“That said, Ren has yet to catastrophically worsen a situation,” Fiona said. “In fact, though I’m reluctant to call it his achievement, civilian casualties were reduced thanks to you all defeating the undead. That extra time you bought us might very well have been what made both the defense of Tenend and the defeat of the necromancer possible.”
“You managed to defend that canyon city?” I murmured.
“Yes, though our losses were by no means minor...” Fiona’s voice trailed off, her expression clouded. “To stop the sudden assault by the undead, we had no choice but to use Elysia’s magic to destroy both bridges leading to the city. The flow of people and goods will be greatly disrupted for a while.”
I recalled the imposing sight of Tenend, built atop a plateau. If both bridges spanning the canyon had been destroyed, then the only way to enter the city would be through the steep mountain forest behind it. While the undead invasion might have been stopped, that was still a steep price to pay.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost,” Fiona continued. “I imagine funds for repairing the bridges will come from the national treasury. Marquess Daramat is an influential figure, so I suspect he’ll have little trouble securing them. Honestly, we’re lucky things didn’t turn out worse.”
“Yeah...” We wouldn’t have gone out west if it hadn’t been for Amyu’s insistence. If that was what had saved the people of Tenend, then perhaps her efforts had been worthwhile.
I had a sudden realization. “You didn’t know all this confusion was coming through your future sight?” If she’d known about Ren’s unauthorized actions beforehand, she could have taken precautions—such as entrusting us with a sealed letter to be opened along the way.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t know,” Fiona said, a bitter look washing over her face. “It’s one of the weaknesses of this power. If Ren’s impatience had led to something disastrous, I likely would have noticed. But since the outcome was ultimately favorable, I perceived no issues in the future. To realize his scheme, I would’ve had to witness the very moment it came to light just now. I’m not able to choose what I see.”
“I see.” I was starting to understand how difficult it was to make use of future sight. I already knew it wasn’t all-powerful, but it was surprisingly inconvenient. Although she could see the future, it seemed like she could only view it through a tiny hole. “Yet you accomplish so much with it, despite the limitations.”
If she could truly see the future, one would think she could always get ahead of any political rival, but apparently, things weren’t that convenient. Princess or not, Fiona was still just a sixteen-year-old girl. The imperial court must have seemed like a den of monsters.
“It just requires effort.” Fiona held her hands up in front of her face and made a small fist with both. It was a charming gesture befitting a girl her age—not what one would expect from a schemer. “I won’t lose. Not even to Hiltzel,” she said with a smile.
Falling silent, I thought back on the first prince. He was a terrifying man, intelligent and ruthless. The conviction to become emperor, no matter what. Even knowing the extent of my power, he stood before me without a trace of fear for his own life. I had to wonder where that madness came from.
“He’s hard on himself,” Elysia murmured. “I was his fiancée, so I’ve known him since we were little. He was always incredible. He’d swing a sword until he collapsed, then cast spells until he passed out. With that frail body of his, he’d say, ‘I have to be capable of more than this if I want to be emperor.’ I can’t even count how many times I had to carry him to a doctor. And he didn’t even take swordplay and magic that seriously. When it came to studying, even his most strict tutors worried about how obsessed he was.” Elysia’s expression darkened as she continued. “He’s right that he’s best suited to becoming the next emperor.”
“What do you mean?”
“He really is the most suitable person. Even with his poor health, there’s nobody who would do a better job than him. That’s what he believes, and he’s probably right. If someone more fit to be emperor than himself were to appear, I’m sure he’d acknowledge it and step down, even if it pained him.”
I understood her point. If there were someone more suitable, those leaving him wouldn’t be joining the emperor’s faction. And as there were currently no candidates for adoption, there was little hope of finding anyone outside the imperial court. Even if it costs tens of thousands of lives, he would enrich the nation enough to balance the scales.
Hiltzel wasn’t simply ruthless or insane—I got the feeling he could genuinely pull such a thing off. If the throne was beyond the capabilities of ordinary men, then perhaps he truly was the one most suited to it. But that didn’t mean I could approve of him taking it.
“Still, just being suitable isn’t enough.” Elysia lifted her gaze, looking off into the distance. “There are many things he lacks, and people will suffer as a result. Somebody has to stop him.”
“And that’s why you pledged your loyalty to Fiona?” I asked, looking at Elysia. “Hiltzel is your fiancé, which would make you the future empress.”
Fiona and Elysia should have been at odds. Siding with Fiona meant betraying Hiltzel and giving up her own chance to become empress. While she didn’t strike me as the type to actively desire the position, it would still greatly affect her family’s future. It couldn’t have been an easy decision.
