Chapter 49: The Unseen History of Anna Green

Upon being summoned to the royal palace by His Highness Herace, Bliss and Philip heard about the incident concerning Ethan during their return journey.

“I knew Mother had reserved another model from the Classic series,” Bliss mused, “but I never anticipated him arriving in it.”

“Perhaps we should have looked for a completely different car,” Philip suggested.

Bliss shook his head at Philip’s suggestion.

“No,” he replied. “For the time being, that car remains the safest option. I consider it quite suitable.”

Philip, too, did not find it excessive that his superior described a vehicle equipped with an emergency low-altitude flight mode as merely “suitable.” After all, the designation ‘Bliss Moore’s Matching Guide’ made Ethan the highest priority for protection among Bliss and his allies.

Yet, one thought lingered.

“Still, after today’s events,” Philip added, “it seems he’s the type to procure a luxury vehicle for himself, even if we presented him with a mere tin can.”

Ethan was undeniably shattering every conventional image associated with the title ‘Guide’.

“I was aware of his courage,” Bliss remarked, “but to contend with Mother herself? That truly astounds me.”

“A ‘spirited parachute,’ you say? I’ve never encountered such a descriptor before.”

Philip, replaying Dale Kenis’s message in his mind, failed to maintain his composure and erupted into laughter. Bliss, too, allowed a faint upturn at the corner of his lips.

“Indeed, he is quite spirited.”

“I believe we won’t have to worry about the upcoming banquet either. Dale mentioned that Ethan seems to possess knowledge of etiquette far beyond the simplified forms currently practiced by nobles.”

“The greeting Ethan offered Marchioness Annabelle Moore, he said, was one occasionally observed among royalty and high-ranking aristocrats during official ceremonies or grand banquets. It’s a standardized form, resurrected with the revival of the aristocracy, which blends the ancient protocols of various European nations.”

“Lady Annabelle’s recognition of that particular greeting was precisely why she couldn’t simply dismiss Ethan as a mere commoner.”

“He also knew… the old Neruan greeting.”

A moment of silence settled within the car. Philip quietly murmured his thoughts, realizing that Ethan might be an even more extraordinary individual than they had initially imagined.

“It might be selfish, but I hope his memories never return,” Philip confessed. “He isn’t, by any chance, the descendant of a vanished royal line, is he?”

“Neruan… wasn’t a monarchy.”

Bliss set down the tablet he had been perusing and leaned back into the car’s seat. Assuming the conversation had concluded, Philip shifted his gaze to the passing scenery outside the window. Just as Bliss’s colossal dome-shaped estate began to appear, Bliss, who had been resting with his eyes closed, posed a question to Philip.

“Did you investigate the Neruan battle or Morapolio City, as we discussed earlier?”

“I am currently investigating,” Philip confirmed. “I will submit a report on the military’s data concerning that battle, but I did uncover something peculiar.”

“…And what might that be?”

“It concerns the final battle fought by Princess Anna Green.”

“It’s recorded as the capital siege of the Tofuna Kingdom, one of the Nesjito Federation states, isn’t it?”

“Yes. However, in the village cargo records – not the official battle data – Princess Anna Green was marked as ‘missing’. Furthermore, this information surfaced from dusty, antiquated files discovered while investigating Morapolio City and Uncle Hans’s village.”

“‘Missing,’ not ‘fallen in battle,’ you say.”

“Yes. And… the cargo appeared to consist of Esper-specific supplies, yet the transport for eight individuals’ worth of items had been cancelled.”

“Eight? …Princess Anna Green’s Esper unit comprised only five, didn’t it?”

“…That’s what we always believed.”

“Turn the car around.”

“Lord Bliss?”

“To His Highness Herace.”

The car, traveling along the moving rail, executed a smooth, skidding turn onto the right-hand road. Bliss’s vehicle then accelerated toward the royal palace at a markedly different pace than before.

****

A resounding crash echoed as the door slammed open.

“…Bliss. It’s been a while.”

As Bliss burst back into Herace’s reception room, Enoch Cloud greeted him, a cup exuding the rich aroma of coffee held casually in his hand.

“You appeared to be heading home, yet you’ve returned,” Herace observed, accepting his own tea from the chief steward. “Was there something left unsaid?”

“Herace,” Bliss stated, his voice firm. “I told you there would be no secrets between us if I were to support you.”

Herace, though clearly puzzled, nodded in agreement.

“…Indeed.”

“Is Princess Anna Green’s death in battle truly confirmed?”

Herace carefully set down his teacup, dismissing the chief steward with a subtle glance. The steward bowed low before quietly exiting the room. Noticing Bliss’s narrowed brows as he observed Enoch, who remained, Herace let out a long sigh and gestured for them to sit.

“Do sit down,” Herace urged. “What is it about today? It seems my few close friends, from Enoch Cloud to you, Bliss, are intent on tormenting me.”

“Your Highness Herace,” Bliss replied, “I am serious.”

“What on earth are both of you talking about?”

“Ah, well. Enoch Cloud appears to have fallen in love, yet he vehemently denies it.”

Herace offered a wry smile as he spoke, causing Enoch’s handsome features to contort in annoyance.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Enoch retorted. “I merely inquired if I might, or indeed should, inflict a slight setback upon Devon Green in the near future, provided it didn’t disrupt the overall flow of events.”

