episode_0013

No,

Why are they sending me when there are imperial advisors? Even if I’ve read a few books and taken a few mock exams, that’s all I’ve done. Will sending me really yield good results?

No,

More importantly, why didn’t the advisor respond to such nonsense? He’s an advisor, right? If the emperor says something crazy, shouldn’t the response be, “Has he lost his mind?” Isn’t that the job? Aren’t they supposed to do something? Aren’t they the highest-paid officials?

No,

So, sending someone who is based on the fact that they are one of the most baseless individuals to participate in the trilateral summit, where not even a drop of blood is spilled and where there is an imperial assassination squad—what kind of nonsense is that? Is it like saying, “If you don’t listen, they’ll come after you”? Even if that’s the case, how can the emperor send someone to assassinate in a constitutional monarchy or a kingdom? Is he really going to ask me to do it?

No!

I repeated “no” in my head several times, but I couldn’t come to a proper conclusion.

“……”

I stared into the mirror.

The meeting was being held in the capital of the Belvur Kingdom, Lutetia. The distance from the Ideological Kingdom is just over 400 kilometers. Considering the size, the empire is about three times larger than the kingdom, with a slightly skewed capital to the east, so this distance is expected, but in reality, the empire is much larger in terms of national size. The population and military power are also significantly different.

The empire has several colonies, but the kingdom doesn’t have a single substantial colony. They have made various attempts in their own way, but none of them have been successful.

The Constitutional Kingdom is located next to the kingdom, and it is even smaller in size. No, strictly speaking, it’s almost the size of a single city. Of course, the influence of every word spoken by the pope of the Constitutional Kingdom is immense, but in reality, the empire doesn’t pay much attention to it.

Whether it’s the kingdom, the constitutional kingdom, or other countries joining forces, the empire has overwhelming technological and military power to confidently confront them.

The fact that the emperor has such lofty goals is not entirely absurd.

…Thinking about it this way, if sending me to such an important meeting as the trilateral summit is considered a “strategy to disrespect the opponent,” it seems to make sense.

The reflection in the mirror still showed a young child. It’s not a matter that can be dismissed with the phrase “looks can be deceiving.” It’s just a “kid.” No matter how you look at it, I only look like a middle school student, maybe just about to enter high school after a lot of growth. I’ll probably grow a bit more in the next year or two.

At the point where they send such a little kid as the representative for the important summit, if you think that the emperor’s intention of “we have no intention of having a normal conversation with you” is clearly expressed, well… it’s not unreasonable to think that they sent me.

The problem is that I have to face the scrutiny of their eyes instead of thinking that way.

I glanced at the clock hanging above the bathroom window. It was one in the afternoon. I still had about two hours left until arrival.

The steam locomotive I was on reaches a speed of 100 km/h. The maximum speed is 130 km/h, but it’s said that this speed is adequate within the stable range.

In a world where various over-technologies abound in the era dominated by steam engines, the empire has already begun test operations of high-speed railways. There are steam locomotives that easily maintain a speed of 200 km/h, and in the game, they become available for use from the middle of the main story.

Even with a high-speed railway running at a speed of 200 km/h, it takes several hours to cross the empire, and of course, it’s natural that the maximum speed cannot always be maintained, but due to the game’s allowance, the protagonist and his party can travel back and forth between the farthest regions of the empire several times a day. Well, it’s obviously impossible in the “real world” here.

By the way, according to the setting, all the events that took place in each region are organized as events that happened in a single day.

So… to clear all the optional side quests that the protagonist doesn’t necessarily have to do in each region, one must diligently explore every nook and cranny of that region. Well, of course, that’s not something that can be done in real life.

“….Phew….”

Well, there’s no need to worry about the main story that hasn’t even started yet.

No, actually, it was unnecessary for me to intervene in the protagonist’s journey. As long as I guide the heroes who are at risk of dying towards a reasonable survival route, there shouldn’t be any major issues.

So, maybe I should stop worrying right now.

