The meeting had ended. Lucilla returned to the guest room arranged by the Night Sky Silver Rabbit, accompanied by her attendant.
The room was luxurious yet practical, without excessive decoration. It carried the sensible style one would expect from an explorer's headquarters.
"I will rest until dinner time. Please call for me when it is ready."
The attendant bowed respectfully and answered, "Understood." She then stepped outside and waited by the door.
Once silence filled the room and she was alone, Lucilla finally let out a long breath.
"…Whew. So far everything is going according to plan. That is a relief."
She sat down in a chair to ease her tension.
She had already known about Selma's "raid plan" before it was brought up in the meeting. As a princess, her approval would have decided the matter for most people. Still, there had been a real chance that some troublesome noble would interfere. The fact that it ended smoothly was something to be grateful for.
Lucilla had come to Tsutrail as the royal proxy to serve as the link between the royal family and the Night Sky Silver Rabbit.
In truth, the bigger reason was that foolish nobles in the capital had already begun fighting over power.
The Kingdom of Nohitant was in an unstable state. Last year her father the king had passed away, and her elder brother Ias, the first prince, now handled the affairs of state. Normally he would have already completed his coronation and secured his proper position. However, the war with the empire and the monster disturbances had made that impossible. In the midst of all this, a faction of nobles had begun plotting to set Lucilla up as a puppet queen so they could enjoy the benefits.
She gave a small shrug and muttered to herself with clear mockery.
"…To think they could control me. What kind of twisted thinking leads someone to such a foolish conclusion? They cannot even see the current situation. It is utterly astounding."
Lucilla had no intention whatsoever of taking the throne. The right of succession belonged to her brother, and she believed he was the one who should guide the country.
Besides, she had far more important matters to focus on right now.
Once she had calmed down a little, Lucilla stood up quietly.
"…Right. Shall we go?"
She took out a small magic tool and murmured the words.
When she lightly stroked the control panel with her fingertips, a soft light filled the room.
She tested it by clapping her hands once. No sound came out at all.
After confirming that the barrier of silence was active, she unhesitatingly removed her dress.
She changed into simple clothes that were completely unsuitable for a princess. Yet they were perfect for blending into the streets.
Once she finished changing, she operated the magic tool again. Her outline wavered faintly, then vanished completely.
She walked to the window, unlocked it, and opened it.
Evening wind blew in from the third-floor height and brushed her cheek. An ordinary young lady would have been terrified to even stand near the edge.
Lucilla, however, stepped outside without any hesitation.
Her body was pulled down by gravity. But after she operated the magic tool three times, her falling speed gradually slowed. She landed on the ground as gently as a feather drifting down.
She glanced at her feet, then looked at the magic tool in her hand with affection.
"…To pack so many different functions into a single magic tool. As expected of Orun."
She smiled thinly, impressed, then slipped through the clan grounds while avoiding attention and melted into the back alleys.
The moment she released the invisibility, she became nothing more than an ordinary young woman. Lucilla blended into the noisy crowd and disappeared into the twilight streets of Tsutrail.
◇
The place she headed for was an unremarkable café on a street corner. She sat at a terrace seat by the window, ordered a drink, and gracefully opened the book she carried.
Surrounded by the evening bustle, she looked like nothing more than a quiet young lady enjoying her reading.
Before long, another customer sat down behind her.
She did not need to turn around to know who it was.
An unmemorable face, average build, and an air of complete ordinariness. A man who could slip from memory in an instant: Solda, the Grand Master of the Explorers Guild.
"…How is the situation?"
At the low question, Lucilla's lips softened. She instantly understood he was asking about the progress on the southern great labyrinth and answered quietly.
"It is going well."
Solda remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a businesslike tone.
"Do not forget that we only want results."
"Of course, I understand. Some people will lose their lives during the conquest, but we will definitely succeed."
"The eastern conquest is already complete. If progress in the south is unsatisfactory, we will take direct command. If you do not want that…"
Lucilla kept her smile in place as she replied.
"I will certainly meet your expectations. Please allow me to continue carrying out this honorable duty that Lady Philly entrusted to me until the very end."
Solda gave a short nod at her humble attitude.
"…Good, as long as you know your place."
With those words, he vanished into the crowd as if he had never been there at all.
After she confirmed his presence had completely faded, Lucilla closed her book.
She let out a small sigh and thought to herself, not speaking aloud to anyone.
(He really is an unpleasant man, as always. Is he even human? No, there is no point worrying about that. Still… the eastern conquest is already finished, is it?)
As she turned Solda's businesslike remark over in her mind, Lucilla's thoughts grew deeper.
(The cult does not hesitate to perform human experiments. They treat human lives as nothing more than tools. For the eastern great labyrinth to be conquered in such a short time despite so many skilled explorers dying one after another, they must have deployed explorers who were modified through human experiments.)
It was not mere speculation; it was close to certainty. That was exactly why she could never hand over control of the southern great labyrinth to the cult.
Unconsciously, her fingers touched the magic tool in her palm. Its cold surface quietly stirred the resolve in her chest.
(The cult believes I have become an obedient piece on their board. In reality, it is the opposite. Lady Philly's recognition alteration was nullified by this magic tool I received from Orun.)
The cult mistakenly saw her as a convenient pawn who could influence national politics. Thanks to that complacency, the kingdom had so far suffered almost no interference from them.
(They think they are ruling us, but the initiative in this country has always been ours. I will protect the citizens from the cult's grasp. I will never allow them to lay a hand on our people.)
She tightened her grip on the book cover, slowly raised her gaze, and looked out at the street bathed in the setting sun.
Merchants calling out, the sound of children's footsteps, an elderly couple leaning against each other in front of a shop. Everyday life was there, real and certain.
She burned every detail into her memory.
(I will not let a single person die. I will never allow things to go the way the cult wants. I will protect everyone.)
As a princess.
As a royal proxy.
And as one human being who loves this country.
She felt her duty quietly yet firmly swelling within her. Without being swept away by emotion, she sharpened her resolve.
For her, this battle was both a fight to save the nation and a way to prove her own pride.