Chapter 133

Variables and Changes (2)

On the streets of Battengart, the kingdom's capital, people murmured as the lavish carriage passed.

No, it was more than murmuring. It was causing a stir.

"That carriage..."

"That's what I think it is, right?"

A carriage directly reflected its owner's authority and standing. Its distinction depended on its design and ornamentation, and especially on the number of horses pulling it.

An ordinary noble's carriage was drawn by four horses. Only the high nobles who held the kingdom in their grasp could use six.

For reference, the carriage I had brought to the capital had three.

But the carriage I was riding in now had—

A full eight horses.

It was a carriage that symbolized the authority and prestige of the royal court.

["You are an honored guest of the royal court. This is only the treatment you deserve, so don't feel burdened."]

Then he had added in a whisper:

["More importantly, the crown princess is visiting her family. Surely this much is only natural?"]

... That was what Leon had said when he prepared this carriage for us.

And the crown princess he was referring to was—

"Wooooow!!"

Seraphia, making a fuss right in front of me.

She was even more excited than she had been at the sight of the capital's streets.

Well, I had never seen a carriage with such lavish ornamentation and exquisite craftsmanship myself. Perhaps you had to be a queen to ride in one.

In other words, Leon genuinely believed he could win Kai's approval.

No, he was under the delusion that he already had it.

Would it take a bite from that mad dog to bring him to his senses?

... Anyway.

The lavish carriage raced toward Whitewolf county. It seemed we would arrive sooner than the outward journey had taken, but that didn't mean I could simply waste the time.

'I should finish devouring the Shameleon and Noctura on the way.'

Assimilation[C+] and Low-Light Vision[D+].

I could complete both abilities, then research combination skills, super-combination skills, and evolved skills.

And then there was this.

[Area] - 46.7 km²

[Mineral] - Runesteel Ore

[Reserves] - 1,676,420,552 tons

A truly staggering quantity of runesteel.

But that figure wasn't the amount of pure runesteel. It was runesteel “ore,” after all: iron-bearing minerals that contained runesteel.

Only after refining and smelting that ore could you obtain runesteel (RuneSteel). In other words, I needed to determine the actual runesteel content of the ore.

With gold ore, roughly five grams of gold could be extracted from a ton, giving it a purity of about 0.0005 percent. Runesteel wasn't much different from gold.

That meant the amount of pure runesteel we could actually extract was approximately 8,382 tons.

We also had to account for harmful components such as sulfur and phosphorus. What if their concentrations were high?

The poor quality of the smelted metal would make mining it worse than leaving it alone.

'I can't check its composition.'

It seemed I would have to go and check it myself. Even 8,382 tons of runesteel was enormously valuable, but I needed to consider both its quality and whether it could be mined.

In other words, it was possible the Emperor hadn't failed to discover the vein. He might have found it and chosen not to mine it.

If the quality was poor... it would be nothing more than expensive scrap metal.

But what if the runesteel's quality exceeded expectations?

It could change the course of the war. Beyond its usefulness as armor, applying runesteel to the exterior walls of buildings could overturn the very concept of siege warfare.

Was this the greatest variable of all, or nothing more than a pointless waste of effort?

I couldn't reach a conclusion without examining the site myself.

And so—

"Brother! All the other processions have stopped, but our carriage is going straight through!!"

Seraphia and I each brimmed with our own excitement and anticipation.

"Make way for the kingdom's most honored guests!! All troops, form ranks!!"

The firmly shut gates slowly opened, and the royal knights arrayed atop the walls raised their swords to their chests in unison, their silver armor gleaming in the sunlight.

"Salute our honored guests!"

Amid that majestic spectacle—

"Salute our honored guests!!!"

Their salute erupted in a roar that seemed to shake the capital.

Receiving their respects, the lavish eight-horse carriage swiftly left Battengart behind.

* * *

Battengart's inner city was home primarily to high nobles, senior officials, and the upper merchant class.

In the district closest to the palace, right beside the center of power, the residents were no ordinary nobles.

These were the people who controlled the kingdom's politics and economy. Only those who truly ran the kingdom lived here, their sumptuous mansions standing at generous intervals as though flaunting their owners' status.

Inside a spacious, dark study in the largest of those mansions—

"Your Excellency, I have a report on young Master Alex."

"What was the outcome?"

Marquis Segretus quietly raised his eyes at his confidant's words.

Alex, the marquis's third son, had attended the court social gathering. But something had been wrong with him afterward.

For some reason, he had lost his mind.

