Bertus and I used to chat on the terrace from time to time.
There, Bertus trembled as he poured tea, and likewise, I drank tea with my hands shaking so much that the water spilled over.
I hung my head, unable to look at Bertus.
I wanted to die.
And Bertus would want to kill me.
"Why on earth... did you do that?"
Bertus asked softly.
"...Money. It's because of the money."
"...Money? What does money have to do with cross-dressing?"
"Well, there's this... cross-dressing contest..."
"Cross-dressing contest? You mean at the festival?"
"...Yeah."
"Weren't your finances getting better these days?"
"Well, there's no harm in having more..."
"..."
With my head bowed, I explained in a crawling voice why I had cross-dressed.
This.
Wasn't this the punishment that had befallen me?
This felt like a climax, right?
There couldn't possibly be a more difficult situation in my life, right? I think I could believe that I had received all my punishment, and from now on, only happiness would lie ahead.
Bertus barely managed to take a sip of tea, and I could see his trembling hand as he put the teacup down.
"What on earth... I mean, really... this..."
Bertus seemed to be at a loss for words.
The mask had come off of Bertus, but not in the usual way; it had been stripped off in a different sense.
"Heh. Really. What is this... uh... heh..."
"..."
It seemed like Bertus was remembering the moment when he saw me in drag.
The moments when I was messing around with the knights.
My trembling hands.
The nonsense I had spewed about alcohol addiction.
All those moments.
All those times.
It was all me.
"..."
"..."
In a mixed state of self-loathing and regret.
"What the... F***."
In the end, I silently listened as the convicted Bertus cursed softly.
"...I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for, you bastard! You! You say you're sorry! I'm not! I mean, something else! No! It's not that! I just! You! My brother! Just! Just out of kindness! You! This crazy, really!" (TL Note: It's meant to be gibberish)
"Who, who said what?!"
Bertus finally exploded.
And I was the one who ended up getting more cursed at for apologizing.
***
Bertus's gaze towards me changed.
I had become a crazy person who would do anything for money.
Fortunately, it seemed that Bertus had no intention of holding a grudge against me or spreading rumors.
Feeling as if his mind was polluted just by mentioning or thinking about that day, Bertus staggered into his room with a soulless expression.
I had thought that I might get caught participating in the cross-dressing contest, but I never imagined that I would confess it myself.
"..."
While it felt like hell, it was a relief.
The incident where I had run into Bertus by chance was leading to a strange direction of investigation behind my back.
Even though I had prepared excuses about my origins, hometown, and detailed past, there were still bound to be gaps in my story.
No matter how well I handled the situation, the fact that I had suddenly appeared last year would not change. It wouldn't be too difficult to figure out if someone started digging deep enough.
It was a situation where Bertus could have discovered my true identity from an unexpected angle.
Instead, it was fortunate that I confessed to participating in the cross-dressing contest, making Bertus emotionally back off. At least, because of his anger, Bertus would not delve into this issue.
The cross-dressing contest mission...
The rewards were great, but it could have ruined me from an entirely unexpected angle.
I had knowingly taken the risk with the Riverrier Lanze affair.
However, the real danger was what had stemmed from the cross-dressing contest.
Had Bertus continued to dig into my background without asking me directly, it could have become genuinely dangerous.
But.
Why, in a life-threatening situation, did I feel more embarrassed and mortified than anything else?
For a while, I couldn't do anything but sit in my seat, feeling rooted in place.
***
Although there was an incident that caused both Bertus's and my mental states to explode, Bertus still rarely showed up at the Royal Class dormitory due to his busy schedule.
Even I was now barely aware of the numerous events that were burning like a fuse.
Ellen hadn't returned yet. In the end, I had to carry on with my routine.
Worry and anxiety couldn't solve anything.
I sparred with Olivia in swordsmanship, but what I was focusing on recently was the control of magical power itself.
-Ugh
I was alone in the training hall.
[Magic Power level has reached 20 (A-).]
[Special conditions have been achieved.]
['Magic Control' and 'Magic Sensitivity' talents evolve.]
[You have acquired the 'Talent - Magic Domination'.]
Through the training hall mirror, I saw myself enveloped in refined mana.
Finally, I managed to attain one of Ellen's talents, Magic Domination.
The cross-dressing contest had almost exposed my identity, and I had been severely embarrassed.
But because of it, I was able to get very close to Magic Domination.
When I first acquired the talents of Magic Sensitivity and Control, I hadn't been able to grasp their true power. However, the fact that I could eventually acquire Magical Reinforcement meant that the help of those two talents was significant.
Now, without self-suggestion, I could use Magical Reinforcement, and I had obtained the higher talent of Magic Domination.
My Magic Rank was now A-, which was quite high.
-Krrrk!
As I felt the surge of magic power from my body, a new and different sensation of Magical Reinforcement became possible.
My control of magic power became more precise and detailed, and the output itself had become stronger.
Obtaining Magic Domination was not the end.
As I became more familiar with it, the Magic Domination talent would make me even more potent.
I wouldn't be on the same starting line as Ellen. She was still superior and would become stronger at a faster pace than me.
With the help of numerous cheats, I had merely become able to walk a little faster.
I couldn't afford to be satisfied at this level.
The moment I became complacent, it would be the end. My journey was still far from over.
Nevertheless, with just the talent of magical control, my understanding and utilization of magical reinforcement had improved significantly.
I was becoming unnaturally powerful at an alarming rate.
Although my abnormal progress was generally accepted under the name of "Royal Class," I wondered how long this could last.
After finishing my training at the training ground, I returned to the dormitory, showered, and changed my clothes.
-Chirp!
-Tap tap!
A sparrow pecked at my window with its beak.
