* * *[ Argentir ]* * *
"...What do you think?"
After Hilde and Friede had left, Argentir held a brief meeting with his aides in the carriage returning to the royal palace.
"She's a dangerous woman. You saw it too, Your Highness. How she immediately revealed her killing intent without a moment's hesitation when she felt threatened."
"Her bloodlust was so thick, it seemed she must have killed at least three hundred people. She's closer to a mercenary than a knight or adventurer. She'd likely kill anyone without hesitation if necessary."
The aides shared their impressions of Hilde.
A murderer who prioritizes protecting the hero and her own safety above all else, and who would try to eliminate anyone who interferes with this, regardless of their status.
Hilde would have protested if she heard this, asking what kind of absurd negative evaluation it was, but this was the unbiased assessment the aides had made of Hilde.
"Still, she seems to have at least some sense of loyalty. Judging by how she cared about the circumstances of her old companions left behind in Vespian, she doesn't seem to be the cold-blooded person without human feelings that rumors describe."
"Hah... That's how she appeared to me as well. She's a madwoman, but not an evil person. At least, she was incomparably more befitting of a hero and companion than our brother."
Argentir nodded as he exhaled cigar smoke.
Even in his view, Brunhilde seemed different from trash steeped in fundamental evil, even if she was a lunatic who might act without consideration if things went wrong.
A woman who immediately thinks of killing when the other party shows hostility, but who sincerely expresses gratitude and tries to repay kindness when gifted with goodwill?
She was someone who should be handled by bestowing favors and creating a sense of indebtedness, rather than pressuring with power or force.
"I'm concerned about that armor. Cloud iron plate armor with perception interference magic, where on earth did she obtain such a treasure..."
"Ah, yes. That armor. Judging by how worn the craftsmanship was, it's not a newly made item but a relic that had been abandoned for many years."
Argentir nodded.
It was certainly an armor worth being interested in, both in terms of design and performance.
"Given that there were no casualties from around when she reached the border area, she probably obtained it around that time. If she had it from the start, there would have been no conflicts with pursuers."
Cloud iron armor that not only blocked Belliherd's greatsword without a scratch but also had magic cast on it to prevent proper recognition of the wearer.
While not on the level of a holy sword, it was armor worthy of being a treasure stored in the palace treasury or a family heirloom of a historically prestigious noble family.
It was also something assassins would dream of.
Perception interference magic that causes others to mistake the wearer for an ordinary person.
The reason Argentir was able to resist this magic was because he always carried mental defense magic tools to guard against Tyrving's brainwashing abilities.
Without that magic tool, even he would have fallen under the perception interference and failed to properly recognize Brunhilde.
"The last time she was spotted was when she was disguising herself as a noblewoman to find a boat to cross the Rhine River, wasn't it? It's safe to assume she acquired it during that river journey."
Somewhere at the mouth of the river. The forest nearby. Or... under the river.
As far as Argentir could guess, the only places where Hilde could have obtained such a treasure were dungeons or ruins hidden in such locations.
"Investigate the traditions related to the Rhine River. Myths, legends, folktales, history. Even unofficial histories with almost no remaining records."
"Yes, Your Highness. I will issue instructions to do so as soon as we return."
Therefore, Argentir instructed the aide who had expressed interest in Brunhilde's armor to look into information related to it.
Although it was somewhat questionable whether that information would be useful, he thought it wouldn't hurt to know.
* * *
The casual talk about first impressions of Brunhilde led to discussions about how to deal with her and Friede in the future, and in the end, it moved on to the information she had provided.
Information that the Abyss Priests of the Exorcism Reversal Society were trying to assassinate Hero Heid by causing a clash between him and the Rhine Kingdom's army.
While it would take some time to verify its truthfulness, how would they utilize this if it turned out to be true in the end?
"It's a troublesome problem..."
Argentir frowned as he chewed on the end of his cigar.
Inwardly, he wished for Heid's death. He had been praying for him to die 'honorably' after a fierce battle. He had even considered ways to assassinate him.
Do you think it's impious? However, it was Heid who first showed hostility, not him.
First Prince Heid, who lost his right of succession to the throne according to customary tradition in exchange for receiving the hero's mark.
However, he still couldn't let go of his lingering attachment and greed for the throne.
He just didn't show it in front of others because he was acting the part of an exemplary and noble hero.
Of course, Argentir had long since seen through his brother's act. He knew clearly, as if he could grasp it in his hand, what ambitions he harbored.
It was a conclusion reached by synthesizing information collected through the Black Eagle's Shadow organization, which he had originally created to support his brother.
'He probably plans to steadily build up achievements and fame, and then dispose of me under the guise of an accident when the time is right.'
