Published: January 13, 2026
“...W-well, since this is an important battle where His Majesty is commanding, I feared that conducting an excessively brutal interrogation might negatively impact the soldiers’ morale...”
Troll voiced his concern anxiously. Panamera snorted in response.
“Now that you mention it, the knight order responsible for the night watch around the area when Baron Van was attacked last time was Baron Nouveau’s. We must promptly confirm whose knight order was in charge of last night’s guard,” Panamera declared.
Upon hearing this, Nouveau swallowed nervously as sweat trickled down his forehead. Troll looked up and glanced at His Majesty.
“P-please hold on a moment! Viscount Panamera seems to have suspected Baron Nouveau from the start! Can we really get impartial information in such circumstances? If Viscount Panamera is conspiring with Yelinetta, the worst-case scenario could happen!”
“Then what do you suggest?”
His Majesty asked.
“Excuse me, but I believe it would be best if someone of a higher noble title than us, who is also concerned about Baron Van’s safety, comes here.”
Hearing Troll’s suggestion, His Majesty nodded thoughtfully.
“Very well. But Baron Van has only recently become head of the family. There’s probably no one he has a noble relationship with other than Viscount Panamera.”
His Majesty said with a troubled expression, and Troll quickly responded.
“In that case, I recommend Marquis Fertio. After all, the marquis is Baron Van’s biological father. He would be the most loyal ally the baron could have.”
Troll spoke as if it were a brilliant idea, and for a moment, His Majesty and Panamera exchanged glances.
“A good idea. Indeed, the marquis and the baron are father and son. We shall proceed swiftly with that. Someone, summon Marquis Fertio at once!”
His Majesty commanded, and one of the guards immediately went to summon Jarpa.
Watching this, I realized Panamera’s true intent and suppressed a scream.
From the very beginning, they intended to drag Jarpa into this. Even though the motive behind the attack was unclear, Panamera had deliberately voiced suspicions of conspiring with the Yelinetta Kingdom.
His Majesty’s tone had felt off, but it was surely meant to stir up a sense of crisis in Troll and Nouveau.
If this continued, they would be treated as traitors in league with Yelinetta—the worst outcome—and could even face execution. Troll and Nouveau must have been anxious as the situation worsened rapidly.
However, I had no intention of pushing Daddy into a corner. Rather, I felt we still had some preparations to make.
Just how far were His Majesty and Panamera willing to go?
I was already powerless to intervene in the secret battle that had begun suddenly beneath the surface.
Soon, Jarpa arrived, accompanied by Knight Commander Stradale. His expression was filled with rage as he cast a freezing glare at Troll and Nouveau. Both turned pale and bowed their heads under his gaze.
Seeing Jarpa and their reactions, I sensed that this crisis had been instigated by Troll and the others on their own. It was an instinctive feeling, but it didn’t seem entirely unfounded.
Nonetheless, whether or not, they were very likely involved in the first attack or the container’s collapse. If they were implicated in even one incident, His Majesty would not let it slide.
As I watched Jarpa closely, wondering what would happen next, His Majesty turned and spoke first.
“You have come, Marquis Fertio.”
His Majesty called out, somewhat displeased. Jarpa adopted a solemn demeanor in response.
“Yes! What is the matter?”
Though he probably suspected something, Jarpa feigned ignorance. I couldn’t tell how His Majesty interpreted this, but he nodded as if nothing had happened.
“Hmm. It’s a long story...”
His Majesty began, and Panamera smiled and raised a hand.
“If you like, I can explain.”
“Can you be trusted?”
His Majesty and Panamera exchanged looks, then Panamera explained the situation to Jarpa.