Upon receiving the news, I set sail from Rondine and arrived at the port of the Albatro Principality.
However, I had a terrible source of anxiety.
"How could I forget to tell him something so important...!"
Indeed, I had forgotten to tell Leo about something.
The fact that Eva had fallen in love with me.
There were so many things to do that such personal matters had completely slipped my mind.
I wanted to believe that Leo would somehow handle it well, but after all, it was a matter of romantic relationships between a man and a woman. A small thing could lead to a complicated situation. And Eva is a princess, after all.
The appearance of Leviathan happened right after Rondine's fleet arrived and the Duke of Rondine landed at the port. That means Leo and Eva didn't have a chance to talk at that point. However, the days that followed were the problem.
Given Eva's personality, it was impossible for her to remain inactive.
"I hope he handles it smoothly..."
With that thought, I landed in the Albatro Principality. Since this was my first visit, I pretended to look around curiously.
Then, Leo, who had come to greet me, walked over.
Next to him was...
"Hmm?"
Eva, who was happily conversing with Leo.
What's going on? Why are they getting along? How did they become friends?
Is this it? Does Leo think it's natural for women to come to him?
Did he interpret Eva's advances as natural and respond accordingly? Was he secretly thinking that I'm so cool?
As I was shaken by my brother's incredible mindset, Eva came to greet me.
"It's an honor to meet you, Prince Arnold. Since my father is busy, the First Princess Evangelina di Albatro is here to welcome you. Please call me Eva."
"Ah, yes, nice to meet you..."
"Welcome back from your sea voyage, brother. We have a lot to talk about, but why don't you rest first?"
"Ah... I'm still in shock..."
With that, I headed towards the carriage that was prepared for me.
It seemed that Eva and Leo had plans after this, and they left together.
Ah, how sad.
"My brother has been tainted..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ah, it's you, Mark. Listen... Leo has become a womanizer..."
"I'm curious about the thought process that led you to that conclusion, but if I recall correctly, didn't you make Princess Eva fall in love with you?"
"Huh? You noticed?"
"Anyone would have noticed. You were asking the knights about me, and that face is the face of a girl in love."
"I see. So it was that obvious, huh?"
In that case, I looked at Mark's face closely.
"Exactly. I informed Prince Leonardo on your behalf."
"Wow, you're competent."
"Did you think I was incompetent before?"
"Not exactly, but... Well, that's a relief... That was my only worry."
"I'm glad to hear that. The next problem was something I couldn't do anything about. But if the prince isn't worried, I'm relieved too."
With that, Mark opened the carriage door.
Inside, Erna, who clearly looked unhappy, was waiting.
For a moment, I considered fleeing, but since I couldn't escape from Erna even with a teleportation spell, I quickly gave up.
"...Mark. My worries have increased."
"What is it?"
"Listen and be shocked. My life is in danger."
"That's nothing new. If you're about to die, I'll save you, so don't worry."
"That's not normal! And if it's instant death, there's no way to save me!"
"Don't worry. They'll hold back."
With that, Mark pushed me from behind.
Unable to resist, I was pushed into the carriage and left alone with Erna.
"...H-hi..."
"..."
Erna remained silent.
She's definitely angry.
I understand why. It's because I told Silver her weakness.
Staring at me intently, I felt uncomfortable and sat down in front of Erna.
From what I could see, a soundproof barrier was in place. It's used for confidential conversations.
I thought this was going to be a serious talk, and Erna opened her mouth.
"Do you have anything to say?"
"Um, are you hurt?"
"Wh-What? Of course not! Who do you think I am!?"
Erna's face turned slightly red as she spoke loudly.
It was a different response than I expected, and she muttered, "You're throwing me off..."
"You can get hurt too, right? Sure, the chances might be lower than for ordinary people, but this time it was clear the sea would be the main battlefield. I was worried. I might have been overstepping, but I asked Silver to look after you. If it bothered you, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. But who else is going to worry about you? You're an important childhood friend, so let me worry about you."
"...What do you mean... Saying it like that is unfair... It makes me seem petty."
"Your heart is small. What's new?"
"Al~? I'll cut out your tongue for saying unnecessary things~?"
"Yes... I won't say unnecessary things..."
Erna drew her sword slightly and threatened me with a smile.
Her presence was as overwhelming as a dragon's roar, and a weak person would faint in front of her.
However, while I was trembling, Erna's expression seemed to brighten. She had a difficult look on her face when we got in the carriage, but now she seemed to be in a good mood.
"Alright. I'll overlook you telling that masked adventurer my weakness. But what I don't like isn't that. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
Erna looked straight at me.
Until a moment ago, she seemed sulky, but now it was different.
Feeling a mix of worry and slight anger, I sighed.
"How much did Silver tell you?"
"He said you and Silver are conspiring. Since you told him my weakness, I assume you trust him a lot. What are you two planning?"
"...Do I have to tell you?"
