Astrion Main Fortress.

"Honestly."

Lady Andromeda let out a clear laugh as she read Kyrie’s letter.

"Are there no additional movements from those royal-family bastards? Someone loosen up some intelligence."

"Bring Lady Andromeda and Lord Traysan into the same room. This isn’t the time for the two of you to play checkmate with the horses you raised. The royal family? Even if you stop feuding and band together into a single line to resist, it still won’t be enough."

"I hear Young Master Kyrie and Governor Gracus have started a clash bordering on civil war. It isn’t some plot by those royal-family bastards, is it?"

The capital’s mood was markedly different from what Kyrie had expected.

They’re worried about me.

Just as Kyrie had feared, it was not a situation where Lady Andromeda, Kyrie, and Princess Erica would be bundled together and condemned as Rikenta’s spies.

Right now, the hottest topic in Astrion was the royal-family knights who had attacked Kyrie.

No official envoy had departed.

It was for exactly the same reason Kyrie had spent nearly a year rolling around on the southern border.

We can’t publicly demand an explanation. At this level, we’d have to retaliate militarily, and then it’s escalation. It won’t be too late to act after we fully grasp the situation. Act like lightning; grasp like clouds.

The only way to convey what had happened there was through writing and speech.

Both had a human filter inserted in the middle, and that filter was notorious for heavy distortion.

But there was no way to avoid using that filter, so every piece of information had to be heard with the assumption that it was distorted by individual delusions and political interests.

At this level, he organized it very cleanly.

In that sense, Kyrie’s letter greatly satisfied Lady Andromeda.

Above all, the claim that he had established effective control over Spiramentaon and stabilized it was important.

At the very least, it means he’s created a situation there that he can take responsibility for if something blows up.

By leaving enough of a nuance that Gracus had aligned himself with the royal family through Traysan, he also prepared a counterfire against Traysan’s claim that Lady Andromeda had aligned herself with Rikenta through Kyrie.

At the same time, by keeping it at the level of nuance, he prevented a situation where Lady Andromeda would be forced to “press Traysan” hard.

This report was to be the official report submitted to the court council.

Excessive slander and baseless accusations were grounds for demerit by themselves.

In any case, the key point was that the chaos in the south had been brought under control.

"…Therefore, Kyrie of Astrion Astreos will come up to the capital accompanied by Princess Erica of Rikentrion Rikenta."

At the court council held that evening.

Princess Erica made her report before the Patriarch.

Several ministers and Planetary Seats worried that the Sub-patriarch and the Senior Adopted Heir might grab each other by the collar before the Patriarch.

What they feared did not happen.

A sword is most dangerous before it is drawn.

The fact that Lady Andromeda did not bring up an alignment between Traysan, Gracus, and the royal family meant it was no different from asking for a truce negotiation first.

With Kyrie having taken Spiramentaon, too.

After she had already won the previous round herself.

Traysan knew that.

At the same time, he also had enough restraint not to reveal it.

Now the bastard’s past twenty, and he’s effectively governing a city of a million people.

It was irritating, but there was nothing to be done.

An alignment between Traysan, Gracus, and the royal family, or an alignment between Lady Andromeda, Kyrie, and Rikenta.

Either way, the fact that it could not be confirmed immediately was the same.

The side that better matched the Patriarch’s, the Elders’, and the Planetary Seats’ concerns would inevitably be confirmed as the truth.

Clearly, the royal family was a more threatening opponent than Rikenta.

"It fills me with boundless joy to think that the sins of House Rikenta will be revealed beyond all doubt. Bestow great rewards upon the many officers and soldiers who struggled."

Traysan forced a smile while weeping blood inside.

Rumors will spread that I failed to protect Gracus.

He had taken a loss, but he had avoided a war of annihilation.

"I grant Kyrie of Astrion Astreos the post of acting governor. Once you secure minimal stability, transfer the local governorship to the Blue Knight on site with the highest share, then come to the capital with Princess Erica."

Patriarch Pellaeus decided.

That was how the day’s council ended.

It’s like I drank carbonated water to my heart’s content. My insides feel completely refreshed.

Lady Andromeda fell asleep for the first time in a while, stretching both legs straight out.

"Summon the Three Musketeers. Now!"

Traysan could not sleep.

"Yes, yes."

