There are two non-human races among the heroes.
The first is the necromancer Zirqal Alexic. As an elder lich, he is also the owner of one of the four great magic tomes of Ciencia that we obtained when we visited Umbril—the Abyssal Black Tome (S).
The second is the polymorphic race… the doppelganger Irumokwi. The polymorphic race is a species with the innate ability to transform into other living beings. They possess extremely long lifespans, but in inverse proportion, their numbers are very small, making them a rare species.
Plebelziam spoke.
[…Indeed, if it’s the polymorphic race’s transformation ability, they can even imitate the target’s unique wave.]
That’s right.
The crown prince in the imperial palace was a fake transformed by a doppelganger.
However, a doppelganger is still a living being. That alone could not explain why the character sheet viewing function failed or why the <Armchair> spell—which targets objects—had worked.
Of course, I had already reached a tentative conclusion.
The crown prince we saw at the banquet was highly likely to be a clone created through Irumokwi’s divine-type Soul Imprint, Split Messenger (U).
It was moving on its own according to orders the main body had given long ago, but it could hardly be called an independent living being. That was why <Armchair> had worked on it, and why the character sheet hadn’t appeared—because it wasn’t the main body.
Irumokwi’s clone possessed the same unique transformation ability as the main body. In the original work, it was mentioned that he used this ability to operate secretly across the continent until the Five Heroes awakened from their long slumber.
His intentions were still unknown… but the one who had disguised himself as Tanya Ornick at the Sun Cathedral and helped Clara escape was likely this clone’s doing.
I never imagined this clone would have infiltrated so deeply into the Wiblet Empire.
[MacGuffin No.319 / Split Messenger recovered.]
[Achievement Points + 1,000]
While looking at the MacGuffin recovery message, Plebelziam said,
[Irumokwi, huh. I never imagined that inconspicuous guy had such an annoying ability.]
“…In the Great Forest, only stories about Irumokwi being a great mage were passed down. This is the first time I’ve heard he was from the polymorphic race.”
“He must have hidden his information as much as possible even when he was running wild four hundred years ago. It makes sense.”
What worried me more than that was the fact that Irumokwi’s clone and the real Crown Prince Yustasio seemed to be in a cooperative relationship.
The position of crown prince in the empire was an extremely busy one.
To simultaneously perform the duties of crown prince and lead an international criminal organization like Praszkeak? Even a moment’s thought made it clear how absurd that was.
The fact that the one staying in the crown prince’s palace was the doppelganger meant…
“Epio, Clara. The man you met on the street is probably the real crown prince.”
“That guy…”
Epio’s expression hardened.
In the original history, the Wiblet Empire was half-destroyed right after the Five Heroes revived. Considering that Yustasio, a Triple Star-level powerhouse, never even showed his face afterward, it was difficult to believe Irumokwi’s clone was lending power with pure intentions.
It seemed that, like Tiamia trying to use her descendants, Irumokwi was also trying to take control of Praszkeak and the Wiblet Empire. The other Five Heroes had left arrangements to prepare for the future as well.
Personally, I was also curious about the process through which the crown prince and the clone had come to cooperate… but it wasn’t particularly important in the current situation, so I set it aside for now.
“…Um, hey.”
Estriel, who had been quietly listening from the corner, slightly raised his hand.
“So, Aiden, you’re saying you have foresight abilities?”
“That’s right. The reason I met Estriel in the principality was thanks to these prophetic dreams.”
“I let it slide because it didn’t seem like you had bad intentions, but your behavior in the principality definitely had some inconsistencies. Now I understand why the Blispiel Clan has been winning so consistently.”
“You’ll have to keep the prophetic dreams a secret for now, Estriel.”
“Hm, ‘for now,’ huh…”
After thinking for a moment, he asked,
“Anyway, you’re saying a clone left behind by the legendary Five Heroes is currently acting as the crown prince’s proxy? And the real one is operating as the boss of the Praszkeak Guild.”
“That’s correct. If we find the real Yustasio and stab him with the holy relic needle, we can secure perfect evidence.”
The Church of Utility’s holy relic, the Inquisitor’s Needle (S), extracts accumulated energies of various types from the target’s body little by little. If we take the needle back to the Holy Nation and extract the demon qi embedded in it, we could easily prove that Yustasio was a demon worshipper.
In that case, we would be able to receive the Holy Nation’s full support in destroying the Praszkeak Guild, which had become an obstacle for our clan.
We would reduce the Five Heroes’ forces.
And raise the clan’s standing at the same time.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
I called Linia and Chesa to the conference room inside the mansion.
“…Young Master. What brings you to call me?”
“I had something I needed to tell you separately.”
Swish.
Nano Eater slipped out of Chesa’s pouch on its own and unfolded in the air. A hologram video appeared on it.
[How are their movements?]
[They are steadily taking over the markets of the empire and surrounding countries. The leader said he wants to hold a meeting with Your Highness at the end of this month.]
[Hm… It would be troublesome if the snake-like power ministers catch our tail. Tell him I’ll send a proxy. The location will be the White Rose Mansion.]
In a dark room, a scene played of the crown prince and his escort knight conversing. It was a visualization of the clone’s memories that I had read through <Armchair> earlier.
“As you can see, the doppelganger and the real Yustasio seem to hold meetings from time to time. We plan to infiltrate the White Rose Mansion mentioned in the video and catch the tail of the Praszkeak Guild.”
“Understood, Young Master.”
Linia bowed politely.
Now came the truly important matter.
In truth, I had been waiting for the right opportunity ever since we visited Illinoer, but now that we were facing a situation where we had to confront Irumokwi’s clone, I could no longer delay.