“Not exactly. I do want to stop him, but that isn’t the only reason. I owe Fiona a debt.”
“You do?”
“And now that we’re friends, I can tell. Fiona has what he’s missing. She’ll make an excellent emperor! That’s why I became her holy knight!” Elysia said with a grin.
Her words filled me with a faint sense of unease. Elysia was no doubt a crucial ally, worth any amount of effort. There were very few people in this world who approached her level of strength. Fiona was truly fortunate to have such a person owe her a debt.
I glanced at Fiona and saw her smiling back at me. Then it hit me.
“Ah... I get it now.”
It wasn’t just fortunate. Fiona had known that Elysia desired what she could offer and deliberately approached her. Using her future sight, she could even create an opportunity to make Elysia owe her a debt. After that, it was simple. She just needed to build a connection and make Elysia recognize her value—she was someone with a legitimate claim to the throne and thus capable of building a faction rivaling Hiltzel’s. All without Elysia realizing her ulterior motives.
That must have been how Fiona had turned all those who met her criteria into her holy knights. The emperor was a position an ordinary person wasn’t suited to—but what about her?
“Oh, I know. How about you become a holy knight too, Seika?”
“Huh?” I cried out in surprise.
“If you become a holy knight, people who wanna use you will stay away!” Elysia continued as though she’d come up with a brilliant idea. “And if anything happens, Fiona will help you! Having you as one of us would be really reassuring too!” she said with a cheerful smile.
There was certainly merit to the proposal. The Hero’s party was currently under Fiona’s patronage, but that was temporary. It was likely that there were many people with their eyes on Amyu, or even me. Joining the holy knights would offer us political protection. But at the end of the day, that would be no different than serving under Hiltzel.
“Elysia, don’t trouble Seika,” Fiona interjected before I could answer.
“But—”
“We have enough holy knights. It’s not something we should pressure him into.”
“Really? All right, if you say so...” Elysia sounded disappointed.
“Sorry,” I said to Fiona, feeling a little awkward.
“It’s fine.” Fiona gave me an understanding smile. “I don’t intend to drag you into political conflict.”
“I appreciate that.” She seemed to understand how I felt. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder.
Why does Fiona go so far to help us? I assumed she had seen some kind of undesirable future and wanted to prevent some kind of turmoil in the empire involving Amyu’s or my strength, but I feel like she’s been way too friendly for that to be the only reason.
“However,” Fiona said with a sly grin, “there’s something I’d like to hear from you already.”
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Come now, Seika. Isn’t there something you’re forgetting to say?” Fiona had a beaming smile on her face.
Then I realized what she wanted. I frowned, but it was the second time now. I couldn’t keep avoiding it forever. Holding back a sigh, I prepared myself to speak.
“Umm... You look very pretty today.”
“Huh?”
“The dress you wore at the party suited you perfectly as well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman as beautiful as you in all my life. I mean that.”
“E-Excuse me?!”
“Was that what you wanted?” I asked, feeling a little uncomfortable.
Fiona’s face flushed red from her neck to her cheeks, her eyes wide. Her lips moved as if to say something, but she could only sputter helplessly. “Wha... You... Agh...”
“What’s wrong?”
“N-No! That isn’t what I meant!”
“It wasn’t?”
“Y-You know! That was a dangerous situation, wasn’t it? With my brother! And I stepped in to help you!”
“Yeah...” Fiona was unusually flustered, her words all over the place, but even I realized the misunderstanding. “That’s what you meant, huh? Sorry. I really appreciate the help. Worst-case scenario, I could’ve wound up getting taken into Hiltzel’s faction. This is twice now you’ve covered for me. I’m truly grateful.”
Fiona was still a politician, as dangerous as any other. Perhaps it was wrong for me to approach her carelessly. Despite that, given all she had done for us, I wanted to believe in her as much as possible.
“Yes, yes... That’s more like it.” Fiona sighed, avoiding looking at me for some reason as she nodded. “I wasn’t remotely prepared for that...” she mumbled, fanning her face with her hand. “I never expected Seika to...” Giggling, she suddenly broke into a wide grin.
“I’ve never seen this side of Fiona!”
“So even the princess can get embarrassed...”
The two holy knights whispered to each other behind Fiona.
I felt a delayed wave of shame finally wash over me. What a ridiculous misunderstanding. Why did I remember being told to compliment her appearance now of all times?
“I think I got the wrong idea,” I said, trying to cover for myself. “Just forget what I said. I’m sure you’ve received better compliments before.”
“No, I’ll never forget it,” Fiona said, her face completely serious.