The Worm in the Lion’s Belly 4

Thomas Hegarty, Commander of the Royal Knights, who came to greet Crown Prince Riley and his fiancée Liliana, stared wide-eyed at the two men Gild was carrying under his arms.

“Your Highness—what in the world,”

“I’d rather not attract attention.”

“—Understood.”

Though the commander couldn’t hide his bewilderment, Riley’s single sentence was enough for him to swallow all his questions for the time being. He nodded silently and led them down a corridor less frequented by the knights, towards the commander’s office.

In the commander’s office was Vice-Commander Miles Spencer. It seemed he had been training the knights just moments before, as he was covered in sweat. He gave a knight’s salute upon seeing Riley and Liliana, but his brow furrowed at the sight of the two men Gild was carrying, and he asked the same question as Commander Hegarty.

“Your Highness, are those—?”

Riley didn't answer right away. After confirming that Gild had closed the door, he turned to face Commander Hegarty and Vice-Commander Spencer. Then he spoke plainly.

“We were attacked on the way from the palace. These two are assassins we captured alive. The others have been dealt with, but I’ve cast a barrier to preserve the scene. Please send an investigation team and have them file a report, just in case.”

The commander and vice-commander were struck dumb by the calmly delivered words, but they quickly recovered, their expressions turning grim. It seemed they both immediately understood the gravity of the situation without needing further explanation.

“As you wish. I will entrust it to reliable knights. Spencer.”

“Yes, sir. Your Highness, Lady Clark, if you will excuse me.”

Though he had likely just arrived, Vice-Commander Spencer swiftly exited the room. He probably intended to send someone for the two captured assassins later. If there had been more than one guard present, he could have borrowed one of them, but unfortunately, there was only Gild. Although Knight Commander Hegarty was present, they had to avoid a situation with no guard.

“Gild, could you toss those two in the next room?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

At Riley’s request, Gild, with a look of annoyance, unceremoniously dumped the two assassins into the adjoining room. It was the Knight Commander’s nap room. There was a bed, but he had no obligation to put them on it. The two men, thrown roughly, rolled onto the floor together. Gild deliberately closed the door with exaggerated care.

Hegarty, who had been watching this with a wry smile, chanted a short incantation and cast a soundproof barrier over the entire room. Then he turned to Riley.

“Your Highness. First of all, I would like to confirm, what shall we do about the scheduled inspection of the training?”

“We will proceed as planned. The enemy likely knows that I was scheduled to inspect the Knight Order’s training.”

“Understood.”

Hegarty nodded with a serious expression. But he immediately posed another question.

“To think that Lord Gild is the only remaining guard. What happened to the men from the First Squad?”

“About that, Commander.”

Riley’s expression turned slightly pained, but he looked directly at Hegarty and said.

“Most of the men dispatched as knights of the First Squad were assassins. There were only two familiar faces; the rest I had never seen before. It’s likely that the two First Squad knights were traitors, and the rest were just pretending to be from the First Squad.”

“—That is—my failure. I am truly sorry.”

Hegarty’s face turned pale. It was a blunder for which he could be blamed for lack of supervision. Even if he were told to resign as commander, he could only bow his head. But Riley shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. The orders were probably changed somewhere along the line.”

The selection of the Crown Prince’s guards was not done by the Knight Commander and Vice-Commander themselves. The captain of the First Squad chose them. But that order had likely been replaced by someone else. And the guards had been replaced by assassins in disguise. The two men Riley had said were “familiar faces” would probably never return to the Knight Order. And if they truly disappeared, it would be the ultimate proof that they had aided in the assassination.

“I will immediately investigate the Knight Order.”

Hegarty growled, his eyes glinting with a murderous light. But Riley, without losing his smile, shrugged as if to say, “Don't worry about it.”

“On the contrary, this incident was a blessing in disguise—in many ways.”

Riley’s lips curved into a pleased smile. If he only wanted to protect Hegarty’s position, it would be easier to cover up this attack. But he had deliberately told Hegarty to investigate. Vice-Commander Spencer would form an investigation team with trustworthy men and investigate while trying to keep the information from spreading as much as possible, but it was impossible for nothing to leak. If it were, they wouldn't have been attacked by assassins in the first place.

And after a moment of silence, Hegarty fully grasped the intention Riley had hinted at.

“Do you intend to use this incident as a stepping stone for the reform of the Knight Order and the selection of the Royal Guard?”

“You catch on quick.”

