The Plan.
Echidna knows more about this world than I do. She understands how magic works, and I need to learn from her if I want to get stronger. Unfortunately, we need to leave tomorrow, so I'll have to put that on hold.
I sit in my office, reading Erick's report.
Hours pass, but I keep reading, organizing my notes and the official reports. The situation is complicated, but there's definitely a way we can escape.
There are notes of transactions made between Harald and Bordeaux. The problem is to get them, we need to infiltrate the castle and retrieve them. Bordeaux probably has them too, but that's certainly more complex—they must be well-guarded at his estate.
Erick suggests the infiltration method, but no one in my group is skilled in that area. Although maybe Echidna could use teleportation magic.
I scratch my head, wondering if it's a good idea to send her into the lion's den. More than her safety, I'd like to keep her existence a secret. I don't want anyone to know that one of the witches of the past is roaming freely for now.
Especially someone who likes Echidna.
'Anyway, there's a better way, something that will give credit to someone else.'
The tax funds were embezzled for research, but without his ledger, I can't prove it. Erick came to the same conclusion, so there's no truthful way to get it without a fight.
Every city is required to have a ledger, no matter how small it is—it's important and mandatory by law. If Harald did this, he must have two ledgers, one for presenting his accounts to Lugunica and another for showing the kingdom.
Current audits aren't perfect, and the tax systems aren't flawless either, which makes it pretty easy to pull something like this off.
'If they did it in my world, where it was harder to hide your actions, what's stopping them from doing it here?'
On top of that, to avoid suspicion, we'd need to make an exact copy. That's not a viable option unless he's carrying his real ledger with him all the time, while keeping the fake one hidden somewhere no one expects.
'Bordeaux's house.'
No matter how much I think about it, that's the only option I can see.
The information I have on the real Bordeaux is complicated since Erick's investigations weren't very thorough. But there is one thing: Harald tends to visit Bordeaux's mansion in secret.
'In that case, Harald is nothing but Bordeaux's puppet, or that's what Harald wants him to believe.'
I'll have to play my best cards to act the way I need to, but for that, I have to act.
We have liquid miasma from the corpses.
I'm sure Bordeaux and Harald have seen it before. Now, both of them are powerful, so it'll be hard to frame them without raising suspicions. I can't just prove their guilt—it could spark an internal war, and then all trade, and the people would suffer.
I grab my head, thinking about what I should do.
It's no use, I can't solve this on my own.
Echidna doesn't know much about the current situation yet, but there's someone who's more than prepared for this, someone who has studied it their entire life.
After calling her, she arrives, and I hand her the documents with my draft of the plan.
"If this were in my family's hands, this would've been simple." Crusch looks at me, setting the papers on the table as she takes a sip of tea. "I figured out what they were going to do the moment I saw the situation. The problem is how to fix it. We can prove their guilt, but I'm sure the council won't allow it, even if they're guilty."
"And what if we get the Karsten duchy on our side?"
Crusch looks at me, but the usual resolve in her eyes isn't there. There's fear, as if taking this step would lead to something terrible. Seeing her expression, only one person comes to mind—the person who replaced her.
"Frey Karsten won't help us more than necessary," I admit, and she turns away. "Sorry for bringing it up."
Crusch and I already know—his appearance was too calculated. He doesn't seem worried that we suspect him or that we might act against him. We don't have any proof, but we have every right to be suspicious.
To us, the mere fact of his existence is evidence enough.
"This is different from your world, Marco. I know you're aware of it, but I need to remind you that this world doesn't have laws as deep as yours." Crusch holds the papers, looking at them with her lip slightly bitten. "The evidence we have can be dismissed by the council, and you need to remember that we can't use magic or divine blessings."
"Laws don't matter if people are corrupt, no matter what world you're in."
We only have Miklotov and Tristan as allies. The enemy can definitely buy the rest. We can't buy them ourselves because Roswaal left us without his money, and ours isn't enough right now due to the preparations for the new projects and the upcoming winter.
'Besides, buying them wouldn't help us root out the corruption.'
Only one thing comes to mind.
"What if we put Roswaal's lands on the table?" I ask, and she considers it, leaning back on the sofa.
Giving up our lands doesn't guarantee their support, but at least we could use them as leverage. We could make it seem like we're being extorted because of the situation.
"The marquis disappears, and the wise want the lands to perpetuate their power." I look at her, but she doesn't seem entirely convinced.
I'm not good at these strategies, especially when it comes to politics.
I can deliver results when I focus on something specific. Politics and these legal games are things I can only guess logically or from what I've seen. But I know it runs deeper than I've researched.
