Chapter 129

“N-not just anyone could pull something like that off. Yes.”

“The way she understands her own reputation and knows how to use it... It’s unbelievable.”

Calypse shook his head.

Dorian looked at the head of the family with something close to exasperation, but added another remark anyway.

“Yes. The Princess is a genius. Once she grows older, I’m sure she’ll accomplish truly great things.”

“Great things, my ass. I’m going to let her spend her life doing nothing. I’ll raise her to be a rich woman with no job.”

Calypse’s eyes shone with solemn determination.

At this point, he had gone beyond being a doting father and become a complete idiot about his daughter.

“...Naturally.”

Dorian glanced at the head of the family once more and shook his head inwardly.

This man is the ruler of the north, no less.

Someone who was once admired by countless people, myself included.

But ten years ago, when Princess Aisha had stripped away his mask, Calypse had changed completely.

Only where his children were concerned, of course.

“Shall we depart?”

“Yes.”

As soon as the brief personal conversation ended, Calypse’s expression turned cold again.

His next engagement was not something he could enjoy while trading idle jokes.

He had an emergency meeting with Grace.

The subject was the civilization of monsters.

He had expected it, but there was no doubt that this unprecedented discovery had caused a major stir within the royal court as well.

Calypse recalled the urgent message she had sent him.

[For now, this information will remain secret from everyone except me, the Duke, and the principal retainers attending the meeting.]

For reference, Grace was about as far from secretive as a person could possibly be.

One only had to look at the way she spoke of the people’s right to know and publicly disclosed everything from the royal family’s financial condition to the details of her own personal expenses.

If it’s a meeting, I suppose it’ll be with the heads of the major houses from each region.

Using a portal, he quickly reached the royal castle and followed an attendant to the meeting room.

He stepped through the open door while picturing the faces of the representative heads of the great houses.

“Ah, greetings, Duke!”

“You really came? Hello, Duke!”

But rather than the heads of the great houses, he found members of the monster enthusiasts’ gathering.

“...Greetings.”

After answering a beat late, Calypse surveyed the room.

A marchioness whose name he did not know, though she was apparently close to Aisha and well known in high society.

A count whose name he likewise did not know, though he vaguely remembered Aisha saying the man was handsome.

And, naturally, all the other people whose names he did not know either.

Do the members of the monster enthusiasts’ gathering live in meeting rooms now? Or is it just because the meeting hasn’t started yet?

“What are you doing? Hurry up and sit down!”

At that moment, the marchioness smiled brightly and slapped an empty chair several times.

Still somewhat confused, Calypse hesitated before quietly taking a seat at the far corner of the table.

“Oh, the Duke is here too? Then let’s begin.”

Grace happened to emerge through another door just then.

Calypse intended to ask her what exactly was going on, but the meeting began immediately.

“This information is currently top secret, so watch what you say. We don’t even know yet whether they’re friendly or hostile toward humanity. If word gets out now, the entire Frozen Kingdom will be thrown into fear.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“Yes!”

Good God.

Calypse suppressed the hollow laugh threatening to escape him.

Watching the members nod enthusiastically, he realized that apparently he had simply been dragged into a gathering of monster enthusiasts.

I never imagined the ‘emergency meeting’ would be with the members of the monster enthusiasts’ gathering.

Sitting at the very end of the table, Calypse observed them.

Unlike the other members, who leaned forward eagerly to listen to Grace, he remained against the back of his chair, looking as though he belonged among them about as naturally as oil belonged in water.

When she said meeting, I assumed she meant she was moving the Frozen Kingdom’s quarterly council forward.

One of his brows rose faintly.

No matter how amicable Grace’s relationship with House Kreutz might be, she had never once crossed certain boundaries.

But this was different.

He bore no ill will toward the monster enthusiasts’ gathering.

Nevertheless, Calypse was still Duke Kreutz.

He had no intention of being forcibly invited into a private club merely because he happened to be involved with monsters.

“Did you summon me merely to tell me to keep my mouth shut?”

Suppressing a trace of anger, he asked in a low, resonant voice.

Grace finally looked directly at him, rose from her seat, and nodded.

“That goes without saying.”

“I don’t believe I’m someone who violates something so basic.”

