Ch.46Crisis (5)

Leort was going well but then abruptly pointed to my father, Hawk, rather than me as the author of the Biography of Xenon. It felt like suddenly swerving the steering wheel when the destination was right in front of us, ending up somewhere completely unexpected.

“…?”

I slowly opened my tightly shut eyes and looked ahead. Leort was smiling confidently as he gazed at my sister and me.

Rina sat beside him, elegantly sipping her tea with a relaxed expression.

Though I couldn’t speak due to my extreme tension moments ago, questions began to rise through my anxiety. Meanwhile, my racing heart and sweaty clenched fists remained unchanged.

Why would Leort definitively name our father, Hawk, as the author of the Biography of Xenon instead of me? My mind wasn’t working well given the situation, but it seemed Nicole wasn’t convinced either.

After hearing Leort’s confident statement, Nicole maintained silence for a moment before slowly speaking. Her voice had sunk so low it could have drilled through the floor.

“…If I say it’s not him, would you believe me?”

“If you deny it, your family might suffer consequences. Paying taxes means there was income, and it’s a noble’s duty to report where that income came from and how it will be used. This isn’t a threat, by the way—it’s simply the law. Only my father can establish laws.”

The “father” Leort mentioned clearly referred to the Emperor, the highest authority in the Empire. Bringing up the Emperor suggested he was completely serious.

Nicole must have thought the same as I did, because her already stiff face hardened even more. I could see her fist tightening on her thigh.

“There’s no need for such an expression. Anyway, it seems certain that your father is the author of the Biography of Xenon.”

“…What made you so confident about that?”

“… …”

Hearing Nicole’s question, I realized the conversation had taken a strange turn. The fact that they continued this topic despite the real author—me—sitting right beside them suggested Leort was taking advantage of his misunderstanding.

But the more this continued, the more uncomfortable I felt. Wasn’t I essentially using my father as a shield?

Father was someone who had sacrificed so much for me, and I couldn’t tolerate treating him as a scapegoat. Just as I was about to open my mouth—

Grip—

Just before I could speak, Nicole silently grabbed my hand. She squeezed it firmly, clearly telling me not to say anything.

I was momentarily confused by this silent pressure, but seeing Nicole’s expression made me abandon any thought of speaking. Her expression was that serious.

Although I felt uneasy about seemingly selling out my father, she seemed to have her own thoughts on the matter, so I had no choice but to trust her.

“There are reasons for everything.”

Meanwhile, Leort curled his lips even more in response to Nicole’s question and leaned back in his chair. His charisma subtly flowed out, drawing our attention.

“As I mentioned earlier, taxation is very complicated. Especially in our Empire of Minerva, matters related to taxes are extremely strict, making them even more complex. But the complexity yields definite results. This is why our Empire of Minerva has significantly more capital than other countries.”

“… …”

“Even so, it’s not perfect. Even at this moment, there are people committing tax evasion. The method Lord Mayshall used, in particular, had plenty of potential for tax evasion abuse. If he had wanted to, he could have perfectly concealed his identity without even paying taxes. Fortunately, thanks to his firm integrity carried over from his knight days, he didn’t.”

It seemed Leort was convinced that our father was the author of the Biography of Xenon. I couldn’t decide whether to be happy about this or not.

While Nicole and I kept our eyes on Leort, Rina, who had been drinking tea beside him, set down her cup and spoke in her characteristically soft tone.

“At first, it was hard to believe that Lord Mayshall was the author of the Biography of Xenon. But considering his achievements and experiences, too many things match up perfectly.”

“…Achievements?”

Finally, my mouth opened. Until entering the academy, I hadn’t known that my father was once a knight of high standing.

Not just any knight—he had been the commander of the Navy Knights, a group filled with monstrous individuals, and had accumulated achievements I couldn’t even imagine.

These achievements were so impressive that he should have normally received the title of count rather than baron. It’s already surprising for a commoner to receive noble status, let alone count—this gives some idea of how remarkable my father’s achievements were.

“Hmm…”

Hearing my question, Rina made a subtle humming sound and gazed at me intently. Then she smiled gently and spoke to me in a kind tone.

“Issac, do you know what achievements Xenon accumulated in the Biography of Xenon?”

“Of course… I know.”

How could I not? The protagonist of the Biography of Xenon, Xenon, accomplished truly jaw-dropping feats.

The most notable examples include slaying a ferocious dragon (albeit with help from companions), saving a country from demonic threats, retrieving a church’s sacred relic thought to be lost, and so on.

