The Soul in the Ring
Princess Beatrice was a demon.
The news that would plunge the Empire into shock spread with terrifying speed. Darius and the imperial household threw every resource they had into damage control, but there was no stopping it from getting out.
"This is a complete disaster. Hell itself would be an improvement."
His face drawn and pale beneath the weight of every possible worry, Darius asked:
"Was this really the only way?"
With no reason to remain in the courtroom, Darius, Milia, and X had relocated to the prince's executive office to discuss what came next.
"There wasn't a better option? Something quieter — something with less fallout?"
"There wasn't. This was the best we could do."
X had nothing to add. Exposing Beatrice's true identity to the public had never been part of the plan. They could have waited until after the Empire's destruction had been averted, then seized her by force — but the timing had been against them. Above all, Andras's scheme had been advancing at a blistering pace. That had been the real problem.
"You could have consulted me beforehand."
"It was to keep information from reaching the demon occupying Her Highness's body. There are unseen eyes and ears among the citizenry."
Darius's face twisted, but he accepted it.
"Fine. So what's the plan now? You may not realize this, but now that the princess has been exposed as a demon and fled, we've lost a great deal."
He read through the documents on his desk, his sighs growing longer with every page.
"The unrest and anxiety among the people is worse than it's ever been. Makes a mockery of the Grand Feast Day. And those damned revolutionaries look ready to make their move in earnest. Not that any of that matters. There's a far more serious problem."
Darius ground his teeth, swallowing the fury of having let Beatrice slip away.
"We tried to seize that cursed necklace you told us about, but she was carrying a fake. You said we couldn't lift His Majesty's curse without it! And now that the princess has gone into hiding—!"
"It'll be all right. The curse's power will weaken."
Darius's eyes went wide at the unexpected answer. X rummaged through his memory and pressed on.
"A curse of this type only takes effect when a certain proximity to the target is maintained. Now that she's a fugitive, she won't be able to sustain it any longer."
"Is that true?"
"The reason His Majesty's curse has persisted until now is because the princess remained close. She's been paying regular visits ever since His Majesty collapsed, hasn't she?"
Andras had used the princess's identity to pretend to nurse the bedridden Emperor, all the while stacking the curse higher and higher. That was how the Emperor had been slowly dying for five years. But that ended today.
"His condition won't improve overnight, but if you keep the holy relic I gave you nearby, he should stabilize within a few days. Until then, you must keep everyone away from His Majesty's side."
"...You—"
A fist slammed into X's solar plexus without warning.
"Guh—!"
"You son of a bitch!! Why didn't you say that first?!"
Because if I'd told you earlier, you'd have gone berserk and charged off to hunt the princess down, that's why!
Darius was a man of cold, calculated judgment — except when it came to his own blood. Then he threw caution to the wind. That was why X hadn't been able to tell him.
"I-it isn't a fundamental solution, so..."
"Why is peeling you like peeling an onion — there's always another layer?! Is there anything else I need to know? Speak. Now!"
"Uh, no... Wait. There might be, if I look..."
"Aah, this lunatic...!"
Darius let out a long, dark sigh, but a hint of relief showed through on his face.
"At the very least, His Majesty isn't going to die."
"That's right. Capturing the princess would have been ideal, but what's done is done. She'll come back. That's a certainty."
"Hah... Fine. I understand."
He set aside the moment of weakness and regarded X with a stern expression once more.
"The Empire is now in an extremely dangerous position. Now that it's been revealed a member of the imperial family was a demon, the Holy Kingdom's interference will spiral out of control. And the people's unrest couldn't possibly get any worse. Are you aware of that?"
"Of course."
"You told us to lay a trap. The preparations are nearly complete — a useful card fell into our hands at just the right time. But I still have a question."
"What question would that be?"
"Can my sister be saved?"
It was the question X had expected.
"The princess has been exposed as a demon. Even if we capture her in hiding, she must be executed. This is different from His Majesty. If we fail to execute a princess who became a demon, it will lead directly to civil strife."
Darius's concerns were well-founded. Even in the Empire, the people would never accept a member of the imperial family being a demon. The political attacks from the high nobility would be fiercer than ever.
"I know I'm asking too much. But they are my blood, more precious to me than anything. I know it's shameless to ask you to save my sister on top of His Majesty's life. And yet there is no one else I can turn to."
Having said that, Darius bowed his head.
X and Milia were stunned. Crown Prince Darius himself had bowed his head — to X, a commoner.
Milia all but convulsed as she tried to stop him.
"Your Highness, this is too much! How can you bow to a commoner—!"
"Milia. If I must bow my head to save a member of the imperial family, then I will. And X can no longer be called an ordinary commoner. You saw it yourself — he even wields holy power."
X understood how Darius saw him now. He had wielded three powers, so the prince regarded him as another Hero. He decided to set the record straight before things got out of hand.
"First, I'd like to clear up a few misunderstandings."
"Misunderstandings?"
"First: I have not become a Hero. It's true that I wield all three powers — Auror, magic, and holy power. But there is only ever one Hero."
