Chapter 9

"Uu."

The soft cooing sound came from the little child. Could this child know? Know that they were born from the union of the royal heir of the Pendragon family and the last prince of the Britten Kingdom?

For context, the Britten Kingdom had been an enemy nation that waged war against Pendragon three years ago. Now, it was reduced to a mere duchy, barely surviving while Pendragon had seized most of its territory.

‘And this child will one day unite both Pendragon and Britten,’ thought I.

The child carried the blood of both the Pendragon and Britten royal families. The silver hair and eyes, symbolic of Pendragon, were proof of the child's Pendragon lineage. But if the child also carried Britten’s blood, it would surely possess some of Britten’s mysterious abilities.

Such was the nature of royal bloodlines.

"You must realize, this child is a symbol. A bridge that will one day connect Britten and Pendragon, two nations as incompatible as oil and water. This child carries the legitimacy to unite them both."

"...I don’t know much about politics."

"Hmph! Don’t pretend with me. I know your insight far surpasses that of most. Don’t play dumb."

"Mm."

Just as the royal princess Isis said, he knew how the country was running. He also knew that the conquered Britten was still rebellious. The last prince of Britten was suffering from a chronic illness, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he passed away at any time.

If that prince grew up and became a crown prince, then Pendragon and Britten could truly become one. Should that happen, the nation would become a powerful force, rivalling even empires.

But that was still a distant dream.

"Arthur Drake de Pendragon. Arthur Pendragon! My son will surely become a great king. Hahaha."

"...Haha."

Well, it was a rather ominous name in many ways.

‘No, no. He will indeed become a great king….’

With that thought, I chose to bless the child’s name.

As the conversation continued for some time, I relaxed and sat down, sensing that this would go on longer.

"So, sister. What’s your point?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don’t play coy. I know you too well. You’re someone who can see into people’s hearts."

"I don’t have such powers. I merely listen to people’s tone and read their expressions to discern truth from lies. I’m just skilled at interpreting their intentions."

"...Isn’t that the same as reading minds?"

Personally, I held great respect for this person. Thinking back to the time when I saved her from assassins, it was hard not to admire her strength and presence.

[Did you save me? Impressive.]

Even covered in blood inside a chaotic tent, her composed demeanor was enough to awe everyone present.

Regardless, given her formidable status, I knew one thing for certain: this person wouldn’t seek anyone out lightly. Even though I had saved her and we had become sworn siblings, there was no way she would visit someone without a political purpose.

So my role here was clear.

"Sigh. It’s the hunting dog job again, isn’t it?"

"Haha, I’m sorry."

For the first time, Isis apologized in response to my grumbling, but in the next moment—

Thunk!!

"Huh? Why…?"

The maid who had been attending Isis was suddenly pierced through the chest. Without hesitation, I had flung the hand axe I kept hidden, and it had struck her square in the heart.

Moving like a well-trained hunting dog, I grasped the maid by the neck. Blood vessels popped around her eyes as she struggled to breathe.

In that moment, I turned to Isis.

"Sister, if you have any questions, now would be the time to ask."

"Thank you. Hmph, I rather liked her for her neat hair."

Isis looked down at the maid with disdain. The maid had served Isis for over two years in the treacherous royal court, which was more dangerous than any jungle. But now, all she received from Isis was an icy glare.

"Was she one of Britten’s remnants? Or an assassin from the North?"

"I-I am…!"

"Still lying to the very end? Such loyalty."

Isis glanced at me, and without hesitation, I moved in closer.

Crack!

"Ghhaaaa!"

I yanked out one of the maid’s teeth, revealing a hidden poison capsule.

"Hmm, it’s been magically altered. Looks just like a real tooth."

"Probably to avoid suspicion. Whether it’s spies or assassins, they’re always meticulous."

The maid, realizing her cover had been blown, tried to move. Despite having her chest pierced and neck nearly snapped, she was still moving. That alone proved she wasn’t an ordinary human.

She had been trained in martial arts, with hidden techniques.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Foolish.

She should have just killed herself immediately instead of moving so clumsily. At least then she wouldn’t have given us any information.

Crunch!

"Urghhh!"

With a swift move, I disabled her completely by pulling her limbs apart.

...Granted, this wasn’t something one should do in front of a child, but the situation called for it.

