episode_0177

Leopold’s instructions to secure Leonor were certainly reasonable, but… There was some problem. That’s the fundamental part.

Isn’t it possible to persuade her and prepare a hiding place only if we can meet her first?

Leonor disappeared.

I followed Leopold all morning, looking for her, but I couldn’t even find her shadow.

Originally, she was a woman who rarely appeared on public occasions, but she still wandered around the palace.

However, he was not confined to the third prince’s villa.

If that were the case, it would have been said that the princess was living in seclusion.

Whether she flew into the sky or fell to the ground, Leonor had completely disappeared.

Since it hadn’t been a day or two since she behaved uncontrollably, others seemed to think that it would be the same this time as well… It wasn’t something to look at so optimistically.

Above all, disappearing at this time was too elaborate.

Leopold also looked a little disappointed.

“I didn’t expect this… This is a difficult matter.”

“… Did Isabella act first?”

I was careful to state the worst assumption. I personally hope not.

If Isabella really hit the player… Leonor’s life as a human would have come to an end by now.

Fortunately, Leopold shook his head as if to reassure him.

“Well, then wouldn’t it have been known that he was in Isabella’s bedroom, just like Ernst? That’s because it’s more natural. Since what happened last night was Ernst’s sudden action in the first place, it’s not even clear whether Isabella would have had the time to even use her hands on Leonor after that.”

“That’s a good thing. But then… Princess Leonor may have voluntarily gone into hiding. I’m embarrassed.”

If she hid of her own volition, it won’t be easy to find her.

“That’s right. While investigating Leonor’s whereabouts, we must not reveal to others that we are looking for her… I guess it’s not that simple.”

“If you’ve already left the palace, isn’t there virtually no way to find you?”

Not only was it not easy to search through that wide system one by one, there was no way to do so.

Because both me and Leopold’s actions are clearly revealed.

If the prince went out of the palace and wandered around, anyone would be suspicious of his intentions.

Since I was also his guard, I was not in a position to move individually during the day.

Did I say I was doing the role of an escort driver for no reason? .

No, I had no idea at that time that things would turn out like this, so I can’t help it.

“I don’t know. I think he’ll come to Matthias’ funeral… If he was hiding to avoid Isabella, he wouldn’t reveal himself then either.”

“Then should we put the search for Leonor on hold until then?”

It’s not an easy task, but I think she can somehow find it if she watches the funeral from afar.

“First, I will have to decide after seeing how the Empress turns out. It’s quiet now, but in just two days, others will also begin to question Leonor’s disappearance, and the Empress will have no choice but to respond.”

“Hu… . I keep getting dragged around by the situation, and nothing works out as planned.”

The fight against monsters was rather simple and clear. Because everything can be resolved neatly by using violence to crush the enemy.

However, this damn political world could never move as I wanted, so I was always extremely frustrated.

Because no matter what you want to do, you have to pay attention to the cause, the situation, and the opinions of others.

I felt like I was tangled in a spider’s web and rolling through the mud.

But let’s just ignore all that and solve it with force… If that happens, this side will be covered in all kinds of slander and lose.

No matter how big your hand is, you cannot block ten hands with one hand.

No, if you think about it, I guess it’s just a lack of strength in the end.

Even if it only has one hand, if it holds a sword in that hand, it will be able to cut the opponent to pieces, even if the opponent is not ten but twenty.

“Isn’t that what politics is all about? No, it’s the same with all human plans, not just politics. When you start, there’s always going to be a breakdown somewhere… . In the end, the best thing to do is to assess the situation and react on the fly. If you don’t like it, wouldn’t you have no choice but to exceed a person’s capabilities? Just like Carol the Great.”

In short, unless you are as strong as Carolus, you have no choice but to be swayed like this.

After all, I need to get stronger as soon as possible.

… Even though I’ve caught quite a few monsters, I still can’t figure out the next level.

Is there a need for some kind of opportunity?

—-

Isabella’s response was quicker than expected.

It is unlikely that she directly came forward while human experiments were in full swing in her lair, and it may have been an indirect order to her limbs.

The very next day, a rumor was heard that Leonor was currently staying at the Rose Pavilion and was working on training to deal with the grief of losing her younger brother.

In fact, traces of her heading toward the Rose Pavilion were also found, and the suspicion of her disappearance was quickly closed to the point where it seemed artificial.

No one bothered to go to Leonor’s villa to check the authenticity.

“Is it true?”

“You don’t even believe the princess, do you? Surely, he might have stopped by the villa overnight. Due to Leonor’s personality of caring for her members, she would have wanted to warn them to pay special attention to their personal safety for the time being. In that case, the traces themselves can be considered true.”

It was a persuasive answer.

