535 Assassin, the Older Brother, and Younger Brother.

The night breeze carried the clouds as the moonlight gently seeped through.

In the Orfan Dragon Kingdom, there are two palaces: the Ryuuhouden, the palace of the Ryuu clan, and the Houshinden, the palace of the Ootori clan.

Due to the origin of the Dragon Emperor of that era, the palaces take turns managing the affairs of state.

One of these, the Houshinden, with its red and luxurious construction, saw a shadow descend upon it.

The shadow leapt over the wall, landing silently in the courtyard, and then moved stealthily into the palace.

Using a special tool from the outside, the window lock was quickly undone, and the intruder slipped inside. The movement was as graceful as that of a cat.

This was, after all, the palace where the current Houtei resided. The security was tight, and patrols were conducted regularly.

Nevertheless, the shadow moved through the gaps in the security unnoticed, advancing deeper into the palace.

The intruder appeared to know the patrol routes of the guards, effortlessly reaching the door of the target room.

Once again, the shadow inserted a special tool into the keyhole and unlocked it in a matter of seconds.

The shadow carefully entered the room without making a sound. The moderately sized room contained a desk, a chair, a closet, an empty bookshelf, and a semi-double bed.

Without hesitation, the shadow crept toward the bed, where the face of a young man sleeping was revealed.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the sleeping face of the former Ryuutei, Tatsuma.

The shadow silently drew a short blade from within their cloak, moving closer to the bed.

“Whoops, that’s far enough, y'know.”

However, a white blade was suddenly pressed against the intruder’s neck.

The surprised shadow slowly turned around, only to find a silver sword floating in midair, its blade pointed directly at their neck.

“If you make any suspicious moves, I’ll cut you down, y’know. Don’t want to turn this room into a sea of blood, so stay quiet.”

The silver 'Crown,' Infinite Silver, spoke. The shadow dropped the short blade, still sheathed in their hand, onto the floor.

The sound of the falling blade woke Tatsuma, who stared at the intruder in surprise.

“...I guess his prediction turned out to be right after all.”

“As expected of our young master. He saw it coming. You were right to leave me here, weren’t you? Master.”

A sigh escaped Tatsuma, and a chuckling voice from Silver responded. Since that was true, Tatsuma couldn’t say anything.

“Anyway, I need to get someone here…”

Just as Tatsuma was about to rise from the bed, the shadow picked up the dropped blade and swiftly unsheathed it. The shadow lunged at Tatsuma, but before they could act, Silver’s white blade flashed in an instant, and the shadow fell to the floor.

“…Did you kill them?”

“Nah. They’re just knocked out with a stun mode. If you’re going to get someone, do it quickly. Before they wake up.”

“Got it.”

Since Silver couldn’t go, Tatsuma threw on his coat and left the room.

Silver looked down at the shadow in black ninja-like attire, who wore a matching black mask.

He carefully used the blade tip to pull down the mask covering the intruder’s face. The person’s real face was now exposed to the moonlight.

“Huh, who’s this…? Did young master predict this far?”

Under the moonlight, Silver sighed in a way that wasn’t typical for a Golem.

◇ ◇ ◇

Just as I was about to go to bed, I received an email from the Houtei, and I was surprised that it had turned out exactly as Kuon had said.

I had thought it might be possible, but it seemed the son was right after all. It was a bit of a letdown.

“What’s with that weird face of yours?”

Leen, who had been helping with organizing the documents, added to my frustration. No, that weird face is yours, isn’t it?

“Well... It’s tough when you have such a good son. The father ends up looking useless.”

“What are you talking about? Sons are meant to surpass their fathers, right? Be happy about that.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

As the next Duke of Brunhilde, he’s certainly reliable. I might retire to Babylon sooner than expected.

But that’s a different story.

Tatsuma was targeted. It turns out the daytime attack wasn’t aimed at Ryuzan but at Tatsuma.

Surprisingly, there was a second attack on the same day after the first failed attempt.

I guess the reason they acted so recklessly was that we didn’t expect it.

As Kuon said, I’m glad I left Silver behind as a guard. And I had sent Kogyouku to guard Ryuzen.

Anyway, according to the email from Houtei, it seems like things have gotten a little complicated. They’ve asked me to come immediately if possible.

Either way, I have to pick up Silver and the others. Even though it’s late at night, it seems there’s an urgent reason for this.

When I opened the [Gate] to the Dragon Kingdom, there was a knock on the office door.

