「Did you say the Canal Kingdom?」

Ein asked that back to Kain who had two traces of slaps on his face.

I plan on going to the Canal Kingdom──that is what Kain said.

「By the Canal Kingdom, that’s the country where there’s a terrible civil war going on right now, right?」

「Yup. That’s a place that you can’t go to freely, you know?」

Seira nodded at the bewildered Sharon, and even Ein affirmed that with her silence.

The Canal Kingdom was a country that not even the rest of the intelligence unit that Ein belonged to could get a grasp of their current situation.

The intelligence unit members that infiltrated that country would get discovered immediately for some reason, and they would get intercepted.

Therefore, they had no techniques to know about the true state of affairs other than getting it from hearsay, but if she had to summarize their situation simply, it would be like this.

First, the Third Princess had disclosed the crimes of the king of the time, and everything had started from her overthrowing him.

Since the contents the king’s crimes were hidden even to the citizens, they weren’t made clear.

However, for that reason, numerous rumors streamed about.

According to some, the king dabbled in some forbidden curses.

According to some, the king had a hobby of torturing those that were arrested every night.

....According to some, everything was the work of someone that instigated the Third Princess.

Within the regime change drama that invoked various speculations, the king died, and the throne became vacant.

However, the Third Princess sat at the throne just like that....is not what happened.

The Third Princess swore that she would eliminate all of the evil that was nested in the country, and declared that the throne would be empty until that was accomplished.

That was probably a lofty declaration that her objective wasn’t the usurpation of the throne.

However, the absence of a supreme leader was also an easy situation for the forces that didn’t acknowledge the Third Princess as the right substitute supreme leader to take advantage of.

The First Princess, who had opposed the Third Princess for quite some time, dismissed everything as being the strategies of the Third Princess, and leading two of the Canal Kingdom’s four Chivalric Orders, the Imperial Guard Chivalric Order and the Shields of Light Chivalric Order, she declared that she would punish the Third Princess.

At the time of that, she established Kashinart, the Canal Kingdom’s sub-capital city, as the temporary capital city. Recruiting a voluntary army, she made the appeal saying that they would bring them back to the right path.

Even the Third Princess side that she was opposing, they objected saying that the Eluarc would be the capital city to the very end, and that they would not acknowledge the First Princess’s temporary capital city declaration. They criticised her saying that the First Princess’s claim itself was nonsense to begin with, and that this was nothing more than a foolish battle with the usurpation of the throne as the objective. And the remaining Swords of Light Chivalric Order and the Staves of Light Chivalric Order were commanded to suppress the insurrection.

With it turning out like this, the ones in confusion were the citizens.

They had absolutely no idea as to just who was the one that was right.

Within that sort of situation, the 「late king who was actually alive」 appeared on the First Princess’s side.

The late king proclaimed that everything was the Third Princess’s scheme, and it seemed like the situation would lean towards the First Princess’s side due to this, but that wasn’t the case.

The reason for that is unknown....but as a result, the civil war was continuing even up until now.

「The truth is....The Second Princess of this country and the Third Princess of the Canal Kingdom, are friends.」

「Hou?」

The Second Princess of the St. Altlis Kingdom, Elia. Being called a genius at Recovery Magic, she had studied abroad at the Canal Kingdom’s Magic Academy. It seems that she got along with the Canal Kingdom’s Third Princess at that time.

「It seems that they were exchanging letters right up until the civil war started though.」

Having lost the leeway for such a thing after the war started, so they had completely stopped communicating.

All that could be heard about the Third Princess were fragmentary reports of the situation.

Within those, there were unfavorable insults towards the Third Princess, so the days where Princess Elia had a pained heart continued.

However, during all of that, it was said that a letter from the Third Princess had reached her after such a long time.

Princess Elia was delighted by that, but after seeing the contents of the letter, she was astonished.

「....Something is strange. However, I am lacking in Humans that I can trust to investigate it. Princess Elia, do you have anyone that you can move among the Humans that you personally rely on, is what the letter seemed to be asking.」

「Something is strange....what does that mean?」

「I don’t know. But according to Princess Elia, it seems that the Third Princess-sama’s intuition gets things right pretty often.」

Seira looked like she couldn’t consent to the situation, while Sharon looked like she wasn’t really able to understand the situation.

Within that, Ein quietly opened her mouth.

「Well, I understand the gist of it. In other words, you were entrusted with that by that Princess Elia and just thoughtlessly accepted it, right?」

「Uguh!? N, no, you’re wrong! I haven’t accepted it after all!」

「Well, considering it’s you, you were probably entreatied by Princess Elia with teary eyes, and couldn’t refuse her though....You truly are a guy that likes being dragged into troublesome things.」

With Ein looking at Kain with half-open eyes, Kain backed away while wiping off a cold sweat.

「I, I told you, I haven’t accepted it yet! I only replied with a “please let me think about it”!」

「Is that so. Then Princess Elia is probably anticipating that you will come together with an expression of resolve. While you’re at it, why don’t you also bring in a bouquet of roses.」

「Wait Ein, stop that. If he does something like that, isn’t it like an engagement between Kain and Elia-sama was seriously decided?」

「Isn’t that fine? I think that’s a pretty good final destination for the son of a local noble to rise up to.」

Even after replying to Sharon like that, this time it was Seira who made an objection.

