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Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter 4




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Chapter 4:

Mind Made Up

I USED THE RING Orsted gave me to contact him. about an hour later, I received a letter telling me to meet him outside my cottage, off to the side. Apparently, he’d still been nearby when I reached out. He could have just come to see me instead of sending a letter…

In any case, I did as he commanded and set out to meet him at the agreed upon location. I arrived to find him with his arms crossed, looking as if he’d nodded off. He had obviously been waiting for me. I felt a bit guilty for not hurrying here sooner.

“Sorry I made you wait so long,” I said.

“No. I arrived only moments ago.”

We sounded like a couple who had just started dating. Anyway. I filled him in on the events since we’d last met, starting with our new Guardian Beast, Leo. He saw no issue with that. In fact, he was shocked that such an important animal had heeded my summons. He guaranteed me that my family’s security was assured with a Sacred Beast guarding them. Apparently, Leo was more of a bigshot than I realized.

It really got my attention when he mumbled to himself, “Perhaps Roxy’s child is special after all.” I grinned when I heard that.

I also suggested having Cliff try to remove his curse. Orsted seemed willing to give it a shot. Under this arrangement, Cliff would come to the cottage every few days to work on developing a magical implement that could combat his curse. Since we had no idea when we would see the fruits of Cliff’s labors, I told Orsted that I would keep up the guise that he was holding my family hostage in the meantime. He kept a poker face through my explanation, then merely nodded. “All right.”

When I admitted that I hadn’t yet reached out to Ariel, he reprimanded me. I could have told him that I was worried about Eris and Leo or that I was waiting for a good opportunity to introduce Ghislaine to Ariel, since it would be perfect for getting close to her, but those would simply be excuses. I had taken the month’s leeway we had for granted. I could admit I’d been negligent.

Orsted had gone to meet with Perugius while I was taking my sweet time. He requested that Perugius support Ariel’s bid for the crown, but had been refused. Perugius stubbornly insisted that he would not change his stance until he was certain she was fit for the position.

You have some serious balls, Lord Perugius. You seemed pretty terrified of Orsted, but you still rebuffed him in no uncertain terms. Gotta admire you for that.

That aside, I told Orsted about Luke’s visit. I also mentioned that his plea for help could be on the Man-God’s behalf and brought up how worried I was about helping Ariel out. Finally, I asked him if he had any intention of changing his original plan.

Undaunted, Orsted said, “No. We will make Ariel king.”

He dismissed the possibility that the Man-God wanted this outcome. Ariel being on the throne was of paramount importance to him. When I asked how we should deal with Luke, Orsted didn’t have an immediate answer. 

After several minutes of contemplation, he finally mumbled, “Perhaps we should kill him…”

I gaped. Those were terrifying words to just say casually.

“You’re going to kill him?”

Orsted was silent, but the look on his face was terrifying. 

Wait, no. That’s just how he always looks. 

He dropped his gaze to the table and stared—or glared, as far as I was concerned—at one specific spot.

Yep, I changed my mind. He’s definitely making a scary face.

“There’s no telling what one of the Man-God’s apostles might do. Killing him would be the best way to eradicate any uncertainty,” said Orsted.

“I…guess so…”

Kill Luke? I should have already steeled myself to do whatever was necessary, but I couldn’t stop my stomach from knotting in anxiety. Luke was working so hard to help Ariel, and we were going to kill him? Despite everything I had achieved and done, I had never killed anyone before. Sure, a bunch of bandits got caught in my spell back when we were in Begaritt and some of them probably died, but I hadn’t looked them in the eyes as I did it.

So my first kill was going to be Luke? This was going to be my introduction to murder? The thought made my blood run cold. At the same time, part of me felt like I had no other choice. If he was going to be an enemy and pose a threat to my family and I, it was best to get rid of him. I couldn’t let my emotions get in the way. It might come back later to bite me in the butt.

But can I really justify taking someone’s life simply because I “had no other choice”?

I wasn’t trying to preach morality here, but the idea didn’t sit right with me. I was clearly more opposed to the idea of killing than I even realized, considering how much I recoiled at the thought.

“We’re not sure that he’s one of the Man-God’s apostles yet, right?” I said, my voice straining with empty hope.

Orsted shook his head. “No. Given the timing of Luke’s actions, there can be no doubt that he is.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Their attempts to negotiate with Perugius have not completely fallen through yet, and news about the king falling sick has yet to reach them. Yet Luke chose this particular moment to seek you out. It’s clearly the Man-God’s doing.” Orsted spat the last words with disgust. 

