The Senior Retainers 2

“Lestalion.”

At the sound of his name, Lestalion Ria Edeios flinched ever so slightly. He was one of the royals present at the ritual—the one who had shown the most visible frustration at the outcome.

With the appearance of a foreign prince reminiscent of Edalion, though perhaps with a sterner air, Lestalion wore armor that looked both ornate and costly.

Lestalion served as the commander of the knight order, and his skill with the sword was said to be exceptional. He was an admired figure among all men who aspired to knighthood.

“He can’t accept the outcome of the ritual—not because I was chosen, but because he himself was not. He tends to say unnecessary things when emotional, but he is fundamentally highly capable and handles anything with competence. He genuinely dislikes me… yet he is the type who returns trust with trust, and… Kuuh, if we were brothers, he’d want me to rely on him unreservedly, or so he says.”

“…Hey.”

Glares sharp enough to pierce shot toward Gadilas at his presumptuous words, but by the faint redness of Lestalion’s cheeks, there was some embarrassment mixed in as well.

“However, due to his usual demeanor, it’s possible he may be approached by those plotting rebellion. Whether he uses that to extract information or rebuffs them is up to him.”

“It’s too late. I’ve already turned them away.”

“Then that’s fine. Just be sure to tell me the details later. …Next is Yog Kagoi.”

At the sound of his name, an elderly gentleman arched his brows slightly. With long white hair and a beard to match, Yog looked every bit as though he would burst out with a hearty “hohoho.”

The grandfather of Uros and former prime minister, Yog had passed his official role to his grandson but continued to serve as a royal advisor to the previous king. Even now he occupied an ambiguous, semi-retired position in the court.

Unlike the others, who had shown varying degrees of unease, Yog had maintained an air of unfazed amusement throughout the proceedings.

“The sly old fox.”

“Oh?”

Gadilas’s blunt pronouncement prompted Yog to turn his gaze smoothly from Gadilas to Kuuga. Startled, Kuuga glanced away.

“He lives to tease people, his favorite targets being brash young men.”

“Hoho.”

He really did laugh, “hoho,” Kuuga observed idly, only to avert his eyes quickly as Yog’s gaze returned to him.

“In the council he tried to size me up, but as of now, I’ve not become his target. One oughtn’t take everything he says at face value, but as for his presence—there’s no harm in trusting him.”

Yog’s eyes narrowed with amusement. Kuuga could sense a keen interest directed at himself and found it rather uncomfortable. He could easily spot lies, so he would never fall prey to such personalities, but being favored by one promised its own sort of trouble.

“Lastly, Rod Saias.”

A man whose face was a shade paler than before and whose eyes darted nervously clenched his fists. Though he appeared the dashing gentleman of fifty or sixty, an undercurrent of timidness clung about him.

As the official responsible for civil engineering, he was capable, but tended to visit sites personally, to the exasperation of his subordinates.

Kuuga knew exactly what this man feared, though Gadilas likely did not. Gadilas sought a final confirmation with his eyes, but Kuuga refused to offer it.

“No particular issues. He’ll give counsel with my interests at heart, so you can trust him. He prefers not to say why.”

“!”

Rod, who had worn the expression of a man led to execution, now looked up in startled disbelief and stared at Kuuga. To set him at ease, Kuuga nodded reassuringly.

The truth was that this man was related by blood to Gadilas. For reasons unknown, he kept this fact secret. Most likely, he was Gadilas’s maternal grandfather.

Even Kuuga, skilled as he was, could not discern kinship at a glance if there was little resemblance, but Rod’s emotions were so transparent they invited no confusion.

For whatever reason, he felt this secret must never be revealed, yet he also harbored guilt toward Gadilas for concealing it and nursed complicated feelings as family.

In the council, he had cooperated with the rest in flinging barbs, but his own words were merely echoes of things others had already said—he bore no ill intent. In fact, Kuuga even sensed the frustration of wishing to help, yet being unable to do so.

“I kept asking, but he always refused to explain… Rod, you do have some idea, don’t you?”

“…Forgive me. It is… a personal matter.”

“No matter, the Divine Beast must have omitted it since it poses me no direct harm.”

With those words, Gadilas placed the documents on the desk, then turned a fresh gaze on the four.

“You now understand the power of the Divine Beast—of Kuuga. I do not intend to reveal this to anyone but the royal guards, Uros, Louis, and you four.”

In other words, divulging everything was his proof of trust. The four, perceptive as they were, appeared to grasp Gadilas’s intention.

“It cannot be pleasant to have your thoughts laid bare. I swear, from now on, not to employ Kuuga’s power against any of you.”

“Gadi—Your Majesty, then you mean to say the remaining three aren’t to be trusted?”

Having had his heart exposed, Lestalion’s reply was gruff, but there was an awkward embarrassment in his expression. The other three waited, evidently concerned about the same point.

Gadilas appeared prepared for this and gave a single nod before responding.

“Gai Geran and Sari Eeg— I’ve decided to keep an eye on both. According to Kuuga, they’re the type to side with whoever seems the strongest. Given current rumors and the fact that I’m the chosen king, neither appears inclined to join us. …I’ll entrust them to you, Ruon and Yog. See if you can handle them.”

“As you wish.”

“Hohoho.”

“As for Godo Gunis… the emotion Kuuga sensed toward me was ‘murderous intent’.”

A sudden tension gripped the room.

“It seems he’s still embittered by my survival. He may well be the mastermind behind one of the two incidents on the first day. …However, Kuuga’s words are not proof, nor do I intend to use them as such. Can you investigate?”

Lestalion wore a look as if to say, “Ah, I see…” Perhaps Godo was the one he had already “turned away.”

“I will do it.”

Gone was the unease of before; Rod, now perfectly composed, placed a hand on his chest and volunteered, his eyes holding a trace of anger. In that moment, he hardly seemed timid at all.

Gadilas was a man of decisive clarity. If he couldn’t trust a person, he cut everyone around him off entirely; if he decided to trust, he acted accordingly. He did not hesitate to nod his endorsement to the assertive Rod.

“I leave it to you.”

“As you wish.”

Impressed by Gadilas’s decisiveness, and seeing that matters seemed settled, Kuuga decided it was time for him to act as well.

After all, Gadilas had behaved rudely, and Kuuga himself might be viewed as some uncanny creature. Perhaps it was time to earn a little goodwill.