The king of the country, and Rahyan's father, Jahiyan... hmm, how should I put it. He showed a much stronger reaction than Rahyan.
"What kind of absurd nonsense is this?"
"Unfortunately, it is the truth."
Without his approval, the plan would proceed too slowly. I had no choice. I set things in motion first and then explained the basic situation, though not in great detail.
As it was the middle of the banquet, I approached his side while he stood with his jaw agape, glass in hand, and whispered quietly.
"Try not to make it too obvious. I wanted to call you aside to speak... but the situation is urgent, so I had no choice."
"... I understand."
Jahiyan instantly closed his mouth and put on a calm expression. Of course, I hadn't told him everything, but seeing him instantly return to his usual expression even after hearing that some of his vassals had become Red Lotus members was reassuring. It wasn't a perfect poker face.
The corners of his eyes twitched slightly as he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of disbelief.
"I understand for now. In fact, it's a relief. If it's a matter serious enough for an Imperial Envoy to take action, there must be some sort of evidence. But..."
His gaze fell upon Rahyan, who was at the far end of the banquet, struggling to converse with others, and his eyes filled with concern.
"... Rahyan? You say he can distinguish them? Why? That... I don't quite understand..."
Seeing him as if he didn't want to face a certain truth, I added a supplementary explanation.
"The prince, it seems, possesses quite the outstanding aptitude as a mage."
"Ahem, yes, he does."
"It appears that by spending time with them, he became able to distinguish their mana. It seems that in the process, a slight communication problem arose..."
"Th-that means?"
"It means that if we capture all of those lurking schemers in this palace, the prince will likely feel more at ease."
"... Rahyan did complain of strange symptoms from time to time. No matter how many examinations he had, nothing was out of the ordinary, so I thought it might be a mental issue..."
"This must have been the reason. If we successfully capture the Red Lotus, the prince's condition will also improve significantly."
No answer came back, but I could see a spark of motivation light up Jahiyan's face. This level of explanation should be enough for now. To be honest, even I don't know why Rahyan has such an ability.
I cautiously surveyed my surroundings and lifted my glass. The scale of the banquet had grown several dozen times larger. All sorts of clowns, attendants, and maids had gathered, creating a grand festival rivaling an Imperial event, and even the nobles who were suddenly summoned stood with glasses in hand, looking bewildered.
As for the few attendants and maids who didn't show up, Karos was to investigate them. Let's see, the best-case scenario is that the target is here... I covered the entire banquet with Tide Sense.
[No, even for an Imperial Envoy, this treatment is...]
[Isn't this an excessive extravagance...]
[Perhaps we failed to treat him properly. Maybe this is how they do things every day in the Imperial Palace.]
[Even if it is, demanding the same treatment when visiting a small country like ours is...]
The nobles were in the middle of a praise-worthy session of complaining.
[Why do we even have to be here? We're just standing around.]
[He said it doesn't feel like he's being treated well if there are too few people...]
[Wow, I guess they have things like that in the Imperial Palace.]
[There's so much food, but we can't even touch it. This is torture...]
The attendants were much the same. A slight headache began to form, and I grimaced. The amount of information was too much, a pain to process it all.
I found the prince in a corner and used the currents to write letters on his back.
[Rahyan, don't make a sound. Just mouth the words. I can hear you.]
Rahyan, who was standing by a pillar, flinched in surprise. He looked around before opening his mouth.
"C-can you hear me?"
[Yes. I can hear you clearly.]
"Wow... what kind of magic is this? It seems like very high-level magic... Is it possible with 2-Star? Could I do it too?"
[... If you try. Do you feel anything?]
"Ah, no." Rahyan shook his head and shrank back.
"There are so many people, it's a little difficult. B-but I'll do my best."
As if steeling himself, Rahyan took a few deep breaths and then began to walk through the banquet hall. True to his station, the prince's presence drew the nearby nobles to him.
[Your Highness Prince Rahyan, is that you? My apologies for not visiting you recently. I haven't had the chance to see you at any official functions...]
[I-it's fine. It's because I haven't been out. Haha.]
[To think you've grown so much already! It's truly difficult to have an audience with you!]
[Uwaaah...]
Though struggling, Rahyan diligently walked on. But even after scanning the entire line of nobles, Rahyan shook his head.
"They're not here..."
[Hmm.]
I had expected them to be positioned among the nobles, of course. After several precise checks, I had confirmed that Rahyan could peek into the world of a fallen one who came within about five meters of him. And with about thirty minutes of reconnaissance, I was able to bring every noble within Rahyan's range.
Given that he had peeked into the fallen ones' world so many times that he developed a fear of people, I thought it would be a noble he frequently interacted with. Then again, he probably interacts more with the attendants and maids than the nobles.
