It had been three years since I started attending the Imperial University.
"Thank you all for coming."
The nobles gathered in the hotel's large conference room all had sinister faces.
The young man with white hair in an all-back style had a nonchalant attitude.
This villain, who seemed impossible to let his guard down, is the Earl of Francis Sera Ganne.
"Well, I never thought I'd be called to the capital planet and get involved in setting up a faction. It's quite exciting."
He was smiling, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking inside.
He was the type of villain who often appeared.
Then, the burly old man with an eye patch, not the Earl of Jericho Sera Gold, was laughing heartily.
He had many scars on his body, but with current medical technology, they could easily be removed. He seemed to enjoy the intimidating appearance.
He also looked like a bad guy, both in face and appearance.
"I never thought I'd be called by a young man from the Banfield family!"
He threw in a sarcastic remark.
He was a small-minded man despite his size.
He didn't seem as strong as he looked, and a small, unpleasant smell wafted from him.
Among them, Baron Exner, who seemed to be in his forties, took on the role of mediator.
"More importantly, do you really intend to set up a faction, Lord Liam? I've heard rumors about Prince Cleo."
The prince farthest from the throne.
It's understandable to be worried after hearing that Cleo would be supported.
But I have a chance of winning.
"Of course. I promised to put Prince Cleo on the throne."
The nobles, mainly the landed nobles, were murmuring.
Many of them were far from the court and didn't know much about the internal situation.
Baron Exner was worried.
"I've heard that the current emperor is not in a good mood?"
"Indeed. That's why it has value."
The current emperor is likely to be my enemy, so I have to eliminate him.
Earl Ganne showed a strong interest.
"That's great. My family has a history of being neglected by an emperor from a few generations ago. I want to make a comeback now."
What kind of evil deeds did his family do? Well, he's a reliable ally as a corrupt lord.
As more people agreed, Earl Gold also accepted.
"I don't want the court's troubles to affect my territory. I do want a convenient emperor. But I've heard that both Prince Calvin and Prince Linus are tough opponents?"
I showed him the documents in response.
"Please look at this. It's the content of Prince Linus's secret dealings with a foreign country."
Earl Ganne put his hand on his chin.
"This is not enough to make him weak. It's not an uncommon story, and it wouldn't be surprising if it were true. I think he would deny it even if there were evidence."
I don't need to press him.
I just need to spread the word that Linus is doing something underhanded behind the scenes.
"We can promote Prince Cleo, who is straightforward, unlike the shady Linus. I don't think we can bring him down with this alone. I will support him to win the throne by his own strength."
Baron Exner was sweating coldly.
He probably thinks it's beyond his capabilities.
"There's no problem. Prince Cleo will be at the forefront, and I will support him. All I need from you is a subtle cooperation."
With so many allies, others will also offer their support.
Numbers are power!
Still, I gathered villains, but there are fewer than I thought?
Perhaps many of them were eliminated when the Berkeley family was destroyed?
◇
Liam became the representative of the faction and openly supported Cleo.
By evening, Linus came to visit Cleo.
The two met in the parlor and were having a casual conversation, but Linus couldn't hold back and got to the point.
"Cleo, I misunderstood you."
"What do you mean?"
"Regardless of your position, I thought you would live modestly and peacefully. That's why I overlooked you until now."
"Is that so?"
Linus stood up from the sofa.
"From today on, you won't have a peaceful night's sleep."
It was as if Linus had declared war on Cleo.
"Do you really need to declare war? You seem quite confident, brother."
"---Don't get cocky, you little brat."
Linus stopped pretending.
"Don't get cocky just because you've allied with the Banfield boy. Just because a hundred nobles are on your side, do you think you can stand up to me?"
Cleo could tell from his frustration.
"You seem quite agitated. Has something happened?"
Linus's eyes were bloodshot, and just as he was about to do something, Tia, who was standing behind Cleo, spoke up.
"I can see you, Prince Linus."
Linus stopped, straightened his back, and left the room.
"---You will regret joining the throne struggle. You are now my enemy."
Cleo leaned back on the sofa as Linus left.
"We have always been enemies, brother."
Tia prepared tea for Cleo.
From her movements, Cleo could tell how excellent she was.
His sister was also a top-tier knight, but Tia was even better.
"Do you dislike Prince Linus, Prince Cleo?"
Tia's question left him at a loss.
"I don't dislike him. We both have our positions. If we had met under different circumstances, we might have become friends."
If he wasn't a royal, or if he wasn't in a position to fight for the throne, Cleo thought.
But it was futile.
Such talk had no meaning.
While sipping the drink Tia prepared, Cecilia entered the room.
