The End of the Rebellion
"It's fine now, I keep telling you."
"No! Your Highness still needs more rest..."
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
The time for playing along with this nonsense was over.
I had already received treatment from Seris, so my body was in peak condition.
I had simply humored Linea's stubbornness by staying in her arms a few minutes longer.
"And if we're being precise, aren't you the one who qualifies more as a princess?"
I massaged my stiff neck as I spoke.
"...R-really?"
"Would I lie?"
"U-uhhehe... Princess..."
This girl seemed to harbor some rather odd fantasies. As the daughter of a marquis, she would have received better treatment than most actual princesses.
"Princess, I have come to rescue you. Oh my! Master... Prince, you mustn't do this."
She had truly lost her mind.
I left Linea to her imaginary prince-and-princess roleplay and turned my attention to Seris, who looked unusually somber.
"Seris."
"Y-yes?"
"Are you all right? You seem lost in thought."
"...You're right."
Seris explained in a voice heavy with despair.
"Hmm."
Seris was wrestling with a tangle of emotions.
Guilt for failing to save the weak.
Disappointment in the Holy Empire and the goddess who had become entangled in this affair.
And fury at herself for being unable to prevent any of it.
I have no idea how to comfort her.
I had no intention of spouting some forced, meaningless sermon. But one thing was certain.
Brooding like this would only hurt her more.
"There are plenty of things I could say. It couldn't be helped. The Holy Empire is rotten. None of this is your fault."
Seris's expression stiffened slightly.
"But all of it would be pointless. These are empty words spoken without heart, just to resolve the immediate problem. They wouldn't mean anything to you."
I gripped both of Seris's shoulders.
"So let me tell you this instead. Accept that feeling. Let your current emotions become fuel. Hone your abilities further and protect even more people. Isn't that the answer?"
After all, I would be the one to deal with the Holy Empire and the gods.
I added that last part.
"Puh... How ridiculous. Truly."
Seris smiled faintly as she rubbed at her tear-brimmed eyes.
Sigh... Did I say the wrong thing?
Maybe I should have offered the usual, obvious comfort instead.
As that thought crossed my mind, Seris spoke again.
"Ethan, you really are a terrible man, aren't you?"
"I'm definitely not a good one."
"That's not what I meant."
With a seductive smile, Seris tapped my lips lightly with her index finger.
"It's this mouth of yours that's the real problem."
Then she clasped her hands behind her back and shifted to my side.
"Let's go. We still have so much left to do, don't we?"
"Y-yeah."
I couldn't quite match her tempo.
"...Even though you're my prince."
Regardless, I headed into the city with Seris and a still-grumbling Linea. The imperial reinforcements must have arrived; the once-chaotic streets had grown remarkably calm.
Between the time I spent locked in combat with Valterion and the hour I spent surveying the area, it made sense that the suppression was complete.
"Halt."
A knight spotted us and blocked our path. A golden imperial crest adorned his chest.
"Who are you?"
"I am Rick, commander of the Imperial Fourth Knight Division."
Rick stared at me intently.
"What business do you have here? This is no place for an academy student."
"I am Ethan."
"Ah. The student Her Highness mentioned. The matter is concluded, so you may return."
"Aren't there still tasks remaining?"
"If you refer to the elimination of the traitor Valterion Sivtant, that does not concern you. It is not an affair for a mere student to involve himself in."
"I killed him, though?"
"What?"
Rick frowned and repeated the question.
"Lying to an imperial knight commander is not something that can be overlooked, even from a student. Especially given the sensitive nature of this incident..."
"I'm not lying. I really did kill him."
I snapped my fingers. Valterion's corpse tumbled out of subspace.
I hadn't intended to keep it, but I had stored it away in case of complications. It proved useful after all.
"J-just a moment for verification..."
The knight commander examined the body with widened eyes, then called for additional confirmation.
Commander, it is indeed the traitor.
"H-how could a student possibly..."
The knight commander muttered, his face pale with shock.
I'm simply stronger to begin with.
I had only glanced at them, but the Fourth Knight Division wasn't particularly impressive. By ordinary standards they might be considered elite, but I could have swept them all away single-handedly.
Have I grown that much?
Before facing Valterion, I likely would have struggled. As expected, battling the strong becomes medicine if you survive.
