The Sleeping Devil

"Professor Julius... what on earth is that...?"

In front of me stood Julius, completely covered in a pitch-black cloth from head to toe. Upon closer inspection, the costume resembled a  teru bozu, with mesh around the eyes. The long robe covered his entire body down to his feet, revealing only his height.

Indeed, this attire concealed all information about his appearance, but it was clearly too suspicious.

"When I meet people, it's always in this attire," he said.

"It's amazing that people even recognize you as a person. At least some sort of ornament..."

"Not necessary."

Black attire is normal. Due to the dye, it's expensive and exudes dignity, but...

"Oh well... we don't have time to add embroidery now, so we'll have to go as is..."

The appointed time was already approaching. Ever since Julius' seeding incident was revealed a few days ago, we had canceled all plans to prepare. There was no time to fuss over clothing.

"Are you ready? We'll teleport like this."

"Is Lord Owens ready?"

"Summoning him there will be more efficient."

As Julius held me and we were enveloped in the light of the teleportation circle, we found ourselves in an alley of a brownish town, quite different from the noble district of Beriard. A carriage was parked right in front of us, with Gardo, in black armor, seated in the driver's seat. Without a word, Julius carried me into the carriage.

Owens was summoned to the seat opposite us, and the carriage started moving.

"Lady Sheriel, are you really alone? I'm surprised Lord Sergio permitted it."

"Professor Julius is with me. But this is my first outing without Mary, so I'm a bit nervous."

In case of emergency, we could teleport back, so it should be fine. Probably.

All documents had been given to Owens in advance, so all we had to do was talk. The carriage must have been prepared near our destination, as I soon heard Gardo's voice interacting with the gatekeeper.

The black armor seemed to be raising suspicions.

"It seems we've arrived at Lord Geronamo's residence. Everything has been arranged in advance, so there shouldn't be any issues."

"Thank you for everything."

"No, no, it's only natural given our master's misconduct."

Owens smiled brightly, but he probably hadn't slept much in the past two days. After safely passing through the gate, we were led to a reception room where the host awaited, away from prying eyes.

"Nice to meet you. I am Sheriel Beriard from the Kingdom of Orasteria. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting."

Geronamo looked at my head twice, then stared at the black-clad Julius beside me. His gaze shifted to Gardo standing behind us, and then to Owens, as if seeking help.

I understood his feelings. Owens was the only normal person here.

"Nice to meet you. I am Geronamo, the 23rd seat of the Upper House of Talia Kingdom. I must apologize; I did not expect the author of the letter to be, well... so young..."

Geronamo did not mention my hair color but showed unease at dealing with a child. Before his doubts could deepen, Julius exerted his magical power to seize control of the situation.

"Lord Geronamo, we don't have much time. Clear the room."

Geronamo grimaced and groaned softly in discomfort.

"(Professor! Please don't intimidate him so suddenly!)"

"(It's faster to establish the power dynamics first, isn't it? Look, he seems ready now.)"

Geronamo quickly waved his hand to dismiss the servants. Despite the sudden display of intimidation, which was almost hostile, Geronamo had his guards withdraw as well. This was likely because the contents of the letter we sent could not be ignored.

We each took our seats, and the meeting began in earnest. As a noble of the Kingdom of Orasteria, I was there as a guarantor of identity. No sane person would trust Julius, who neither revealed his appearance nor his name.

"The letter mentioned Duke Cassola, who instigated this war, and evidence of his corruption. But I find it hard to believe an outsider understands our internal affairs better than I do."

As Geronamo probed, Julius laughed softly through the cloth.

"Isn't it because you have a clue that you agreed to this meeting? You've opposed this war from the beginning. However, you couldn't stop the veteran nobles from pushing it through. Am I wrong?"

Julius's method of answering a question with a question without addressing the inconvenient facts drew Geronamo deeper into his realm.

"Indeed, I opposed it. But now that the king has approved it, I am committed to doing my best."

"What if the king's approval was obtained through unjust means? Wouldn't a true loyalist stop a king who made a foolish decision, ensnared by the schemes of certain nobles?"

What a thing to say... especially since Julius orchestrated it himself. He was likely smiling faintly behind that cloth.

The blood drained from Geronamo's face, leaving him as pale as a corpse.

"Unjust means... We are aware that nobles were bribed to gather votes. But, embarrassing as it is, that is quite common."

Geronamo clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his skin, staring straight at Julius with eyes blazing with anger.

