Eupeheim, the White Crown.
Even now, the land governed by Marquis Ulysses Ignat was gripped by a sweltering heat, yet it remained a bustling metropolis teeming with visitors this time of year.
Ragna, the Bag Traveler, had just returned to the city’s Ministry of Mysteries after concluding his business abroad. As was his routine, he stepped into the magic elevator, ascending toward his research laboratory on the highest floors.
When he stepped out at his destination, he found several knights and lab researchers loitering in the long corridor, looking visibly unsettled.
"What's going on?" Ragna asked.
"Lab Head! You’re back!"
"Please, hurry! You have a guest waiting in the lab!"
"I'm exhausted," Ragna sighed. "I just stepped through the door; don't rush me."
"No, sir! Please, just this once! About the guest—"
As the researcher continued to explain, Ragna’s pace quickened.
He didn't say it aloud, but he muttered a realization to himself. I see. He caught the scent. He couldn't imagine this particular guest coming all this way under any other circumstances.
"I'll call for you if I need anything. Get back to work," Ragna told the researchers as he passed them.
He looked toward the door at the far end of the hallway. He gave a cursory nod to the young Cait Sith girl standing guard before stepping inside.
The guest waiting for him spoke immediately.
"You're late, Ragna."
It was the voice of the Third Prince, Radius Vin Leomel, who sat composed on a sofa.
"I believe I told you that you were free to use my lab as you pleased, but this is a rather sudden visit," Ragna replied.
"Indeed. Tell me, do you have any idea why I’m here?"
"I have plenty of ideas. I just don't know which one you've settled on."
Trading barbs as he walked, Ragna thudded his massive bag onto the floor beside the sofa and took a seat opposite Radius.
"Is it about me ignoring your last letter? Or perhaps about the scene I caused with those fools from the Imperial Court of Law?"
"Neither. Though I’ll certainly have you explain the latter eventually."
"I see. It seems I’ve dug my own grave."
The Bag Traveler gave an exaggerated shrug. This was the man Radius had referred to just the other day—the one he called "that man."
Maintaining his dignified air, Ragna crossed his legs.
"I imagine you have plenty of things to memorize for the ritual at the Great Mausoleum. I heard you were even busier now than when I visited the Imperial Capital."
Between the chaos in Crushera and the visit from the man known as the Saint’s Right Sword, Radius had more than enough on his plate. Ragna knew the prince should have had countless other priorities.
"There is no need for concern," Radius said. "This matter is equally important to me."
"The fact that you came all this way suggests you aren't lying."
Ragna spoke flippantly, even though he had already deduced exactly what his former student wanted.
"I found it suspicious," Radius continued. "The way you moved so suddenly, deciding to head to Muedi's Hideout entirely on your own."
"I told you why. A small group was more efficient, and the key repaired by the Power of the Water Goddess was unstable. It couldn't hold its form for long."
"Even so, had you truly wanted to, you could have contacted Ren from the start."
"Don't tell me you've forgotten. I told you there wasn't enough time."
"Honestly... do not underestimate me. How many years do you think I spent learning at your side?"
The prince did not look as he had in his childhood, nor even as he had when he first entered the Imperial Academy. The commanding aura visible in the Third Prince’s profile was unmistakable—the mark of one with the caliber to rule the great Leomel Empire. No matter how cool and composed he tried to appear, he couldn't entirely hide that fire.
"Much of your behavior is vague, Ragna. You make it look as though you’re doing your best with the utmost speed, but in the end, it’s all just for show."
"Why don't you just say it plainly, Radius?"
"Of course. That is exactly why I am here."
Radius’s eyes flashed with an intensity Ragna had never seen before.
"In truth, you wanted to finish the investigation of that hideout alone, didn't you? That’s why you manufactured that 'emergency.' Am I wrong?"
Radius asserted it with total conviction. In his mind, there had been more than enough time.
"There are several anomalies. A man of your stature wouldn't be so careless, Ragna."
