To Be a Power in the Shadows!

“How long has it been since we last had a meal with just the three of us like this?”

So says Jaga the Traitor.

“Since this guy eats with the princess for literally every single meal.”

And that was Hyoro.

“What choice do I have?”

Me.

For the first time in quite a while, we three are eating together in the cafeteria. Alexia is, for a surprising change of pace, not present.

“Sid-kun, can you forgive me already?”

“Hear, hear. Men don’t hold grudges over insignificant things!”

“I even treated you to a 980 Zeny Daily-Set-Meal-for-dirt-poor-nobles, didn’t I?”

“Hear, hear. He already treated you, so just let bygones be bygones!”

“Gah, alright already.”

I heave a huge sigh.

“Thank you, Sid-kun.”

“Yea, yea.”

“So, how far have you actually gone?”

So asks Hyoro in a subdued voice.

“Gone where?”

“Duh, I’m talking about ‘that’ and Princess Alexia. You two have already gone out for 2 weeks so you’ve been getting some of ‘that,’ haven’t you?”

Seriously, stop saying ‘that.’ Oh my god what a retarded conversation this is.

“Nothing has happened, and nothing will happen.”

“Kah, what a useless wimp. If it was me, I’d have reached last base already.”

“Agreed. I would have at least gotten to the kissing stage.”

“As I keep saying, we’re not like that.”

I half-heartedly fend them off while continuing to eat my lunch. But then all of a sudden.

“May I sit here?”

The blond-haired ikemen Zenon-sensei enters the scene.

“Yes of course!”

“All yours!”

With that, the two once again turn into ornamental decorations.

“What business do you have with me?”

I am slightly on my guard. Just in case he’s aiming for me now that Alexia is not present.

“I’m sure you’ve already heard, but Princess Alexia has not returned to the dorms since yesterday.”

Naturally, this is my first time hearing such news.

But I’m sure she’s merely gone off on a trip of self-discovery or something. That’s what teenagers do, right?

“During our search this morning, we found this.”

What he takes out is a single loafer. It’s Alexia’s.

“There were signs of a struggle nearby. The Knight Order is considering it to be a kidnapping case, and investigations are underway.”

“What, how could this be……!”

Is what I shout out loud in a grieving voice, but inside I’m shouting “Hell yea, serves you right!!” while making a guts pose.

“When we were narrowing down the list of suspects, the last person confirmed to have been seen with her came up.”

So saying, Zenon-sensei looks at me.

“The Knight Order would like to ask you a few questions.”

Standing at the entrance of the cafeteria are members of the Knight Order wearing their full equipment and projecting bloodthirst.

“You will cooperate with us, yes?”

Oh, I can see where this is going.

Fuck me.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

After that, I was brought to a place like a police cell, where I answered a few questions before being released in the evening. 5 days later, that is.

“Get a move on, you fucker.”

My back is pushed roughly as I am effectively evicted from the building. Then my belongings are thrown out right after me.

As I am now only in my underwear, I pick up my clothes and shoes and put them on right there and then. Because I no longer have fingernails on either hand, it takes a bit longer than usual.

After I finish arranging myself, I heave a sigh then walk off.

The pedestrians going to and fro that I pass all stare at my ‘scratches’ and bloody appearance.

I heave another sigh.

“Stay calm, me. Stay calm. What’s the point of flipping out over a few small potatoes?”

I try my best to not remember the face of the knight who interrogated me while maintaining calm.

“They were merely doing their job.”

My wounds are all only superficial, and I can grow my fingernails back whenever I want.

The only reason why I don’t is to fully act out my mob character.

“Yes, I am the very definition of calm.”

Tranquility.

I take a deep breath. My vision widens back up.

Probing with my senses, I notice some supicious presences.

“They put two tails on me, huh.”

The kidnapper is yet to be found. Naturally, Alexia’s safety is still unconfirmed.

My head is not so full of daisies that I think I have been acquitted. They didn’t have enough evidence, but my name is definitely still on the list of suspects.

I keep my face down and pretend to be haggard and exhausted while making my way back to my dorm.

Along the way.

“Later……”

A really, really tiny voice reaches my ears.

Accompanied by the faint smell of a familiar perfume.

