The interrogation chamber was quite far from where we were staying. Naturally. No matter how ‘gentlemanly’ we had to treat an important prisoner, they were still the enemy. Who knows, they might try to escape and assassinate key figures within the Imperial Palace.
The facility itself, although it resembled a typical room, was essentially a prison.
At the very top of a towering spire within the Imperial Castle, the interrogation room awaited us.
Of course, there were plenty of guards surrounding it, but—
“This is….”
We had only just arrived near the tower, yet Claire and Alice hesitated, as the surroundings were a disaster.
The so-called elite knights of the imperial castle were strewn about haphazardly. Some appeared to be dead. There were splotches of red blood and charred remains scattered across the desolate dirt floor.
It seemed not just the knights but also soldiers had put up some resistance. Various fragments and half-cut firearms littered the ground, along with grenades that had yet to be used.
Wail! Wail! went the sirens.
New soldiers were coming in to replace the fallen ones. The sound of clattering feet amidst the blaring sirens was erratic, with shouting echoing from every direction.
Although artillery surrounded the tower, they couldn’t fire indiscriminately.
“Crown Princess…!”
A knight charged towards us.
“What’s happening inside?”
“Lord Lucas has revolted!”
I hadn’t even had the chance to comprehend what was going on before I had a question for the knight, who immediately assumed a rigid stance and reported in a stiff voice.
“In the tower?”
“Yes. It seems they aimed for the prisoner from the Papal State. And…”
The knight hesitated slightly, glancing at me and Alice.
“The Emperor and the Sword Saint are inside.”
“…Father went personally….”
“I’m sorry!”
As Alice murmured with a troubled expression, the knight shouted.
“We should have stopped this…!”
“No, we couldn’t have.”
I responded immediately to the knight. There wouldn’t have been time to intervene anyway. By the time they tried to act, it would have happened in the blink of an eye.
And the reason the Emperor went there…. it surely wasn’t just to stop Lucas.
It must be enjoyable, undoubtedly.
I gritted my teeth and loaded my gun.
“Crown Princess, wait a moment…!”
The knight attempted to restrain me with some protest, but I was already running.
Inside the tower, a substantial number of knights were already deployed. The Gryphon Order, directly under the Imperial Family, known as the finest in the Empire.
The spiral staircase winding up through the spacious tower was filled with knights, and although the scenario was set up for Lucas to slaughter them all, I couldn’t help but wonder, Could that really be physically possible?
Moreover…
“Wait, Sylvia.”
Alice grabbed my arm as I set foot on the staircase. It wasn’t just a gentle pull; she held on tightly, as if not intending to let go.
“It’s dangerous.”
Do you know what’s going on? That suspicion crossed my mind before I could appreciate her warning. But.
“You know very well what Lucas is capable of.”
“And you know that I’m the one who has dodged that sword the most, Crown Princess.”
For a brief moment, I saw a hurt expression flicker across Alice’s face, but her grip didn’t loosen.
“…There’s something I need to hear from Lucas.”
“Is it really that important? More than your life?”
Of course, it wasn’t more important than life.
But I had my beliefs.
No matter how strong Lucas was, he couldn’t escape unscathed while facing both the Emperor and the Sword Saint. In the original story, it was already stated that he surpassed the Sword Saint’s skills around this time, but that didn’t mean he was overwhelmingly powerful.
In a duel with the Sword Saint, Lucas got his chest slashed. While it wouldn’t be an immediately fatal wound, it left a scar of significant depth.
And if the Emperor, who was yet to be in his prime, was there, Lucas had no chance.
Furthermore, the Emperor wouldn’t end the fight without ‘keeping him alive’.
If I had to hear what I wanted, this might be my last opportunity.
“It’s absolutely a vital story.”
I spoke firmly, directing my will through my eyes.
About what I really was. How I ended up here like this.
Lucas was the only one who could provide the bare minimum answers to that question. At least among those I could think of right now.
“So, will you let me go?”
“….”
At my words, Alice released my arm. Seeing her hand drop limply made my heart twinge a bit, but I looked directly at her and said.
