On the Imperial capital planet, Calvin was receiving a report.
Hearing that Liam's territory was in turmoil, the gathered members of his faction were excited.
—Watching this scene was the Guide, dressed in a hat.
"It's your turn! Now's the time to strike Liam's territory!"
The Guide, acting without a care for appearances, incited them from the shadows, and the nobles' eyes changed color.
"Your Highness Calvin, this is our chance. We should strike Liam's territory with all our might!"
Facing these nobles, Calvin, who maintained a calm demeanor, said—
"—Support those who act rashly. We will not move."
"Y-Your Highness?"
Everyone looked surprised, and even the Guide exclaimed, "What!?" in shock.
It seemed he didn't have much power left, as he couldn't place Calvin completely under his control.
Calvin was looking at the report.
"Going missing due to summoning magic is hard to believe. It's highly likely a trap."
"Th-that's true, but would he really do something like that? The Banfield house is actually in turmoil. Shouldn't we strike with our full force?"
"We have only just lost our strength. There's no need to jump into a potential trap. Let the others test the waters. If it's true, Liam-kun's power will be greatly diminished. The real battle will be after that."
The nobles exchanged glances.
"Even if he returns safely, it will take years to quell the unrest."
"If things go badly, it could become a source of conflict for decades—no, even longer."
"Perhaps we should buy time for now."
At Calvin's words, everyone began to regain their composure.
Conversely, the Guide was dissatisfied.
"Just do it! It's a big chance, isn't it?! Why are you hesitating now?! I'm the one supporting you!"
As Calvin and the others didn't move as he wished, the Guide, in a form with small hands and feet sprouting from his hat, slammed his fist on the desk.
◇
"We are the legitimate successors of the Banfield house! Carrying on Lord Liam's will, I, Christiana, will take command! —Obey, or I'll kill you."
"We who protect Lady Rosetta are the successors to the Banfield house! I, Marie Sera Marian, hereby declare—defy me and I'll slaughter you!"
The Banfield family's capital planet.
In Liam's mansion, the one who couldn't stop breaking out in a cold sweat was Klaus.
He was a man of only average ability, yet he had been tasked with managing the knight order.
Right now, he was holding his head in his hands.
"H-how could Lord Liam's closest confidants suddenly betray him?!"
Tia and Marie were both central figures in Liam's knight order.
They were brilliant, and Liam relied on them.
However, these two had risen up in Liam's absence.
Both claimed they were the ones entrusted to manage things in Liam's absence, and Tia had begun moving Liam's fleet without permission.
Marie, for her part, had absconded with Rosetta and was gathering the fleets scattered throughout the surrounding area.
And to top it all off—
"I have heard that the heir to the Banfield house is absent. I am related by blood to the head from two generations ago, and I have rushed here in this time of emergency, hoping to lend a hand."
"The Astrid family, once a branch family, is the most suitable successor to the Banfield house. The influential members of the Cleo faction are backing me. Make me the acting head."
"I am carrying Lord Liam's child! This child is the next head of the Banfield house!"
—Since morning, these kinds of people had been flocking in.
They were clearly people aiming for the Banfield family's wealth and power.
Dealing with such rabble, Klaus grew more haggard by the day.
And what was causing Klaus's stomach to ache was—the knight order, who were supposed to be his allies.
"Lord Klaus, when are we going to slaughter those bastards?"
"If we kill those two, you'll be the head of the knight order, Lord Klaus!"
"We've already gathered our comrades, so we can fight anytime!"
The hot-blooded ones were trying to prop Klaus up and challenge Tia and Marie to a fight.
Klaus endured the pain in his stomach and gave his order.
"—Maintain the status quo. Until Lord Liam returns, we will protect the capital planet."
Lacking the ambition to use this opportunity to rise in rank, Klaus opted to maintain the current situation.
Even though, if he played his cards right, he could have led a part of the Banfield house to independence.
Those around him looked dissatisfied.
