Skip Magician 71

 Test

Chapter 71. The Meaningless Meeting

"I totally agree with Theodore's opinion... but just thinking about assassinating the Minister of the Interior before doing anything is plain treason, and we'd be executed easily. Even if I am the heir of a duke family."

That's true.

"So what should we do?"

"What should we do... isn't it impossible? The easiest thing would be to save Elissa-sama here and ignore the rest."

"If we do that, we'll just be sent to the front lines of a war. Survive there and head to the next battlefield? Following a man we don't trust? Sorry, but I can't work under that man."

"...Hey, Elixira, why does he hate Minister of the Interior, Frodil so much?"

"Don't ask me. You should know better, right?"

"How would I know? I'm just a baron who got recruited by him."

I can hear you, you know. Why do you keep badmouthing me periodically?

"It's self-loathing."

"Princess Elissa, that's not true."

"You admitted it just recently."

Damn... am I really the same as that old man? There's no way... or at least I hope not.

"What if we stop the attack at the moment it happens?"

As everyone's heads swirled with various thoughts, Hilalda spoke up, breaking the air, and everyone froze.

"If the royalty gathers and there's a flashy attack to kill them all, we just need to stop that moment."

"Will that man reveal his tail?"

"Yeah, like Theodore said, Minister of the Interior, Frodil would probably use someone disposable for the attack. So, even if we prevent it, nothing changes."

Just as Elixira said, if he's going to blame the Elgrant Empire, he'd make someone dressed like an Elgrant soldier do a suicide attack, silencing the attacker. Or he might have a knight kill them and then cut off the knight's head himself.

"Is that so? I know a lot of people in the Magic Knights, but I don't think many would agree to kill all the royalty."

"So what?"

"I don't think Minister of the Interior, Frodil is explaining everything he's trying to do to get allies. Like Theodore said, if he doesn't trust anyone..."

Is that possible? Then, if we stop the attackers there and persuade the Magic Knights...

"Wait a moment. I agree that the Magic Knights wouldn't agree to kill the royalty, but that doesn't mean they'll easily believe Frodil is the enemy."

"So what should we do, Elixira Bifrans?"

"Well... that is..."

"We need to find some evidence, somehow."

"Impossible."

I understand what Ivy is saying. Sure, using her grimoire, we could get a lot of information, maybe even some dirt on Minister of the Interior, Frodil. But his position isn't weak enough to be toppled by that alone. If we had a smartphone to record audio or video, we could use it as undeniable evidence, but such convenient things don't exist in this world.

"It's still a dead end. We have to overturn it somehow."

"Isn't overturning it barbaric?"

"So what do we do... we've gone over this so many times."

It's hopeless.

Minister of the Interior, Frodil's plan is perfect. He must have learned about the 'End Dragon' somehow and spent years preparing. With his patriotism, he likely even suggested military expansion to the king. But still, he ended up doing all this because his suggestions were rejected. 

He sacrificed the chancellor because the chancellor was a hindrance clinging to vested interests. Treating the chancellor as disposable also helped his plan, killing two birds with one stone. And probably, he suggested military expansion again with the chancellor's rebellion... only to be rejected again. Instead, there's talk of disarmament.

"There's no way to beat that man with logic. We have to stop him by any means, or it'll be a war involving the entire world."

The first to die in a war aren't the nobles.

If the 'End Dragon' truly exists and we have to strengthen our nation to survive, then a bunch of fools in Western countries will start a war. So, if we crush them first... I get the idea. But in that process, it's not the nobles who will die. I don't want to die out of patriotism.

If Home Secretary Frodil is a 'necessary evil' to defeat the 'End Dragon,' then I will become a 'necessary evil' to protect the current peace by killing him.

"Even if no one agrees with me, I'll do it. I don't want a war."

"Wait, Theodore, we're not against it. We just... have no idea what to do."

"I don't know either, that's why I'm saying this."

It's already hopeless.

"If... what if I become the queen... can't we solve everything?"

"...What?"

Are you out of your mind?

"Of course, I know I'd have to convince my brothers, and Frodil wouldn't immediately agree just because I become queen... but don't you think everything would go smoothly?"

"No."

"I don't think so."

Elissa showed a bit of hesitation at being immediately denied by me and Jeremiah, but there was a strong resolve in her eyes.

Give me a break... you're still acting like a princess in this situation? If not for that, I'd like you as a good-natured, down-to-earth lady.

"But you understand what Minister of the Interior, Frodil wants to say, right?"

"Of course, I hate war too. I also hate those incompetent nobles who just cling to their privileges and get fatter, and I hate the end of humanity even more."

"Then we need to talk more."

If we could do that, we wouldn't be struggling... Besides, even if Frodil and I hate the same things, we're aiming for completely different things. Frodil only cares about the survival of the Kuria Kingdom, while I only care about my own survival. This difference is huge.

"I think my father's naivety is a big problem, but Home Secretary Frodil's extreme nationalism is also problematic."

"Only Princess Elissa can call the king naive."

"It's a fact."

Well... yeah.

"Fine. I'll become queen and restore our proud country! Then, Minister of the Interior, Frodil should recognize it to some extent!"

Will it go that smoothly?

When I gave everyone a meaningful look, everyone except Jeremiah averted their gaze. Why is Jeremiah always on my side?