The Worm in the Lion’s Belly 1

That day, Liliana Alexandra Clark had gone to the royal palace to visit Riley in his office. She had an inspection scheduled for the afternoon, so Gild was with her. As always, Gild wore a permanent scowl upon entering the palace, but he seemed to have grown somewhat accustomed to it lately.

Ordinarily, she would have arrived at the palace just in time for the inspection, but a letter from Riley had arrived the previous day, asking her to come early. He apparently had something he wanted to discuss, and Liliana saw no reason to refuse.

“Sasha. You came early. Thank you.”

Riley’s face broke into a wide smile as Liliana entered the room. Though he called her “Lady Liliana” in public, he had apparently decided to call her “Sasha” in front of Gild. Liliana, on the other hand, no matter how much Riley pleaded, would not break from calling him “Your Highness” in Gild’s presence. Riley seemed slightly discontented with this, but not wanting to force the issue, he allowed it.

“Your Highness, I am relieved to see you are well.”

“We only saw each other three days ago. Though I’d like to see you much more often, if I’m being honest.”

“I highly doubt you have that much time to spare, Your Highness.”

Riley escorted the curtsying Liliana to a sofa and sat beside her. Gild, barely concealing his displeasure behind a mask of indifference, stood watch in a corner of the room. As befitting a highly skilled mercenary, his presence all but vanished when he stood still like that. For Riley and Liliana, who were used to having people constantly nearby, a situation like this was practically the same as being alone. This was especially true with Gild, a man they knew for a fact had no connection to the palace power structure, which meant they didn't have to watch their words.

Liliana’s eyes fell on a document lying on the table. The diagram sketched on it looked like the floor plan of a room. Riley blinked. “Oh, this?” he asked. When Liliana nodded, the crown prince offered a small smile.

“I’m getting questions from all the relevant parties about the investiture ceremony. Thanks to your help, things are proceeding quite smoothly, though.”

“Is that so?”

Liliana nodded at Riley’s explanation, but her expression remained clouded. Riley asked with a wry smile.

“Do you really dislike the idea of a tea party that much?”

“It is not that I dislike it—I am simply not enthusiastic about it.”

The investiture ceremony was an official state event, with dignitaries invited from other nations. As such, only the heads of domestic noble houses and their companions could attend. However, because Liliana, Riley’s fiancée, was attending at the young age of thirteen, and because it was decided it would be beneficial for Riley’s future if she deepened her friendships with nobles of her own generation, a separate tea party was to be held. It was to be a large-scale affair, open to young nobles of Riley’s generation and their guardians. While the main attendees would be from within the kingdom, arrangements were also made to accept some nobles from other countries.

When the tea party was first proposed, Liliana had shown a distinct lack of enthusiasm. When asked for a reason, she couldn't give a clear answer.

Of course she couldn't. The reason for her reluctance lay in the memories of her past life. In the end, with no one else opposing the idea, the tea party was officially approved.

Seeing Liliana’s downcast expression, Riley let out another wry smile. It was obvious to anyone watching that he found this a rare sight for Liliana, who was normally so calm and composed, never letting her emotions dictate her decisions.

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t become a burden for you. So please, rely on me that day.”

“—Your consideration is much appreciated.”

Liliana’s reply felt somewhat distant. Riley’s wry smile deepened, but he seemed to have no intention of pursuing the topic further. He picked up another document and handed it to her. It was a report on the outbreak of the Black Death in the Clark Duchy.

“I received a report from Clyde. Have you heard anything about the Black Death situation?”

“No, nothing in particular. I haven’t heard of any cases in other regions, so I assumed it had been contained—”

“Yes, thankfully, there have been no new cases of the Black Death in any other region this past year.”

Hearing Riley’s words, Liliana breathed a sigh of relief.

The Black Death had a high mortality rate. The bubonic plague, which accounted for most cases, could kill within days. If the bacteria spread to the lungs, it would develop into pneumonic plague. Once a pneumonic plague patient appeared, a vicious cycle of infection would begin, spreading through their coughs to those around them.

That was why, once it appeared, the Black Death could easily explode into a pandemic, its terrifying reign lasting for centuries. If that were to happen, the Kingdom of Slibegrad would quickly be transformed into a hellish wasteland.

