Margrave of Melrose. He is the prime minister of this country and also the head of the Shadow Unit.
…So he has noticed. I denied his words, but I felt that our exchange gave him certainty. It can’t be helped. The moment I saw him up close, I also felt that he was a close blood relative of mine.
For now, I’m still under the Princess’s protection, so I don’t think he’ll resort to forceful measures. Still, if he believes there’s a blood connection with me, he’s unlikely to give up easily. If I were to admit it here, I’d be caught up in fate once again. …But, is this slight feeling of loneliness because I’ve sensed that blood connection?
Perhaps the Prime Minister felt something similar, as he then, looking a little older, calmly moved on to the topic of the reward for us, the ‘Rainbow Sword’.
“The reward for you all this time will be one thousand large gold coins. Normally, you would pay ten percent of this to the Adventurers Guild as a brokerage fee, but because you subjugated an Elemental Dragon in the Empire, the situation is a little different.”
One thousand large gold coins… Even if we split this six ways, each person’s share would be more than a Commoner earns in their entire lifetime. The brokerage fee is unavoidable. Most adventurers are Freemen who don’t pay taxes other than tolls, so this fee serves as a substitute for tax on their rewards.
However, since a Commoner’s taxes are forty to fifty percent of their income, adventurers who explore undeveloped lands at the country’s request are treated quite favorably.
In return, things are a bit different when it comes to materials. What the Prime Minister meant by the “situation is a little different” was due to the materials from the Black Dragon we defeated.
“The Black Dragon materials you brought back, excluding what you’ve kept for personal use, will all be purchased by the state. The appraisal isn’t complete yet, but it’s roughly three hundred large gold coins. If you had brought the whole thing back, it would have been an order of magnitude higher, though.”
“Don’t ask the impossible. Even the Empire’s army probably couldn’t have recovered it all. We did hand over the Magic Stone to the Empire, but…”
“We will compensate you for that to some extent as well. My apologies, Dolton. Thanks to your astuteness, our debt to the Empire has been significantly reduced.”
“We had heard about the arrangements from Her Highness the Princess. And, as expected, the Guild wants the materials?”
“They’re rare Black Dragon materials. The Merchant Guild behind them will undoubtedly want them desperately.”
The Adventurers Guild branched off from the Mercenary Guild with funding from the Merchant Guild. Therefore, all materials brought in by adventurers fall under the jurisdiction of the Merchant Guild.
The brokerage fee is ten percent, but for materials, twenty percent is deducted as a commission, and half of that is paid to the country as tax. The remaining ten percent covers the Guild’s operating costs, but since Guild staff receive wages from the Merchant Guild, that amount is apparently sufficient. In return, adventurers who sell materials without going through the Guild face severe penalties.
In short, the Adventurers Guild is run on the profits generated by the Merchant Guild handling Monster materials, including Magic Stones. That’s why the Merchant Guild, rather than just the commission (half of which also goes to taxes), desired the various profits from handling the Black Dragon materials.
However, since this Black Dragon was hunted in the Calfaan Empire, the Merchant Guild of the Kingdom of Claydale has no rights to it. We’ve already paid the tax portion to the Empire in the form of the Magic Stone, so all other rights belong to us.
“The Guild is demanding twenty percent of the materials instead of their usual commission. Honestly, the state also wants to secure some, so it will be a troublesome negotiation over which materials to hand over… but your share will increase, so that’s fine with you, right?”
“Ah, that would be helpful.”
The Prime Minister and Dolton had such a conversation, and it concluded smoothly without any dispute.
Our reward, aside from the one thousand large gold coins, was another one thousand large gold coins to compensate for the Magic Stone given to the Empire, including the value of other materials. In total, it came to two thousand large gold coins.
We’ve secured a few scales for ourselves, Feld has one horn, and Mira has one wing membrane, so there are no problems. Originally, the search for the Princess was already over, and Elena-sama had asked them to find me, but Dolton and the others had come looking for me anyway, so if it’s not enough, I can just share my portion of the reward with everyone.
“Also, those who wish will be granted a noble title. It’s just a nominal lower noble rank without territory, but Dolton and Viro, you two will be compelled to accept.”
“We understand.”
Dolton went from being a life peer to a baronet. In the Kingdom of Claydale, a nation of humans, that’s about the limit for demi-humans. Feld is a former noble, so he doesn’t need a title now, and I think Mira will also refuse. Jesha looked a little wistful, but unfortunately, she’s not eligible.
Conversely, Viro readily nodded at the Prime Minister’s words because it’s already been decided that he will become a knight of the Shadow Unit.
“This concludes the matter of the rewards. You’ve been a great help this time. Now, get plenty of rest. And Aria.”
“…Yes?”
I replied to the Prime Minister, who had called out to me even as he said the discussion was over. He looked at me with a slightly pained expression, then immediately fixed me with a sharp gaze.