When Leen opened the door, Kuon, dressed for going out, and Yumina, still in her nightwear, were standing there.

“Father, if you’re going to Orfan, please take me with you.”

“Huh? How did you know?”

I guess Kuon must have received an email from Houtei as well. We didn’t seem to exchange addresses, though.

“Silver withdrew his sword from the sheath, and I could sense it. Something happened, didn’t it?”

So that’s how it is. Silver is technically a 'Crown' too. His link with his contractor master is always active. It seems they share a kind of sensory connection.

“It’s late, and as a mother, I don’t want you to go out... but if Touya-san is with you, I’ll allow it, though reluctantly.”

Yumina spoke with obvious reluctance. It’s normal for parents to say 'don’t go out at night,' but considering that Brunhilde, up to this point, had been traveling alone, it seems a bit late to start worrying about it.

Anyway, since this is Kuon’s accomplishment, I don’t have any objections to taking him along.

Who knows, he might help me with something I didn’t notice. As a father, it’s not the most glamorous thing to admit, though.

Well, there’s no point in trying to look good in front of family.

I left things to Yumina and the others and, with Kuon, teleported to the Houtei’s palace, Houshinden, via the [Gate].

We were immediately greeted by some civil servants who led us to a certain room.

Inside, Houtei, Tatsuma, Ryuzen, some guards, and a bloodless woman lying in a bed were present. She appeared unconscious, breathing heavily, with sweat beading on her forehead.

Huh? I’ve seen this person before…

“This person is…?”

“Her name is Tatsuno. She was a servant of Tatsuya-sama and is the perpetrator of this incident.”

Ryuzan-san answered my question. Ah, right. She’s the sharp-eyed woman who was with someone named Tatsuya—said to be Tatsuma-san’s younger brother—right in front of this palace.

So, she’s the one who targeted Tatsuma-san? Then that means, as expected, that the younger brother was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

This woman, called Tatsuno, isn’t part of the Ryuu clan. Apparently, she’s someone Tatsuya picked up from somewhere. It seems even Ryuzan-san didn’t expect her to be an assassin.

“Her condition doesn’t look good. Did she get injured during the capture?”

“Sorry, young master. It was my mistake.”

When Kuon asked that, Silver—still sheathed and propped up beside the desk—floated gently over toward us.

Apparently, she woke up before Tatsuma-san returned with reinforcements and tried to stab herself with a hidden, poisoned needle.

Silver noticed quickly and knocked the needle away, but unfortunately, it grazed her finger in the process.

Even though it was a small amount, the poison put her into a coma, and it was said that she wouldn’t make it until morning in this state. That explains why they called me.

“【Recovery】”

I removed the poison from Tatsuno’s body. It would be troublesome if a witness to the crime died.

Almost immediately, her complexion improved as she lay on the bed, and her breathing became more relaxed. Looks like the poison has been neutralized.

“Do you think Tatsuma-san was really the target of the assassination?”

“I believe so. Most likely, behind it all…”

“We’ve dispatched soldiers to bring in Tatsuya-sama. It’s just for questioning, of course. But we’ve ordered them to detain him if he resists.”

Emperor Houtei hesitated, and Ryuzan-san picked up the conversation.

Well, that’s only natural. If he has nothing to hide, he should come quietly. But if he resists…

“…Was it really Tatsuya who gave the order?”

Tatsuma-san, who had been silently watching over the unconscious Tatsuno in the bed, murmured this.

Perhaps unable to stay silent any longer, Emperor Houtei spoke up.

“Fifteen years is enough time to change a person. Age-wise, Tatsuma-sama is actually the younger one, you know? Since your passing, Tatsuya-sama has been doing everything he can to elevate his status. Now, he’s even considered one of the candidates for the next Ryuu Emperor. But I’ve heard some unsavory rumors behind the scenes.”

“You can’t win a succession struggle on ideals alone. Houka, you should know that.”

“That’s… true, but…”

In this country, where the Ryuu and Hou clans take turns occupying the throne, the opponent in an imperial succession battle ends up being someone from the same clan.

It’s the same everywhere. When there are multiple heirs, conflicts like this are inevitable.

You often hear that age-old dilemma: the foolish eldest son versus the brilliant second son—who should inherit the throne?

Stick with tradition and pass it to the eldest, or choose the dependable second son for the sake of the nation?

Me? If the eldest is really incompetent, I’d let the second son take it. There’s no point handing the throne to an idiot just because he’s the firstborn if it’ll ruin the country.

