The atmosphere quickly lost its warmth. The pale-faced Senior Elsi only stared silently at the Imperial Princess.
The princess couldn’t even properly offer an apology. She was merely trembling and stealing glances at me.
Her face seemed to evoke memories of some past nightmare. It appeared that Senior Elsi had once pressed the princess in this manner before. I had no way of knowing the details, but it was evident that the princess was filled with fear.
I decided I should try to dissuade Senior Elsi.
“Senior Elsi, calm down. Her Highness the Princess meant no malice…”
“Are you saying our uncle is a pawn of the Dark Cult?”
That was said through gritted teeth.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily. In truth, I understood Senior Elsi’s feelings.
She was of high noble birth. Her pride in her family was strong, and she likely respected and feared her great and distinguished uncle. Besides, Mr. Raymond was one of the two archmages that the Rainelle Clan prided itself on.
Few nobles could endure insults to their lineage.
Even so, one would have to bow to royalty, but the princess was the fifth princess, Sien. In our context, her royal rank wasn’t particularly high.
It must have been a case of misplacing the first button.
Even now, the princess was trembling in shock. Under normal circumstances, the opposite scenario should have occurred. If a noble had insulted royalty, it would naturally be the noble who was required to apologize.
It wasn’t like Senior Elsi was unaware of that fact.
Senior Elsi, who had been biting her lip, eventually let her head droop. It seemed that she recognized she had crossed a line, yet she uttered no harsher words. She simply turned her back and took a lonely step away.
In a hurry, I grabbed Senior Elsi’s shoulder.
“Senior Elsi, we have a duty.”
I didn’t intend to explain my reasoning in detail. I just hoped Senior Elsi would understand my feelings.
To save the world, one must sacrifice many things.
The ‘me’ from the future had said that. I too had struggled not to give up anything, but among the bloodstains on my hands was the blood of former comrades.
I didn’t want to abandon even my family.
But if family members were traitors, they had to be discarded. This was not a matter of preference; it concerned the fate of humanity.
After a moment of hesitation, Senior Elsi spoke in a gloomy tone.
“…I know.”
That was a troubling remark. I contemplated following Senior Elsi but was suddenly struck by a whisper in my ear.
“I-I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know Sir Ian would be so hurt and collapsed. I’m sorry for being so arrogant…”
The princess was repeating her apologies like a broken doll. Ultimately, my choice tilted toward the princess.
Senior Elsi had at least retained her sanity. In contrast, the princess appeared to be someone whose past wounds had been stirred. I decided to comfort the princess for a while.
After Senior Elsi had left, I asked the still frightened princess,
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was wrong. Huh, ugh….”
Tears were beginning to well up in the princess’s eyes. For the emperor’s bloodline to be brought to tears like this was a great offense for a noble. I pondered how I could soothe the princess.
Should I tell a funny story, perhaps?
Then a thought struck me. Among recent events, it was probably one of the funniest I could recall.
“Your Highness, by the way, have you heard? There’s a trend in the Academy for products modeled after my appearance…”
I intended to joke about how ridiculous it was and wondered who would make something like that.
The moment my words reached her, the princess’s tremble unexpectedly halted. As I stared in confusion, the princess replied with a clear, cheerful voice, free of moisture.
“Oh, that was made by me.”
So it was you.
I could only suppress a chuckle.
It was always said that the darkest places were right under the lamp.
The culprit was always nearby, just like the masked figure.
Senior Elsi wasn’t far away. After all, there weren’t many places within the orphanage that were isolated.
The playground, where even the children had left to eat, was empty.
In a corner, Senior Elsi sat with a gloomy expression. Even her hooded hat seemed to lack energy, appearing droopy.
It seemed she had given it a lot of thought.
Whether the princess’s deduction was right or not. She must have done her best to deny it.
Yet her mood remained melancholic.
I didn’t ask, but I could guess how her conclusion turned out. No matter how much she racked her brains, denial was likely impossible. She was probably in strong agreement with the premise that verification was necessary at the very least.
A situation where one must suspect their family.
No one would welcome it. Especially if that was a hero they had idolized since childhood.