“You will continue to guard Her Highness the Princess. Her Highness is thinking of the deadline as when His Highness the Crown Prince graduates from the academy, but if the noble faction hasn’t all quieted down by then, what will you do?”
Was that question asking me to remain in the castle, or was he expressing some expectation? But I’ve already decided from the beginning.
“I will eliminate them all by then.”
“…I see. In that case, once the royal family provides you with the perception-inhibiting magic tool, I will permit you a certain degree of recklessness as a Shadow Unit Section Chief. Fulfill your duty.”
“Yes, sir.”
I will act as the Princess’s decoy to draw out the enemy. For that purpose, the Prime Minister has given me permission to eliminate them.
Even without permission, I would probably do it. But… precisely because of that, it felt as though he was trying to protect me by putting it into words.
The Magic Academy had started at the beginning of this year, and by the time the princesses who had fallen into the desert returned, summer was already drawing to a close. Summer in the Kingdom of Claydale isn’t as hot as in the Empire, but the humidity is high. However, perhaps because there’s a lot of greenery even in the city, if you chose the right spot, a refreshing breeze would blow, bringing with it a slight hint of autumn.
It was thought that the Magic Academy would resume immediately upon Princess Elena’s return, but in reality, there was still no clear prospect of that.
To begin with, many of the lower nobles who don’t have mansions in the Royal Capital have returned to their home territories. Even if they received news of the reopening via a Long-Distance Communication Device, it would take over a month for nobles from rural areas to return, so a reopening date couldn’t be easily decided.
Another issue was that after the crop harvest ended and the agricultural off-season began, the social scene would become active, and thus the Magic Academy, attended by nobles, also had a long winter vacation.
Normally, it’s customary for the children of nobles whose homes are far away to remain in the Royal Capital during the winter and engage in social activities. However, since lower nobles sometimes prioritize their home territories over the social scene, some nobles decided not to return until next year, even if the academy reopened now.
Nevertheless, some nobles had not returned to their homes and were already back at the academy. These were the third-year students graduating this year.
These nobles, who turned fifteen this year, needed to graduate from the academy as proof of their adulthood. Lower nobles weren’t so particular about it, but those from baronial houses and above—the middle-ranking nobility—were eligible to attend the graduation party held at the royal castle, and attending it was a source of pride.
For these reasons, nobles of middle rank and above, as well as lower nobles who had secured positions in the Royal Capital’s knightly orders or government offices, were busily rushing around the academy preparing for graduation.
“It’s not as if we are completely unrelated to this either…” Elena-sama murmured.
“It brings back memories, doesn’t it?”
To Elena-sama’s softly spoken words, Sera-san, who had officially become the head lady-in-waiting of the Princess Palace from this occasion, smiled nostalgically.
“It’s not just students who can participate in the parties held at the royal castle, after all.”
Graduating students can bring one person of the opposite sex as their partner.
Most of these partners were the students’ fiancés, and it was an unspoken understanding to bring one’s fiancé as a partner, except in cases of illness or if the partner was too young.
If a fiancé wasn’t decided, or if the individuals wished to dissolve their engagement, they could invite someone they were interested in, and if they received a favorable reply, that person could be their partner. However, whether that person would become their fiancé due to family circumstances was uncertain.
Of course, there were also cases where a partner wasn’t found by the end, in which case young maids or butlers from the castle would act as escorts. Since those working in the castle were often nobles themselves, it was said that sometimes they would take a liking to each other and become engaged.
“Sera-san, I’ve heard you received invitations from quite a number of gentlemen.”
“My current husband was a junior who wasn’t even on my radar back then. Your Highness, haven’t you also received invitations?”
At Sera-san’s words, Elena-sama smiled ambiguously, as if with a wry smile.
Even for first-year students like Elena-sama and Aria-san, when the academy reopened, there was a possibility of receiving invitations from third-years who hadn’t yet decided on a partner.
If one didn’t have a fiancé, they had some freedom in choosing a partner, but for someone in Elena-sama’s position, politics were heavily involved, so she couldn’t easily accept an invitation even if she received one. This was because there was a general trend of making one’s fiancé their partner, so the surrounding nobles would see them as the closest match.
“Back then, Father chose a viscount’s daughter as his partner instead of the Dandole princess, who was his primary fiancée. I hear that caused quite a stir, didn’t it? It continues to be a difficult situation even now, but if Mother had withdrawn from the engagement because of it, I wonder if Father would have secretly had to drink a poisoned chalice?”
If this weren’t her private room, Elena-sama’s words, which could be taken as disrespectful even between a father and daughter, were met with a faint smile from her. Sera-san, as if she hadn’t heard, re-brewed the tea.
Indeed, if the Dandole princess had also withdrawn, just like the other fiancées who had declined, it’s possible His Majesty the former King might have made the second prince, who died young, the Crown Prince. As Elena-sama said, to prevent a royal family member who caused trouble from creating succession disputes later on, such a worst-case scenario was conceivable.