"Lord Geronamo," Julius said, "are you aware that the document regarding the barrier to prevent the diffusion of magical power is completely fabricated, and that the royal decree, which supposedly has the king's endorsement, is a forgery?"

"How do you know about that document... a forgery?! What royal decree! I don't... I know nothing!"

Geronamo's shock was understandable. The fake investigation report, supposedly created by the sages of Talia, was so well-crafted that even experts might believe it. And he could never imagine that the man who drafted it was standing right in front of him. Even I wanted to punch Julius several times when I first heard about it. Julius had defended himself, saying, "I never thought it would actually be used. I merely handed a theoretically possible paper to someone who seemed interested," but it was clear he knew it would be used.

"The report is based on an examination of existing ancient magic circles in other countries and the monster incidence rates in countries with magic cores, comparing magical power levels across the entire continent. Although it draws forceful conclusions, it devolves into baseless assertions halfway through. Here we have a refutation paper proving those inconsistencies, which you're welcome to review," Owens said, handing a thick stack of papers to Geronamo.

Ignoring the trembling Geronamo, Julius continued calmly, "As for the royal decree, you must have secretly shown it only to nobles who seemed unlikely to be bought. It claimed to be the king's heartfelt wish, seeking the backing of the nobles. It was forged to sway the unbribable nobles, but the original document is with Duke Cassola. Here is a list of those who accepted bribes."

Owens placed a single document next to the stack of papers. Geronamo glanced at the list of names, recognizing some, and bit his lip hard.

"How did you uncover all this? There are names here that we weren't even aware of."

"I prefer not to be questioned about our methods. As for the original forged decree and the secret ledger, here is their location. I suggest you retrieve them yourself. It won't serve as evidence if I hand them over."

The forging of the royal decree was apparently Cassola's doing. Julius had scoffed, saying that any plan that couldn't withstand exposure was foolish. However, the draft paper that formed the basis for the sages' document was flawless. Being an academic paper, it could be dismissed as ignorance or lack of research rather than deliberate deceit. More than half of it was interwoven with facts, making even the sages' wild conclusions seem plausible.

I secretly admired Julius's twisted sense of aesthetics in his scheming. He had utilized his skills to their fullest, and within two days of his contact, we had uncovered the misdeeds and hidden evidence. Julius complained of headaches from overusing his shared sensory abilities, but it was his own fault.

"Now, since we have obtained your country's incomplete documents, it is possible for us to win the war and demand further compensation. Since war has been declared, we cannot simply ignore it, and you are well aware of the difference in military strength," Julius stated.

"What do you want...? Even if Cassola's misdeeds are exposed now, that's a domestic issue for Talia. Since the declaration of war has already been made, asking to nullify it wouldn't be acceptable to your country," Geronamo replied.

No matter how much Talia, the aggressor, claimed that their own nobles had deceived them, the attacked side would never believe it outright. They would suspect an ulterior motive and likely proceed with the war.

Declaring war openly to draw attention to Talia, then halting it to catch them off guard and attacking in alliance with other countries---that's what I would do. Orastella, whose military couldn't keep up, would have to face several times the expected number of troops. Professional strategists must have considered this.

"If you stand up for Talia, we will provide you with Cassola's remaining misdeeds and evidence. And we will propose a strategy to end this war. If you're not interested, we'll simply present it to another noble..."

"I am interested! If there is a strategy, I will do anything! I cannot remain silent about my country's crimes any longer," Geronamo said fervently.

I had no other noble in mind to propose this to, but I continued to provoke Geronamo in a slow and calm tone.

"Then, secretly seize the evidence listed here and advise the King of Talia. Make sure Cassola doesn't suspect anything. Cassola has a meeting with a noble from another country tomorrow night, so it would be a good time."

"To know even that much..."

"It's simple. Proceed with the advance as planned and, at the final negotiation table, denounce and arrest Cassola. This will prove the internal situation to Orastella, and compensation would be limited to a nominal reparation," Julius continued.

Geronamo seemed to realize the gravity of his role. Not only did he have to gather evidence behind the scenes, but he also had to bring an end to this war.

Initially, Julius and I had considered using large-scale magic to sap the Talia army's morale. However, without taking down the person in charge, the conflict would not end, and Talia would become a defeated nation.

Predicting that the instigator, Cassola, would emerge as the commander-in-chief, and with Julius revealing his misdeeds, we decided to portray Talia as a victim.