Darius frowned, not following.
"Isn't the Hero the only one who can wield all three?"
"More precisely, the Hero happened to wield all three. What I demonstrated is a kind of loophole. Even someone who isn't a Hero can use all three powers."
"What? A loophole?"
"That's right. Think of it as a matter of constitution."
Telling him he'd bought the skills off a status window wouldn't have made any sense. X glossed over it.
Darius eyed him with suspicion, then muttered:
"Just how many secrets are you hiding? I've half a mind to throw you in a cell and torture it out of you."
"Please, anything but that..."
"I'm joking. Don't take it seriously."
It was not, in any way, the face of a man telling a joke. A chill ran down X's spine. He changed the subject.
"I'm aware we need a way to keep public sentiment from boiling over. This is, in every respect, the perfect moment for the revolutionaries to make their play."
"The way you say that, it sounds like you have a solution."
"We announce the birth of a new Hero."
Darius's brow furrowed. He grasped X's intent immediately.
"Spread the word that you've become a new Hero?"
"That's right. And the timing for a Hero's debut couldn't be better. The tournament is about to begin, isn't it? Two Heroes chosen by the Goddess facing each other — that should be more than enough to turn the people's angry eyes elsewhere."
"Didn't you just say there's only ever one Hero?"
"The people don't sweat the details. What matters is that the show lands."
"You sound like a swindler..."
Darius snorted, then spoke with surprising ease.
"Fine. Bring me a proposal and I'll review it. Keep in mind we don't have much time."
"Of course."
X was relieved that Darius had agreed so readily. The truth was, what he had done was more than enough to warrant the execution of three generations for the crime of insulting the imperial family. Some of the nobles were surely screaming that he should be made an example of. The only reason those voices were being silenced was because Darius trusted him completely.
Now it was time to answer that trust.
"Second: I succeeded in rescuing Her Highness Beatrice's soul. All that remains is her body."
"Her soul? What are you talking about?"
Darius couldn't let that pass. This was about Beatrice — no one else.
X looked at Milia beside him.
"Lady Milia, do you have the ring?"
"...Yes. After you had the gall to order me around."
"I apologize for that..."
Looking thoroughly displeased, Milia handed X the Soul Trap Ring she'd taken from Beatrice. He accepted it and continued.
"This ring is an artifact created by demons, called a Soul Trap Ring. They use it to hide in human society while evading the effects of holy power."
"A Soul Trap Ring?"
"Yes. This artifact seals the soul of the body being possessed, drawing holy power toward it. In other words, the original body's soul is inside this ring."
X slipped the Soul Trap Ring onto his finger at once, then spoke as if offering a greeting.
"This is an unusual way to meet, Princess Beatrice. My name is X. If you are conscious, please respond."
A reply came from the ring at once. The voice was thick with relief and joy, on the verge of tears.
"Ah... ahh..."
"You saved me..."
It was Beatrice. A lonely, indomitable soul that had endured five years of suffering and torment without ever losing consciousness.
"X, what are you doing?"
"Her Highness Beatrice's soul is in this ring."
Darius shot to his feet in shock. X carefully removed the ring and held it out to him.
"You have to wear it to speak with her."
Looking as though he couldn't believe it, Darius carefully slipped the ring onto his finger.
"...Beatrice. Is that you?"
It took only a few exchanges for him to realize the soul in the ring was truly Beatrice. His legs gave out. He sank into his chair, the shock so great he sat there with his mouth hanging open, staring into nothing.
Milia, reading the room, shot X a look and issued an order.
"That's enough for today. Go."
X had delivered everything that needed delivering. There was no reason to stay. As he carefully made his way out of the office, Darius's voice followed him.
"Thank you. Truly. I will never forget this debt."
X slipped out quietly. He had no intention of being the clueless third wheel at a reunion five years in the making. Besides, he was about to be frantically busy for a while.
"X."
A familiar voice called out as he headed back toward the dormitory.
"Miss Lola. What about the Grand Feast Day?"
Lola looked restless, fidgeting in place.
"I heard about the trial. You were cleared, right? They tried to brand you a demon worshipper, and then you used holy power. I don't think I can be surprised anymore."
"The news already spread? Word travels fast. But..."
X carefully pointed to the person standing beside her. It was the mage-noble in the fedora he'd seen at the courtroom.
"And this gentleman is...?"
"Um, well... it's a bit complicated..."
"What's so complicated? Just tell him straight."
As Lola hemmed and hawed, the middle-aged gentleman in the fedora removed his hat and introduced himself. He had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as Lola.
"So you're X. I've heard a great deal about you from my daughter. First time we've spoken since the courtroom."
"Your daughter... Wait. Daughter?"
The middle-aged gentleman smiled — a rather frightening smile.
"I am Count Lemercier. Lola's father."
The look behind that smile was unmistakably the hostile glare of a man sizing up a no-good punk.
"I look forward to working with you."
It did not, in any way, sound like he looked forward to working with him.