Midnight in Valentine (2)

Helia Rangold.

A former second-year student from the Political Diplomacy department at Polaris Academy, now a dropout.

The circle she belonged to at the academy was none other than the Literature Circle.

It all started with a trivial rumor.

News that the Gardening Club, a circle with a name that sounded provincial from the start, had only one member left after all its fourth-year students graduated.

And the persuasive words of a friend who obtained information that if that club disappeared, a room might become available for the Literature Circle.

For her and her friends, who couldn’t even read a book in peace in their room due to the pressure from third and fourth-year seniors, there couldn’t be better news.

The problem was how to make the Gardening Club vacate their room.

In truth, the method itself wasn’t that difficult. She and her friends were quite skilled at what they called “political maneuvering.”

They just needed to apply subtle pressure from behind the scenes, just as they had done in the Imperial middle school.

Absolutely no one among the three main instigators, including herself, anticipated that things would escalate this far.

And as a result, that they would be ordered to forcibly drop out by Prince Cardinando.

That Prince Oscar would persistently come to interrogate her after returning to the Empire.

And, and, and…

“…hik, hik, hik.”

Breathing heavily between her lips, Helia pressed her body against the wall and stared at the floor with trembling eyes.

Oscar, who until just moments ago had been trying to persuade her to betray Cardinando’s faction and join Yuriana’s side, was now sprawled in a pool of blood.

In the middle of his back, as he lay on the cold stone floor, was a sword with a thin, sharp blade.

The blade resembled a katana, a traditional sword made on the island nation at the eastern edge of the Republic, but the cross-guard just below the blade had the unique appearance of a straight sword’s guard like those from the Empire and Kingdom.

And more striking than anything else was that the blade was transparent like glass.

So transparent that the stone wall on the opposite side could be hazily seen through the blade, despite being covered in thick blood.

“…Helia Rangold.”

The man standing in front of Oscar addressed her in a low voice.

“…guh. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Helia shook her head frantically.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do bad things again, I was wrong to the friend from the plant club…”

As she babbled incoherently, the man slowly reached out toward her.

-Swoosh.

His thumb and index finger gently gripped the chin of Helia, who had her eyes tightly shut, and lifted it slightly.

“Don’t tremble, young child.”

What had been a man’s voice just moments ago had now changed into a captivating woman’s voice.

Helia opened her eyes, feeling strangely disturbed yet fascinated.

The tall, lanky man who had been standing there moments ago was nowhere to be seen, and instead, a beautiful woman with snow-white hair was looking at her up close.

“Uh, uhh…”

“Were you very frightened?”

The woman spoke to the stammering Helia in a warm voice that seemed to melt away her fear.

The moment she heard that voice, Helia felt an indescribable sense of relief.

A feeling like reuniting with family after a long separation.

A blissful sense of subservience, as if she could listen to anything this woman before her might say.

“I would like to talk with you slowly… but this place is too dirty.”

The woman said, glancing at the fallen Oscar.

“Shall we leave this place first?”

“…Yessh.”

Mumbling with unfocused eyes, Helia stood up unsteadily from where she sat.

Splash, her worn-out shoes stepped into the pool of blood.

Red droplets spattered onto her socks, but she didn’t care.

Not once did she think that a passerby might become suspicious if they noticed the bloodstains on her body.

Because [The Sage will take care of everything].

[“…And now for our next news. On the 28th, an airship exhibition will be held in the Republic…”]

“…There’s been no news about Prince Oscar at all since then.”

“It can’t be helped. It’s related to imperial succession.”

It had been several days since all contact with Oscar abruptly ceased.

Even Yuriana seemed to have left Polaris after handing over all her duties to the vice president and other student council officials, leaving an unusually empty feeling.

Originally, his frequent visits had only been annoying, but now that he had suddenly stopped coming, I felt awkward. Human emotions can be so frustrating.

“Will he be alright?”

Delphina murmured worriedly.

“You seem more worried than I am.”

“Aren’t you worried at all, Princess?”

“Why are you coming at me like that?”

I shook my head and replied.

“It can’t be helped, they’re the Imperial family. Unlike our country, where the royal succession is clearly established, everyone is desperately fighting to become emperor. If anything, Oscar is the strange one for not getting involved in the succession competition.”

“…Imperial family, royal family, it seems like they would have nothing to envy in the world, but I guess that’s not always the case.”

Delphina murmured.

“Well, that’s right.”

I nodded.

“Besides, Oscar is unnecessarily soft-hearted. He has the courage to take sides with one of his siblings, but he doesn’t have the courage to intentionally cause bloodshed among his brothers and sisters.”

“Do you mean he’s kind?”

“I never said it that way.”

-Riiiiiiiiiiing.

At that moment, a loud telephone ring echoed throughout the living room.

“Who could that be…”

“I’ll get it.”

Delphina got up from her seat and picked up the receiver and transmitter.

“Hello… What? Why so suddenly…”

Delphina’s voice, murmuring into the transmitter, gradually faded.

How much time had passed? After a long call, Delphina silently put down the phone.

“Who was it?”

“…P-Princess.”

With blank, dazed eyes, Delphina stammered.

