"That was... a blowgun?!"
He had pinpointed the true identity of the thin needle that had come flying towards Her Majesty the Queen.
A long-distance weapon that uses air blown through a thin tube and the force of the air to launch small protruding objects.
It is small and easy to carry, so it can be used as an assassination tool.
If something like that was blown towards the Queen... does that mean the Queen was nearly assassinated again?!
However, before I had time to be surprised, the assassination attempt ended in failure.
The needle of the blowgun approaching the Queen caught fire of its own accord.
Is that the flames of "Pyro Stigma"?
I don't remember, but...that's right, once upon a time, at the end of an adventure, the Queen met the fire spirit Napalm and was carved with a symbol of affection.
That was decades ago, so he must have been much more skilled at using it than I was, a novice.
"...Huh?! It's bandits! They're targeting the Queen! Come out, come out!"
"I don't care if it's my lord!" ...No.
I never thought I'd end up saying something like this. Anyway, those of you with a heart should protect the Queen and catch the culprit!
"Don't act recklessly, Sao. That toy won't even scratch me, let alone take my life."
You mean that blowgun?
It's amazing how it burns instantly and leaves no ash behind.
I once again thought that she was truly a queen.
She wasn't just a lewd older woman!
"Hmm? Does that smell like lèse majesté to you?"
"Ah, more importantly we need to catch the assassin!"
"Yes, Spear, Vouge, Tuck, Flamea."
The names of the women whose names were being called were those of the noble ladies, who had just been indulging in harem sex.
"It's about time you proved yourself useful. Escort our guest; you are surely the right person for the job."
Although the wording is roundabout, it probably means "Capture the assassin."
"You too have been influenced by the female knight's skills. Your basic abilities should have increased dramatically. If you fail, there will be no point in having nobles. Do your best."
"Y-Yes!" "Leave it to me!"
The Queen's words sounded like a slap on the buttocks, and the Spear seniors ran off in excitement.
Certainly, his movements are much faster than when he fought me.
It must have been strengthened by my sister's skill, "Oath of Debauchery". It was extremely effective since they were all girls whose virginity had just been taken by me.
"A blowgun, huh... targeting me with a hidden weapon that has no skill or magic power, don't you think that's proof that you've finally been cornered, Sao?"
"Huh?"
Not understanding the meaning of the Queen's words, I tilted my head.
"Oh, you're surprisingly slow. Weren't you the one who said this fuss was far too forceful and unnatural? It's nothing like the thoughtfulness you showed the other day when you used Resper to send assassins to my bedroom."
If this was a planned sequence of movements leading up to firing the arrow at the Queen...
Did they somehow incite conflict among the general student body, cause a commotion, and then take advantage of the confusion to attempt to kill the Queen?
"When times are tough, people become weak. You tried to deceive Lesper and cause confusion over the succession issue, but I conceived it myself and it was quickly resolved. Your plan to incite conflict between the nobles and commoners and exhaust our country has now become futile. However, it was all resolved by Sao."
"...There was a villain trying to do harm to this country, and he was secretly working on something. A lot of his plans failed, so he started to get anxious?"
"You're getting smart now, Sao. Now is the perfect opportunity for them. Eliminating me would be the best way to deal a blow to our country. After all, I am a worthy ruler."
...He says it himself, this guy.
"If I had missed today, I would have returned to the castle, making my targeting even more difficult. You rushed to seize the slightest opportunity, but that was what cost you your life. A sloppy plan will ruin everything, even your own life."
Shortly after, Spear-senpai returned and reported that he had caught the thief.
The culprit was an unexpected person.
◆
"very sorry!!"
Spier-senpai rubbed his forehead on the ground and apologized.
He had followed the Queen's orders, captured the assassin, and completed his mission without a hitch.
The reason why they were apologizing was because of the issue of the arrested criminal.
"she..."
The woman being tied up with rope looked familiar to me.
"It was my servant who dared to attempt the life of Her Majesty the Queen! As his master, I too bear the responsibility for that crime! I wish to atone for this sin with my life!!"
"I don't need your life, you fool."
Ignoring Spear-senpai's plea for help, the Queen simply heads towards the assassin girl.
"Well, I had pretty much guessed it. The discriminatory ideology between the nobles and commoners that was corroding the country. Who was it that brought this way of thinking that would divide the nation and cause conflict into the Royal Academy, the center of talent development…?"
"..."
I was also acquainted with the girl who served Spier-senpai.
When I first met her I was thrilled by what a kind-hearted woman she was, but to think that such a gentle woman would try to take the Queen's life...it's horrifying.
