Three foreign dignitaries whom the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had designated as persons of interest had gathered in the same club, and I'd also made acquaintance with a figure representing the Three Kingdoms' forces. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that my full-fledged Academy dispatch life had truly begun. Though I feel like I've been thinking this rather frequently since arriving at the Academy. Every time it seems like things are properly starting, something new happens.
- Hahahaha!
The Minister's breathless laughter echoed through the communication sphere. He was genuinely cracking up at the news that the persons of interest had assembled in one club in an instant, and that I was that club's advisor. My mood naturally soured as I looked at the Minister with a sullen expression.
"Why are you laughing?"
- You tell me something funny and expect me not to laugh?
My mood soured even further. What a bastard—of all people, this man had to be the Minister.
After bursting into laughter several more times, the Minister finally managed to catch his breath and compose himself. Watching this unfold in real-time was more painful than I'd expected. So my misfortune is your comedy show, huh? The Minister, having exhaled deeply, suddenly fixed me with a serious expression.
- So, you really have no idea either?
"Didn't I already tell you? I genuinely have no clue."
I'd officially reported the phenomenon of key personnel flocking to the Baking Club as 'cause unknown.' Nothing proves an inspector's incompetence quite like reporting they don't know the reason, but it's not like I could say 'The Pink Capybara poisoned the Academy!' either.
Sometimes in life, incidents occur where you simply can't see any angle on why they happened. So I decided to treat this case as one of those.
The Minister also fell into contemplation, stroking his chin at my repeated confirmation. While I was someone angling for retirement, I'd never played games when it came to work matters. Knowing this, even the Minister had no choice but to regard it as truly unknown.
- I need to relay this news to the Imperial Household Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I need some plausible justification to package it properly.
"How about saying that since the Third Prince was in the club, other dignitaries who were deliberating where to go all gathered there?"
- Then what's the reason His Highness the Third Prince joined?
"That one really has no answer..."
Ainter, who'd been keeping his head down since the succession dispute, had truly lived like the dead after the Crown Prince's spirited sword dance. Yet that same Ainter suddenly joined a club?
'How am I supposed to say he was bewitched by a woman?'
A sigh threatened to escape. Is this what it feels like to harbor a secret you must cherish alone?
Watching me, the Minister waved his hand dismissively and spoke.
"Well, whatever. I'll just say the Third Prince's intentions are still under investigation. Since you've been the advisor since the club's founding, you'll have justification."
"Yes, understood."
"When your communication orb glows purple, you'll know it's from them. Accept it."
"Damn it, that's too horrifying."
Purple light—the color signifying contact from the Imperial Family. If the Crown Prince starts watching the Third Prince again, I might suddenly receive an imperial summons out of nowhere. Please, please, anything but that...
The Minister let out a chuckle and cut the connection without hesitation. His face vanished, and the communication orb lost its light. Silence filled my room once more. Another day had passed.
The Baking Club's pattern was consistent. Though it hadn't existed long enough to truly analyze patterns.
"Lady Luize. If you're not careful, it'll get all over your face."
Once club time arrived, it essentially became the Luize one-woman show, with five audience members surrounding her, desperately searching for excuses to talk to her while moving various ingredients around. They didn't actually participate in the baking itself, but from a distance, they somehow looked like they were doing something—a peculiar formation.
I suppose that's what happens when you're born to stand above others. They instinctively know how to extract maximum efficiency with minimum effort. Of course, up close, they were nothing but freeloading dead weight who knew nothing about baking. They do like Luize, right? Sometimes they look like group project members who just abandon their work.
I quietly observed the five men adding their commentary to Luize's actions. They looked like they could make money sitting as paid audience members. You can buy people's favor, but this won't advance romantic feelings at all. Among those hopeless cases, Erich was still included. Pathetic fool.
'I should give him a hint.'
I'd been planning to advise Erich to at least bake together with her and share the hobby, but shortly after that thought, three new club members came flooding in, and I hadn't gotten the chance to speak up. Fortunately or unfortunately, all five were still in observation mode, so if Erich pushed forward just a little now, he'd immediately take the lead.
Good, let's pull Erich aside first.
"I need one person to help move ingredients."
I stood up, drawing everyone's attention. Of course, there were no ingredients to transport. Thankfully, there was a porter who brought any lacking ingredients to the club room door every morning. This was just a convenient excuse to get alone with Erich.
"Erich. Come with me."