“That is wonderful news. However, we should still remain vigilant.”

“Yes, I agree.”

At the same time, Liliana felt a lingering sense of unease.

This was the Black Death they were talking about. An infectious disease that even the scientifically advanced world of her past life couldn't eradicate—though, to be fair, the only disease truly conquered in that world was smallpox. In any case, there was no vaccine for the Black Death. The only preventive measures were to eliminate fleas and rats, avoid contact with patients’ bodily fluids, and restrict access to their rooms.

They had taken similar measures this time, but the situation must have been far from perfect. Rats were one thing, but there was no way to completely eradicate fleas with this world’s level of technology. Not even magic could create a spell to destroy every last one.

(Was it really the Black Death? This world is similar to my past one, but the existence of magic makes it fundamentally different. It’s possible there are infectious diseases here that I’ve never even heard of.)

She had managed to get by so far using knowledge from her past life, but the realization of this unforeseen possibility sent a chill down her spine. Still, there was no use dwelling on it. She had shared the methods of epidemiological investigation with the civil officials. If another disease causing mass infections like the Black Death was reported, they would investigate. She had done all she could.

“Does it worry you?”

Noticing her thoughts, Riley was looking at her with a faint, wry smile. Liliana, who had thought her expression hadn't changed, felt a flicker of panic, but she kept it off her face and smiled serenely.

“Of course, it is a slight concern. I hear that the village where the Black Death appeared is now shunned by its neighbors. If a year has passed without any problems, it should be fine, but we cannot rule out the possibility of it being burned down.”

“Ah, that is certainly a concern.”

Riley nodded with a serious expression. It would be a tragedy if the village itself were razed by fear-stricken people, even after they had successfully contained the spread of the disease.

“In fact, men dispatched by Clyde caught the culprits who were trying to burn that very village. Three men in this past year. Two of them were caught within the first two months. But the last one was just a month ago.”

“So late in the game?”

“When questioned, the culprit said he’d heard a rumor that since the Black Death had appeared in that village, monsters would soon emerge there.”

The suppression of the Black Death should have been completed relatively early. The fact that someone was still trying to set fire to the village meant the rumor about monsters appearing there had likely not died down. Liliana furrowed her brow slightly.

“Is it possible someone is intentionally spreading this rumor?”

“That possibility exists, yes.”

It seemed Riley had reached the same conclusion. He nodded, his expression somewhat grim.

But if someone was intentionally spreading the rumor, their motive was unclear. If it wasn't just some malicious prankster, they must have something to gain. However, the village in question was in a poor region of the Clark Duchy. It had no special products, nor was it a politically or agriculturally important area. It was an unpleasant thing to say for the people who lived there, but it was a place whose loss would cause no major problems.

“Clyde is currently investigating that angle as well. But it seems he hasn’t been able to obtain any significant information.”

That’s to be expected, Liliana thought. The ducal house surely didn't have the spare manpower to investigate such a tenuous possibility. But, if necessary, she could have Obsidian look into it. That would at least determine whether it was intentional or a coincidence.

“I hope something comes to light.”

“Yes.”

Liliana had no intention of sharing her thoughts with Riley and concluded with a conventional phrase. Riley nodded, seemingly not noticing. From there, their conversation drifted to other topics.

There was no end to the subjects: the lack of progress in the human trafficking investigation, the fact that His Majesty the King’s treatment was still ongoing. Though they had just met three days ago, it was as if Riley didn't want to waste a single minute of his time with Liliana. In the past, she had been unaccustomed to this and felt flustered, but she had finally gotten used to it recently.

“The sorcerer treating His Majesty says that while his poor health is definitely due to a curse, it is not so powerful as to be considered non-human in origin, as was previously thought.”

“Oh, my.”

Riley lowered his voice. Liliana’s eyes widened. That possibility had been whispered about before, but hadn't the curse been so powerful that even the Director of the Ministry of Magic couldn't break it—meaning it was something beyond human power?

“So it was not the work of a non-human entity?”

“Apparently not. We can’t push things too hard given His Majesty’s condition, but we’re having them analyze the curse alongside the treatment. If it’s a curse, once it’s completely broken, it should have some effect on the caster. But I’ve asked them to take measures to prevent that from happening.”