At the somewhat rigid tone of his voice, the other members began watching the two of them uneasily.

Grace, however, did not so much as blink.

She knew Calypse was someone who would understand perfectly well once she explained her reason.

“I summoned you because I wanted you to understand that the snowfield isn’t the only thing we need to worry about right now.”

Thump.

At that moment, a report was spread across the long table.

“Look at this.”

At Grace’s words, Calypse’s massive upper body finally moved away from the back of his chair.

[Approximately May 2. Secrelia Tavern. 9:01 a.m. Five people.

Approximately May 15. Secrelia Tavern. 9:30 a.m. Seven people.

Approximately May 20. Secrelia Tavern. 9:03 a.m. Ten people.]

[All concealed their faces with robes, making identification impossible. However, as they rented a private room difficult for commoners to afford, they are believed to be nobles.]

[During their conversation, the words “monster” and “Grace” were mentioned.]

“This is...”

Calypse’s eyes narrowed.

“Opposition to the royal family is starting to emerge in high society.”

At Grace’s words, the others frowned.

It was not the first time opposition had appeared.

Even after Argen stepped down as King ten years ago, there had been people who continued supporting him.

But all of them had either been exiled or eliminated.

Even so, the emergence of another opposition faction was, in some ways, inevitable.

Even within the royalist faction, meetings often divided into those in favor and those opposed.

Every kingdom had enemies.

But if the cause was monsters, and if this was happening at a time when relations with the neighboring Kingdom of Doctia were precarious enough that conflict could erupt at any moment, then the situation was different.

“...So we have no way of knowing when this opposition faction might join forces with the Kingdom of Doctia.”

The situation was worse than he had thought.

“More precisely, rather than an opposition faction, they’re people who resent the way I’ve changed this kingdom from one focused on luxury and parties into one focused on magical education and coexistence with monsters.”

Perhaps even saying it aloud infuriated her.

Grace gave a sharp laugh and rubbed the crease between her brows with her pen.

“There seem to be especially many of them who resent the fact that I gave commoners access to magical education. That’s why I summoned only you and the members of the monster enthusiasts’ gathering. There’s no one else I can trust.”

“You still haven’t identified the members of this opposition?”

“The royal agents followed them all the way, but apparently they deliberately seek out crowded places while still wearing their robes, disguise themselves, and then emerge looking completely different.”

In other words, they still had no idea who the people were.

“So, about the completion ceremony for the monster training center. I want you to make it a very large event.”

At the unexpected suggestion, Calypse lifted his cold gaze.

“I want every major noble family in the entire Frozen Kingdom to attend, not merely those from the north.”

Ah.

So that’s what she means.

“You intend to use the completion ceremony to identify the opposition.”

“They’ll undoubtedly swarm there hoping to find something they can use against us. We won’t be able to deal with the opposition on the spot, but at the very least, we should be able to learn who the thorns in our side are.”

She had a point.

Grace had not summoned him without reason after all.

***

For the first time in quite a while, the social circles of the Frozen Kingdom began buzzing with excitement.

Duke Kreutz, a man ordinarily seen only at royal banquets like some precious masterpiece displayed in a gallery, was going to hold the monster training center’s completion ceremony publicly.

It was not a banquet, of course, but since nobles from across the kingdom were being invited, the scale would likely rival that of a royal banquet.

“What should I wear? I hear the north is terribly cold.”

“I’ve always wanted to wear fur, but it’s been too warm for it. I think I’ll have several outfits made for the occasion.”

The nobles’ reactions were generally favorable.

For one thing, the very fact that Duke Kreutz himself was inviting them was exciting enough.

“It isn’t even a banquet. It’s only a completion ceremony, and for a monster training center at that. I’m not expecting anything. I’m only going so I can see the Duke’s face.”

The nobles nodded fervently in agreement.

But what truly caused anticipation for the event to explode was a remark from a certain viscountess, who lazily fluttered her fan.

“And those marriage proposals everyone sent recently. Not a single family received a reply, did they?”

“...That’s right?”

“I haven’t heard of anyone receiving one either.”

“Then this event is going to become a bloody battlefield. If no family received an answer, that means House Kreutz still hasn’t chosen a husband.”

“......!”

“!”

The eyes of the ladies with sons narrowed dangerously.