The Opportunist in Crisis (5)

"…Who are you?"

Raul's reaction was understandable. The person he thought was Leovald suddenly revealed a completely different face. It was futile, but Raul, who had been sitting with his legs positioned to bolt towards the exit, flinched and looked ready to flee at any moment.

As if he had anticipated it, Leonardo swiftly extended his sword to block the path.

"Stay where you are."

"So, who exactly are you?"

Raul anxiously shook his legs as if he was about to jump up and leave at any moment.

From what I could see, he seemed to have an inkling but was in a state of denial, stuck between acceptance and rejection, desperately trying to avoid the truth. Perhaps he was denying reality because he knew getting involved would be troublesome.

I kindly helped him understand.

"Look closely. This is the opportunity Archbishop Butier mentioned, Sir."

Raul pointed his finger at Leonardo.

"Right now… are you saying this thug is the commander?"

Compared to the original Leonardo, the Leonardo in the guise of Leovald tended to have a much gentler expression. Leonardo didn't react much to the comment, merely flicking the tip of his sword nonchalantly. Even with just that, Raul stiffened up and promptly retracted his statement.

"I apologize. …But I'm not exactly wrong, am I?"

Should this be considered him getting disciplined or not?

The mystery of what kind of superior Leovald was to his subordinates deepens. Leonardo, unconcerned with Raul's grumbling that was loud enough for everyone to hear, explained simply.

"For certain reasons, I am currently borrowing another's body. As you might have guessed, the one behind my death is—"

"Oh! I can't hear you, I won't listen! Ahh!"

"King Godric."

"Ah!"

Raul, who had been covering his ears as if he didn't want to hear, screamed and thrashed around, falling off his chair. It was clear he had heard everything.

With his long, disheveled blond hair, he muttered, "I shouldn't have come…"

Even though he had just confirmed what he already suspected, Raul's reaction was intense. Whether he wanted to deny it until the end or he still had lingering doubts, Raul widened his eyes and demanded an explanation.

"A dead person walking around in someone else's body, how is that even possible? You're trying to deceive me with some nonsense to hand me over to the king, aren't you, you frauds…"

I crouched down in front of Raul to meet his gaze. Some lies are far more elaborate than reality, and some truths are cruder than hastily spread rumours.

"Why such hurtful words? If we were really deceiving you, wouldn't we do it more logically? Do I seem like someone who would resort to cheap tricks with a shoddy lie?"

You don't think so, do you?

Exploiting the fact that Raul viewed me as a dangerous individual due to the 'minor misunderstanding' at the inn, I pressed him further. He was silent for a long while. His lips moved as if he had been struck to the core, and he asked a question a bit late.

"Then how do you explain your existence? Why is someone like you by the commander's side?"

Oh. Is he starting to accept that Leonardo is the commander? As I quietly marveled at this, Leonardo answered Raul's question succinctly.

"Isaac is an apostle who has come to assist me."

"What on earth are you talking about…?"

Raul, looking utterly exasperated, pounded his chest and pointed at me.

"Since when was the commander so devout! He's obviously being deceived. Doesn't this man look suspicious to you? He doesn't even seem like someone sent by the church!"

"Oh, about that."

I pressed down Raul's stiffly pointing finger, making him retract it, and fell into thought.

'…I wonder if they're still watching.'

Fortunately, I had the perfect tool for this situation—a gift from Archbishop Butier, bestowed upon me by the main author. I've only used it as a stage prop once before.

Recalling the sensation of cold droplets touching my forehead and the back of my hand, I lightly tapped the back of my hand. As soon as I wondered if my intention had been conveyed, a cool, tingling sensation swept over my entire body. Suddenly, a stigmata began to glow softly on my skin. Smiling broadly, I looked down at Raul.

"Well, does this answer your question?"

"….."

"My intention to help Leo is nothing but sincere."

Raul, with his lips tightly shut, looked like he wanted to poke his own eyes out and pretend he hadn't seen any of this. Seeing him gradually breaking down, I decided to push him one last time.

"If you were truly determined not to believe, you would have looked for a way to smuggle yourself onto a ship to another country instead of turning back to El Dante after hearing Archbishop Butier's words. Isn't that right?"

"How did you know that…"

"I figured I'd need to go this far for you to believe me."

At that moment, Leonardo, who had approached unnoticed, helped me up, saying, "Staying in that position is bad for your back." Raul, still sprawled on the floor, looked at us in disbelief, his mouth agape and finger pointing.

"How, what, in all this am I supposed to believe? You're someone else entirely. Who exactly are you?"

Ignoring Raul's nonsensical outburst, Leonardo gave a brief command.

"Report the situation."

With a look of self-reproach, Raul quickly got to his feet as if he hadn't just been rolling on the floor in a panic. It seemed his body reacted instinctively to the command.

"…Shortly after hearing of the commander's death, an order was given to disband the First Field Army. The turmoil is starting to die down, and they say there's no need to maintain the field army structure. What do those cushioned nobles in the safe royal capital know to spout such nonsense…"

Raul muttered some harsh curses under his breath before continuing his explanation. The story unfolded in a similar way to what I had read in Natalie's journal.

