Volume 6 Chapter 33 It's A Life Works
"If they're going to target me, I have no choice but to take countermeasures. However, all my carefree days until now have come back to haunt me. There are hardly any retainers I can trust. Most of them have already joined one of my 2 older brothers' factions."
Among the retainers, there are some who admire Rouza, but their numbers are overwhelmingly small compared to his brothers', and he can't rely on them.
"I don't think I need to specially increase the number of my faction members. Even now, the shogun's intention to make me his successor hasn't changed. But if these days of being targeted continue, I'll lose my mind. And there was even an incident where I was attacked while I was out on a night stroll."
"――So, you're not going to give up on your nightlife, huh?"
"Of course not! My nightlife and casino runs are my 'life work'! If I'm deprived of this, what's the point of enjoying anything?!"
Rouza glared at us, eyes wide open, and Getsuya and Mikage shook their heads in exasperation. This guy is really something, always indulging in pleasure.
"Fortunately, I have reliable retainers and strong subordinates, so I was able to handle it. Thanks to that, I can sleep peacefully tonight. Black Blade, you understand, don't you?"
"Yeah...I guess so."
Getsuya and the guards are like that too, but more than anything, Touga's presence is a huge advantage. Gram is the same, and his ability to detect enemy intentions and killing intent is unparalleled. What's more, when it communicates with me through telepathy, I can wake up instantly, no matter how deep I'm sleeping. This is the ultimate security measure.
"So, you guys have been lucky so far. If it weren't for the king's――or the shogun's――eyes can't reach, you'd be in a pretty bad situation."
"No way, we've been targeted ever since we left Sanmoto!"
All of us, except Rouza and Getsuya, tilted our heads in confusion.
"I mean, we received a report that there was an assassin in the village or town where we stayed the night before, and we even confirmed the body. And we were also attacked right before we entered that village where we first met."
Rouza's carefree tone made my cheek twitch a little.
"And I told you, my subordinates are excellent. As you said, Black Blade, we couldn't cause a big commotion in front of the shogun. I left Sanmoto to see how my brothers would act in a place where the shogun's eyes couldn't reach. And the result is as I just said."
It was proven that Rouza's various actions were not just a diversion, but a genuine attempt to take his lives, especially after they left Sanmoto.
"However, even if we have 3 unguarded sides, to be honest, I wish we had a little more time. If we keep getting attacked every day, even Getsuya and the guard squad won't be able to keep themselves. We finally entered the royal capital and thought we could catch a break, but look what happened this time."
Rouza, who had been showing his displeasure with his arms crossed, was deep in thought, his hand on his chin.
"...Now we finally know why we were attacked."
"What's going on?" I asked, looking at Aina, who gazed around before starting to speak.
"The reason for bringing Mikage-san back was supposedly because of the 'former fiancé'. But the real reason was to increase the number of trustworthy people. Isn't that right?"
"Yeah, that's correct, and it's a relief."
If he brought someone in under the pretext of 'strengthening my position', it would create an opening for his 2 older brothers to take advantage of. Rouza thought that if Mikage was brought back, that would calm things down.
"The scandal of having a former fiancé who ran away would be a problem, but it's already old news. It's a topic that was already stirred up 3 years ago. Digging it up again wouldn't be interesting."
Mikage is one of the few people Rouza trusts the most, and she's more than capable. It would be wise to solidify his position in case of an emergency.
"But, by guessing Rouza-san's thoughts, your brothers' faction tried to get ahead of you."
Now, I finally understand why the clinic was attacked.
"They must have tried to crush Mikage before she could officially join Rouza's faction."
It's unclear how they found out, but somehow Rouza's brother's underlings discovered that Rouza was in contact with Mikage. They were worried that Rouza's power would increase even more, so they tried to take Mikage out first.
"The attackers who raided the clinic are undoubtedly the assassins sent by my brothers. Unfortunately, they weren't from Sanmoto, but rather mercenaries hired from somewhere else, and there's no way to trace them back to my brothers."
"――Then why target the Kyunei clinic instead of just going after me alone?"
Mikage's eyes flash with anger, gritting her teeth. If it were just her being targeted, that would be one thing, but she was furious that our group was put in harm's way because of her.
"...Maybe, not just Mikage, but they're also afraid of us joining Rouza-kun's faction, so they decided to take us down all at once."
"It's probably the right answer, Kyunei-sensei. I also thought it was possible they'd think that way, so I had them keep watch. I underestimated their foolishness a bit."
Rouza's older brothers, the ones at the top, are in a far-off land across the sea. Communication is slow, and they have to leave it up to the people on the scene to make judgments. Maybe that's where the problem lies.
"However, the fact that they tried to drag Mikage in will definitely reach my older brothers. Even if they're third-rate, they're still skilled at espionage. If they go all out to escape, it won't be easy for even my guards to catch them."
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