Celestia fixed her gaze on the figure standing before her.
His black attire seemed to dissolve into the shadows, and a stark white mask hid his features.
She had initially taken him for a dangerous, suspicious intruder, but this person had just stepped forward to shield her from the enemy's magic.
"Ngh...!"
The masked figure groaned as he bore the brunt of two Gates.
Second Rank magic was a rare sight, yet here it was, being traded like common blows. Amidst such high-level sorcery, Celestia—who was barely proficient in Third Rank magic—felt painfully out of place.
Despite being covered in wounds, the masked figure had protected her.
As she looked at his back, a sense of déjà vu washed over her.
It was so similar.
Back when she had been kidnapped...
In the midst of her hazy consciousness, Celestia had seen someone’s back as they fought to protect her. She felt that same presence radiating from this masked man.
Furthermore, the weapon he wielded was almost certainly a Holy Sword.
It was a blade that released a divine radiance even while wreathed in darkness, a sword imbued with a singular, special power.
There were only two Holy Swords in this world.
Reiji held one. If that were the case, who held the other?
She had assumed it was Reiji who saved her at the fort. But now, a different possibility took root in her mind.
There was one other person—someone who should have been present at that scene.
The man currently labeled as the mastermind.
...No.
That couldn’t be.
He was a villain to his very core. He was a person of such ill nature that he deserved nothing but contempt.
And yet... what was this sensation?
She didn't know.
That was why she decided to test him.
"You can keep up with me, can't you? If it’s really you..."
The masked figure did not answer Celestia's question.
However, his subsequent movements were an undeniable response.
Their coordination was flawless, an intuitive synchronization that required no words. It was a feat that would have been impossible unless they were intimately familiar with each other’s habits and styles.
It was unbelievable.
It had to be a lie.
But—
Perhaps—
"You are...!"
As the battle subsided, Celestia took a step forward.
"You are, perhaps...!"
The moment she tried to speak his name, a splitting headache assaulted her.
"Ngh, ah, guh...!"
Her vision flickered. A thick fog settled over her thoughts.
It was happening again.
Recently, whenever she tried to think deeply about him, this headache invariably struck. She couldn't describe it well, but the pain felt unnatural. It arrived abruptly, without warning or omen, torturing her as if to rebuke her for her very thoughts.
The masked figure placed his hand on his sword.
A sharp killing intent flared toward her. It was a clear declaration of rejection, a signal that he would cut her down if she pried any further.
Even so, Celestia did not back down.
Her head throbbed.
"I... will not leave...!"
Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt.
Drenched in cold sweat, she forced herself to look up.
"If it's to see your face... I'm willing to stake my life!"
Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt.
Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt. Her head hurt!
But—she refused to lose!
Celestia glared at the masked figure, her entire body trembling with the effort.
The masked figure let his shoulders drop as if letting out a heavy sigh. In the next instant, he vanished.
"Eh...?"
She didn't even have time to react.
The impact of a hand-chop struck the side of her neck.
Why...?
Her consciousness rapidly sank into the darkness.
Peering from behind the mask, the person's eyes... looked profoundly sad.
I caught Celestia as she collapsed and gently eased her onto the floor.
Was this... for the best?
"I believe so," Zest replied telepathically. "The way she was suffering was abnormal."
Right...
I didn't know the cause, but Celestia had suddenly begun clutching her head in agony. Her breathing had grown ragged and her skin had turned deathly pale. It was clearly an emergency, so I decided to forcibly put her under.
She wouldn't back down even when I threatened her. She ignored the fact that her own body was breaking.
"..."
"What is it?" Zest asked.
I just thought... it’s been a while since I've seen her be that stubborn.
Tia is a lot more headstrong than she looks; once she makes up her mind, she won't budge an inch. I saw a powerful, resilient will in her eyes.
The will to be a righteous person. The will to uncover the truth. Even if she were to be hurt as a result... she still didn't want to run away. That pure conviction reached me.
Thinking back, she had always been like that. Ever since the days I was a pure villain...
"What a fool."
Direct that kindness toward someone other than me, Tia. I can't respond to it anymore.
"..."
As I stored Zest into my shoulder, the disguise deactivated.
Now then. It was time to let Irene out of that basement.
Composing myself, I headed toward the underground guest room. As I descended the stairs, I deactivated the lattice of Dark Lances I had created to confine her.
When I reached the door, Irene was already standing there.
She was a mess. She had likely spent every second trying to break out. A broken sword lay at her feet; she must have run out of mana and tried to hack her way through the lattice with raw steel.
"She understands that she was being protected, doesn't she?" Zest noted.
Presumably. This was an unprecedented situation—an attack on the Royal Castle itself. Even a tomboy princess like Irene would surely realize she was in a position that required protection.
"Irene—"
The moment I spoke, a sharp crack echoed through the room.
A burning pain flared across my cheek.
Irene had slapped me.
"You think you protected me?! Don't you dare!"
Irene glared at me with tear-filled eyes. What I saw there wasn't gratitude. It was deep despair and intense rage.
Ah... I see.
That makes sense. Why didn't I notice something so simple?
Irene was a person of supreme nobility and pride. To her, the worst possible insult was to have that pride stripped away.
"I could have fought! If you had just let me out of here, I could have helped everyone!"
