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Battle at the Royal Palace – Part 03

“This is bad.”

Creeping in through the dark, he could hear the conversation inside the room.

Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Selyse and Serika would be in Kujastria’s room, nor did he expect them to engage in lively conversation, or that he would be the topic of discussion.

Hikaru was in the secret passage leading to Kujastria’s room, the same route he had taken before. It hadn’t been closed.

Kujastria couldn’t completely discard the possibility of Hikaru being Roland N. Zaracia. Hikaru had read the documents she had been writing—studies regarding the spell for crossing worlds—and they were very well-thought-out. In fact, Hikaru, who inherited Roland’s knowledge, found her ideas and thought experiments to be even better.

“What do we do, Hikaru?”

“Y-You’re popular even in the palace, Lord Hikaru.”

Lavia and Paula were also with him in the narrow passage. They were using Group Cloaking, so Hikaru couldn’t use any of his hands.

“I am far from… I mean, I’m not popular.” Hikaru was still struggling to drop the formal speech when talking to Paula. “I just happen to be someone they all know.”

“Hikaru,” Lavia said. “It seems to me like the princess is more interested in you than I thought.”

Lavia hit the nail on the head. Hikaru had already explained the relationship between Roland, the previous owner of his body, and the princess. Apparently, Kujastria cared about Roland more than Hikaru originally thought.

“Well… Um, yeah, I wonder why?”

“I want to ask her.”

What is she saying?

While Hikaru was contemplating how to pacify Lavia, the conversation in the princess’s room continued.

—Silver Face treated the adventurer Jillarte as if he was a knight protecting a princess.

—Oh, really?

—And Jillarte is a very skilled and pretty swordswoman.

—I see…

—She’s very famous in Einbiest. Silver Face even entered the arena holding hands with her.

—Oh…

The conversation revolving Hikaru went on. He couldn’t bear to listen any longer. Rather, he had to stop Selyse from talking.

But before that, Hikaru thought he had to reassure Lavia and Paula first. “I was holding hands with her for Group Cloaking, okay?”

“…”

“…”

He was stating facts, but why did it feel like he was making excuses? Kujastria’s responses were also becoming duller by the second. Actually, she was acting cold.

“L-Let’s just show ourselves for now!”

“…”

“…”

Why are they giving me that look?!

Hikaru opened the hidden door and entered the princess’s room.

“Could you stop talking about someone behind their back?” Hikaru let go of the girl’s hands and deactivated Group Cloaking.

“Hello there, Silver Face.”

“Speak of the devil! Your woman’s intuition was right on the mark, Selyse!”

“You knew I was listening, didn’t you?” Hikaru said.

“I heard you acquired the right to sneak into the princess’s room,” Selyse replied. “Knowing you, I thought you might try to peek at the princess changing or eavesdrop on her secrets.”

“I wouldn’t! Stop saying weird things about me!”

“Silver Face, I didn’t know you were that kind of person.” Princess Kujastria blushed, forgetting to address him with a title.

“Huh? You didn’t bother sealing the passage,” Hikaru said. “Surely you were aware to some extent.”

“This secret passage is exclusively for the royal family, so I couldn’t tell anyone. That’s all! And there is no way I could talk to my brother or His Majesty about it, given the current situation.”

“G-Good point.”

“Flower Face,” Lavia said from behind.

“Y-Yes?”

Lavia and Paula exchanged nods.

What’s with them? Hikaru wondered.

“Silver Face belongs to us.”

“H-Hands off!”

They grabbed his arms from both sides.

Wh-What’s going on?

Hikaru was understandably confused, but Paula was blushing too, hanging her head.

If it’s so embarrassing, then don’t do it.

Selyse laughed. “Taking him might prove difficult, Your Highness.”

“I-I don’t think of Silver Face that way… I’m more concerned about Viscount Zaracia’s…”

“A lady’s heart is complicated!” Serika chimed in.

Hikaru had no idea what they were talking about.

We kinda have a dire situation in our hands. He was at a complete loss.

Suddenly his eyes widened. Even in these kinds of situations, he always kept his Mana Detection on to monitor his surroundings, and he noticed movement.

Selyse noticed the change in Hikaru’s expression. “What’s wrong, Silver Face?”

