Maya’s Disappointment

“With this, slowly but surely, we’ll be able to cover the gaps and corner that man.”

As she said those words, Liz fired a merciless thrust straight at me.

“!! Th-that’s true! But, this is still only the beginning. Depending on what kind of info we get from Anne’s next report, we need to come up with the next hand to play as well………Woah!!?”

“Unpreparedness is one’s greatest foe indeed.”

I-I almost got knocked down to the ground………

Or rather, as always, Liz really has no mercy during training huh. Of course, I prefer it this way too though.

From there on, we continued to exchange blows for a couple more rounds.

“………..This is my loss.”

“haaah…….haah………I- I won……..”

I somehow managed to bring my sword straight to Liz’s solar plexus, and stopped before I actually hit, allowing Liz to declare her defeat.

But perhaps because she was frustrated by the loss, Liz’s cheeks were puffed to the maximum.

“Lord Rudy, let’s have one more match.”

“wai-wait just a minute! It’s already so late, so we should stop here for today.”

“!! A-are you planning on running after winning!!?”

“Th-that’s not the case at all! We need to go an hear Anne’s report as well and then have our strategy meeting on top, you know!?”

Seeing Liz draw close to me with fury, I somehow managed to pacify her.

Or rather, Liz really is a sore loser huh. This was yet another thing that I found extremely cute about her though.

“C’mon, we’ll have more matches tomorrow as well, right?”

“muu……….it’s a promise okay?”

“Sure.”

Finally, I managed to make Liz back down.

I guess I’ll have to make up more time for training tomorrow just for her sake.

“Now then, I’m sure Maya and Anne are eagerly waiting for us to return, so let’s hurry up.”

“Agreed.”

And so, after taking a quick bath to wash our sweat away, me and Liz hanged to new clothes and then arrived at the room Maya had prepared for all of us.

“Alright, then begin.”

“uh, Yes! First of all………”

Anne began to report everything she had on Wilhelm’s movements.

But, the details simply included that he showed up at the student council, and had a few words with Oscar. Nothing of note at all.

“………Is that it?”

“Yes…….I even asked for surveillance over the Svalier household through others at the Fahlcrantz house but, there were no movements of note there either………”

Anne dropped her shoulders in apparent disappointment.

 She seemed dejected to have not achieved the results she had expected.

“………well, I suppose it can’t be helped. These things happen.”

“My deepest apologies…………”

Seeing me look clearly disappointed, Anne shrunk back in shame.

“And you Maya? How was it?”

“Prince Oscar has continued to actively invite people of his faction to the Aries Palace, and has been having meetings with him. Especially, the matter of how to deal with the noble families that they absorbed from the former Robin faction seemed to be the main topic of discussion.”

“hmmm………….”

It’s easy to bring all those families into his camp, and more numbers are always nice to have but if you have to many people to deal with, it can become a problem on its own as well after all.

Especially when it comes to the families that came to him after Robin’s imprisonment became a fact, he needed to show a clear difference in treatment towards them compared to his more loyal supporters but, if he made it too obvious and over the top, it might make other noble families antagonistic towards him as well.

Having a large number of subordinates was a always a double edged sword.

“and also………I saw Oscar having a chat with some unfamiliar man as well.”

“An unfamiliar man, you say?”

“Yes. Apparently, he was an emissary from some foreign country I believe.”

A foreign emissary eh……..

Normally, it would be the job of the ministers to deal with an emissary. And if it was a really important person, the Emperor himself would handle it.

And yet, Oscar who was still an academy student was handling it? I highly doubt he’d be given such a responsibility officially.

In that case……..something’s up for sure.

“Understood. Maya, I need you to go and investigate the background of this emissary.”

“Understood.”

Maya gave a respectful bow.

Now then………..that’s about al we can do for now.

“Now then, let’s end the meeting here for today. Liz, you too need to get some good rest to prepare for tomorrow okay?”

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

I took Liz’s hand, and then escorted her to the entrance of the girls’ dormitory.

“Liz, good night.”

“Lord Rudy, good night.”

“Take care, Milord.”

Liz and Anne gave a bow, and then entered the dorms.

“Maya.”

“……….Prince Rudolf, may I humbly ask you to give me just one more night? Please. Tomorrow night, I will definitely……….”

“Very well. I do trust you at least .“

“Thank you, very much………..”

Unlike the usually aloof looking Maya, she seemed to be brooding over something.

Meaning, it really is how I thought.

In that case, all I have to do is simply patiently wait for my dear attendant.

“Come, let us return as well.”

“Yes.”

I turned back from the girls dorms, and Maya soon followed after me.

And I simply continued to watch over her.

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