The Shut-In Prince’s Splendid Social Debut — Me, a Villainous Imperial, Have Spent the Last Fifteen Years Fighting the “Wicked Thoughts” Eating Away at My Mind. When I Finally Returned to High Society, There Were Way Too Many People I Didn’t Recognize — - Chapter 17: Crushing the Ruin

◇◇◇◇

Early in the morning, I woke to a strange presence.

There was a reaction from the [Universal Glue] I had attached to Fryure.

(What is this movement…)

It felt like Fryure was moving at high speed.

No—this was…

(Teleportation, huh…)

It seemed she was repeatedly teleporting several kilometers at a time.

By now, she had already been carried a considerable distance away.

(There should have been plenty of guards. Did they bypass them?)

Either way, I had to go help.

The problem was the distance.

With multiple teleportations already completed, she had reached the outskirts of Kingshaven.

Even if I ran after her now, by the time I arrived Fryure would probably already be a corpse.

(Should I have stayed awake and watched all night…?)

…No.

That was hindsight.

“Yoan-sama, thank you for today. Please rest well. As for me, I will remain vigilant for a while longer. We still haven’t located the existence of the ‘Founder’.”

When Naphna said that, I had no choice but to comply.

Besides, I had been optimistic that in the worst case I could track Fryure using [Universal Glue].

(To think there was someone capable of teleportation… What should I do… Hm?)

As I racked my brain, I noticed something strange.

It came from the information processing space of [Universal Glue] inside my mind.

This area managed the data of whatever I had attached the glue to.

Things like the target’s information and location.

Right now, it looked something like this.

——
Fryure Miare Grayash @ Kingshaven Outskirts
 • Undifferentiated Magic Detected
  → [■■■■] Activating… Progress… 34%
——

It seemed [Universal Glue] was analyzing something.

Probably some unusual phenomenon occurring around Fryure.

Most likely one of its hidden functions.

(If my prediction is correct, then…)

While thinking that, I was already almost certain.

Once the analysis finished—

I would be able to save Fryure.

After all, it was my ability.

Somehow, I could just tell.

([Universal Glue] really isn’t bad.)

Now then.

Soon Fryure’s disappearance would be discovered, and chaos would erupt.

If Fryure became a victim of this incident, the Knight Order’s reputation would collapse.

After all, they had been responsible for guarding her.

The First Prince faction would not escape blame either.

Of course, I personally intended to resolve the disturbance.

But if I simply did that, it would amount to cleaning up the mess for the First Prince faction for free.

That would do nothing to improve the position of either me or the Tiarma family.

(First, what I should do is…)

◇◇◇◇

Serbul sat in his study, clutching his head.

“This is bad bad bad bad bad…!”

—The daughter of Margrave Grayash had disappeared.

The report had arrived just moments ago.

A knight assigned to guard Fryure had discovered it.

Vice-Commander Sarlo Sekar had entered Fryure’s room, and when he did not emerge for a long time, they investigated.

The room had been empty.

Serbul jumped from his chair when he heard the report.

He repeatedly asked if his subordinate had misheard.

Even after beating the man bloody, the contents of the report did not change.

Reality set in.

Serbul’s face turned pale.

“Why did this happen…! Guhhhh! Why?! Weren’t all the Demon Worship Cult members captured?!”

The previous night, the Demon Worship Cult had attacked.

Thanks to Naphna and the others, no harm had been done.

Even so, Serbul had been chilled to the bone.

Because Prince Roberto had given two orders.

Secure Fryure.

And never allow her to be harmed.

The First Prince faction had also been extremely cautious in dealing with the Grayash family.

All of it stemmed from their fear of the current head—Hraesvelgr.

“At this rate I’m finished…! Not only will I lose the position of head retainer, I’ll be forced to take responsibility for everything… Even my life…! Damn it damn it damn it!”

Serbul smashed objects around the study in rage.

If things had come to this, he would have to force the blame onto someone else.

Even if it was out of sheer spite.

“Ha… haha…! That’s right! I’ll pin the crime on that woman! Originally, this is the fault of the White Dragon Priestess who started the Demon Worship Cult crackdown!”

Serbul recalled the previous night.

“—Military Minister Serbul, the enemy leader known as the ‘Founder’ has not yet been located. Please maintain a high level of vigilance. Do not lower the alert. I will interrogate the captured members.”

Naphna had issued those instructions.

Serbul had been displeased but complied.

After all, Fryure’s safety had to be ensured.

So he had deployed many knights.

Yet she still vanished.

(Everything is the responsibility of that woman who gave the orders…!)

Serbul decided so.

At that moment, a subordinate entered.

“Excuse me!”

“Well?! Was Lady Fryure found?!”

“N-No, she cannot be located anywhere!”

“Tsk… Don’t mess with me! This won’t end with her simply being missing!”

“I-I’m terribly sorry! Also, regarding Vice-Commander Sarlo Sekar…”

“Hmph, I don’t care about someone who disappears in an emergency like this!”

Yes.

Vice-Commander Sarlo Sekar had disappeared at the same time as Fryure.

A boring man who never joined Serbul’s parties.

Recently he had become even more unsociable.

Serbul had even considered dismissing him from the vice-commander position.

“H-However… we found something in Vice-Commander Sarlo’s room…!”

“Tsk… This is…!”

It was a scripture belonging to the Demon Worship Cult.

A crest depicting a shield and spear—the symbol of Spirit Armaments.

