Side Story: Rocks’s Struggles
When I discussed the dark casino with Aoi, I initially planned to simply destroy both the casino and the organization.
However, Aoi suggested monitoring criminal activities from both the surface and underground to prevent future crimes, and I nodded in agreement.
At that moment, though I’d never say it out loud, I was deeply moved inside. Until then, I had only thought about defining justice and evil and crushing enemies. But now I learned there were other ways of thinking. I felt like my perspective had greatly expanded.
In fact, Aoi’s proposal was logical, and once we were able to monitor from both sides, we gathered so much information that it was surprising how much we hadn’t seen before.
However, the process to get there was so difficult that no amount of words could fully describe it.
After receiving Aoi’s proposal and starting to act, the first thing I did was explain the situation to the Knights Order.
The Knights Order, through their training process, is instilled with absolute loyalty to their lord and kingdom. They are educated to see themselves as the sword of justice that destroys evil and the last shield protecting the people. The highest commander for executing this justice is the noble who operates each knight order.
That’s why we had to keep secret the fact that we were deliberately overlooking and using some criminals.
Aoi also taught me that normally, we should establish and use an organization focused on intelligence and espionage activities. However, as I was still a student, it was impossible for me to create a new organization.
Therefore, we needed to carefully select knights from within the order who could cooperate. Even after somehow choosing suitable knights, the struggles continued.
At Aoi’s request, we needed to position the Knights Order at key locations during the dark casino raid to ensure no one escaped. However, moving the Knights Order required a reason, and once moved, results were expected. Concrete results, at that. This was repeatedly emphasized by my parents, who even sent written instructions, so I had to produce results no matter what.
So, I used the pretext of investigating the dark casino to move the Knights Order. We had clear information about the existence of a dark casino, and we were conducting an on-site investigation.
This allowed us to gather the necessary number of knights and ensure definite results. For me, who had never moved the Knights Order before, everything was a first, and I felt I was getting practical training as a royal.
However, I only realized this in hindsight. At the time, I was simply desperate to use my brain to fulfill Aoi’s requests.
Thus, I somehow completed the on-site investigation of the dark casino and even produced solid results, such as identifying nobles who had been using it. When I reported this, I secretly felt a sense of accomplishment.
But immediately after, Aoi issued new instructions.
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“The captured Nevis family seems willing to cooperate. Do you know of any hideout where we can keep them without the Knights Order finding out or other organizations easily interfering?”
Faced with such an impossible request, I didn’t want to say it couldn’t be done, so I investigated desperately. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t say it was impossible; Aoi’s instructions were definitely necessary for the future. Accomplishing this would be a big opportunity to make my presence known as a royal of the Verted Kingdom in Wintervaley, where royals and nobles from various countries and major trading companies were paying attention.
I, who had been getting carried away being called a genius at the world’s top magic academy, felt an unprecedented strong sense of mission in this task of moving the Knights Order as a royal and destroying the dark casino that was victimizing the academy students.
Despite various difficulties, I somehow found a hideout, and the Nevis family secretly moved there.
With this, the Knights Order could investigate the dark casino from the surface, while the Nevis family could do so from underground.
Just as I thought this, Aoi declared that she would now investigate other organizations. As a result, I had to move the Knights Order again, just like with the Nevis family.
This time, it wasn’t clear if we could produce results after the investigation. After all, we were raiding with the intention of making them cooperators from the start, so we couldn’t destroy the casino and capture its members.
With no choice, I narrowed down the number of knights and carefully selected new companions to accompany us.
Even then, Aoi was at the forefront, neutralizing enemies, so the Knights Order suffered no casualties.
However, the screams of the members reached us as we were sealing the exits outside, and along with the intense roars of magic, the knights we had gathered were instilled with awe towards Aoi.
“I thought it was common sense for mages to keep their distance when chanting…”
“To face multiple ruffians in a cramped indoor space…”
I shrugged at the knights’ conversations.
“You all know Felter from the Knights Order training I’ve taken you to. She’s an unconventional mage who can defeat Felter, who specializes in physical enhancement, head-on with a sword. There probably aren’t many who can beat her in close combat.”
Hearing this, the knights trembled even more in fear. Knights understand the terrifying nature of mages on the battlefield. The correct approach is to attack from a distance with arrows or to get close and cut them down before they finish chanting.
However, rumors say that the infamous academy witch can cast grand magic almost instantly. On top of that, being told she’s strong in close combat as well, it’s only natural for the knights to be terrified. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell them that even their imagination fell far short of reality.
“…We must never make her our enemy.”
“…Indeed.”
I felt like I witnessed the moment Aoi’s impression was solidified in the knights’ minds.
While such things were happening behind the scenes, Aoi brought all the major organizations under her control in a short period.
When I said she had dominated the dark side of the city, Aoi pouted and said, “I’m just receiving their cooperation,” but I didn’t take that at face value.
In fact, the underground organizations, starting with the Nevis family, recognized that Aoi had taken control of the entire underworld of the city.
Even afterwards, I often checked in with Aoi to get information about the city, and the stories I heard only confirmed this.
“This month, a new group came to the city from a small country near the Bushmills Empire. However, they only had about thirty people and didn’t have routes to procure weapons, so they were all escorted to the Nevis family hideout the next day.”
“I see.”
I nodded at Aoi’s report. In a normal city, this could have been the spark for a major war, but hearing Aoi’s report made it sound like no big deal.
“They all promised to abide by the law, so that group is also freely doing business in the city under the Nevis family’s supervision.”
Aoi added this and then looked at me. I nodded at her gaze, cleared my throat, and responded.
“The Knights Order isn’t doing much activity in the city. Well, maybe just training. On the contrary, there were reports of a large magical beast sighting on the northern outskirts of town, so many personnel have been allocated there. Also, we’re still searching for that troublesome bandit group from last month, but we haven’t found them yet. We’re currently expanding the search area from the south to the west.”
In turn, I informed Aoi about the Knights Order’s movements.
“A magical beast… If it’s troublesome, should I go?”
“…No, it’s about the right level of prey to improve the Knights Order’s skills. I don’t think they need help.”
When Aoi’s eyes lit up and she leaned her face closer to mine, I involuntarily pulled my chin back and my gaze wavered. I need mental preparation to make eye contact at such close range. I pretended to think for a moment while averting my gaze, then replied.
“Is that so? Then, regarding the information about the bandit group, I’ll also check with the Nevis family.”
After such an exchange, we each went about our activities.
The two of them had such exchanges once or twice a month to share information. Although it wasn’t their original intention, this is how the two of them strengthened the information network covering both the surface and underground of Wintervaley.
This experience would greatly change Rocks’s position as a royal, but it would be much later before Rocks realized this.
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