Chapter 12: The Traitor (3)

Deep beneath Obsidian lay a room lit by a faint torch. Philly Terst appeared before it, accompanied by two knights.

“It will be dangerous if you stay too long.”

“I knooow.”

Philly smiled in reply to the man standing at the door, then opened it and stepped inside with her knights.

“Hellooo.”

She greeted the man before her as she always did.

“... Who’re you?”

The man who answered was Renzo.

“Is the food to your liking? Is anything making you uncomfortable?”

“... I asked who you are.”

Renzo looked at her irritably.

For the briefest moment, Philly glanced to his right—at his missing right arm.

Instantly, Renzo’s killing intent stabbed sharply at her.

“... You wanna fucking die?”

He had caught that fleeting movement of her eyes. Yet Philly merely maintained her warm smile.

“No, no. Of course not.”

“You crazy bitch...”

Renzo stood. He was not restrained in any way. As he trudged toward her, the two knights blocked his path.

But then—

“Move aside. Both of you.”

“L-Lady Philly!”

The two knights were flustered by her words. Without the slightest change in expression, she continued.

“Actually, would you both leave? I’d like to have an honest conversation with this gentleman.”

“B-But...”

“No objections.”

Philly deepened her smile as she looked at the knight.

“I gave you an order. Do you not understand?”

“...!”

Only then did they withdraw from in front of her and slowly walk over to open the door. After casting worried looks at her back, they left the room.

“You really don’t have a shred of fear left in you, do you, bitch?”

“Now, Mr. Renzo.”

“What?”

“Stop barking.”

At that, Renzo’s patience seemed to snap. In an instant, his hand clamped around Philly’s throat.

“You crazy bitch. How dare you...!”

His eyes were bloodshot and veins bulged on his forehead, as though he could barely contain his rage. But he never broke her neck.

When Renzo released her, Philly straightened her disheveled clothes.

“You’re not stupid after all.”

He ground his teeth at her words but could do nothing.

“Having your life end in a place like this would be terribly ‘boring,’ wouldn’t it?”

“... I don’t know what bullshit you’ve been listening to, bitch.”

“You knew from the start that I was the empress, didn’t you? What would happen if you killed me, and which of us holds the upper hand here.”

As Philly continued to provoke him, she read his expression. It gave her a small measure of certainty.

‘... Fun is the sole standard by which he lives. So it really was true.’

Robert, one of her knights, had relayed Frondier’s words to her. The first message had been to beware of the Imperial Palace. The second concerned Renzo.

Frondier had explained Renzo’s temperament: a hedonist who placed “fun” above good and evil, right and wrong, loss and gain.

The more she thought about Frondier, the stranger he seemed. He treated her casually despite her being the empress, knew about Dragon Hearts, and had severed Renzo’s right arm. On top of that, he understood the very principles that drove Renzo.

‘I’ve never met anyone this much of a hedonist before.’

Philly was certain Renzo could do nothing to her. If he were merely a madman chasing amusement, he would have been executed long ago.

No matter how powerful an individual was, they could not defeat a nation. Besides, Renzo had merely joined the ranks of the strongest. He was not some peerless being who stood on an entirely different plane from them.

However much he acted like a battle maniac, however little he seemed to value his own life in the pursuit of fun, there was a definite reason he had survived with all his limbs intact until now.

‘Well, they aren’t all intact anymore.’

He could never have imagined losing an arm to a student. He must have believed he would escape without so much as a scratch.

“Now that you seem to understand where we stand, shall we have a proper conversation? Sit there.”

His killing intent undiminished, Renzo nevertheless strode back to his original seat. Philly sat opposite him.

“So what does Her Majesty the Empress want with me?”

“First, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

Philly looked at his empty right side.

“How did you lose that arm?”

“You really know how to piss me off. You already know, don’t you? A student here did this.”

“That isn’t what I’m asking. I want to know exactly ‘how’ that student severed your right arm.”

Philly had heard plenty about Renzo’s strength. Among professionals, he was compared to Eden Hamerlot, and people said that, had he not been a criminal, he could easily have claimed a place among the Zodiacs.

