The Betrayer
Philia had figured out Rai’s secret identity, but it changed nothing.
Even though she still held no official position, her loyalty remained firmly with the Empire.
Once, she had aspired to become someone like Edelian—quietly upholding her own beliefs and admiring the knights who did so without hesitation.
It was all speculation. Since the matter involved the Emperor, Philia saw no reason to act.
Her days continued exactly as before: training with Rai, learning swordsmanship from Selma, and living her life.
Many students had left the academy during the break period, but those who studied under Rai remained.
Abigail, who had no home to return to; Zeroa, who stayed in Legandia; and Aslan and Philia all pushed their limits, sweating through the grueling sessions under Rai’s command.
Mia’s decision to stay and train instead of returning home had been unexpected, but everyone noticed the way she kept glancing at Zeroa when she thought no one was looking.
“What are you doing, Zeroa? Why are you stopping him?! You’re supposed to fight alongside him, not shield him!”
“I’m sorry!”
Zeroa, having become Abigail’s partner in sparring, answered Rai’s fierce shout with a loud, sincere apology.
As he blocked Rai’s incoming strike toward Abigail’s side, Zeroa’s mind went blank. He wiped sweat from his brow, stepped back to dodge Rai’s second swing, and raised his shield.
Abigail and Rai clashed again, their blades locking. Each clash grew rougher, leaving small openings in Abigail’s defense.
Rai seized the moment and thrust forward in a straight line. Abigail’s face twisted in frustration just as Zeroa lunged from behind, grabbed her waist, and swung his shield into place.
—Clang!
Rai’s blade slammed against the shield and glanced aside. Abigail, who had been pushed back, stomped her foot on Zeroa’s shoulder and charged forward to strike.
“That’s enough.”
Abigail had swung with all her might, thinking she had seized the opportunity. Rai simply extended his hand, letting her blade slide harmlessly across the ground.
The perfect strike was blocked so easily that it was almost laughable. But more than the missed blow, Abigail found herself staring at Rai’s sword tip pressing right against Zeroa’s neck—only inches from her own.
One more swing from Rai could have ended both of their lives in a single stroke.
Zeroa bowed his head. “Thank you for your hard work.”
Abigail’s expression remained sour. “That guy… he’s been acting weird since the festival. Ever since, he’s been tense… Oh. He passed out.”
Aslan watched Rai, then noticed Mia collapsed on the floor and shrugged.
Just like during the last break, Rai had suddenly ramped up the training intensity. He usually taught at a relaxed pace, but during the break he pushed anyone who made even the slightest mistake.
Mia had struggled at first, but she kept up and now only passed out once or twice a day.
When Philia carried the exhausted Mia to the shade of a tree, Leila entered the courtyard.
“Philia, a visitor is here.”
“Huh? Me?”
Philia blinked at Rai’s words.
She had assumed he meant to see Rai, but hearing it was her made her flustered.
“Go inside and talk. What… is it?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t ask anything. I was the one who got questioned.”
Leila glared at Rai, but he only laughed and pretended to ignore her.
The two of them entered Rai’s empty house and settled onto the living-room sofa.
Aslan’s distant shouts drifted from outside, yet the quiet house felt eerily still.
“Rai Instructor, do you have something to discuss?”
“Yes. I wanted to talk about the secret you’ve been guessing.”
Leila cast a soundproofing spell.
Philia’s lips pressed shut. She studied Leila’s face.
Philia had come to the academy alongside Rai and seemed to know him well. Of course she knew the truth.
“Rai Instructor is the Devil of All Nations…”
Philia tried to speak, but Leila raised a hand to stop her.
“What you’ve guessed is something you should keep inside. Whether it’s right or wrong, it will protect you to never speak it aloud.”
“…Who, exactly?”
“Everyone connected to him.”
Leila’s words turned Philia’s closest guess into cold fact.
The remaining resistance from the fallen Keilen Kingdom, the families of knights and soldiers killed by the Devil of All Nations, and even the watchful gaze of the Northern Norden—every one of them lived in uneasy fear.
With the Emperor’s lifespan already short and the empire unstable, Rai’s very existence only made things worse.
Rai, who had watched Philia since her first year, marveled at her insight.
Even if Celenas had once made him public or placed him in an obvious spot, Philia had uncovered his true identity alone.
She also possessed the careful judgment to know exactly how deep the connections ran.
Phil’s father, Infante Serios, had despised Rai, but Phil herself could not be faulted.
