Chapter 158

Twins

If I were to point out one very obvious fact, it was that there were also women in this world who did not feel any affection toward Aiden.

At the very least, Elena Ba Del considered herself firmly among that category.

“That’s what people tend to think.”

“…Pardon?”

As I sat in the reception room waiting, Katya, who was seated beside me, casually added that remark.

Perhaps she was thoroughly benefiting from the sensory suppressant Aiden had given her earlier, because compared to before, she seemed far more composed and capable of holding onto her reason while speaking.

“In my view, the classification itself is wrong.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“You shouldn’t divide people into those who have feelings for him and those who don’t. You should divide them into those who’ve had contact with him and those who haven’t.”

“…….”

“If they’ve had contact with him even once, well.”

…She was talking about him as if he were some plague lord spreading an incurable disease.

But seeing Katya, seated right next to me, burning documents with holy power in such a fearsome manner made it hard to raise any objections.

Watching the stacks of paper vanish completely without leaving even drifting ashes behind, it was obvious that the task was filled to the brim with emotion.

Well, that was understandable.

All of this consisted of requests that had poured in from across the Empire, asking to arrange even a single dinner meeting with Aiden Kellermain.

…Every last one of them had heard the rumors that this man had quite the fondness for women and were scheming to mobilize all their connections to attach someone to him.

“…….”

No, in fact, what was truly frightening was this:

Among them were people who, without inserting any political maneuvering or calculating gains and losses, had attached letters driven purely by curiosity or goodwill toward Aiden Kellermain—and in some cases, sentiments close to romantic longing despite having never even seen his face.

It was often young ladies of the Empire who were easily swept up by rumors who did such things.

‘…The stimulus is rather strong.’

A young talent who had appeared like a comet and secured the position of Lionhearted’s consort.

Handsome, with no notable scandals to his name thus far.

In particular, he had even rushed at a Direct Imperial Prince, the rightful heir to the throne, to protect his own fiancée—and now he had gone so far as to travel abroad and elevate his reputation even further.

With hardly any social contact and possessing every kind of romantic fantasy imaginable about men, it was the perfect kind of background to draw their attention all at once.

Was there not the example of Princess Milene, who had run all the way here from the Holy Crown Kingdom for the sake of that one man alone…?

“So from what I see, I think you’re the same.”

“…….”

“Honestly, you didn’t really need to follow the priestess of the Tribal Alliance, did you? That was all a sign—”

“…No, not really.”

So while I could understand why Katya reacted that way, I was at least in a position to answer such a question firmly.

Well.

Rather than feeling any particular charm from that man, I was simply probing him for now because I was worried about the safety of my close friend, Noel.

She was a friend who had achieved tremendous things socially. It would not do for her to get caught by some viper-like man.

“…So even if you say something like that to me—”

“Then what was the result of your assessment?”

“…….”

“Have you figured out for sure whether he’s a viper or not?”

“…….”

Well.

Instead of baring venomous fangs, I remembered him protecting me when someone had tried to pull those fangs out of me.

“…I think I need to observe a little longer.”

…So I had no choice but to answer that way, but the moment she heard it, Katya twisted the corner of her lips as if in disbelief, and that inevitably irritated me.

Ah, yes. Of course. That expression that seemed to say, Everyone’s like that at first—

“No, really. In the first place, once we part ways here, there probably won’t be much reason for us to get entangled again in the future—”

As I was saying that, my mouth snapped shut.

Rania was striding into the reception room, Aiden in tow.

Speak of the devil.

“Let’s go back. He’s coming with us.”

What was embedded in the following sentence was an order so simple that even a tiger would be shaken to its core.

“…Pardon?”

“I’ve already received permission from the Emperor and Lionhearted. It’s urgent business, so we’ll be taking custody of him through the Tribal Alliance as is.”

I didn’t know what the urgent matter was, but if both the Emperor and Lionhearted had acknowledged it at the same time, then it was undoubtedly serious. Katya must have thought the same, because her expression turned grave at once.

“I’d like you to guide him.”

…Though the moment she heard the next sentence, that gravity nearly shifted into something feral.

I, too, asked back with a stiffened expression.

“Once I return to the Alliance, I’ll be busy preparing for the ritual, so I’d like you to take full charge of assisting him in the meantime.”

“…….”

Somehow.

It was clearly not a proposal that either I or Aiden found particularly welcome.

“Ah, damn it.”

“…What’s wrong, Katya?”

“I should’ve tried something similar when you came to the Holy Crown Kingdom.”

“…….”

I was too afraid to even ask what on earth she meant by that.

▣

Unlike when we had previously crossed between the Empire and the Holy Crown Kingdom, entering the Tribal Alliance offered only two methods instead of trains or other magical means.

