Kilpus simply remained silent, fixing a sharp gaze on me.

“……”

“I just want to talk to her.”

Kilpus spat out his response.

“Absolutely not. The assassination of a king is tantamount to a national crisis. For the sake of a single girl, you would put tens or even hundreds of millions of citizens in danger. There is no way I can permit this.”

The Egil Republic will not overlook the king’s absence. That much, I understand. But as long as Lili is here, Kilpus will not be killed.

I slammed both hands onto the desk, Lehaning in to glare at Kilpus, our foreheads nearly touching.

“Even so, I beg you! Father!”

Kilpus did not so much as flinch.

His eyes were enough to make even me hesitate. Of course, they would be. His life was targeted. Who could easily forgive such a thing? If not for Void, if not for Lili, Kilpus would already be dead.

But beyond his own life, he carries the weight of the nation and its people. That is why he will not yield.

He repeated himself.

“An assassination attempt on the king must never happen. The mere fact that I was targeted cannot be allowed to reach other nations—or even our own citizens. If I am perceived as a weak ruler, the kingdom will be devoured by its neighbors. Even now, the Republic is watching for an opening.”

“I understand the logic! But all I can do is beg! Please, Kilpus!”

Our foreheads collided. Yet neither of us backed down.

Bone ground against bone with a dull, grating sound.

“Eremi. Is your head just for decoration? You fool.”

“Call me whatever you want. But please, give that girl a chance to live.”

At that moment, Kilpus suddenly pulled his head back.

I stumbled forward—and then he drove his forehead into mine again. A dull, heavy thud echoed through the room, and I staggered backward, clutching my forehead before falling onto my rear.

“Ow, ow, ow…!”

He headbutted me.

A trickle of blood began to run down my face. Kilpus’ forehead was bleeding too.

“I am telling you to think!”

“About what exactly!?”

Perhaps because I had raised my voice, a knock came at the door.

Lili’s voice followed from the other side.

“—Your Majesty, what was that noise just now?”

Kilpus hurriedly rose slightly from his chair and replied.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Neu-kun and I got a bit too heated in our discussion. In my excitement, I knocked over a vase onto the carpet. Luckily, it didn’t break. —Isn’t that right, Neu-kun?”

“A-Ah, yeah.”

After a brief pause, Lili spoke again.

“…I see. Please be careful.”

The door remained closed.

Both Kilpus and I let out a long breath.

“Listen well, Eremi. You must devote yourself not just to the sword, but also to your studies. More than knowledge, you must acquire wisdom. Use your head. My presence in Lehan is a state secret, both domestically and abroad. Even Alina does not know. So then, what exactly is the crime that girl committed yesterday? Think carefully.”

“…Ah…!”

Kilpus is not here in Lehan. Officially, that is how it is.

Which means—her crime is not the assassination attempt on the king. The knights stationed in Lehan don’t even fully understand why they’re pursuing her.

The only ones who know the truth are Kilpus, the First Unit Third Squad, and Lili.

“Of course, I placed a gag order on the First Unit Third Squad and Ituka last night.”

Kilpus pointed at me with a mischievous grin.

“If you want to save the girl, find her before the knights of Lehan do. Before Void or Lili. If the knights interrogate her, she might spill something unnecessary. Right now, there are still things that can be kept hidden.”

I was moved. Honestly, I almost cried.

“But you don’t have much time, Eremi.”

“Ki-Kilpus~…!”

“And stop calling your own father by name.”

Ah…

With a sigh, Kilpus pressed a handkerchief to his forehead and Leaned back into his chair.

“Talking with you strangely reminds me of Blythe. He was strong, but utterly lacking in cunning. Stubbornly honest.”

Ugh… I’m going to get found out at this rate…

“If you are to be royalty, then remember this—those who rule must possess a certain degree of cunning. The honest are swallowed by politics.”

“I-I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good.”

Kilpus nodded, his expression sharpening.

“—Now go, Eremi.”

“Yes, sir!”

I turned on my heel, bursting out of the chairman’s office in search of the girl—only to be immediately stopped by Lili, who grabbed my arm.

Her eyes widened.

“Eremia? What happened to your forehead? You’re injured!”

“Ah…”

Oh no. Um… What should I say? The vase! That’s it!

“Uh, well, um… Kilpus and I were, uh, throwing a vase back and forth for fun, and it just happened to hit both of our foreheads…”

Silence.

After a long pause, Lili furrowed her brow and tilted her head.

“…I don’t understand a single word of what you just said…”

Inside the chairman’s office, Kilpus buried his head in his hands after hearing my excuse.

Yeah. That’s fair. Even I don’t know what I’m saying.

At this point, I might as well leave it to someone craftier than me.

I called out to Kilpus behind me.

“Right, Your Majesty!?”

“Eh!? …O-oh, yes. Uh, Neu-kun, that was quite the fastball.”

—Men really are idiots.

That seemed to be the unspoken thought behind the expression on Lili’s face as she cast Kilpus a look filled with slight exasperation and pity.

—Sorry, Dad…

—You’ll pay for this, son…

With a heavy heart, I took off running.