Chapter 132: Red Eyes (5)
It was quiet.
The fragrant scent of tea gently spread through the air, but the atmosphere between the two was strangely heavy.
A stifling silence.
That only heightened the tension further.
“…….”
Velita lightly lifted her cup and wet her lips.
Her expression was composed.
Yet, an unreadable smile still lingered at the corners of her mouth.
Lian quietly observed her actions.
Discomfort was clearly visible on his face and in his gestures, and that was intentional on his part.
Instead of drinking his tea like her, he chose silence.
“Hoo……”
Only after emptying her teacup did Velita let out a soft sigh.
As if admitting defeat—but still, that unreadable smile remained.
“Alright then, shall we both… shed a layer before we begin?”
Her voice was calm.
“I’d like you to do me a favor.”
Velita’s words were straightforward.
Lian’s brows faintly furrowed.
“A favor, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
Velita spoke in a composed tone.
As though reciting something long prepared, there was no hesitation in her voice.
“I’d like you to find someone.”
“If it’s a person…”
Sensing the question in his gaze, Velita quietly added,
“There’s a conference coming up soon. Someone’s trying to sabotage it. I’d like you to find that person before they act.”
“…I’m sorry, but I’m not quite following.”
At Lian’s cautious reply, she offered a smile.
“You’re already aware that the Merchant Group of Demons has entered the capital, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I’m well aware.”
“Then do you also know they’re here as part of a delegation, and that many are gathering in advance for a preliminary meeting?”
“……”
Lian said nothing.
But sometimes, silence revealed more than words.
Velita glanced at his expression and let out a short laugh.
“As expected, you had some idea.”
She slowly ran her fingertip along the surface of her teacup as she continued.
“Anyway, there’s someone trying to ruin this meeting. It’s a place where four powers—Demons, the Academy, the Holy Sun Church, and the Imperial Family—will all gather…”
“Please wait a moment.”
Lian briefly closed his eyes.
It was a more complicated topic than he had expected.
And he instinctively felt that this wasn’t all there was to it.
Velita always spoke with something deeper hidden behind her words.
‘And besides…’
He had a strong sense that he shouldn’t let her words slip by.
It felt like groping through cold water as he looked up.
“If this is about politics or diplomacy… I’d appreciate a more detailed explanation. Embarrassing as it is, I’m practically clueless in that area.”
“Of course.”
Velita gave a gentle smile.
“This upcoming meeting is supposedly about the trade license the Demons requested. …But that’s just the surface. In truth, it’s a complicated affair tangled in the rivalry between two factions within the Empire, and cooperation with the Demons.”
She paused to observe Lian’s reaction before continuing quietly.
“Let’s start with this. My eldest brother, the First Imperial Prince, and I are pacifists. We want to avoid war. Meanwhile, the Second Imperial Prince—strongest candidate for the throne—is the central figure of the war faction.”
Lian listened silently.
Velita continued at a slow, steady pace.
“After we were essentially defeated in the Plains War against Garusol, the war faction lost momentum. But now they’re rapidly regaining strength. Probably because the Second Imperial Prince—practically the next Emperor—is leading them. He’s become their rallying point.”
She muttered with a detached look.
“I can already guess what they want out of this. The Demons’ weapons, said to rival those of the Dwarves. If we form an alliance or at least a non-aggression pact, our front lines would shrink and we wouldn’t have to worry about attacks from the rear or flanks. And on top of that…”
She paused and watched Lian’s face.
Then playfully shrugged her shoulders.
“Hmm, this boring talk’s getting too long. I’ll give you the short version.”
She pointed to herself with her finger.
“What the pacifists want: for the meeting to end successfully.”
Tap tap.
She drummed her fingers on the table.
“What the war faction wants: for the meeting to crash and burn.”
A simple and clear conclusion.
Lian looked puzzled.
“…If the meeting fails, wouldn’t that mean negotiations with the Demons break down, and war is pushed back?”
“No, the opposite. It’ll only fan the flames. They’ll use it as an excuse to get more aggressive.”
Velita dismissed the thought with a firm tone.
“Hmm, there are a lot of reasons and developments behind it, but explaining them would just be overkill. That much is enough for you to know.”
“……”
Lian suddenly thought: so that’s why the Academy had started talking about an Integrated Class and whatnot.
After all, the Academy was also heavily entangled in politics and diplomacy.
“That’s why I’m asking you, Sir Gwendil. Please find out who’s trying to sabotage the meeting.”
Lian slowly nodded.
But then he asked, as if something still didn’t make sense.
“Why me?”
Velita let out a soft laugh and said,
“Your recent actions were impressive. You handled two incidents within the Academy all by yourself, didn’t you? So I thought—why not take a gamble again? I figured you’d surprise me once more.”
And also…
She began quietly.
“You clearly don’t belong to any one side. If we had to place you, you’d be part of the Holy Sun Church, but you’re also a student of the Academy… Anyway, you’re in the perfect position to move. Reliable, capable, and discreet. Why wouldn’t I reach out to you?”
“……”
Lian didn’t answer right away.
He still didn’t trust her.
Given their history, it was absurd to think he could.
But still…
‘…For now, it’s right to take her hand.’
That is, if Velita’s words were all true.
But then again, wasn’t beguiling people with words and tricks her specialty?
Even so, his instincts told him to side with her—for now.
As his thoughts deepened, Velita refilled her teacup and spoke.
“And since I’m already opening up, I might as well share this to earn some trust… Originally, I temporarily took Sir Artiac Gwendil, your brother and the First Imperial Prince’s knight, under my command to act more closely with his faction.”
