Within the castle of the Bestia Empire's Imperial Capital, a great crowd had assembled in one of the gardens. Nobles, soldiers, adventurers, mercenaries... and royalty.
"As you all know, we are about to depart. We will leave this castle, leave the Imperial Capital, and join my brother Mercurio and his forces—the so-called Rebel Army."
Frizion's voice rang out across the courtyard. Usually dressed in gowns befitting an imperial princess, she was now clad in what could only be described as battle attire. Frizion herself was not particularly gifted in martial prowess; while she possessed enough training to defend herself as a requirement of her station, she was nothing compared to her younger sister, Vihera. Frizion was undoubtedly the weaker of the two. Interestingly, Vihera felt a slight sense of discomfort around Frizion, though this likely stemmed from their contrasting personalities rather than a difference in combat ability.
At any rate, since she was not a front-line warrior, Frizion's gear did not consist of the white metal armor worn by the White Rose Knight Order. Instead, she wore magic item clothes designed to mitigate damage from slashes, impacts, and magic attacks. Adorned with a tiara with a constant recovery effect, a mantle with high magic defense, a bracelet that increases strength, and a necklace that increases vitality, she was draped in enough high-tier magical items to be considered a walking fortune—or two, or three.
If someone were to successfully kidnap Frizion, their descendants would likely never want for money for generations. Of course, whether anyone could actually manage to kidnap her while she was protected by such items—and the significant military force gathered around her—was another matter entirely.
Frizion’s immediate force numbered around four hundred. Another hundred people were stationed elsewhere, acting as the supply unit and its guards. Given the original size of her faction, she could have gathered a force three or four times this size. However, Frizion had advised the nobles of her faction to return to their lands. She had explained that while her actions were intended to end the civil strife, they were driven by her personal desire to prevent her brothers from killing one another, and she did not wish to force them to follow her.
Even so, five hundred people had chosen to stand by her. Before her stood those loyal nobles, as well as the soldiers, adventurers, and mercenaries who adored her and had volunteered to share her fate.
"How foolish..." she murmured inwardly as she looked at the people listening to her speech.
There was no malice in the thought; if anything, her gaze held a touch of maternal affection. It was only natural to feel moved by such devotion. She understood that not every soul present followed her out of pure loyalty—some undoubtedly had their own agendas—but it was an undeniable fact that many truly cared for her.
"And... just as I expected," she thought, casting a fleeting glance toward several nobles who had come up in her previous discussion with Angela Luxinowa. She didn't know which faction they truly served, but they were almost certainly the ones betraying her.
"I won't let them have their way. Since I have taken this action, I will take full responsibility for the consequences. Therefore... I have no hesitation in borrowing his strength."
Frizion waited for her companions to settle down before speaking again. "Our numbers are few. Agents of Schuls or Big Brother Cabajid may pursue us."
The crowd grew restless again, but this time the stir was laced with a faint sense of anxiety. To dispel their unease, Frizion raised her voice. "But do not fear. Mercurio has dispatched someone to aid us."
As she spoke, Rei stepped forward and appeared before the soldiers. He pulled the Death Scythe from his Misty Ring with a single, sharp swing. A thunderous whoosh echoed as the Death Scythe's blade sliced the air, demanding the attention of every person present.
"Hey, is that... could it be?"
"Yeah. That great scythe with the handle longer than his height. It has to be him. I don't see the gryphon he's supposed to have as a tamed monster, but..."
"Crimson."
Several voices whispered the name simultaneously. To the Bestia Empire, he was a symbol of disaster, but he was also the man who had fought to a standstill against the S-Rank adventurer Noise the Immovable during the fighting tournament held just days ago.
The common soldiers, knights, adventurers, and mercenaries were visibly shaken. Among the nobles, some wore grim expressions as if they had swallowed something bitter, but they did not appear surprised. They had been briefed on Rei's presence by Frizion beforehand. Though some among them had lost relatives or friends to his blade during the Spring War, they maintained their composure out of respect for the princess.
"What kind of power this Crimson Rei possesses, and just how strong he is... those of us who faced him during the Spring War, and those who saw him with our own eyes fighting against Noise the Immovable, should know it best."
Frizion's voice reached every ear with mysterious clarity—another effect of her magic items. To those unaware of the enchantment, the directness of her words felt like a divine command, deepening their devotion.
"Angela Luxinowa, what is the status of the supply unit?"
"They have received all necessary materials and are fully prepared. They can join us immediately," Angela replied instantly.