“….”

I looked into the mirror and erased each worry that appeared on my face one by one. Unconsciously relaxing my furrowed brow, I let out a sigh of relief. After patting my face a few times with my hands to relax, I looked into the mirror again.

“Alright.”

Let’s calm our minds.

Well, if the emperor is really sending me with the intention of disrespecting the other party, I’ll just follow the emperor’s orders.

If I just stay silent and come back without saying anything, that should be enough.

“Alright.”

After calming my mind, I walked out of the bathroom.

“Hey, little sister!”

As soon as I stepped out, I heard a voice that raised my blood pressure.

Being in the position of the emperor’s representative, this train was operated solely for me. Useless luggage was removed, and the train was moving only for me, so in case of emergency, it was possible to even go at maximum speed.

Moreover, to protect me, the two best imperial guards were assigned to me—

“Come sit here, we have plenty of time, let’s play poker together.”

—those two were Jaden and Lucas.

Lucas, who casually spoke with a light voice towards me, had an attitude as if he had no idea what our purpose was or where we were going.

Well, to be honest, I didn’t feel heavy-hearted at all. Jaden and Lucas were on the same train as me, and even I, who was the target of their protection, was not an easy opponent. Moreover, the Imperial Guards were in a different car than this one.

Before the train departed, I carefully checked the personnel and luggage several times, and all the stations on the railroad were instructed to give priority to this train. So, it’s understandable that I can relax like this.

“What are you trying to teach the kid?”

Jaden teased Lucas. But he was the one holding the cards, after all.

“Come on, why don’t you join us? We have nothing else to do anyway, right?”

I glanced at the table where the two were sitting, and Lucas had an overwhelming number of chips. Jaden looked at me with a slightly anxious look. It seemed like he was worried that his chips would also be taken away if I sat down.

…Could it be that he actually bet money?

Well, if he had that many chips to be so vigilant, it could be possible. Or maybe there’s a casino car on this train.

“I’m not interested.”

Jaden’s relieved expression at my words.

“Why?”

Lucas asked, as if he was really curious. No, after almost 10 years, why would he still ask me that? How many times have I joined them when they were playing?

…Well, I did join them a few times, but it wasn’t entirely my will.

“….”

Instead of answering, I looked at a corner of the train.

In fact, even from my perspective, all I could see in that direction was the back of a chair.

But Lucas shrugged his shoulders as if he knew who was sitting there.

“You’re really stubborn. Why do you keep trying to protect someone who doesn’t even appreciate it?”

“….”

As if there was no point in answering, I walked past him. Lucas didn’t seem to want a response either, as he just shrugged his shoulders once more.

“Don’t be too obvious. Aren’t you the only one among siblings who are the same age?”

“No, even if we’re the same age… Let’s just drop it.”

I heard Jayden and Lucas talking, but I didn’t pay much attention and walked over to the wheelchair.

One side of the chair seemed perfect for a family of four to sit facing each other, and Alice was sitting there with a determined expression.

“Why are you playing with your brothers?”

Ignoring her seemingly petulant remark, I sat down without bothering to answer.

…Of course, the reason I didn’t want to play poker with the two of them was not only because it felt awkward to hang out with them, but also because the game they were playing was ‘poker’.

Even with my ability to turn back time, I was extremely weak when it came to random acts like rolling dice or drawing cards. The more detailed the variables, the more the outcome could be completely reversed by even the smallest factors. A word spoken while shuffling cards, picking up cards a bit late for some reason… Anyway, each of my actions became a variable, endlessly complicating things.

Of course, unless I aimed for a sure win, I might not lose. If I meticulously refined the criteria for turning back time to draw a card each time and then fold or bet after seeing what the opponent had, maybe I could win.

But the opponent was Lucas.

If he started cheating with his extraordinary skills, there was no hope for me. To prove that, I would need the level of sleight of hand that Lucas had, which I didn’t possess.

And that was the most dangerous part.