I silently took a seat next to Senior Elsi.
“I recently got back from a trip to the capital with Mr. Raymond.”
There was no need to beat around the bush. Senior Elsi was an honest person, and straightforward expressions were effective.
However, I didn’t want to suddenly start criticizing Mr. Raymond.
I knew as well that Mr. Raymond was a good person.
Even if it was merely a guise, he was not just a comrade I had shared brief moments with. He wasn’t someone I would gossip about in front of a nephew.
Moreover, the claim that Mr. Raymond was the ‘masked figure’ was just a hypothesis.
“He fought quite well. He literally turned the battlefield upside down all by himself.”
“…’Because he is an archmage.’”
Even in her gloom, Senior Elsi willingly responded to my conversation request.
I decided to comply with the language of silence.
“An archmage is such a being. They reach a state that only those who transcend logic and formulas can attain. It’s not about understanding the world through language and numbers, but rather accepting it intuitively and fully establishing oneself within it.”
“Do you wish to become one, Senior Elsi?”
That was barely even a valid question. What mage wouldn’t admire the title of archmage?
Senior Elsi was no exception.
“It’s so cool, isn’t it? No matter what anyone says, standing tall while finding one’s own path. It means they are strong beings in their own right, without relying on anyone else.”
“That’s a unique sentiment.”
“I’ve idolized them since childhood.”
Slowly, the light began to return to Senior Elsi’s previously shadowed eyes. An emotion that surged suddenly found its way into words.
“But our uncle has dealings with the Dark Cult?! He’s already reached the level of an archmage…!”
“I heard he lost all his comrades during his mercenary days.”
Now it was Senior Elsi’s turn to keep silent.
There was a story I couldn’t possibly reveal to family, and even the scars I had worked hard to hide were useless at the front lines.
That was something Mr. Raymond had calmly confessed. So, I too tried to speak calmly.
“Mr. Raymond is not invincible. Even as an archmage, there are limitations.”
Senior Elsi didn’t refute.
She merely lowered her head in silence. As one grows older, there are truths one cannot help but learn, even against their will.
No one can survive alone.
We need others to rely on, and sometimes we make bad choices.
Mr. Raymond was no exception.
Senior Elsi bit down on a scream she was struggling to contain. Finally, she spoke with her eyes blazing.
“Then let’s test it.”
It was voice mixed with hatred, anger, determination, and trust. Senior Elsi was grinding those emotions.
“If our uncle is a traitor or not… we can directly experiment with that, can’t we?”
That was a valid statement. However, one question remained for me.
“How?”
The answer was simple. Senior Elsi smiled meaningfully as if she had been waiting.
“Master, you love me, right?”
With a hint of charm mixed in.
I regretted not being able to say otherwise. I felt uneasy about that false bravado that quivered while I squinted my eyes.
So, I pulled Senior Elsi into an embrace without saying anything.
Perhaps unexpected from me, Senior Elsi’s body stiffened. Still, before my small frame could be held tightly, her resistance soon ceased.
Amidst the quiet sobs, I declared,
“I will do whatever it takes.”
I had no clear plan, but I said that. My mind went blank at the sight of Senior Elsi crying in my arms.
Time passed, and night came.
The distant moon and stars came into view. The path led to a low mountain, and a middle-aged man was walking along a vague silhouette.
Chestnut-colored hair, blue eyes.
His expression was clouded with fatigue and questions. Even that was only for a moment.
The middle-aged man’s brow furrowed slightly. A stranger had appeared abruptly in front of him.
A white mask was reflecting the moonlight. Yet, what was prominent was the physique of the person wearing the mask.
It seemed familiar.
“What do you want?”
Mr. Raymond snorted softly, confronting the man.
He had a physique similar to that of his niece’s fiancé.
Moreover, his abilities were remarkable. A contained aura seemed to prick at him like a needle.
Yet, the masked man hesitated for a while. As if he had something to say but was holding back.
After a long pause, the masked man spoke in a dry voice.
“Your niece is quite something, huh?”
“Y-you bastard!!!”
Mr. Raymond’s eyes instantly blazed with rage as he charged forward.
It was according to Elsi’s plan.