Although Leonor may not know Isabella’s identity, she clearly knew about her evil deeds, so she could not help but worry about what harm Isabella would inflict on the members while she was away.

Even at Isabella’s ‘banquet’, the courtesan who was a female knight was particularly popular.

Does the concept of a female knight have a strange charm that satisfies men’s fantasies?

Men, especially nobles who were not military officers, particularly enjoyed toying with female knights.

I wonder if Leonor is walking around fine… Now that she is gone, the Order of the Rosicrucian Order is no different from a banquet prepared for Isabella.

“However, unless Leonor’s intelligence is at the level of a monkey, there is no chance of her still staying there. Unless you’re desperate to be caught by Isabella. They probably left immediately after giving a warning. Perhaps, the members also disappeared like Leonor… . In that case, there would be no one there now, or only Isabella’s limbs would remain.”

“… Shall I visit you secretly? If Isabella’s limbs remain there, we might be able to get some clues.”

I’m not sure, but if Isabella’s limbs were captured and interrogated, wouldn’t something come out?

At least I think it’s better than just waiting like this… .

“Do you know how much power is gathered there? What if it’s a trap to lure the princess away? Don’t fret and wait. Someday the opportunity will come.”

Leopold shook his head resolutely.

There was nothing to refute.

If Isabella had set a trap as he claimed, she would have gathered enough strength to capture me for sure.

In the end, once again, lack of information held us back.

Isabella may know very well what level of power I have, but I don’t know what the limits of power Isabella can mobilize right now are.

When you actually fight, it might be surprisingly worth it. Or, it might be a lot stronger than you think.

I couldn’t gamble hastily. Because what is at stake is my future.

Isn’t there an old saying?

If you know your enemy and yourself, you will not be in danger even if you fight a hundred times, but if you do not know your enemy, even if you win once, you will still lose once.

And in this world, losing means dying, or meeting an ending that would be better.

What if this is none other than the one time you lose?

As the image of myself becoming the mother of insects or the plaything of nobles passed through my mind, my motivation completely waned.

okay. It’s not like there’s no other way, so there’s no need to gamble… ?

“… I understood. But how long should we just wait? Giving Isabella too much time would also be dangerous.”

“It doesn’t matter as long as the princess can defeat all the assassins Isabella will send by herself… If not, we will have to endure it at least until the Margrave of Landenburg returns with his entire force.”

In the end, is it Ludwig?

Leopold, doesn’t this guy have any special skills?

Oh, I see. It did exist.

I ate it at Einfeld.

—-

“Once the electors arrive, my victory is confirmed. The Duke of Vienne will no longer go over to Isabella’s side… Grand Duke Palun will also follow suit if the two secular electors support me.”

… Those weren’t particularly reassuring words.

“Isabella must know that… If you can’t win by voting, wouldn’t you choose another way?”

Even if the election of electors to the throne is a tradition that has never been violated during the history of the empire, it seems too complacent to think that this will continue to be the case.

Will Isabella really have any intention of respecting that tradition? Maybe not.

“That’s not why you hired the princess. If I am killed before the vote, Ernst will naturally ascend to the throne. It will be less so while I am inside the palace, but if I even go outside the palace, they will try to kill me as if they have been waiting for me.”

“What if you use a method other than assassination?”

The only way to win the election would not necessarily be to assassinate Leopold.

“Another way? If anything comes to mind, please tell me without hesitation.”

“Not the Prince, but secretly attacking the Electors who come to the islands… ?”

Leopold let out a laugh.

What. Isn’t this something she would easily have done?

“How many masters are there under the electors… Even if three people with princess-level skills come together, it would be difficult to succeed in such a thing. In the first place, unless you intend to be ruined for rebellion, you won’t be able to use clearly known military forces, so you will have to use hidden troops… . If Isabella had a secret power that allowed her to do such a thing, wouldn’t she have already solved all the problems by force?”

“Then, what is the possibility of objecting to the election results?”

“Disobedience. Are you worried that she might start a civil war?”

okay. Honestly, I’m a bit worried about that.

“In the history of the empire, there was only one civil war caused by a dispute over the throne. And, before two months had passed, he was cut into a hundred pieces and scattered. The imperial army remained neutral… The electors ignored their authority and took very active steps in suppressing those who brought chaos to the empire. If Isabella chooses civil war, she too will have to choose between being chopped to pieces or burned to death within a month.”

Are you saying that a civil war would not have a chance of victory, but would only hasten death?

Since the succession vote is the most essential authority among the electors, we will not allow anyone who tries to deny it.

In that case, I guess you can rest assured.

—-

They say you can’t predict what’s going on in the world.

Indeed, that was correct.

Two days later, Friede came to the imperial palace. Holding a letter in your hand.

It was a letter from Leonor.