Secret Meeting (1)

<Side : Patient Forbidden>

『Martyr’s Moon – 10th Day (Lunch)』

After a pointless Q&A session with the wandering monk who called himself Gunther in the underground prison, Arc and I were having our scheduled lunch.

A cozy meal with my daughter. With my personal research and the rebellion in the Empire, I’ve been busy lately, so opportunities like this were rare.

If not for this opportunity, I’d be too busy to even hear about my daughter’s daily life or personal opinions.

“So, Arc. How’s the situation with the Imperial Garrison lately? It must be quite chaotic after the rebellion.”

“Ah! Don’t worry about that, Father! I’m keeping them in line!”

Arc said proudly, her mouth full.

This child may be small, but she’s an alchemist unmatched in the Empire, and her physical abilities, enhanced by her Alchemy, are strong enough to take down a burly man.

Those who look down on Arc based on her appearance alone change their minds after facing her weapons directly and being subdued.

“But what’s been bothering me lately… is the Princess who recently joined… Ahem, Lower-ranking Garrison member Barkle is a bit of a problem.”

“A Princess demoted to a Garrison member… Could it be that he can’t accept his lowered status and is throwing a tantrum?”

“Ah, no! It’s not that.”

This is unexpected. Arc mentioned another man’s name first, without me even asking.

And it’s former Princess Barkle… I’ve rarely seen him, and I don’t know much about him, but I do know that he’s one of the only two surviving members of the Imperial Family from this rebellion.

“That person… unlike the other deceased Princesses, he’s sociable, works hard, and moves quickly, so I like him… but he’s always late!”

“Hoh.”

“He always makes excuses like he got the morning roll call location wrong, or his door was locked…!! His mindset isn’t right!”

Arc is complaining about former Princess Barkle, but she doesn’t seem to be genuinely criticizing him.

The normal interest in the opposite gender that girls have at this age.

It’s quite unexpected and interesting that Arc, who doesn’t pay much attention to anything other than Alchemy research, her dreams, and her family, which is me, is showing this kind of reaction.

It reminds me of my wife’s younger days…

“Anyway…! I don’t like it! But he’s a new recruit, so as the Garrison Commander, I have to take responsibility and give him a stern talking-to!”

“Haha. The role of the Garrison Commander in a group is important. Do your best, Arc. But former Princess Barkle has suffered a great deal recently, so go easy on him.”

“Yes, Sir! If Father says so… well, well… it’s not like I was going to scold him that much anyway… Ehehet♪”

Arc smiled, which was a rare sight.

Former Princess Barkle. I should meet the man Arc is interested in someday.

As a Father, I can’t just ignore someone my daughter is interested in.

“Ah, but what are you planning to do after the meal, Father?”

“Hmm. If possible, I’d like to meet the Spirit of Smoke, but I think it’s better to gather more information and then make contact. I’ll have to investigate in various ways for that.”

“I, in that case, I, as the Garrison Commander, will help you in every way! If I deploy members of the Garrison, they can bring you even the smallest pieces of information from all over the capital!”

“You’re reliable, Arc. I’ll ask for your help later.”

We were almost done with our meal, and only a little food remained on each other’s plates.

I wanted to spend more time with Arc, but we each have our own jobs, so we have to part ways now.

Arc, who serves as the Garrison Commander, has a mountain of work to do, such as planning Garrison member training and deploying the Garrison throughout the capital, and I, as a physician, have a lot of annoying work left, such as preparing requested medicines, examining patients, and researching epidemics.

–Swish…

“Then, I’ll see you in your room later, Arc. Have a good afternoon at work.”

I wiped the traces from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and got up from my seat first.

If I didn’t get up, Arc would be stuck in her seat forever, so it would be easier for Arc if I got up first.

“I’ll do my best! You too, Father!”

I received Arc’s enthusiastic support and left the room.

Then I… should go to work soon too.

“The Spirit’s pregnancy. A blind monk of unclear origin. The Empire’s rebellion. The Emperor’s death. The Sultan’s accession. A Shrine Maiden who serves the Divine Beast…”

I organized the recent events in my head.

Except for the monk incident, each one is a major event with far-reaching consequences.

The current Sultan brought in a girl who can hear the words of the Divine Beast, with whom communication had been cut off long ago, and soon after, a minor argument between students from the Empire and the Kingdom at the Academy escalated into a civil war between the two countries.

In the process, the Sultan, who gained the support of the Imperial citizens who had been dissatisfied with the Imperial Family, rebelled against the Emperor, and all members of the Imperial Family except for the First Princess and the youngest Princess were executed. The Sultan ascended to the throne.