On foot, or by carriage.

“…Why are we doing this?”

Katya, who had followed along, asked sulkily.

With her senses having returned and still being suppressed by the inhibitor, the carriage—rattling this way and that and delivering every kind of stimulus—seemed difficult for her to endure. Her face had already turned pale….

“The tribes revere pure strength over technology.”

Elena, who had been maintaining a sulky expression the entire time beside Aiden, replied calmly.

“Combat-related techniques within are constantly evolving, but they are most wary of relying on tools and devices in ways that weaken one’s own training.”

“Then shouldn’t we not even be riding in a carriage?”

“Crossing the roads of the Tribal Alliance by carriage is itself training.”

“…….”

As for why that was, Katya herself was currently experiencing the brutal vibrations inside the carriage firsthand.

While she pressed her lips tightly together and silently cursed the inflexible rigidity of the Tribal Alliance—

Elena’s eyes were, without her realizing it, repeatedly glancing sideways at Aiden seated right next to her.

‘…Hm.’

To be honest, he looked like he wasn’t thinking about anything at all.

Even though something rather significant had happened in front of Noel before, there was not the slightest sign that he felt regret about it or harbored any particular emotions toward her.

‘…….’

And that irritated me immensely.

He wasn’t thinking about it at all, yet it made it seem as though I alone was going through emotional ups and downs for no reason.

‘…Then I just won’t care either.’

If there was something that bothered me, it was probably the fact that I had already made that same resolution three times.

Meanwhile, as for Aiden—

‘…Why are there two?’

In truth, that was the only question that had been troubling my mind since earlier.

The internal circumstances of the Tribal Alliance and how things would ultimately develop—those were all fine.

But why, in the vision I saw back then, were there two people who looked like Rania?

‘Judging from the situation.’

…It felt somewhat awkward to say this myself, but the vision I had seen back then was clearly a list of people whose Affection Level toward me could develop to the maximum.

Noel had been there, and then Katya, who had appeared afterward, as well.

But it was already unsettling enough that Rania had been included—so why were there two?

‘A doppelgänger?’

…There had been no reports of such an entity on the continent, but if I had to think of the most plausible scenario, that was the only one that came to mind.

Rania’s closest blood relative… as far as I knew, there was exactly one.

Among the priestesses, there was her biological older sister, the one who always gave Rania headaches.

…In many ways, she was an absolutely maddening character.

The person who would take on the role of the main character in Act III.

Originally, I had known that Rania herself had not even been assigned a role beyond that of a mere supporting aide for that side.

So if it had been that side appearing together with Rania, I could at least have accepted it—but why were there two Rania alone?

Where had Rania’s original older sister gone?

‘…Something’s already twisted again.’

Well.

If I assumed the worst-case scenario, it was even possible that her role had been completely “erased,” with Rania replacing her instead.

Somehow, she should have shown her face at least once by now, and the fact that only Rania had continued to make contact with me might itself have been foreshadowing.

“…….”

With a serious expression, I began searching through every possible scenario.

Trying to determine what the most severe worst-case possibility might be.

And then.

Compared to that deep contemplation, the answer to my question came rather quickly.

Mainly because of the sight that came into view the moment our carriage crossed the slope and entered the territory of the Tribal Alliance.

“…What is that?”

Before Elena could even begin her arrival briefing, I found myself asking that question upon spotting a massive statue visible even from far beyond the entrance to the territory.

It was a statue of two girls standing side by side.

And because it was so enormous, their distinct features were clearly visible at a glance, making it easy to recognize what it depicted.

Which meant I immediately knew who it portrayed.

“Isn’t that a statue of the priestesses?”

“…It doesn’t seem that strange to have statues of religious leaders who directly communicate with the gods.”

“No, I get that.”

Looking back and forth between the two identical faces, I frowned and continued.

“Why are there two statues of the priestess?”

This made it look exactly like the scene I had seen in that vision not long ago.

The mind that had been calculating possibilities until now began spinning even more fiercely.

That had to carry some deep religious significance. Perhaps it would heavily affect the main scenario—

“They’re twin priestesses.”

Before my line of doubt could continue any further, Elena tossed out that answer flatly.

As if she had no idea what nonsense I was going on about.

“…….”

“The twin priestesses of the Tribal Alliance are quite famous figures. You didn’t know that?”

“…Twins?”

“Yes.”

“Not just sisters?”

“Even if they’re twins, there’s still an older and younger one. What kind of question is that?”

“…….”

Well.

That was true.

Letting out a hollow laugh, I conceded to Elena’s words.

Ah. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

They were twin sisters?

Then what that vision meant was—

‘…Then am I going to seduce both twins?’

That chilling conclusion slid down my spine.