episode_0088

The place Ophelia guided me was to a remote back alley outside the main building.

Three or four completely burned magic candles were crumpled and lying around on the dirt floor, and a few were even stuck in cracks in the walls.

Places like this look similar everywhere.

Even in the training camp of the game world.

He smiled wryly at the familiar sight and brought the cigarette he was holding to his mouth.

Ophelia also took out a long magic candle, took a bite, and flicked her fingers.

Two fireworks bloomed with a sound.

“Oh, this is quite convenient.”

“It’s convenient.”

Ophelia laughed lightly and sucked in the smoke.

“So, what do you have to say? That story from last time?”

He asked me to eliminate his sister, Claire Van Siegmillus.

He said he would handle detailed planning and follow-up issues on his own.

“Did you remember? that’s right. I called you because of that problem. It’s not time to run it yet…”

“Because things have changed between me then and me now?”

I cut her off.

As if it was the perfect answer, Ophelia moaned softly.

At the time, I had no particular ties to the island nobility and had never made any special achievements, so in some ways I was a vaguely strong warrior with a reputation.

Even at that time, he already had the Margrave of Landenburg as a sponsor… but a sponsor is only a sponsor.

They even looked like they were having trouble because they didn’t have money, so I guess they thought it was just a formal support.

My status as the princess of Ka’har also gained great significance as my status rose considerably, but up until that point, I still felt like a ‘barbarian princess.’

Although they would receive courtesy, they could not exercise power within the empire… In a way, it was like fancy wrapping paper.

From the perspective of the imperial count family, the Sigmillus family, which was quite powerful, there would have been no particular reason to care.

Ophelia herself must have been feeling desperate too.

So, I guess they chose me out of nowhere.

That person has now become a master warrior that even the imperial family pays attention to…

In addition, the emperor himself bestowed a title on him and he was recognized as an imperial noble.

As a result, it has become difficult to use him as an assassin.

At the point when I have a political position within the empire, depending on my line, I may actually become an enemy.

Claire van Siegmillus is one of the nobles of the Ernst school.

It also has a direct relationship with Isabella.

“… Are you planning on changing your words?”

“Well, we don’t know yet. At least now I can hear the detailed reason, right?”

He slowly exhaled smoke and said a word.

Ophelia sighed.

The two breaths mixed together and dispersed.

“Ha…but it means that I have at least some intention to keep my promise. good. Since I have already revealed my goal anyway, there is no point in hiding the reason. Let’s talk about everything.”

She continued. About Count Sigmillus and his older sister.

—-

“Our family, Count Sigmillus, was a family that had produced outstanding wizards for generations. My grandfather, father, and…my sister were like that too.”

sister. Ophelia spoke softly to herself.

The emotion contained in that monologue was a bit more complicated than simple hatred.

“My older sister, Claire Van Siegmillus, was renowned as a prodigy since she was young… and everyone praised her as a future great wizard. She probably thought of herself that way too. But, I was born.”

Ophelia pointed to herself with her fingertip. As if introducing it again.

The exaggerated attitude contained a bit of self-mockery.

“An incomprehensible talent that has been unparalleled since the first head of the family. A genius among geniuses who had already demonstrated basic magic at the age of only five. Instead of being born with the talent to become an archmage, a child was born whose failure to become an archmage was rather strange. Naturally, all the family’s expectations were focused on me. Looking at that…what did she think?”

I guess he wanted to kill me.

If Ophelia were a woman who was purely happy about her younger brother’s talent, how could she have gnashed her teeth and threatened to kill him?

“At least, that was when my sister started to become obsessed with power. The one who tried to kill me.”

Ophelia chewed on the magic candle.

Was it because he was thinking about the crises he had experienced, or whether he was mourning the transformation of his blood relatives?

“A poison that slowly deteriorates my body and eventually takes my life, attacks and kidnapping attempts that occur every time I go out, strange rumors about my personality… I found out that my older sister was behind it all. It happened when I was about twelve years old. Because in front of me, you always acted like a good sister, even if it was heinous.”

“You survived well?”

