Episode 60: When the Gears Shatter
It all started when a woman named Lucille approached me.
This was before her true identity was revealed in the commotion in the capital.
She appeared before me out of nowhere.
“I want you to find something that exists somewhere in this territory.”
A sudden request from a young girl who appeared out of nowhere. Normally, I wouldn’t accept such a thing.
However, I knew she was close to the First Prince, Leor. And Leor was infatuated with her.
Helping her could bring me closer to the First Prince.
My decision to assist Lucille was driven by such calculations. More importantly, she promised to help me get close to the First Prince. That was a reward more valuable than any treasure.
However, the investigation into “the thing” was difficult. Lucille frequently visited the territory to hear reports on the investigation, indicating that “the thing” must be extremely important.
… In hindsight, I wonder if she was slowly contaminating the land god every time she visited. By the time I realized it, it was already too late.
Nevertheless, at that time, Lucille was my client and a necessary connection to the First Prince. And she was exceptionally good at getting close to others.
“You yearn to be fulfilled, don’t you?”
Her charming yet eerie smile is still etched in my memory.
“You were blessed from the moment you were born. Everything was in your grasp, so you’ve never felt fulfilled. That’s why you want to be fulfilled.”
Her eyes and words, which accurately saw through my heart, were unforgettable.
“And yet, you don’t try to give what you have, what was given to you, to others. For example, your parents’ love.”
I wondered how a common girl like Lucille had managed to get close to future power brokers like the First Prince Leor.
Meeting her answered that question. Honestly, I suspected she used some kind of magic or magical tools. Brainwashing or illusion magic, perhaps. But I quickly had to revise that opinion.
She was simply skilled at seeing into people’s hearts.
And she was equally skilled at using that ability.
It was no wonder the First Prince trusted her. Her ability to ingratiate herself with pure skill deserved praise.
“Despite that, there’s no sense of greed in your actions.”
“… What do you mean?”
“Even if you managed to get close to the royal family, would that minor achievement satisfy your grand ambitions?”
I didn’t need time to ponder the answer. It was an unequivocal “No.”
“The First Prince doesn’t see you. He doesn’t see anything around him. He only sees me, who is close to his heart.”
It was the devil’s whisper.
“Not just Leor. No one sees you. That means you can do anything, right? For example, if you handed over this country, you could rise to power elsewhere.”
It was the devil’s gift.
“[Nothing unusual][No changes][Nothing happened]. That’s fine. They won’t move until something happens. In the meantime, you should prepare to fulfill your ambitions. You don’t need anyone to see you, do you?”
“… What do you want from me?”
“Nothing. I just want to see how you dance. It’s just a way to kill time… my favorite kind of heart is one filled with trivial and cheap love or romance, but that’s not something I can expect from you, right?”
Lucille laughed as she handed me [It].
“What is this?”
“It’s a theoretical framework that’s no longer needed. How you use it is up to you. If you want, I’ll even give you the unnecessary equipment. Consider it a reward for your help.”
The theoretical framework detailed how to create copies of [Forbidden cursed Magic Rings]. She also provided the necessary crystals, but even with the [theory] and [equipment], I couldn’t create the original magic ring required for the copy.
Then it happened. The land god was corrupted by miasma, and a [goldsmith] created a special magic ring to quell it.
And then, as if all the gears meshed perfectly, the plan progressed.
Or so I thought.
“What… what did you say!?”
From the moment I received the report from my subordinate, my face turned pale. By the time the report was finished, I looked like a pig splashed with blue paint.
“Wh-Why do they know about the underground workshop!?”
“I-I don’t know. We have no idea how they got the information…”
“Weren’t you supposed to be watching them!? What were you doing!?”
“We’ve lost contact with our watchers. We think something might have happened…”
[Unknown].[Maybe].[Something happened].
The unclear answers only fueled my frustration. Normally, I would yell and throw things, but now I didn’t even have time for that.
“Th-There shouldn’t be anything there linking it to me… No matter how they pursue it…!”
I spoke, turning words into reassurance. My subordinate said something, but I didn’t hear a word.
“It’ll be fine… It’ll be fine… I am special… I’m a special person…!”
