“I am deeply grateful for this honor!”
Having successfully obtained the Emperor’s commitment, I began to speak calmly.
“Then, Your Majesty, please use this opportunity to claim that I strongly demanded my mother’s release, leading you to see me as an enemy agent. Have me bound and thrown into the forest as food for monsters. If you do so, the Dark Elves will surely appear to recruit me.”
“…I see. Their goal is to reclaim Luna-sama and seek revenge against the Empire. Therefore, they would try to enlist Lord Luke, who is familiar with the inner workings of the Imperial Court and the structure of the palace. Besides, Lord Luke is a member of the Dark Elf royalty…”
Count Saint-Germain stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Following the trail of those who appear there will reveal Princess Olivia’s location, is that it?”
The Emperor also groaned in contemplation.
“Yes! I am in the position of a ‘failure who can’t even use magic properly.’ It would be no surprise if I incurred His Majesty’s displeasure for voicing my opinion without knowing my place and was abandoned.”
“…But even they will be wary of a trap. Even if they appear as planned, tracking them while they are on alert would be difficult, even for skilled spies.”
“There is no need to worry. I will have my tamed Hellhound track them. The Dark Elves may be wary of human trackers, but they shouldn’t be as cautious of magical beasts. Using a canine magical beast with excellent senses of smell and hearing will ensure that they don’t lose me, even if the distance increases.”
“I see. That’s what the magical beast is for…!”
“Hmm, a splendid plan indeed.”
Having earned their praise, I pressed on further.
“I will pretend to join the Dark Elves and gather information. Your Majesty, please gather troops and have them storm their stronghold in two days. I will take advantage of the chaos to rescue the Princess.”
“…A brilliant strategy. I would like to commend your resolve! However, your chances of success alone, even with the power of that magical beast, are quite low.”
The Emperor cast a stern gaze at me.
“You will likely be killed. Are you still willing to proceed?”
“Even if I fail, the chances of the Imperial Army successfully rescuing the Princess with a surprise attack will be significantly higher than the original plan. More importantly…”
I paused and looked up at the Emperor.
“How can I claim to succeed the Lion Emperor Alvaise if I cannot accomplish something of this magnitude? I am the son of the father who was born to become the next ruler!”
I declared confidently.
I was beginning to understand to some extent what kind of man Emperor Alvaise desired as his successor.
This man favors those who are like himself: ambitious, powerful, confident, and blessed with good fortune. Alvaise desires such a man as his successor.
In the game’s main story, Diana was betrayed by the Emperor after conquering the continent because, while she was an excellent weapon, she lacked the qualities of a leader.
A weapon that is no longer useful could potentially turn against him. In times of peace, it would be appropriate to dispose of it.
“Hahaha! Good! Excellent! You say you will risk your life to walk the path of a ruler… I like it! Luke, you certainly have my blood in you!”
“Yes!”
The Emperor’s eyes gleamed with excitement, and he applauded.
Of course, I have no interest in the path of conquest.
My wish is to save my mother, prevent Diana from falling into darkness, protect Olivia, and live happily with my beloved family.
If that can be achieved, I will do anything.
Unlike my previous life, I now have the power to protect my mother—to protect everyone.
“Father, please wait! Diana will go with Brother too!”
Diana, wearing a determined expression, burst in. Apparently, she had been eavesdropping outside the open door.
“Diana!?”
“Diana has trained and become very, very strong! If Diana is with you, we can definitely rescue Princess Olivia!”
“…That is certainly true!”
Count Saint-Germain gasped.
With Diana along, the chances of success would be significantly higher.
If I were the only bait, it would be a bit of a gamble whether the Dark Elves would come to meet me, but with Diana, who has a reputation for strength, they would be wary but would definitely make contact.
However, I was still reluctant to take my seven-year-old sister into a dangerous situation.
“No, wait, Diana…!”
As I was about to speak, Diana vehemently interrupted me.
“Brother left Diana behind in the battle with Xylas, didn’t you? I don’t want to be left behind again! Do you know how worried Diana was when I heard about it later!?”
Diana’s eyes were filled with tears.
“If you leave Diana behind again and marry Princess Olivia, Diana will wreak havoc at the wedding!”
“Ugh… that would be a problem.”
“Diana also wants to save Mother! Diana can imagine what will happen to Mother if things continue like this! Mother is now locked in the dungeon of the Prison Tower, and we can’t even see her!”
It seemed I hadn’t considered my sister’s feelings.
Diana must also want to save Mother.
And if Mother is imprisoned in the dungeon, it’s safe to say that the countdown to her assassination has already begun.
If we fail to rescue Olivia, the Emperor will, as in the game scenario, kill Mother to quell the Dark Elf rebellion.
To change fate, we need to take a do-or-die gamble here.
“You’re right. That’s right. Let’s save Mother together, Diana!”
“Yes, Brother!”
“…She is still immature, but Diana’s usefulness as a weapon is right here, right now…”
The Emperor was deep in thought.
His concern was probably that Diana and I would betray the Empire and side with the Dark Elves.
I had considered that to some extent, but if the Dark Elves were trying to trigger a war between the Empire and the Kingdom by killing Olivia, then we could never be compatible with them.
“Your Majesty, I apologize for the late report, but Princess Olivia and I have exchanged a kiss and are already lovers. At that time, I swore to Princess Olivia that I would protect her no matter what! Therefore, there is no way I would ever defect to the Dark Elves!”
“What!? When did you…”
The Emperor was understandably surprised.
“Your Majesty, I believe that is not a lie. Princess Olivia has seemed very close to Prince Luke since the ball. If Prince Luke succeeds in rescuing the Princess, an alliance with Macedonia will likely be established. It is truly a desperate move. This is where the battle lies…”
Saint-Germain’s words were the deciding factor.
“Very well. I order Luke and Diana to rescue Princess Olivia!”
The Emperor looked at me with expectant eyes.
“This is a crucial mission that will determine the future of the Empire. If you succeed, I will grant Luke the third-in-line right to the Imperial throne and approve his engagement to Princess Olivia! I have high expectations, Luke!”
“Yes! I will definitely meet Your Majesty’s expectations!”
I knelt and swore.
To win a happy future for the people I love.
Now, let the decisive battle begin. The power I have cultivated is for this very moment…!