Rai looked at the promising young woman with quiet approval and drew a golden badge from his coat pocket. He set it on the table.
The palm-sized emblem shaped like a shield bore the sun and crossed swords—an insignia of the Imperial Golden Corps, the Emperor’s direct elite unit that only the greatest knights could join.
Leila’s affiliation with the Golden Corps had already been revealed during the Agnes incident, yet Philia’s eyes widened at the real thing.
Her interest was fleeting. She met Leila’s gaze.
“Are you here to deliver a command of silence?”
“No. Golden Corps officers may issue temporary conscription orders when necessary. You are conscripted to me, Philia. Show the badge whenever you need help.”
A clever girl like Philia understood the badge’s purpose at once.
Someone could try to pressure Rai to reveal his secret. Whoever they were, as long as they served the Empire, the Golden Corps’s authority could not be ignored.
One word from the Emperor’s direct unit was enough to make everyone step aside.
“If you are wise, you will never use it. Carry the badge with you at all times and never show it unless you truly need it.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Philia bowed and slipped the badge into her coat.
Gratitude outweighed any lingering worry about Rai’s secret; Leila had helped her for her own sake.
After the conversation ended, Leila stood and reached for one of the stacked swords in the corner.
“I’ll borrow this.”
“Take it.”
Rai said it coolly, but Leila said nothing. She sheathed the blade at her waist and left.
Her destination was the headmistress’s office.
—Knock, knock.
After the secretary announced Leila’s arrival, Celenas, buried in paperwork, paused. A smile curved her lips as she told the secretary to show her in.
Celenas rose when Leila entered and offered a polite greeting.
“Thank you for making time, Headmistress.”
“You’re always welcome, Leila.”
Celenas’s soft eyes scanned Leila’s waist, where the sword rested.
Instructors normally left their weapons behind unless training in the arena. Especially in meetings or private audiences with the headmistress, it was simple courtesy.
Celenas’s expression tightened for a moment at the sight, then she smiled meaningfully and gestured toward the sofa.
“I brought snow-flower tea earlier. Would you like some? The scent is exquisite.”
“Whatever is fine.”
Leila answered in a dry tone, but Celenas’s own voice was smooth as she turned to pour.
When the headmistress’s back was turned, Leila studied her.
“Are you the 6th Princess’s enemy, Headmistress?”
Celenas’s hand froze while she poured the tea. The room filled only with the bubbling sound of the kettle.
“Why do you think that?”
“Why did you send Rai to the academy’s core?”
Rai repeated the question. Celenas stood, leaned against the side table, and answered calmly.
“He can obtain what he wants with me.”
“You trust him enough to nullify the slave contract and free the Devil of All Nations?”
“I don’t know if he desires that.”
Celenas tilted her head with a faint smile.
As she had said, Rai had used System Dion’s power and left the final answer with Leila.
Dion had warned that it would take months of computation, and he was still waiting.
Knowing full well that if Rai had wanted freedom he could have killed her on the spot, Leila pressed on.
“Why did you send me with him to that place?”
“You are the monitor. Of course I had to tell you his location.”
Celenas spoke as if stating the obvious.
Unfazed by the provocation, Leila continued to meet her eyes.
After a long silence, Celenas spoke again.
“Let me return to your first question. Are you the 6th Princess’s enemy?”
“No.”
Celenas shook her head.
“Then I’ll change the subject.”
“Whatever you like.”
Celenas smiled and turned back to the teapot.
The sound of water filling it reached Leila’s ears as she asked, facing the headmistress’s back.
“Have you betrayed the 6th Princess?”
“……”
Celenas gave no answer.
It was enough. Yet Leila waited patiently for more.
When Celenas finally set the kettle down, she stared at the wall for a moment before speaking.
“Yes. I did betray her.”
Even though Emilia Shane Bernies had almost no power left, Celenas had still been her pillar. Hearing the confession surprised Rai no more than a breeze.
“Are you the 6th Princess’s enemy?”
“…… No.”
Betrayal, but not enmity.
Undeterred, Rai stood.
“I apologize for taking up your precious time, Headmistress. I’ll take the tea as thanks.”
Rai left without waiting for another reply.
Alone, Celenas did not turn toward the wall. She simply stood still.
* * *
“Hah— It’s finally over. What the hell does the Intelligence Minister think I am?”
“Please, no more cursing superiors when people are around.”
Joshua, naturally venting about his boss, scowled and scanned the area.