"Her movements aren’t typical of Pendragon. But she doesn’t seem like Britten’s, either."

"Are you sure?"

"I fought Britten soldiers until I was sick of them during the war. I’ve seen plenty of their knights. Just like us, they have strong foundations in their fighting style. But this one? She’s different."

"Hoh, for someone who often doubts his own talent, you have quite an eye."

"This isn’t about talent; it’s instinct. You know my senses are somewhat special."

"Haha, yes, better than a pack of hounds."

"...You really do treat me like a dog."

Isis laughed heartily, amused by the situation. Neither of us seemed entirely normal, even as I held the maid by the throat, her fear evident as she thrashed around. Eventually—

Snap!

"Well, that’s what happens when you struggle too much."

"Is she dead?"

"Yes."

"Pity. I wanted to extract more information."

Isis waved her hand dismissively, as if signaling that the maid’s body was now useless. Black-clad figures, who had been waiting outside the carriage, entered silently and removed the body. Now, it was just Isis, me, the baby, and one other maid, who wore a puzzled expression.

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the remaining maid asked.

"Uh, Your Highness?"

"It’s Crown Princess, or Your Majesty to you."

"Hehe, yes, Your Majesty. I’m a bit confused. Was she a traitor?"

Apparently, this maid wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

"Fool. To be precise, both of you were under suspicion."

"Ah!"

"...The reason I suspected you was because you’re too stupid and naive. How can someone be this pure of mind?"

"Hehe, my parents used to praise me for having a clean mind."

"...That wasn’t praise."

"??"

"Sigh…."

Isis sighed, and watching her, I finally understood.

Even someone as perceptive as Isis found it difficult to weed out traitors when someone was this...genuinely innocent.

‘Sometimes being too pure-minded makes you suspicious. Who knew?’

It truly was a marvel.

Isis was one of the few people who knew my secret.

The sense of smell I inherited from the Nols.

My heightened sense of smell could detect even the faintest of odors that normal humans couldn’t perceive. Though I usually suppressed this ability in daily life, when I focused, my nose could gather an overwhelming amount of information. The scents of poison, blood, metal, even the subtle odor of nervous sweat gave away people’s intentions.

And just moments ago, that maid—despite her efforts to clean herself and use strong perfume—reeked of poisonous plants.

"Recently, people in the royal court have been falling ill from poison. Even Arthur showed symptoms."

"...Are they insane? They used poison on the child?"

"Fortunately, the Pendragon bloodline has a strong resistance to poison."

"..."

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t suffering. I barely held back my words as I clenched my fists in frustration. Despite the overwhelming suspicion, the royal family had narrowed down the suspects and brought me in to make sure we caught the right one.

‘Isis is truly impressive.’

Most mothers would have lost their composure by now, yet she remained eerily calm and methodical. Her resolve was terrifying.

"Many want Arthur gone. If Pendragon and Britten were to unite, the resulting power would be unimaginable. It’s no wonder there are so many who wish to kill him."

"...It’s revolting."

"That is the reality of politics."

Isis spoke coldly, gently stroking Arthur’s head. From one angle, she appeared as a loving mother, yet there was an unmistakable hint of ruthlessness beneath the surface. I stuck out my tongue in silent awe.

I instinctively knew I could never imitate her cold-blooded decisiveness.

"...So, is it over now?"

Having played my role as the hunting dog, I politely inquired if I could finally call it a day. Isis responded.

"No, there are two more matters to attend to."

"...Two more?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll reward you. If you want, I’ll even let you kiss the back of my hand."

"No thanks. I’m not looking to become a pervert."

"Haha, you’re passing up the chance to kiss the hand of the kingdom’s former greatest beauty."

"Please spare me."

While I could admit to her beauty, I wanted nothing to do with the thorns of poison she carried.

"Very well, I’ll offer my thanks later."

"No, seriously, I don’t need it."

"Refuse all you like. In any case, I have a ‘request’ for you now. Pay close attention."

"...A request, huh? Feels more like a threat."

No matter how much I grumbled, Isis’s request—more like an order—continued.

...And upon hearing it, I was stunned.

"...Sister, are you insane?"

"Haha, not at all. I’m perfectly sane."

"..."

That was exactly the problem.

‘...Asking me to kill her own sibling, what kind of request is that?’

It was an assassination request.