Each achievement was significant enough to impact the world, which is why the name Xenon became widely known.

After hearing my answer, Rina nodded and began to reveal my father’s achievements one by one.

“Lord Mayshall’s achievements were equal to, if not greater than those. About 30 years ago, a dragon that had become violent after losing its offspring attacked the capital.”

“Ah, is that…”

I’d seen this in a recently published history book. The exact name was the “Askanal Incident,” named after Askanal, the dragon that attacked the imperial capital.

In this fantasy world, dragons do exist, but they’re simply monsters. They’re not a “race” that can polymorph, excel at magic, or hoard treasures in lairs.

They’re just giant flying lizards.

Anyway, the Askanal Incident occurred because of human greed. Illegal smugglers found a hatchling, cruelly killed it, and were in the process of dismembering it when the mother discovered them.

Naturally, the mother became enraged and attacked the nearest human country, the Empire of Minerva. The problem was that the illegal smugglers weren’t from the Empire of Minerva but from another country.

From the Empire of Minerva’s perspective, it was like a bolt from the blue—a crazed dragon attacking without warning—truly a disaster of epic proportions.

“I know about that too. The records say the army scrambled to subdue it…”

“That’s what’s written in the records. But the army was busy evacuating citizens, and the one who actually subdued it was your father, Lord Mayshall. Coincidentally, he was in the capital for a vacation.”

“…He subdued a dragon?”

“Yes.”

I was dumbfounded by Rina’s unbelievable story. In this world, there’s an honorable title called “Dragon Slayer,” naturally given to those who have slain dragons.

Such a title exists because subduing a dragon requires military power equivalent to an entire “legion.” But even with such power, no one can predict how much damage they might sustain.

Yet my father had subdued one alone, albeit with some military assistance. It was remarkably similar to the achievements of Xenon that I had written in the Biography of Xenon.

“…That’s news to me as well, Lady Rina.”

It seemed Nicole hadn’t heard this story either. Rina responded to her skeptical question with a slightly sad expression.

“That’s understandable. During the Askanal Incident, Lord Mayshall had a close friend helping him, but unfortunately, the dragon’s breath…”

“… …”

As Rina expressed genuine regret, Nicole’s expression softened slightly. Being my sister who knew our father better than I did, she seemed to have noticed something.

I could understand why my father would avoid mentioning the Askanal Incident. No matter how strong he was, he was still human, and every time he recalled that achievement, he would remember his friend who perished in the dragon’s breath.

After this tragic circumstance was revealed, silence fell among us. Fortunately, the silence disappeared as Rina quickly spoke up.

“I think that’s why in the Biography of Xenon, Xenon subdues a dragon with the help of companions—perhaps remembering that incident and hoping that Xenon wouldn’t lose any companions, unlike his own tragic experience.”

“…What about the others?”

“Yes. He not only defeated demonized beastmen but also drove away beastmen and elves who invaded the border multiple times. And the nickname ‘Red Lion’ began when Lord Mayshall joined the Navy Knights.”

It felt like hearing heroic tales of a great figure. The fact that this was my father was somewhat surprising and difficult to accept.

After all, my father was nothing more than an ordinary head of household who was devoted to his family and loved his family members more than anyone else. It was hard to believe that he had subdued a dragon and had a high reputation as the “Red Lion.”

While I was feeling somewhat confused, Rina stopped speaking and looked at Leort beside her. Taking her cue, Leort continued.

“Before Lord Mayshall served there, the border area had casualties almost daily due to battles with beastmen living in tribal communities. Moreover, it was difficult to even stop the beastmen without Navy Knight-level forces. But things changed after Lord Mayshall arrived.”

“What do you mean by ‘changed’…”

“Lord Mayshall eliminated most of the beastmen living in the border area. The beastmen, sensing danger, combined their forces for a general offensive, but that turned out to be a mistake. If it hadn’t been for Lord Mayshall, we might have lost not just the border but territory as well. That’s how incredibly strong the beastmen were.”

These were achievements worthy of being called a “hero.” I was genuinely impressed.

The reason beastmen frequently encroach on the border is probably due to the environment beyond it. It’s not suitable for farming, and from the beastmen’s perspective, it’s easier to take than to cultivate.

Moreover, the beastmen’s innate characteristic of being enthusiastic about battle would have played a role.

“Thanks to him, our Empire was able to save significant human and material resources. The military expenditure invested in the border was truly beyond imagination. It’s no exaggeration to say that Lord Mayshall greatly increased the Empire’s economic power. That’s also why I’m convinced that Lord Mayshall is the author of the Biography of Xenon. Having gone through unimaginable hardships that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine, he could incorporate them into the Biography of Xenon.”