「We’re telling you that’s no good. Since I’m going to have Kain succeed my Duke Necros House after all.」

「Eh, eh!? Is, is that true, Kain!?」

While watching Kain being hounded by those two once again, Ein thought.

The Canal Kingdom──the country where they had yet to manage to send in an intelligence operative.

However, if Demon King Vermudol is trying to form a treaty of friendship with all of the nations of mankind, there is the possibility that being involved with this matter could become the groundwork towards that future.

「....Kain.」

「Eh, wh, what?」

Kain, who was being pulled from both sides, turned his gaze to Ein.

「You, could it be....do you plan on graduating through the special case system, and then accepting that Princess Elia’s request?」

The special case system is a system that students who achieved more than a certain amount of results could use in the Edius Adventurers School.

In Kain’s case, since he had already achieved more than enough accomplishments, the fact that he was using it wasn’t a problem itself.

「Nn, well....yeah.」

「Eh, why? There isn’t really a need to graduate as a special case....」

「I thought that it was a story where it’s fine to accept it with the position of being a student.」

Although this was the Second Princess’s personal request, this was a problem that involved an entire nation.

Therefore, Kain was thinking of accepting it not as a student but as a single Adventurer.

「Besides, this probably won’t end so easily. It might turn into a long journey after all.」

That is why he couldn’t drag Seira and Sharon into it even more. The two of them were crucial people in important positions. He simply couldn’t bring them to a place where there was no telling what would happen.

「Kain....」

Seira muttered that, while Sharon sank into silence.

They could painfully understand Kain’s feelings, and it was certainly just as he said.

If he says that he’s going to the Canal Kingdom, first off, Seira can’t enter there. Being the daughter of the Necros Duke House, if she were to make a move, it would be seen as an intention of interference from the St. Altlis Kingdom. It was completely different from a mere son of a local Baron House making a move.

And then, Sharon also couldn’t move in a different meaning. She was the only daughter of the Tianot Company, which monopolistically sold various greatly popular goods not only in the St. Altlis Kingdom but in other nations as well. Since it would be possible to obtain strong leverage and bargaining ability if her person were to be restrained, she also didn’t have a position where it was fine for her to freely go to a politically unstable nation.

They would be fine with abandoning such positions if they were told to, but it was none other than Kain himself that did not wish for that.

Among the three who were here right now, it was clear that the only one able to travel together with Kain was Ein who didn’t have such fetters.

....Then again, from Ein’s point of view, there was a mountain of problems in a different meaning, but as long as she was hiding the details of her origins, it was impossible to tell Kain to sympathise with her.

Noticing that the gazes of Kain and the others were looking at herself, Ein said no more.

As for her personal feelings, she felt that she wanted to accept it. However, Ein was not in a position where it was fine for her to move on her personal feelings.

What should she do....what would be the most correct thing to do?

Within the thinking Ein’s view, a single black bird was reflected.

At the same time that black bird flew into the room, it transformed into the form of a black clothed man.

Seeing that figure that was somewhat similar to Ein, Ein raised a surprised sounding voice.

「Zwei....!? You, why are you here....」

「I will tell you your mission.」

Without answering Ein’s words, Zwei indifferently told her.

「Infiltrate the Canal Kingdom as an Adventurer together with that man called Kain over there. This is an imperial command from Demon King-sama.」

「Wha, why....」

「Demon King-sama holds an extraordinary interest in this time’s assault, but we cannot have you involved with this country any more than this. It seems that he is expecting great things from your actions in regards to the Canal Kingdom’s civil war for the sake of what will happen from here on out.」

In other words, he had probably judged that Kain’s story was perfect.

Certainly, this was the ideal chance to infiltrate the Canal Kingdom which they felt they were at a stalemate with.

Besides, depending on how she conducted herself, it was certainly possible that they could turn a hand of friendship towards the Zadark Kingdom.

「I have been entrusted with a verbal message to that man called Kain over there as well.」

「Eh, me?」

Zwei indifferently told it to Kain who was making a puzzled face.

「I am grateful that you saved Ein, is what he said. Ahh, let me give you similar words from me as well. Although she’s this clumsy, she is technically my older sister.」

「Ugh....」

Ein unconsciously curled up.

Peeking over to see that, Zwei once again returned his gaze to Kain.

「The Zadark Kingdom, desires a friendship with mankind....true peace. Having Ein travel together with you, is also for the sake of that. Therefore....」

After Zwei said that, he turned eyes that were filled with even killing intent towards Kain.

「....If you lay your hands on Ein, I will tear you limb from limb. Do not be mistaken in this aspect and get carried away....that is all.」

After leaving those words behind, before Ein could say anything, Zwei once again turned into a bird and flew away.

It was the next day at noon that Adventurer Kain and Adventurer Ein registered as a party and began a trip.

It was a departure where everyone at the Tianot Company lavishly saw them off.