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Another executive has disappeared. This means there are now only four executives left. Although it was good news, Rohan couldn’t be entirely happy about it.
Excluding the executive they encountered in Bemos Village, the other two were in an unusual state. Their movements, devoid of even a shred of reason, seemed unnatural, as if they were being controlled by someone.
Their red-tinged eyes and the strange energy that flowed out whenever their masks broke were utterly alien, yet they didn’t cause the same unpleasantness as the energy of specters. This fact made him even more uneasy.
The mercenaries who had launched the attack showed similar symptoms. Red eyes exuding a demonic aura and fierce sword strikes completely devoid of reason… And on top of that, the bright red aura that blazed up as they burned their life force.
In fact, all of this started with a request from the Imperial Palace. So, the sudden raid and the red aura of unknown origin were likely connected to the Imperial family.
This meant that the incomprehensible behavior of the executives might also have the Imperial family behind it. As Rohan carefully organized his thoughts, his expression turned cold.
“Lord Rohan, Lord Arpel.”
“Are you alright?”
Time had passed in the meantime. After confirming the death of the executive, Nephia withdrew, and Rohan and Arpel headed to the reception room she had guided them to.
And finally, the person they had been waiting for appeared. Casia, looking extremely haggard, opened the door to the reception room and entered.
Her voice, calling their names, trembled slightly. Whether she was shocked or afraid was unclear, but Rohan first asked about her physical condition.
“…Yes, I was able to survive thanks to the treatment from the priests here.”
Then… Casia, who seemed to be prolonging her words for a moment, suddenly bowed her head.
“I heard that you two saved me. Thank you so much.”
“We only did what we had to do, so there’s no need to thank us.”
“Haha… You two really haven’t changed at all.”
An enigmatic laugh escaped her lips. She said that neither of them had changed – Rohan maintaining his humble attitude with a small smile, and Arpel keeping his usual calm expression while occasionally checking on her condition.
She was reminded of Leriana, who couldn’t wait or stand still out of fear. If she were here, she could have told them that these two hadn’t changed at all, so there was no need to be afraid.
Unfortunately, Leriana wasn’t by Casia’s side now. She couldn’t protect her. As Casia recalled this fact again, her face filled with guilt.
The change in Casia’s expression served as a signal. Arpel, who had been silently watching her, spoke up.
It was a rather direct question that cut through all the situations surrounding them now.
“What happened?”
The situation at that time, which no one but Casia knew about. That’s what Arpel asked.
After squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, Casia took a deep breath and began to recall that time in a deliberately calm tone.
Her uncharacteristic rambling continued. It also meant that she was greatly anxious. Therefore, even when they occasionally heard words with broken causality, the two chose to quietly listen to Casia’s story. They could fill in the gaps with what they could guess.
“…So, I fell back and watched Lady Leriana’s battle.”
Until the sudden smoke completely obscured my vision, that is.
Casia, who had been speaking incoherently, took a breath. Rohan sensed that this ‘smoke’ was the starting point of Leriana’s disappearance.
“Feeling it was dangerous, I immediately tried to find Lady Leriana. Not long after, I saw her in the smoke. Her clothes were soaked in blood, so I thought she was badly hurt and hurriedly approached, but…”
Casia clenched her fist, then gritted her teeth and uttered the rest of her words.
“I was stabbed. By a sword.”
She said she lost consciousness at that moment. She thought she faintly heard Leriana’s voice calling her name, but she couldn’t resist her closing eyes. Her expression was filled with complexity.
“Even as I was losing consciousness, I kept thinking. Why did Lady Leriana attack me? But… when I woke up, I understood.”
That bastard had played us.
A vicious sound of teeth grinding could be heard. Her clenched fist trembled.
“I think Lady Leriana might have been caught by a similar method. If someone approached her with my face, she wouldn’t have been on guard.”
It made sense. Rohan nodded in agreement with Casia’s speculation. It was also a time to confirm that what they had only assumed was actually true.
Rohan recalled the nameless man who had attacked them when they first left the temple years ago. The guy who seemed to be the Emperor’s closest confidant.
