The Reborn Swordmaster
Chapter 44
[...The subject entered the spectator stands during the mock naval battle despite access being prohibited, thereby committing a serious violation of the Imperial Arena Operational Decree.
However, as confirmed through numerous witness statements and reports from the Imperial Guard, the aforementioned act is recognized as an unavoidable measure taken to rescue Imperial citizens whose lives were in immediate danger.
Therefore, in accordance with precedent that merit may repay wrongdoing, this Council hereby suspends punishment and substitutes service in the Empire's frontier territories and provinces in its place.
Furthermore, full authority over the subject's custody, management, and supervision shall be entrusted to House Eisenhart under the Military Commissioner.]
The Arcana Council Hall of the Imperial Capital.
Within the Council grounds, which occupied a considerable amount of land even by the standards of the capital, there was a secluded garden used for private meetings.
At the center of that garden...
Riyan sat upright as an autumn breeze stirred his white hair.
So everything went according to the script in the end.
He closed his eyes and reflected.
It had happened exactly as Sevanne said.
His testimony had been little more than a formality.
The ruling was the same.
The entire process hadn't even taken an hour.
But Riyan's thoughts were focused on something else.
"No. I, Sevanne Eisenhart, will be the one calling you."
Sevanne's final words when they met at the safe house.
What exactly had she meant?
He hadn't asked for details at the time.
The atmosphere hadn't been right for it, and he doubted she would have answered even if he had.
Does she harbor ambitions toward House Eisenhart itself?
In Riyan's previous life, the laws of the kingdom had followed the principle of inheritance through the eldest son.
No matter how intelligent or talented someone was, being born the second or third son meant they had almost no chance of inheriting the family.
The same applied to women.
There were occasional exceptions, such as when every male line of the main and branch families died out.
But those were only exceptions.
Centuries have passed, but I doubt that much has changed.
There was a simple reason such customs had become entrenched.
If every possible heir was given a path to succession, competition within the family would inevitably ignite.
And that competition would eventually turn into civil war.
No matter how powerful a house was, a few struggles between siblings could bring it down surprisingly quickly.
In that sense, assuming Sevanne's goal lay in that direction was quite reasonable.
She had enough ability to lead and successfully execute political schemes within the Imperial Capital.
And she was also an exceptionally capable magician herself.
If that's true, then my role to her would be...
The first step toward building a private military force.
The knights and magicians under House Eisenhart would naturally follow only the legitimate heir.
It made sense that Sevanne would seek out a different rope to hold onto.
And the fighters weren't being sent into the Imperial Capital.
They were being dispatched to the frontier.
Nothing could be hidden beneath the capital's intense scrutiny, but that scrutiny couldn't fully reach every distant border region.
If that's really what she's planning...
Then Sevanne was a dangerous spark.
A civil war within House Eisenhart, home of the Empire's Military Commissioner and one of its most powerful noble families, would be more than enough fuel to throw the Imperial Capital into flames.
For now, what they wanted from one another aligned.
And there was a good chance that what came at the end of their respective plans aligned as well.
There was no reason not to work with Sevanne.
Riyan opened his eyes.
A familiar gait entered his vision.
"Weren't you told to wait in the waiting room?"
Brown hair.
Brown eyes.
Petra approached with the same straight posture as always, then stopped with her hands clasped behind her back.
"It was stuffy inside, so I came out for a bit."
"I would appreciate it if you at least left word before acting. Of course, disappearing without warning like that may simply be typical for someone of your—"
Riyan rose abruptly before she could finish.
He walked ahead and asked over his shoulder.
"What happened with what I asked?"
"My lady approved it."
"How long?"
"Three days."
"That's short."
"The longer you remain in the Imperial Capital, the more problems seem to emerge around you."
He had asked for some personal time to wrap up his affairs in the capital.
Three days.
Short in one sense.
Long in another.
"What about the people coming with me? Obviously, my lady won't personally follow along."
"That should go without saying. For now, I will accompany you. Officially, I'll be responsible for general supervision, management, and record keeping."
"Unofficially?"
"Am I obligated to answer that?"
No.
She wasn't.
In other words, Sevanne's eyes and ears would remain beside him at all times.
It wasn't particularly surprising.
Riyan had expected as much.
He shrugged and asked something else.
"Anyone besides you?"
"Your request apparently sounded convincing enough to my lady. She said you'll be given the right to choose some of your companions."
"...Really? How many?"
"One or two."
"Stingy."
"The basic judgment is that having a few people already familiar with you will make future management easier. There is no need for a large number."
"I wasn't asking for babysitters."
"Weren't you?"
Riyan turned his head.
Petra's expression remained as flat as ever, just slightly below his eye level.
Though he could have sworn the corner of her mouth had risen ever so slightly...
Was he imagining it?
Petra faced forward again.
"In any case, this is a newly formed organization. We have to proceed cautiously."
"...I see."
"Aside from you, the few people you select, and those chosen by my lady, most of the members will probably be there simply to make up numbers for appearances."
"So what exactly will we be doing?"
Riyan finally got to the point.
The frontier.
The provinces.
Pilgrimage.
Military service.
He roughly understood what all those words meant.
But what exactly were they going to make him do?
That part remained vague.
"What will you be doing..."
Petra trailed off as she walked.
Then she opened a door leading out from the garden corridor.
Beyond it lay the outer section of the Council complex, in the middle of a vast administrative district.
Fountains sprayed water between geometrically trimmed sculptures.
Officials moved busily across the stone paths around them.
One carried a heavy stack of documents while hurrying along.
