No matter what, there’s no way I would cast such a curse.
“Noah, people talked about this a lot back in your time too. Like, ‘For some reason, I feel like Seto’s Gargoyles unit is going to launch an air raid today.’ And then, boom, the Gargoyles unit attacks the Magic Tower.”
“Ah. That did happen, didn’t it? I mean, well, it’s possible.”
“No, really. That kind of thing just happens sometimes.”
“I’m telling you, there’s something to it. Every time you say something like that, something bad actually happens.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Great. In that case…
“Then get ready. When we arrive, something will probably attack us.”
“Uwaaaaaah!”
“I’m not saying this for no reason.”
“It’s always a situation where something is bound to happen, so of course, it does.”
“After all, when else would the anti-imperialists strike?”
Whether it’s them or the dark mages, something is bound to happen.
So, it’s better to be prepared in advance.
***
[Slums]
Dark figures sat around a round table.
They were anti-imperialists, a revival group working to restore Kart.
Currently, they were cooperating with New World Order, a dark mage cult, and keeping a close eye on Atlerina’s movements.
The timing was perfect—right before the exams.
“This time, the central noble students will be taking their exams in Plant territory.”
“It’s a tradition at this point.”
“So, are we planning to target them?”
“Sounds good. I think it’s worth a shot.”
“Well, it is a place filled with the empire’s central nobles.”
Even just attacking and killing the students would have a significant impact.
“It’s the perfect opportunity for terrorism. A way to announce our presence to the world.”
“But we can’t forget about the saint.”
“You mean that Ashtar noble girl?”
She was supposedly the empire’s first saint.
“Yeah. From what I hear, she’s quite skilled. She played a key role in the success of Ashtar’s second demonic expedition.”
Her reputation had already spread far and wide.
Olivia Rapha Ashtar, the noble lady of Ashtar, was credited with great achievements in the second demonic expedition, which followed the first Eldakrad expedition forty years ago.
“But so what? It’s just typical noble arrogance. Look at the Imperial Church—nuns carrying weapons, slum thugs supplying arms. There are even rumors of under-the-table deals. The Magic Tower’s mages and that young lord from Libelt might be a slight issue, but how much could just the two of them really do?”
Even if Libelt and the mage Syria had some level of fame, the revival group had been preparing for a long time.
“If they launched a sudden attack, what could the empire really do?”
“So, it’s decided. We’ll go for it this time.”
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to target them while they’re traveling to Plant territory?”
“They’ll have guards during that time.”
“Fortunately, we have one of our people among the knights in Plant’s household.”
A knight in Plant territory had already been indoctrinated with anti-imperialist ideology.
With the nobles’ arrogance, they believed their desperation to overthrow the empire would give them the upper hand.
It was worth trying.
***
“Soon, we will arrive in Plant territory.”
The exam candidates were traveling together by carriage to the test site.
Plant territory was located at the southernmost edge of the imperial domain.
Ruled by the knightly Plant family, it was said to have the continent’s greatest order of knights.
Even within the territory, there were dozens of knights from Plant alone.
Considering they were all from noble families, that said a lot.
“Can there really be that many knights?”
“That’s why it’s called a knightly family. It’s also the only noble family that has its own knight order. Of course, you have to consider the historical context.”
Plant became a knightly family about 250 years ago.
The family’s founder, Plant, was a member of the Imperial Knights and earned his title during the barbarian wars.
After securing consecutive victories, he was rewarded with land and granted the right to raise an independent knight order.
“So, the whole territory is filled with nobles?”
“Only those under Plant’s rule.”
Only nobles could become knights.
Of course, in the empire, there were special exceptions allowing non-nobles to become knights.
Ashtar alone had over a hundred knights.
“That’s interesting. But the family still functions.”
“They have imperial support, and Ashtar acknowledges them. And while they’re called a knightly family, not every member is a knight.”
The term simply meant they had a higher ratio of knights compared to other families.
Not every member was actually a knight.
The main difference was that their military presence was stronger, and their lands had been fortified over multiple generations.
In truth, the Plant family was quite formidable.
It was just that Raileur acted like an idiot, making the entire family look pathetic.
“But it’s still a military-oriented family, right?”
“Yeah. Why, are you interested?”
‘Was he seriously interested in this?’
“Well, well. If he was genuinely interested in the Plant family, I’d send him off with a heavy heart.”
“No, my heart belongs solely to Lady Olivia.”
“Oh. Thanks, I guess? But if that’s the case, why were you asking?”
‘If he was so devoted to Olivia, there was no reason for him to ask about this. Wait. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. Suspicious.’
“Isn’t it obvious? We need to be prepared.”
“Prepared? You, Syria?”
She was the type to react after things went wrong, not before.
“Thinking about it, Plant territory really is a prime target.”
“That’s true.”
“The soldiers under those knights are all commoners, aren’t they?” Think about it.
“Hmm. That’s true.”
They might try to infiltrate through them.
Still, that wasn’t something they could discuss now.
Right now, the soldiers escorting Atlerina’s group to Plant territory were Plant’s own troops.
Raileur would probably know best about that kind of thing.
For now…
I looked at Raileur, who was sitting in front of me.
“Raileur Plant.”
“Guh. Y-yes, Lady Olivia?”
‘Why was this guy so nervous?’
