Chapter 5: Test 1 – The Lingering Conspiracy.

“…Ha, haha.

Glass beads that only snot-nosed brats would carry around.”

Princess Victoria, who recovered her senses first, snorted and dismissed Mana’s crystal orbs.

Of course I willingly agreed with her as well.

“You’re right about that.

Cheap beads like these would be worth even less than roadside stones to the princess.”

My strategy of inducing intimacy through active empathy somehow seemed to produce the opposite effect.

The princess was instead looking at me with an extremely displeased gaze and trying to convey something.

Judging by my sharp senses, it seemed she meant for me to scold Mana beside me sternly.

Well, it was understandable.

Honestly, even I was thinking she was quite impudent this time.

To lie that she had over a dozen crystals each worth a full 5,000 Gold.

Quickly reading the princess’s true feelings, I immediately tried to reprimand Mana.

But Mana vigorously waved her arms and desperately appealed her own injustice.

“Th-they’re not just glass beads…!!

They’re the exact same crystal orbs that person showed us!”

At those words the princess’s expression grew even stiffer.

“What nonsense.

This is a prototype that the Magic Tower has only just begun developing.

It’s not something a snot-nosed brat like you could obtain!

In the first place, what are you?

Why is a little kid freely roaming around the palace?”

At the princess’s increasingly sharp tone that openly revealed her discomfort, I quickly stepped between the two and spoke.

“I brought her.”

“Ha, if you were going to take her as a servant you should have brought a smarter child from a noble house.

Where did you pick up this dim-witted child…”

“Di-dim-witted…

Hiiing.”

Mana’s eyes welled up with tears as if her heart had been wounded.

Seeing that, I told Princess Victoria the truth without hiding anything.

“I’m thinking of recruiting her not as a servant but as a torture magician.”

“To-torture magician?”

The princess looked at me with eyes that suspected I was joking, then eventually began staring at Mana beside her as if she would bore a hole through her.

“Hi, hiiik…!!”

“You.

Speak truthfully.

Where did you get these orbs?”

“…Th-that is.

Uh, um.

Well…”

A murderous warning was driven into the girl who could not answer right away and was trying to evade the reply while hesitating.

“I trust you will not spout lies to me, a princess of this country.

If you do…”

“Hi, hiiik!!!

I’ll talk!

I’ll tell you everything, so just spare my life…!!

Hwaaang!”

Mana very naturally knelt and clung to the hem of the pants.

I was reminded once again that this was a child with very light knees.

“The truth is…

I kinda snuck them away.

Tehe?”

At the shocking truth that was eventually revealed, everyone present lost their words and blankly stared at the girl.

As if burdened by the gazes focused on her, Mana fidgeted with her fingers and offered a lame excuse.

“Uh, to be more precise, I borrowed them!

I was trying to become independent from my master but lacked funds…

I didn’t know what they were, but my master happened to be carefully polishing these orbs at the time.

Hehe.”

Mana proudly smiled after boldly revealing her thieving exploits right in the middle of the palace.

At that ridiculous sight Princess Victoria held her forehead and let out a deep sigh as if she felt dizzy.

“I was wondering how you could have this many mana crystals, and of course.

In other words, these are illegally stolen goods.”

“Uh, eh.

Eek!”

The princess snatched the pouch from Mana’s hand and declared in a chilly tone.

“I will keep these for now and return them to the Magic Tower myself.

Of course I will severely punish this little brat for the crime of theft.

Keep in mind that the crime of stealing important resources from the Magic Tower will never be light.”

Leaving only those words, the princess turned around and disappeared beyond the corridor before we could catch her.

Only after quite some time had passed did Mana, as if finally understanding the current situation, begin stamping her feet and making a huge fuss.

“Wh-wh-wh-what do I do…!?

Am I going to be executed now!!?

Is my head going to go thunk and get chopped off on the guillotine!!??”

At Mana’s fuss, Kaled, who had been quietly keeping silent until now, answered curtly.

“Don’t worry.

The guillotine is a noble method of execution for aristocrats.

A commoner like you will die painfully while hanging by the neck and being stoned by the citizens.”

“Hwaaaang!!

I don’t want that!

I don’t want to die yet!!!

Please save me!

Princess.

I’ll listen well from now on, so please save me!!

