228: Lord Isaymeets, the Viscount, and the Stomach Pain

"Milady Vilijanira, Doctor Mizeon, and your companions. I'm terribly sorry for keeping you waiting. I am Lord Isaymeets."

After waiting in the drawing room of Lord Isaymeets' mansion for about an hour,

a man, seemingly on the verge of exhaustion, stepped into the drawing room.

His slightly graying hair and the sweat beading on his face made it clear he had rushed here with great urgency.

A typical nobleman would maintain composure even under pressure, presenting himself with at least a minimum of decorum—but perhaps, considering the person he was keeping waiting, he truly believed in arriving without delay, moment by moment.

Nice to meet you, Lord Issei. I am Vilijanira Viska Banalagenroot. Please don't mind my lateness—I was able to rest comfortably, thanks to the kindness of everyone at the viscount's residence.

Nice to meet you, Lord Issei. I am Mizeon Common Avalokita.

Vilijanira seemed to either already know something through Meqoxi, or simply wasn't showing her true feelings—she maintained a neutral expression.

It appeared Doctor Mizeon wasn't planning to reprimand her.

Then there was no need for me to say anything.

"Thank you for your generous treatment."

"No, I'm simply curious—may I ask what exactly happened? I'd like to hear everything about this incident, including why Doctor Mizeon was invited."

"Of course."

Lord Iseimītsu bowed his head.

I'd already sensed he was the type who'd freely share everything... well, yes, this really isn't something I should be the one to speak about.

Just as I was thinking that, Lord Iseimītsu deliberately turned his gaze toward me.

Ah, yes.

At that moment, I felt I had a slight understanding.

"Then, I shall explain in turn."

Now, as for Lord Iseimītsu's account.

Installing the 'I-Sui Kyō' alien monster detection mod, developed by Seiryō Corporation, at Teishō Vanilla Side was unproblematically decided.

After all, it was a location that could potentially shake the entire empire should it ever be attacked by an alien monster.

This 'Alien Water Mirror' differs slightly from what Memokushi uses—it's larger and cannot be moved once installed, but it's easier to maintain and adjust, and achieves sufficient accuracy even without cooperation from slime species.

According to documents sent from Seiryō Corporation, the technicians of Imperial Star Vanilla City were responsible for its creation and installation.

This was said to have occurred several weeks ago.

"And when they tried operating it, inexplicable noise was detected?"

"That's what we've been told. The researchers and technicians from Teisei Vanilla Sid couldn't identify the cause or find a solution, so it seems they decided to bring in experts from Seiryō Corporation."

"I see. That makes sense. Up to this point."

The inexplicable noise must be the same thing Moekushi detected.

Thinking about that flicker at the edge of my vision, it seems likely we're dealing with something existing within the Vanilla Sid system.

You're right. Up to this point, the reasoning is sound. Given the circumstances, Seiryō Corporation had considered sending their most capable personnel. However... that's when Prince Synkūbirimumu intervened.

...

I felt Vilijanira's expression grow stern.

A prince should be one of the Emperor's sons... but perhaps there's some discord with a certain individual, or perhaps they have a poor reputation.

Incidentally, it seems the Viscount Iseimītsu has not been involved in this matter up to this point.

Apparently, it's outside the scope of his usual duties.

I don't know what the prince is thinking, what he's learned, or what he's aiming for. However, it seems that he—was it Sata-sama?—discovered that the prince is a cosmic monster, learned that the educator from his time at Seiryō Corporation was Dr. Mizeon, and also found out that I am related to Dr. Mizeon, connecting all of this to the recent noise incident.

……

I see.

So, Dr. Mizeon was probably summoned because of my connection to him.

That means there's a fairly significant possibility that Dr. Mizeon could be in danger, pretending to be involved with maintaining the 'Hetero Mirror.'

…….

Hmm, I suppose I shouldn't be the one to say this, but wasn't it Prince Synquibirimum?

Are you serious?

It's blatantly unreasonable, don't you think? Pushing such an extreme measure is going too far.

Vilijanira's expression had grown so tense that even someone unfamiliar would have noticed.

"So you accepted the request from Prince Synquibirimum?"

"I had no choice. The matter at hand is clearly unjust. I even appealed to the Emperor, arguing that this was unacceptable... but this was my response in return."

Isaimeetsu, the viscount, produced a stack of paper documents.

There, listed were the names of His Majesty the Emperor, His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, and several other nobles or high-ranking officials, with a note stating that they also agreed to summon Dr. Mizeon.

Incidentally, this entire exchange was conducted without the use of any electronic devices, which is why Memoqsi, being a machine intelligence, was unable to detect it.

"It is truly unacceptable to do such a thing... However, having been personally requested by His Majesty the Emperor, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Synkubirimzo, and my superiors all at once, and with preparations already in place... I could only reluctantly agree, offering my criticism as best I could."

"……"

I'm starting to feel sorry for Lord Iseimītsu...

To be honest, even with all these names lined up, I think Lord Iseimitsu deserves credit for sticking to his principles and speaking his mind—yes, he really did his best.

"Is that so? The Emperor also..."

"Yes. But the Emperor and the Crown Prince seem to have a different nuance to them... Well, I suppose it felt like they summoned Dr. Mizeon for a different purpose than Prince Shinkubirimu did. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, so it might not be reliable."

"I see."

But that's something that's come up too late.

The Emperor, the Crown Prince, and Prince Shinkubirimu—these three seem to form separate factions, with the first two and the last one standing apart.

It feels like Count Iseimyutsu is deliberately dividing them.

Hmm, I should probably ask Mebokushi for more details about this later.

"And finally, the reason I'm late today... is because I was given these items by Your Majesties."

"... "

The butler standing behind Lord Issei Meetsu brought forth two envelopes.

They were letters sealed with wax bearing an elegant floral emblem.

"I'm surprised. It seems I'll need to attend the tea gathering alongside Lady Villigianara and the others."

"Is that so?"

Inside... one was an invitation to Dr. Mizeon.

It stated that all preparations were already in place, and though manners weren't required, they sincerely wished for him to come.

"And then there's this invitation—well, more like an order, really—to transfer to the Teisei Vanilla Side mod research facility."

Hmm...

The other is an order document for Dr. Mizeon.

Vilijiani seems quite genuinely angry for now.

To the former, and to the latter.

Hmm, well, I'll try to side with the Vilijanira for now.

Even without considering work, it's the most reliable, definitely correct, and seems to benefit me as well!

03/22 Spelling correction