Cyril returned to the student council room with a troubled look on his face, and Elliot welcomed Cyril and Monica with a sly grin. It seemed he had heard everything, causing Monica to hold her head while Cyril cleared his throat beside her.
"…I'm sorry for losing my composure."
"It's nothing new to see you losing your composure."
At Elliot's mocking words, Cyril made an unhappy face but swallowed his retort.
In the awkward atmosphere, while Monica fidgeted with her fingers, Neil, who had disappeared from the room at some point, suddenly reappeared. Apparently, he had gone to the staff room alone to assess the situation.
With Neil's return, the six current student council members and Claudia took their seats again. It was time to reset the situation. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
"First, about this incident… The teachers don't seem to grasp the situation very well either. On top of that, we were told ‘to avoid unnecessary confusion, do not mention that the president was taken away.' Also, there will be a temporary school closure for three days after the break. They're probably going to investigate the academy."
"That makes sense," Elliot muttered.
"Regarding the handover to the new student council officers and the graduation ceremony, you should proceed as if the current student council president is absent. He's unlikely to return to the academy."
At Elliot's words, everyone's faces darkened.
It was an undeniable fact that the Second Prince was an imposter.
Execution was inevitable, no matter what.
"…May I ask one thing?"
Cyril spoke in a grave voice, looking at Elliot.
"If Secretary Howard's words are correct, the real prince died ten years ago and was replaced. However, the soldiers from the capital said that the imposter's true identity is the ‘Imperial Magician' who infiltrated during the chess tournament, and the replacement happened recently… This is a contradiction."
It was understandable for Cyril to be confused. Unlike Elliot or Bridget, who had already known about the replacement, or Claudia, who had suspected it, Cyril had just learned everything.
However, Claudia, his younger stepsister, coldly told the perplexed Cyril,
"…Don't you get it yet? If you consider who's been pulling the strings behind this replacement, the answer becomes clear immediately."
Next to the scowling Cyril, Neil clapped his hands and said, "Ah, I see."
"The replacement ten years ago was orchestrated by Duke Crockford, right? So the Duke knows everything. If for some reason the Duke decides to abandon the president… Pinning it on the Empire would be convenient in various ways."
"…As expected of you, Neil."
Claudia gave Neil a rare, gentle smile, an expression rather out of place in this grave situation, but Claudia was unlikely to care about such things.
"…Duke Crockford is a war hawk. To put it bluntly, he wants war with the Empire… The ‘Imperial agent killed and replaced the Second Prince' would be a perfect pretext for war."
"But in exchange, the Duke would lose a major piece which is the Second Prince," Cyril argued.
Claudia's gentle smile vanished, replaced by her usual expressionless demeanor. "…That's what the Third Prince is for. I'll bet on it. Soon, Duke Crockford will announce the enthronement of the Third Prince."
What Claudia said largely aligned with Monica's deductions.
Monica was deeply worried.
At this rate, Ike's existence will become the reason for the war…
According to the Duke's scenario, the real Second Prince was killed by an Imperial Magician. If the citizens accepted this as the truth… it would be more than enough reason for war.
However, in the current situation, there was nothing Monica and the others could do. Everyone present felt the same way.
An awkward silence filled the room until Neil raised his hand uneasily and said, "Um…"
"I was just thinking… Isn't it possible that during the interrogation, the president might reveal the whole truth? Like, that the Imperial Magician was uninvolved."
Certainly, if Isaac confessed everything during the interrogation, he could accuse Duke Crockford's involvement, regardless of whether he would be believed.
However, in response to Neil's point, Elliot firmly asserted, "That won't happen."
"For that servant, the most important thing is ‘the honor of the real Prince Felix.' If he reveals everything here, he can't preserve the prince's honor. In that case, he would choose to die as the criminal who killed the heroic prince."
The discussion in the student council room ultimately ended up merely confirming the current situation.
No one mentioned what to do from here——everyone understood.
Regardless of the reason, what Isaac Walker did was unforgivable.
And no one could shield Duke Crockford…
As Monica walked back to the dorms, taking a detour alone, she pondered.
At this rate, Duke Crockford would propose war under the pretext that "an Imperial agent killed the Second Prince."
If the Second Prince, who had been hailed as a hero until now, was said to have been killed, the outrage of the citizens would be immeasurable. Those supporting the war hawks would explosively increase.
I have to prevent that, no matter what…
"Quite a dire situation, indeed."
At the calm voice from ahead, Monica looked up to see a black-haired girl in the academy uniform. With an intellectual face and slightly thick eyebrows… it was the Imperial spy, Heidi.
"I've gathered as much information as I could on my end as well. There's a record of the fake prince and the Jewelled Magician Emmanuel Darwin dining together not long ago. Most likely, the fake prince and the Jewelled Mage were conspiring to rebel against Duke Crockford. However, the Jewelled Mage Emmanuel Darwin failed and was killed."
And Duke Crockford used his death.
Heidi calmly informed the stony-faced Monica:
"At this rate, the Ridill Kingdom and my Empire will go to war. If that happens, you…"
That's right. Monica had made a promise to the Black Lion Emperor.
If the Empire and the Ridill Kingdom went to war, Monica would end the war by her own hand.
…By offering the head of a Ridill royal to the Emperor.
"Please, wait. Just a little more… a little more time…"
"The limit is the fake prince's execution. Once the accomplice who knows everything is dead, the truth will forever remain shrouded in darkness."
As long as Isaac doesn't reveal the truth, no one can stop Duke Crockford.
At this rate, war is inevitable.
I have to do something…
But she couldn't think of any solution.
Even with some authority as one of the Seven Sages, it would be difficult for Monica alone to turn this situation around.
As Monica fell silent, Heidi handed her a small folded paper.
"And here are the investigation results you requested."
Opening the paper, it contained the name of a "certain person" and a location.
As Monica was secretly surprised by the location, Heidi frowned her thick eyebrows.
"While contacting that person may not improve the situation…"
"Or it may turn out to be a waste of time."
This "certain person" was unlikely to have information capable of turning the situation around.
And yet, Monica desperately wanted to know about Ike. And the real Prince Felix.
The person named in Heidi's memo was one of the few who knew about Aik… and the real Prince Felix.
Still, she didn't expect that person would be there…
Connections between people sometimes take unexpected turns.
The "certain person" Monica was seeking was taking refuge at Richardwood Monastery in the northern part of the Ridill Kingdom.
The same monastery where Casey Groove, the girl who had once plotted to assassinate the Second Prince, had been sent.