Then, without a sound, she wet her lips with the tea and said,
“Of course, if I claimed I had no intention of creating a link with you in the process, I’d be lying. But well, given the wariness you first showed… Hmm, maybe I should put it more bluntly?”
Velita flashed a gentle smile.
“It’s not like I was holding Sir Artiac’s life over you as leverage or anything.”
Lian calmly replied,
“…I never thought that.”
“But the way you looked at me at first… like I was the sworn enemy of your family.”
“……”
He remained silent.
She might’ve meant it figuratively—but for him, it had struck the mark.
“Besides, think about it. If we lose this power struggle and the Second Imperial Prince becomes Emperor, we’re all headed for slaughter and ruin anyway.”
She shrugged.
“I mean, I’m useful in various diplomatic and political ways, so they probably won’t kill me. But what do you think will happen to my eldest brother—the First Imperial Prince—and his faction?”
Velita wore an expression of regret.
“They probably won’t go so far as to invoke guilt-by-association laws and harm the family. But at the very least, your brother will die. Along with his lord. Everyone’s already in the same boat, and no one is allowed to disembark midway.”
“……”
“In short, while it may be a distant concern, to avoid ruin and to fasten the first button properly, this meeting must end in success.”
Click.
She carefully set her teacup down.
Then suddenly, she extended her hand toward Lian.
“Come on, a handshake.”
Velita said.
“For my future, and for your family—how about we work together for now?”
“……”
After a moment’s hesitation, Lian cautiously stood from his seat.
And then gave her a deep bow.
Velita murmured as if a little disappointed.
“Hmm, I do like people who know how to distinguish personal and official matters… but this time, I genuinely wanted a handshake. So, would you take it?”
She wiggled her hand awkwardly, as if embarrassed.
In the end, Lian carefully took her hand.
“Oh, and just in case you misunderstand—”
Velita spoke in a whisper.
“My offer for you to become my person—that was sincere. So please don’t take it lightly.”
The more pieces you had on the chessboard, the better.
Especially when those pieces were powerful.
She gripped Lian’s hand a little tighter as he was about to pull away.
“If you ever change your mind, let me know. For someone like you, I’d gladly pay a high price.”
“…I’ll think about it.”
Only then did she let go of his hand with a satisfied look.
“Then you may go now. It was a delightful time.”
“The same for me.”
“I hope we have more moments like this. Fufu.”
Velita still murmured with that inscrutable smile on her lips.
“Oh, you probably already know this, but just in case—your friends…”
“I’m aware. The two families they belong to are prominent pacifists.”
“Mm.”
Velita closed her mouth.
Then gave a sheepish smile as if embarrassed.
“Well, that’s awkward. I jumped the gun for nothing. Still, you never know…”
“I’ll do my best with what you’ve asked.”
With those words, Lian indicated he would take his leave.
Velita looked at him with a resigned expression.
“I’ll be counting on you. I’ve sent my people to investigate as well, so if you need anything, speak to Tesrad or Anette. I’ll tell them to cooperate fully.”
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. We’re doing this for mutual benefit.”
She said this, then suddenly looked as if she’d remembered something and asked,
“By the way, Sir Gwendil, do you think the culprit is an outsider—or someone from within?”
“Well… At this point, any guess would be meaningless.”
Lian answered smoothly.
“But if I had to say, given how many outside guests were invited for the Departure Festival, it would be reasonable to assume they’re among them. Still, considering the major recent incidents all occurred internally, we can’t rule out an insider either.”
Velita gave a slight nod.
Because what he said was true.
“Well… With so many people gathered, unexpected things happen all the time.”
She murmured quietly.
“Even something as shocking as an incident that overturns the Academy wouldn't be surprising at this point.”
“Ugh, this is so boring.”
Windy May muttered, looking thoroughly unmotivated ahead of the meeting.
She’d thought they’d be the last to arrive, but apparently, they were the second earliest.
In fact, the Demons had already been stationed there, making them technically the first to arrive.
That realization made her feel surprisingly deflated.
“Haa…”
This is why she had always despised politics and diplomacy to the point of exhaustion.
People put excessive meaning into even trivial things like who arrived first or last.
She really hated attending events like this…
“Hm?”
Just then, something startled her, and she suddenly lifted her head.
She furrowed her brows deeply as she looked toward the Academy, as if confused.
“…Huh?”
“What is it, Sister?”
Yeriel, who stood beside her, asked.
Windy May hesitated a moment, then muttered quietly.
“…My duplicate disappeared.”
To be fair, it was about time.
She hadn’t imbued it with much power in the first place, and she’d overused her strength in multiple areas, so the reserves were probably nearly depleted.
She had even stopped using her usual floating spell.
And Yeriel, who knew that well, asked as if it were no big deal.
“Wasn’t it about time? It’s a bit earlier than expected, sure, but you’ve been overexerting yourself.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Windy May muttered in disbelief.
“If it disappeared naturally, I wouldn’t even say this.”
“Pardon?”
“It didn’t vanish because I ran out of mana.”
She muttered, still baffled.
“It vanished because of an external factor.”
Her voice brimmed with certainty.
Then she muttered again, as if even she didn’t understand.
“But I have no idea why it disappeared.”
Her voice, unusually for her, was full of confusion.
Yeriel, standing next to her, also looked shocked.
‘No doubt…’
Though she said that, Windy May was calmer now than ever.
She quietly flexed her hand.
A small, delicate hand.
A body made small by the curse she received when she slew two Dragons.
There was no room for doubt.
‘…It was the same aura as back then.’
No mistaking it.
The aura of a Dragon.
It was that very aura that had erased her duplicate in an instant.