Chapter 386 - Us (5)

Baronet Bjorn Jandel.

Not the slightest flicker of uncertainty showed in the marquis's eyes as he spoke that name.

If Erwin or Amelia had looked at me like that, I probably would have confessed everything I'd done wrong before they could scold me any further. His gaze was that certain.

But...

The marquis was different from those two. Nothing could be more naive than taking the eyes of a politician at face value when he'd weathered every kind of storm and held the kingdom's second-highest position for decades.

“Could you perhaps be mistaken about something, my lord?”

I kept playing dumb, refusing to rule out the possibility that he was fishing. Of course, the marquis paid me no heed.

[“It feels terribly strange to hear you speak so politely. I still remember you quite vividly from the day you received your title.”]

“... Is Erwin the reason for this misunderstanding, after all?”

[“I understand your position, so I won't hold it against you for lying to my face. However...”]

On the other side of the crystal ball, the marquis leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the table.

[“If we're to have a proper conversation, I suppose I must first leave you no choice but to admit it.”]

Leave me no choice but to admit it?

Was he planning to use verification magic or a Numbered item like Broken Trust? Or torture?

I maintained my poker face while running through the possibilities over and over, but in the end, every one of my predictions missed the mark.

[“Let me begin with this.”]

What the marquis chose was conversation.

[“Baronet Jandel, there's no need to be wary. I am one of the few people who know you are not an evil spirit.”]

Right. Coming out swinging from the start.

* * *

When Amelia discovered my identity, what surprised her most was this:

How had I, an evil spirit, managed to receive a noble title?

[“... Hmm. Thinking about it now, perhaps the royal family knew and chose to overlook it. You were practically a hero to the city at the time.”]

That had been Amelia's theory, and I'd found it fairly credible too.

But...

'If what the marquis just said is true, that means they really didn't know.'

Of course, it was also possible that he knew everything and was dangling bait. For now, though, I decided to stay quiet and listen. Sometimes going second gave you an advantage over going first. There would be time enough to judge and act once I'd heard him out.

[“Rihen Schuitz and Baronet Bjorn Jandel. Going over the similarities between these two explorers would only waste time, so I'll skip that part. Any objections?”]

“No. Well, people have actually made that mistake a few times...”

When I nodded, the marquis began explaining, one by one, his reasons for being certain I was the baronet.

[“First, discovering that you weren't the real Rihen Schuitz was simple. I was able to hear the whole story from the employee who arranged for your records to be ‘accidentally’ damaged and discarded.”]

Apparently, some woman had shown up and threatened the employee?

That was when his suspicions had deepened.

[“Of course, at first I thought it made no sense. But do you know what matters most in administrative work? Looking only at the numbers. However logical and convincing a story may be, if the numbers don't add up, it's wrong.”]

[“That was precisely the case with you.”]

Bjorn Jandel was dead.

The marquis said that the moment he rejected that premise, all the clues had begun falling into place.

[“You were too strong to be Baronet Bjorn Jandel. But with two years and sufficient support, it was entirely possible.”]

[“Then how could you have stayed hidden from our eyes for all that time? That, too, made sense if you hadn't been staying in this city.”]

If not this city, then where?

The answer was all too obvious.

[“You had contact with people from Noark when you disappeared on Parune Island, didn't you?”]

The timing was far too convenient to be a coincidence. His investigation had even revealed that, two years later, I'd reappeared in the now-sealed underground fortress. The very fortress known to have a passage leading beyond the city walls.

[“You appeared after the Blood Spirit Marquis visited that place.”]

Now I understood why the knight had smashed through our front door and accused me of collusion. I'd thought it was merely a pretext.

[“Now, would you care to tell me what you think of my account?”]

The marquis peered at me through the crystal ball and grinned.

It certainly was a convincing enough story to justify his confidence. It made far more sense than my having spent those two years traveling through time.

But...

'Uh...'

After listening to that long explanation, I had only one thought. No matter how I looked at it, this didn't seem like bait. He genuinely seemed to believe it.

'Do I call that an overactive imagination, or a lack of imagination...?'

So this was another way to interpret it.

* * *

I didn't deliberate for long. I always made a habit of ranking my priorities when setting goals.

First: our survival.

Second: reclaiming my identity as Bjorn Jandel.

Third: clearing myself of the evil-spirit accusation.

Those were the priorities I'd settled on while coming here.

And so...

“You really are clever. No wonder you're the Chancellor.”

I shed the guise of Rihen Schuitz and revealed the barbarian beneath.

The reason was simple. As I'd already said, reclaiming the name Bjorn Jandel mattered more than clearing myself of the evil-spirit accusation. It didn't matter whether he thought I was an evil spirit or a traitor. Either problem could be overcome through negotiation with the marquis.

'If he meant to kill me as a traitor, he wouldn't have summoned me here in the first place.'

“That's right. I'm Bjorn Jandel. It's been a while, Marquis.”

Once again, I felt that words held power. Otherwise, there was no explaining the surge of confidence that I could overcome anything the moment I threw off my human mask.

