Chapter 94

Episode 94 – The Summons

“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.”

After a bit of idle chatter, I gave Lady Elise a polite bow—my original purpose was still ahead of me.

“Yes, Lord Aldia . I look forward to working with you from here on.”

“And I with you.”

“I’ve also got duties that need wrapping up, so if you’ll excuse me. I pray things turn out favorably for us all.”

Lady Elise pinched the hem of her skirt and offered a graceful curtsey before turning to leave.

Elise—representative of the Special Officer Cadet Training Division of the New Vanguard Army.

It looked like I’d be seeing a lot more of her from now on.

Best to remember her name.

Now then—

“Flegel.
I’d taken enough time to reconnect. It was time to move on to the negotiation with Lady Mariana of House Rhein.

Calling out to him, I made my way toward the pair. Both Flegel and Mariana turned to face me.

“Ah, Aldia. Thanks for today. Because of you, I was able to see Mariana again.”

Flegel expressed his gratitude sincerely.

A long-awaited reunion.

Up until now, House Rhein had firmly maintained a neutral stance, so there hadn’t been a chance. But with Lord Valtlune now on the throne, a new path had opened—today’s meeting being a result of that.

Technically, Mariana’s presence here was all part of that setup. Still, seeing the joy on both their faces made me happy too.

“You must be Lord Aldia. I’ve heard much about you from Lord Flegel. I am Mariana von Rhein—though I believe you already know of House Rhein.”

“I do indeed. Flegel’s bragged about you plenty.”

At that, Flegel’s face turned crimson as he flailed his hands in protest.

“H-Hey! Aldia… What are you saying?!”

“He’s always going on about you. Any time he opens his mouth, it’s to gush about how wonderful you are—”

“I-I don’t do it that often!”

Heh. That was fun.

I’d teased Flegel enough for now.

“Kidding, of course.”

“…I’m getting you back for that later.”

“Go easy on me, will you?”

Watching our exchange, Lady Mariana chuckled warmly.

“You two are so close!”

It was an innocent, charming gesture.

No wonder Flegel was head over heels for her.

Her smile—so pure, so free of guile—had a kind of warmth that anyone would find captivating.

If kindness had a face, it would look like hers.

“Well then, shall we get to the real reason we’re here?”

Shifting the tone back to business, I spoke with a sharper edge to my voice. Mariana, sensing the change, instantly straightened up.

“Yes, I believe we’re meeting with someone from House Gelleshiff today, correct?”

“That’s right. Lord Rune is deeply concerned about the relationship between two of the Empire’s greatest noble houses—House Rhein and House Gelleshiff.”

Ongoing tension between the two benefited neither side.

Mariana understood that as well—hence why she agreed to be here.

“My father… still isn’t ready for this.”

“So it seems.”

“But I am! For the good of the Empire, House Rhein and House Gelleshiff need to join forces. We should stand united on the front lines.”

Her determination was a relief.

If it was her and Eberhardt discussing things, I had high hopes for what would come of it.

“That’s reassuring. I’m sure Lord Eberhardt feels the same.”

Hearing that, Mariana smiled gently.

“He’s already waiting in one of the chambers at the Imperial Castle. Shall we go?”

—

This discussion was important—vital to the future of the Vulkan Empirel.

Failure wasn’t an option.

Originally, the plan was for Mariana and Eberhardt to meet one-on-one. That was how the meeting had been outlined.

But the moment I stepped into the room, I felt something was… off.

“You’re late.”

Why… is Rinos here ?

The second son of House Gelleshiff—Rinos von Gelleshiff.

His presence here was completely outside of the plan.

The meeting was supposed to be between the heads of each house, conducted in private to ensure fairness.

Uninvited participants were discouraged—strictly so.

And yet, there he was, seated comfortably beside Eberhardt like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Um, Lord Rinos…”

“I’m sorry, Lord Aldia… My brother was insistent about attending,” Eberhardt said with an apologetic bow.

But this wasn’t something that could be brushed off with an apology.

If it looked like House Rhein was being sidelined or taken by surprise, all the trust we’d worked to build could come crashing down.

“I don’t mind.”

“…My apologies, Lady Mariana.”

Even so, Mariana didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. She wore the same calm smile as before.

We’d nearly avoided a disastrous misunderstanding.

“Still, Lord Rinos… may I ask why you’re here?”

He had to know he wasn’t invited.

He wasn’t a fool. He had to grasp how delicate this discussion was.

So why…?

“Hmph. I know full well I’m not supposed to be here. But the one I have business with… is you.”

Rinos pointed directly at me, his eyes deadly serious.

This wasn’t about stirring up trouble or throwing a tantrum. He had a purpose.

“The meeting is between my brother and Lady Mariana. That means you and I aren’t necessary for it to proceed, are we?”

“That’s true, but…”

As someone neutral, I’d wanted to observe if possible. Still—

As I hesitated, Flegel stepped up beside me.

“Then I’ll stay and act in your place.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I love Mariana, but that doesn’t mean I’ll take her side unfairly. I promise.”

Flegel was someone I could trust.

If he said that, then I could leave things in his hands.

“Alright. I’m counting on you.”

And with that, I stepped away, leaving the matter in Flegel’s care.