That's why I'm glad to have her here.
"Counselor Crusch, you seem to be thinking hard. Have you come up with something?" I use a mocking tone, but she fixes her gaze on mine.
"Marco, how about we play that card right away?" Crusch's gaze is annoyed since she knows we were supposed to save that move.
"Reinhard Van Astrea, he's the one who can help us because he can see through people's intentions with his divine blessing." Crusch's hands clench tightly as she forces out the words. "Even though it's illegal to use divine blessings during the judgment, we can't underestimate the enemy using better cards."
"Certainly, with you and Reinhard, we'd have a clear advantage in terms of information. As for using him, well, I've already sent the letter to Miklotov. He'll handle that."
Revealing that Felt is a survivor of the royal bloodline will give them more opportunities during the selection. That's why it was necessary for Miklotov to send the letter. The problem is, I didn't want to use it for that.
I wanted to use that information to gain something else.
"Yes, it's the best option. Although I can delay it with rhetoric, their political power far surpasses ours," Crusch said with disdain, looking away. "Unfortunately, the world was more corrupt than I thought."
A long sigh escaped her lips, filled with regret.
"If I had realized earlier, I would have wiped them all out, even if they were the ones who raised me back then."
"That's how life goes. I've been on both sides myself." I looked away, trying not to meet her eyes.
Memories flooded my mind—images of the people I've killed, the lives I've taken.
They haunt me like ghosts of my own regret.
"The issue lies with the corpses too." I sighed, attempting to focus on what mattered.
The best source of information seemed impossible to analyze. The advance teams kept investigating the bodies but hadn't found a single crystal. Even though they died before consuming them, the crystals seemed to have mutated the bodies, turning them into that disgusting violet mass.
That was our biggest clue.
Finding one lying on the ground, but with so many people and miasma spread around, I couldn't risk my soldiers. We had to rotate shifts and use mages experienced in yang magic—who were already scarce.
Even Petra is helping to purify the soldiers who are affected during the cleanup, which makes my blood boil, needing children to do this.
On top of that, because of the sheer number of corpses, we've had to fight off the mabeasts that come from the forest. It's been really tough—we're forced to hand over the miasma-ridden corpses to the forest so the mabeasts can consume them. This has strengthened them, making them mutate rapidly.
'At this rate, we could see an ecological collapse, making them stronger than our crystals that repel them.'
That would be a disaster.
Crusch opened her eyes, staring at me intensely.
"There's a way to turn the tide, but it involves leaving many things behind." Crusch looked at me with a bit of disappointment, hesitant about the idea. "We'll have to offer land and support to allied nobles, aiming to build a safe political network by offering absurd contracts. We won't bribe the judges but rather gather political allies who can provide us with reliable information and security that will be useful in court."
Crusch took a sip of tea, gazing at the ceiling while the steam rose from her cup.
The air was getting colder; soon winter would arrive, or as they called it here, 'Blue Sun.'
"Entering Bordeaux's mansion wouldn't be impossible, but we'd need direct intel from inside." Crusch touched her lips for a moment. "Frey could handle it, or even Anastasia—she has one of the best information networks out there."
The plan could work, but even so, without the ledger, we couldn't really prove anything… unless…
"Crusch, do you think it's possible?" I leaned in, whispering in her ear.
We discussed the plan for a while, so long that we realized night had already fallen. The people we needed for this plan had already been contacted, and by tomorrow they'd be ready to depart. We parted ways once we reached the center of Irlam.
I arrived at the plaza, where the streetlamps were beginning to light up. The atmosphere felt like home—except here, different races mingled, each with their own lives.
Who would've thought it would end up like this? Honestly, I didn't even see it coming.
'In the end, I hope Earth is in good shape, and that my invention served some purpose.'
The sound of metal clanging caught my attention.
It was a street vendor with a small stall. People gathered around, and the man continued selling while promoting himself.
"Try these delicious potatoes, straight from Kararagi!" the man shouted, banging on his stall again.
I walked over, curious, but there were so many people that it would've been uncomfortable to squeeze through. It was a simple stall: a wooden cart with a metal pot; a lagmite of fire burned brightly beneath steel plates, heating the pot where he fried the potatoes.
I watched as the man served everyone with the speed of a seasoned worker.
Once the crowd thinned out, I approached.
"Would you like some potatoes?" he asked, looking at me through my hood, unable to recognize me. "They're delicious!"
My eyes widened in surprise when I saw they were fried in butter.
'It can't be…'
I stared in disbelief, as I hadn't seen potatoes like this in this world. The local potatoes were big, but not practical for frying; they were more like sweet potatoes.