“There’s absolutely no way I’ll get badly hurt. Crown Princess, please wait here. And Claire, Leo too.”
All three of them had expressions of utter disbelief at my words, but I immediately turned to the knight next to us.
“Could you make sure they don’t follow me?”
“B-but the Crown Princess is—”
“Do I look like I’m going to go die?”
“….”
At my words, the knight turned into a dumbfounded statue. Considering it was a man who had swept away so many troops on the battlefield, he couldn’t just brush off what I said.
“Sylvia!”
“…….”
I could hear someone calling out from behind, but I turned around and stepped up the stairs.
*
However, things didn’t unfold as I had hoped.
The Emperor and the Sword Saint. They were the top beings concerning swords in this world, so it wasn’t surprising that Lucas hadn’t fallen.
But—
“Oh, my little brother finally showed up.”
The moment I entered, the scent of blood hit me. I was surprised I didn’t flinch.
“Cough…!”
“I’ve been starting to miss you. After all, you’re the only one who can perfectly dodge my swordsmanship.”
Crack, echoed the sound.
“Gah!”
A muffled groan escaped from the teeth-gritting man.
Verati was pierced by Lucas’s sword—he seemed winded. It looked like he had been cut in the stomach, but it didn’t appear to be a fatal blow. At least, his insides weren’t spilling out.
As the sword pulled from his thigh, some droplets of blood splattered.
The interrogation room had become complete chaos. The furniture that should have been there was barely recognizable, shattered into bits, and blood was splattered over the walls.
That blood wasn’t just Verati’s.
“I’m very proud that my son has grown this much.”
As the Emperor spoke to Lucas, he chuckled in disbelief. Given the blood streaming from his forehead, it seemed the Emperor had been cut by Lucas as well.
…The Emperor, cut by Lucas.
“What? Honestly, it’s because of the equipment, isn’t it?”
Lucas wore a nonchalant expression.
“…Did you visit the Papal State?”
“Right. You recognized it right away?”
In Lucas’s hand was the sword used by a knight from the Papal State. An ancient relic crafted during a time when humanity relied more on magic than physical laws.
Moreover, he was clad in attire resembling ceremonial robes. It looked as if he had returned from a far-off journey, with a small bag strapped to his side. The strap tightened around his body to avoid hindrance while wielding the sword—almost resembling a streamlined soldier’s gear from this era.
Lucas probably hadn’t suddenly converted. The more likely scenario was that he thought it was useful enough to steal it.
Ceremonial robes mostly looked alike, so it was unclear what specific abilities they had. Vitality? Recovery? Defense? …Whatever they were, they would undoubtedly be of great help.
“Sylvia, that’s not someone you can face.”
The Sword Saint, appearing more wounded than the Emperor, said.
“…….”
Of course, I didn’t heed the Sword Saint’s words. Even if I ran away now, Lucas would chase me down immediately.
It was a misjudgment.
Considering Lucas suddenly burst out like this, I should’ve assumed he was thoroughly prepared.
“Well, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have thought to rely on equipment like this.”
Lucas said while shaking his sword. After just one flick, all the blood that had stained the blade flew off, leaving it perfectly clean.
“After all, if I’m to face ‘you’, I need to be prepared too. Plus—”
Lucas turned, grinning, toward a corner of the room.
“—I’ve got an interfering presence here as well.”
Following his gaze, I froze.
There, a masked woman with a large wound across her body leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. She was not completely down but struggling to stay upright.
How…?
“Curious?”
Lucas’s voice pulled my attention back to him.
“I won’t tell you.”
And in an instant, Lucas’s face loomed near.
“Gah…!”
The reason I could immediately lift my gun was merely that my body moved as I had practiced countless times.
But luck only lasts so long.
Lucas’s sword swung, slicing my gun in half.
“Ah—”
“…….”
Seeing my gun reduced to mere halves left me dumbfounded, and Lucas’s previously grinning expression fell into an ominous neutrality.
And that expression… was truly terrifying.
“This is what I mean. Those who rely on tricks.”
Lucas said in a sigh-laden voice.
“When that’s countered, you’re left with nothing.”
Like a death sentence.
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