“…I see. Since you said only Navy Knights could stop them, I can understand. But…”

Nicole trailed off, staring intently at Leort before slightly turning her head to look at Rina. Both Leort and Rina wore smiles that were impossible to read.

Do they teach poker faces at the imperial court? I couldn’t tell what they were thinking at all.

Nicole seemed to have given up on reading their thoughts as well and spoke in a low voice.

“What do you intend to do with my father?”

“So you’re not denying it anymore.”

“There’s no point in denying when everything has already been exposed.”

Perhaps pleased with Nicole’s straightforward answer, Leort nodded with a satisfied smile.

Then he slowly leaned forward, interlaced his fingers, and rested his chin on them. What followed was an unexpected response.

“There’s one thing you’re misunderstanding. Our imperial family has no intention whatsoever of interfering with Lord Mayshall or you. This meeting is merely for confirmation.”

“Are you expecting us to believe that?”

Finally unable to contain herself, Nicole raised her voice and snorted. Though I didn’t speak, I glared at Leort with an expression that said, “Are you kidding me?”

After pushing people this far, they claim they have no intention of interfering? Anyone who believed that at face value would be a fool. If they truly had no intention of interfering, they wouldn’t have called us here in the first place.

Seeing our intense reactions, Leort waved his hand. It was a gesture meant to calm us down, so Nicole composed her expression.

“I understand why you’re reacting sensitively. But this much is true. What if Lord Mayshall stops writing because of pressure from our side? What if he informs the publisher that it’s because we pressured him? Can you imagine what kind of reaction that would provoke?”

“… …”

“It would obviously become serious in many ways. The influence the Biography of Xenon currently has on the world is formidable. No matter how greedy one might be, no one would be foolish enough to cut open the belly of a goose that lays golden eggs. Moreover, Rina and I are also among the readers who are enthusiastic about the Biography of Xenon. As I just said, the reason we’re meeting with you is simply for confirmation.”

Should I believe this or not? If it were someone else, I might have accepted it, but we’re dealing with imperial family members deeply involved in politics.

Who knows how many snakes they’re harboring inside? It’s not something I can readily accept.

Seeing that Nicole and I weren’t easily convinced, Rina, who had been watching from the side, took action. She looked directly at me, not Nicole, placed her hand on her chest, and spoke.

“Issac. I swear on my name as a princess. No harm will come to Lord Mayshall, your family, or your household. In fact, we can help prevent his identity from being exposed.”

“…What merit would that bring to you two?”

“The next volume of the Biography of Xenon would come out faster. That’s all.”

Is that really all? I looked suspiciously at Rina, who answered with a slight smile.

I know well that smile is fake because I’ve seen it many times before. That’s why I couldn’t help but be suspicious.

As I hesitated and wavered—

“I understand.”

“…Sister?”

“Please, keep that promise.”

Nicole accepted their terms with a solemn yet resolute voice. It was a situation I hadn’t anticipated at all.

As I looked at her with a perplexed expression, Leort, having heard Nicole’s answer, nodded with a satisfied smile.

“Thank you. As I said before, please understand that we have no intention of interfering with Lord Mayshall. Before being the author of the Biography of Xenon, Lord Mayshall is not someone our imperial family can treat carelessly.”

“You flatter him.”

“It’s not flattery at all. Lord Mayshall is worthy of such praise.”

How remarkable must his achievements have been to elicit such words from the crown prince Leort? Anyway, it seems we can breathe a sigh of relief.

Using father as a shield was uncomfortable in many ways, but it would be best to take comfort in the fact that father would understand. Naturally, I plan to write a letter as soon as I return to the dormitory.

‘What should I write? First…’

While I was sighing inwardly and contemplating what to write in the letter—

Unlike Leort and Nicole, who were now discussing my father, I felt a gaze from the front.

When I raised my head, Rina was staring at me with a strange expression, her chin resting on one hand.

I almost lost myself in her beauty, which seemed as if it had been crafted meticulously by a master artisan, but fortunately, I managed to hold onto my senses.

“… …”

She gazed intently at my face before slightly lowering her eyes. I wasn’t sure what she was looking at, but I could roughly tell that her gaze was directed at my right hand.

Then Rina raised her gaze again and met my face. Just as I was beginning to question her strange behavior—

Rina’s lips curved into a smile as soon as our eyes met, and…

[I’m counting on you.]

She silently mouthed these meaningful words.