6
The secret passage leading to the city streets ran deeper than I expected.
Part of it was that the castle itself is on the highest point in Aldan, but the main reason was probably that this passage led to the slums—the very edge of the Imperial Capital. A poverty-stricken district, more than a hundred meters lower in elevation than the castle.
We walked on and on through the dark, narrow tunnel, until we finally saw a place where pale moonlight was leaking in.
“Ah, the exit!”
Fadi announced, and stuck his hand into the tiny crack of light.
I heard the sound of metal scraping against wood. A moment later, there was a click, like a lock disengaging.
Fadi grunted and shoved aside a heavy, warped plank that looked like it was made of fused wood and iron. Above us, we could see the faded, ancient ceiling.
“Heave-ho!”
He poked his head out. We were in a small, abandoned-looking hut.
We brushed the dirt from our clothes and looked around.
“I can’t believe it connected to a place like this…”
“Hah. I’m starting to have serious doubts about the castle’s security…”
Flegel was simply surprised, but Princess Valtrune was already pressing her temples, a grim look on her face, having now learned how easy it was to get in and out.
“Don’t worry! This passage is for my exclusive use!”
“Which means there was a serious risk of you assassinating me in the past… I’m truly glad I made you an ally when I did.”
“Huh? You look super tired. Why?”
It was only natural for her to sigh in relief. If Fadi had remained with Marquis Rigel, she might have been assassinated long before the decisive battle in the Marquis’s territory.
For the two of us, who had already fallen into the abyss once, a peaceful life was probably not in the cards.
“We really are walking a razor’s edge, aren’t we…?”
“Yes. If we’d made even one wrong choice, there’s a future where I wouldn’t be here… No. Let’s not think about that. It’ll just make my stomach hurt.”
“Fadi. Stop giving Rune-sama so much stress.”
“Again!? Why am I always the one getting blamed!?”
Fadi’s loud protest echoed through the hut, scattering the dark mood.
7
And so, we, the top-secret mission-executors, had successfully snuck out of the castle. Even better, we’d made it to the slums via a completely safe, danger-free route. All thanks to Fadi’s private tunnel.
“So, what now?”
Flegel asked, his eyes nervously watching the floorboards, which looked ready to give way with every step.
“We’re heading straight to the ‘White Smoke Lizards’ headquarters.”
“We’re just… going for it? That sounds dangerous.”
For the safety-minded Flegel, his hesitant tone and anxious expression screamed, ‘I absolutely do not want to cross this bridge, even if you did tap it.’
“Don’t look so scared! This team has the best front-line fighters ever!”
“Don’t talk like fighting is a guarantee… You’re just reminding me I’m the only useless one in a fight.”
“Aww, don’t worry about it!”
The negotiators: Fadi and Flegel.
The fighters: me, Princess Valtrune, and Fadi (when needed).
It was true. Flegel was the only one who paled in comparison on the combat front. But considering his specialty was in strategy and intellect, it was understandable. And…
“A fight will only happen in the worst-case scenario. Right, Fadi?”
“Yep! I don’t know about ‘Red Broad’ or ‘Izu Clan,’ but the ‘Lizards’ are basically pacifists. They’re not the type to just start swinging knives and clubs at you.”
“See?” Valtrune said.
“…Right.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, as if to calm the high-strung Flegel.
“Relax. If all goes well, this will be over quickly.”
Exactly. We weren’t going there to fight. We were just going to see if we could join hands and build a good relationship.
“Yep, yep! If we bait them with a little funding and supplies, I bet they’ll roll right over!”
That was a pretty harsh assessment of his former organization.
“Does that mean the ‘Lizards’ are just… easy?”
“Oh, come on. It means they’re rational enough to talk.”
“The way you say that makes it sound like the other organizations are just rabid dogs…”
“Flegel, you’re not supposed to ask about that. A little more tact, please?”
…He says, with zero tact himself.
Fadi’s shamelessness was truly something to behold.
“…Should we get going?”
With the final check complete, Princess Valtrune stood up.
“Ah, the exit’s over here!”
The hut’s actual front door had several planks nailed over it, sealing it shut. Fadi, of course, went in the opposite direction.
“You…”
“From a place like this…”
He moved a bookshelf in the corner, revealing another door.
Do underworld types just… really like hidden contraptions?
Two heavily-hidden exits in one tiny hut.
“Come on, let’s go! The ‘Lizards’ are swarming all over the place out there.”
Fadi wiggled his fingers like a swarm of bugs, then opened the door and stepped out.
“Stop saying ‘swarming.’ You make them sound like insects.”
“Ahaha! Are you afraid of bugs, Flegel?”
“I’m not ‘fond’ of them.”
“That’s what ‘afraid’ means!”
Princess Valtrune and I watched the other two go, then exchanged a look.
“Al. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to cut loose.”
She looked… excited to fight.
Since the regression, she hadn’t had a single chance to use her magic on a battlefield.
I remembered the sheer, overwhelming magic power she’d possessed, and a shiver went down my spine.
“…Rune-sama. I will handle any and all combat. You understand me, right?”
“Al, you understand, don’t you? I put a little rule on you: ‘No fighting alone.’ Which means…”
“N-No… you don’t mean…”
That rule… it wasn’t a punishment for my rampage. It was a setup… to justify her fighting at my side!?
This woman… just how many steps ahead is she? This is the talented, tenacious princess who guided the Empire.
“Fufu. Let’s do our best together.”
“…Yes.”
“Then, let’s go!”
Her pale hand pulled firmly on my arm.
I’ve been dreading this as a dark, heavy operation, but… maybe it’s not?
