A few days later, I was summoned by His Imperial Majesty and was now facing him in the Audience Chamber of the Imperial Castle.
Marishielle was also present, and the two of them, with their long, silver hair that shimmered with a faint purple hue, looked very much like siblings when they stood side by side.
His Imperial Majesty smiled and bowed his head slightly.
“I apologize for summoning you, Marquis Okuno. I understand you have been resting at home for the past few days. Have you recovered from your fatigue?”
“Yes, thanks to you, I was able to rest well. However, I find myself at a loss when I’m not active as an adventurer.”
“Fufu. It’s still quite a commotion when you go out into the city. I suppose it can’t be helped that you’re staying home for a while. But, I’m pleased to say that we’ve finally tracked down the merchant involved with the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’.”
“Thank you. Was it from the Vermilian Kingdom, as expected?”
In response to my question, His Imperial Majesty pointed to a map on the desk and answered.
“Yes, it seems so. They entered the Kingdom from the Empire, traveled south through Count Karman’s territory, bypassed the Royal Capital, skirted the Beastkin Village, passed through several farming villages, and headed towards the Armand Duchy. Unfortunately, their trail disappeared before they reached the Duchy, so that’s all we know.”
“Is it possible that they were merchants from the Duchy?”
“Yes, that’s a possibility. Of course, they could have traveled further south from the Duchy to the Country of Mecalinan. Some of the merchants were even said to have spoken with a Mecalinan accent.”
“I see… Considering that the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ was active in Mecalinan and the Royal Capital of the Kingdom, there’s a possibility that their base is somewhere in that area—”
Come to think of it, the Cardinal had said that the priest who was impersonating the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ in the Royal Capital came from the Armand Duchy. I had brushed it off at the time, but I never thought it would connect in this way.
Perhaps noticing my silence, His Imperial Majesty frowned.
“What’s wrong? Did something occur to you, Marquis Okuno?”
“Yes. One of the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ members I encountered in the Royal Capital said they came from the Armand Duchy. This information connects with that, so I was a bit surprised.”
“I see. Perhaps that is the power of your ‘Karma’. In any case, I will pass this information on to the King of Vermilian. They will take appropriate action there, so if you intend to go there as well, it might be better to wait a while. That way, more information will have been gathered.”
“Understood. Actually, I was planning to visit the hometown of the members of ‘Soul’s Guidance’ on my way, so that might be for the best. I was planning to go to the Armand Duchy anyway, and I expect to be summoned by the Country of Mecalinan soon, so I’ll be going there as well.”
“I see, the Saint was originally a daughter of the House of Duke Armand. There seem to be various circumstances there, but if there’s any trouble, you can use my name.”
His Imperial Majesty smiled with narrowed eyes, exuding a slightly mischievous air.
Marishielle laughed at the sight, so perhaps that was His Imperial Majesty’s true personality.
“I’ll be careful to avoid that.”
“Fufufu, but if Marishielle is with you, they might take it into consideration without you even saying anything.”
His Imperial Majesty laughed even more merrily. This time, Marishielle did not laugh along, but instead lowered her face in embarrassment.
I was at a loss for words at that joke. Seeing me nod with a grimace, His Imperial Majesty looked even more amused.
Now that he mentioned it, I realized that I hadn’t fully understood what it meant for Marishielle to be a member of ‘Soul’s Guidance’. If he had sensed that and made that joke, then this young Emperor was truly a talented youth.
“And the summons from the Country of Mecalinan, is that perhaps for the distribution of rewards for the recapture of the Royal Capital?”
On the other hand, His Imperial Majesty showed the face of a ruler when he asked this question.
“Yes, that’s the plan. It was simply not the right time immediately after the battle, so it was postponed.”
“Then, you will be granted a peerage in the Country of Mecalinan as well. The new King is still young, so perhaps they will ask for your help?”
“The new King has an excellent guardian, so I won’t be needed.”
“Ah, Marquis Lagantz, was it? Her reputation has reached even here. She’s quite the formidable woman. Lord Soushi, you must have had dealings with her as well?”
His Imperial Majesty once again looked at me with mischievous eyes.
It was a relief that Marishielle hadn’t noticed anything.
“Y-yes. I was taken care of in various ways when I got lost in the Country of Mecalinan.”
“Fufu, taken care of, you say? Her encounter with Lord Soushi must have been a godsend for her. After all, you saved them from a war that was turning into a quagmire.”
“…That may be so.”
I answered, but I was quite curious about what kind of conversation I would have with that Marchioness Lagantz when I went to Mecalinan.
In any case, the conversation about Mecalinan ended there, and I then consulted with His Imperial Majesty about the ‘Dragon’s Cradle’.
Naturally, permission to enter was granted on the spot, and it was decided that I would prepare tomorrow and enter the day after tomorrow.
“Sir Soushi, of course, I will be joining you, won’t I?”
“Of course, that’s my intention, but I apologize, I haven’t asked about Lady Marishielle’s schedule.”
“I’ll adjust my schedule no matter what! I’m looking forward to seeing how deep we can go!”
His Imperial Majesty had shown his depth in the previous exchange, but he could only give a wry smile in front of his sister, who was beaming with excitement.