Suspicion of Treason
Dealing with the low-grade monsters swarming from the direction of the northern forest as expected, the members of the 4th Division kept their expressions grim, occasionally scanning the tree line. Even through the forest, hazy with drifting Magi, massive pillars of flame erupted periodically, bright enough to be seen clearly. This was likely the aftermath of their comrades, who had gone to rescue the kidnapped student, battling a furious monster whose territory had been breached. Though their hearts clenched with every flash of fire, everyone silently prayed that the flames would not stop. As long as those flames continued to flare, it meant their comrades were still alive. A plan that was closer to a reckless gamble with an abysmal success rate—venturing into a place where an Upper-rank, or perhaps even stronger, monster was rampaging to safely rescue a student kidnapped by a Witch. Yet, just as the squad members were thinking that if it were their captain, Martina, they might stand a chance, a monster suddenly soared into the sky within their line of sight.
As they watched the monster fly away, howling as if it had disposed of all interlopers, an undeniable look of despair washed over the squad members' faces.
"...You idiot. You promised you'd come back safe. You promised." As the word failure flashed through her mind, Vice-Captain Canna, who had spent years by Martina's side, grit her teeth and muttered, fighting back the tears threatening to spill.
Just then, Natalia, who had responded to the request for reinforcements and was busy dispatching monsters beside the tearful Canna, spoke up.
"Don't worry. If Martina said she would, she'll definitely come back safe."
Unshaken by the monster's roar, which seemed to herald the failure of their plan, Natalia continued to quietly cull the low-grade monsters as she murmured:
"Ever since we were students, she was the type to keep her word no matter what. When she said she'd become the greatest mage, and when she said she'd become a hero everyone looked up to—she made both happen. So it'll be fine. This time too, without a doubt."
Though she rarely showed it because she was usually teasing her, Natalia respected Martina more than anyone else. Because they had always been rivals striving to surpass each other, Natalia's absolute trust in her made Canna bite her lip and nod. Yes, until she truly failed to return, nothing was set in stone. If she, the vice-captain, couldn't trust her own captain, who would?
Steeling her resolve to focus on the task at hand, Canna suddenly heard a shout from one of the squad members acting as a scout, whose keen eyes could see far into the distance.
"...! Vice-Captain! It's the Captain! The rookie and the kidnapped student are with her too!"
"...Oh, thank God. Thank you so fucking much. Hey! What are you all standing around for? Clear out the remaining monsters and make a path for the Captain! Contact headquarters, report the situation, and call the medical team!"
Letting out a sigh of relief, Canna quickly barked orders to her squad. A short while later, when she saw Martina safely cross back inside the defensive barrier, Canna finally burst into the tears she had been holding back. Martina's face was deathly pale from overexerting her mana, and the front of her uniform was stained crimson with coughed-up blood. Her expression was unusually stiff and rigid, showing just how hard she had pushed herself. But she was alive. Overwhelmed with joy at that simple fact, Canna ran forward and threw her arms around Martina.
"...Dammit, why did you push yourself so hard? I told you I'd never forgive you if you didn't come back safe... But... but since you came back alive, I'll forgive you..."
"...What's with the uncharacteristic acting cute? You're way too old to be crying like a baby. Every bone in my body is creaking right now, so do you mind letting go?"
"...No. This is your punishment for wrecking your body. Just let me stay like this for a bit..."
Chuckling at the whimpering in her arms, Martina gently patted Canna's head. Noticing Natalia approaching, she gave her a slight nod.
"...I know today was your day off, so thanks for responding to the reinforcement call. I'll buy you a drink later."
"Oh, don't worry about it. It was an emergency, so of course I'd come. Besides, it's not every day you ask me for a favor, Martina. You did promise to grant me whatever I wanted, right? Fufu, you'd better be prepared."
"...Dammit, I shouldn't have said that."
Natalia smiled softly at Martina's grimace, then turned her gaze toward Yoon Siwoo and Scarlet Evande, who were resting a short distance away. She asked Martina,
"Do you think those two are alright? Siwoo is one thing, but that girl was exposed to so much Magi..."
At Natalia's question, Martina's expression hardened as she replied.
"...Who knows. When we rescued her, she didn't seem to have any major physical issues. Some people just have unique constitutions that resist Magi. I'm guessing she's one of them."
"...Is that so? Well, that's a relief, but..."
As they conversed, a sudden commotion broke out behind them. Natalia turned her head toward the noise, her eyes widening in surprise.
"...Thank you for your hard work, Captain Martina, Captain Natalia."
It was the medical team dispatched from headquarters to treat the heavily exhausted Martina and Yoon Siwoo. But standing among the newly arrived group was an entirely unexpected figure.
"...Principal? Why are you here...?"