The “Zodiacs” were twelve human weapons designated by the state. Ospreet, the President of Constel, was one of them. So was Zodiac Heldre, who had attended the nobles’ council during the Mistilteinn incident.

Of course, the empire had equally powerful individuals outside the Zodiacs. A prime example was Angper de Roah, the Iron Wall of the North.

Ampere was not a Zodiac because Zodiacs had to remain subject to the empire’s direct orders. He simply disliked that requirement.

In any case, Renzo’s body easily surpassed the bounds of an ordinary human’s. Even without Aura, a mediocre blade would not leave so much as a scratch on his muscles.

Yet Frondier had done it.

Renzo propped his chin on his hand. He seemed to recall something unpleasant, then muttered quietly.

“I don’t know.”

“... What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“Exactly what I said.”

That was all he said. He offered nothing further.

Philly smiled.

“Hmm? I can find all that out by asking a witness, you knooow.”

“... I said I don’t know.”

Renzo clicked his tongue and repeated himself.

Philly had just seen his genuine expressions. She had read real anger, bewilderment, and resignation. Judging his present answer against those reactions, she concluded:

‘... I don’t think he’s lying.’

He truly did not know what attack had struck him.

‘What happened during that fight?’

She had told Renzo she could ask a witness, but in truth, she already had. After all, the only witness was her daughter, Aten.

Yet Aten’s answer had been much the same.

[“I’m not sure. Frondier must have done something, but Renzo’s right arm suddenly came off. At least, that’s what it looked like to me.”]

At the time, she had assumed Aten had been too far away to see properly. But now even the man it had happened to did not know.

‘Well, I’ll think about that later.’

Philly turned to the main issue.

“So, why did you abduct my daughter?”

“...”

“The woman sitting before you is the mother of the girl you tried to abduct. Whether you lose your head is up to me, you know.”

Renzo clicked his tongue at her smile.

“Isn’t it obvious? Because it would be fun.”

“Abducting an imperial princess?”

“Yeah. Think about it. The empire would be turned upside down. Everyone would be desperate to catch me. Just imagining it gives me chills.”

Philly studied his face again.

‘A lie.’

There was no need to think it over. Renzo was here because his kidnapping attempt had failed, but ordinarily, he would have succeeded. Success was the natural outcome.

He had entered the field unnoticed, then reached a place where Aten was alone with just one other student. There should have been no possibility of failure.

But even if he succeeded, what could he possibly gain? What benefit was there in making an enemy of the empire?

Aten Terst was the Third Princess. Her name had symbolic significance, but from the empire’s perspective, she was not worth that much.

Renzo had nothing to gain from abducting her. The empire would not negotiate for Aten alone. It would simply devote itself to finding and killing him to save her.

That was what an imperial princess’s life amounted to. They would draw their swords to save her, but never extend a hand—even if the princess herself died as a result.

‘In other words, his goal wasn’t to abduct her and negotiate afterward. The abduction itself served a purpose.’

[“Beware of the Imperial Palace.”]

For some reason, Frondier’s advice would not leave her mind.

“Well, all right. I’ll come again later. Let me know if your bed or meals are unsatisfactory.”

Philly rose without hesitation. For now, she had no information she could be certain of.

As she turned away, Renzo spoke.

“You think you’re clever, don’t you, bitch?”

It sounded like the bitter sneer of a loser, a parting line tossed out while fleeing, or a coward’s curse.

Yet its unpleasant resonance clung to Philly’s ears.

“Use that clever head of yours and think looong and hard.”

“... About what?”

“I’m just a small beginning.”

Renzo was smiling then—an insolent, taunting smile.

“The empire will be turned upside down.”

A sneer.

“The Imperial Palace will burn, people will scream, and an earthquake greater than any before it will split the empire in two.”

A parting line.

“I’d love to see what becomes of that arrogant face of yours then. To see it crumple at your own stupidity.”

A curse.

“... Hah.”

Philly sighed.