“Alpha, huh……”

The avenues are extremely crowded in the evenings. Her figure is nowhere to be seen.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Having returned to my dorm room, I turn on the lights.

From the shadows, a young girl reveals herself.

“You wanna eat?”

She is wearing a tight bodysuit that seems to be emphasizing her recently acquired assets.

In her hand is a thick sandwich filled with tuna, bought from the famous store MagRonald in the royal capital. (T/N: ‘Maguro’ in Japanese means ‘tuna.’)

“Thanks. It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Alpha? What happened to Beta?”

I haven’t had anything proper to eat for 5 days straight, so I attack the sandwich with gusto.

Beta was the one who had been supporting me recently.

“I heard from Beta. Seems things have gotten a bit troublesome, hm?”

She sits on my bed and crosses her legs.

Both her silky blond hair and long-slitted blue eyes seem somehow nostalgic.

In the short time that she’s left my sight, she has grown up so much.

“Guess so.”

I throw the last scrap of the sandwich into my mouth.

“There’s water in that.”

Thx~”

I drain the large cup in one breath.

“Whew, back to life.”

I throw off my shoes and coat, then dive into my bed.

“At least change your clothes first!”

“Nah, gonna sleep.”

“You…… do you even understand the situation you are in?”

“The prep I’ll leave to you.”

Alpha is super capable. By giving her free reign, I am sure she will ready the most wonderful stage for me. But until then, I am going to sleep…… I mean, conserve my strength.

Alpha sighs deeply.

“I’m sure you understand this, but the way things are currently developing, this will be pinned on you.”

“Probably, yea.”

As long as the real culprit is not found, it is almost certain that the one under the most suspicion would be executed.

Especially since this case is the kidnapping of a member of royalty. Someone’s head has to fly, or else the case can’t be closed.

Yay for the Middle Ages.

“Get up, I have another sandwich.”

“!! I’m up.”

I receive the sandwich from Alpha.

“There is movement to actively frame you as the culprit for this.”

“Heeh~, even though I would become it automatically if left alone?”

“They probably want to resolve things quickly. An average performing son of a poor baron family is the perfect scapegoat.”

“Agreed. I’d do the same too, if I were them.”

“The knights cannot be trusted.”

“The Order has moles inside?”

“Without doubt. It was the Order who kidnapped her. Their aim is probably her thick Blood of the Heroes.”

Alpha and the girls are still sticking to the whole Order of Diabolos setting for me. How considerate of them.

“Do you think she’s still alive?”

“You can’t draw blood from a dead person, right?”

“Good point.”

“Though we can’t seem to understand why you decided to take part in a romance story with a princess.”

So says Alpha while frowning at me with half-closed eyes.

“It is not what it seems.”

“I’m sure you must have a reason, something that you can’t tell us.”

I evade Alpha’s eyes as she tries to peer into mine.

And of course, I remain silent. Because I don’t have any really big reason.

“It’s fine, we understand that you’re shouldering something really big.”

What do I do if I’m not actually shouldering anything as important as she’s making it sound?

“But I just want to say, please trust us a little bit more. Even this time, if you had given us a heads up in advance, things wouldn’t have blown to such proportions. Right?”

“Alright, alright.”

“Anyways, don’t worry about it anymore. It’s our job to follow up after you.”

So saying, Alpha smiles at me.

“When this incident is all resolved, treat me to MagRonald. That second sandwich was my share, actually.”

“Sure thing. Sorry for eating your share too.”

“Don’t mind it.”

Alpha stands up, opens the window, and puts a foot through.

Her small hip sways.

“I’m going now. You just keep low for a while.”

“Got it. What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to gather numbers. We currently don’t have enough people in the capital. Also, I’m going to call Delta too.”

“You’re going to call her too?”

“She said she really misses you.”

Delta the Loose Cannon. Or by another name, Delta the Suicide Weapon. To put it simply, she’s basically an idiot specced solely for battle.

Since it’s been a while, guess everyone wants to host a reunion or something like that? I sincerely hope that they’re all living decent, respectable lives.

“The details I’ll tell you after the prep is over. Well then.”

After flashing me one last smile, Alpha covers her face with the bodysuit and then disappears through the window.