It would have been impossible, Irene. You wouldn't have stood a chance against the enemies this time. Even Celestia had only been able to survive because her Secret Rank magic had miraculously clicked with my coordination. Your presence wouldn't have changed the result; it only would have made things worse.
"However," Zest whispered, "what she said just now was likely..."
Yeah. Surely, those words weren't her true feelings. Irene wasn't stupid; deep down, she must have understood her own lack of strength. What she really wanted to express wasn't about winning or losing.
"I am the princess of this country!" Irene's scream echoed through the narrow basement. "I'm the one who has to stand at the front and protect the people! And yet, for me to do nothing and hide in a safe place while everyone else gets hurt... that is something that must absolutely never happen!"
As a princess, it might have been an idealistic, immature way of thinking. But to me, Irene looked more noble in that moment than anyone else. Her pride simply would not allow her to be a mere bystander.
And I had trampled all over that pride.
...Haha.
This is good. At this point, I have the perfect tailwind.
No matter how much I had insulted her in the past, Irene had always let it slide like water off a duck's back. But now she was furious, and the cracks were finally showing in her fortress of generosity.
It would reach her now. The malice of Claude von Einhart.
"Pride, is it?" I said, looking at her with eyes full of cold contempt. "Such a worthless thing—you might as well feed it to the dogs."
"!"
Slap!
Irene struck my other cheek.
Damn, that hurt. That's definitely going to swell.
"Claude... why did you lock me in this room?" Irene's voice dropped, turning cold and laced with loathing. "You knew this castle was going to be attacked, didn't you?"
Ah... so that's the conclusion she reached.
It was true that I had confined her before the Academy was even hit. It was only natural for her to suspect I was an accomplice.
"Reiji and Tia were right. You really are working with The Order behind the scenes...!"
Irene looked at me as if she were looking at something filthy. Large tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"And I believed in you...!"
Her face twisted in agony. Between Celestia and Irene... why did everyone try so hard to believe in me? It was only going to make things harder for them in the end.
"...A person like you shouldn't be a noble." Irene wiped away her tears. Her eyes were swollen and red, but they burned with a sharp anger. "Tia might have just cried herself to sleep... but I am a princess. If I choose to, I can punish you unilaterally."
"Oh? And what specifically do you intend to do?"
"I am stripping you of your right to succession." Irene spoke with total clarity. "In the name of Irene Lu Limiteille, I order the disinheritance of Claude von Einhart. I will deliver an official letter to Duke Einhart within the next few days. Consider yourself warned."
That was... likely the greatest punishment Irene could bestow upon me.
I see. I could no longer be the heir of the ducal house. A total loss of social status. She had really thought this through.
"...Heh."
"Wh-What's so funny?! Why are you laughing?!" At my accidental chuckle, Irene shouted with a face that looked ready to crumble. "It's disinheritance! Do you understand?! You'll be a commoner! You'll have to leave your home! Are you really okay with that?!"
Tears streamed down her face again. Give me a break... even though it was a punishment she declared herself, Irene was the one grieving because she couldn't bear the cruelty of it.
...You're way too kind. You aren't used to hurting people.
But, Irene... disinheritance is actually convenient for me. If I'm no longer part of the Einhart house, I won't cause any more trouble for my parents. My father has looked so haggard lately; I’ve felt guilty about it for a long time.
That was why I laughed. To save my family. To make Irene hate me.
"Do as you please. Disinheritance is a trifle to me."
"..."
As I spoke while laughing, Irene's expression twisted in frustration. Turning my back to her, I headed toward the stairs. I had no more business here. I had done everything I needed to do.
"...And I loved you."
As I walked away, I heard a voice no louder than a whisper.
"I LOVED YOU, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW!"
With that wail at my back, I climbed the stairs.
When I emerged into the first-floor hallway, the knights were in a state of chaos. If I were found now, it would be a headache to explain. I slipped out of a broken window into the courtyard and leapt over the castle walls using Dark Arma.
A small river ran through the castle town. Hiding under a bridge, I finally let out a long, quiet sigh.
............Alright!
A lot happened, but the results were a net positive. I repelled The Order, I managed to protect Celestia, and best of all, I succeeded in pushing Irene away!
I mean, Irene actually liked me? Who would have thought? Maybe I’m actually popular. I might have missed out on a good thing there! Man, if I could have dated Irene, I could have lived a life of luxury!
"Claude..." Zest's voice was heavy. "Claude... that's enough. It's enough now."
"What do you mean, 'enough'? I can't just leave Logen alone like this." I had searched for him with Magic Perception during the battle, but I hadn't found a trace of him. I thought everything went perfectly, but I guess I failed on that front. Should I go look for him now?
"Rest now... You don't have to make that face anymore. Right now, there is no one here but us..."
"Face? What about my face?"
Since Zest was being so insistent, I leaned over the river and looked at my reflection in the water.
............It was hideous.
Reflected there was a man wearing a terrifyingly evil smile. My eyes were cold and intimidating, and the corners of my mouth were pulled up into a sneer. I already had a villainous face to begin with, but it was particularly monstrous now.
Had I been making this face ever since I left Irene?
This was bad. My face was going to get stuck if I didn't relax. As Zest said, there was no need to act anymore.
...
......
.........
Huh...?
That's strange.
Wait... what was my normal face supposed to look like again?