Whether from crossing the threshold of death or wringing out my limits, I had achieved growth beyond comparison to my former self.
"I'm a bit strong."
"That is not a matter to be dismissed so lightly."
"Since I'm strong, I received permission from the princess without issue, didn't I? Ask Katrina directly if you doubt me."
"How dare you refer to Her Highness in such a—!"
"Aah. Lady Katrina."
The knight commander let out a deep sigh.
"...Very well. You may go."
"Take care."
I had lightened their workload, yet they were full of complaints. These bastards needed a taste of overtime to straighten out their attitudes.
I left the area while grumbling inwardly.
"That gave me such a fright."
Seris clutched her chest.
"Fortunately it seems he didn't recognize me, but..."
"It would have been troublesome if he realized you were the Saintess."
After all, Seris and I had been walking arm-in-arm like a close couple.
"He might have simply pretended not to notice."
"Don't say such terrifying things!"
Seris looked genuinely horrified. I smiled at her reaction, but doubt lingered in my mind.
There's no way he wouldn't recognize the Saintess.
Her face wasn't exactly kept secret from the public, nor had she been wearing a veil.
Someone of the Imperial Fourth Knight Division commander's rank would have had numerous opportunities to see her face. Yet he claimed ignorance?
Eh. He must have simply forgotten.
If he had recognized her, he wouldn't have remained so composed. I shook off the thought and steadied myself.
"Linea."
"Yes."
"Let's go see Isana."
An important matter still remained.
"They were walking arm-in-arm, you say?"
Katrina drummed her fingers on the desk in her office.
Yes. Not only that, their relationship appeared to be at least that of close friends. From my limited perspective, it even seemed as though they were lovers...
"Hmm. That will suffice."
Click—
She ended the communication with Rick.
Katrina rested her chin on her hand, recalling the report.
"He eliminated the family head Valterion and appears to be in a romantic relationship with the Saintess..."
There is no possibility the suggestion has been broken.
"I never suggested otherwise. Enough with your persecution complex."
Even as she spoke, Katrina was half-certain the suggestion had failed.
Approaching the Saintess falls within our orders.
"No. I ordered you to blend in, not to escalate things into a lover's relationship. And the arm-in-arm..."
As far as Katrina knew, the Saintess lost her power upon making skin contact with another. It was equivalent to losing her chastity.
Of course, since the current goddess was a false one, that rule might not apply. Still, too many details felt off.
"A spy from the Holy Empire? Or the Adversary?"
In the past, Katrina had mistaken Ethan for a Holy Empire spy. Now that suspicion resurfaced.
At the same time, the opposite possibility emerged—the Adversary the incompetent demon had spoken of.
A being born to oppose the World's Will.
Suggestions do not work on the Adversary. Since my suggestion took hold, he cannot be the Adversary.
"I'm curious why you refuse to consider the possibility that it simply didn't work."
Isn't it obvious? Would any sane person utter phrases like 'I shall obey Master's command'? Or display those other behaviors? In all my years observing humans, none have ever performed acting of that caliber.
"You have a point."
Even to Katrina, Ethan's behavior had been too flawless to be mere acting. How many varieties of humans had she observed in her lifetime?
The vast majority had tried to deceive her while wearing masks. With that experience and her discerning eye, Katrina could perfectly distinguish truth from falsehood in both words and actions.
And to her, Ethan was unmistakably a man under suggestion. If that had been an act, it would have been impossible.
"A spy from the Holy Empire. Or perhaps some third party."
She wouldn't conclude he was a spy. A third possibility could exist.
"The suggestion might have weakened. His mental barriers are strong, after all."
Then simply cast it again.
After listening to the demon and sinking into thought, Katrina eventually summoned Ray.
"Yes."
"Observe Ethan. From as great a distance as possible."
Katrina seized Ray by the collar.
"If you fail again, there will be no reward. Understood?"
Katrina's and the demon's voices overlapped.
Ray let out a heated breath and nodded eagerly.
"Good girl."
Katrina stroked Ray's head. The girl's body trembled and twitched.
"As expected."
Nothing was more adorable than an expressionless little dog.
News arrived that the rebellion had been suppressed.
"Linea. It seems I was never able to repay you."
Her end was drawing near.
Sensing her final moments, Isana closed her eyes and recalled the past.