Chapter 114 – Knights and Princes

We rode the floating stone vertically up the Northern Tower.

Unlike the floating stones used for ascending and descending the King’s Tower, this one moved at a slower speed.

Gargoyle statues were periodically placed along the shaft’s inner walls—probably meaning that if someone tried to escape by descending the vertical shaft, those gargoyles would attack.

Being forced into close-quarters combat in a confined space while maintaining Levitation would be an extremely difficult situation for any magician.

If you couldn’t use magic, escaping from the vertical shaft itself would be difficult to begin with.

Helfried watched the occasionally visible gargoyles with an uneasy expression.

Eventually, the floating stone reached the upper levels of the Northern Tower. As we crossed the bridge connecting to the upper section, the floating stone descended on its own. Apparently, when returning, you just need to tell the gargoyle near the bridge, and it will move the floating stone up from below.

We passed through winding corridors toward a room deeper inside. That would be where Rosemary was located.

Though that’s not to say Rosemary was confined to any particular room. The upper section itself was essentially like a prison.

The Northern Tower was apparently originally designed to confine nobles and other important figures under some kind of suspicion. As a prison with countermeasures against magicians, it was the most secure, but since it targeted specific individuals, it was equipped with just enough facilities and personnel without excess.

Regarding the personnel stationed here, they underwent Magical Inquisition when entering and exiting, so the surveillance system seemed reasonably strict.

“An interesting group of faces you’ve brought.”

—Rosemary’s room gave a clean impression. Furnished with minimal decor, there were no places to hide. The inner room containing what was likely a bath and toilet probably had similarly clear lines of sight.

Rosemary, who had been facing a book at her work desk, raised her head and noticed our presence, forming what could be called an audacious smile at the corner of her mouth.

Somehow, her impression was almost unchanged from when we last met.

“I have somewhat complicated matters to discuss, so please, you two go first.”

I yielded to my companions. Their conversation presumed my supervision, while mine presumed their absence. The order had to be this way. Once their talk was over, I’d have to ask them to return first.

“…Sir Chester. You should speak first.”

Prince Helfried, with a somewhat tense expression, yielded to Chester.

Chester saluted Prince Helfried in response, then walked toward Rosemary.

“Your Highness Rosemary… no, Rosemary-sama, it has been too long.”

“I don’t recall asking anyone to visit or check on me.”

Taking out her feather fan from before, Rosemary stood up.

“None of the nobles I was close with seemed to offer visits or well-wishes, so…”

“So you came as their representative?”

Rosemary spoke without showing any sign of pleasure.

“Being dutiful is a virtue, but. Why—do you properly understand why I distanced myself from you?”

Yes, that must be where Chester feels hung up regarding Rosemary. It probably wasn’t mere likes and dislikes or whims.

“…No. I don’t understand.”

“I see. Then I’ll tell you. Despite being introduced by Greg—you didn’t seem to understand Greg very well, you see. What I needed was a knight loyal to me above all. But you weren’t that, were you? The moment you turned your back on the Wyvern Corps and prioritized labyrinth exploration, that became clear, so I kept my distance. That’s all there is to it.”

“Th-that…”

Chester’s eyes widened.

I see. So Rosemary distancing herself from Chester wasn’t due to wounded pride or anything like that.

Chester himself, while belonging to Greg’s faction, ultimately swore loyalty to the kingdom and royal family, and you could say he operated within the framework of his own code of chivalry.

For instance, if Rosemary were to instigate something, he might become an enemy—or she judged that it was unclear which side he would take.

In that case, keeping him at a distance from the start was her form of risk management.

Still, her way of speaking was quite blunt.

Chester ultimately ended up being kept at a distance from Greg’s faction too, as they interpreted it as him having incurred Rosemary’s displeasure.

That’s partly why his head remained attached after the subsequent commotion involving Greg and Fernando. She could probably take credit for that and boast about it, but Rosemary didn’t mention it.

Chester, having been told this, closed his eyes. Then he spoke.

“…Even so, I wished to visit and see Rosemary-sama.”

Was that coming from his actual experience of being discarded by Greg’s faction?

“—Well, that’s your freedom, I suppose. As you can see, I can’t leave this place, but I’m rather enjoying my current circumstances in my own way.”

Rosemary shrugged her shoulders. Whether Chester was satisfied with that or not, he bowed his head to Rosemary again and stepped back.

For Chester—he must have been concerned about how Rosemary was being treated.

“Helfried.”

Rosemary narrowed her eyes and looked at her younger brother.

“Sister—I—”

“Why you came here—I can mostly imagine. Most likely, you didn’t go to negotiate with Father, did you?”

“That’s… correct.”

Rosemary hid the corner of her mouth with her feather fan—and said to Helfried.

“I’m here because my scheme was thwarted by the Otherworld Ambassador over there. That’s all there is to it.”

“B-but… For Sister to be in a place like this…”

“Helfried.”

To Helfried, who made a pained face, Rosemary showed an especially gentle smile.

“Do you understand why I was harsh toward the other princes and princesses?”

“…No.”

“Because I didn’t want to develop even the slightest affection for those I’d eventually have to defeat. You should infer from the fact that I didn’t do that to you. Among us, you are the least suited to be king. In other words, you can’t even become my enemy.”