He really does despise the Man-God with every fiber of his being.

“In that case, why would he ask me to help Ariel?” I asked. “Shouldn’t he be doing the opposite? If he doesn’t want Ariel to be king, then he should be trying to keep me away from her.”

“He likely seeks to control someone from Asura Kingdom in order to lead us into a trap. Right now, the Man-God cannot see you directly, which is why he’s using Luke. It’s his way of keeping an eye on you. Think of it like someone putting their ear to a wall to hear what’s happening on the other side.”

“So Luke is monitoring me?”

“It’s possible that’s not all he’s doing,” said Orsted. “There’s a chance he might try something at some point. It’s a safer bet to get rid of him.”

It was possible that I might give away Orsted’s aim through my actions or words. Little wonder, then, why the Man-God decided to have someone surveil me. It would be impossible to keep Luke entirely out of the loop as I assisted Ariel with her goal.

“Let’s assume for a moment that we did kill Luke,” I said. “Are you sure this won’t negatively impact Her Highness or anyone else?”

Orsted narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

I started analyzing the possible repercussions of murdering Luke based off what Orsted had told me before.

“You mentioned some guy—Derrick Redbat, I think was his name—was originally supposed to become prime minister, but he’s no longer with us. With his absence, it’s highly likely Ariel is completely dependent upon Luke for moral support.”

Ariel certainly did rely on him. Although she had other retainers like Sylphie, Luke played the biggest role among her immediate supporters. It wasn’t affection or romance, but something similar to the bond I shared with Cliff and Zanoba. No matter what happened, I was confident they would never betray me. Ariel likely felt the same way about Luke.

“The Man-God may have considered that we’d discover his connection with Luke. Perhaps his entire aim is to goad us into killing him,” I said.

There was no telling what might happen to Ariel if Luke died. Humans were weak. No matter how tough they seemed on the outside, they were fragile enough to fall apart under the right conditions. I had some personal experience with this. I’d completely lost my way—lost sight of myself—when Paul died. 

Of course, if all we wanted was a puppet, perhaps we would be better off without Luke.

I studied Orsted’s expression as I conducted my internal debate. The man finally nodded in agreement, his face no less terrifying than it had been before. “That’s perfectly possible. The Ariel that I knew valued Luke greatly. Without him, she may not succeed on the path towards kingship.”

Clearly, he also didn’t want a lifeless doll on the throne.

“So I think we should leave Luke to his own devices for the moment,” I said.

Yeah, okay, that was partly because I didn’t want to kill him. But Luke was also one of Sylphie’s best friends, as well as my cousin. The two of us weren’t very close, but we had enough of a connection that I didn’t want him dead. On top of that, I also had a personal aversion to killing in the first place.

Perhaps having sensed that, Orsted quietly replied, “All right. We’ll do as you advise, then.”

“Thank you.”

I’d dodged a bullet there, but we might still have to kill Luke in the end. If it came down to that, Sylphie might resent me for it. It might even lead to a divorce. That thought made my stomach knot up. Even so, I had to steel myself, just in case I had to cross that bridge eventually.

Anyway, that takes care of the business with Luke.

While I was on the subject, there were some other questions on my mind too. “You mentioned before that the Man-God can’t control a bunch of people at once, right?” I asked. “About how many can he control at once, then?” 

Orsted had briefly mentioned in passing that the Man-God couldn’t control a whole crowd at once, but that meant he could control more than one, right?

“I cannot give you a precise number, but it’s most likely around three people.”

Only three, huh? Less than I expected.

“And what are the odds that he can control more than that?” I asked.

“Not impossible, but when he attempted to kill me, he only employed three people to do so. None of the others came directly after me. We are probably safe to assume it’s just three.”

“Which three were these?”

“The Sword God, the North God, and a Demon King.”

And apparently, Orsted had turned the tables on all of them.

A Demon King in addition to two of the Seven Great Powers, huh? If even that kind of firepower wasn’t enough to get rid of Orsted, it’s no wonder the Man-God gave up on that route.

If he sicced those kinds of people on me, I probably wouldn’t stand a chance. Although if he could have, he probably already would have. I suspected he was instead slowly altering people’s destinies over long periods, as he did with me.

He’d probably be a big fan of Rube Goldberg machine videos.

“I wonder why he can only take control of three…” I muttered.

“Because that’s the limit of his foresight abilities.”

“You mean he can only look into three people’s futures at any time, and any more than that is impossible?”

