, it came with self-repair and various additional functions, so it was highly likely that this one did too.

‘It probably can't even be compared to ordinary knight robes.’

If I received this robe, the range of my strategies could certainly be widened.

Until now, due to my flimsy durability, 'hit without getting hit' was the basic, but from now on, I could trust the durability of this protective robe and push forward with my body.

“...I am nothing but grateful.”

I politely expressed my gratitude to the princess. The princess then added with a triumphant expression.

“I have bestowed the same thing on my royal guards, Kilt and Aisa. You understand what this means, don't you?”

I was not stupid enough to not understand that.

A clear symbol of friendship.

“I will repay the trust you have shown me.”

“Fufu, of course. Let's continue to be helpful to each other, young master.”

Did the fact that she had prepared this before I confessed this matter mean that she was going to bet on me no matter what happened?

A thought that it was not like Regina briefly crossed my mind, but I soon dismissed it.

I did not comprehend everything about this princess.

From now on, I will continue to figure out Regina. Even though we are in a friendly relationship.

Regina probably will too.

***

In any case, by bestowing the protective robe, Regina told me that all her business with me was finished.

At Regina's words that I could go, I stood up from my seat.

It was when I was about to leave the garden.

“Young master, may I ask one last thing?”

The princess spoke to me for the last time. It was an unreadable question.

“By all means.”

What else could I say? There was no reason to refuse.

And the question Regina asked me was-

“Young master, do you have a dream?”

It was something like that.

A dream.

The thought that it was a word that didn't suit Regina momentarily crossed my mind, but I didn't make it obvious.

A dream.

If you asked me now, 'Do you have a dream?'… well.

There was one answer that vaguely came to mind.

“To survive.”

To survive.

It might seem like a contradictory word for me, who revives even after dying ten thousand times, but that was my dream.

Not to die ten thousand times. But just to survive.

At my answer, Regina just nodded her head slightly and said.

“I'm glad, that we are dreaming the same dream.”

Perhaps, wasn't that the first truth Regina had confessed to me?

With such a groundless thought, I headed to the dormitory.

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