"You know as well as anyone that I don't like my work being interrupted. But if you think that's the only reason—"
"It isn't. It’s because you were afraid of making a discovery you didn't want anyone else to know about."
The Bag Traveler knit his brows. His silence was a signal to continue.
Radius took the hint.
"You were certain that there was something related to Cecil Ashton in that hideout. You’ve been conducting a parallel investigation, haven't you? And you obtained results significant enough to justify this secrecy."
You can't talk your way out of this one.
Perhaps feeling the pressure from the prince’s unwavering gaze, Ragna let out a short, defeated breath.
"If that weren't the case, there are plenty of other things you could have done."
"My equipment was perfect," Ragna countered. "It was simply that Muedi’s power and Milim Altia's magic tools were superior."
"You mean that, but you don't seem particularly regretful. In fact, you look as though you’re glad the hideout’s door is sealed."
Ragna gave another theatrical shrug.
"You were probably already thinking of ways to block the entrance once you were finished, weren't you?"
"You’re suggesting that a discovery significant enough to make me act that way lies within that hideout—or did. You’re speaking quite forcefully for someone with only a hypothesis, Radius."
"No, my theory is backed by evidence."
"—Evidence?"
It came back to the place Radius had visited with Mirei recently.
"I visited the Imperial Library. It wasn't hard to guess you’d been investigating something in secret. I also took the liberty of tracking your movements before and after your trip to the hideout. There were several inconsistencies."
"...So, it was her."
Mirei Archayse. She wasn't just a mere aide; she was a brilliant investigator whose talents flourished under the Third Prince’s command.
The prince’s gaze pierced Ragna, demanding to know if he still intended to make excuses.
"It’s just like you, Ragna. You were making preparations to fix the key once more—just in case you failed to find the information you were after this time. You wanted to ensure you could return later, alone."
"—Unfortunately, that will be impossible for a while."
Finally, the Bag Traveler stopped dodging.
"That key was linked to the hideout’s internal magic tools. It was rigged to self-destruct from the moment it detected an intruder."
"But it can be fixed again, can't it?"
"I won't say it's impossible. But the difficulty is on a completely different level now. It would take years of work, at the very least."
It was typical of the meticulous Ragna to have a fallback plan, but as he explained it, Muedi’s Hideout was now under a much more powerful seal. Even if he repaired the key, there was no guarantee they could get back in.
"I did lie about the key's collapse having already started," Ragna admitted. "But even so, it really might have only lasted a few days after that initial use."
The fact remained: the key had lost its power the moment it was used.
Having said his piece, Ragna stood up and walked to the large window. His expression was hidden from view now, but that hardly mattered.
"Tell me then. What was the clue you were following? What did you find?"
Despite the pressure of the question, Ragna didn't hesitate.
"I don't wish to speak of things that aren't certain."
"Ugh... Still! You're still doing this, Ragna!"
Ragna turned back toward Radius, his face set in a solemn expression the prince had never seen before.
"I have to be cautious. This uncertainty is dangerous."
He was about to say more... but a frantic knock at the door cut him off.
"...We'll finish this later," Radius said.
"Yeah. Enter!" Ragna called out.
The door flew open, and Mirei, the prince’s aide, rushed in. She looked frantic, her eyes darting between Radius and Ragna. She hesitated for a split second, wondering if she should speak in front of the Bag Traveler.
"Don't worry about him," Radius commanded. "What happened?"
"...I have urgent news that I must report immediately-nya!"
Mirei usually maintained at least a veneer of composure, so seeing her this flustered was a shock. She didn't look like she was warning them of an immediate physical threat; rather, she looked like someone whose entire world had been turned upside down by a single piece of information.
Radius and Ragna both waited in tense silence for her to speak. While she caught her breath, Ragna turned back to the window, idly staring out.
Finally, Mirei spoke, her voice shaking with adrenaline. It was the beginning of a revelation that would leave both the prince and the scholar stunned.
"His Majesty the Emperor... toward Ren-dono—!"