Even though they are not threats that a child in the early 10s can handle.

Does a genius mean a genius?

“I was lucky when I was young, and after realizing it, I hid my abilities. He’s capable, but not to the point where he’s a threat to her. It wasn’t that difficult. Isn’t it rare for a genius at a young age to turn into a genius as he gets older?”

That’s right.

I would have been suspicious if he had acted completely incompetent, but… he seems to have walked a fine line quite well.

“After that, the family’s interest gradually diminished… My sister had been doing something during this time, but she had become an influential figure in the 3rd Prince’s faction.”

Ophelia shrugged her shoulders.

I know full well what you did.

He would have attached himself to Isabella, acted as her confidant, and handled all sorts of dirty things.

“He’s an influential figure of the Ernst faction, so I don’t think you’ll be able to deal with it if you mess with it?”

“No, rather, this is the last chance. If the 3rd prince becomes the heir to the throne, he won’t even be able to touch his sister at all. Now that the power gap is similar, the 1st prince will have an advantage just by defeating the older sister. If the 1st prince wins like that, there will be no problem in clearing things up, right? Anyone who might raise questions will end up on the gallows or something to worry about.”

“And what if the 3rd prince wins?”

Of course, I’m not going to let that happen, but it doesn’t need to be said.

“After my sister dies, I am the only heir to the Count Sigmillus family. From then on, there will be no need to hide your power for attention… and you will be a genius wizard again. Once I deal with my sister, I plan to maintain a neutral attitude for now. No matter how much of the royal family I am, I can’t deal with someone like that with just my heart.”

What you’re saying is that you’re going to stop being pretentious.

So that no matter which of the princes wins, they will not be purged as they are accused of being in opposition.

“Still, if you still want to frame him, you can just throw yourself into the magic tower. It’s not a pleasant thing, but.”

but. With a talent like hers, the Tower will protect you if you end up in the Tower.

“In the first place, the empire is always thirsty for strong people, so once you rise to the level of a high-ranking wizard, there will be no problem. I will not make the choice of meaninglessly losing such a powerful person by revealing that a young lady was assassinated due to a power struggle within the family.”

It wasn’t a false accusation, right? Because you are the culprit.

Other than that, the rest was an understandable answer.

It might be a case of a villain who can’t be used at all, but it’s common among nobles to commit murder due to problems within the family.

From then on, if you show your loyalty to the empire, they won’t bother to kill you.

Yeah, it’s a pretty good decision.

Except that Isabella’s personality isn’t as rational as Ophelia thought.

“This is the end of my story. So, what do you plan on doing?”

“Hmm…”

I slowly blurted out my words. It’s still too early to agree.

Ophelia, you just want to get revenge on your sister, but for me, that act is not just revenge, it is political assassination.

Before I knew it, the cigarette was almost completely burned out.

“First of all, the specific plan or implementation date hasn’t been confirmed yet, right? I will first listen to the plan and then decide whether to accept it or not.”

He shrugged his shoulders proudly.

“You might try to take advantage of me and get rich, right? Leave the assassination of Claire to me, and later secretly inform the 3rd prince of the fact to seek revenge, or something like that.”

“That’s pretty straightforward… Yes, it’s a reasonable suspicion. I’m glad to know that at least it wasn’t a rejection. good. I’ll come back once I have a plan.”

Ophelia’s reaction was simpler than expected.

I guess they already guessed that I would come out like this.

“Sure. Still, I won’t tell this story to anyone else, so feel free about that.”

“You know that these aren’t particularly reassuring words, right?”

“What else can I do? There is no alternative…you have to believe it.”

Anyway, I have nothing to regret. Until you do something.

So please bring me a plan that will satisfy me with peace of mind, Ophelia.

I will do it as long as I am sure there will be no problem.

“Haaa…I picked the wrong person to entrust the job to…I guess I should have been more careful.”

“If you leave it to me, there will be few people more certain than me.”

“Haaa…”

Ofelia shook her head and sighed as she left the alley.

I also stamped out my cigarette and went back to my dorm.