At her question, Mark Aegis, the current principal of Aegis Academy, bowed his head slightly toward Martina.
"First, let me express my deepest gratitude to you for rescuing the kidnapped student."
"...It's fine. It was only our duty. More importantly, what brings you all the way out here?"
"...Well, the thing is... I am terribly sorry, especially since you have just pushed yourself to the limit and need rest, but once the treatment is finished, I must ask both Yoon Siwoo and Captain Martina to accompany me."
At his next words, Martina's face froze.
"...The Central Committee has raised suspicions of treasonous collusion against Miss Scarlet Evande. An interrogation regarding the matter is scheduled to take place shortly."
Since the dawn of the city's history, there had been countless felonies strictly forbidden by law. Murder, rape, robbery, assault, the manufacturing and distribution of illicit substances, acts of terror, and experimentation with forbidden magic. Yet, among all these heinous crimes, the one treated with the absolute utmost severity was treason against humanity—collusion with the enemy.
Colluding with a Witch, or acting under a Witch's orders. Because it was a crime of such magnitude that it could decide the very fate of humanity, the Central Committee—composed of the city's ruling elite—possessed the authority to interrogate anyone suspected of treason based on mere circumstantial evidence alone. Or rather, the authority existed on paper. It was a nominal power, one that had not been exercised in nearly several centuries.
Since the Witches, whom humanity had branded as their ultimate enemy, had not appeared for four hundred years, the Central Committee only knew of the existence of such a law; it had practically never been enforced. Consequently, murmurs and debates were already rippling through the Central Committee regarding the sudden invocation of this ancient authority for the first time in centuries.
"...Collusion? Do you truly believe that to be the case, Patriarch Dolos?"
"I am not entirely certain. However, is it not our duty to resolve any potential threat to the city with the utmost urgency? If there is even a shred of suspicion, we must investigate it thoroughly."
The one who had requested the interrogation of Scarlet Evande was Diaconos Dolos, the head of the Dolos family—one of the three founding families holding the greatest sway within the Committee. As he spoke with a stoic, indifferent expression, Sylvia, who had been summoned to the meeting immediately upon her return from the front lines, glared at him with sharp, furious eyes and snapped back.
"How can you suspect Miss Scarlet of treason? If not for her sacrifice, all the students would have been slaughtered by the Witch! Even Miss Flone Dolos was saved by her, so how could the Dolos family—"
"I, too, feel gratitude for that. However, when the survival of humanity is at stake, must we not set aside personal feelings? Frankly, I have found things peculiar for some time now. When the Witches attacked the city, they acted as though they possessed intimate, prior knowledge of our situation. Is it not natural to suspect that a spy has been leaking the city's secrets to them? And as it happens, there is one individual who fits the bill perfectly. Miss Scarlet Evande. I believe she is currently staying as a guest of the Astra family?"
Sylvia nodded, though her gaze remained fiercely hostile. Diaconos, completely unfazed, continued resolutely.
"She was the one who encountered the Sloth Witch when she infiltrated the city previously, and she was the one kidnapped by the unidentified Witch who invaded this time. Yet, she returned completely unharmed. Unless there is something more to this, how could a mere academy student repeatedly face Witches and survive unscathed? Furthermore, she possesses a unique constitution that suffers no physical corruption despite heavy exposure to Magi. It seems she has every chance of surviving by siding with the Witches, even if humanity falls. The circumstances are far too suspicious to be dismissed as mere coincidence."
"...That could just be a stroke of good luck. Miss Scarlet is innocent."
"Yes, there is certainly a chance she is innocent. After all, we only have circumstantial evidence for now. That is why I intend to conduct the interrogation as humanely as possible. We shall refrain from torture during the questioning."
"What on earth do you mean by—!"
"Lady Sylvia. That is enough. The Patriarch of Dolos is correct. If she is innocent, she simply needs to prove it."
Sylvia, who had leaped to her feet as if stung by the word torture, froze at the voice coming from beside her. The elder, who held the actual reins of power within the Astra family, chuckled softly as if it were nothing, but to Sylvia, that smile was a clear warning to stop acting out. Gritting her teeth, she had no choice but to sink back into her seat.
Sylvia bit her nails in anxiety. They said she only needed to prove her innocence, but Scarlet harbored a secret that could never be revealed to others. If that secret were to be exposed during the interrogation, even if she hadn't committed treason, she could still face severe punishment... Trembling, Sylvia murmured,
"...If Miss Scarlet is found guilty of anything, then what...?"
"Then, we shall simply proceed according to the law."
Because the Astra family was heavily populated by legal figures, Sylvia was quite knowledgeable about the law herself. And the punishment handed down to a traitor of humanity, or anyone deemed equivalent, was without exception only one thing.
"Summary execution."
Sylvia felt her mind go completely blank.