With Elena-sama having decided to become queen, in a truly worst-case scenario, Crown Prince Elvan could also end up like that.
Her earlier laughter wasn’t directed at her father; Elena-sama was laughing at her own cold-hearted self, who wouldn’t stop aiming for the throne for the sake of the nation and its people, even if such a possibility existed.
(…This isn’t very good.)
Sera-san sensed that Elena-sama’s mental state was reverting to how it was in the past when she fought alone.
Currently, Aria-san was down in the Royal Capital to repair her armor, which had been damaged in the life-or-death battle in the desert. It was necessary, so it couldn’t be helped, but Elena-sama had been in a similar state in the past when Aria-san had gone missing.
Even if she had been praised as more capable than adults since childhood and had decided to become queen for the people, Elena-sama was still just a young girl who had recently turned thirteen.
Because the Crown Prince was infatuated with a viscount’s daughter and neglecting his official duties, Elena-sama had taken on his share of the work.
This hadn’t changed even when Elena-sama was sent to the desert, and even now, having just returned, she was forced to expend enormous effort to clear the backlog of work accumulated by the Crown Prince, who had supposedly gone to a Dungeon.
Many nobles and related parties were currently visiting for audiences, and just screening them took a lot of time. Although she had subordinate civil officials, political judgment required experience, and even Sera-san, who was capable of it, felt that this time it was truly too much.
Normally, her mother, the Second Queen, would be the one to screen them, but it seemed she had no intention of doing so.
In such a situation, being separated from the one person who could be called her only friend, even if only for a few days, was likely causing her inner fatigue to surface.
Despite this state, Elena-sama outwardly maintained the facade of a perfect princess and successfully concluded her discussions with academy officials who had come to meet her regarding the reopening of the academy and the graduation party.
There were no more audiences for the day, and thinking she could finally rest a little, Elena-sama walked down the corridor with a faint smile, when she and Sera-san noticed a familiar face approaching from the other end.
“Oh, Clara-san. It’s been a while.”
“…Elena-sama, I am delighted to see you have returned safely.”
The person was Clara Dandole, Elena-sama’s cousin and Crown Prince Elvan’s primary fiancée. The reason she hadn’t shown her face immediately upon her cousin’s return was likely because the rift between them had not yet been mended.
(Still… her impression has changed quite a bit.)
Seeing Clara-san’s noble face after a long time, Sera-san felt a mixture of admiration and caution.
Perhaps because she had obtained a Divine Protection (Gift) in the Dungeon, Clara-san no longer seemed to have that victim-like dependence she once had. However, it wasn’t because she had matured, but rather, it seemed she was driven solely by an obsessive passion.
If only she had a “solace” for her heart like Aria-san was for Elena-sama, but since her fiancé, who should have been her source of comfort, was devoted to another woman, Clara-san was in an even more mentally severe state than Elena-sama.
But more than that, Sera-san was concerned about the four maids accompanying her. Noticing Sera-san’s gaze, Clara-san narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke.
“These individuals are ‘Escort Maids’ I newly hired in the northern lands. They will be a great help to me.”
“That’s quite formidable.”
When Clara-san introduced them, the maids bowed silently. In response to their demeanor and Clara-san’s words, Elena-sama replied with slightly barbed words.
Although it wasn’t an official occasion, Clara-san had mentioned ‘Escort Maids’ in a place where others were present. Of course, they probably weren’t members of the Shadow Unit, but they were likely ‘combat maids’ similar to Sera-san and Aria-san. To say it aloud was tantamount to publicly declaring that she might use their power depending on the circumstances.
Elena-sama, also noticing Clara-san’s mental state, had intended her words as a warning about her behavior, but that single remark caused the aura emanating from Clara-san’s maids to intensify, and in response, Sera-san stepped forward protectively in front of Elena-sama.
It was likely their loyalty to their mistress caused their emotions to flare up so strongly. However, Elena-sama and Sera-san sensed that the origin of those emotions was not themselves, but something else.
Aria-san… even if she wasn’t present, her existence had a significant influence on those who lived in the shadows.
And Elena-sama found herself inexplicably drawn to the eyes of one of those maids—eyes burning with hatred, peeking out from under a fringe so long it obscured her expression.
In such a tense atmosphere, both Elena-sama and Clara-san fell silent. Then, a cheerful voice, oblivious to the mood, called out to them.
“Oh my, what are you all doing?”
But… contrary to the cheerful tone of voice, the scent of “death” drifting from the aura she emitted caused Clara-san’s maids to tense up.
Dull black hair that undulated gently…
On her morbidly pale skin, only her purple eyes, with terrible dark circles under them, shone brightly as she gazed at Elena-sama and Clara-san.
“Karla-san…”
Regarding the reward, based on everyone’s opinions that it was either appropriate or too low, we’ve added a bonus to the material cost, bringing the total to 2 billion yen.
Next time, Aria-san’s shopping trip.