“Correct.”

I wondered if that meant he might be able to control four people, assuming he didn’t look into their futures.

Nah, someone who can cheat and look into the future would never gamble by giving up that specific power. It was reasonable to assume he would only control three people and no more.

“So if Luke is one of those three, that means he’s got two others under his control,” I surmised.

“There’s no evidence at all that he is controlling three people right now.”

I shrugged. “You may be right, but I think there’s a good chance that he’s got at least one person under his thumb in the Asura Kingdom.”

“Why do you think that?” asked Orsted.

“If the Man-God truly doesn’t want Ariel to take the throne, then it makes sense for him to control someone who opposes her and someone working alongside her. Perfect for collecting and disseminating information, right?”

“The Man-God doesn’t need to go that far to… No, I suppose there is some value in reporting your movements to the opposition.” Despite his initial dismissal, Orsted managed to talk himself into agreeing with me.

But now that I thought about it, the Man-God could see into people’s hearts. Perhaps he didn’t need to gather information. Although Ariel’s future prospects were obscured from his view thanks to my presence, having someone who could keep an eye on us was more than enough for him.

“It’s perfectly possible he’s involved in something else entirely,” I acknowledged. “Like, maybe he’s waiting to attack my family when I leave the house or something.”

“With the Sacred Beast serving as your family’s guardian, the Man-God cannot readily go after them. That creature has enough power that you needn’t worry about that.”

I stared at him. “More than Arumanfi?”

Orsted snorted. “Perugius’s spirits don’t even begin to compare.”

It was hard to believe what he was saying when Leo had yet to prove himself, but this was the Dragon God speaking. Surely, I could trust what he was saying. Honestly, I had no way of knowing either way.

“I digress,” said Orsted. “You are likely right about the Man-God having a puppet in the kingdom.”

I nodded. “Then the key to victory will be sniffing this person out, I assume?”

“Indeed. I know nothing of his third apostle, assuming he even has one. It could be that this person is operating separately and is unrelated to the Asuran throne. Keep your guard up.”

In order to achieve victory against the Man-God, we had to identify his three puppets, defeat them, and accomplish our own objectives in the process. We would probably have to repeat this process again and again. Our current goal was getting Ariel on the throne. Although it wasn’t confirmed, Luke was most likely one of his lackeys. The identities of the other two remained a mystery.

“Is there anyone you know with absolute certainty is not on his side?” 

I asked this knowing I was asking for the impossible. It didn’t really matter who the Man-God’s puppets were; our objectives wouldn’t change. Still, if he assumed control over Zanoba or Cliff and Orsted tasked me with killing them, I wouldn’t know what to do. I’d be devastated.

“Your family is safe from his influence. In addition to the bracelet you wear, they are also under the Guardian Beast’s protection.”

“And what about Cliff and Zanoba?”

After a pause, he said, “They could be possible targets. Be careful around them.”

Seriously? That was not the answer I wanted to hear.

“Is there anything we can do to make sure they don’t fall into his grasp?” I asked.

Orsted shook his head. “No. If you find it necessary, you could warn them against heeding the words of someone who calls themselves the Man-God. Though I doubt it would do you any good.”

No good, huh? Well, that puts me in a pickle.

It was a problem of chance. The Man-God didn’t attach himself to anyone and everyone. All I could do was pray—to a different god—that Zanoba and Cliff wouldn’t become one of his targets.

“For the moment,” I said, changing the subject, “I should work on getting Perugius’s support to help Ariel on the path to kingship, right? That plan hasn’t changed?”

“Correct. Though you should remain wary of the Man-God’s apostle. If he starts proposing something, inform me immediately.”

“Very well.”

At least our plan of attack remained the same for the moment.

“In any case, it seems like Ariel has worked herself into quite the corner.” I stroked my chin. “From what I can tell, she has nothing with which to sway Perugius’ opinion.”

“Hm.” Orsted merely grunted.

“The last time I was with the two of them, I believe he asked her what the necessary element for being a king is, and she wasn’t able to answer adequately.”

“Ah, yes. How very like Perugius to ask such a question.”

“Do you…happen to know the answer?” I asked.

Orsted glared at me.

Eep! You don’t have to give me the evil eye. I get it. This is a hurdle she needs to overcome if she wants to be king, right?

“I have no idea,” he said. “However, the only person Perugius ever supported for the throne was Gaunis Freean Asura. If you research him, you should be able to find a clue to lead you in the right direction.”

