Towards the Truth
Elizabeth hurriedly wiped the smile from her face at the demon's words of truth. But her lips kept twitching upward, so she quietly rubbed her lower jaw with her hand. Only then did her mouth settle completely. It was pointless to hide it, though. The demon stared at her intently, as if amused.
"Th-this... you're saying something ridiculous...!" Elizabeth stammered. Her voice lacked conviction. It sounded more like an excuse.
Oblivius brushed off her words and countered softly. "Then why get so angry? I'm only telling you the truth."
"...How can I just sit here and listen to such nonsense? My dad is Leo Valentine. That's never going to change."
"Really? Is that what you truly believe?"
The demon's question was unusually quiet. In that silence, Elizabeth found herself reflecting inward. There was no proof the demon was lying. On the contrary, his words were... too logical. They fit together too quietly, too neatly. That made it all the more horrifying.
No, that can't be. She repeated it to herself inwardly, but she already knew. Something was wrong. Deep in her chest, a foreign sense of self she'd thought buried was slowly, stickily, raising its head.
"Hard to believe, isn't it? Then why don't you recover your real memories yourself?"
The demon of memory reached out his bony hand toward Elizabeth's head, as if to use some power to show her the memories.
However.
Smack! Elizabeth slapped the demon's hand away.
"Don't touch me."
"Pardon?"
"I'm not you. I believe only what I've seen."
She remembered. Leo's warm embrace. In the chaotic days of her childhood, amid endless darkness, the only light in his eyes. It was faith. A truth that must not be distorted, must not be defiled.
"Don't taint my memories of that man."
She stated it firmly. At the same time, she wondered. Would this demon truly reveal the pure truth? She asked herself. Even if it did, Elizabeth didn't trust it. A demon was a demon. You had to believe what you could, not a demon.
Oblivius paused for a moment. Then he slowly nodded.
"I figured as much. So, what now? You planning to live with that nagging doubt buried inside?"
His words were like the tip of a blade. They nicked shallowly, then pierced deep.
Elizabeth didn't answer. Her mind settled into a quiet calm. She had two choices. Cover up the half-revealed truth and continue down the path she'd walked so far. That road was familiar and safe. Above all, it let her stay by the side of the one she loved.
Or the opposite. Unearth the deeply buried truth and face a life utterly different from now. She didn't know what lay at its end. She might lose everything she believed in. It could destroy her life.
It was certainly a truth she couldn't bear.
But Elizabeth already knew. The feeling that had kept raising its head in a corner of her heart had grown too strong to ignore. The wish that he be her father, and at the same time, the wish that he not be. Those contradictory emotions clashed.
If she hadn't known at all, maybe she could ignore it. But now that she'd glimpsed it so unsettlingly, there was no turning back.
"The answer's decided."
Elizabeth said quietly.
"I'll confirm it with my own eyes."
With both eyes. Not through memories, but reality.
She resolved to dig up the truth. Even if the end of this path was ruin, she would walk it.
The surest way was to ask the person himself: Leo. Shove the letter and Imperial Guard uniform in his face and press him. With such decisive proof, even he couldn't deny it.
But Elizabeth knew. Her father was a liar and a coward beyond imagination. Strong on the outside, but fragile within. If questioned about the truth, he'd spin lies and run, as always.
She looked down at the imperial seal of the empire. There was only one way to confirm the truth. Go there herself and see with her own eyes.
A short while later, Elizabeth bought a ticket for the train to the empire. It departed at four-thirty in the afternoon.
"I'm home."
Leo said as he opened the familiar front door. The evening breeze seeping through was chilly. He neatly arranged his shoes and hung his coat on the rack. The house was wrapped in silence.
"Ellie, Dad's home."
Click. He moved automatically. Pulling the cord lit the magic lantern, spreading yellow light through the dim living room. He dragged his slightly weary body to the bedroom, changed into loungewear, and washed his hands and face at the sink. The familiar routine to end the day.
"Ellie?"
Still, his daughter hadn't appeared.
"Ellie, you didn't forget we're eating out, right?"
He stood before her door and knocked. He listened closely, but no reply came. Not even a sign of presence.
He cautiously turned the knob.
Click. The door opened easily.
The room inside was quiet. Too quiet, almost unnaturally so.