Riley smiled in satisfaction.

If the Advisory Council found out, those who plotted to seize control of the Knight Order and their associates would relentlessly attack it as the Knight Commander’s failure. But he had cards to play as well. They had either infiltrated a spy among the civil officials who managed the Crown Prince’s schedule, or they had paid an official to leak the information. Riley was confident he could silence them by pointing that out.

“This incident is a rare opportunity to clean out the corruption in both the palace and the Knight Order. Besides, I’ve been thinking of selecting the Royal Guard for some time now. I want to unveil them at my investiture ceremony next year.”

“We have already nominated several candidates from the Knight Order. I can provide you with a list later.”

At Hegarty’s words, Riley’s eyes lit up slightly.

Next year, after Riley’s fifteenth birthday, he would be formally presented to the foreign nations as Crown Prince Riley Williams Slibegrad. Since the investiture ceremony had already been held, there was no need to do it again, but if they were to invite guests from other countries, it would look better to hold a suitably grand ceremony. And if there were smartly dressed Royal Guards present, it would announce to both domestic and foreign audiences that Riley had secured his position as the next king of the Kingdom of Slibegrad. It would also serve as a check against the Grand Duke’s faction, which was moving to install the king’s younger brother, Franklin Slibegrad, as the next king.

On the other hand, it could be said that this was why the Grand Duke’s faction had become impatient. If Riley solidified his power base, the possibility of Grand Duke Franklin Slibegrad usurping the throne would become even lower. It was an unwelcome situation for them.

“Also,”

Riley’s smile vanished, and he continued with a serious expression.

“This attack was the work of the Grand Duke’s faction. One of the assassins who attacked had a northern accent.”

“A northern accent? It will be difficult to identify which domain they are from.”

“It may be difficult to identify the domain, but the Grand Duke’s faction has many members from the north. That’s enough to be suspicious.”

The names of the nobles Riley had mentioned to the knight-like man were all suspected members of the Grand Duke’s faction. He didn't know which noble the knight served, but the knight had definitely reacted. That alone was enough for Riley to be convinced that it was the work of the Grand Duke’s faction.

Hegarty narrowed his eyes in silence. He knew Riley’s point was correct. But at the same time, it was clear that attacking with insufficient evidence would only alienate the other nobles. The problem was finding the right balance.

“Perhaps the Grand Duke’s faction was impatient because of next year’s event. I thought they were well-prepared, but the assassins themselves were just a thrown-together bunch.”

As he spoke, Riley glanced at Liliana and Gild. It was Gild who reacted. He twisted his mouth into a grimace and shrugged. It was his way of agreeing. With a small smile, Riley turned back to the commander. Hegarty, taking advantage of the time before the training inspection, asked, “What do you mean by that?” It seemed he intended to use this opportunity to get the details of the attack on the Crown Prince.

“The front and rear guards separated, and the carriage I and Lady Liliana were in stopped. The rear guard stopped probably to hold Gild back. Soon after, a teleportation circle activated, and the assassins who teleported in attacked our carriage.”

“A teleportation circle?”

“It seems to have been inscribed on the carriage itself. I couldn't see it at a glance, so I think it was probably written on the underside of the floor or on the ceiling.”

Hegarty, who had been listening quietly, furrowed his brow. He fell into deep thought with a difficult expression.

In other words, the assassin was someone who had an information network and connections to know Riley’s schedule in advance, and to place a carriage with a teleportation circle and his own men as guards. On top of that, he had connections with sorcerers.

“This has become troublesome.”

“Yes. But there’s something strange. Despite such meticulous preparations, the assassins were all amateurs—well, there was one man who seemed to be from the underworld.”

Riley turned his head and looked at Gild standing in the corner of the room. Noticing the questioning gaze, Gild scratched his cheek with a look of annoyance but nodded.

“Most of them were knights. Not mercenaries or anything. But there were at least two sorcerers, weren't there?”

“Two?”

“Yeah, one was focused on the carriage, and one was in the rear guard. That makes two.”

Gild’s statement was news to both Riley and Liliana. They blinked and exchanged a quick glance. It was Riley who questioned Gild.

“There was a sorcerer in the rear guard?”

“I didn’t notice, but it seems they didn't want me to realize that we were separated from the carriage.”

What does that mean? Riley tilted his head. Hegarty also seemed to not quite understand Gild’s words. Resigned, Liliana, who had been listening until now, opened her mouth.