I still can’t seem to read her intentions.
8
There are three major organizations that fester in the Imperial underworld.
‘Red Broad,’ the largest faction, based in the capital city of Aldan.
‘Izu Clan,’ a militant group famous for operating all across the Empire.
And ‘The White Smoke Lizards,’ the assassin’s guild that Fadi used to lead.
These three are known as the great shadow organizations, all vying for supremacy.
We were in the outskirts of the capital, a place where shady-looking people walked the streets. We were heading for the headquarters of Fadi’s old group.
“Looks pretty rough, right? Trust me, it’s worse than it looks.”
He said it with a casual, experienced expression, his eyes scanning the passersby.
Flegel, a bead of sweat on his brow, nervously observed our surroundings and whispered to me.
“…Those guys are watching us. I think they’re sizing us up.”
“Yeah.”
“If they attack… I’m counting on you.”
“I know.”
His usual cool demeanor was gone. He was practically hiding his face with his hands.
“…They’re all staring.”
“Well, we do kind of stand out.”
Our armor was the custom-made gear of the Provisional Elite Corps. Our weapons were all custom-ordered.
On top of that, we had Princess Valtrune, with her regal posture, and Flegel, a former Kingdom noble. It was no wonder we were drawing eyes.
“…Hey, man.”
“Hm. If they get close, I’ll take them out fast.”
“So reliable! I love it!”
I wanted to avoid a fight if possible, but if we let them make the first move, our options would be limited. If a fight was coming, I’d be the first to draw. I kept my hand near the hilt of my sword as we walked.
Gradually, the hostile stares began to fade.
“Hey, hey!”
“Hm?”
Fadi, noticing something, tapped me on the back.
He whispered into my ear, “Your ‘don’t-mess-with-me’ aura is so intense, it’s scaring everyone off. As expected of the personal knight to the world’s most terrifying princess!”
“Are you… insulting me?”
“No way! I’m complimenting you! With an aura like that, you’d make a great underworld boss! How about it? Taking over the ‘Lizards’ would look great on you!”
“I’ll pass.”
“Ahaha, you look so disgusted!”
“…Hah.”
The moment the danger passed, he was back to this. Fadi’s mood swings were as volatile as Petra’s. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but I just… get sucked into his pace, and it’s exhausting.
“Fadi, that’s enough. Don’t stress Aldia out.”
“Ooh, there it is again! Are you, like, his favorite?”
Even when Flegel gave him the cold shoulder, Fadi just grinned.
“I’m telling you to be serious. This won’t be a laughing matter if we’re attacked.”
“You’re so serious, Flegel!”
“…You’re the only one here joking around.”
“Hey! That’s so rude! …Is what I’d like to say, but you’re probably right, so I won’t argue!”
Flegel, like me, fell silent. He must have realized that arguing with Fadi was just a way to lose his mind.
“Aldia.”
“Hm?”
“…This guy is exhausting.”
I couldn’t help but smile wryly at his blatant, zero-filter complaint.
9
A building, surprisingly large for the slums, stood alone.
“We’re here! This is the ‘White Smoke Lizards’ HQ!”
Our destination was a large, filthy-looking tavern.
We opened the paint-chipped wooden door. Inside, it was small and dim. The air smelled of rust and stale alcohol. Fadi, without hesitation, walked up to the bar counter and sat down.
“We should go, too.”
“Yes… He’s waving us over.”
We joined Fadi at the bar. A woman in black clothes behind the counter spoke to us in a gruff monotone.
“What’ll you have?”
A short, curt greeting.
Fadi, completely unfazed by the terrible service, just tapped his fingers on the bar.
“…I’ll have… Dorothea.”
At his chillingly low voice, the woman’s mouth twitched.
“…I need your order.”
“Yeah, don’t need all that. Just go get her.”
The woman tried again, a little more politely this time, but Fadi just repeated his demand.
“…”
“Ahaha, don’t look so scary. Just tell her… ‘Your adorable son is here to see you.’ Got it?”
“…O-One moment. I’ll… go check.”
Reluctantly—or rather, looking like she wanted to curse him out—the woman disappeared into the back.
“Fadi, just now…”
“Yep. I told her to go get the boss.”
…I knew it.
He’s not the type to beat around the bush. He always takes the shortest, most direct route.
“Don’t give me that ‘don’t be hasty’ look. We were going to meet her eventually anyway.”
“Yeah. This is faster. It helps.”
We don’t have time to waste. I’m all for decisiveness. We can worry about the details when we’re at the negotiating table.
The only question is how they’ll respond.
“Thank you for waiting. She will see you. Please, this way.”
To my surprise, the woman returned in less than a minute, her expression now perfectly composed.
“Alright! Let’s go!”
“Hold up!”
“Ugh…!”
Flegel grabbed Fadi just as he was about to cheerfully follow.
“What’s the big idea? Don’t grab me by the neck!”
“Are you stupid? You’re just going to follow her, just like that?”
Flegel’s voice was sharp. Fadi’s complete lack of caution must have set him on edge. But Fadi just brushed his hand off, looking smug.
“No worries! Dorothea is a pacifist. She wouldn’t just… mistreat an old friend.”
Without waiting for a reply, Fadi walked off.
“Flegel, it’s fine.”
Princess Valtrune’s gentle voice seemed to calm him. He nodded and followed.
“Al. Be on your guard.”
“Of course.”
“If you sense danger, we act. Understood?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze was filled with complete and total trust.
A situation where one mistake is not an option. I placed a hand over my heart, praying for the mission’s success, and for all four of us to return safely.
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