Chapter 246: Those who reap benefit

Camilla looks at me with hatred.

However, I respond to her with a smile.

[This is for the Empire]. Please understand.

I returned the words she used as her excuse exactly as it is.

If she can use my mother as a decoy for the sake of the Empire then it is only reasonable for her to do the same by taking the dummy jewel and attract the enemys attention.

Camilla took a deep breath to recover her calm and started presenting her argument.

Prince Arnold. Why do we need to take the dummy out of here? As long as Knight Commander Alida is here the enemy will think that we are protecting the real thing, no? I cant help but think that your plan presented too many risks while offering few benefits though?

Please rest assured. The real jewel will be taken out as well.

What.?

Camilla looked suspiciously at me.

Alida and the First Imperial Knight Corp are protecting the throne room. She probably couldnt understand why we should abandon this kind of protection.

And in fact, the protection they offered here is quite strong already. For any average opponent, they wouldnt be able to break through them.

However, the enemy no longer consists of your average troops.

With Captain Raphaels betrayal, it is no longer a good plan to stay here. He will eventually come here with the enemys Generals and that would be difficult for even Knight Commander Alida to defend against.

I dont think that I will lose in a fight but I admit that I am not confident that I can protect the Rainbow Celestial Jewels.

Camilla asked if that is true with her eyes and Alida calmly replied.

In a one on one fight, there are only a few people who can beat Alida. Moreover, no magic can be used inside the throne room. The enemy can only rely on their swordsmanship to break through her.

Winning against her in that condition is unrealistic.

However, it is still possible to stall her. For Raphael that is.

In that case, it will be up to Alidas men to stop the enemys advance but even for the elite Imperial Knights, they would eventually get overwhelmed with numbers. Especially when we have to allocate some of them to protect Camillas group.

..then please leave the real one to us.

It is a well-known fact that sister-in-law Therese and Knight Commander Alida are sisters. Moreover, as the wife of my eldest brother, my sister in law is someone whose face is widely known throughout the country. With that being the case, who would Knight Commander Alida entrust the real jewel to..of course, the enemy would think that she is the obvious choice. We can not entrust her with the real thing exactly because of that.

If she has to act as a decoy, she will be put in great danger you know? Is Knight Commander Alida fine with that?

..ever since my sister became the Crown Princess she has already joined the Imperial Family. Not to mention that it is our duty as someone who hails from the house of Weitling, It is her obligation to devote herself to the Empire. As Camilla-sama said, my younger brother left a stigma on our house. No matter what we do or what we become, that stigma will always be attached to us. Such a stigma can only be cleared through action. Aneue, I am also risking my life here. Please accept this task. This is for our Father as well.

.I understand. I will.fulfill my responsibilities too.

Persuaded by Alida, Therese agreed.

However, Camilla frowns at that.

Considering that she is doing this for the Empire, we should be grateful that Therese decided to act as a decoy for us.

However, this will disadvantage Camilla.

First, she will be in a dangerous position. She just scared Christa by saying that Christa and Therese should be our top priority. Now she cant say that she wont go with Therese.

Moreover, Camillas biggest concern is the case where the enemy doesnt react to Therese who acts as a decoy.

If they were that quick to react with me and Finne when we headed down to the lower floors through the secret passages then it is strange that Camilla could make her way up here without any fight at all.

Even though we had a hard time going through secret passages, she said that she made her way up here only by exploiting the enemys opening? It would be more believable if she told me that she knows a route that isnt known by others.

It will be different if she moved at a very early stage but then it brings up a question of how she could do that. And if that is not the case then how did she discover a route to the upper floors even though the castle is crowded with soldiers.

No matter what she says, she is suspicious.

Even if I take out the personal feeling when she used my mother as a decoy, Camilla still looks suspicious.

This is a test.

If the enemy doesnt react to Therese then Camilla will almost certainly with them. If that is the case, even Camillas son, Eric himself is the same.

