Unexpected Result
"Assembly, huh. How many years has it been?"
"As far as I know, three years."
The Windsor Knights had gathered in the bustling auditorium. Though it was an emergency summons, few voiced complaints. Of course, some did.
"Hey, I'm still recovering— isn't this too much?"
"Sir Jerryway! Thanks to you, I survived back then."
"Haha! If you're that grateful... mind lending me some money?"
"Pardon?"
The knights each took a step back from Jerryway. Seizing the gap, Lude pushed through the crowd toward Chiron.
"Captain, you're here too?"
"It's a summons from the investigators. Even as captain, it's proper procedure to comply."
Lude looked rather haggard. Chiron crossed his arms and asked,
"How's the investigation going?"
"Well... there's good news and bad news. Want to hear it?"
"No. Let's handle this first."
Chiron said that while gazing steadily at the podium. A knight checking attendance nodded, and the duty officer hurried off somewhere.
"Looks like it'll start soon."
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard. The auditorium fell silent in an instant.
'Who could the culprit be?'
The question hung in everyone's mind. The Sword Princess's investigations were renowned for being flawless. If she'd found the perpetrator, it meant irrefutable evidence.
'Whoever it is... they're in here.'
'If they get exposed...'
'I'll kill them myself.'
The air in the hall thickened with murderous intent. Amid it all, light footsteps echoed.
Gazes shifted one by one. A girl with silver hair fluttering, pale skin, and lips pressed tight.
Sisilia Windsor. She took the podium.
"Sorry I'm late—had to organize the intel."
She bowed her head briefly, then looked up.
"First off, allow me to introduce myself... Detective Sisilia."
"De-tective, what?"
The knights, tense with anticipation, looked baffled. Sisilia ignored them and extended her hand to the right.
"Now, Watson. Bring the evidence."
"...Watson? Who's that?"
Hyter, face ashen, handed over the documents. All eyes turned to Chiron.
'Can't you control your daughter?'
Chiron bowed his head in shame.
"The incident began with a fake dungeon攻略 guide."
Edward glared at Sisilia with hardened eyes. Jerryway noticed and paled.
"The mission orders were falsified, and Sword Emperor Jerryway suffered severe injuries."
"I don't know what the culprit was after, but one thing was clear: the insider is an enemy of the Windsors."
"Now, I'll present the investigation results."
Sisilia's cynical voice rang out clearly. The knights watched with bated breath.
"The culprit is..."
Gulp. The knights swallowed hard.
Sisilia spoke with unprecedented seriousness.
"The culprit... is among us."
"...!"
The knights were stunned. Isn't that obvious...?
But Sisilia beamed as if she'd dropped a bombshell. Chiron clapped with a straight face.
'Is this... really worth applauding?'
A grave doubt arose, but they followed suit, gauging the mood. As applause filled the hall, Sisilia shook her head.
"Please stop—too much praise embarrasses me. Though I agree it was a flawless investigation."
'...What are we supposed to do?'
The knights gave up thinking. Finally, one raised his hand.
"So, who is it?"
"That."
Sisilia paused dramatically again. Tension dried their throats.
"I'll reveal in 60 seconds."
A brief silence, then chaos erupted.
"You're kidding!"
"We indulge your cuteness only so far!"
"Wake up, Sisilia!"
Amid the protests, only Chiron silently glared at her. Get serious now. Or else, no more allowance.
Sisilia flinched, then closed her eyes and placed a hand on her sword.
What is she—
Before Chiron could finish thinking, her sword slid halfway out. In that instant, chills ran down his spine.
It felt like a demon was right behind him. Death, imminent.
Chiron drew without hesitation. Nearly simultaneously, every knight in the hall drew theirs.
"D-demon presence just now."
"And a strong one."
The flustered knights looked to the front. Sisilia said flatly,
"Windsor Knights wouldn't fail to sense that presence and draw their swords."
Chiron realized: That was her wind aura mimicking a demon. She can even do that.
"A knight order that slays demons can't ignore a demon's presence."
The knights scanned around.
"So, anyone who didn't draw is the culprit."
Most had drawn, but as Sisilia said, some hadn't.
"Ri-Ridel? You..."
Ridel belatedly reached for his sword, but it was too late. He smiled awkwardly.
"I-I felt it too. But I thought you were joking, Sisilia..."
"Even Sword Sovereigns were fooled by that precise Wind Aura, yet a regular knight noticed?"
Edward approached coldly, sword in hand, and stood before Ridel.
"Isn't that a bit much, Ridel?"
Edward placed a hand on his shoulder with his usual smile. Ridel felt crushing pressure.
"Th-that's..."
"That's?"
