“Your Majesty…”
A man visited me in the middle of the night.
I’d been working on some documents, so I paused in my efforts. I was glad he hadn’t walked in on me with a woman.
“What is it? Did you find anything important?”
Since learning that nobles in various regions were engaged in illegal activities, I’d deployed veteran spies to investigate. This one had been looking into Barbatos Guerrera.
“Guerrera’s fief is procuring a large number of supplies, both foodstuffs and a stockpile of weapons.”
“So you think he does mean to rebel?”
“Well…during my investigation, I encountered a man who said to inform you to not make any rash moves.”
“Rash moves?”
“Yes,” the man confirmed. “I thought he might have been another one of your agents.”
“I’ve only sent one person to each region. You should be the sole spy in Guerrera’s fief.”
“Is that right? He said that you would know who he was once I told you that he seeks to be normal.”
Seeks to be normal…? I realized who it was at once.
“Ah, yes, I see. Yes, in that case, we must trust his judgment.”
“Is he really that important of a man?”
“We cannot get in his way,” I answered.
“He calls himself Anry, and Barbatos’s soldiers regard him as their teacher. He seems to hold quite a bit of sway.”
“Mm-hmm. I thought he was away in Bardenhawk… He must have sniffed out something amiss and gotten involved of his own accord.”
“He hasn’t been there for long, but he’s strangely charismatic—there’s something charmingly enigmatic about him that’s garnered popularity with the local soldiers.”
“Ah, I think I understand what you’re getting at.”
Roland was, to put it simply, very cool. Enough to garner respect from other men. No, not in that way. No, really, though.
Regardless, something was going on in Barbatos’s domain that was important enough for Roland to set aside his work in Bardenhawk…
“Even if they plan on launching a rebellion, we have Almelia. Surely Barbatos understands that much.”
“Perhaps the aim isn’t to seize total control of the country, but to have Your Majesty concede to their interests in a negotiation?”
“No, that wouldn’t be enough to appease him.”
In truth, I didn’t know Barbatos Guerrera well. He was the scion of a ruined noble family, had been adopted into the Guerrera household, and was in his thirties—that’s where my knowledge ended. He’d made little impression in the past.
“What would you like me to do now?”
“Hmm… Stick close to this man who seeks to be normal and help him as you are able. Report to me on his activities every once in a while.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
With that, the spy disappeared.
“Almelia, who is the supposed greatest military asset in the world, and the high cleric Serafin both reside in the castle, and yet…”
Actually, I wanted Serafin to depart for her home or church sooner rather than later. She had made the wine cellar her private chambers. The casks would run dry in another half year’s time…
“Does this mean…that Barbatos has a mightier army than I do?”
Considering the stockpile of food Barbatos had been hoarding, I decided the matter demanded further investigation.