“This is bad.”

What Hikaru sensed was something sudden, but certainly something he couldn’t ignore.

“Princess Kujastria.” Hikaru’s voice took on a grave tone.

Kujastria’s expression tightened. “Y-Yes?”

“Things are about to escalate significantly.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems that Austrin has learned about the Dukes’ meeting. He’s gathering a lot of people. About 300 of them.”

“What?!”

“Is this room designed for defense?”

“Huh? D-Defense?”

“I don’t think so,” Selyse said. “There’s a warehouse one floor below. The walls are thick, with only one small window. There’s only one entrance as well. That’s better.”

Hikaru was impressed by the fact that Selyse had already considered this possibility. She had studied the vicinity beforehand and found the perfect place to protect the princess.

“Can I leave the princess to you?” Hikaru asked. “Star Face and Flower Face will also help, of course.”

“Sounds great. I’m sure Star Face’s elemental magic will come in handy.”

“I’ve been wondering who you really are for a while now!” Serika stared at Lavia with fiery eyes.

Lavia moved behind Hikaru. Hikaru sighed. Sophie was curious about Paula, and Serika was curious about Lavia.

“So, while you’re making these delicate girls work, what will you be doing?” Selyse asked.

“There’s something I want to check. Sorry, but I’ll explain later. Star Face, if anything unusual happens, shoot a fire spell into the sky.”

“Okay.” Lavia nodded.

Hikaru leaped into the hidden passage. Activating his Stealth, he illuminated the magic lamps and sprinted away.

“This is bad…”

It was an alarming situation. There were more than just the three hundred people. Hikaru’s Mana Detection picked up an individual who shouldn’t be in the palace.

---

Deep within the royal palace, numerous individuals walked down the corridor leading to the king’s private chamber. Normally, you would expect one or two attendants to come out and inquire about their purpose, and in some cases, the guards would stop them.

However, both the attendants and the guards here worked for the chamberlain, so there was no one to halt their advance.

“Is everything in order, chamberlain?”

“Yes. I have stationed 300 people around the palace.”

“An impressive number. They all answer to my command, correct?”

“Yes.”

Struggling to keep pace with Austrin’s brisk strides, the chamberlain, running out of breath, wiped the sweat from his brow as they continued on.

He carries himself as if he were already the king. So arrogant… Who does he think put him in his position?

Cursing in his mind, the chamberlain maintained a composed façade.

“I request an audience with His Majesty.”

As they arrived at the king’s private chamber, the guards stationed at the door frowned. These decorative soldiers were chosen more for their appearance than their combat skills. The king often remarked, “By the time they reach this deep into the palace, we have already lost the battle,” leaving the chamberlain with the arduous task of selecting his own guards.

“But the hour is late…”

“Just let us in quickly!” Austrin barked.

The guards straightened their backs.

“Y-Yes, sir.”

They cast a glance at the chamberlain, who gave a small nod in return. Relieved, they knocked on the door and entered the room.

“Your Majesty, Prince Austrin is here… Your Majesty?”

The guards suddenly bolted, and the chamberlain’s senses tingled with unease.

“Your Majesty! Y-Your Majesty!”

Upon hearing the guards’ panic-stricken voices, the chamberlain hoped for one thing. That the king would conveniently die of emaciation at this very moment.

The chamberlain had been constantly administering narcotics into the king’s system, gradually weakening him. He could die at any moment. In fact, the chamberlain believed it was long overdue.

“Something seems amiss,” Austrin muttered.

“Indeed. Could His Majesty be unwell?”

“All the more reason for a visit.”

The nobles’ responses were way off point.

“Chamberlain! We have an emergency!”

The door slammed open, almost hitting Austrin and the chamberlain.

A stroke of luck, it seems.

Pleased, the chamberlain directed his gaze into the room. “What is the matter?” he asked.

“His Majesty… His Majesty has passed away!”

“It can’t be…”

The chamberlain attempted to display a feigned surprise, but his efforts fell short. The king was indeed dead, albeit under circumstances different from what he had anticipated.

The pristine white sheets were stained crimson. Underneath the disheveled linens, the hilt of a sword protruded from the king’s lifeless body.