Wait, so you don’t know either? Well, I guess you gave me a hint at least.

“All right. Then I shall be off to see it done.” It was the trump card I would use to get in contact with Ariel.

Before I left, Orsted lent me one of his magical items. I say lend because he called it a gift, but I thought of it as equipment for work. It was a robe, and conveniently gray, even though I had no part in its creation. It was a little darker than the one I had been wearing.

“That robe was worn by the great sage Titiana a millennium ago,” said Orsted. “It’s made from a Death Adder Rat’s skin, woven with magically imbued thread. It has high magic resistance and is stab-proof. It likely became a magical item after being left in a labyrinth for an extended period, where it developed the ability to reduce the wearer’s weight by half, meaning one can move like the wind if needed. Since you cannot use Battle Aura, it should prove useful.”

If his words were to be believed, it was quite the incredible item.

“So…” I licked my lips. “What kind of price would something like this fetch?”

“I took this from the Dragonfolk’s Repository in the past few days since we last met. It would net you a decent amount if you sold it, but I am giving it to you so that you can protect yourself. Wear it.”

Oof. He read me like a book.

I wondered what the Dragonfolk’s Repository was. Did they have a bunch of items like this stored in there? They probably did. I could just picture it—boots that could open any treasure chest they kicked, a trumpet that could uncover hidden rooms…

At any rate, this robe would increase my combat proficiency. It was certainly a huge step down from my Magic Armor, but I could bridge that gap with my own knowledge and courage.

Wait, but I have neither of those things. Oh, well, guess I’ll just have to try my best anyway.

That night, I summoned Sylphie to my room. If I was going to help Ariel, I needed to speak with my wife first. Sylphie must have sensed it was a serious matter because when she showed up, she was in her normal clothes rather than pajamas. That was fine with me, considering the topic I was about to broach.

“Well, Rudy, what is it you wanted to talk about?” Sylphie asked, her expression guarded.

I could hardly blame her for being wary. The last few times I formally called her here, it had been to relay what she must have thought was crazy talk.

“Sylphie, I am going to be direct,” I said.

“All right.”

“I have been ordered to help Princess Ariel on her path to becoming king.”

She scowled suspiciously, then her face lit up, but almost as quickly she was back to furrowing her brow again. “Ordered?” she echoed.

“That’s right.”

“Which means you’re not doing it of your own free will?”

“Orsted’s the one calling the shots.”

Her demeanor changed completely. I had waffled back and forth between telling her the truth about Orsted’s involvement, but I had so much guilt about things I had done to her in the past. This time, at least, I wanted to trust her and speak the truth. This was one of her close friends we were talking about here.

Sylphie gaped at me for a moment before snapping her jaw shut and narrowing her eyes. “And what is his motive for making Princess Ariel king? Does he stand to benefit from that somehow?”

“It will give him connections to Asura Kingdom through me. It doesn’t seem like he wants something right now, but he may ask for assistance in the future.”

“But he’s the Dragon God. The same one who beat you senseless even when you used your Magic Armor. I realize Asura Kingdom is regarded as the most powerful country in the world, but I still can’t see why someone like him would want to foster such relations with them.”

“There are some matters that can only be resolved by political influence and not force alone,” I reasoned. “It’s only natural that Orsted would want that at his disposal, so he can make use of it when he needs it.”

This was merely groundwork. It was hard to explain, but making Ariel king now would allow him to reap the benefits in another hundred years. Orsted had an overall picture of how the future was supposed to play out. I had no idea how he would eventually make use of Ariel or if he would even utilize her at all. What I did know, based on what I’d read in my future self’s journal, was that Ariel becoming king would inconvenience the Man-God. Thus, we would place her on the throne. Sure, part of this was to get under the Man-God’s skin, but it was also a basic tenet of war not to let your opponent have their way.

The whole plan meant far more to Orsted than me. In fact, it meant almost nothing to me. As far as I was concerned, the minuses outweighed the pluses. If I helped Ariel assume the throne, everyone would label me as one of her supporters, and that meant getting pulled into the sticky, corrupt mess that was aristocratic politics. Personally, getting a foot in the kingdom’s door wasn’t worth getting wrapped up in that.

No, my desire to help Ariel was purely personal. She had been there for me a lot, and it was time to repay her for that. Perhaps it was better not to think of pros and cons but instead look at it in simpler terms. Ariel would be overjoyed if she became king. Sylphie would be overjoyed if her close friend managed to achieve her goal. And if we managed to stop the Man-God from having his way, Orsted would be satisfied. I stood to benefit too; Sylphie’s love for me would deepen, and Orsted would be convinced of my usefulness.