These, however, were smaller, round, and yellow, just like I remembered.
'Creole potato, what a treat…'
"How much?" I asked, handing him a holy coin.
The man, surprised, hurriedly checked his purse.
I stopped him, tears welling up in my eyes, as he was giving me more than a simple holy coin was worth. He was a human, about five feet tall—a rather small man.
Yet his appearance was impeccable.
He wasn't wearing a black suit like the current fashion, but a black kimono, blending in with the city's mourning. His face had an Asian look, and his purple hair reminded me of Anastasia.
"Keep the change," I said, feeling the chilly wind brush the back of my neck as I removed my hood.
"You…!"
With a nod, he served me with a smile. I inhaled the delicious aroma of the potatoes, savoring every second of the moment.
"Sir, please, if you're interested, send a letter to Minister Pearl at the Ministry." I pulled out a seal from my pocket, writing an approval with my name on a piece of paper. "With this, they'll grant you support to take this business further. If you know any suppliers, we can be a much more affordable intermediary, and you could set up a physical shop."
He looked at me, his joy overflowing, staring at the letter for a second. His excitement was tangible, his eyes softened quickly, and his hands trembled with emotion.
"Mr. Mayor, I…," he started, tearing up as he stared at me. "I couldn't bring my family when I had the chance. The blockade caused my business to struggle, my contacts closed shop due to the war's outcome, and I haven't been able to restock. This is my last sack of potatoes."
I clenched my teeth, holding back my internal frustration.
My decision had indeed been rushed; I should have been a better leader and considered the larger impact on small businesses.
"I'm from Kararagi, but I traveled here hoping for a fresh start." The man bowed deeply, like a Japanese person, firm and full of emotion.
It had been a while since I had seen him. His accent was also quite noticeable, somewhat similar to someone from Kansai, at least a little.
"I apologize." I bowed in the same way, surprising him as he tried to stop me. "As mayor, I should have been more mindful of my people's situation. It is my duty to be there for you all, and I've failed you. That's why I'm apologizing."
He raised his hands, holding my shoulders to stop me.
"No, you don't have to apologize. You did it to protect the people of Irlam. I saw the soldiers standing guard late into the night, and I even saw you watching over us from above as you patrolled Irlam." He smiled, taking my hands in his. "I have so much to thank you for, and even though I wasn't born here, this is where I'll belong once my family arrives."
I opened my eyes, feeling my heart race. An intense sense of determination, even greater than before, surged through me. The fear inside me had vanished, leaving only the strength of his words.
Just as he said: I have the support of Irlam and the pride of my people.
"Don't worry, Irlam is only moving forward." I smiled at him, and he smiled back. "If you talk to Minister Pearl, she'll help you bring your family here. Just mention that I asked for the favor. What's your name?"
"Takeshi, sir."
"Well, Mr. Takeshi, I'm going to enjoy these potatoes before they get cold." I tried to leave, but he stopped me.
He pulled out a jar, shaking some red powder over the potatoes. The smell hit me instantly, and a wave of joy washed over me.
'Paprika.' Tears welled up, and all I could do was smile.
"This is a common ingredient in Azamiki, my hometown. It's not very popular in the rest of Kararagi, but it's the pride of my land." I nodded, leaving him as I sat down on a bench.
I sighed, watching my breath disappear into the wind.
I smiled, looking at the golden skin left from frying the potatoes. My mouth watered, and my stomach growled with anticipation. I quickly grabbed a slice and popped it into my mouth.
'I never thought that eating potatoes would make me want to cry one day.' I can still remember when my parents made this same recipe, just some sausages with a glass of milk with Milo, or a soda. 'It's funny how pleasures change over time.'
The warmth comforted me, and as I chewed, the potato crunched and crumbled in my mouth. The flavor of the paprika blended with the delicious taste of butter. I closed my eyes, holding back the urge to scream.
Before I knew it, cold, delicate hands covered my eyes.
"Guess wh..." I grabbed a slice and aimed it right at Emilia's mouth. Even without seeing her, I was completely sure I wouldn't miss.
She took the slice, letting go of my eyes, and smiled as she looked at the potatoes in my hands. But I pointed toward Takeshi's stand.
"I'll be right back!" Emilia exclaimed; her excitement surprising him as she chatted with him for a few minutes.
When she returned, she sat down next to me and held out a slice, pointing it toward me.
"Here, it's fresh." I smiled after chewing, and we both began to eat.