And… the Spirit of Smoke, called the Empire’s ultimate weapon by the higher-ups, suddenly claimed to be pregnant after contacting Gunther Owen, who called himself a wandering monk.

“It may be a leap of faith, but… all the events seem to be connected. I feel like someone’s intention is deeply involved.”

If I dismiss this as a coincidence, I have nothing more to say… The wheel of blood began to spin rapidly from the moment the Sultan brought in the Shrine Maiden.

A trivial argument at the Academy, where nothing had happened for a long time, developed into a civil war, and the Emperor surrendered his head to the Sultan in vain.

In the series of events, the Sultan’s rebellion plan should have leaked out, but the fact that it didn’t means… unless the Sultan was actually competent, we should assume that he had an assistant.

“Most likely… it’s them.”

Shrine Maiden, Divine Beast… I don’t know their purpose, but there’s no need to dig it up.

Stirring up trouble will only hasten one’s own demise. Especially getting on the bad side of the great divine being that supports the Empire.

For me, a peaceful life with my family and a cup of tea are my priorities.

“I’m just doing what I have to do. But it seems like they didn’t expect the Spirit’s pregnancy.”

It’s certain that the Sultan taking the Emperor’s throne was as expected. But cutting off the Emperor’s head was hasty.

Because the being who slaughtered enemies like a machine when the Imperial order was given, became pregnant as soon as the Emperor died.

It’s just a guess, but the Emperor must have known how to control the Spirit.

Perhaps the Sultan, who expected himself to become the Emperor in the future, excitedly chopped off his head before he could even ask for information. A pig who is faithful to his desires, not even the basics.

“Haa… I’ve taken on a troublesome task.”

However, openly defying someone who calls himself the Emperor would only bring more trouble.

As I said before, peace and everyday life are important to me.

–Creak…

I sighed deeply and opened the door to my office and stepped inside. But inside…

“Hmm…?”

“I’ve been waiting for you, Patient.”

An unexpected uninvited guest was waiting. A woman wearing a Kingdom maid uniform, different from the Imperial Palace servant attire, occupied one of the office chairs and spoke first.

“Who are you? You don’t seem to be from the Empire… but whatever your origin, I can sense that you lack basic etiquette. Coming in without the owner’s permission.”

“Yes. I came in through the window. It seems that this matter needs to be done secretly.”

“Your audacity deserves an award.”

“I’m sorry, but as a maid of the Kingdom, I will politely decline any awards from an Imperial citizen.”

This girl… has no flexibility or adaptability. In the first place, I’m not from the Empire either…

No, more importantly, what purpose does a Kingdom maid have in coming here?

“No… let’s stop the small talk. Who are you? State your name, purpose, and occupation in detail from that spot. I will attack the moment you make any suspicious movements.”

The expressionless maid did not flinch at my threat and took out a crystal ball from her pocket and placed it on the desk.

“My name is Desdemona Stormraven. I am a maid serving Princess Ophelia. The purpose of my visit here today is… to make a proposal to you, Patient, and I apologize for the rudeness of this visit.”

“Princess Ophelia…? The suicidal Princess?”

A truly unexpected name popped out.

Ophelia von Chronos. The 13th Princess of the Chronos Kingdom, also known as the ‘Suicidal Princess’ due to rumors that she drove the ladies-in-waiting who slandered her to madness and made them drown themselves in the lake.

“Ahem… that’s a title the Princess dislikes. Please refrain from using it.”

“How admirable. I’m not the kind of person who is polite to someone who isn’t here right now. Especially not to the owner of an impudent, rude, and poorly educated uninvited guest.”

“Th, that’s… still…”

The maid, who identified herself as Desdemona, lowered her head and muttered.

Really… it’s hard to tell who the perpetrator is in this situation.

“More than anything, boldly contacting someone from another country and proposing something, and in such a sudden way. It’s quite an awkward action for a Princess who was at the top of her class at the Academy until graduation.”

“N, no! The Princess is…”

“That’s enough. If you leave now, I’ll let this matter go unmentioned. I don’t want to get involved in troublesome things. You can leave secretly, just like you came in.”

If Sultan, who is hell-bent on cleaning up the inside, sees me contacting someone from the Kingdom, I might have to leave this place with Arc right away.

Escaping the Empire’s hounds without being caught is a piece of cake, but… it’s much better not to create such a situation from the start.

“Oh my… you’re being harsh to my servant, Patient.”

Immediately after issuing an expulsion order to the maid, a crackling sound was heard, and a mysterious voice began to emanate from the crystal ball that had just been placed on the desk.

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