Yeah, that’s the best way to think of it.

“Well, Orsted’s future demands aside, at this point, I think Princess Ariel only stands to benefit,” I said.

“Hmm…” Sylphie put a hand to her chin. “Well, yes, I guess you’re right. There are many unsavory characters in Asura Kingdom, and if we think of it as pitting villains against villains, it’s not a bad move.”

Yikes. Sylphie wasn’t pulling any punches. I wondered what she really thought of Orsted. I could admit he looked like a bad guy, but did he look even more menacing and untrustworthy than I thought? Did he seem like the type of person who might kill someone upon first meeting them?

Okay, I can’t really argue that last one.

“Princess Ariel should be the one to decide if we should accept his aid or not,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Personally, I want a guarantee that he won’t betray us.”

“A guarantee?”

“Yes. Why do you seem so sure he won’t stab us in the back?”

I actually wasn’t. In fact, he did seem to be hiding something from me. But he seemed more trustworthy than the Man-God, at least. If I summoned him, he came immediately.

“It’s not that I think he won’t,” I said, “but I do think he’s sincere in his dealings with me. As long as I don’t work against him and continue to make myself useful, I don’t think he’ll be our enemy.”

“If you say so…” She pursed her lips, not fully convinced. “All right, I’ll drop the matter of whether Orsted can be trusted or not, at least for now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Continuing our debate won’t do any good, will it? And it seems like you trust him.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, true.”

“We’d just have an endless verbal tug-of-war if we kept at it.” Sylphie took a deep breath, straightened her back, and fixed her gaze on me again. “More importantly, I think we should discuss what your plans are. How do you—or rather, how does Orsted intend to make her king?”

Sylphie was being unusually serious. Right now she wasn’t here as my wife, but as Ariel’s bodyguard. It was a side of her I rarely caught a glimpse of. Her expression, coupled with her natural boyish nature, made her look like a distinguished nobleman.

“For now, we intend to persuade Lord Perugius to back her.”

“But if it’s between a Dragon King and a Dragon God, wouldn’t the latter—that is, Orsted—be higher ranking? Yet he still wants to convince Perugius to help us?”

I nodded. “Lord Perugius has greater political influence in Asura Kingdom, and his words hold more weight with the people there. In contrast, Orsted has absolutely no authority in Asura.” I was only repeating what the man himself had told me.

“But Lord Perugius doesn’t seem likely to bend easily. No matter what Princess Ariel says, he won’t give her the time of day. Luke and I have tried to convince him on her behalf, but to no avail.”

“Yeah, things do look pretty rough.”

Perugius had even refused to honor Orsted’s request to help her. I thought he would have heeded any order, given how much he seemed to fear the Dragon King, but he clearly had his own opinions about the situation.

“But,” Sylphie continued, “Zanoba seems to have gotten on his good side. He even seems to have taken a liking to you as well, Rudy. I wonder what the difference is.”

“If I had to guess, I would say it’s because the two of us aren’t trying to become kings,” I said.

“Does trying to take a crown offend him somehow?”

A bit simplistic, but not far off from Perugius’s personal view of kings.

Sylphie sighed. “I wonder if he never had any intention of aiding her to begin with.”

“No, if that were the case, he would have refused her outright. He seems to be testing her.”

“Really? Hm…” Sylphie crossed her arms and tilted her head.

“At any rate, I’d appreciate it if you’d allow me to talk to Princess Ariel directly in the next few days. Do you mind?”

“Sure. I’ll set things up for you. I’ll let Luke know as well. The two of us will be present for your conversation. That’s all right, isn’t it?”

I nodded. “Fine with me. Although, I would like to keep Orsted’s involvement a secret and frame it as me helping because you and Luke convinced me to do so. Can you do that?”

“Why would we hide the truth about Orsted? Since you’re his subordinate now, it might give Princess Ariel peace of mind to know you’re doing this under orders.”

In other words, she’d feel relieved to hear she had the Dragon God’s support. However, I didn’t want the Man-God’s apostle—Luke, that is—to have any more information than was absolutely necessary. Even though we had yet to confirm whether he was a puppet or not.

“The Man-God’s eyes and ears could be anywhere. I’d like to keep Orsted’s objectives and orders discreet.”

Sylphie paused before asking, “Orsted is fighting this Man-God person, right? Is he really that evil?”

