Episode 74: The Foreshadowing of Evil

“That man’s attitude! Just who does he think he is?!”

In the Eastern Front Army Headquarters after Siegfried had left—on the first floor, in the entrance hall.

Bertram was shaking with rage.

“‘I thought it was words of praise,’ he says!? After killing my subordinates…! Does he intend to defy me, one of the Five Great Nobles!? This is infuriating beyond measure!”

Indeed, Siegfried’s argument had logic to it.

But so what if it was logical?

For Bertram, his status and power as one of the Five Great Nobles were meant to crush such logic.

Up until now, that’s how he’d done things—using his position as one of the Five Great Nobles to twist reason with authority and force compliance.

…But it didn’t work on Siegfried.

He was an anomalous existence who paid no heed to status or rank, steadfast in his own will.

“Please calm yourself, Your Excellency Bertram.”

One of the high officials spoke up.

He was on the plump side, with large, bulging eyes and sagging skin. His appearance somehow evoked the image of a frog.

His name was Almants von Dobanne. He held the rank of marquis and served as the deputy commander of the Eastern Front Army.

“In the end, the Kreving family is nothing more than a rural count. We can deal with a man like that however we please down the line.”

Those words finally helped Bertram regain his composure.

“…You’re right. I seem to have lost my cool a bit there.”

As he slowly steadied his breathing, Bertram continued.

“Siegfried is already under the command of the Eastern Front Army. —In that case, as you say, there are plenty of ways to crush him.”

This time, Siegfried had indeed gotten the upper hand. That man showed no fear even toward the authority of the Five Great Nobles—he was the first opponent of his kind that Bertram had encountered.

But even so… in the end, victory would be his.

After all, he was a high-ranking noble who had survived the political struggles of the Kirchhen Kingdom.

He took pride in having eliminated and buried many obstacles in his path before.

“…Deputy Commander Almants.”

“Yes, sir.”

“First, let’s isolate Siegfried and his subordinates… within our army. I’m counting on your skills.”

“Leave it to me.”

 

◇

 

“…Our boss is as outrageous as ever.”

A little while after leaving the Eastern Front Army Headquarters, Leon muttered while glancing sideways at Siegfried.

Then, with a hint of hesitation, he added more.

“That said… this time, the pattern feels a bit different from usual.”

“Oh…?”

Siegfried turned his gaze with interest.

“How so? Let’s hear it, Princess.”

Perhaps he’d grown used to being called Princess, as Leon didn’t bother retorting and simply responded honestly.

“Well… usually, there’s some guy doing evil deeds, and you smash them—that’s the flow, right? But this time’s different. That commander Bertram or whatever had a villainous face, but he hadn’t actually done anything evil yet. And yet, you went and picked a fight with him… that’s unusual, I thought.”

At those words, Siegfried gave a small, satisfied smile.

“It seems you’re starting to get it. —Indeed, I often intervene at the ‘scene where the villain commits evil.’ It makes the villain stand out more that way.”

“Right? That’s how you are.”

“And—this time is no different.”

“Huh?”

Leon furrowed his brow in confusion.

“What do you mean? So, Bertram is… up to something behind the scenes? …Like, maybe Gregor’s requisitions were actually on Bertram’s orders.”

“Bertram isn’t the type of petty villain who gets joy from scraping together small change through requisitions. —He’s a villain on a higher level.”

Siegfried spoke in a tone like a teacher instructing a student.

“You must have seen the artworks displayed in the headquarters’ entrance hall.”

“Yeah… there were some.”

Leon rummaged through his memories. Indeed, several artworks had been on display there.

They were probably arranged by Gregor to show off his own collection.

“There were vases and stuff, but the designs weren’t anything I’d seen before. The paintings had some weird creatures drawn on them or something…”

For Leon, who wasn’t knowledgeable about art, giving a specific evaluation was tough.

But even so, he definitely felt a sense of something being off.

“—Yes, that’s it.”

“Huh?”

“That’s the answer, Princess.”

“…Nah, I don’t get it. Explain it a bit more in detail.”

To that, Siegfried responded with a meaningful smile.

“Not yet.”

“Huh?”

“Right now, it’s still the stage for laying foreshadowing. The reveal—comes a little later.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“To make evil shine, this kind of staging is necessary. —Plant the foreshadowing, let time pass, then reveal it. That accumulation builds the villain’s stature. Like a well-aged wine.”

Hearing those words, Leon muttered inwardly.

(—I thought I was starting to understand him a bit lately… but nope, what this guy’s saying still doesn’t make sense.)

Or so he thought.

Even so, strangely, a smile tugged at Leon’s lips.

He still didn’t really understand the meaning behind Siegfried’s words.

But there was no doubt that he was a man who never bent himself, no matter the situation.

For Leon, that was reason enough to follow him.