If the eldest is just average—not a fool—then it could work if the brilliant second son supports him. As long as he’s not a total fool, that’s fine.

I’ve even discussed this kind of thing with my wife. If our firstborn isn’t fit to rule, we’d strip him of his succession rights without hesitation.

And if someone else is truly more capable, I see no reason to cling to my bloodline.

The throne basically fell into my lap by luck. If my son turns out to be a complete idiot, I’d rather hand the crown to someone else who’s actually capable—for the people’s sake.

Well, fortunately, I don’t have that problem right now.

I glanced over at my son Kuon standing beside me. Well, being too brilliant is also a bit of a double-edged sword.

As I was thinking about these useless musings, angry shouts of “Wait!” and “Stop!” along with the sound of running footsteps echoed from the corridor.

“Tatsuno! Is Tatsuno safe!?”

The one who burst into the room was Tatsuya—Tatsuma-san’s younger brother, whom I had met earlier in the evening.

He immediately got pinned down by the imperial guards in the room.

“You’re being noisy, Tatsuya-dono.”

“Your Majesty! Is it true that Tatsuno was poisoned by a needle!?”

“It is true. She tried to take her own life with it. But thanks to His Highness Prince Brunhild, the poison has already been neutralized.”

Upon hearing Emperor Houtei’s words, Tatsuya slumped down to the floor in relief. In contrast, the Emperor’s gaze was ice cold as he looked at him.

He had almost lost someone important to him. If this man is the culprit, then it’s no surprise that the Emperor would look at him like that.

“Tatsuya.”

Startled by Tatsuma-san’s voice, Tatsuya hung his head.

Pressed down to the floor by guards gripping his arms and shoulders, Tatsuya knelt as Tatsuma-san slowly approached.

“This woman tried to kill me. Earlier today, I was also attacked by a suicide golem. ───Was it you who gave the order?”

Someone gulped. I don’t know who. After a moment of silence, Tatsuya raised his face and said:

“…That’s right. I ordered Tatsuno to do it.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically. At the same time, I could feel Emperor Houtei’s anger growing stronger.

Tatsuma-san stepped forward, as if to shield his brother from the Emperor’s gaze.

“Why?”

“…Because I was afraid. As long as you lived, I knew my position could be taken away someday. So, I thought, why not… I gave the order. Tatsuno just followed it—”

“That’s a lie.”

Tatsuya’s confession was immediately dismissed by Kuon, who was standing beside me. I looked at him and saw that his right eye was glowing platinum. That… is that the same “Eye of Truth” as Yumina’s?

“It’s not a lie! I gave the order! I told her to kill my brother!”

“No. You're not the kind of person who would give such an order. This crime most likely was her—”

“You’re wrong! It was all me! My fault that my brother was targeted! My fault he died! Tatsuno is not to blame! I’m the one—!”

“…What’s going on here?”

Perhaps because he sensed something strange in Tatsuya's desperate insistence, Tatsuma-san turned his gaze toward Kuon.

"I don't know the full details, but I believe this person is trying to protect that woman over there. Most likely, this crime was committed by her alone. Probably even the explosion golem incident earlier today was the same."

"No, Aniue! It was all by my orders! I will take full responsibility for everything! I don’t care if I’m sentenced to death! So please, just spare Tatsuno’s life...!"*(*Aniue = respectful old-fashioned way to say "older brother")

Tatsuya bowed his head at Tatsuma-san’s feet, as if clinging to him. His desperate posture left Tatsuma-san and everyone else visibly confused.

Even Your Majesty Houka, who had shown such intense anger earlier, now seemed more puzzled than angry.

In place of the others, I asked the question that had been bothering me.

"...Earlier, you said it was your fault that Tatsuma-san died, didn't you? But wasn’t his death an accident?"

"...No. On the day the altar collapsed, I tampered with it. I thought I’d scare Houka a little."

"Me?"

Surprised to hear her name come up suddenly, Your Majesty Houka looked even more bewildered.

"It was supposed to collapse just before Houka stepped onto the altar. But it didn’t. I thought I had failed, but then, unthinkably, it collapsed during the ceremony. Aniue died protecting Houka... If I hadn’t done something so foolish, Aniue wouldn’t have died!"

Tatsuya confessed with tears in his eyes. Everyone held their breath, listening. It was hard to accept that the death of the wise emperor had been caused by the prank of his younger brother.