Whew. Now I could breathe again.

[“Haha, what a relief. If you'd denied it even now, things could have become quite troublesome.”]

I gave a faint laugh at his pointed remark.

'Could have become troublesome, huh...'

That was actually another reason I'd willingly revealed myself at this point. His next step would involve an object rather than conversation. And once he discovered that object didn't work on me, it was painfully obvious where he'd turn his sights.

Erwin, Amelia, Raven.

If he put them through an intensive investigation, it would only be a matter of time before the truth behind his absurd misunderstanding came out. I decided it would be better to admit it without a fuss and get to the point.

Besides, somewhere along the way, deceiving people had become my specialty.

[“Now, then, we can get down to business.”]

The marquis ended the small talk and lowered his voice.

[“Baronet Jandel, why did you side with Noark?”]

“Well, does that matter?”

[“That uncooperative attitude won't help. You're a clever fellow, aren't you?”]

“I wouldn't say I sided with them. I merely stayed there briefly to serve my own purposes.”

[“...”]

The marquis silently gave me an odd look at my answer. But I only squared my shoulders more confidently.

Well, it wasn't entirely untrue, was it? I really had gone back to the past and stayed in Noark. For six whole months, at that. I'd even smashed the fortress lord's fucking head in at the end.

[“... You don't appear to be ly—”]

“Hic.”

[“...?”]

“Ah, sorry. Air in my stomach.”

I genuinely hadn't done it on purpose. My stomach had been feeling bloated for a while.

[“It seems you were nervous too.”]

Perhaps the sudden hiccup had shifted the mood a little. The marquis moved on without probing any further.

[“At any rate, may I take that to mean you are no longer working with them?”]

“Of course.”

[“Even so, I find it difficult to accept. If you aren't a spy, why have you been operating under a concealed identity?”]

“The royal family publicly declared me an evil spirit first, didn't they? Before clearing my name, I intended to find out why they'd done it.”

[“You were wary of us... I see. That is understandable.”]

The marquis gave a slight nod. Now it was about time for my turn. Questions were best when they went both ways, weren't they?

“Since we're on the subject, why did you make that announcement? I imagine you of all people would know the reason, Marquis.”

[“I cannot give you the details. Simply understand that there were political reasons. Besides, we didn't even know you were alive at the time.”]

Sigh. That was what I'd wanted to know most, and he'd withheld the most important part. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but I moved on without dwelling on it.

“Then let's hear this instead. What do you want from me? If you really thought I was a traitor, you'd have had me assassinated rather than brought here like this.”

[“The royal family does not handle matters that way.”]

Bullshit. Like hell they didn't. Every time I visited the palace, I came away reeking of all kinds of shady shit.

“Then you're saying you want nothing from me?”

[“Actually, if you were a spy, I intended to win you over and put you to use in the war.”]

See? There it was, right on cue.

“Then that's unfortunate.”

[“Well, I wouldn't go that far. I don't consider the present situation all that bad, either.”]

“Not all that bad?”

[“War always needs heroes.”]

And who was it who'd declared me an evil spirit?

I was dumbfounded by the way he said something so shameless without so much as a change in expression. But I supposed being that sort of man was how he'd risen so high.

[“Baronet Bjorn Jandel, return to the royal family's embrace.”]

“Why should I?”

[“Because you need us.”]

“I'm not so sure about that.”

When I held out once more, the marquis revealed his true intentions.

[“Whether you've severed ties with Noark or not, the fact remains that you joined hands with them. That alone warrants summary execution.”]

“In short, if I join hands with you, you'll pretend it never happened?”

[“More than that. I will help you reclaim both your noble title and your original name.”]

“What about the announcement that I'm an evil spirit?”

[“With a suitable story, people will readily accept it.”]

From the look of things, the marquis already had a plan for how to make that happen...

[“Didn't you say you stayed in Noark briefly to serve your purposes? If your feelings make you reluctant, consider this a transaction.”]

I felt a little strange. Or, more precisely, uneasy.

I'd come prepared for the worst of the worst, feeling as though I were walking into a tiger's den.

'Can things really go this smoothly...?'

Everything was falling into place so neatly in my favor that my heart began racing with unease.

But...

[“Baronet, if you've reached a decision, would you give me your answer?”]

My immediate options were limited. Even if the marquis and royal family were plotting something sinister together, what else could I do here? I'd have to agree for now and find out for myself later.

“Fine. Then tell me the details. How you'll restore my title, and what you want in return.”

At my acceptance, the marquis nodded in satisfaction.

But just as he was about to speak—

BOOOOM!

A massive tremor erupted from the direction of the garden. I wondered what the commotion was, but the marquis soon supplied the answer.

[“Oh dear. It seems she's arrived. I didn't expect her to act quite so recklessly.”]

So it was Erwin.

[“We'll continue today's discussion another time. For now, calm her down before she causes any more of a commotion.”]

“... I will.”

And that brought our conversation to an end for the day.