"Suppapan was merely a container, wasn't it? He was also one of the ones who was deceived. There was no way he could take on the role of the deceiver. He used his title and power to create a box to fill with his poisonous thoughts. That was the Suppapan Seminar, wasn't it?"
"..."
She doesn't answer.
"It is your role to pour the poison into the prepared box. Commoner students enroll under the pretense of acting as bodyguards for the children of nobles. So you took advantage of me and infiltrated an aristocratic household with a marriageable young lady/son. No one would think that a commoner would spread ideas like 'discriminate against commoners', right?"
The Queen was giggling to herself, which only made Spear-senpai's face turn paler.
That's only natural, since one of his own family members had plotted a grave crime such as assassinating the king.
"Um, Your Majesty...?!"
"Don't worry. I know very well that I was deceived as well. However, I am disappointed that one of the nobles who shoulders the responsibility of the country can be so easily deceived."
By the way, the servant girl wasn't the only one tied up below us. There were two others tied up in rope and rolling around in the same way.
"This person is a servant of Viscount Junilias' son, who graduated last year, and attended this school with him. I believe he graduated with us as well."
"This is the servant of Kodler, a third-year student still enrolled in school..."
Both of them are commoner students, who enrolled in the school in the same circumstances as me and my sister, and some of them have already graduated.
I entered this school in obedience to the Lord.
And the master is...
"Are you a member of the Suppan Seminar?"
The people around her nodded in agreement at the Queen's guess.
"So you've been sending in spies continuously. By doing so, you intended to spread discriminatory ideology within the school and spread the conflict between commoners and nobles to the entire country. It's a grand scheme... no, it's a very long-term plan."
"I've brought the documents."
The people who are probably most upset about this are the school officials.
One of the teachers who had worked hard to retrieve the items and calm the chaos offered them...
「These are the records of the 『Divine Mandate Ceremony』 for all students. The 『Calling』 of the graduates here is [Agitator』, while the 『Calling』 of the current third-year students is [Illusionist]…!」
"This is the perfect class to confuse people and lure them to their deaths. Didn't the school have any warning against students with such dangerous "vocations"?"
"I'm so sorry…! You don't really stand out in class, so I didn't think you'd be able to do much…!"
"Incitement" means trying to stir up people's minds and make them take desired action.
『Illusion』 is likely a 『Career』 that includes the magical skill of creating illusions.
It can be surmised that both are classes skilled at manipulating people's minds.
"And just now, an unexpected conflict broke out between students...?!"
"It must have been their doing. They used the "Agitation" skill to stir up ill will in the hearts of many, and the [Illusionist] magic clouded their judgement, driving them into a brawl."
And it is likely that their skills played a part in brainwashing the students of Suppapan's seminar, turning them into staunch racists.
"Who the hell are they?"
I asked, unable to bear it any longer.
"Something like this, infiltrating without people knowing, sowing discord among the people, pitting them against each other and rotting the group from within...! Isn't this like sabotage by a spy? What is the point of doing something like this!?"
"It's almost like sabotage."
"Are you the Neo Assassin's Guild that you mentioned some time ago?"
「No, they are far bigger than those thugs. Hey, you idiots, you may think you are hiding your true identities well, but I can tell.」
The two people who had been pulled and pinned down by the Queen's words were shocked.
"The only country that can try to break down a big opponent is another country of its own, right? A country of a similar size that would try to pick a fight with the great country I rule as a wise ruler. The one that seems most likely to resort to underhanded tactics to undermine the country's backbone is... Niosebuku, the 'Country of Tigers and Wolves' in the west."
This direct statement makes the prisoners even more flustered.
"Kill him!"
And instantly, the girl who had been silent up until then started barking.
She was disguised as Spear-senpai's servant(?).
He yelled like a raging fire, as if the silence he had maintained up until now was a lie...
"That's a blatant reaction. It's like you're admitting you're right on the mark."
"Shut up! You whore and libertine Queen Lenio Segura! I would rather die with pride than be held captive by you! Kill me! Kill me now!"
The intensity of this reaction was completely different from his previous attitude, and even Spear-senpai, who was supposed to be my master, looked shocked, let alone me.
On the other hand, the Queen doesn't even bat an eyebrow, even when faced with naked hatred.
That's exactly what you'd expect from a queen!
"The great western power, Niosebuku, is a brutal country commonly referred to as the 'Land of Tigers and Wolves.' It's a den of madmen, with internal wars, foreign conquests, and always at war somewhere."
"Huh...?!"