Tatsuma-san looked down at Tatsuya and finally opened his mouth.

"Why would you do something like that..."

"I... I was jealous of Houka... She was always with Aniue, learning things I could never be taught, laughing and enjoying herself..."

"That's because... as the next Houtei, Houka had many things that I, as the Ryūtei, had to teach her directly..."

"I know that. But back then, Aniue's attention was always on Houka. I began to feel like I was unnecessary... That’s why I wanted to bother Houka, just a little..."

So, it was childhood jealousy. At the time, Tatsuya was eleven or twelve… It’s not surprising he would feel that way. Perhaps the young Your Majesty Houka seemed like someone stealing away the older brother he admired so much.

"Did Tatsuno know about this?"

"No, she shouldn’t have. But after she found out Aniue had come back to life, she kept asking why I was acting strange. I think she figured Aniue would become an obstacle to me becoming the next Ryūtei..."

According to Tatsuya, Tatsuno had originally been a member of the dark guild. When the organization she belonged to was destroyed, she was on the brink of death. Tatsuya reached out to her and took her in as an attendant. Perhaps she was trying to repay that debt…

"…In the end, it was my foolish thoughts that caused Tatsuya-sama so much pain…"

"Tatsuno!"

Before anyone noticed, Tatsuno had regained consciousness and slowly sat up. The guards stepped in between her and Tatsuma-san and Your Majesty Houka. That was to be expected—after all, she was the one who tried to assassinate Tatsuma-san.

"You heard everything...?"

"My mind had awoken, but my body wouldn’t move..."

With something like handcuffs attached to her wrists, Tatsuno stepped down from the bed and deeply bowed toward Your Majesty Houtei and Tatsuma-san.

"I acted entirely on my own accord. Tatsuya-sama bears no guilt or responsibility whatsoever. Please, let all punishment fall upon me alone..."

"No! If only I had gone to see Aniue right away and confessed my past crimes, Tatsuno would never have acted! But I was too afraid of Aniue learning the truth...! Aniue! Your Majesty Houtei! I don’t care what happens to me! Just... please spare her life...!"

Tatsuya also bowed deeply beside Tatsuno, pressing his head to the floor in the same way.

Hmm... If only they had talked everything through properly, things wouldn't have turned into such a tangled mess like this...

"Houka... no, Your Majesty Houtei."

Having remained silent until now, Tatsuma-san turned around to face Your Majesty Houtei, then knelt and bowed just like Tatsuya and Tatsuno.

Your Majesty Houtei looked flustered and panicked at Tatsuma-san’s sudden action.

"If anything, this disaster came about because I failed in my duty as an older brother. Please... I beg you, spare them from the death penalty."

"A-Aniue...! You don’t have to do something like that...!"

"Let me do at least one thing worthy of being called your older brother. Tatsuno is someone important to you, isn’t she? Then the least I can do is bow my head."

"Fugu...! Aniue...! Aniue... I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...!"

Tears streamed down Tatsuya’s face as he kept his forehead pressed to the floor. In response to his brother’s apology, fifteen years in the making, Tatsuma-san just gave a small, quiet smile.

Watching this, Your Majesty Houtei let out a long sigh.

"Ryuuzan. Looks like you also got caught up in all of this, but if it were you, what would you do with these two?"

"Hmm... Although it was an accident, Tatsuya-dono harmed the former Ryuutei, and Tatsuno-dono attempted an assassination. Normally, both would be sentenced to death. However, the victim himself, the former Ryuutei, is bowing his head to plead for clemency. That can’t be ignored. Even so, we can’t pretend that no crimes were committed. Therefore, I believe stripping them of their status and possessions, followed by exile from the country... would be appropriate."

"Then let’s go with that. Strip both of all possessions and status, and banish them from the country within three days. They are never again to set foot on Orfan soil. Is that understood?"

"“Thank you... very much...”"

Their muffled voices replied.

It was a surprisingly lenient sentence, I thought—but if it had been me, I might’ve chosen the same. As long as you're alive, you can always start over somewhere else.

"...Did I do something unnecessary?"

Kuon asked with a slightly anxious tone. If he hadn’t spoken up at that moment, Tatsuya might’ve been executed as the mastermind of the assassination, and Tatsuno as the perpetrator.

Compared to that, this outcome could be considered a good one. Uncovering the truth doesn’t always lead to happiness, but Kuon’s decision wasn’t wrong.

Without a word, I gently patted my proud son’s head.