“…Linia. You’ve probably roughly guessed from the flow of events, but the Five Heroes will revive in the near future. And all of them will be our enemies. Of course, that includes Tiamia, whom you respect.”
Linia stared at me quietly.
Then she smiled faintly and spoke.
“Nothing will change. To me, Young Master is my new Tiamia-nim.”
“…Good.”
It was a declaration that she would believe in and follow me as she always had until now. There was no need for any more lengthy explanations.
“I saw a play called ‘The Chronicles of Tulgha’ in the bustling streets before. The original poem that became the basis for that script is ‘The Hill in the South’…”
“Does Your Highness the Prince perhaps have an interest in poetry? It so happens that this young lady does as well.”
“This is… I find myself able to converse well with Lady Pontiroig.”
The 2nd Prince Salvador spoke calmly at first glance, but the corners of his mouth were almost reaching his ears.
Mariana, sitting across from him, was also smiling as if she found the conversation enjoyable.
Salvador Wiblet Leonor was 33 years old this year, eight years older than Mariana. The reason for the rather large age gap with the crown prince Yustasio was that between the eldest brother and him, six princesses had been born.
Previously, I had requested of the emperor to build personal connections with the imperial family members, and he had gladly granted my request.
This meeting, which resembled a blind date, had been arranged through that process.
Fortunately, the atmosphere was warm and friendly.
In Mariana’s case, she had a classical noble lady’s mindset that prioritized background and practical benefits when choosing a spouse. Salvador was not only an imperial prince but also handsome, sociable, and kind—making him an ideal groom in every way.
With the halo effect of his status, a good first impression, and shared interests, it was natural for Salvador to fall into her strike zone.
The 2nd Prince Salvador’s position… there was no need to even think about it. There would be no man who wouldn’t feel goodwill upon seeing Mariana’s beauty.
The status of a count’s daughter felt somewhat lacking compared to the imperial family, but with me and the Blispiel Clan as backing, it held sufficient value as a marriage alliance partner. Emperor Eliodoro also held goodwill toward us, so there were no obstacles.
I cleared my throat lightly and spoke.
“My lady. It is getting quite late.”
“Mm… I understand, Sub-Master.”
Mariana showed a slight hint of regret as she stood up. A short while later, only the 2nd Prince and I remained in the room.
Salvador muttered with dreamy eyes,
“She was truly a beautiful and cultured woman…”
“Due to Count Pontiroig’s health issues, I am searching for a good match on his behalf. Does Your Highness have any interest in her?”
“…To be honest, yes, Sub-Master Stroke. As a prince, I have interacted with many noble ladies, but this is the first time someone has stirred my heart so deeply.”
He was practically stamping his feet in eagerness.
He was burning with impatience.
“If the lady were to meet an excellent partner like Your Highness, her father, Count Pontiroig, would be overjoyed beyond words.”
“If that is the case…”
“Of course, we must consider realistic conditions and circumstances, so I cannot give a definite answer here. We must go through proper procedures.”
“Hmm…”
Salvador’s expression hardened.
His eyes soon became bloodshot with excitement.
I smiled inwardly.
The man before me was also a talented individual in his own right and had learned imperial studies as Yustasio’s spare.
However, when the thing one truly desires appears before their eyes—close enough to touch yet seemingly out of reach—their field of vision narrows extremely. From his perspective, Mariana was an ideal woman, a peerless beauty he might encounter only once in a lifetime.
As the 2nd Prince of the Wiblet Empire who could have anything he wanted, he had likely never experienced such impatience before.
“Then… what would be the best course of action?”
“If I may offer one piece of advice, Lady Mariana is a woman with great ambition. To fully win her heart, Your Highness must also spare no effort in strengthening your position and influence within the empire.”
Salvador’s expression became puzzled.
I added at the right timing,
“I have no disrespectful intentions, so please do not misunderstand. It would be enough to gain enough influence to check the crown prince and exercise political power.”
“Hmm…”
“Afterward, if you promise to provide full support to ‘Lady Mariana’s family,’ both her father and I will be satisfied.”
Salvador, who had been deep in thought for a long while after hearing my words, finally nodded with burning eyes.
“I understand. If I am to be joined with Lady Mariana in the future, I promise to move entirely for the sake of her family.”
Right after that, the Oath’s Great Spirit Shambhavi manifested, and it secretly moved to bite Salvador’s shoulder.
“Ugh…?!”
“What is the matter, Your Highness?”
“It is nothing. I just felt a momentary emptiness near my shoulder…”
Good.
I had ignited his ambition and planted the seed.
Although Shambhavi’s compulsion was far weaker than Queen Isabella’s, it was sufficient for now.
I smiled faintly and said to him,
“Very well. Regarding the marriage talks, I will send someone later to continue the discussion.”
“I will be waiting, Sir Stroke.”
The corners of his mouth split wide with anticipation.
One year in the Reca Chronicles world consists of 13 months, and each month has 28 days. Conveniently, a year has 364 days.
The 28th of April, year 985.
Estriel, who had gone to the White Rose Mansion—the contact point between Praszkeak and the crown prince’s side—returned to the lodging that night.
He handed me the Formless Robe (S-) and delivered good news.
“Tailing successful. I found the headquarters where the boss of Praszkeak resides.”
“…!”
Epio shot up from his seat and looked at me with earnest eyes.
“…Aiden.”
“I know.”
I shrugged and patted the boy’s red hair.
It was a bit complicated, but… it was time to go rescue the imprisoned princess.