In the end, everyone received temporary assignments, and all the knights scattered. In particular, the knights who had openly questioned Leovald's sudden death were given idle positions and soon after, they fell out of contact.

"And Paulo… ha, that thick-headed idiot. If he had run away when I suggested it, he would have been fine."

Mentioning Paulo's name, Raul sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead.

"He was caught because he openly expressed his suspicions. If he's just imprisoned in the royal dungeon, he might be lucky. I believe Dame Natalie managed to escape safely, but I can't confirm it since I didn't see it myself."

It seems that the core loyal companions of Leovald are these three: Raul, Paulo, and Natalie.

At that moment, Raul glanced at me.

"You said you were an apostle. Didn't you tell the commander this?"

It seems he still doubted my existence. The incident at the inn probably contributed to his heightened suspicion. Well, that's fine. If he believed too easily just because of the briefly glowing stigmata, it would be disappointing.

"Given the situation, it's understandable to be skeptical," I said calmly, "but as you've seen, I have abilities that aren't easily explained away. Our goal is the same—to uncover the truth and seek justice for the commander's death. Your cooperation is essential in this."

Leonardo nodded in agreement, adding, "Our first priority is to regroup and gather reliable information. We need to be strategic in our approach."

Raul, though still wary, seemed to be considering the weight of our words.

"Well, Sir, it's because if I were to tell you everything, Leo's journey would lose its meaning. And to obtain valuable information, a corresponding price must always be paid, right?"

I gave a deliberately suspicious smile and locked eyes with Raul.

"Since you're the first subordinate to learn about Leovald's return, you'll be quite busy from now on. This, too, is a price you have to pay for uncovering the truth, don't you think?"

Raul looked over at Leonardo and asked, "I didn't hear anything, right? I deeply apologize, but may I leave now?"

"I'll tell you this for your reference: a high noble in the capital is using those things to target my corpse. And there are signs of a second incursion as well."

Raul flinched and tried to cover his ears, but it was already too late. Leonardo continued speaking calmly.

"Regarding King Godric's betrayal, something is happening starting with the top ranks of the royal capital. Until this matter is resolved, running away won't make any difference, so I'd recommend giving up on the idea of exile."

"Argh! I don't want to know about such crucial matters that concern the fate of the country, so please don't share them so easily!"

Raul, having been hit with another bombshell, was thoroughly shaken. He rolled on the floor, covering his ears, but no amount of rolling could undo what he had already heard.

Feeling a bit sorry for him, I covered my mouth and whispered to Leonardo.

'Is it okay to leave your subordinate like that?'

「He'll recover on his own,」Leonardo replied, looking slightly disheartened at Raul, who now had his hair in disarray.

'I see…'

I guess one needs that kind of personality to stand out as a supporting character. I need to step up my game too.

***

"For now, let's take a good rest today. We can talk slowly tomorrow, shall we?"

After running away from King Godric's pursuit squad, fighting with Leonardo, and facing a monumental truth, Raul was mentally and physically exhausted. We decided to let him rest.

'He won't run away, will he?'

「Unless he hears the full story, he might have considered it, but now that he knows, he won't run. He realizes running won't solve anything. He'll protest for a few days and then settle down.」

We agreed not to push him further tonight and headed back to the stronghold.

Vittorio was fast asleep, and the fortress was quiet under the early morning darkness. Leonardo, who had gone to heat the water for our routine post-workday bath, returned and glanced around furtively.

"Isaac, should we wash up now?"

"Wow, are you reading my mind? How did you know I wanted to take a bath? Thanks!"

I said with a bright smile, and Leonardo looked flustered.

"I-Isaac."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

Right. We've returned to the fortress, and our first meeting with Raul has been more or less sorted out. Now there's only one thing left. I pressed Leonardo with a smile.

"So, when did my thoughts start leaking out?"

Leonardo hesitated, then finally replied.

"For a few weeks…"

A few weeks meant right after unlocking the ability .

So, the thoughts I had about Leonardo over the past few weeks had occasionally slipped into his mind? While his thoughts never transferred to me, only mine did to him?

I looked at him, still smiling but with a hint of pressure.

This ability was, after all, something arranged by the creators, so my monologues that treated him as a protagonist or a character in the story wouldn't have leaked out. That would cause a sense of 'disconnection.'

But still…

What had I been thinking while looking at him these past few weeks?

As I slowly recalled the memories of the past few weeks, my face grew warmer. The burning sensation came from the idea that my private, intimate thoughts had been fully exposed to someone else. It was much more embarrassing than being naked in front of someone.

"So, you heard all of that…"

I buried my face in my hands and then slowly lifted it, catching a glimpse of Leonardo with a small smile on his lips. He seemed unaware of it, as the smile quickly vanished when he noticed me looking at him.

'He's smiling?'

Seeing that smile, I made a decision.

"Leo."

"Yes?"

"You're sleeping on the sofa tonight."

"…..!"