If you save me I’ll even lick your shoes!!!!”

I forcibly peeled off Mana, who was trying to rub her cheek against my instep while covered in tears and snot, and made her stand up.

More than that, the situation was flowing in a strange way.

It was true that I had recruited Mana expecting a mess to break out, but I had not wanted it to escalate to this extreme level of chaos.

“Sir Kaled.

What should we do?”

“At this point the best method would be to somehow get those crystals into our hands.”

Over a dozen of them, each worth 5,000 Gold.

This had already far exceeded the range of personal assets.

Although I was not certain, wouldn’t this level be equivalent to the operating budget of an entire territory?

If we could take all of them, it would be the same as confirming an overwhelming first place in the first test.

‘That’s exactly why I must absolutely avoid that ending!’

For me, who was trying to somehow take last place and distance myself as much as possible from the succession to the throne, it was truly the worst possible ending.

The fortunate point was that the crystals Mana had brought were stolen goods, and Princess Victoria had confiscated them.

Whether she swallowed the crystals for herself or returned them to the Magic Tower, the one who would win the test would be Princess Victoria according to the original flow.

“Princess Victoria will probably return the crystals to the Magic Tower.

If she took them for herself, she might later give us something to hold against her.

In that case, what we should aim for is a direction where the Magic Tower transfers some of the crystals to us.”

While listening to Kaled’s calm briefing, I was inwardly horrified.

“Would they calmly transfer such expensive items?”

“There is justification.

First, the fact that this little brat, who is a disciple, arbitrarily damaged our precious assets—the magic herbs.

If we emphasize that even so the princess personally showed mercy by bringing her all the way to the palace and warmly caring for her, it will be difficult for the Magic Tower to simply let it pass.”

I deeply despaired at the cruelty of Kaled, who casually spouted such terrible things.

What was even more frightening was the fact that the plan sounded quite plausible.

If by any chance the situation proceeded as Kaled said…

“Of course I am merely giving advice from the side.

Choosing what to do is the princess’s freedom.”

I hid my chaotic inner thoughts and spoke in a calm tone.

“Then let’s watch the situation for now.

Actually, I think a better plan will come to mind.”

“…Understood.”

I had to find a way somehow.

A way to keep the crystal orbs from coming into my hands…!

*

“How absurd…”

Victoria Erandel returned to her room and let out a deep sigh.

Through the gaps of the pouch placed on the desk, the light of the crystal orbs was gently flowing out.

“If I had not run into them in the corridor just now.”

Imagining that those jewels of astronomical value would have all gone into Beatrix’s possession sent a chill down her spine.

Between the lights of the dark room, Victoria let out a low smile.

“Hehe.

It seems the goddess of luck is standing on my side.”

As a result, the current situation was the best possible news for her.

The most threatening competitor Beatrix had brought a little brat who was a thief that stole assets from the Magic Tower.

If she used this card well, she might be able to completely send the opponent falling into the abyss.

That was not all.

Victoria knew the value of the crystal orbs in front of her better than anyone.

Of course, openly swallowing them whole would be impossible since the other side would raise objections, but there was a method to legitimately and properly take some of the crystal orbs.

Namely, having the owner transfer them directly.

In other words, if the Magic Tower cut off some of the crystal orbs under the pretext of a reward for recovering the stolen goods, that could become her own assets with nothing to feel guilty about.

Moreover, she had formed a fairly close connection with the Magic Tower through this successful investment.

Every situation was flowing so that she could not help but win the test.

Victoria’s red eyes flashed as she muttered in a low voice.

“The throne of Erandel belongs to this body.

I will never yield it to anyone…”

Beatrix.

Look forward to it.

I will devote all my strength and thoroughly crush you.

And meanwhile, in a dark room on the opposite side of the palace.

A man was secretly conversing with someone using a communication stone.

“Yes.

The plan is progressing smoothly.”

Red hair and a black coat.

A sword scabbard hanging at his waist.

“There is no problem.

Rather, it seems I will be able to win quite easily starting from the first test.”

His name was Kaled.

Second Sword of the Royal Sword, the royal guard of Erandel, and at the same time.

“As planned, Beatrix will become the next queen.

And.”

“Erandel will fall.”

He was a unit commander of the Revolutionary Army.