“Evil or not, he tried to kill Roxy, tried to go after you, and tried to kill me off by pitting me against Orsted. He’s our enemy.”

“What? He tried to go after me?” She jerked her head around, surveying our surroundings. “Is he still after me?”

“I couldn’t say, but I doubt he’s given up.”

“In that case, I’ll keep my guard up,” Sylphie said.

“Especially at night.”

Sylphie giggled. “The only person in this town who would try to go after me at night is you, Rudy.”

Hahaha, well, she’s got me there. Maybe I should do just that tonight.

In any case, at least we managed to work out a plan for me to meet Ariel.

“So, Rudy…” 

I thought the conversation was over, but Sylphie continued. “If you’re going to help Her Highness, that means you’ll be going to Asura Kingdom as well, right?”

“Yes, I’m sure I will. I can’t very well convince Perugius to help and then send her off and rinse my hands of the matter.”

Plus, I would need to defeat whatever apostle the Man-God had lying in wait in the kingdom. I also needed to hunt down this Tristina person. Which meant I didn’t even need to consult Orsted about whether I needed to go or not. Clearly, I would have to.

“I want you to take me along as well,” said Sylphie.

“…What?”

“I know you probably want me to stay here and look after Lucie. I also know that Princess Ariel and Luke want me to continue living here in Sharia. But, honestly, I want to help out. I have been with them for so long now.” She reached over and took my hand, her soft fingers curling tightly around mine. “Please, Rudy. I want you to take me with you.”

I squeezed her hand. Frankly, I wanted her to stay. That was probably my own selfishness talking, but I wanted her to be where it was safe, where she could look after Lucie. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those guys who think a woman’s lot in life is to stand silently behind her man. It was just… I couldn’t explain it, but I didn’t want Sylphie to be in danger. 

Still, Sylphie had spent years with Ariel and Luke. They’d been companions since the Displacement Incident. They were to her what Ruijerd was to me, and if Ruijerd ever found himself in a tight spot, I would drop everything to rush to his aid. I owed him that much after how much he had done for me. Sure, I would hesitate if I had to weigh helping him against protecting the lives of my family, but he was still one of my top priorities. I was sure Sylphie felt the same about Ariel and the others. Family was still important to her, and she knew she had to help raise Lucie. Even so, if her friends needed help, she wanted to do everything in her power to be there for them. That was only natural.

“All right,” I said. “Lend me your assistance then, Sylphie.”

“Okay!” Sylphie’s face lit up, her mouth widening into a grin.

It was then that I recalled what the Man-God had said to me—that Sylphie was destined to die in Asura Kingdom. I hated considering the possibility, but would this end up shortening her lifespan? Was I overthinking this? The course of history had been altered. Things might not go down the way they did in my future self’s diary. Still, I had to say it.

“Sylphie.”

“Yes?”

“The Man-God won’t get directly involved, but he will use other people to get in our way.”

“You mean like how he used you to fight Orsted?” she asked.

“Exactly.”

Sylphie frowned. “Then we should be wary of anyone that might be under his control.”

“Right. But…well, it could be someone close to you.”

“Someone close to me?” She blinked. “Like who?”

“Like Luke.”

Her face hardened. “Rudy, that’s out of the question. If Orsted is working to make Princess Ariel king, then the Man-God will try to undermine that, right? Which means he’ll be trying to stop her, so there’s no way he would go after Luke. Luke would never, ever turn on Princess Ariel.”

“The Man-God might find a way to sweet-talk him into it. He has a way of corrupting people.”

Sylphie glared at me. I sensed murderous hostility in her gaze. This was probably the first time I’d ever seen her look at me that way.

“If Luke loses sight of myself and tries to hurt Her Highness…” Her voice trailed off. “Then I will kill him.” 

She said it with such resolve that it sent a chill through me. This was the first time I had ever thought of her as terrifying.

“Neither Luke nor I ever want to betray Her Highness,” Sylphie continued. “I am sure he’d rather die than be deceived by someone and stab her in the back. I would too.”

I could understand how she felt. If I ever did anything that hurt Ruijerd, even Eris might turn on me. It was the same thing here.

“I see. Sorry for bringing that up out of the blue,” I said.

Sylphie shook her head. “No, there’s no need for you to apologize. I appreciate you warning me.” She smiled quietly.

Seeing that expression on her face helped me finally steel myself. If a time ever came when Luke needed to die, I couldn’t let it be by Sylphie’s hands. I would need to be the one to do the deed.



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