Frizion gave a small, confident smile. "Then, let us go. This action is born of my own selfishness. However, if this selfishness results in even one person being spared from death or injury, I will be content. At the same time, I absolutely do not want any of you to die. Survive, no matter how ungraceful or unsightly it may be. Survive, so that you may see the Bestia Empire with me after this civil strife has ended!"
"Uooooooooh!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd. Moved by her words, they poured their resolve to survive the conflict into their cries.
After a minute, Frizion spoke once more. "Now, let us go. We shall be ourselves. We will depart this castle and the Imperial Capital with our heads held high."
With that, Frizion marched out of the garden, followed by Angela Luxinowa and the White Rose Knight Order.
"Is that... Her Highness Frizion? Why is she leading such a large... No, wait! It's not just the White Rose Knight Order; she's leading soldiers, knights, and even nobles!"
The castle guards were the first to spot the procession.
"What's going on? Is this a rebellion?"
"No," a guard replied, dismissing his colleague's panic. "Her Highness isn't heading for the Throne Room. At this rate... they're going to leave the castle entirely."
"Leaving? Oh, then maybe it's just a training exercise? Things are busy with the rebellion, after all."
"I'll report this to the superiors just in case. Keep an eye on them, but don't do anything reckless."
"How am I supposed to 'do something' about Her Highness Frizion?"
"Fair point. Just watch and see if anything seems strange."
The guards parted ways, but the one who remained felt his expression stiffen as he looked closer. It was normal for the White Rose Knight Order to be at Frizion's side, and nobles of the First Princess Faction were to be expected. Even the soldiers could be explained away. However...
"The one beside Her Highness is..."
The soldier stared at the figure who had been obscured by the crowd moments before. The boy wore an ordinary robe and had his hood down; his face was well-featured, though he had a girlish face. But what truly caught the guard's eye was the massive great scythe resting on the boy's shoulder. Despite the handle being at least two meters long, the figure carried it with a relaxed expression, as if it weighed nothing at all.
The soldier recognized him instantly. He had taken leave specifically to watch the finals of the fighting tournament. This was the boy who had fought on equal terms against the absolute powerhouse, the S-Rank adventurer Noise the Immovable. Furthermore, he was the man who had been the primary cause of the empire's defeat in the Spring War—the one who had single-handedly incinerated the Second Subjugation Army. Though Rei's own unit had been present, the common soldiers knew only the legend of the boy who had burned a whole army to ashes.
"Th-This is bad. This is absolutely bad. Why is Crimson here? Crimson is supposed to be with the rebels, so if he's with Her Highness Frizion... Wait, what?"
The guard’s thoughts began to short-circuit. Faced with such an impossible reality, his mind was on the verge of simply shutting down.
"Hey! What's wrong with you?"
His colleague returned from reporting to the superiors, snapping him back to reality.
"Ah... yeah. You're back already?"
"Yeah, I ran into the Platoon Leader nearby. He said he couldn't make the call himself and is taking it to the high-ups. I came back to help you watch, but why are you spacing out?"
"Look at that."
The other guard followed his gaze, and his expression froze as he saw Rei. "I-Impossible... Crimson...?"
He managed to keep from shouting, showing the discipline expected of a castle guard, but his eyes were wide with terror.
"What should we do?" the first soldier asked, having regained some composure.
The other guard hesitated. He knew that if he caused a scene and provoked Rei, the entire castle could be erased in an instant. He couldn't bring himself to make a move. "...I'll inform the Platoon Leader. But looking at the crowd, I'm sure others have already noticed."
Indeed, Rei and his scythe were impossible to miss. Many others watching the procession had recognized him and were already scurrying off to inform their own superiors. These movements did not go unnoticed by Rei or the rest of the First Princess Faction.
"Looks like the other side has started moving," Rei remarked, the Death Scythe resting comfortably on his shoulder.
Videre nodded beside him. "Indeed. I suppose they can't help but panic at the sight of Lord Rei. It must be a total shock to see you suddenly appear inside the heart of the castle."
While the leadership of the rival factions had known Rei was within the capital, they had kept the information secret from the lower ranks to prevent the First Princess Faction from realizing their intelligence network was compromised. However, careless fools like Dune had discovered the truth anyway, resulting in Schuls placing him under strict surveillance.
"Well, no matter how they react, I don't think they'll attack us while we're still inside the castle or the city," Rei said with a shrug. "My real work starts once we've left the Imperial Capital behind. Besides, Seto will probably notice us once we're out in the open."