There is no such thing as justice in this world.

In my past life, did justice ever save me, the one who lived so earnestly?

Who in this life will judge me, the evil lord?

To put it bluntly—justice does not exist in this world.

Anyone who speaks of justice is a villain.

Why, you ask?

Because I, the one speaking of this justice, am the very definition of a villain!

"Justice is on our side! —Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

At the party venue.

Having gathered the nobles belonging to Prince Cleo's faction, I was giving a speech filled with pleasant-sounding lines.

Things like, this is a righteous war, or this is the duty of a noble—it was enough to make me want to vomit.

But no one here truly believed any of it.

Why?

Because they were all a bunch of nobles with the faces of villains.

Their hearts were as black as night.

And there were hundreds of them gathered here.

These villains knew from the start.

They knew there wasn't a shred of justice in me gathering them together and propping up Prince Cleo.

Justice was just a pretext.

Everyone was acting for their own self-interest.

Once the party began, I immediately started talking with the people who had gathered.

"Count Banfield, you are truly bold. There are few nobles who can host a party of this scale on the Capital Planet."

"I may have splurged a little. So I hope you enjoy yourselves, Viscount."

"Spending your own money for Prince Cleo's sake, is it?"

"Something like that."

It's an investment in Prince Cleo.

I fully expect a return.

"With Count Banfield by his side, Prince Cleo must feel very reassured. Though I am of humble standing, I too shall do my best for the sake of the faction."

Many of the nobles attending the party are feudal lords.

I was the one who invited them, and I'm covering their travel and accommodation expenses.

Why, you ask?

Would you want to pay your own money to attend a party like this?

To travel across the vastness of space just to listen to my empty speech—if it were me, I would never attend.

But as the head of the faction, I have to save face by gathering a crowd.

As a result, I footed the entire bill.

Of course, money is no object to me.

Thanks to the Guide's gift, the Alchemy Box, money is practically a non-issue.

I can be as extravagant as I want and feel nothing.

I'm going through all this trouble just to raise a ruckus on the Capital Planet with everyone from the Cleo faction.

It's a performance meant to provoke Crown Prince Calvin's faction, which holds the first right of succession.

However, it's not progressing as I'd hoped.

I previously disposed of the second prince, Linus, by metaphorically stabbing him in the back, but Calvin is different.

While not unshakable as the Crown Prince, he has a large base of support.

What's more, he's composed, so he isn't trying to crush us recklessly.

But if we show any weakness—he will surely strike at it.

This guy was a real pain.

So much of a pain that even after I graduated from the Imperial University, he's made no move.

My conversation partner—the Viscount—brings up my post-graduation plans.

"Changing the subject, Count Banfield, you'll be working as a government official, correct?"

After graduating from school, nobles are obligated to perform labor, which they call training.

Well, working seriously sounds foolish, so I plan to slack off.

"Yes. I will devote myself to the Empire—I shall exhaust all my strength for it."

"How admirable. I wish my own son would learn from your example."

—I don't mean a word of it, and he's just playing along with my joke.

There's no way I'd ever work seriously.

"So, where will you be assigned?"

"I'll be starting with menial tasks at a government office."

◇

Liam Sera Banfield is a busy man.

While enrolled at the Imperial University, he backed Prince Cleo, who held the third right of succession, and launched a new faction.

He worked tirelessly until graduation, spending most of his student life on classes and establishing the faction.

While the other students were out having fun, Liam rarely engaged in such pastimes.

"Is Darling at another party today, I wonder?"

Rosetta, waiting for him at a high-end hotel, was debating whether she should be attending as well.

But Liam never took Rosetta with him.

She wanted to help Liam, who was busy every day with either classes or faction-related matters, but there was little Rosetta could do.

As Rosetta worried, a maid approached her.

It was Ciel Sera Exner, who had successfully become Rosetta's personal maid.

"—Is Lord Liam truly that busy? He goes out to parties every day and seems to be enjoying himself, doesn't he?"

Ciel didn't have much experience with parties.