"W-with so many knights here! High knights too, as vice-captain said—no need for me to step up."
In that moment, even those thinking no way paled. The Windsor Knights were a group of unique personalities. Yet they shared one absolute trait: hatred for demons.
Waiting like an idiot for another knight while a demon was present?
"You're no Windsor."
As the mood turned dire, Ridel swallowed hard. He decided quickly.
"S-sorry! I'll tell everything—"
"Shut it."
Puuk.
Ridel looked down in disbelief. A blazing sword pierced his gut.
"Cough."
Blood poured out, but evaporated in the intense heat. He collapsed without a word, innards charred.
Chiron's eyebrow twitched. It looked like killing a key witness.
"There's more."
But he shelved the doubt and focused on Sisilia. The other knights did too.
Her credibility, already high, was now absolute.
"The traitor isn't just him."
"More...?"
"Yes. There's an insider among the high knights."
"...!"
No one could dismiss it lightly. They'd assumed no high knights were involved— it would be too horrific. High knights had devoted decades to the order and kingdom. They should be impeccable, having slain mountains of demons.
Yet a traitor among them? Who?
The hall fell into heavy silence, awaiting Sisilia's words.
"To be continued next time."
The knights collapsed in exasperation.
'They're loving it.' Sisilia smiled inwardly.
**
"Good work today."
"Yeah."
"You handled your duty splendidly... except the end."
Chiron patted Sisilia's head.
"We'll talk slowly back home."
"Captain."
"Speak."
Chiron paused boarding the carriage, waiting.
"I still have work to do."
"Rooting out traitors?"
"..."
Her silence was answer enough. Chiron nodded faintly and boarded. The carriage left without her.
Alone, Sisilia turned and walked toward the conclusion.
She'd known Ridel was the culprit from the documents. The issue: 'disguised employment' implied higher-ups involved.
Who? At first glance, Edward. But no real 'motive' fit. And a fatal flaw: he'd become captain anyway. No rush to act now.
Then who? Lude, lost in fire research? Hyter, too dim for a mastermind? Leo Ric, obsessed only with women and demons?
No. They had alibis anyway.
Who, then? Sisilia fell back on modern wisdom: Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is the truth.
Eliminating impossibles left one.
"Jerryway."
She approached softly. The man sat on the roof, gazing at the moonlight, sipping whiskey. Even as she sat beside him, he drank silently.
Sisilia waited quietly too.
"You know, Sisilia."
Jerryway murmured low.
"I joined the knights to avenge my brother."
He was the stereotypical wastrel. After losing his brother, nothing held meaning. Only slaying demons brought joy. Otherwise, booze and gambling to buy it.
"Then one day, in a dungeon... there he was. My dead brother."
His eyes scanned the past, as if his brother sat before him.
"Looked the same, talked the same. I'd hoped to see him in dreams, but meeting like this... didn't know whether to cry or laugh."
Sisilia's face stiffened slightly.
"Jerryway. That's..."
"I know. Not my real brother. Probably a demon that devoured his presence. But..."
A tear fell from Jerryway's eye.
"I couldn't bring myself to kill him."
Demons always target human weaknesses. He must have known. And yet...
Jerryway was just more pathetic than he thought.
"Couldn't betray his tearful pleas. Yeah, Sisilia. I'm the insider. The human who joined hands with demons."
-Shing.
At the sharp sword-draw, Jerryway closed his eyes peacefully.
"Sorry. Can't even end my own miserable life."
He awaited the end quietly. But consciousness didn't fade.
"In the end, you never killed anyone. No casualties in the 183 subjugations you interfered with. You just hurt yourself instead. Same this time."
He opened his eyes slowly. Sisilia had sheathed her sword and crouched beside him.
"It's not too late to turn back."
"..."
"Not if it's now."
Jerryway looked to the sky. Lowering his head would unleash tears.
"You're... forgiving me?"
Sisilia blinked.
"No."
"...Huh?"
His tears receded.
"But pick up every tear you shed, and I'll forgive you."
"...Pick them up?"
"Confess, naming some convenient noble as the instigator. We'll frame it as simple match-fixing corruption, not demon collusion. Demotion at worst. Your image'll tank more, but you can't get much worse anyway."
"Th-that's true, but... why? Why go this far..."
Truth was, Sisilia didn't care if a traitor emerged from the Windsors. He generated quality quests— she was grateful.
But she hated noble politics. She wanted undisturbed newbie prep. Just one year till open beta. No variables, no mistakes.
Clear obstacles early, elevate the order, build a solid fence for newbies.
For that.
"Gotta sweep away pesky nobles."
But Jerryway paled ghastly.
'Best deal possible— why's he like that?'
Sisilia tilted her head, baffled.