In most cases, the person who stands to gain when things go wrong is suspicious.

Of the Emperors six consorts, Zuzan and the Fourth Consort are on the rebel side. All that remains besides her are the Empress, Mother, and Gianna.

The Empresss son, Trau-niisan has no intention of ascending the throne. In that case, if Mother and Gianna die, and the rebellion is suppressed, the inner palace will mostly be under Camillas control.

In the unlikely event that my father died, the Empress that stays at his side will be in quite a dangerous position as well. If that happens, Camillas position will solidify even more.

Both for Eric and Camilla, their obstacles will be gone after this rebellion is over. Gordon will get rid of their obstacles for them and later they will have a just cause to get rid of Gordon.

With that line of thinking, I can faintly see the figure of the mastermind.

However, Eric will surely not leave any trace behind.

If anything, Camilla is more likely to leave such a trace for us.

If the enemy does not try to apprehend Camilla during the rebellion, she will be doubted afterward and the evidence of their involvement might be found.

Camilla-sama. Please take care of my sister in law.

if Therese-san agreed then I can not say anything more. I understand.

It seems that she cant find any reason to refuse anymore as Camilla obediently accepted it.

As expected of Erics mother huh. She does know when to give up.

Well, it could be that I am wrong and I jumped to conclusion here but with the decoy attracting the enemys eyes, we can secure the safety of the real jewel.

The thing that will decide the match is the fourth Rainbow Celestial Jewel. The more time passes without the enemy obtaining it, the more advantage it brings for us. On the contrary, if Gordon obtains the fourth one then the Celestial Sphere will be strengthened.

Thats why we can not allow him to get it. Everything will be for nothing if it falls to his hands after all.

Aneue. This is the dummy jewel. Please be careful.

Thank you, Alida. then,..Im going. If we survive, let us meet again with a smile.

Saying so, Therese goes into the secret passage.

Camilla follows after her with her maids and guards and the Imperial Knights last.

After a while, we will have to send Christa out too.

I look at the pedestal on which the dummy jewel was placed until earlier.

There was a gimmick under it and when I messed with it, the bottom opened up.

A jewel about the size of a fist was hidden there.

That is the Rainbow Celestial Jewel, isnt it? Its super beautiful!

Mia whispered so while looking at it from behind me.

However, I sighed while holding the second jewel.

This one is a dummy too huh. As expected of the Prime Minister I guess.

That is a dummy too!?

Mia shouts as she couldnt believe that this is a fake too.

Thats only natural. You can feel the magic power from this jewel, a large amount at that.

I could say that it is a waste to make it a dummy.

However, thats exactly why it can be used as a dummy.

If this one is also a dummy then can I assume that Knight Commander is holding on to the real one?

Your Highness has keen eyes for noticing it. Yes, I have the real one with me.

Saying so, Alida took out the real Rainbow Celestial Jewel.

Its appearance is exactly the same as the one I am holding. No, I should say that the dummy I have looks exactly like the real thing huh.

Judging from appearance alone, they are indistinguishable.

However, those who are sensitive to magic power will notice the difference. The real Rainbow Celestial Jewel holds much more magic power inside.

The amount of magic power is so tremendous that it seems like it is containing an abyss.

I have to say, you are quite good at distinguishing the real and the fake, Your Highness.

I have been like this since a long time ago. I am confident that I can even beat Leo in this you know.

Alida may have said that because of the time with Leticias fake dead body as well.

Because I am a liar myself, I am good at seeing through such a thing. I doubt everything around me after all.

While I was thinking so to myself Alida took out two bags. Both of them looked the same.

One of them holds the dummy while the other holds the real one.

Please take care of it. I will leave how to utilize it entirely to you, Your Highness.

Is that okay? Leaving it to me like this.

After you have led so many people to this place, I am expecting a lot from you, Your Highness.

Well, thanks. I guess I will do whatever I like with it then.

Saying so, I took the two bags and headed toward Christas group.

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