“This isn’t a battlefield, and I’m not going to keep bringing up the past, so there’s no need to be scared. But… is your territory secure?”
“What do you mean by that?”
From his reaction, it was clear he had no idea what I was talking about.
“I mean, are you keeping a close eye on the anti-imperialists?”
“I don’t think there’s any real threat.”
‘Oh?’
For once, Libelt, who usually had no presence, spoke up.
“Oh? Lord Libelt, have you heard something?”
From the look on his face, he hadn’t actually heard anything.
“It’s just obvious. That Plant heir is an idiot. Forget about anti-imperialists—even if someone just flatters his family, they’ll be treated like a soldier.”
“Hmm. That does make sense.”
‘If Raileur was this bad, what about his father?’
As the saying goes, you can tell a lot about a tree by looking at just one branch.
‘With a son like this, who knows if his father is actually governing the territory properly?’
Especially when they need to weed out anti-imperialists among the soldiers.
‘Would Plant really bother, when they’d accept anyone as long as they swore loyalty?’
***
“The barbaric Libelt from the North dares to tarnish our family’s honor! Libelt has never even been chosen as an Atlerina test site, not even once!”
‘Oh? Is Plant about to start a fight with Libelt here?’
“Libelt isn’t chosen because of the northern cold and the fact that it’s much farther from the capital compared to your Plant. But let’s be honest—your family is corrupt to the core.”
“That’s a possibility.”
Honestly, Libelt would be a great place to hold the exams.
It’s freezing, the military discipline is strict enough that anti-imperialists wouldn’t stand a chance, and it’s so remote that attacking it would be a logistical nightmare for them.
“Lady Olivia! Lord Libelt! Your words are too harsh!”
“We’re just being objective.”
“What do you mean by that?”
‘Shouldn’t he have a bit more awareness by now?’
“This is already a lost cause. Some nobles will die, and Atlerina will be forced to change.”
“Atlerina must have contacted the Plant family about this. You haven’t heard anything?”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. About the anti-imperialists.”
‘How can he be this dense?’
“Anti-imperialists? Do you really think there could be some among Plant’s soldiers?”
“I’m saying it’s possible.”
Honestly, if we’re being real here…
It wouldn’t be a big deal even if some of them died.
If anything, it might be better for the nobles to get a real wake-up call and finally deal with the anti-imperialists properly.
‘Maybe I should just let it happen.’
Judging from past incidents, another disaster is bound to occur anyway.
The real victims of the Lily incident were the central nobles, while the provincial nobles thrived like fish in water.
If they suffer significant losses this time…
Even with the Demon King’s army invasion looming, the empire is still crawling with clueless nobles.
‘Maybe this is for the best.’
“But still—”
“In the last Lily incident, Plant was a victim. But this time, your family might not just be a victim; you could be labeled as the perpetrators.”
“…W-what?”
As they say, never assume things will work out fine.
That’s how people die.
“I’m serious. If you have anti-imperialists among your troops, your family will be seen as the aggressors. How do you not realize this?”
Raileur’s face turned deathly pale.
“Judging by your expression, you never even considered that possibility.”
“This is exactly why you got tangled up in the Lily mess.”
“Why does this always circle back to Lily?”
Because everything about you people leads back to her.
The so-called nobles of this great empire let themselves get played by a single succubus.
And now, one of the former Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s army is standing in as a saint of the Imperial Church.
“More importantly, does Aslan know about this?”
“Aslan? He’s still a prince, you know…”
“Oh, does that hurt your pride?”
“You want me to be respectful? I’m the Taesa. If you want respect, start by showing some yourselves. Ah, and that includes you too, Libelt.”
Libelt’s face twisted in irritation.
“If you don’t like it, well, you know what to do.”
“The prince is probably aware. According to Taesa, before leaving for Plant territory, he had a conversation with Professor Adran and, uh… coughed…”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes.”
Well, that’s a relief.
“So that’s why he’s been out of sight. That actually works out better for us. Wasn’t he already majoring in politics?”
“Yes.”
“If Adran got a hold of him, then he won’t be coming to Plant. That’s reassuring.”
Aslan had likely planned on going to Plant, but Adran wouldn’t have let that happen.
That side should be safe, then.
“Then does that mean something is going to happen here?”
“Of course.”
“If Lady Olivia says so, it must be true.”
Syria practically worships me at this point.
Not bad.
“Then what should we do?”
“Why are you asking me? This is your family’s land. Try doing something before just asking for my opinion.”
‘Why is the heir to the Plant family asking me for guidance?’
‘Shouldn’t he be handling this himself?’
“Uh…”
“You think he has the brains for it? It’s not like he has a strategy prepared like I do.”
“Hey! Listen here—”
Libelt may not have the right to criticize others, but at least he has real combat experience.
If something happens, he’ll probably be good at adapting on the fly.
“Then let’s hear our Taesa’s thoughts. Are we informing the students?”
“There are over a hundred of them. If we tell them, it’ll cause a panic. That would only make things worse. First, we need to meet with the head of the Plant family. Raileur, lead the way.”
Right now, we need to talk to the lord of Plant.
“You mean my father?”
“Unless you’d rather handle everything on your own?”
“…Understood.”
‘Honestly, why do I always have to spell things out for these people?’