The reason I had earned the Emperor’s trust so far was because of the image that I ‘never make mistakes and always succeed in whatever I do’.

But if that image crumbled just because of a simple ‘card game’, what would I do?

I could even become a dealer if I learned how to manipulate cards.

But I had no intention of going that far. Considering the effort involved, it was more advantageous to avoid things like card games.

“I find it more comfortable sitting here.”

Saying that, I unfolded the newspaper I had folded before leaving.

What I needed was information.

In a world without smartphones or the internet, important information might come to the palace through messengers, but it didn’t contain detailed content.

So I had to somehow gather information and reduce the variables for what would happen in the future. Otherwise, I might have to turn back time by several years.

Even guessing poker cards was a gamble, but if I turned back time in a big way like that, there was an even greater chance that my plan wouldn’t work out accurately. With years passing, people’s thoughts and values could change significantly.

“…”

“…”

For a while, all that could be heard was the rustling sound of me flipping through the newspaper.

“Um, it’s there.”

“Yes.”

Alice spoke to me, and I answered while keeping my eyes on the newspaper.

“Am I bothering you?”

“…”

Lowering the newspaper slightly in my hands, I looked at Alice. She was glancing back and forth between the window and my face, unsure where to look.

Strictly speaking, it was me who was heading to the conference room. Even if she was a princess like Alice, she couldn’t enter the conference room without the Emperor’s permission.

However… Alice, who felt jealousy towards me in many ways, immediately followed me out when she found out I was going to the conference room and insisted on boarding the train as well.

Perhaps anticipating such a situation, the Emperor didn’t inform Alice of the fact until the end, which only fueled her rebellion to board the train even more.

The emperor coming out personally to speak harshly to Alice would have made her collapse weakly, but unfortunately, the emperor was on the opposite side of the empire at that time.

Moreover, because Alice had pleaded with him just before departure, there was a risk of not arriving at the meeting room on time, and as a result, under my responsibility, it ended with the princess riding on the same train.

So, I understood why Alice was speaking like that.

“I have never thought that even once.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

It was sincere.

Well, honestly, this was favoritism.

In the original work, Alice played the role of the princess who moved the empire in all directions as part of the protagonist’s entourage, supporting the opposition to the emperor. Although she now had a somewhat naive and childlike appearance, her courageous side from the main story was gradually becoming apparent.

And, I harbored affection for all of those in the protagonist’s entourage.

So, what can I do. In fact, I am the uninvited guest here.

“The princess is destined to be at the peak of the empire soon. I believe you are aware of the atmosphere at the meeting place, and there should be no problem.”

“…Is that so?”

Upon hearing my words, which could be called praise or a way to lift her spirits, Alice’s expression quickly brightened.

In the original work, she was a character who led conversations in this way in the early stages.

She had high self-esteem but low self-confidence. Being overshadowed by the pure-blooded siblings of the emperor and feeling inferior in talent, coupled with her lower self-esteem due to the presence of Claire in the original work. Her current appearance was much more mature than in the original work.

“However, even if you offer to go in my place or go in together, I cannot let you in. It is the emperor’s command.”

“Oh, I know.”

Alice blushed and replied to my words.

Well, Alice should be fine. Her actions this time were not based on the expectation that she could get away with it like this.

It was just a series of coincidences that led Alice to be here.

Moreover… well, even if she doesn’t enter the meeting room, there are quite a few people she can meet. Since the emperor’s political opponent cannot avoid facing him, Alice can still have a fulfilling time in her own way. If I introduce Jayden or Lucas to her, her safety will be guaranteed.

Hmm… if she meets someone there, it might be the princess of the kingdom.

In the original work, there was a time when the princess met the emperor, so maybe it was supposed to happen now.

…Anyway, why did the original protagonist, who was a nobleman in his past life, get involved with the princess of his country and the princess of another country while being a viscount?

Well, the romantic line was flowing like a school harem story, regardless of the story.

It’s kind of enviable.