“A-As expected… Vice-Commander Sarlo must be the Founder of the Demon Worship Cult…”

The knight spoke.

Serbul immediately strangled him.

“Silence! Listen carefully! You must never tell anyone this! If word spreads that the Demon Worship Cult came from the Knight Order…!”

“—If they find out, what will you do, Serbul Nolla Grotes?”

A third voice interrupted.

Serbul slowly turned.

A young man stood there.

Blonde hair.

Blue eyes.

About the same height as Serbul.

“—Third Prince Yoan Highness…”

And he was the one person who absolutely must not learn the truth.

“It seems you’re troubled, Military Minister Serbul. If you’d like, shall I lend you a hand?”

Yoan smiled faintly.

Serbul felt disgust.

Even if he was a political enemy, Yoan was supposed to be an insignificant weakling.

Prince Roberto himself called him worthless.

To be spoken to like this by such a man was insulting beyond words.

“…Did you come here to mock me?”

“Not at all. I’m asking whether you’d like me to cancel out your blunder.”

A jade-green glint flickered in Yoan’s eyes.

“Tsk…”

Serbul could not gauge this Third Prince.

Everything he had heard suggested Yoan was a useless shut-in who never even appeared in society.

“…Don’t joke with me.”

“Hm?”

Serbul’s pent-up stress needed an outlet.

Thinking about it carefully—

Yoan was an enemy who needed to be eliminated eventually anyway.

He was merely someone hiding behind status.

Teaching him his place now would be kindness.

Even if he died as a result.

“It’s your fault, you know. Because you angered meeeeeeee!”

Serbul grabbed Yoan’s collar and swung his fist.

Before the punch landed—

His arm was seized.

His legs were swept.

His balance vanished.

“Wha—Buoeh!”

He crashed onto the floor.

A foot stepped down onto his face.

(This man! He’s stepping on my beautiful face!)

“Good grief. Attempting to punch someone without even hearing them out. It seems Military Minister Serbul has lost his composure.”

Yoan calmly straightened his collar while keeping his foot on Serbul.

“Guh… guh…!”

Serbul struggled.

But he could not move.

(Impossible! I’m level 48! Why can’t I break free?!)

Something impossible was happening.

Yet what Serbul felt was not anger.

It was something unfamiliar.

Fear.

“Serbul. You have two choices. One path leads to execution after incurring the wrath of both First Prince Roberto and Hraesvelgr. …The other is to become my dog—serve as my hands and feet—and escape execution. Now then, which will you choose?”

Yoan’s eyes shone jade green.

Serbul shuddered.

It was as if the role he was meant to play had been forced upon him.

(I won’t accept this…! I won’t!)

“Fine! If you’re so confident, go save Lady Fryure! If you can do that, I’ll do anything you say! I’ll even lick your shoes!”

“Yeah. I’m looking forward to it.”

Yoan smiled and left the study.

◇◇◇◇

After that conversation—

The analysis finished.

——
Fryure Miare Grayash @ Kingshaven Outskirts
 • Undifferentiated Magic Detected
  → [Spatial Transfer] Activation Complete… 100%
——

(Just as I thought.)

[Universal Glue] had analyzed the teleportation spell used to abduct Fryure.

“—Onii-sama, Fryure-sama still hasn’t been found. Naphna-sama is searching from the sky as well, but it doesn’t look promising.”

Serta had returned with the report.

(Naturally.)

Fryure was already hundreds of kilometers away.

Her movement had stopped.

She had probably reached a hideout.

“Do we know who the culprit is yet…?”

“It’s Vice-Commander Sarlo Sekar.”

“Eh?”

“He’s the true identity of the Founder of the Demon Worship Cult.”

—Founder Sarlon.

I never imagined he was inside the Knight Order.

The name had felt familiar, but his design looked different.

That’s why I hadn’t recognized him.

“To think… the Founder was inside the Knight Order.”

“Yeah. Quite a surprise.”

In ERT’s mid-late stages, he created an Artificial Spirit Armament and opposed the protagonist.

And the sacrifice used to create it—

Was Fryure.

“If Fryure-sama isn’t rescued, what will happen…?”

“I don’t know. But Naphna will probably be blamed. She broke the agreement with Hraesvelgr.”

“No way…”

Serta’s face turned pale.

In the original story, Hraesvelgr turned his spear toward the Imperial Family.

This time—

It could easily turn toward the Perdraon family.

If that happened, war would break out between the Perdraon and Grayash families.

The Tiarma family would not remain safe either.

And from there—

The Noble Rebellion would occur.

Eventually leading to the Upheaval of the Seven Kingdoms.

I placed my hands on Serta’s shoulders.

“You don’t need to worry, Serta. I’ll stop it.”

This was my real job.

Something only I could do—

Because I knew the future.

(…Well then. Time to go save her.)

I released Serta.

“Onii-sama…?”

“I’ll be gone for a bit. But don’t worry. I’ll definitely come back.”

I activated the newly acquired [Spatial Transfer].

The destination—

Fryure’s location.

Apparently it was quite a convenient spell.

Sarlo had used multiple short jumps.

Mine allowed long-distance teleportation.

Though long jumps required a cooldown.

“Tsk… Onii-sama, you mustn’t!”

Serta rushed toward me.

But before she could reach me—

[Spatial Transfer] activated.

—Now then.

Time to crush the Ruin Route.