When a curse is broken, its power returns to the caster. The form this takes varies depending on many factors, such as the type of spell, how long it was in place, and its difficulty. However, the spell cast on the king was one designed to slowly drain his life over a long period. If it were to return to the caster, there was no doubt they would lose their own life.

But that would not lead them to the mastermind pulling the strings. Therefore, Riley had specifically asked the sorcerer to prevent the curse from returning to the caster.

“Is such a thing possible for them?”

Liliana asked with a worried expression. Curse magic was not a well-researched field in the Kingdom of Slibegrad. That meant there were very few skilled curse users. As far as Liliana knew, Petra Muirulainen was the kingdom’s foremost expert. And Petra had told her about the dangers of a failed dispelling.

“I have heard that a curse user who fails to break a curse receives the ‘curse rebound’ in place of the original caster.”

In other words, if they failed to break the king’s curse, the sorcerer himself could die. Hearing Liliana’s concern, Riley affirmed her worry with a straight face.

“That possibility exists. But he is one of the top three most skilled curse users in our country that I know of. Though his main profession is a sorcerer.”

At the unexpected words, Liliana blinked. She tilted her head slightly and looked at Riley, who blushed faintly but continued in the same tone.

“The first, as you know, is Petra Muirulainen-dono. Her skill with curse magic is unparalleled.”

And the other was Ben Draco, the former Deputy Director of the Ministry of Magic. The sorcerer treating the king was said to be on par with him.

“I was not aware. So such a person exists. Are they not affiliated with the Ministry of Magic?”

Liliana asked. The king’s chambers were the most heavily guarded area in the palace. For that reason, she couldn't sneak in her curse-magic rats. Obsidian had also said it would be difficult to infiltrate the king’s chambers. Especially when the sorcerer was treating him, the barriers were further reinforced, making it impossible to observe. Still, the fact that he said it wasn’t impossible was what made him the ultimate assassin, Liliana had thought with some exasperation. However, if Obsidian were to be caught, or even if he wasn’t, if the knights’ and sorcerers’ vigilance was needlessly heightened, it would make things difficult later. So, Liliana had not tried to force the issue.

“He is not affiliated with the Ministry. It’s common among sorcerers, but he doesn't like doing things in a group or following authority. You know, those two are like that as well, aren’t they?”

Riley named Petra and Ben with a wry smile. It was true that those two didn't seem to be working at the Ministry of Magic out of passion. They were there due to certain obligations, but if they had their way, they were the type who would rather shut themselves up in their mansions and conduct research.

“Besides, for His Majesty’s treatment, we have arranged to borrow their power if necessary. I feel bad for them, but it was a stroke of luck that they returned to the Ministry.”

“They were complaining that they were being saddled with nothing but tedious chores.”

Riley and Liliana shared a smile.

It was true that if Petra and Ben were helping to break the king’s curse, it would be reassuring. After all, the kingdom’s top three curse users would be working on it. If they failed, then there was likely no way to restore the king’s health.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door. An attendant poked his head in and announced that it was time for the inspection.

Riley replied, “I understand,” but turned to Liliana with a wry smile.

“Time flies when I’m with you.”

Lately, Riley had started saying sweet things like this from time to time. He seemed to be unaware of it himself, and since Liliana didn't know how to respond, she just smiled vaguely.

As expected, this time too, Riley said nothing more and stood up, offering his hand to Liliana. She accepted the escort and rose as well, leaving the office with him.

They were heading to the Royal Knights’ training grounds. This was in preparation for the long-standing issue of strengthening and expanding the Knight Order, but since some nobles were opposed to it, it had not been made public. The official pretext was simply to encourage the knights.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

Liliana walked down the palace corridor with Riley. Gild followed behind them, and Riley’s own guards trailed after.

Riley did not yet have his own Royal Guard. Knights selected from the First Squad of the Knight Order took turns serving as his escort. The First Squad, whose main duty was to guard the royal family, was filled with men of high rank and good looks. In terms of skill alone, the Second Squad, composed of Magic Knights, and the Seventh Squad, renowned for its meritocracy, were more reliable. However, both the Second and Seventh Squads were busy with their regular duties and had no time for guard duty.

Liliana glanced at them out of the corner of her eye, then looked forward again.

A strange feeling of unease had begun to sprout within her.

—-

Toc

Chapter 186