He showed no response when spoken to, and his entire body trembled as though he feared someone. If anyone came even a little closer, he wet himself in apparent terror.

Alex had become a complete imbecile. Now he couldn't even control his piss and shit.

No one knew why. No cause could be identified.

In the end, they had brought in priests from the Holy Kingdom, but...

"... I am sorry, Your Excellency."

The confidant's expression darkened as he shook his head.

As though disposing of a broken part, the marquis said,

"Make his passing painless."

Marquis Segretus was resolute. There was no compassion born of blood ties, nor any lingering attachment.

After his confidant left the study, the candle flames flickered violently as the marquis's gaze settled on the document on his desk.

A decree from the royal court.

It read as follows.

* * *

[Royal Decree] - Restrictions on Authority

: Evidence linking Chancellor Marquis Robert Segretus to Third Prince Walter Battenberg has been confirmed. Accordingly, the following restrictions shall take effect.

[Article 1] - He shall retain the office of Chancellor but be stripped of its effective powers. Under this article, he shall not participate in major royal court meetings or policy-making processes.

[Article 2] - House Segretus shall not attempt any political or diplomatic intervention without the permission of the royal court. All unofficial contact and consultation with senior officials of the kingdom or foreign delegations are prohibited.

* * *

Dozens more articles continued down the page. Leon's interrogation of Walter had exposed the relationship between Walter and Segretus.

Fortunately, the extent of his involvement hadn't been too severe, and he had somehow smoothed things over using his authority as Chancellor. Still, he had been forced to accept an unavoidable blow.

At first glance, it appeared to be political pressure from Leon to keep Marquis Segretus in check. But a look beneath the surface showed otherwise.

No, there was no need to look beneath the surface at all.

* * *

[Article 15] - House Segretus is prohibited from making direct contact with “Iliana Segretus,” who has been placed under royal protection.

Violation of this article may result in restrictions on a portion of the house's direct administrative authority.

* * *

It said so openly.

Do not harm a hair on Iliana's head.

Only one person would do something like this.

"Adrian Whitewolf..."

This was a warning he had sent to House Segretus.

"Insolent brat."

CRUMPLE!

Marquis Segretus crushed the royal decree in his fist.

Adrian had left the capital. That meant he was once again tucked away in his county on the frontier.

It should have been Segretus's turn to make a move, but...

First Prince Leon had seized complete control of the kingdom. Queen Marceline, who could have opposed him, had been murdered. Second Prince Blake was a wanted man, and Third Prince Walter... was no help whatsoever.

The very board on which he could make his moves had been overturned.

The tower of power he had built so painstakingly had come crashing down in an instant.

All because of one man.

"... Adrian Whitewolf."

That damned wastrel.

Marquis Segretus's gaze turned cold and sharp. For now, all he could do was—

GRIND!

Grit his teeth, but...

"Don't think I'll back down like this...!!"

The embers of his anger blazed.

* * *

The lavish carriage's dazzling decorations were a feast for Seraphia's eyes.

And it wasn't just the ornamentation. Its interior was even more comfortable and luxurious.

Soft cushions and delicately carved wooden fittings. The lingering fragrance of fine perfume drifting gently through the air.

Breathing it in, she found herself slipping off to sleep without realizing it.

Above all, eight horses made for incredible speed.

But on mountain trails rather than roads, they couldn't reach their full pace. The terrain was uneven and the dirt tracks rough. On narrow stretches in particular, the eight horses kept getting tangled up with one another, often making the carriage lurch.

They had to slow down, which ended up delaying the journey instead.

'This is nice...'

She actually preferred it. It meant she would have more time to spend with Adrian.

Of course, she hardly spent any time with him in practice. Just as on the journey to the capital, he frequently disappeared, saying he was going to scout the surroundings.

And whenever they were on the move—

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

He wouldn't even ride in the carriage, saying he was training his body.

Seraphia stuck her head out of the window and looked outside.

Not far away, Adrian was running alongside the carriage, keeping pace. Heavy iron equipment weighed down his entire body, with training weights dangling from him here and there.

The muscles all over his body bulged in corded ridges under the strain, so taut they looked ready to burst...

"Doesn't he seem even faster than last time?"

"H-he does, doesn't he...?"

The soldiers were even more astonished than before.

And so Seraphia couldn't so much as get a proper moment face-to-face with Adrian.

'Brother...'

She briefly recalled what had happened in the palace guest suite.

* * *

Soft, peaceful breathing filled the palace guest suite. Sound asleep where she lay slumped forward, Seraphia curled up a little.