-Squeak
As soon as I opened the window, the sparrow flew inside, and in the blink of an eye, it took the shape of a human.
"I'm here to see you, Your Highness."
"Right."
It was Sarkegaar, who always appeared as a maid when entering the dormitory.
***
I was sitting in a chair, and Sarkegaar stood silently in the center of the room with her hands clasped. (TL Note: Will use pronouns She/Her when Sarkegaar is in female form. Sarkegaar's true gender is unkown.)
"The head of the House of Wednesday has come."
"I figured. How did it go?"
"I was a bit flustered since I didn't receive any prior information, but I agreed to take care of the matter after hearing the circumstances."
To be honest, considering Lucynil's age, it seemed a bit odd to say she was "taking care of it." It would be more accurate to say she was "looking after" the young girl.
"She didn't expose herself to the outside world, did she?"
"No, she came secretly late at night."
Sarkegaar was also infiltrating. So, Lucynil should have been careful not to expose herself to the outside world.
I briefly explained to Sarkegaar what had happened at the Vampire Council.
"That's quite an extraordinary feat."
"I didn't expect it to turn out this way, to be honest."
Sarkegaar seemed satisfied with how well things had worked out beyond our expectations.
"However, we must be careful. I don't know much about the Vampire Lords, but Antirianus seems dangerous."
"That's true. But we can't choose our allies in this situation."
Since we couldn't be picky, we had to side with anyone suspicious who would support us.
"And Cantus Magna and Akasha... they seem excessively dangerous."
"Indeed. But there's a high probability that what I want is there. It's bound to be an incredibly powerful force in and of itself."
"Causing a collision between the Black Order and Cantus Magna and seizing the opportunity seems ideal. But it's troubling that we don't know what Akasha is."
It was unclear whether provoking Cantus Magna without knowing what Akasha was would be the right move.
Sarkegaar seemed to think I could be interested in Akasha because of my desire for power, regardless of whether it was possible or not.
"Things seem to be falling into place, Your Highness."
Sarkegaar flashed a sinister smile. I had gained the power of the Vampire Council, and the head of the House of Wednesday had joined forces with me on the Royal Road.
Sarkegaar was genuinely delighted that something resembling a force was now being formed from the four remnants of the demon clan.
But.
Could you please not smile so beautifully?
It feels like cognitive dissonance when you smile like that with such an innocent-looking face!
Of course, this was not the end of the mission.
"How is the contact with the revolutionary forces going?"
"We're cautiously searching, as acting rashly might ruin our efforts. Although we don't know the entire leadership, we have been able to identify a list of those who are definitely involved."
Sarkegaar showed a list of several individuals.
The names included Oskar de Gradias and many others.
Most of them were bureaucrats from commoner backgrounds, but there were also some nobles among them.
"Especially, there are a lot of illegitimate children discarded by noble families."
"I suppose so."
Illegitimate children of noble families would sometimes enter Temple, hiding their family name. They could have entered the Orbis class as well.
Children who inherited noble blood but were abandoned.
Their resentment could have transformed into a desire for revolution. Most of the names on the list were probably verified by Sarkegaar, so they must be the actual conspirators.
But in the end, I don't need these small fries.
What I need are the core factors. It is my job to establish a cooperative structure between the demon clan forces and the revolutionaries.
And from the list Sarkegaar compiled, I was able to find a familiar, if not well-known, name.
I pointed at the name.
"This gentleman, while he might not be part of the leadership, I'm sure he's quite an important figure."
"I suppose so."
Owen de Gethmora.
The name of the Merchant Guild Master was on the list.
The Merchant Guild Master had provided a substantial amount of research funding to the Magic Research Society. It was paid to me as a bribe for collusion with the royal family.
Since then, there were no specific requests or connections with the Merchant Guild, but they were making a fortune now. They were supplying all the goods for the magical train shop business. And I had no problems with them either.
Sarkegaar's investigation concluded that the Merchant Guild Master was definitely involved in the revolutionary forces.
"So, the guy who gave me money to bribe the royal family is supporting the revolutionary forces from behind…"
I couldn't tell if he just wanted money or if he truly dreamt of a revolution.
If he is part of the leadership, his importance comes from that, and even if not, he is an important link to the leadership.
"Alright. Get in touch with Owen de Gethmora; if necessary, you can contact him in the name of Darkland. Also, depending on the situation, I might meet him face to face. Keep that in mind."
Sarkegaar looked cautious.
"Please keep in mind that he might be too scared of the Demon Realm's name to join hands with us, Your Highness."
"Hmm, I doubt he'd be that scared."
Sarkegaar's words, suggesting that there might be a negative outlook, made me feel a bit skeptical.
"Once they were caught, they knew that if we reported this to the Empire, terrible things would happen. They would have no choice but to join forces with us, or face certain death."
The revolutionary forces had to make a choice. They had no choice but to realize that if they did not join hands with us, we could topple them in other ways. We didn't have to do it ourselves.
All we had to do was hand over the list of names we had secured to the Empire.
They might try to deny it.
But the Empire was in a highly sensitive state due to its rivalry with the Holy Knights. If they detected the additional threat of a revolutionary force, they would do everything in their power to annihilate it.
So they couldn't afford to turn their backs on us.
"I will infiltrate the revolutionaries, Your Highness."
Sarkegaar was entrusted with making contact with the revolutionary forces.
"If necessary, ask for Lucynil's assistance. You're more likely to need magic than I am."
"Understood, Your Highness."
For the time being, Lucynil would assist Sarkegaar in her mission.
Things were progressing step by step.
As more and more tasks were carried out under Valier's name.
I would gradually distance myself from the identity of Reinhardt.
I watched quietly as Sarkegaar, transformed into a sparrow, flew away.