At my quick designation, Erich flinched, then carefully approached me. A club member obediently following the advisor's request—this advisor is quite pleased.
I nodded once at Erich and was about to head outside when Ryutis raised his hand.
"Will two be enough? If it's physical work, I'm available as well."
'Why are you suddenly butting in?'
The guy who should be focused on Luize was volunteering to step forward. It was puzzling, but I let it slide, thinking he was just naturally energetic. The actions of that original story group are too high-dimensional for me to understand anyway.
"It's fine. Two is enough."
"Well, if you say so."
Ryutis shrugged his shoulders and turned his gaze back to Luize. Seeing how he only asked once and dropped it, it seemed he'd asked out of courtesy. Yeah, I appreciate you showing at least that much courtesy.
"Let's go."
"Uh, okay."
Now it was time to strengthen this weakest one, even if just a little.
***
As the door closed and two sets of footsteps faded into the distance, Ryutis's gaze slid toward the door.
'Karl Krasius.'
The name of the inspector stationed at the Academy in response to the Three Kingdoms. The man he'd unexpectedly met as the club's advisor. Ryutis had first heard his name about two years ago.
The Empire had ended its war in the Northern Region, appointed the Crown Prince, and carried out a massive personnel reshuffle. It was only natural that the Kingdom of Armein, which prided itself on having the second-greatest national power after the Empire, would closely monitor such changes in the Empire. So it was only natural that he'd learned the name Karl Krasius, who'd become a director at the age of nineteen.
Upon receiving this news, Armein's leadership concluded that the Empire's manpower shortage was more serious than expected. They must have been desperate to produce a nineteen-year-old director. Still, if this Karl had become a director, there must have been a reason for it. Armein launched an investigation.
Fortunately, due to the war, succession dispute, and massive purges, the Empire's counterintelligence network had loosened compared to before, and Armein's Intelligence Department was able to gather information on Karl. And they retracted their previous conclusion.
'They could certainly give a director position to the person who caught Kagan.'
Four years ago, an existence who'd united the northern nomads and turned their blades against the Empire. The Emperor of the Nomads, Kagan. Of course, the Kfellophen Empire, the continent's only empire, didn't recognize the title of Kagan and instead called him a rebel against heaven who'd challenged the Empire's heavenly mandate. However, it was the Empire's humiliation that they'd suffered for two years at the hands of this rebel who didn't know his place.
And at the end of two years of war, in the final battle, it was Karl Krasius who'd taken Kagan's head. While it was someone else who'd commanded the Imperial Army and crushed Kagan's forces, it was Karl who'd taken Kagan's head in that battle. Strangely, the Empire hadn't made a grand announcement of it, but they hadn't thoroughly hidden it either, so the Intelligence Department had been able to find out.
'And yet such a person is an inspector.'
Ryutis almost let out a chuckle. Setting aside why Karl belonged to the Ministry of Finance, he could see the Empire's will to immediately overturn things if the Three Kingdoms tried anything foolish at the Academy. The Three Kingdoms and key personnel had their dignity, and the Empire had received concessions from the Three Kingdoms, so they'd permit the stationing of guard forces. But that was it.
If push came to shove, the inspector would crush them by force. And the Empire would push for additional support to protect the talent who'd caught Kagan. Such whispers seemed to echo in his ears. Pretending to make concessions while seizing the advantageous position—that was the Empire's primary diplomatic method.
Despite recalling the Empire's brutal intentions, Ryutis didn't pay it much mind. As long as the Three Kingdoms didn't show any strange behavior, the Empire would have no justification to move. And while he couldn't speak for Later or Tanian, Ryutis truly intended to attend the Academy quietly. So there was nothing to fear in his situation.
The only question was what kind of variable that inspector's presence in the club—the same club where Luize, the woman he'd fallen for at first sight, belonged—might become. That's why Ryutis had casually raised his hand to speak with Karl, and when rejected, cleanly gave up. No matter how curious he was, the Luize right before his eyes was more important.
Ryutis smiled brightly as he gazed at Luize's face while she kneaded dough. That face which had made his heart flutter for the first time while he'd been trapped in the suffocating, boring royal palace.
'Advisor, I'm counting on you to take good care of this club.'
Because this club couldn't be allowed to collapse if he wanted to see that face.
***
"You like Luize don't you?"
And at that very moment, Karl was hammering down on his younger sibling to strengthen said sibling.