Cassola, the instigator of the invasion, was a fitting target for Julius. He had sold grain meant for the king's taxes to other countries and bribed nobles to pass favorable laws, making him an ideal figure to be brought down.

"If successful, the credit will all be yours, Lord Geronamo. Can we count on you?"

"Of course. Since I said I would do anything, I have no objections. But doesn't this plan lack benefits for your country? Talia and I stand to gain much more... And where is the benefit for you, who have gone to such lengths?"

Geronamo was indeed a sincere and intelligent man, as Julius had predicted.

This was my cue. I sought permission to speak and indicated a change of speaker to Geronamo.

"Personally, I believe that avoiding casualties is far more valuable than any financial gain from reparations. Of course, this is my personal sentiment and not necessarily aligned with the Orastella King's stance, so a nominal reparation will still be required."

"Yes, I understand. Given our own losses, it would be a small price to pay."

"I suggest using Duke Cassola's personal assets for the compensation," I added.

Owens timely presented documents detailing Cassola's vast assets. Geronamo, eyes wide in surprise, muttered a mixed thank you of anger and relief.

"While I genuinely wish for peace, I also seek your cooperation in the Beriard enterprise as a consultation fee and investigation costs. We currently need a large quantity of high-quality vegetable oil. Orastella's trade is managed independently by each territory, so I would like preferential and duty-free export to Belialdo."

Though public trade with Talia could cause issues with Spenia, the largest producer, private trade would allow us to avoid such conflicts.

"I see... But is that enough? Even with duty exemption, this would still benefit us commercially. A tribute seems in order."

"This won't be a one-time import. While duties might be reviewed in the future, I would like to maintain trade as long as I am involved in the business," I explained.

While our country did produce vegetable oil, the quantities were limited. Imports from Spenia were centrally managed and taxed, making them expensive. Duty-free imports from Talia would cost about half as much.

What started as a cleanup of Julius's mess turned into an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

Geronamo looked back and forth between Julius, shrouded in black cloth, and me, as if bewildered.

"Excuse me, but Lady Sheriel, are you managing a business?"

"With the support of my mother, Dior, I aim to establish a production system by adulthood," I replied.

We presented documents listing the annual requirements and conditions for vegetable oil and promised to finalize the contract once the matter was resolved.

Upon receiving the evidence and direct appeal to the king, we also provided documents detailing the internal strategy Talia should pursue, leaving Geronamo tearfully grateful.

Once preparations were complete, Julius would guide him on handling the final negotiations.

"I believe the King will surely understand. Therefore, let's see this plan through to the end," Geronamo said with resolve.

"If you follow my instructions exactly, everything will go smoothly. Just don't do anything unnecessary," Julius added.

Geronamo, eyes welling up again, nodded vigorously.

Poor man, he's the type who could easily fall for a scam. I chuckled inwardly, realizing how easy it is to manipulate someone in a desperate situation. It reminded me of how I had been drawn into Julius's schemes.

As we were escorted out by the visibly exhausted Geronamo, we boarded the same carriage that brought us.

"I hope everything goes well," I said.

"If we've prepared this much, he won't fail," Julius replied confidently.

"Whose fault do you think it is that we're in this mess in the first place?"

"In the end, Talia will cleanse its corruption, turning a loss into a gain. Orastella will make some money, and you will get what you want. No one is really losing here. Why blame me?"

"If this fails, many people will die, and Talia will be in ruins."

"That's because Cassola was blinded by greed, the sages were incompetent, and the King was foolish. I merely involved neighboring nobles in my research verification. Keeping parts of the content secret is standard for researchers, and any inconsistencies were due to my own inexperience. I was only twelve or thirteen at the time," Julius said with a laugh.

When did Julius start thinking this way? And to think he wrote that paper---the basis for the forged document---at such a young age...

The comparative analysis was easy to understand, but the subsequent theoretical framework of the barrier was far too complex for me. Then again, it was a fabricated theory, so it didn't really hold together logically.

After preliminary investigations, covert maneuvers, and issuing instructions to Geronamo, we were finally nearing the day of battle. I heard Sergio's discontented voice through the fixed communicator.

"Sigh... It's finally over. The final negotiations ended it. Did I really need to be there?"

"Thank you for the report. Please return safely. Your brother Didier is waiting for you."

"Why is it that as their father, I'm the one being used by my children? Well, Didier..."

"See you later," I cut him off, finally feeling the weight lift off my shoulders.

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