Ch.186How Can Things Get This Tangled Up?

“Did Margrave Valenstein issue a blockade? And Isabella is missing?”

“Yes. We’d need to start a bloodbath to get out of this palace. Shall we try?”

There were many knights surrounding the palace, but only one was Master-level.

If I made up my mind to break through, I could certainly do it.

I gripped Durandal’s hilt and drew about an inch of the blade. As if ready to swing it at any moment.

“No, there’s no need for that. With Margrave Valenstein involved, Isabella won’t be able to move rashly, and Ernst will also be confined to his palace. It won’t take long for the situation to be resolved.”

“The Margrave might have joined hands with Isabella. In that case, staying here could be dangerous.”

We were essentially repeating our evening conversation, but the situation had changed since then.

“No matter how I think about it, that seems unlikely. How could that witch possibly manipulate a knight who has devoted his entire life to the sword?”

“…Can you guarantee that?”

At this point, my trust in Leopold had already fallen by more than half.

Not personal trust, but strategic trust.

With the main palace in such a state, most of our predictions and plans had likely fallen apart.

The Emperor’s funeral would be postponed, and security would be strengthened several times over, making it difficult for Holy State spies to infiltrate.

Besides, there would be little to gain from infiltration now.

After all, unless one were a mole-person, what could possibly be salvaged from ground covered in marble fragments?

Additionally, Ludwig, who would have been a reliable force against Isabella, was strangely delayed.

If he had arrived earlier… at this moment of chaos throughout the Imperial Palace, we could have gathered our forces and charged toward the Third Prince’s Palace for a decisive battle.

No. Did she anticipate such a move from us and delay Ludwig’s arrival?

Leopold had dismissed it, but seeing how things had turned out, it seemed clear to me that this too was Isabella’s doing.

Indeed, we shouldn’t have given Isabella time.

Leopold’s approach wasn’t completely wrong, but I keenly felt that the more passive we were, the easier it would be for Isabella to make her moves.

Look at what she had accomplished in less than two weeks.

She killed Matthias, made Ernst her puppet, and finally buried all traces of herself.

As we sat and waited, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what else she might do, or be capable of doing.

—-

“……, …!”

“……!”

…There was some commotion outside.

I turned my eyes to glance out the window.

The knights surrounding the palace were all looking in one direction, murmuring among themselves.

My gaze followed theirs. And then stopped.

“A guarantee… Very well, I’ll stake my name on it if you wish. Even if the sky splits in two, such a thing won’t happen.”

Is that so?

I just became certain of something.

What Isabella is capable of… I’ve learned at least one more thing about that.

Damn it.

“…In that case, we must conclude that Isabella has split the sky.”

I muttered while keeping my eyes fixed on the scene outside. My joke directly contradicted Leopold’s assertion.

“What do you mean?”

Instead of answering, I raised a finger to point outside.

Leopold’s gaze followed my finger, and was finally shaken with shock.

“How…!”

Yes, it’s shocking. I understand.

The confident words he had spoken were disproven in less than thirty seconds.

“…What name would you like to change to?”

Leopold seemed too stunned to respond to my sarcasm.

Cold sweat streamed down his cheeks.

Margrave Valenstein was walking toward us.

With two heads clutched in his hands, one in each.

Sharp eyes filled with fighting spirit were glaring at us.

Behind him, more than a dozen knights followed in line with drawn swords.

Most were ordinary knights, but… three among them were opponents who couldn’t be taken lightly.

Though they wore Royal Guard armor, their true nature was obvious at a glance.

They exuded the same aura as those I had faced when capturing Claire.

Yes. Master-level knights infested with parasites.

—-

“I can’t believe it. Why would Margrave Valenstein…?”

“…What should we do, Lord Wittelsbach? Should we try escaping through the back gate?”

A frontal breakthrough would be impossible.

Even setting aside Valenstein, whose abilities were unknown, the other three and the surrounding knights were enough to hold me back.

If it were just me alone, I might somehow break through… but it would be impossible with two burdens.

“Wittelsbach…?”

