Ch.169Justification. (1)

“……Haa.”

Olivia got up from the bed, covering her face. Of all places, to run into Aria there.

Her original plan was to kill time outside of Aria’s awareness range and then escape from the clue, but meeting Aria had thrown her plans into disarray.

She managed to make excuses and get away, but she couldn’t stop Aria from giving her suspicious looks.

“How long were you lying down before getting up already?”

Melina, who was sitting in a rocking chair reading a book, casually remarked. With her small magnifying glasses on, she looked quite dignified.

Kind-looking, one might say.

Olivia peeked her head outside the tent. Though called a tent, it was a spatial barrier designed by Melina herself, and the soldiers standing guard outside couldn’t detect Olivia’s presence at all.

Tens of thousands of troops at minimum. It seemed impossible to intervene on the battlefield while avoiding the gazes of so many people.

Stronger magical beasts would continue to appear, and they couldn’t hide in this barrier forever if they wanted to preserve their forces until the full-scale battle with the Imperial Princess.

Entering the Master of Dark’s clue was simple enough—she could do it while sleeping.

As if reading her thoughts, Melina slowly spoke.

“If you want to help us that badly, there are two ways.”

“What are they?”

“First, you could pretend to be my attendant and assist me. But since you need to hide your identity, you’d have to wear a thick robe with optical distortion at all times, and you couldn’t use your main attribute.”

Of course, even then, some people would be suspicious.

“Second, you could go east and bring back those two good-for-nothings.”

“…Good-for-nothings?”

“What else would you call those who can’t act their age and just frolic around rivers? What would you call them?”

Olivia knew exactly who Melina was talking about.

Wavemaster of Icail Esthie and King of Martial Arts Ashe Balthar.

She had begged them to stay quietly tucked away in the Atilla Mountains, but it seemed they couldn’t resist swimming around rivers in the meantime.

Considering their personalities, it was actually more surprising that they had stayed quiet for five years…

‘Still, isn’t “good-for-nothings” a bit harsh?’

Of course, Olivia didn’t bother voicing this opinion.

“For people who’ve devoured hundreds of years of age, they act like useless layabouts, but their abilities are exceptional, so bringing them would be somewhat helpful.”

“…Ah.”

Hearing Melina’s sharp tongue after so long, Olivia froze with her mouth open.

“……”

Was that too blunt? Melina wondered, seeing Olivia’s stunned expression. Perhaps after years of moving through battlefields… her harsh manner of speaking had unconsciously rubbed off on her.

“Hmm, ahem…”

Melina cleared her throat unnecessarily…

Thinking about it, she hadn’t said anything that harsh. When she was working at the Golden Tower, hadn’t she freely unleashed even more colorful criticisms? Of course, she firmly believed she had corrected this after meeting Olivia… Melina believed her disciple would have the flexible thinking to naturally let such comments slide.

As expected, Olivia smiled awkwardly and asked.

Perhaps they had fought in the past? Considering the personalities of the three, it wouldn’t be strange.

A muscle-obsessed battle maniac and a suicidal Wavemaster.

It seemed entirely possible.

*****

The meeting with Olivia ended much sooner than Aria had expected.

‘I, I suddenly have urgent business. Sorry. I’ll go ahead.’

It was obviously just an excuse, but Aria didn’t hold her friend back, instead promising to meet another time. She knew that Olivia wandered across the continent, building relationships with powerful figures in various regions.

Waiting was familiar to Aria. What she valued most was relationships, and pretending to be dull despite having the ability to sit on the imperial throne was part of that.

But it was disappointing. That feeling wasn’t easy to shake off.

Her only friend who shared her deepest secrets. She wished they could have at least shared a cup of tea.

“Imperial Princess.”

A maid hired a few months ago approached. The maid with purple eyes was an elite recommended by the Crown Prince himself. The third daughter of Baron Hein from the south, wasn’t she?

“Are you thinking about your friend again?”

The maid noticed Aria’s pouting lips. She casually prepared tea and handed it to Aria.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Your Highness is easy to read. Didn’t you make the same expression when the Second Prince left for the north a few days ago?”

Aria picked up the teacup and drank her tea as usual. The maid naturally brought out snacks and placed them beside Aria.

“When someone close leaves for a distant place… I think everyone feels that way.”

Though Aria was particularly severe in this regard.

“Well, I’m bored. Let’s play a game of chess.”

Aria said as she picked up a chess piece.

“You’re playing quite well now. You’ve improved a lot since the beginning.”

Aria moved a piece with a satisfied smile.

“Not as good as Olivia, but you’re learning much faster than I expected. Now it’s hard to finish you off in under twenty moves.”

“…Wouldn’t the head butler play much better than me?”

“No. The head butler is no match for you.”

The head butler, the captain of the royal guards, the Second Prince, the Crown Prince… even the Emperor.

If someone was close enough to play chess with, Aria would not hesitate to request a match. She was six years old when she first learned chess, and except for when she was just starting, she had never lost.

The first person to defeat Aria was Olivia.

“I wonder what keeps her so busy.”

Aria said as she moved a piece.

“She could live in luxury if she wanted, but seeing her choose the difficult path makes my heart ache.”

“……”

“But what can I do? That’s what makes her Olivia. The best I can do is quietly support her from behind.”

The maid stared at Aria’s face for a moment before speaking.

“Do you believe in fate, Your Highness?”

“…?”

“In the south where my family is from, shamans have more influence than mages. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been unknowingly influenced by them.”

Clack!

The number of pieces moving around the board had noticeably decreased.

“You were born with the fate of a queen, Your Highness.”

“Hehe, that can’t be. I have no interest in the throne.”

The maid shook her head.

“I’m not talking about the throne. If this world were a chessboard, and everyone had a role…”

In the maid’s hand was, somehow, the queen piece.

In chess, the most powerful piece.

“Your Highness, you are the queen.”

“…That’s an interesting notion. That this world is essentially a game.”

Aria’s gaze changed. This clever maid surely knew that even a slight misstep could result in execution for insulting the royal family.

“If you don’t want to be dismissed, watch your words. I’d like to keep you as my maid for years to come.”

But the maid continued as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Someday, you will have to make a choice.”

“……”

The maid looked at Aria with deep eyes, then turned her gaze back to the chessboard.

“There’s a move you like to use, Your Highness. One that ordinary people wouldn’t dare attempt… but if it works, it immediately corners the opponent.”

A move that cannot be used without certainty.

Aria understood what the maid was saying.

Even if she tried not to understand, her brilliant mind wouldn’t allow it.

Clack.

Picking up the last piece, the maid said:

“I’ve lost again.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. No one will remember the conversation we had today. Including… myself.”

Flash!

As the maid’s purple eyes emitted light, Aria opened her closed eyes.

Familiar desk. Mountains of documents.

It seemed she had awakened from a dream and returned to reality.

Whoosh…!

The next moment, a black shadow rose up right in front of Aria’s face. But Aria, as if accustomed to it, calmly focused on processing the documents.

The Master of Dark, emerging from the shadow, also paid no attention to Aria’s attitude.

“Reports have come in that ships flying the imperial flag are sinking with unusual frequency along the eastern coast.”

Ships built by the Empire are divided into multiple compartments to prevent easy flooding. Moreover, their hulls and decks, engraved with magic circuits, are so sturdy they can even withstand moderate artillery fire.

And yet these ships are sinking?

While ships from other kingdoms remain unharmed.

Aria smirked.

“Must be the Wavemaster’s doing.”

“It seems one of us should go there.”

“I think so too.”