A high class residential area in the Briton Kingdom's capital Rhodan.
The residence of the Scottyard Kingdom's first prince Vincent was located here.
“Fuck!”
Vincent beat his glass against the floor.
Naturally, that glass breaks.
The maid nearby him cleaned it up while being scared.
Ever since he was humiliated during the joint training, Vincent had been irritated.
He would like to get revenge someday, but he’s aware that Ashtal was considerably strong.
Although he was waiting for an opportunity, one didn’t seem likely to come.
Vincent was told he’d had visitors.
“Who?”
“The treasury secretary Eldred of the Briton Kingdom.”
“Again?”
The finances of the Briton Kingdom are unfortunate.
The Scottyard Kingdom is their biggest lender of money.
As Eldred was at the top of this country’s finance officials, he not only kissed his home country’s ass, but Vincent’s too.
Since he places himself in a lower position and elevates Vincent, he doesn’t hate it.
It’s just right to distract himself.
Thinking so, Vincent invited him into the mansion.
“Treasurer Eldred, even if you come back so many times, there’s nothing I can do for you. The money should be properly returned by the deadline. We can’t just write it off.”
Vincent welcomes him with an arrogant attitude.
Eldred speaks while lowering his head many times.
“No, no, I’m grateful just being allowed to ask you.”
Eldred is taken to a reception office.
Eldred was seriously struggling to manage the finances.
Since he first took office, he’d been doing his best to do something about it.
All for this country.
A kingdom covered in debt and has a chronic problem of fiscal deficit.
In order somehow make ends meet, he rushed around the workers.
However, even for him, the schemes of the Scottyard Kingdom were too much.
At first, it was just a small thing.
If we wanted a loan, we told them information that didn’t hurt the country.
Eldred worried about it, but he thought it’d be okay if it was just that.
However, their requests gradually escalated.
Also, in return, Eldred sent some of his own money.
Eldred, who was shaken in both public and private, eventually began to give important information away to the Scottyard Kingdom.
The person himself believes he’s working for the country,
Scottyard doesn’t really want his loyalty.
That was enough.
It wasn’t only Eldred. There are many other people like this.
“Have you had any problems in this country?”
Eldred sensed that Vincent’s mood was slightly worse than usual.
“There’s nothing big, just a personal thing. It’s something regarding the academy.”
“Did something happen with Yufilia-denka……?”
Eldred asks timidly.
“Come to think of it, I want you to hurry up with the engagement.”
“I apologize. Regarding this case, both His Majesty the King and Yufilia-denka are being really stubborn.”
Eldred lowered his head.
“This isn’t to make up for anything, but I’ve heard an interesting story lately……”
Eldred speaks, intending to have a chat over tea.
He tells the story that Fiona reported to Richard Ⅱ the other day.
It was about the 3 evil gods.
“Hohoho. Now this is interesting.”
Vincent was delighted.
That story was exactly the information that Vincent wanted.
It was what his father, George Ⅲ told him to investigate.
“Have you told the home country about this case yet?”
“No, as I was unable to measure the value of this information, I thought I’d tell it to Vincent-sama.”
Eldred excels in finances and mathematics, but is ignorant of everything else.
He’s especially bad with things regarding combat.
There was also that Fiona’s explanation was rough, so he was unable to understand the meaning of this information.
Also, he can’t imagine that other people will be troubled by him leaking this information.
He doesn’t understand the feelings of diplomats who’ll struggle due to him leaking this information.
“This case, I’ll report it, thank you.”
Seeing Vincent excited, Eldred felt relieved.
He succeeded in getting his favor.
Without fully understanding the consequences of his actions.
King George Ⅲ, the king of the Scottyard Kingdom received Vincent’s report in an office in the capital, Graggo. Without even thinking about it.
“It’d be true to say that this is the only clue.”
Vincent talks with a tense face.
“Indeed, you can say this is the first time we’ve grabbed their tail.”
George Ⅲ *jirori* stares at his son.
This is information was brought to him by the information donors in the Briton Kingdom.
It’s slightly different from the information that George Ⅲ wanted Vincent to bring him.
“With this, I can proceed with that project now right?”
“……Well, I guess so.”
However, he still gave Vincent permission.
If one of his chief vassals heard of this, he might call him naive.
It was a plan regarding Vincent’s engagement.
It was basically to force their political pressure down onto the neck of the Briton Kingdom.
“Thank you very much. Well then.”
Since he couldn’t wait, Vincent exited the office.
While bitterly smiling at his son, George read the report.
It was about what recently appeared nearby the great magician Serena.
At any rate, these 3 are suspicious.
It is highly likely that they hold power that has surpassed humans.
“However, we can’t investigate like this.”
Their residences are unknown. It seems that their addresses are rarely used, and they typically warp.
Their backgrounds are unknown. Their abilities are unknown. Their race is unknown.
“If we carelessly place our hands on them, we may get burned.”
George Ⅲ was enraged that they had no choice but to stay on guard.
Scottyard did not rely on military power alone.
However, if they overwhelmingly lose in power, there’d be no room to scheme.
No matter how Scottyard moves, they have no hands to pull against their opponent’s power.
Power that ended the 6th demonic calamity 50 years ago.
Power that ended the war in Rhodan the other day.
If they don’t have the power to counter that, whatever they do is pointless.
And that power doesn’t exist.
“No, that’s wrong.”
It will soon fall into their hands.
That is, if everything goes well.
Everything was for after that.