Knowing this, Rosetta didn't scold her too harshly.

(I—don't have very fond memories of parties myself. But considering our current difficult situation, Darling can't possibly be enjoying himself.)

"Ciel, parties are not always for enjoyment. They often carry various underlying meanings."

In the past, Rosetta's family had been forced to attend parties where they were treated like a spectacle and humiliated.

She hadn't enjoyed them at all.

"I have spoken out of turn. My apologies, Lady Rosetta."

"It's quite alright. If there's something you don't understand, you should ask honestly. You have been entrusted to our Banfield family by the Exner family for your training, after all."

Ciel was no ordinary maid.

She was family to Baron Exner, Liam's ally, and his heir, Kurt.

She could not be treated carelessly.

She was also different from the children of Liam's vassals who had been entrusted to his care.

They were Liam's vassals, but Ciel's family, despite the difference in rank, were direct retainers of the Empire—they were equals.

She was receiving a higher level of education than the other girls in their care.

To be blunt, her training was stricter than the others'.

She wasn't placed by Rosetta's side out of kindness.

She was placed there because being near Rosetta would inevitably force her to accumulate all sorts of experience.

"—Darling, I hope you're not overworking yourself."

Ciel watched the worried Rosetta with a somewhat sad expression.

◇

(He's the worst.)

Ciel watched Rosetta worry about Liam.

In Ciel's mind, Rosetta's evaluation was neither good nor bad—the word "unremarkable" summed it up.

She was neither exceptionally capable nor incompetent.

Ciel admired her diligent attitude and personally cheered her on.

But she had no eye for men.

(This woman is a good person, but... she's being completely deceived.)

Liam was spending his days busy with parties, but he himself was totally into it.

Just the other day, he'd been excitedly discussing party matters with one of his purveyors.

Everyone praised Liam, calling him amazing, the best.

But Ciel alone was suspicious.

Could such a saintly person truly exist?

For that reason, she had volunteered to become Rosetta's maid, where she could observe him up close.

She endured the strict training to wake up her beloved brother—Kurt.

He had been like a different person since meeting Liam.

Her brother, who used to be so dignified and kind, had started talking about nothing but Liam after their encounter.

As his sister, she couldn't forgive it.

And Ciel herself had met Liam several times.

What bothered her on those occasions was—Liam's words and actions.

No matter how you looked at it, he was a petty villain.

His accomplishments were certainly amazing, and he was committed to a life of simplicity and frugality.

She understood that, but something felt off.

Her intuition was telling her, "There's something more to this guy!"

(I'll make everyone open their eyes. I will absolutely tear off Liam's mask.)

A lone girl was drawing near to Liam, seeking to uncover his true nature.

◇

Meanwhile.

Liam's true enemy, the Guide, was in agony.

"How can I defeat Liam? What should I do? How—how can I possibly defeat that guy?"

He thought and thought, but no answer came.

He had meddled in various ways to bring about misfortune.

Each time, Liam surpassed his expectations.

And then, as if in retaliation—he would express his gratitude.

That gratitude from Liam, carrying the thanks of his people, had become incredibly painful.

If it were just Liam's gratitude alone, it would have been merely disgusting, but he was overwhelmingly thanked by his people.

In some parts, he was revered almost like a god.

With that gratitude piled on top, it was agonizing even for the Guide.

"This can't be allowed! I will absolutely make Liam miserable!"

However, he had failed every single time.

He had tried to make Liam miserable.

He had aided Liam's enemies.

And yet, his revenge had never once succeeded.

The Guide was losing his confidence.

"What am I doing wrong? In fact, would I succeed if I did the opposite? If I helped Liam and brought misfortune to his enemies—no, that can't be."

The Guide absolutely did not want to help Liam.

If he did such a thing, he would be thanked again—and this time, he might even be erased from existence.

The Guide trembled as he imagined himself being erased.

"I-I can't fail next time."

But still.

No matter how much he thought, no brilliant plan came to mind.