She had straight, long blonde hair and was dressed in a more feminine manner than Rishitea.
She had a gentle and calm demeanor.
"Cleo, why was Linus so angry?"
Cleo felt uneasy seeing his older sister.
(I'd like to keep her out of the harem if possible.)
A fierce struggle was about to begin.
Cecilia, who was not suited for conflict, needed to be taken care of.
"It's nothing, sister. By the way, Tia."
"Yes?"
"---Can I ask you to do something for the Earl of Banfield? I want him to find a fiancé for my sister."
Cleo's own position was delicate, and it was affecting his sister, Cecilia.
Cecilia, despite being a royal, had a low succession right and no fiancé.
In a way, her position was worse than Wallace's.
Tia thought for a moment before answering.
"I will inform Lord Liam."
However, Cecilia, who was suddenly asked about her engagement, was at a loss.
"Eh? Ehhh!? Why is it about my engagement!?"
◇
After the dinner with the nobles, I was drinking with Baron Exner.
"Do you understand, Earl!? The feeling of having your poster sold and then having it stuck in your subordinates' lockers!!"
He seemed to have a lot on his mind and was drunk in a bad way.
"Ah, I understand."
I couldn't understand his feelings at all.
Is it fun to have a man's poster stuck up?
Baron Exner isn't an idol or anything.
I'm a man, but if my poster was stuck up, it would only be as a target for assassins, to memorize my face.
I doubt anyone has my poster.
Baron Exner was crying.
"I feel ashamed for making money by selling merchandise. Besides, my son's engagement hasn't been decided yet---oh, the talk about my daughter's apprenticeship hasn't disappeared, right?"
I have to admire his business acumen for making money by selling his own merchandise.
I need to have the same spirit as a corrupt lord.
"Leave it to me. I'll take care of it."
So, Kurt hasn't decided on an engagement yet.
He must be in a difficult position too.
While drinking with Baron Exner, I received a message from Tia, who was with Prince Cleo.
"Excuse me, it's from a subordinate. ---What is it?"
I stood up and talked to Tia.
I thought I heard a sultry voice saying, "Ah, Lord Liam's voice," but it must have been my imagination.
"Lord Liam, it's not an order from Prince Cleo, but a request."
"A request? Is it about money?"
I was thinking about how much to give him, but it seemed to be something different.
"No, Prince Cleo has a sister, Princess Cecilia. She is over 150 years old and should be getting married, but due to her position, she doesn't have a partner."
I was at a loss.
I remember seeing her when we met.
She was a soft and beautiful woman.
"Do you think I can do anything about it? Engagements and marriages are decided by the court."
"There's no problem with that. She has been left alone because there is no partner. So---this time, why not marry her to a noble who is close to Lord Liam?"
Tia's suggestion was to use Princess Cecilia to gain favor with another family.
Princess Cecilia is a royal, and there is no better bloodline in the empire.
If someone complained about her bloodline, it would be a big problem.
Her father is the emperor, and her mother's family is a great noble---but because she is Prince Cleo's sister, the nobles couldn't touch her.
Unlike Wallace, if Prince Cleo's issue is resolved, she could be married immediately.
"---Marriage, huh?"
"Yes. Her bloodline is solid, and she is a good person. I hope she can find a good match."
I looked at Baron Exner, who was drunk and sleeping.
"---A rising family would want a good bloodline, right?"
"Do you have someone in mind?"
I woke up Baron Exner and talked to him.
Baron Exner was dazed but could still talk.
"Baron Exner, I actually want to talk to you about Kurt's marriage."
"Kurt? Ah, we need to find him a partner soon."
"I know a woman with a good bloodline. She is quite a bit older, though."
"Older? No, that might be---too much for Kurt, I think."
"Indeed, a seventy-year age difference is quite a lot."
"Seventy!? ---Within the acceptable range?"
Eh? Is it possible?
But thinking about it, in a world where people live longer, a seventy-year age difference might not be a big deal.
---I'm a bit hesitant, though.
"Are you really okay with it?"
"Older women are good, apparently. I think it would be good for Kurt to have a reliable older wife."
He was getting more and more incoherent.
"Is Kurt okay with it?"
"If there was a hundred-year age difference, I would worry, but I think he said he would be okay with it---I think."
If that's the case, I should introduce them immediately.
"Then, let's have a meeting. Well, it's almost a marriage arrangement."
"Sounds good! Then, should we wait until after he graduates from the military academy?"
"If that's the case, let's have him get married after he graduates from the military academy."
"Agreed! No problem!"
I told Tia, who had been listening to the conversation.