(N-no, this is bad. If this continues, someone's going to fly off the handle and really start a war. Lord Liam, please come back soon.)
◇
The knights that Isaac brought with him.
Those who were once hereditary vassals were in a lounge used by the mansion's executive-class staff.
They had taken it over, enjoying high-class liquor.
Furthermore, those trying to curry favor with them had also gathered, enjoying food and drink.
Not just officials, but also ambitious maids and civil servants.
Because the Banfield territory had been rapidly expanding, many ambitious people had infiltrated it.
There were soldiers among them as well.
Among them were operatives from hostile factions, including Calvin's.
Foreign agents were also participating, trying to stir up chaos within the Banfield territory.
"It's developed quite a bit in a hundred years, hasn't it?"
A bearded knight sat on a sofa, attended by beautiful women.
He was a man who had abandoned the Banfield house during Liam's grandfather's generation.
Among the knights Isaac had brought, he was the most skilled.
For that reason, he served as Isaac's head knight.
He had occupied the lounge and was increasing his allies within the mansion.
A strategy to crumble it from within—but all they were doing was carousing on Liam's money.
The knights were rampaging through the mansion.
"Look at this sword! It's a masterpiece!"
"There was a mobile knight for the honor guard in the hangar. I'm making it my personal machine."
"Forget that, you guys, look at this!"
One of the knights was dragging a doll and laughing.
It was a mass-produced model that Amagi had asked Liam to purchase.
Its clothes were already torn, and its joints were broken.
He had punched it, kicked it, and now stormed into the lounge, grabbing the battered doll by the head.
"He keeps dolls in the mansion? Liam really is a failure. He has no noble pride."
"He probably has no pride. Just getting cocky from fighting pirates."
"He's not coming back anyway. And even if he does, Lord Isaac will be the head of the house. His Highness Crown Prince Calvin will be backing Lord Isaac."
Even if he returned, there would be no place for Liam.
Therefore, they were acting as selfishly as they pleased.
A man burst into that lounge.
"What are you doing!"
—It was Brian.
When Brian stormed in, Isaac's head knight stood up.
"Yo, long time no see."
"Not only are you causing a ruckus in the lounge since morning, but you've also laid hands on Lord Liam's possessions! What is the meaning of this! Release it at once!"
"Hey, hey, don't get so angry over a single doll."
Brian's face was pale, and the head knight seemed to assume he was afraid of him.
"Mister Butler, don't make such a fuss. You'll make a bad impression on Lord Isaac. You still want to work in this mansion, don't you?"
Brian's gaze sharpened.
"This Brian would sooner leave the mansion than betray Lord Liam."
"Such a loyalist. I can't understand your way of thinking."
"I'm sure you can't. That's how you all abandoned the Banfield house, after all."
"We only left to protect the head from two generations ago. Besides, it seems the newcomers are getting too big for their britches, aren't they? It looks like some education will be in order soon."
He spoke as if they were the true hereditary vassals, looking down on Liam's knights, most of whom were newcomers.
Brian didn't retort, instead retrieving the doll and leaving the lounge.
As he left, he gave a warning to his former colleague.
"Lord Liam is a merciful man, but he is also a terrifying one. —You should prepare yourselves."
Hearing this, the head knight raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"How scary. —But do you think we're afraid of a Liam who isn't even here? By the time he gets back, everything in the Banfield house will belong to Lord Isaac."
The knights who had stormed in, and the traitors, all laughed.
◇
—That day, a tremor ran through the mansion.
"No way!?"
"I-it's true. I saw one of the knights bullying it."
"I-I heard it was broken. This is bad. We're going to be punished too."
The maids had been pale-faced since morning.
When Serena, the head maid, arrived, the three maids straightened their posture.
"You're being noisy. Even at a time like this, a maid of this house is expected to do her assigned work."
But the three were terrified.
"H-Head Maid, um, well—we heard that Lord Liam's attendant was broken by the knights who stormed in. U-um, will we also be—"
They were trembling uncontrollably.