"Summon Magnus as well! Acto too! Summon every adopted heir you can summon!"

Whether Gracus had truly aligned with the royal family or not was none of his concern.

No matter the reason, the problem was that Gracus had failed, Lady Andromeda’s sword Kyrie had defeated him, and the Patriarch had defined it not as civil war or rebellion but as a common power struggle among Blue Knights.

It did not matter in the slightest that Traysan had originally planned to discard Gracus anyway.

If there would be punishment, he would do it, and if there would be rewards, he would give them.

It has to become an incident where the main family’s direct line swung a sword for personal reasons and wiped out a loyal border retainer.

If an organization does not protect its members, the organization cannot be maintained.

Creeeak.

The reception room of the Senior Adopted Heir’s Palace.

"What is the matter?"

"You summoned us?"

"How is the situation?"

The Three Musketeers: Unutus, Diaes, and Trinios.

"I heard Kyrie caught Gracus."

Magnus, a Planetary Seat–rank Blue Knight.

"I was just about to come to see you."

Acto, an adopted heir of the Goldcoin Brigade.

Other Blue Knights and knights, the chief steward, and officials came surging in.

"Gracus lost. His Highness the Patriarch did not make any talk of Rikenta or the royal family official. Kyrie will come up to the capital with Erica."

Traysan spoke only the core of the core.

Every adopted heir here was hardened talent in their own field.

"If His Highness the Patriarch did not speak of either house, then we no longer have to keep our heads down, correct?"

Unutus, the eldest of the Three Musketeers, understood Traysan’s words precisely.

The Patriarch had not spoken of Rikenta or the royal family, but the rumor that Traysan had joined hands with the royal family to kill Kyrie had also been left unofficial.

Now, even if the Three Musketeers went and started a dispute with Kyrie, they could shed the frame that they did it at the royal family’s instigation.

"Yes. Starting tomorrow, prepare to depart. We have to go down to the south as quickly as possible, even if it’s a single day."

"Yes. We will do so."

Traysan immediately looked to the next party.

"Acto. Spread a rumor by letting your people loose that the outstanding Governor Gracus was unjustly wiped out by Kyrie, the sword of Sub-patriarch Andromeda, who doesn’t know the field. If we couldn’t protect him, we should at least use him."

"Th-that is… I was going to tell you anyway, but it seems difficult. Rumors have started reaching me too—merchants from Spiramentaon are shouting it everywhere. They say the mad governor tried to seize everything we had and kill us, and that the Lightning Blade Kyrie defeated him after subjugating the mutated manbeasts."

The adopted heir called Acto showed discomfort.

He was the Blue Knight of the Goldcoin Brigade, the unit responsible for the capital’s public order and fire response.

At the same time, he was also the king of the thugs who managed the organizations of the Outer City’s red-light district and underworld.

"You must do it."

But Traysan was the Senior Adopted Heir of a Sub-Stellar Seat Patriarch.

"Do you want me to tell you the method too? Beat the merchants, seize the bards and make them write a song, loose rumor-mongers—do whatever you have to do!"

"Yes! Understood!"

When Traysan glared once, Acto went pale.

Traysan put out that urgent fire.

Then he sent out all the minor adopted heirs, including Acto and the Three Musketeers, and left only a couple of heavyweight adopted heirs such as Magnus before speaking again.

"We’ll have to deal with Andromeda."

It was a terrifying statement.

It was the sort of thing that even an ordinary noble would have their entire clan exterminated by the next day for saying, even as a joke.

"It won’t be easy."

But Traysan’s and Magnus’s expressions were astonishingly calm.

"If it’s the northeastern fortress, wouldn’t the highest-grade sealing stones from the great earth house Terra be coming in?"

"She’s direct line. Two or three black stones like that won’t even come close."

"Get as many as you can."

"Understood for now. Will you use the same script as last time?"

"It might look too suspicious, but if we’re going to do what we did before again, we’ll have to do it the way we did before. Yes. Let’s do it like last time."

I received the letter tied to the ankle of a transmission dragon wearing a gold necklace—no. I received the decree.

"Appoint me as acting governor? Me?"

It was a decree stamped with the seal of a Sub-Stellar Seat.

"…"

It seemed things had gone well in a direction I couldn’t understand.