"No. If you don't, I won't let you out of the carriage."
"Alright... I have no choice... Leo and I share the common goal of making him emperor, and we're working behind the scenes. I use my position as a royal, and he uses his position as an SS-class adventurer. Sometimes we pretend it's a coincidence to gain allies. The Kleinholtz family is one of the allies we gained this way."
Erna knew I was trying to make Leo emperor.
Of course, she knew I was competing with the other three.
But that was just as Leo's supporter.
She never imagined I was secretly working with an SS-class adventurer. She was speechless.
"When the vampire incident happened in the eastern region, I was in contact with Silver. The same goes for this time. He's working for Leo. However, it would be too obvious if Leo and Silver were directly connected, so I act as a cover."
"...Does Leo know about this?"
"I've told him, but he doesn't know how dirty I'm getting. This time, Silver was in the south. Still, to gain an advantage in the imperial succession, I requested that he come to the capital. I asked Fienne and the others to contact him and prevent the other three from leading the army. I prioritized the imperial succession, which resulted in many casualties."
"...Is that really to survive? Do you really think your siblings will kill you and Leo?"
That was Erna's final check.
I had told her about it before, but she still had doubts. She didn't take my words about assassination attempts seriously. She thought it was a threat.
At least, when we were with the Crown Prince, there was no such atmosphere.
Erik had grown alongside the Crown Prince, but he wasn't the kind of brother who would think about killing someone. Gordon was a straightforward warrior, and Zandra was focused on her training as a mage.
Back then, it was peaceful.
But when the Crown Prince died, the throne was left vacant. The ambitions of the three, which had been suppressed by the Crown Prince, overflowed.
And after years of fighting for the throne, they lost their kindness.
I can say with certainty:
"They will definitely kill me and Leo. And those around us... That's why I'll do whatever it takes to make Leo emperor. I told you at the festival, didn't I? Stay out of it. It's getting dangerous. If you get too involved with us, you and the Amshelberg Dukedom will be seen as enemies. Is that what you want?"
"...The Amshelberg Dukedom doesn't get involved in politics... I've been taught that from a young age. We are the sword."
"But... I've made a decision, Al. There's something I've decided I will never give up on, ever since I was a child."
"What is it?"
Erna took a deep breath.
I had a feeling she was about to say something incredible.
But I couldn't stop her.
I've never been able to stop Erna.
"I won't abandon Al. I made that promise as a child. I won't break this promise, even if it's to the emperor. If you're serious about making Leo emperor, I'll help you. If you're willing to do anything, I'll do anything too. If my family gets in the way, I'll give up my name. I prioritize my promise above all else."
"...You're disqualified as a royal guard. As the heir to the Amshelberg Dukedom. Is that okay?"
"I'm stubborn. You know that, right?"
"Yeah... Honestly, I'm grateful for your resolve to help me. But for now, just stay low. If the Amshelberg Dukedom fully supports us, we'll become the strongest force. Then we might face a full-scale attack."
"I understand that much. I'll help without getting caught."
"I don't think you can do that."
"Don't underestimate me! I can do it!"
Erna puffed out her chest.
It was a somewhat unreliable sight.
But that's fine.
Erna is a sword. It's up to the wielder (me) to use her well.
"Alright! I feel better! Now let's work hard!"
"That's why I said to take it easy for now..."
"It's fine. Just being motivated. Oh, right. Since I'm a proper ally now, no secrets. You're not hiding anything from me, right? If you are, tell me now. I'll forgive you this time."
"Um... Ah. Remember the pearl I gave you as a congratulatory gift for becoming a royal guard?"
"Yes, you went to great lengths to find it, didn't you?"
"Actually, I asked Leo to buy it for me, cough!"
"Lowest of the low!"
I was punched hard in the stomach and writhed in pain in the carriage.
You said you'd forgive me...
I couldn't express my frustration in words.
While grimacing in pain, I was relieved that I had managed to hide the fact that I and Silver were the same person. In the end, I gained Erna's full support.
I had gained a lot in the south.
Thinking about that, I was cautious about returning to the capital.
This time, Leo had achieved a great feat.
He would probably receive a reward. If that happened, my father's perception of him would change.
He would be seen as the fourth major player, on par with the other three.
If that happened, Erik, who hadn't considered us a serious threat, would start to move.
The imperial succession battle would become even more intense.
Such carelessness would no longer be tolerated.
Taking the pain in my stomach as a lesson, I resolved to be more careful.
And so, the second part ends.
I worked hard to finish the second part by the end of February. I'm glad it's over.
However, as a result, my arm is extremely fatigued, so I'll take a break from updates. I also need to work on the plot and stockpile for the third part, so please bear with me (-_-;)
Well.
Thank you to everyone who read this far.
Your comments and messages, and the fact that you enjoy reading, gave me the strength to work hard in February. I am truly grateful <m(__)m>
I'll work hard on the third part, so please support me <(/・ω・)/