Lord Liam's attendant—unable to openly call it a doll, that's what they called it.
And Serena, understanding why they were afraid, calmed them down.
"You weren't there, so there's no way you'll be punished. If they were to punish anyone, they would judge me, the one in charge. Now get back to work."
"Y-yes!"
Watching the three of them leave, Serena operated her bracelet-type terminal and projected an image into the air.
On it, the attendance rate of her subordinates was displayed.
Excluding those who couldn't come to work due to illness or paid leave, it seemed several hundred people had abandoned their posts.
Because of the commotion over the doll's destruction, half of the traitors had returned to their duties.
Like the frightened maids, they must have realized things were bad.
"—Well, this is within my expectations."
She had thought more would betray them, but her subordinates were more competent than she had expected.
"However, it seems there are some dim-witted girls. Or perhaps, they're just cunning?"
They destroyed Liam's doll—if they didn't wake up after this, Serena gave up on them, seeing no reason to save them.
◇
The royal castle of the Aarl Kingdom.
Lying in bed, I was chatting with Kunai.
Beside me, Kunai was sitting seiza-style (formal kneeling) on the bed.
"Lord Liam, we have identified those who sent the assassins. A minister and several generals are involved."
"Oh, really? In that case, dispose of them."
"Yes, sir! —Also, what should we do about that girl, Kanami? She is an extremely disrespectful girl towards you, Lord Liam. Shall we dispose of her as well?"
"Leave her be. She seems fun to tease, so just leave her alone."
"A-are you sure?"
Kunai was perplexed because normally, I wouldn't be so merciful.
However, for some reason, I didn't feel like killing her.
I found myself wanting to tease her more.
"I'm not in the mood, and I want to tease her, so that's fine. But kill every last one of the people who tried to kill me."
The ministers and generals of this country were furious because I had let the beastmen into the castle.
I'd be furious too if I were in their position, but that's a separate issue.
If they're going to send assassins after me, I'll just deal with them accordingly.
Kunai works fast, which is a great help.
"Regarding the assassins' employers, it seems they were planning how to assassinate the hero even before summoning them."
"They summoned a hero and were already preparing to kill them? Well, that's normal. I'd do the same thing—no, I wouldn't. That's not normal at all."
Let's say you're cornered and need to summon a hero for help.
In a situation like that, assassination is a bad move.
Yeah, countries that get cornered are just no good.
There's always a fittingly pathetic reason for it.
"If the queen is incompetent, then those around her must be a bunch of incompetents too."
"Just as you say, Lord Liam."
"Still, that queen—"
As we were talking, there was a knock on the room door.
"Kanami? What does she want with me?"
I had a good idea who it was before the door even opened.
When Kunai opened it, Kanami was there, her brow furrowed.
"This is your fault!"
"Huh?"
What a harsh thing to say right off the bat.
I wish she'd at least be clear about the subject.
You know, why it's my fault.
"I'm not a mind reader, so I'd appreciate it if you'd explain in more detail."
I put on an air of teasing her with a smirk.
Kanami grew even more irritated by my attitude, which I found amusing.
"It's about the Queen! That girl, she's not much older than us, and she's been made a queen. And yet, for you to say such a cruel thing—are you even a man?! You made Enora depressed!"
—What's with this girl? She feels sorry for that queen?
Did she sympathize with her just because the queen is a good person on a personal level?
Ah, this one's a lost cause. A truly hopeless girl.
"She is a ruler."
"So what? She's a girl."
"Age and gender don't matter for a ruler. If you're in that position, you're simply required to fulfill your duties properly."
"But!"
"You really are an idiot."
"I-idiot!?"
Kanami's indignation was amusing, so, uncharacteristically, I decided to teach her a few things.
I wonder why? Watching her, I can't just leave her be.
Is it because she has the same name as my former—daughter?
There's no way she's the same person.
A different world, and a different era—if I were to reunite with my daughter from my past life here and now, it would be something beyond a miracle.