In that sense—Albert and Marlene were individuals who could potentially become Rosemary’s enemies. Not because Helfried was family, but because he lacked the qualities to even be considered an enemy… it was practically said to his face.

“……”

Helfried fell silent for a moment, then rushed out of the room.

Chester bowed once, then left the room as if chasing after Helfried. Left behind were just me and Rosemary.

“…Did you really have to be that openly malicious?”

“If they start moving around doing various things, it would just be a nuisance.”

Rosemary said this nonchalantly.

From Rosemary’s perspective… leaving behind external influence might actually endanger herself.

At the same time, not maintaining connections also helps protect Chester and Helfried themselves.

Or perhaps there’s also the aspect that if she guides them in a way that stirs distrust toward me, she’d lose the trust from me, whom she’s using as a contact.

Where does her true intent end and her facade begin? As always, she’s hard to read, or should I say…

“If I ask why you specifically named me, will you answer?”

“Let’s just say it’s safest for both of us since you’re the hardest to bribe—how about that? I never imagined I’d be ignored and knocked flying after dangling the prospect of becoming king consort.”

Rosemary laughed somewhat amusedly.

“Well, first let’s get the reporting we should do out of the way.”

Rosemary took several ancient documents from the bookshelf. She also pulled out what appeared to be bundles of papers she herself had written from the work desk’s drawer.

“First, regarding the sector where the Sealed Door exists.”

Opening the encrypted ancient documents, Rosemary spoke.

“Dusk Forest, Great Corruption Lake. You’ve already found those two. The remaining two are the Magic Light Water Vein and the one leading from the Blazing Fortress to the Spirit Hall.”

Water vein and fortress, huh. The fortress will be troublesome. The sector itself is harsh, and fairly high-level monsters appear. If we leave it to the Knight Order, there might be casualties. Water vein and fortress. We’ll just have to proceed in order.

“We’re currently exploring the Magic Light Water Vein.”

“Is that so? Then the remaining one is the Blazing Fortress. Good thing the decoding was completed in time. Can’t have me being useless, now can we?”

Then, Rosemary smiled faintly and said, “One more thing.”

“The path leading to the Moonlight Temple is from the Hidden Labyrinth, it seems.”

“From the Hidden Labyrinth, huh.”

“More precisely, I suppose it means if you pass through the deep floor’s door during a full moon and emerge on the Hidden Labyrinth side.”

Either way, since the entrance is sealed, we probably can’t enter the interior… but knowing the way there is important, I’d say.

“That’s about it for the labyrinth, I suppose. I’ve also made some progress investigating the Orbs. According to legend, it says ‘Seal the calamity with four pairs of orbs.'”

…Another new piece of information has emerged.

Paired orbs. The Spirit Hall’s Orb and the Demon’s Orb, perhaps? Meaning a demon brought the orbs from somewhere, then.

Regarding the orbs, if she continues investigating like this, we might learn something about their role or other details.

As I was pondering this, Rosemary spoke.

“Regarding the attempted assassination of Marlene—I’d like to talk with you about it, if that’s alright? I have quite a few things I’d like to say about that clumsy method.”

…That matter. Since she was asked about the attempted assassination during the Magical Inquisition, she probably knows suspicion was directed at her.

It seemed Rosemary was saying there was a mistake in the dosage of the drug given to Marlene.

…Right. I do want to exchange opinions with Rosemary about this.

“First off, regarding how to deceive the Magical Inquisition, I can somewhat imagine it.”

“Oh?”

When I said this, Rosemary widened her eyes as if impressed.

“If you can coordinate stories with the Magic Inquisitor, it’s not that difficult.”

“You bribed the Magic Inquisitor?”

“Maybe not bribery but coercion. Like taking family members hostage.”

Classic and universal. A method that works on anyone.

This can be used not only on inquisitors but also to manipulate the perpetrators. It can make them move regardless of whether they’re directly connected or not.

“So. You’re saying anyone can do it, regardless of whether they were present or not?”

“Exactly. For example, first coerce someone in a position where they could carry it out to administer the drug. Of course, a Magical Inquisition will be conducted. So next, have the perpetrator coerce the inquisitor. Even if it fails, any information leading back to you won’t come out immediately.”

“…To slip through the inquisition, you don’t need magic or secret potions, huh. Because the inquisitor would know the coercion is real… meaning if you’re familiar with the internal circumstances, you can do it.”

That’s how it would be. If I had to add, you’d also need the organizational power to be able to take hostages from among the related parties, I suppose.

“Were the inquisitors at that time the same as the current ones?”

“No. They should have been replaced.”

This suggests they were likely silenced along with the perpetrators.

“The reason for targeting the Third Princess?”

“Perhaps the goal was to make people think the only one with a motive was… Rosemary?”

“Ha—”

Rosemary closed her feather fan, slapped it against her palm, and laughed scornfully.

“For me, who advocates meritocracy, that child is indeed my nominal greatest enemy. Actually, rumors spread that I might have done it by some means, and some people distanced themselves from me.”

There’s a possibility she herself spread those rumors. Even Albert, while he didn’t state it explicitly, seemed to be wary of Rosemary because of that.

In reality, Rosemary had done various things and wasn’t exactly innocent either. All the more reason it must have been difficult for her to refute the allegations regarding the incident.

Hmm. The line that Marlene was targeted by Rosemary’s enemies—seems quite plausible.