A chill rose from the pit of my stomach. Sweat poured down like a waterfall. My body trembled uncontrollably. This was a fear I had never felt before, understood not by logic but by instinct.
“You seem troubled, Father.”
“…………!”
I looked up to see my daughter’s face.
“Loretta…!”
To me, it was like a fragile thread of hope dangled before me.
“You came, my daughter…!”
“Of course. I am your daughter, Father.”
Seeing Loretta’s respectful demeanor, I felt a sense of relief and arrogance return to me.
(I am indeed special. After all, I raised such a loyal daughter.)
Wiping the sweat away, I turned to my loyal daughter, suppressing a smile.
“A bit of trouble has arisen. My… no, my subordinates’ wrongdoing has been exposed. Worse, the Third Prince claims I was behind it.”
“…………”
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Loretta said nothing. She probably intended to act without complaint for her esteemed father.
“That notorious Third Prince. I’m sure the evidence is fabricated. Maybe he even orchestrated this to frame me.”
“……………………”
“Seize whatever [evidence] he has. Immediately. They trust you. There will be plenty of opportunities.”
“………………………………”
“What are you waiting for? Move quickly.”
After a few seconds of silence,
Loretta quietly spoke.
“Father. You are not a special person.”
“… What did you say?”
As I tilted my head at her words, the door behind Loretta opened.
The Third Prince’s knights, sent from the capital, entered the room to surround me.
“Lord Simeon Garland, we are here to arrest you for violating the prohibition on manufacturing [Forbidden Magic Rings].”
Despite ignoring my subordinate’s words, the knight’s statement entered my mind clearly. My face turned even paler than when I first heard the report.
“What is the meaning of this, Loretta!?”
“Don’t you understand yet?”
Loretta tossed several documents onto the desk. They were evidence related to the manufacturing of [Fake Forbidden Magic Rings] that had been secretly kept in the mansion.
I understood everything.
Not only did my daughter have no intention of helping me, but she was also turning me in as a criminal.
“You traitorous daughter! Betraying your father!”
“I’m just doing what needs to be done.”
“You ungrateful…! Who do you think allowed you to attend the academy in the capital and hone your sword skills!”
“And you were the one who made me abandon those sword skills.”
Loretta said nothing more to her father. As the knights bound me, her figure receded.
“Wait… Loretta, wait! Help me! Please! I’ll give you as much money as you want! We’re family!”
Unable to reach out, I watched my daughter disappear beyond the door.
☆
After escaping, we immediately mobilized the knights based on the evidence found in the underground workshop.
Lord Simeon Garland was arrested and would be transported to the capital for trial once the purification process was complete. Crimes related to [Forbidden Magic Rings] carry severe penalties. Therefore, both the trial and the execution of the sentence would take place in the capital.
“I am grateful.”
Without taking her eyes off Simeon being escorted away by the knights, Loretta murmured softly.
“Thanks to you, I was able to stop my father. You brought out the documents bearing his name from the underground workshop.”
“It was a coincidence. Your permission to search the mansion helped solidify the evidence.”
In truth, the amount of documents we retrieved was insufficient as evidence. In the worst case, he might have gotten away. But we could arrest him quickly because Loretta cooperated, guiding us to the evidence.
“But, was it okay? You could have handed him over to the knights without seeing him.”
“I thought about that. But in the end, I wanted to see my father’s face one last time.”
I couldn’t see her expression. Maybe unconsciously, she was touching the scarred arm.
“I see.”
… Damn it. I can’t find the right words.
If it were Loretta, it would be Luce’s turn to speak. But Luce isn’t back yet.
“… By the way, do you know where Luce went?”
“I don’t know, but… It’s Luce. She’s probably causing havoc somewhere. Don’t worry. I know better than anyone how strong she is.”
Considering Lucille’s involvement, there’s a certain amount of anxiety and concern about her whereabouts. But we had planned to act separately from the beginning. Without a way to contact her, we could only trust her.
Now, with Simeon’s situation, we didn’t have enough manpower to search for her.
“Third Prince. Regardless, you have something you need to do. Focus on that for now.”
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