"Did you know the seasoning is made from Grozznear hoof?" Emilia looked at me with a smile, and I just stared back, not having a clue about what she was saying. Seeing my expression, she burst into laughter. "Haha, it's a wild boar—or that's what they'd call it in your world. Here, that boar has a spiked tail."
The one I saw, the boar I have to make the mascot of Irlam, didn't have those features.
That made me realize something: I still don't know the names of the animal species here, nor the names of all the flowers and foods.
'There are so many things I should have learned, things from my old world that are here too.'
The way they change the names makes it a bit complicated to adapt.
There's even a variation of coffee, but for me, it's not the same, so I just ignore it. "Coff" is a yellow bean they grind to make a brew similar to coffee, but the taste isn't quite right, and it doesn't give you energy like coffee does.
A lot of people like it, but I'm not convinced.
'Only Emilia understands me.' I looked at her proudly, hoping that one day I'd find a good coffee alternative. I was sure I could find it in Vollachia, but I didn't know much about that kingdom.
'Now that I think about it, Otto said his brother dealt with them quite a bit. Maybe there's a version of "Coff" that's more like coffee.'
"Is Grozznear common?" I asked. Emilia tilted her head at my question, looking up at the sky.
"It's a common species in Kararagi. Takeshi said their hooves, along with a little peppir and dried kurenai, make the mix." She raised her finger. "Oh! Kurenai is the name of the red flower in the mansion's garden."
I see. For some reason, they had to use such strange processes to develop that identical taste. The kurenai could easily just be for coloring, while the pepper and hoof give it the flavor.
In my world, paprika is just dried and ground red pepper. It's also made with chili, but never with hooves.
"It tastes good, that's what matters." Honestly, it didn't gross me out; I've eaten worse things.
We kept eating until there was nothing left. I looked up at the sky, admiring the beautiful firmament I saw on my first day here. Multiple constellations, including the Puck constellation, appeared.
I'd say I could see the Milky Way, but sadly, I couldn't.
I might not even be in my old galaxy, but away from the place where I was born, I now have a place where I belong.
This is my sky now; this is the air I breathe.
Since it's mine, it's my duty to protect it and explore it. 'Before, I didn't appreciate the beauty of this world, but that's going to change.'
"Do you think we'll have some peace after the trial?" The words slipped from my mouth, and before I knew it, a lump formed in my throat. It's been so long, problem after problem. "I just want to rest, to take a few days off and enjoy this world."
Maybe travel and explore a little of this world's culture. 'Though for that, I need to be with my daughter.'
I knew so little that I felt trapped.
Now that I finally belong, I have this burning desire to know more.
What I used to reject, what I couldn't see or study.
'I want to see what this world has to offer.'
Emilia sighed, intertwining her hand with mine. When I looked at her, she was still gazing up at the sky, her cheeks, and ears flushed. Her silver hair waved gently in the night breeze.
Her blue-purple eyes were fixed on the sky, reflecting the firmament that enveloped us.
'How sweet...' Seeing her take the initiative warmed my soul.
Even though we're more than friends, I still haven't given her a formal answer. Honestly, there's not much for me to think about. I just wanted to wait so I wouldn't say it at that moment, but I already know what feelings are stirring inside me.
This moment we're sharing under the starry sky is one I'll cherish. When all of this is over, when peace returns, I'll know what words to say to Emilia.
"I don't know, maybe we'll get a day off, or a week." Emilia swings her feet, kicking the air with joy. "Betty... we need to save her. The situation with Roswaal isn't getting any better, and soon, we'll have to fight even harder for the throne."
There's still a long way to go before I can rest the way I feel I want to. There's still so much to do.
"But… don't you think you're waiting too much to want some peace?" Emilia asks me with a smile, while I watch her admire the plaza. She holds my hands firmly, gently caressing my fingers. "Aren't you at peace right now?"
Her words pierce through me like a dagger, but instead of hurting, something changes. My heart is beating slowly, calm, but deep. My hands feel steady and warm.
Without even realizing it, I was already relaxed.
'Sure enough, I'm resting now.'
Emilia rests her head on my shoulder. Her smile is full, and at this moment, her words are exactly the balm I need.
"For me, this is more than enough."
"I felt sad seeing the people's situation, seeing the problems they face." I hold her hands a little tighter, then rest my head against hers. The scent of flowers surrounds me, and a smile creeps up on my face. "But you're right, as long as we're all together, it'll be okay."
"Yeah..."
We stay like this for a few minutes, not saying a word to each other. Just as I feel her support, her hand holding mine, her breath calming me, I hope she feels the same.
And, before I know it, we've both fallen asleep.