Chapter 104

“Th-then, what happened to those wretched insects who went to gather the Philoia?”

Allen’s sharp voice rang through the room.

Matt shrank his neck like a startled turtle as he replied.

“Th-the Elle Knights are handling the matter, so information has been slow to reach us, but… it seems certain that the one who died in Neitzia was Jen.”

“D-Do you really think I care to know the name of the dead? Is that why you answered in such a way?”

Allen’s lips twisted into a crooked smile.

Sensing the anger simmering in his voice, Matt hurriedly dropped to the floor and added.

‘F-Forgive me, Your Highness! I would never presume such a thing! I only meant to say that if we can find Hans, the one who accompanied Jen, we might learn what truly happened!”

“Hans?”

“Yes! He left with Jen to gather Philoia, but now his whereabouts are completely unknown. From what I’ve learned, he was seen until just a few days ago at a tavern in a village near the forest border.”

At his words, Allen’s expression darkened before his fingers drummed lightly on the armrest—tap, tap. Meanwhile, who’d been cautiously stealing glances at his master’s mood, Matt cautiously parted his lips to speak.

“But they say he vanished not long after the Elle Knights appeared in the village. O-of course, it doesn’t seem he’s left Arbonis. That much is certain!”

“Th-that better be the case. If we lose him, your head will be the first to roll.”

Allen turned away from Matt, who had frozen at his words, and pressed a hand to his forehead.

‘Of all things, why did it have to be the Elle Knights?’

He didn’t like that the Elle Knights were handling this case. No, more precisely, he disliked that Estieren Kaisian was leading it.

“D-Damn it.”

He bounced his leg, anxiety written in every restless motion. What would happen if Estieren discovered that it was he who had sent those wretches to Neitzia to gather Philoia?

‘He would latch on and never let go, like a leech.’

The simplest solution would be a bribe, but unfortunately, he wasn’t a man to be swayed by such things.

‘That leaves only one way.’

He would have to find that bastard who’d vanished, and silence him before he could start spouting nonsense.

…But what if the man had already fallen into the Grand Duke’s hands?

A sudden, ominous thought made Allen bite down hard on his lip. Of course, even if it came to light that he had a hand in gathering Philoia, they wouldn’t be able to throw him in prison. Yet the rumors that would follow, and the blow to his reputation, were another matter entirely.

‘I need a stronger shield. Someone powerful enough to keep this from ever coming to light.’

“T-There’s one more thing I should tell you.”

At Matt’s cautious voice, Allen turned his gaze toward him. His lips were parched with tension as he wet them before continuing.

“Lately, someone has been searching for Philoia through the merchant guild…”

“….?”

“I believe the one seeking Philoia through this contact is none other than the Arbonis imperial family.”

“Wh-what are you saying?”

At Allen’s question, Matt took a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke.

“The one who came seeking Philoia was a former errand boy who once worked for our guild. There’s no way he could afford to buy Philoia himself, so I had him followed and witnessed him meeting with Benson’s steward, the imperial physician’s man.”

“H-He met with Benson’s steward?”

“Yes. I suspect Benson is using him to obtain Philoia.”

“….”

“They’re using the steward and the errand boy, taking every possible precaution with layers of secrecy. It seems they’re desperate to keep the true buyer’s identity hidden…”

When he gave no reply, Matt’s words trailed off, collapsing into uneasy silence. He glanced up to gauge his master’s reaction, then hastily lowered his gaze.

It was because Allen’s eyes glinted dangerously, like a viper watching its prey.

‘It makes sense. But in that case, it could simply mean Benson is seeking Philoia for his own use.’

“Your guess seems a little i-incomplete.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes! Th-there’s one more thing. According to an informant planted in the imperial palace, new furnishings were recently delivered to the crown prince’s quarters.”

At Matt’s words, Allen stroked his chin.

His mind worked relentlessly, piecing together the situation.

The greatest reason people sought Philoia was its power to ease pain. That the pain would return even worse once the effects wore off was a problem for another day. For now, they were desperate simply to escape their immediate suffering, and so they sought Philoia.

‘Among those wracked with pain, some are driven to destroy whatever lies within reach. Unless the crown prince recently married and required new furnishings, it’s far more likely the palace needed replacements because the originals could no longer be used.’