[Next, scan the attendants. Focus on the people you usually interact with.]
"Yes!"
Rahyan, answering briskly, now approached their side. Unlike the nobles, the attendants greeted him much more gently.
[Your Highness, is something the matter? You're alright with so many people around?]
"I'm fine..."
Rahyan, who had been intimidated even in front of the attendants, suddenly— His eyes shot wide open.
[Ah, Your Highness. I trust you have been well.]
"... U-unh." -Thump-thump-thump.
His heartbeat instantly began to race, and he ducked his head low. Even in that state, he didn't forget his mission, moving his lips just the tiniest bit to whisper.
"Brother, now... is the one."
[Good job.]
I identified the four people who had just been near Rahyan. Two were nobles. I had checked them.
One was a maid. I had checked her as well. One was a middle-aged woman, the head maid.
Seeing Rahyan's poor condition, she tilted her head in confusion before leaving, and soon after, Rahyan began to breathe easily again.
Found her.
As I kept the target in my sights with Tide Sense, Rahyan muttered in confusion.
"B-brother, but... was the head maid just now the culprit?"
[I'm not certain. Why?]
"That can't be right...? The last time I was near the head maid, I was completely fine. Does this only happen when I'm with someone specific?"
[...]
Hearing those words, I fell silent in thought. Rahyan can peek into the worlds around him. If so, whose world did Rahyan peek into?
Everyone is oneself, and oneself is everyone. - In other words, the self does not exist. It is non-existent. The terror of being unable to distinguish what is what.
Unable to distinguish, one can't even tell who it is that is terrified. - If it's that kind of burden. I only know of one.
[... It probably switched bodies.]
"H-huh?"
[The head maid you knew was likely already disposed of. The thing that's there now is nothing but a monster that devoured her memories and is mimicking her.]
"Is, is such a thing possible...?"
[Unfortunately.]
Yes, only one.
[It is possible.]
[Hey, don't send Suirak. They're just a bunch of idiots.]
[Details.]
The mass, having returned to the head maid's room, reported by roughly scribbling words.
[These envoy bastards don't seem to have any intention of investigating. It looks like the higher-ups have a vague idea of what's going on, but the ones who came seem to know nothing. They just threw a ridiculously large banquet and even demanded bribes. Now they've gone out to stuff their faces with local specialties, claiming it's for an 'inspection'.]
From the knights to the envoy. Beyond mere laziness, they were so hell-bent on lining their own pockets that it was almost unbelievable. These were actions they would never take if they knew they were facing them as enemies.
[Anyway, just know that. I'm going to be out on a business trip to a nearby city for a bit. I won't kill that many.]
[Wait.]
[What is it now.]
The next report was written a full ten minutes later.
[Mass, pack what you need and run.]
[?]
[I will elaborate. Retrieve only the prince, who has the minimum influence necessary in the kingdom, and escape immediately. Nothing else is permitted. The meeting point is the usual place.]
The mass stared blankly at the book for a moment, then wrote back in a fluster.
[Wait, what are you saying? Did you hear me? I'm telling you, they're really nothing.]
[I will not give the order twice. Your situation is a matter of seconds. Act now.]
[You'll have to. Why the fuck should I listen to everything you say? The one I fear isn't you, it's Taeheo. If you can't convince me, I won't listen.]
[...]
Even as it scribbled, the mass took on the form of a knight, preparing for any unforeseen circumstances. The report returned after a slight delay.
[1. The Imperial Envoy would not have come here for the purpose of enjoyment.]
[Why.]
[He is an Imperial Envoy. If he wished, he could receive several city-states the size of this small country. What can be gained here is not just minimal, it's nonexistent.]
[Greed knows no bounds.]
[2. If we assume number 1 is true, then there is a reason for them to be mimicking this behavior. The envoy has used some means to confirm your existence and is buying time.]
[Time?]
[Yes. It is reasonable to assume you have already been identified.]
[... Wait a minute, what kind of bullshit is that?]
The bewildered mass tilted its head and picked up the pen.
[So, this is all just speculation, right? And because of one guess, you want me to abandon this kingdom I've worked on for years and run away?]
[Yes.]
[Have you all lost your minds? You think I'm going to agree to this?]
[An Imperial Envoy means a connection to the princess. A guess that would normally be a groundless fear transforms into a certainty.]
[Is that so? You failed to convince me. What are you going to do about it?]
[This is Chunhwa's advice. Listen.]
"... You should have said so from the beginning."
The mass muttered bitterly, picked up a sword, and stuck it in its mouth. Its esophagus naturally swallowed the sword. Hilt and all.
New text entered the eyes of the mass, which had become the head maid again.