“If you want it so badly, feel free to take a look when the time comes. A severed head still has eyes.”

With those final words, she left the room.

* * *

I was discharged in no time. Aten had already restored me to perfect health, after all.

I soon returned to Constel. Aster, Saibel, and Elodie were worried about my absence over the past few days, but I gave them a plausible excuse. It bothered me terribly that Saibel and Elodie looked sad again.

And then—

“... Pardon?”

Aten asked blankly.

I explained.

“I’m saying you don’t have to follow me around anymore.”

“What do you mean...?”

She sounded as though she couldn’t understand. I scratched my head.

Well, it was partly my fault for not telling her sooner. I must have gotten used to having her follow me around.

“You were following me because of the Dragon Heart, weren’t you?”

“...!”

“I’ve told Her Majesty everything about Dragon Hearts, so there’s no need for you to do that anymore.”

Aten was undoubtedly something like a spy Philly had sent to pry information out of me.

... No, did calling her a spy make it sound too sinister?

Since she was going to send Aten to Constel anyway, she might as well place her in my class—and if she could get information about Dragon Hearts while she was at it, all the better.

It was probably something along those lines.

But I had already told Philly everything about Dragon Hearts. Aten no longer needed to go to the trouble of following me around.

The stares and whispers from everyone around us must have been fairly stressful for her, too.

This was what you called freedom.

“Understand now? From now on, you can spend your time here however you like. Make some friends, too.”

“... I see. You knew everything.”

“Well, it was too strange not to notice.”

An imperial princess trailing after a boy she had only just met? That was strange no matter how you looked at it.

“Anyway, I’m going to get something to eat.”

Aten might look cold, but after exchanging a few words with her, anyone could tell she was gracious and humble. She would make friends in no time. My presence would only get in the way.

‘And it’ll be easier for me without having to worry about her.’

If things went well, she might even mend her relationship with Aster. Apparently, the spell Philly had cast wasn’t all that strong.

Now this was a win-win.

Feeling lighthearted, I headed for the cafeteria.

... Or tried to.

“... Um, listen.”

“Yes?”

Sure enough, the answer came from behind me.

Aten was still there. Still following me.

“Um, I told you, you don’t need to follow me anymore. You can enjoy school however you like.”

“That is what I’m doing.”

Aten spoke with her usual impassive expression.

“You told me to do as I pleased. That is what I’m doing.”

What was that supposed to mean? Since when had following me around become something Aten wanted to do?

I tilted my head and thought as hard as I could, but when I couldn’t make sense of it, I asked.

“... Why?”

At my question, Aten blinked for a moment, then looked down, to the side, and up at the ceiling.

... Apparently, this required some very deep thought.

And the answer she arrived at was:

“... I don’t know.”

“...”

What was going on? Was she tormenting me after all? Had my earlier suspicion been right?

But after seeming to ponder something deeply, Aten looked at me with a serious expression.

“Frondier.”

“Yes?”

“I’m not strange.”

“Huh? What?”

“You said it was too strange, but I’m not strange.”

Oh, she meant what I’d said earlier.

“Oh, I didn’t mean you were strange.”

“Yes. I know.”

“Oh, you do?”

Then why?

As though struggling to explain herself, Aten worked her lips, then spoke with that troubled expression.

“I’m not strange.”

“Right, like I said—”

“No.”

Aten cut me off. That was probably a first.

Then her words began pouring toward me.

“The fact that I follow you around.”

As though a dam had burst.

“The fact that I want to do it myself.”

As though she could no longer hold them back.

“The fact that I don’t yet know why. All of it.”

As though she were throwing every ounce of her true feelings into words.

“None of it is strange.”

“...”

For a moment, I couldn’t think of a response.

After saying her piece, Aten pressed her lips together. She looked worried that she hadn’t gotten her meaning across.

“... All right. Do what you want.”

That was my answer.

In the end, I still didn’t know why she was following me. Since she herself said she didn’t know why, I ended up not knowing why I had agreed to let her follow me, either.

“Yes.”

With that brief answer, a small smile blossomed on her face.