“P-Prince Oscar…”

“Calm down! First, calm down! Princess!”

“Do I look like I can calm down right now?!”

Looking down at Delphina who was clinging to my pants leg, I shouted, having half lost my senses.

“What kind of situation makes a royal go missing in their own country?!”

“I-if you ask me that…”

“Yes, exactly! I’m saying I want to go find out for myself what’s happening, so why are you stopping me?!”

I said to Delphina, who was looking up at me with puffy eyes.

“When you’ve always been desperate to match me up with that guy!”

“T-that’s…”

Delphina turned her head slightly away from me. I shook my leg trying to shake Delphina off.

“Let go! Right now I should…”

“Princess Yuriana asked me to!”

With her eyes tightly shut, Delphina shouted.

“She said if you heard this story, you would definitely try to come to the Empire. But she said you wouldn’t be able to fully understand how the situation is unfolding, that the entire Empire is somehow functioning strangely…”

“…”

“And Prince Oscar too, would certainly not want to see you put yourself in danger because of him. So…”

Still clutching my pant leg like she would tear it, Delphina lowered her head and let her words trail off.

I bent my knee and silently grabbed Delphina’s hand.

“P-Princess… Owowowowowow!!”

And then, I forcibly detached Delphina’s hand by squeezing it tightly.

Looking down at Delphina, who was staring up at me with teary eyes, I shook my head.

“I still have to go.”

“But.”

“I am that guy’s fiancée.”

Looking down at Delphina, who was staring up at me silently, I straightened my bent knee and stood up.

“I can’t become a widow before even getting married.”

“W-widow…”

“And.”

Since it wasn’t exactly something I could say while looking straight into her eyes, I slightly averted my gaze and murmured.

“I only remember receiving a lot from you all, so maybe it’s time I did something for you.”

“Princess…”

“I-I’m just paying back a debt of gratitude! Nothing more than that!”

Hastily adding that, I shook my head.

“And I’m that guy’s fiancée, so don’t I have more than enough right to get involved in this?”

“…You’re right. Your Highness is correct.”

Delphina finally nodded.

“But! If that’s the case, I have a condition too!”

“What condition?”

“Though we have an alliance, the Valentine Empire is undeniably a foreign country. Even if you’re a foreign dignitary and the prince’s fiancée, there’s no guarantee of safety, especially in a situation where a member of their royal family has met with trouble.”

Delphina rose from the floor and crossed her arms in an X, shaking her head.

“That’s true.”

“So, we need to request an escort from our country. At least Kingdom’s Seven Swords level.”

[“…So that’s why you called me.”]

“Yes, Lord Scabbard.”

[“I’m not some magical box that spits out gifts when you tap on it.”]

“Who else would I ask for such a favor but you, Lord Scabbard? Among those connected to the military, you’re my only superior.”

[“And even that only applies under the name of the ‘Kingdom’s Seven Swords.'”]

Through the receiver, Lord Scabbard’s troubled voice came through.

“But there’s no choice.”

Though I had no intention of tormenting him, I spoke firmly with resolve.

“Prince Oscar is missing. That guy… I mean, that man is also my fiancé, so this matter concerns me as well.”

[“…Your argument is valid, but whether His Majesty will permit it.”]

“I’m going even if he says no.”

[“…Haaaaah.”]

A long sigh flowed from the receiver.

[“But we can’t recklessly send Kingdom’s Seven Swords level forces. The former 6th seat Cornelio is dead, the former 4th seat Lord Cornwall also died in battle, and we can’t send Lord Bertrand, the 7th seat…”]

“Huh? Lord Bertrand is the 7th seat?”

[“…Oops.”]

At my question, Lord Scabbard muttered quietly.

[“I made a mistake. Well, at my age…”]

“…Complaining about age when you’re younger than my father?”

His reaction was somehow suspicious, but since it wasn’t an important matter, I decided to let it pass.

[“Anyway, I understand. However, for national defense, sending a knight of 4th seat or higher is… not impossible, but the procedure is much more complicated.”]

As if there was no choice, Lord Scabbard said.

[“From the Kingdom’s Seven Swords, I’ll send the 5th seat, Rubila Kimbell, along with the Ten-member Flame Knight Unit under her.”]

“Wait, Rubila?!”

I hurriedly shouted.

“You’re going to send that mad dog?”

[“But what choice do we have? Other knights are not in a position to…”]

“Can’t you come yourself? Just one Lord Scabbard would be much more reassuring than those guys!”

[“…How could I go there? I hate to say it myself, but… I’m the 1st seat of the Kingdom’s Seven Swords.”]

Lord Scabbard rebuked me as if I was talking nonsense.

[“Even if I wanted to go, the council would never approve it.”]

“But Rubila is a bit…”

[“Well, Your Highness can control her well. As she herself says, she may be half-crazy, but she’s not the type to disobey her superior’s orders.”]

With a voice mixed with laughter, he said that and then greeted me.

[“Now I must go as I have work piling up. I’ll contact you soon through another line.”]

-Click.

As I put down the receiver that had been arbitrarily hung up, I let out a deep sigh.

“…What should I do, I suddenly don’t want to go.”