The queen is bold and begins explaining without any reaction to her opponent's crazy behavior.
"They have attacked neighboring countries and annexed them, forcing the princesses of the royal families to marry them and have them give birth to children, and it seems that the current King Niosebuku has around fifty princes and princesses. If you include illegitimate children who have not been acknowledged, the number may well exceed a hundred."
"You bastard!"
"But their lust for conquest was not satisfied, so they now targeted my country, a great power. No, seeing how they approached slowly and carefully with such a sneaky move, it seems they had decided to invade quite some time ago…"
The Queen shook her head in exasperation.
"Even though it was cleverly hidden, I was fooled that I hadn't noticed until now. I can only say that I was fooled that even the succession candidates such as Resper and Suppan were deceived."
"But those vile attacks have failed."
"It's all thanks to Thao's efforts, isn't it? We've driven away the shadow that haunts our country. Thao is truly our country's protector!"
When the Queen said something unnecessary, the captured girl glared at her with sharp eyes.
It was as if he was saying, "Is it your fault that we failed?!"
"So, are these people spies from the Niosebuku Kingdom?"
"Well, what do you think about that?"
Huh? Are you leaving that unconfirmed now?
"Well, let's not rush into the matter. There's no doubt that these guys were sent from Niosebuku. But, you know, what they caught might be so big that it's not even worthy of being called a spy."
"?"
What does that mean?
While I was confused, a shadow of a person dressed in black suddenly appeared in front of me.
ninja!?
A ninja?!
"Well, thanks for your efforts."
The ninja handed the Queen some documents and then disappeared again in an instant.
"Underhanded maneuvers are not something only your country has the monopoly on, you know? Umm… Ah, I remember, you're Seeker, the 19th Princess of Niosebuku. That's your true identity, isn't it?"
"!?"
Many people present could not believe what they were hearing.
The only one who could stand it was the captive girl, biting her lip in endurance.
The one who was most surprised was probably Spear-senpai, who was accompanying her.
"Oh, please wait Your Majesty… not only was my servant a spy from another country… but Princess, there must be some mistake?"
"Well, that's what most people would think. There's no way the princess would be sent in as a spy. Unless it was in that country of tigers and wolves."
Her Majesty the Queen said with a sigh.
"But in that country, one's social status doesn't matter. All that matters is ability. And even more so, it's only the ability of the 'vocation' one was given at birth. If one is born with a good 'vocation', even an orphan can achieve success, but if the opposite is true, even royalty can be cast away. That's the kind of country it is."
The Queen says that this is why the country is called ``the land of tigers and wolves.''
Capability is everything, but this is a policy that is unique to a warring nation that has constantly been aggressing.
"That's why they're such a country... they can use tricks like dividing the nobility and commoners. In a country where ability is the only thing that matters and status is of no concern, discrimination based on status is impossible. Retaliation is also impossible."
"I see..."
"It seems that this princess wasn't blessed with a particularly good 'vocation'. No, depending on how it was used, it could be a pretty terrifying 'vocation'. So maybe that's why she was made into a spy or something."
Even princesses are forced to become spies due to their ``calling'' aptitude.
Is this the "country of tigers and wolves" where ability is the basis...?
"...That's right, my abilities aren't suitable for a king. That's why I'm forced to play the role of a shady spy. In our country, only those with true talent can call themselves royalty! Only those who are born with the 'vocation' of a king, like the third prince and the eighth princess!"
She yelled, sounding almost desperate.
"Compared to that, your country is a very easy-going one! It's a laughing matter how much superior people are because of their birth status, regardless of their abilities! Incompetent people who aren't even strong act superior just because they're nobles! It was hard to contain my laughter when I saw that! The right future for such a weak country would be for it to be ruled by our Niosebuku Kingdom!!"
"Even if it's just sour grapes, are you satisfied with all that yelling?"
The Queen's eyes shine coldly!
There is no king who wouldn't get angry when his country is insulted!
"Neither tigers nor wolves have any affection for their kin. That's why your country is called the 'Land of Tigers and Wolves.' People from such a country have become prisoners of another country. Do you understand what that means?"
"I know that. No matter how much of a princess you are, I am not worthy of being a hostage. I am incompetent and have no real 'vocation'. You should just kill me now."
Her defiant attitude could be seen as showing resolve, but at the same time, she also seemed to have given up on the idea.
"Please wait a moment."
If this continues, he will really be executed.
I step in to stop this trend.
I remembered the ninja report that I had caught a glimpse of earlier...
"Why don't you leave it to me to deal with her? I have an idea."