[If you wish, I can call Suirak.]
"Hmm..."
The mass listened to the surrounding sounds. It was silent. To the point where only the chirping of insects could be heard.
Even if Chunhwa's guess was correct, it didn't seem like the plan was already in motion.
[Not necessary.]
[I will call them just in case.]
[I said it's not necessary. Tsk.]
The mass, about to jump out the window, remembered it had to take the prince and exited the room. As it walked naturally toward the prince's chamber, it encountered two guards. The guards, not at all wary, stopped it.
"Ah, Head Maid. This is the royal section from here on." -Crack!
The guards fell, not realizing until the very end that their necks had been twisted 180 degrees. Even so, the mass's footsteps didn't pause for a moment. Stopping in front of the prince's room, it was about to knock but then considered that the prince would scream if it tried to take him.
It couldn't kill him. Too much effort had been invested. To keep him quiet, it had to knock him out, but it didn't know how to subdue a child's body without killing him.
No matter how little force it used, he would likely die easily. Having no choice, it used another method. As soon as it entered the prince's room, it shouted.
"Your Highness! We have an intruder."
"Eh, uh. What...?"
The awakened prince rubbed his eyes in confusion. She immediately lifted the prince onto her back and whispered.
"Assassins have overrun the palace. We must escape at once, so do not even breathe."
"Assassins?? Why???"
"This is no time to think about such things."
"Ah, yes!"
It had been thinking of strangling him, considering he might just die if he argued, but thankfully, being so frail, he readily nodded his head with a terrified expression. '... I'm sure I've seen him somewhere.' Thinking that thought once more, the mass tilted its head and then jumped straight out of the window.
"Uwaaah..."
"Please bear with it for a moment."
Without making a single sound, it escaped the palace, leaped across rooftops, and scaled the castle wall vertically. At most, it would take an hour, the next patrol cycle, for the guards' bodies to be discovered. With that much time, it could get far enough away that no means they brought could reach it.
After five minutes, it was already in the middle of the desert. The prince trembled and clung to the mass's neck.
"W-wait! You're too fast, where are we going??"
"We should be able to wait here."
It was impossible to cross this desert with just one body. The mass unceremoniously put the prince down and wrote the next item in its report.
[I brought him to the meeting point. Send them quickly.]
[...]
[?]
No reply came. The mass wrote a little more irritably.
[I said send them quickly. I've already killed two guards. If I'm discovered, I'll have to fight that Imperial tool you mentioned, and if that happens, I'm just going to destroy that country.]
[...]
Still no reply. The mass's gaze grew colder and colder. They had been communicating just fine a moment ago, but for it to suddenly be cut off meant one thing.
Something else had happened. -Something more important than its current self.
"E-excuse me..."
"Shut your mouth and stay still."
This was no time to care about a prince like this. It would just have to break his legs and go find Suirak to ask for help. But the prince, despite suddenly being spoken to so harshly, continued to speak with an anxious expression, as if it were nothing.
"Perhaps Suirak is late because they've suddenly been engaged in a battle with a powerful foe." ...
The mass's gaze. For the first time, it truly saw the prince. The boy who had been weak, always subservient in tone, and lacking any conviction, had changed slightly.
His way of speaking was the same, but his demeanor was different. An air that showed no intention of backing down, and the emanation of quiet confidence.
"... You."
"For example, hmm. It's an impossible scenario, but what if they were fighting a 9-Star mage... or something."
"Who are you."
"You can't actually be unable to tell us apart. Even living in a world like that, shouldn't there be some way to distinguish..."
With a soft chuckle, the prince swept his hair back and glared at it. It had seen gazes filled with killing intent many times. Time and again, it had watched that intent turn to fear.
But it had never seen killing intent filled with such conviction.
"... I'd think."
"Ho ho..."
Only then did the mass realize. It was the one who had fallen into a trap. It, and the rest of the Red Lotus.
The skin camouflaged as the head maid burst open, and it transformed into a grotesque creature.
"Right. I have seen you before. I just thought my world made it hard to distinguish. So that's what it was. It was definitely him. What the hell are you?"
Jern slowly backed away and answered lightly.
"Are we really on terms to be having such a conversation?"
"Right. We're not... Guess we'll need to get a little closer."
At the same time, it felt relieved. A threat like this? It was nothing.
It wasn't that it didn't trust Chunhwa's judgment, and it had to admit this brat was quite amusing— But he wasn't enough to be a threat. It had confirmed this many times. After mincing this brat, it had to go help Suirak.
Just as it thought that and moved to lightly slit his throat, Jern casually clenched his fist with an indifferent expression.
"Is that so? Because I don't want to." -CRUNCH!
For the first time, the mass experienced being crushed to death.