No matter how much he tried to inflict misfortune, the current Liam could overcome it on his own.

And what's more, he was strong.

Too strong.

"How can I possibly beat him? What the hell is that One-Flash Style—that idiot Yasushi. How can a swindler raise a monster like that?"

There were other monsters of the same kind, raised by that same Yasushi, to defeat Liam.

However, they were the Guide's trump card.

He wanted to make a move to get those two closer to Liam—but the thought that it might backfire made him too scared to act.

"W-what should I really do? I—I—"

After much deliberation, he arrived at a single answer.

"That's it. I'll try helping Liam and making his enemies miserable, just as an experiment. If that doesn't work, I'll think of something else! Yes, I'll just help Liam a tiny bit and see what happens!"

Backed into a corner, the Guide wasn't thinking clearly about what he was doing.

◇

Crown Prince Calvin, first in line for the throne, wore a slightly weary expression as he faced his supporting nobles.

"Is it really that dangerous?"

The reason was the Oxis United Kingdom.

Using their secret pact with the deceased Linus as a pretext, they had invaded Imperial territory.

"Prince Linus is troublesome even after death, it seems."

"However, the United Kingdom is serious. They were thoroughly stirred up by Prince Linus, after all."

"Their goal is likely retaliation and tightening their grip on their own country."

The United Kingdom was in turmoil because of the secret pact with Linus.

But the kings and nobles within the United Kingdom, who had been left high and dry, were not amused.

Besides, after starting a civil war, the side that betrayed them couldn't expect to be forgiven just by apologizing.

They needed to pay a suitable price, and that price was to carve out a piece of Imperial territory.

The nobles who supported Calvin were growing anxious.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, the current situation is a bit dire. That Liam is working tirelessly, and according to the nobles we've infiltrated, he is championing the cause of justice."

Championing justice—if it were some random noble, it would be dismissed as just big talk.

But the opponent was Liam.

He was the man who, though Linus had shown an opening, had seized that opening to bury him.

He was the one who had turned Cleo, a dark horse, into a real contender.

And he possessed an incorruptible spirit that would not forgive pirates, and such a person was publicly declaring his dissatisfaction with the current state of the Empire.

He wasn't just some random noble—he was a powerful enemy.

It was also problematic that righteous nobles from the provinces were gathering around such a man.

"If we ignore this, Liam's reputation will only grow, won't it?"

If they overlooked this, nobles who felt that the current Empire was unreliable would either switch to Cleo's faction or lend them their strength.

Normally, they would just leave it to the military or ignore it with the intention of taking it back later.

But they couldn't do that now.

Also, the situation in the United Kingdom was bad.

As penance for their civil war fiasco, they were attacking in earnest.

Repelling them would result in massive casualties.

Calvin pondered.

"If we form a large-scale fleet and head out for a punitive expedition, the Capital Planet will be left vulnerable. I doubt Liam would overlook such an opportunity."

"That man will definitely make a move. Making an enemy of him was a mistake."

"—But if we let them take territory here, our credibility will suffer, won't it."

"The situation is tilting in Prince Cleo's favor. No, it has tilted in Liam's favor. Your Highness the Crown Prince, we must also act."

But Calvin was a man who had survived a fierce succession war.

"—No, we will not make a move."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince!?"

"Cleo will be the one to act. Let's let him have the glory, shall we?"

Hearing this, the nobles of his faction understood.

"You mean to make Prince Cleo—no, Liam—suffer heavy losses, don't you?"

"That's right. If Liam fails, that's fine. Even if he succeeds, he'll surely lose a great deal of his forces. I'll make sure we move in a way that ensures it."

In other words, to crush Liam, they would join forces with the invading army of the United Kingdom.

"And while the Capital Planet is lightly defended, I'll have Liam's faction whittled down."

The nobles, receiving Calvin's instructions, moved swiftly.

Brian (´；ω；｀): "It has been a while. This is Brian. I have some unfortunate news to report, now that we are in Chapter Six. —Lord Liam's harem count is still zero! —It's painful."