“Perhaps they cast an illusion. To make it seem as if the person they were guarding was right next to them.”

“So that’s it.”

Riley’s voice rose in understanding.

The enemy had used an illusion to deceive the eyes of the guards other than their own, to make them think they weren't separated from the carriage. But what they hadn't expected was that the guard was a descendant of the Alvaldi, and that magic didn't work on him. That was why Gild, without being deceived by the illusion, immediately noticed the distance that had formed between him and the carriage carrying Riley and Liliana, his protectees.

Riley, having understood, looked somewhat pleased.

“Gild’s ability is truly a blessing. There is no one I would feel more at ease with as Lady Liliana’s guard.”

Apparently convinced of Liliana’s safety as long as Gild was around, Riley took her hand. When Liliana looked back at Gild, he was scowling. It seemed more like embarrassment than displeasure. Liliana turned her gaze back to Riley. Their eyes met instantly. With a bright smile, Riley’s expression tightened again as he turned to Hegarty.

“So, as for me, I intend to make the most of this incident. I know it will cause you trouble, Hegarty-dono, but I promise it will not be in vain.”

But Hegarty shook his head. “No.”

“On the contrary, I must be grateful for your leniency in this matter. My life, which by rights should be forfeit, is yours to use as you see fit for your sake, Your Highness.”

“Yes, I appreciate the sentiment. But if I were to get rid of the commander, the knights of the Royal Knights would be a little scary.”

At Riley’s bitter smile, Hegarty tilted his head slightly. But Liliana nodded as if it were a matter of course.

The knights of the Royal Knights, with a few exceptions, idolized Commander Hegarty. His heroic strength and his attitude towards his subordinates were such that even knights who were initially terrified of his stern face eventually opened up to him. Liliana had never seen it firsthand, but the rumors she occasionally overheard were enough to paint a vivid picture. Especially the stories Austin told, which all served to confirm those rumors.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. When Commander Hegarty answered, Vice-Commander Spencer, who had left the room earlier saying he would form an investigation team, announced that he wished to enter.

“Enter.”

“Excuse me.”

Behind the vice-commander who opened the door and entered stood two knights with serious expressions. Liliana had never seen them before, but Riley seemed to know them. He blinked slightly, then a smile spread across his face.

After Vice-Commander Spencer and the others entered the room and closed the door, they gave a knight’s salute to Riley and Liliana. Spencer looked up and asked the commander.

“We would like to confine the two assassins you brought back to the dungeons and then interrogate them. I request permission for their transfer.”

“—Is that acceptable, Your Highness?”

Hegarty turned to Riley. Of course, there was no reason to refuse. Riley readily agreed. When Hegarty nodded to Spencer, the vice-commander, accompanied by the two knights, headed to the adjoining room. The two captured assassins were still unconscious, but the knights didn't care and dragged them out.

“Then we will take our leave.”

The two knights also bid their farewell, following Spencer’s lead, and the three of them quickly left the room. After watching them go, Riley turned to Hegarty after the door was closed.

“Weren't those two knights from the Eighth Squad?”

“That is correct.”

At Hegarty’s nod, Riley tilted his head.

“I heard the Eighth Squad handles tasks like investigating spies and assassins. Is it alright to put them on the investigation team?”

Riley’s question was valid. The Eighth Squad of the Royal Knights basically did not do any public work. Their mission was to crack down on those who plotted rebellion or political change against the royal family or the kingdom, and for that reason, the identities of the knights were kept as secret as possible. It was natural that Liliana didn't know them. But Hegarty replied, “There is no problem.”

“It seems there are some unreasonable people in the Eighth Squad as well, but unlike the other squads, they have a strong tendency towards individualism. Their lateral connections are weak, which conversely makes them trustworthy.”

“I see, so that’s it.”

Riley replied in understanding.

In other squads, the lateral connections were strong. Even if one had rebellious thoughts against the royal family, they could hide it and interact cordially with their comrades. There was a rule that confidential information obtained in the line of duty should not be leaked even to colleagues, but you can't stop people from talking.

In that respect, the possibility of information leaking to colleagues in the Eighth Squad was extremely low compared to other squads.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

At Riley’s words, Commander Hegarty’s cheeks relaxed. Then the commander checked the clock and stood up.

“Your Highness, it is about time.”

“Is it that late already?”

Riley was surprised at how much time had passed, but he too quickly stood up from the sofa. Offering his hand to Liliana to escort her, he followed the commander’s lead and headed to the training grounds.