The agents who usually watched over him had long since stopped caring about his complaints.
“What kind of dog are you barking at? This job was disgustingly long. Hey, I’m the Deputy Minister—why am I the one out here? This job is supposed to be sitting on a fat chair, chewing out underlings, and causing them misery!”
“It’s fortunate there is no fat chair.”
Joshua’s irritation made Cale grunt and tidy the useless equipment the other man had left behind.
“Let’s go. Let’s go. I’m not leaving the bed for a week after this.”
“Yes, yes. Just finish cleaning up. I copied Esti’s ledger, so once the money trail leads us, we can hunt down the Norden spies. Good thing the mission ended smoothly.”
“Hm? Copy?”
Cale, bent over while picking up gear, looked up at Joshua with a dazed expression.
Seeing his boss tilt his head curiously, Cale wrinkled his nose and slowly straightened.
“Just in case I ask—if you didn’t copy the records?”
“Was I supposed to?”
“Then why did you go into the temple?”
“To check if the ledger was there. The priestesses were friendly.”
Joshua’s careless words made Cale rub his forehead and bow his head.
After taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, Cale forced a stiff smile.
“It’s fine. I can go back in and copy it now.”
“How long will copying take?”
“If I work hard, two days.”
“Two days? Work hard.”
Joshua clapped Cale on the shoulder. Cale stared blankly, then raised his own hand and pointed at himself.
Joshua nodded.
“Then I’ll go? Trying to make your direct superior work like a servant, are you?”
“No, we suffered while the Deputy Minister sat around; I sent him to the temple. Ah, hah—”
“Done?”
“If you’ll permit it, I can stay up all night and finish.”
“You won’t permit it.”
Joshua chuckled and patted Cale’s shoulder again before climbing into the carriage.
“Keep it up! Two days of hard work and you can rest! I’ll go ahead and sleep. Start!”
Joshua stuck only his face out the window and gave the order. The agents and carriage left Cale behind.
Cale raised his middle finger toward the departing vehicle, but the gesture was pointless.
Joshua lounged in his seat and soon fell asleep.
He had only slept during his temple visit, yet the more he slept, the more he slept.
Uncertain how much time had passed, Joshua woke to loud noises—explosions, a great shout, and the clang of weapons.
He quickly opened the carriage door and stepped out.
The moment the door opened, Joshua dodged an arrow aimed at his head with a mere flick.
He spotted the man ahead and grinned.
“Well, if it isn’t Mikhail. Long time no see. Two years? The scar on my face still looks good. You’ve grown into a real man.”
“Despicable traitor. This is your grave.”
“Speak plainly. I was never a traitor—I was always an Empire man. You were too stupid to know that.”
Joshua’s mockery made Mikhail no longer wish to speak. He signaled his subordinates.
The short exchange had been enough for Joshua to assess the situation. He stepped down from the carriage.
The imperial knights guarding the carriage were dead, as were the hidden agents who had trailed them.
“You really went all out this time. Did you recruit someone good? Or did someone tell you? Mikhail wouldn’t be this reckless.”
“Empire’s mongrels! Die!”
Instead of Mikhail’s reply, his subordinates charged Joshua with shouts.
—Boom!
The impact of the charge sent the subordinates flying. Limbs scattered across the ground.
Among the flying body parts and splattering blood, Joshua walked forward smiling.
“I fought on the front lines of the Era of Strife. You like the Devil of All Nations? He trusted me with his back?”
Joshua drew his sword from the air and smiled.
There was no sign of retreat. He would face them head-on.
“Even though I’ve been away from the battlefield for a long time, you don’t think I’m that weak, do you?”
“I don’t underestimate you. Traitor.”
“Then bring more next time. At least send someone with skill. Or… do you think you can handle me, Mikhail? You’ve gotten stronger.”
Joshua’s laugh made Mikhail step back, shaking his head.
Joshua’s confident steps halted. The smile vanished from his lips.
“Ah—this is cheating.”
Joshua glanced at Melanie, who had been waiting behind Mikhail, and muttered.
Facing the fully armored Melanie’s cold gaze, Joshua looked up at the sky and sighed.
“You and I weren’t supposed to end like this, were we?”
“The one who finished first is the commander, and you and I haven’t ended yet.”
Melanie stepped forward, her halberd blade flashing in the moonlight.
“Damn, that’s so cheap.”
Before the words left her mouth, Melanie charged Joshua with the halberd raised.