The probability is practically zero; it's an impossible phenomenon.
And yet, if it did happen—it would be fate. A predestined event.
But there's nothing like that between me and my daughter.
We weren't connected by blood, nor were our hearts connected.
—That's why I hate children.
"Can you say that to the people who died? 'The Queen did her best. She's kind and a very good person~' —Do you know how the people who lost their families would feel hearing that?"
"W-well, they might not be satisfied, but surely—"
"You really don't understand anything, do you?"
To put it bluntly, what a ruler needs is ability.
This is especially true in an aristocracy—personality is a secondary or tertiary concern.
In other words, that queen may be a good and wonderful person, but as a ruler, she's a failure.
This is a world where even a complete bastard will be treated as a wise ruler if they enrich their people.
—Just like me, treated as a wise ruler despite being the worst kind of bastard.
Seeing Kanami looking down, she probably isn't so slow that she can't understand at all.
Well, I myself am aware that I'm a failure as a ruler.
My personality is the lowest of the low, but I understand that and manage to do well.
I deceive the people and act as I please, yet I'm still revered as a wise ruler.
The world smiles upon the wicked.
"In a crisis situation, 'trying your best' is meaningless. Trying your best is the bare minimum. You're like a child saying, 'Praise the queen because she's doing what she's supposed to do.' —A ruler who can't produce results is nothing but trash to their people."
"B-but!"
"Go tell that to the people who lost their homes and families. 'The Queen tried her best, but it wasn't enough!' 'So please forgive her,' —Can you forgive someone for a reason like that? Can you tell them not to resent their incompetent queen? You're defending the wrong person."
Well, if you want to criticize someone, you can always find a reason.
I'm not one to talk, but I could list endless faults with that queen.
In fact, I've never cared about the people myself.
I just want to see them suffer under heavy taxes.
—I will have my revenge on the subjects who humiliated me by holding that baby-making demonstration.
The first thing I'll do when I get back is raise taxes.
"Your parents must be fools. I can tell just by looking at you, their daughter. What on earth did they teach you?"
She's probably a good kid who can be considerate of others.
I, too, once wanted my daughter to grow up to be a child like that.
And my past self was wrong—therefore, the wishes and hopes of my past self were also wrong.
The ramblings of a fool who doesn't understand the world correctly.
When Kanami raised her head, her expression was one of simmering anger.
"Don't you dare speak ill of my father."
"Huh?"
"Stop bad-mouthing my father!"
"What's this? You love your daddy that much?"
"Not 'daddy'! My father—just don't speak ill of my father."
The way she distinguishes between 'daddy' and 'father' makes me sense something.
In other words, this girl's naive way of thinking is her 'father's' fault.
It's really irritating.
To think there was someone else like me out there, who even had a daughter—it puts me in the worst mood.
"I see. But your father is a great fool who was ignorant of the world and taught you nonsense. I can see that clearly just by looking at you. I bet your father taught you some stupid thing like 'be kind to people.'"
Did I hit the mark? Kanami started trembling with rage.
What a daughter, to have such a hopeless father.
"Don't say it!"
Kanami was about to draw the sword at her hip, so Kunai knocked her unconscious with a punch to the stomach.
Her eyes bloodshot, Kunai drew a knife, about to cut the girl's throat.
However, looking at the unconscious Kanami, I thought.
She's a victim of a useless father, but this girl's father—her 'father'—was loved by his daughter.
A world of difference from me.
"Kunai, stop."
"Are you sure? This person was about to draw her sword on you, Lord Liam."
"She was a good way to kill time. Take her back to her room. —And don't you dare lay a hand on her. She's my toy."
Looking at Kanami, I start to feel envious of this 'father' of hers.
He may have been a fool like my past self, but it seems he didn't make a mistake in raising his child.
There's no doubt he was a more respectable father than I was.
Brian (´;ω;`): "It's painful to see my fellow stomach-ache sufferer in so much pain."