“Since you’ve just lost the name Leopold, you need a new one. What should I call you?”

My sarcasm seemed to pierce his heart, as Leopold’s expression twisted sharply.

“This is no time for jokes…! No, this isn’t the time for such talk either. The back gate, you say—could we escape through there?”

“I wonder?”

In truth, I wasn’t hopeful.

If I really thought we could escape, I would have already thrown Leopold over my shoulder and run instead of standing here talking.

I was just making jokes to ease the tension, but as far as I could see, the fight was already unavoidable.

Once surrounded, even if we luckily escaped the palace… instead of Leopold, only a corpse riddled with arrows would be hanging on my back.

“Who knows, if they keep approaching at that leisurely pace…”

At that moment, as if he had heard my words, Valenstein’s pace suddenly quickened.

The knights following him did the same.

“It’s impossible.”

At that speed, they would reach us in less than twenty seconds.

Leopold heaved a deep sigh. Why so dejected? You brought this upon yourself.

“…In this situation, we have no choice but to gamble… Aishan-Gioro Princess, don’t draw your sword yet and follow me. Sir Percival, you too.”

I couldn’t trust this man’s plans anymore.

“Do you have something in mind? If it succeeds, I’ll give you back your name.”

“I told you earlier that the forces that first surrounded the palace might not know about Isabella’s plot, didn’t I? I’m betting on that. Even if Valenstein has truly become an enemy… unless he plans to kill all of them to silence them, he can’t attack us outright.”

“What if he does intend to eliminate all the other knights?”

“We’ll have to loudly announce that the traitor Valenstein plans to kill you all, and hope for chaos. If the knights realize they’re in mortal danger, won’t they retreat?”

So if the encirclement becomes disordered, we might have a chance to escape.

It didn’t seem likely to succeed, but we didn’t have time to think of another plan anyway.

Valenstein had arrived.

“Lord Leopold, I presume you are inside. If it’s not an inconvenience, may I request a brief audience? I know it’s late and I apologize for the rudeness, but this is an urgent matter.”

His voice was low and calm, without a hint of emotional fluctuation.

Leopold and I looked at each other, nodded, and headed toward the main entrance.

A conversation, he says. As if this could really end with just a talk.

If that were his intention, he wouldn’t have openly brought parasite knights with him.

—-

“Welcome, Lord Valenstein. I too had something to ask you.”

Leopold stepped forward calmly, shooting a challenging look at Valenstein.

Percival and I stood a step behind, carefully watching the enemies’ movements.

“I greet you, Your Highness. You mentioned you had something to ask, so please speak first.”

Valenstein offered a respectful military salute. As if he were a loyal knight.

“Very well. Then let me ask, what is your reason for sending knights to confine me and coming here in person? It’s as if you’re trying to take me hostage. Perhaps now that my father has passed away, you’ve developed a taste for power?”

Oh, unexpectedly aggressive.

The surrounding knights stirred slightly at the Prince’s blatant accusation.

Unless they were all Isabella’s subordinates, it was a statement that would make it difficult for Valenstein to attack Leopold outright.

Drawing his sword would be tantamount to admitting Leopold’s words.

That he himself was an ugly traitor who sought power by harming his lord’s child as soon as his lord died.

“How could that be, Your Highness? There seems to be some misunderstanding. My knights and I have come here to protect Your Highness from threats.”

Despite hearing words bordering on insult, Valenstein calmly bowed his head without the slightest change in expression.

“Protect me? From whom exactly? No, there’s no need to explain. Nor any reason to.”

Leopold answered firmly and turned his head toward me.

“The Aishan-Gioro Princess is by my side, so that is sufficient protection. Rather, I’m more concerned about Ernst… If you truly came out of concern for my safety, I appreciate your loyalty, but I would ask you to return and protect Ernst instead of me.”

It was essentially an ultimatum.

If you’re not a traitor, then leave. If you refuse, I’ll take it that you are a traitor. That was the implication.

Indeed, what would Valenstein choose?

I stared at him, holding my breath.