At his words, Bliss’s gaze shifted to Enoch.

“…I see.”

At Bliss’s utterly flat tone, a look of profound dismay settled upon Enoch’s otherwise beautiful face.

Herace, unable to contain himself, finally burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! A half-Guide who has managed to genuinely captivate Enoch Cloud,” Herace chuckled. “It seems that scoundrel Devon has an unexpected variable to contend with now.”

After a prolonged fit of laughter, Herace noticed Bliss’s mood steadily darkening and promptly sobered. He took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and then provided the answer Bliss had been patiently awaiting.

“What concerns Princess Anna Green,” Herace revealed, “is connected to the Center.”

“Does that imply I must confront the Center to obtain the answers I seek?” Bliss pressed, “Or does Your Highness Herace already know what the Center has concealed?”

Herace set his teacup down, his eyes narrowing to slits.

“Bliss, what exactly have you uncovered?”

“Only the fact that Princess Anna Green’s final battle was not the capital siege of the Tofuna Kingdom.”

Herace murmured softly.

“…So that was the truth of it, then.”

“What are you implying?”

“When I assumed command of the Esper units,” Herace explained, “most of the documents already bore signs of tampering. Among them, the battle data concerning the Tofuna Kingdom was particularly peculiar.”

“No matter how I analyzed it, it displayed the quintessential characteristics of a battle our own units would have engaged in.”

“Does that mean Princess Anna Green’s final battle actually took place in a different location?” Enoch interjected.

Bliss simply nodded, answering for him.

“To conceal something, they manipulated Princess Anna Green’s final battle and casualty records, utilizing an Esper unit to do so.”

Herace let out a troubled, exasperated sigh.

“Regrettably, this, too, inevitably connects back to the Center,” Herace admitted. “The unit that fought in the Tofuna Kingdom’s capital siege at that time was Procyon.”

A frustrated sigh escaped Enoch’s lips as he swiftly drained his now-cold coffee. Bliss’s expression, too, was far from pleased.

Antares, Betelgeuse, Procyon—these were the three Esper units, symbols of the Empire’s pride and formidable power. Among them, Procyon boasted the largest number of Espers and was the unit least subject to Herace’s direct control.

Unlike Antares, which bore the crimson scorpion as its emblem, Procyon adopted the snarling wild dog as its symbol. This unit comprised Espers of diverse grades, ranging from S to C, and was primarily responsible for maintaining urban security and guarding the Center itself.

In stark contrast to Antares, an elite but smaller unit, or Betelgeuse, which served as the royal guard, Procyon’s numerical dominance was overwhelming, with its members distributed throughout the entire city housing the Center. Furthermore, their commander-in-chief, Victor Frankl, was known to be Devon Green’s personal Esper.

After a long, heavy silence, Bliss finally broke it.

“Aside from what I’ve already stated,” Bliss began, “what other information concerning Princess Anna Green suggests a connection to the Center?”

“The capital of the Aitoolia Kingdom.”

“…What?”

“While most people believe the Aitoolia Kingdom originated here in Ashilton, they are mistaken. That history belongs to the Green Dynasty.”

Bliss’s eyes widened at Herace’s words, but he merely sent a glance toward Enoch. Meeting that gaze, Enoch, after a slight show of defiance, let out a short sigh of resignation and spoke.

“Why do you think I went to that backwoods village in Morapolio City?”

“Was it not because you wished to avoid media exposure regarding the manifestation?”

“You are aware that the Cloud family is a house that separated from the Center, aren’t you?”

Bliss nodded. Cloud Pharmaceuticals had originated as an institution of the Center before breaking away, forming its own distinct family. Though now entirely separate entities, their roots remained intertwined. It was clear what the intelligent second son, whose elder brother had been taken by the Center’s ‘monster,’ Devon Green, had been plotting.

To prevent the possibility of the now massive Cloud family being entirely consumed by the Center, he had diligently laid the groundwork to become the family head, diverting attention through an image of a carefree actor—a role nobles often assigned to idlers. This was true even when he was a civilian, but upon manifesting as an Esper, he had openly and fiercely challenged them.

“Are you suggesting Morapolio City was the starting point of the Aitoolia Kingdom? That place is… Neruan’s—”

Bliss, mid-sentence, abruptly paused. Kingdoms. The kingdoms preceding the Empire had ambiguous boundaries for what constituted a ‘kingdom’. Even if the Aitoolia Kingdom began with an ancient dynasty older than the Green Dynasty, starting from a land no larger than an autonomous region, declaring oneself a kingdom was enough. They constantly waged territorial wars, altering borders and maps several times a year.

“To be precise, Bliss, that village where your villa was located could be considered the origin point of the manifestation. My brother, Devon Green, apparently reported to me that Anna Green was scheduled to participate in the Tofuna Kingdom’s capital siege, but before that, she entered the already subjugated Morapolio and ‘disappeared’. I only realized this when I noticed recent access traces in the confidential files from when Cloud Inc. was still part of the Center.”

Herace stretched his lips into a lopsided smile.

“It suddenly struck me as odd that a Center of a scale ranking among the top five in the current Empire was established as the second in the kingdom, in such a rural corner. Especially in a place with so few Espers.”

“…!!”