According to the information network of Lexia and Evelyn, he seemed to be a guy named ‘Oscar’ who had been taken in by the Emperor long ago. Besides his gender, name, and apparent age range, nothing else was known about him, but the fact that he was the Emperor’s faithful servant was an undeniable truth.
Such a guy had directly appeared before Leriana and Casia. It became certain that all the series of events that occurred in this village, and the strange traces felt from the executives and mercenaries, were all related to the Emperor.
However… the explanation was insufficient. Rohan’s expression gradually hardened. According to what he heard, Casia had lost consciousness before Leriana.
That means she doesn’t know Leriana’s whereabouts either. Trying to suppress the impatience rising to the top of his head, Rohan asked a beat late. If Arpel hadn’t held his hand beside him, his voice would have trembled unattractively.
“Then, you… don’t know Leriana’s whereabouts either?”
At those words, Casia smiled bitterly. Complex emotions that couldn’t be easily described emanated from her.
“Originally, that would have been the case.”
“…Originally?”
“Although I lost consciousness, I can still feel it. The divine power that Lady Leriana last used on me… So, if we follow this power, we should be able to find her.”
Casia, speaking in a voice much calmer than before, bowed her head again. Before they could even ask why, the reason flowed out smoothly.
“Even so, if I were an ordinary priest, tracking would have been impossible. There’s a clear hierarchy in divine power and holy power. So, what I want to say is…”
Thank you for coming after us. Thank you for not leaving Lady Leriana alone.
Her voice, uttered with overwhelming emotion, overflowed with intense feelings. Arpel remained silent, watching her and taking in her words.
Although not as clear as when facing Rohan, he could vaguely feel Casia’s emotions. It was strange. Could humans harbor such intense emotions? Towards one person and one sword.
“…It seems this is something only we can do.”
Rohan, who seemed to hesitate for a moment at her transparent sincerity, soon understood the situation. If he and Arpel weren’t here, Leriana would have fallen into their hands. It was an assumption he didn’t want to imagine.
Only then did he realize why Casia had sought him out as soon as she woke up. It must have been to tell this story and immediately ask for help in tracking.
Rohan nodded obediently. Leriana was not only Casia’s lord but also his friend.
“Let’s go.”
Arpel, who had sensed Rohan’s feelings, stood up first. Rohan couldn’t help but smile at that unrestrained action that was solely for his sake.
As soon as Rohan got up, holding Arpel’s hand, Casia also followed suit. When he stared at her, she immediately added in a solemn tone.
“I will make sure not to be a hindrance. Absolutely.”
That would be fine, but Casia with her traces of Leriana’s divine power was needed to track Leriana’s location anyway. Even if she had refused, which was unlikely, they would have had to take her along like a piece of luggage. The gaze that swept over her was just to make a final check if she was alright.
Before leaving the temple, Rohan, Arpel, and Casia briefly visited Nephia. After initially being startled by their declaration of going to the main base, she nodded upon hearing their subsequent explanation.
“Please, be careful.”
Her face, slowly bowing, was full of earnestness and worry. Her voice, explaining the time to send reinforcements, was the same.
After quietly expressing their gratitude, they turned around. Looking at the sky that was starting to show signs of brightening, Rohan thought.
There are so many people who worry about you and want to save you.
He only hoped that everyone’s feelings would reach Leriana and that she would be safe.
***
Drip, drip. The sound of water droplets falling came from somewhere. Leriana slowly opened her eyes to that eerily regular noise.
“Ugh…”
A faint groan escaped between her lips. Her head ached from the pain that rushed in as soon as she regained consciousness.
Her blurry vision started to clear gradually. As Leriana slowly looked around, she realized that this place was an underground prison.
Darkness all around, dense iron bars hanging in front of her, a chilly temperature. Beyond the iron bars were arrays of devices whose purpose she couldn’t fathom.
‘…Sleepy.’
Despite having just regained consciousness, she kept feeling drowsy. The sensation in her fingertips and toes was dull.
Leriana slowly rolled her eyes to examine her body and shuddered.
Handcuffs and shackles, and a sharp needle inserted into her wrist. She could see a red, eerie liquid sloshing through the needle.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