Elizabeth was gone. The desk held neatly arranged notebooks and pens; the bed was perfectly made.
Leo searched the house. Bathroom, storage, even around outside. He scoured everywhere, but no sign of Elizabeth.
"No way."
Leo hurried back inside. In a flash, he opened the ceiling and pulled down the box.
Clack. The gold ring embedded with a ruby. The emperor's letter. His own Imperial Guard uniform. Untouched. All in place.
Good. She hadn't found out.
Leo sighed in relief, but his worry didn't subside. ...Then where the hell is she?
That's when he spotted it. A note on the dining table, right out in the open. He'd been too frantic and scattered to notice.
Leo picked it up.
To Dad,
By the time you read this, I'll have left Lenz. Don't be surprised. It's just a simple trip. I decided I needed time to sort my thoughts, and it felt best to go alone, so I did. Sorry for leaving so suddenly. But since you've lied to me before, we're even, right?
Destination: Hesenia. I've always wanted to go but never had the chance. Now I finally get to see the city called the heart of the world.
Truth is, I've suggested going before, but you always opposed it fiercely.
"......"
His heart seemed to drop with a thud. His mind froze for a moment.
Hesenia. The heart of the empire. And where the emperor resided.
I'll be back within five days. I've got all the info on the destination, and preparations are done. Money, lodging, itinerary—all planned. Don't worry. I'm an adult now. I can judge and act without you. Harsh to say, but I'm better at managing money and talking than you, aren't I? Trust your daughter.
Even so, when I get home, don't forget our dinner out. That promise. I still think it's valid.
Well, I'm off.
Your daughter, Ellie
— Ellie
"....."
Leo set the note down. He stared at it quietly, then sprang into action. No time to think.
Leo dragged a chair to the ceiling. With swift hands, he pried open the panel and hauled out the old box. Inside lay traces of a life long sealed away. The lid shattered open without hesitation.
There was the uniform he'd worn last. The black fabric gleamed with a translucent sheen. Magic fiber that absorbed light. Double armor layered with monster hide. Made to deflect bullets and move silently in shadows—the ghost of the battlefield.
Leo donned the garment for the first time in years. He'd thought it would feel familiar. It didn't. His body was leaner, his shoulders less broad. The buttons hung loose, the knots slack. He adjusted them several times, muttering to himself.
Old.
His hand naturally went to the wardrobe. There lay a sword long forgotten. The cold weight of metal, the familiar pressure in his palm. He slowly drew it from the scabbard.
Shing... A blue flash briefly grazed his face. The light vanished quickly, but in that instant, his eyes trembled deeply.
Next, he moved fast. Two slices of bread, a bottle of water, a heavy pouch of money. Light and simple gear. Not for a long journey.
He left the hallway light on. So whoever returned would feel warmth.
His hand paused on the doorknob. Then he slowly opened the door. The night breeze brushed his collar. He stepped into the shadows.
He didn't know where his daughter was or why she was going. But instinct drove him. She's in danger. Protecting Elizabeth from danger had always been his role. Until now, and from now on.
By now, it was eight in the evening. Leo headed to the station. The fastest way to Hesenia was the train. But.
"Ah... what do we do? The last train just left."
The station attendant glanced nervously at Leo and continued. A black-clad stranger barging in at closing time. The air and appearance were far from ordinary, so the attendant chose words carefully.
Creak... The black glove twisted.
Leo turned without hesitation. No time.
He quickened his pace to the stables. The owner was just locking up.
Leo approached and spoke bluntly. "Lend me a horse."
"Hey, man, it's closing time. You can't just—"
The stable owner froze upon seeing Leo. He looked like the grim reaper in black.
Then Leo abruptly pulled out money. "Here."
The owner numbly took the thick wad Leo thrust at him. A quick glance: easily millions of harts.
"Uh, ahem! Of course. But you gotta bring it back, right?"
"Got it. The fastest one you've got."
The owner reluctantly opened the gate and led out a horse. Ebony mane like black lacquer, glossy muscles—a jet-black steed.
Leo mounted swiftly. The black horse champed the bit and pawed the ground.
Clop, clop! Carrying Leo, the black horse bolted out of the city.
Once beyond the city limits, darkness enveloped everything. A tension deeper and colder than the night pressed down on Leo. No time. Without even catching his breath, he galloped into the dark.