I stared at the decree for a while, then stood up and headed to the room next door.

"How long do we have to do this?"

"Hey now! Don’t complain—apply yourself diligently!"

Gaveng was stuffing one hundred gold coins at a time into pretty silk pouches.

Joi was laying velvet cushions in fine wooden boxes and putting gold bars inside.

It was brib—no. A gift set to scatter from the lowest officials all the way up to the Elders.

At this point, it felt like I could just take it for myself.

"…Do you have any idea how much I’ve counted over the last few days!"

Leaving the raving Gaveng behind, I called Joi out.

"How much do we have right now?"

"The private funds seized from Erica are one hundred thousand gold coins, the remaining war funds are seven thousand five hundred gold coins, and the money taken from Gracus’s vault is about sixty-five thousand gold coins. However, the money we have to distribute to the mercenary corps whose contracts will end soon totals fifty-five thousand—no. Excluding the dead, about fifty thousand gold coins."

"Then we’ve got about one hundred twenty thousand coins?"

"That’s right."

That was more than enough money to keep the army going.

"First, give the gift-wrapped ones to the mercenary captains. Even if we give the same amount, they’ll like it more if it’s wrapped nicely."

"Do you think like that too, Blue Knight?"

At least until I had a round with Traysan in the capital, it seemed I could sustain it well enough.

"We go crazy for scabbards with crests, cloaks with embroidery, armor with relief work. Swordsmen who like to dress up are all the same."

"Heh heh. Every time I hear that, it’s fascinating."

"And gather Feijin, Shen, Augusta—anyway, gather the captains of the large mercenary corps separately. I need to meet them once and discuss additional contracts."

"Will you bring the gift-wrapped fine swords then as well?"

That was when Joi reminded me of something I had forgotten.

"We marked them all as damaged, sir."

"Is that holy sword in there too?"

I openly brightened and went into the room where the gift swords were piled.

I couldn’t manage my expression at all.

I tore off the neatly tied string in one go and opened the ebony box carved by an artisan’s hand.

Creeeak.

The Star-Sword I had seen in Gracus’s vault room in the past lay on a long crystal stand together with a sharkskin scabbard.

The huge crystal pillar called a fragment of the Thunder Star was the family’s greatest treasure.

Only when making lightning-arts training machines did they break off a finger-sized piece to use, and the powder produced while processing that piece was added when forging Thunderclap Greatswords.

On this sword’s blade, those precious fragments of the Thunder Star were embedded here and there, shining like scattered gold dust.

Unlike a Thunderclap Greatsword, which was basically a longsword wielded with two hands, it was a one-handed sword with a slightly shorter blade and hilt—but since lately there had been many more times I spread an Authority with one hand and swung a sword with only the other, it was better.

The grip was ivory, wrapped in sharkskin just like the scabbard.

The egg-shaped counterweight at the end of the grip, the pommel, was a large crystal the color of a Thunder Star fragment.

As I picked up this precious crystal Star-Sword, I lightly breathed mana into it.

Crack, crackle!

Between the fragments of the Thunder Star in the bluish yet transparent blade, current linked from fragment to fragment, and a constellation-like pattern flashed brilliantly.

Wooooooong! Wooong!

The Thunderclap Greatsword was a fine sword that accepted mana well, but the crystal Star-Sword was far more so.

Whether it was only a feeling or some power was truly at work, it even felt as if my mana was increasing.

Wooooooong!

The blade hummed low, as if welcoming me.

I slid the crystal Star-Sword into its scabbard and hung it at my belt.

After checking the surroundings once with Bio-radar, I spoke.

"Jo—no. Joi."

"Yes?"

At the form of address I hadn’t used even once since that day, her expression turned solemn.

"You can probably guess what I’m about to do. Once it starts, it can’t stop. This is your last chance to step out from under this cloud."

I needed to reestablish the relationship here before going.

We had long since crossed far beyond the relationship of Blue Knight and adjutant.

I had shown her too many illegal things, from appointing Erica to embezzling the Governor’s Fortress vault, and from here on, I could only be with people I truly trusted.

Because the moment I was betrayed, I would fall in one blow.

"With my strength and my money right now, I can get you a new identity and place you as an adopted daughter in an appropriate knightly house. Then you can become a knight legally. What do you want to do?"

Chapter 100

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