If Argentir were to die without children, Heid would be the only direct blood relative left in the royal family.
Unless they intended to pass the crown to a collateral line with thin blood, they would have no choice but to pass the throne to Heid, even if it meant violating existing customs.
Argentir knew. That this was the reason Heid was obsessed with managing his external reputation and fame, and focusing on establishing notable military achievements.
'He intends to use his fame and military power to silence opposition to violating customs.'
If he could obtain overwhelming fame and military power, along with support from all walks of life, voices of praise would be much louder than criticism even if he succeeded to the throne.
When that time came, Argentir's life would be in a position more precarious than a candle in the wind.
Because he had realized this early on, Argentir wished for Heid's death.
If the hero's mark could be bestowed upon an evil person who, driven mad by the throne and ambition, would try to kill his own younger brother, then it would be better not to have heroes at all.
That's what Argentir believed.
Therefore, if the Abyss Priests were trying to kill Heid, Argentir should rightfully applaud them.
Unfortunately, he couldn't do that.
'There's nothing to gain from clashing with the Kingdom of Rhine. It would only meaninglessly exhaust both sides' forces.'
First of all, the assassination plan devised by the Abyss Priests itself was problematic.
The plan to eliminate the exhausted Heid after causing a clash between the Kingdom of Rhine and Heid, then quietly hide using the conflict and chaos between the two countries.
This was something Argentir, as the future king of Hervor, absolutely could not allow.
Not only would it tarnish the royal family's honor, but it would also cause irreparable damage to the relationship between the two countries, resulting in massive national losses.
'But if we restrain the Rhine Kingdom's army and make only the Exorcism Reversal Society and Heid fight each other... it's not at all trustworthy.'
Even if he sent a secret messenger to the Kingdom of Rhine to prevent a clash between the kingdom's army and Heid, there was still a problem remaining.
The problem that the Exorcism Reversal Society's strength could not be trusted at all.
People who are planning such a grand and significant plan to assassinate a prince and hero of a country by involving two countries simultaneously, yet are so careless as to leak that plan to an outsider.
Could such people really defeat Heid and eliminate him by clashing with him alone, without the help of the Rhine Kingdom's army?
Argentir viewed that possibility as low.
The Exorcism Reversal Society he knew was an organization with only grandiose names and criminal records, but ambiguous actual military power.
Just recently, didn't two executives of the Reversal Society attack Heid simultaneously, only for one to die and the other to flee disgracefully?
It didn't seem likely that such people gathered together could overcome Heid and his subordinate forces.
'In the worst case... they might be completely annihilated by Heid in reverse.'
That was the worst-case scenario Argentir could imagine.
Heid's fame after massacring the Abyss Priests of the Reversal Society would skyrocket several times over, and naturally, Argentir's remaining lifespan would also be greatly reduced.
'Indeed, it would be best to completely ruin the plan itself so that no clash occurs at all.'
Having finally made a decision, Argentir devised a method to destroy the Abyss Priests' plan after half an hour of contemplation.
"Do you intend to warn Heid? To tell him this is a trap and to avoid setting out?"
"That would be the worst option. We can't explain all the circumstances in detail, so we'd have to speak indirectly. Would our arrogant brother ever lend an ear to the nonsense of his incompetent younger brother?"
"Indeed, that's true. Then..."
"The best course of action is to ruin the plan itself. If the preconditions are off and it becomes certain that the plan itself has been leaked, wouldn't they give up and wait for the next opportunity?"
Argentir explained the detailed plan.
"Find a pawn we can use and discard. A woman around twenty. A swordswoman with blue eyes and knight-level strength."
His plan was simple yet efficient.
First, prepare a blue-eyed swordswoman, dye her hair lemon color, then order her to cause trouble within the Kingdom of Rhine while disguised as Brunhilde.
To the extent that the Rhine Kingdom's army would personally move out to subjugate this 'fake Brunhilde'.
"What if we then lure the Rhine Kingdom's army, drawn out like that, in a completely different direction from the border? The Reversal Society bastards would realize too. That the clash between the kingdom's army and Heid they desired has become impossible."
Argentir continued his explanation.
"Moreover, once the cornered fake Brunhilde finally meets her death, the ill-tempered real one would be perfectly liberated from the pursuer problem."
If it's widely announced that the Knight of Betrayal Brunhilde has finally been subjugated, the pursuers targeting her would turn back, clicking their tongues at having missed their chance.
There's no point in pursuing someone who's dead.
This way, the real Brunhilde wouldn't even need to worry about the pursuer problem anymore, so it would be like grasping two benefits simultaneously with one sacrificial lamb.