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Chapter 47
Lord Orbus is eating food, thinking that everyone is heading to Neue Favrille. Belca is working on the cure so, in a sociopathic sense, The Plague was a blessing in disguise. Also, Orcelito is in his grasp so he has a perfect story to form: Kiliko tried to take the throne and Orcelito helped him by killing Prince Hector. A messenger comes into his room and Orbus asks if he has any news from Neue Favrille. Eco's song about Belca is still popular so Orbus orders for Eco to found so he can be put to better use...
At Neue Favrille itself, the King's Sword are defending the nuns who escaped chapters ago. Eco is mad that a particular knight is kissing up to them...but forget him, Musca and Paige are talking. They sent the letter but Musca is worried that Orcelito will be unhappy with her, considering that she very much isn't in Shez. Paige assures that since bad things are happening, traveling is unsafe so they should stay put. Plus, the King's Sword is here so they should be fine. She is very much still afraid of the Hokulea being at the castle though but it turns out Musca has been talking to one of them (Shamrock) and, through empirical evidence, has figured out that they are not scary sinful monsters but actual people. There's is a good chance that people have been lying to her her entire life about them...
At Regia Solaris, Tenrou runs out of the bath because he isn't into beefy guys. Belca stops him and asks where Shingetsu is and Tenrou answers that she's looking for the knight with sun hair. This pisses him off because the Hokulea and the King's Sword are supposed to be mortal enemies but she's just treating them like people! Belca wants to search too but Linna forbids it, saying it's too dangerous. Belca asks what he can do then and Linna says they have to ask Tenko and Lord Lagen to see what can be done. But first, tea and custard buns for the grumpy prince!
Kiliko confers with his council that he has received a direct order that Belca is to be made the Crown Prince, straight from Orcelito. In his letter, Orcelito apologizes for getting Belca and Musca wrapped up in his problems and that while Kiliko was a dick to Belca, he asks him to forgive him because Kiliko isn't that bad. More importantly, he's useful so he asks that he uses him as a subordinate. Oh, and don't tell Musca about The Plague. Belca, being in the room, says he wants to find Orcelito to confirm this but Kiliko says he's missing. Belca wants to look for him but Lord Lagen's men are looking for Belca to kill him so that's out. Lord Lagen's men may also try to cure Orcelito but for all the wrong reasons...this confuses Belca because Lord Lagen is supposed to be dead, right?
Kiliko confesses his father is alive and that Orcelito specifically asked for Belca to not be handed over to him.
Thinking about this at tea time, Belca is still besides himself. He doesn't know why Kiliko is suddenly acting like a good vassal and he doesn't get why his brother is acting like this. They've known each other their entire lives and he still barely gets him. Linna says that's impossible because both have the king's blood but considering Reitz's history...oh wait, doesn't Belca have Rovisco's blood in him? It looks like he'll have to talk to Kiliko, as much as the thought annoys him.
Under the chapel, Orcelito is listening in on the guards and learning the senator's plans. Somebody in the cult's clothes comes and tries to kill him but he acts crazy to throw them off, believing it be a kind of test. The assassin leave, revealing herself to be Lilia who's disappointed at Orcelito's apparent insanity if still suspicious.
Sparrow Hawk shows up on the roof to greet Kiliko. Sparrow Hawk tells him to keep searching for Orcelito while leaving Belca's case to them. Kiliko plays dumb when he's asked where Belca is but Sparrow sees right through it, saying that his father is pissed enough.
Eco is eating lunch at the place we found him at the beginning of the manga before chatting with the waitress about carriages coming in and out of town. Meanwhile, Kiliko is making sure the people of the kingdom are accommodated (with help from Tenko) before Tenko brings him some tea when he's back in his room. He assures him it's totally not poisoned before Kiliko drinks it. Then Tenko asks him about the details on Hector's death, saying the official story is it was from The Plague. He thinks it was due to some medicine...but Kiliko's silence and Tenko continued questioning makes it clear who he thinks is really behind it.
Kiliko doesn't deny his final accusation that he was involved so Tenko draws his sword and pins him to the table. He doesn't kill him though; no, when Orcelito is found and The Plague is cured, then Kiliko's time will be up. Kiliko himself agrees. Then a guard walks in and sees them. Belca and Linna, serendipitously walking outside, overhear the commotion and rush over to see Tenko having knocked down the guard to defend himself. Kiliko says he and Tenko were just playing around and the guard (Crow!) is relieved, if injured. Belca blames himself for letting Tenko do too much so he asks to speak to Kiliko. First on the agenda: did he kill Hector? Kiliko says yes. But Belca says he's only hearing half the story and orders Kiliko to spit it out. Kiliko says he had hoped to become friends with Hector or at least control him but Hector was having none of his shit. The poison that Hector got actually came from one of Orbus' men. It's supposed to erode someone of their free will but with some people, it just kills them. Belca already knows why Hector was targeted: he wanted to reveal Rovisco's records. Belca tells Kiliko about what the Stone Capital's tre history is and Kiliko surprises him by revealing that he already knows. Belca asks if Kiliko wants revenge but Kiliko says he just wants to be free. He understands if Belca doesn't trust him but Belca says he does...because Orcelito does.
Belca tells Tenko that he shouldn't be aiming his vengeance boner at this guy...then gets up and forcibly fist bumps Kiliko, saying that he still owes him an ass-whupping for Linna and the Hokulea's sake. The chapter ends on that note.