Then someone shook her shoulder, and she twitched with a faint groan.

["Mmm..."]

["Enough sleeping. Get up."]

["... Eek!"]

She snapped fully awake and jerked her head up in alarm.

["B-Brother!!"]

Adrian was standing right in front of her?

["A-are you all right?! You're not dead?! You wouldn't wake up for so long, do you know how much I—!"]

["As you can see."]

His voice was rather brusque. In other words, it sounded no different from usual.

Seraphia's eyes darted over him, checking his condition.

His features were sharp and well-defined, his eyes as deep and intense as ever. Long lashes, a sharp jawline.

Though he looked a little tired, he was his usual self. Most importantly, the wound on his chest had vanished without a trace.

["Haaa..."]

Seraphia heaved an enormous sigh of relief.

When she raised her head again, Adrian unfolded something and held it out to her.

It was fine parchment, densely covered in writing...

["What is this?"]

["A royal decree investing you as countess, Seraphia."]

["Huh...?"]

With her mouth hanging open, Seraphia read the parchment. There, clearly written, were the words “Seraphia Whitewolf is hereby invested as countess,” with the royal seal stamped beside them.

Naturally, it couldn't be a forgery.

["I went to see His Highness Leon while you were sleeping."]

Anyone would have been exhausted after going through such major ordeals one after another, yet Adrian kept moving forward.

He could afford to rest a little.

And he could afford... to lean on her a little, too.

Even at his side, Seraphia somehow felt she hadn't lightened his burden in the slightest.

... She still wasn't any help to him.

["You should have woken me."]

["You were sleeping so soundly that I left you alone."]

As he spoke, Adrian tipped his chin toward the mirror. Seraphia turned toward it and finally saw the state she was in.

Disheveled hair. Drowsy eyes. Dried white drool, and even a clear handprint on her cheek.

She hastily rubbed her cheek, but it was no use. As she hung her head in embarrassment—

["Don't just sit there. Go get ready."]

["... Get ready?"]

["Everything we needed to do in the capital is finished. It's time to return to the county."]

Seraphia swallowed hard.

["Wh-what about you, Brother...?"]

["I'm going back, too."]

["Y-you mean! You're going back to the county, right?!"]

["Yes."]

["And that means you're not leaving our house anymore?!"]

["Yes."]

["You really, truly mean it!!"]

["Didn't I tell you I wasn't leaving?"]

["Aaaaaah!!"]

Seraphia's mouth fell wide open, then spread into a beaming smile.

Afraid he might change his mind—

["I'll go get ready right now!!"]

She sprang up and hurried out of the room.

But was today some special occasion?

["Seraphia."]

She stopped at Adrian's call. When she looked back, he was watching her quietly.

He remained silent for a while, carefully searching within himself for words he wasn't used to saying.

["Having you there made things at the palace go smoothly."]

He spoke slowly, his voice filled with sincerity.

For a moment, Seraphia couldn't speak.

["Thanks to you, I was able to fight without difficulty, too."]

She felt she ought to say something—

["You were a tremendous help."]

... But she had no idea how to respond.

Until now, her relationship with Adrian had been out of step. Misunderstandings and silences that she couldn't put into words, that he hadn't put into words. Feelings that failed to connect.

They had piled up, creating a distance neither could cross even as they faced each other.

Adrian and Seraphia. Siblings who shared not a single drop of blood.

Their relationship had never meshed.

But now, though not yet perfectly smooth—

["You did well."]

The gears of their relationship had finally begun to mesh and turn, sounding out the hope that she was closer to Adrian than before, and would only grow closer still.

Was today truly some special occasion?

Seraphia blinked at the thought that suddenly occurred to her.

Yes, today was a day she would probably never forget, even in death.

["I'll be counting on you, Countess Seraphia."]

It was the happiest birthday Seraphia had ever had.

* * *

Though not perfectly smooth, the gears of their relationship had finally begun to turn together.

Even though she hadn't had a proper look at Adrian's face throughout the journey back to the county, Seraphia no longer felt hurt or lonely. Those feelings were completely gone now.

Instead, watching him work tirelessly, always striving—

'I need to work harder, too!'

Her own determination blazed along with his.

She might have inherited the countship, but it was only the title she had inherited.

Adrian was the head of their house. Adrian was the lord of the county, too.

Which made Seraphia...

'A figurehead countess!'

Something like that, anyway.

The scenery beyond the carriage window was slowly becoming familiar.

Cold air and snow-covered mountains.

The long, long journey to the capital—

"We'll be arriving in Whitewolf county shortly!!"