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"What about revealing yourself as SS-class adventurer Silver?"
"No thanks."
Once back in my room, I discussed my plans with Sebas. He was the only one who knew that I was Silver. I could admit there would be some advantages to revealing my identity, but there were also disadvantages.
"My great-grandfather devoted himself to ancient magic and ended up going mad. Ever since, the practice of ancient magic has been taboo among the imperial family. Ancient magic is what I use. It would be bad for Leo if it came out that his twin brother was a practitioner," I explained.
Sebas replied, "However, Silver also has a record of achievements and a good reputation. People even say he's the greatest adventurer in the history of the Adrasia Empire. That should be a bonus to Prince Leonard, should it not?"
"It's too soon," I countered. "Revealing my identity is a last resort. As long as Leo is trying for the throne, me remaining an incompetent prince for the time being is the most advantageous."
"But..."
"That's what makes things easiest for me."
"In that case, I won't say any more on the subject," Sebas conceded. "But how exactly do you plan on proceeding? If you won't reveal your identity, I don't believe that leaves you with many options."
I thoughtfully placed my hand to my chin while considering Sebas' question. That was my biggest problem. Leo's faction was small and weak. The quickest way to increase it would be to involve someone with influence.
"Sebas," I asked. "Are there any households not involved in the battle for the throne?"
"There is only one household not involved at all, but yes."
"Which one?"
"That of Duke Kleinert."
Now that was an unexpected answer, such a prestigious family name. The ducal households were either relatives of the royal family or were otherwise related by blood. Siblings of the emperor who did not rise to the throne but were determined to be distinguished enough were given the rank of duke. Sometimes, others with noteworthy achievements could also become dukes, but even in those cases, the title was given alongside marriage to a member of the imperial family, so recognition of the new dukes as members as well was natural.
For those households, the battle for the throne was an important event. Getting on the good side of the next emperor would mean reaping great rewards. That's why all households would make at least some attempt to get on good terms with candidates for the throne. A household that didn't do so must have had an even more pressing issue to contend with.
"If they're staying out of things, I assume it's because they've got another problem going on?"
"Astute observation. Apparently, some nasty monsters have shown up within their territory, and despite having turned to adventurers for help, they're nowhere near solving the issue."
There were Adventurers' Guild branches located all over the continent, including several branches within the Adrasia Empire, but each with a very different degree of capability. Except for the branch within the imperial capital, none of the Adrasia branches were very high level. Even within the imperial capital branch, it was me who raised the average, elevating the guild as a whole only slightly above the others in the empire. The reason for this was that monsters didn't often appear in the Adrasia Empire, which meant there was no demand. Skilled adventurers migrated toward locations with more monsters around. Therefore, it generally took some time after monsters appeared in the empire to deal with them, since it required money to bring in skilled adventurers from other areas.
"I guess I could go and bail them out."
"I think that's an excellent idea. But how do you plan on tying Silver and Prince Leonard together?"
"I can just say that Leo sent me. I'll come up with some good explanation later. No problem."
"Prince Leonard getting an SS-class adventurer who never leaves the capital to go to the duke's territory will heighten the other heirs' awareness of him as a potential threat. If that happens, the relationship between you and Silver could be exposed."
"Let them be threatened. They won't bother Leonard if they think he has a link with Silver. There's no problem with Silver's true identity, either. All I have to do is be careful."
"I won't attempt to stop you if you're confident. Just do not forget, there's a world of difference between announcing something yourself and having it be exposed by someone else."
"I won't. All right then, I guess I'm off to see Duke Kleinert."
And so, in a practiced routine, I changed my outfit and morphed into Silver, gave Sebas my regards, and set off. Ancient magic—the now-archaic magic once practiced in the ancient magic era—was more difficult to wield than modern magic and was said to rely more heavily on a practitioner's natural gifts. However, it was also tremendously effective.
The effective range of my transfer magic included nearly all of Adrasia. In other words, the whole empire was basically my own backyard. I could go wherever I liked and return whenever I wanted. It cost an immense amount of mana, but I did my best to ignore that fact.
Knowing I was preparing to use such grand magic, Sebas cautioned me with a serious expression.
"By the way, Duke Kleinert's daughter is Blau Mowe. She is a young woman of unmatched beauty. Take care that you don't let her looks become a distraction."
"Sebas. You just can't rest until you get one last piece of advice in, can you?"
"That is my duty, after all."
"Ugh... Fine. Take care of things here while I'm gone."
"Yes, Your Highness."
With that, I used my transfer magic, instantly completing what would have been a five-day journey on horseback from the imperial capital to the Kleinert territory.