Raid (1)

The game's setting guide contained a great deal of information, but that didn't mean it had whole history books or character biographies written out in full.

In particular, the background details that played fairly important roles in the game were sometimes deliberately omitted. That much was only natural. After all, they were spoilers.

Still, wouldn't it have been better to include at least a little about the past of the emperor and the Sword Saint? In the original story, the Sword Saint died in his own cabin and never had cause to meet the emperor again, so there were no lines about each other. Neither character even appeared throughout the entire game. The Sword Saint was a character who imparted an important lesson to the protagonist and then exited, and the emperor was the final boss.

The Sword Saint especially was a character you couldn't even encounter in the first installment unless you undertook a hidden quest.

"Good. I wasn't in the mood to train any further today anyway."

The Sword Saint said that to the emperor and shot a sidelong glance at Jaden. Jaden flinched.

Then the Sword Saint shifted his gaze once more, and this time he looked at me.

"......."

I gave a slight bow of my head.

It was understandable. He had followed me after witnessing my peculiar talent, yet once he actually arrived at the imperial palace, if what he saw was merely an "ordinarily untalented person," it would have been reasonable to feel disappointed. The look he gave me didn't seem that severe at a glance, but the Sword Saint would certainly know how to hide his thoughts.

"Since we haven't seen each other in a long time, let us share a drink and catch up."

"Can an old man like you hold his afternoon drink?"

"Says the one who's done nothing but sit in the palace playing politics, hasn't he? You probably couldn't even get drunk in front of others, so your liver must be nice and clean."

Not yielding a single word to the emperor, the Sword Saint turned toward us and spoke.

"We will continue the training tomorrow. Do not slack off just because I am not here. It always shows."

"Yes, sir!"

Jaden answered vigorously. He seemed eager to make up for the disgrace he'd shown earlier that day.

"Ah, right. Jaden."

The emperor spoke as if the thought had just occurred to him.

"I would like to hear your report. Come to the Audience Chamber as soon as you are ready. We will both be there."

The emperor said that, then glanced once at me before turning away.

"Understood!"

Jaden answered vigorously, then,

"Well then, Sylvia, I'll see you again tomorrow."

He looked at me and said that.

I didn't answer, of course.

*

Both Alice and Claire seemed to have noticed that I was a little strange today. Alice from the moment she'd come to my room in the morning, and Claire throughout our training session. Leo had noticed too.

All three of them, each in their own way, asked me if I was all right, but

"I'm all right. It's just... I'd like to rest a little."

Unable to explain the details, I simply answered like that and headed to my room.

I was exhausted.

I knew all of this was something I'd brought on myself. And as I'd thought earlier, for my own safety I absolutely had to stay close to the Sword Saint or the emperor no matter what.

But by this point, it all felt tiresome.

I just... wanted to sleep deeply.

My mind was a tangled mess. I hadn't been able to sleep properly from worry, I'd been plagued by nightmares, and I couldn't even meditate properly.

Shaking off all the concerns around me, I fled to my room and threw myself onto the bed without even changing my clothes.

Lucas... ah, right, being alone would be trouble...

My last thought was probably something like that.

But what I should have been worrying about wasn't my own body.

*

"Sylvia!"

The voices I heard right after the sound of the door bursting open belonged to two people overlapping.

When I managed to open my eyes, I saw Claire and Alice looking at me with worried expressions.

"Are you hurt anywhere!?"

Claire asked.

"No. There’s no sign anyone came in here. It’s exactly as it was when I last saw it."

Only after Alice looked around my room and said that did Claire let out a breath of relief.

After blinking several times, my vision finally cleared a bit. By the doorway, Leo stood facing away from us, toward the corridor. Judging from how tightly he gripped his sword, he seemed to have been standing guard while Alice and Claire came in.

"What...?"

"It's an ambush."

Before I could even finish my question, Alice answered first.

"An ambush?"

"Was it Lucas?"

At Claire's words, Alice nodded.

"Yes, that's right. Lucas. The one who's been hiding for a while."

My mind snapped to full alert at that.

I bolted upright.

"Who was the target?"

The Sword Saint? The emperor? At least, judging from the fact that I'd been unharmed until Alice and Claire arrived, it seemed I hadn't been the target.

"The interrogation block."

But Alice's answer veered completely away from my expectations.

Not the Sword Saint, and not the emperor. The interrogation block.

Who on earth was there that would—Ah.

"That's right."

Seeing the comprehension dawn on my face, Alice nodded.

"Because Chiara Berati is still being held there."

The Cathedral Knight captured alive in the Northwood territory.

"Why Lucas?"

"I'm not sure either."

Alice bit her lip slightly.

"......I have to go."

I immediately approached the gun propped in the corner of the room, but Alice grabbed my arm.

"Wait, Sylvia."

Alice, whose eyes met mine when I turned my head, hesitated a moment before speaking.

"Your physical condition is......"

At Alice's words, Claire also gauged my reaction. All three of them, including Leo standing over there, had seen that my condition today was at its absolute worst.

But......

If Lucas had deliberately gone for a "prisoner of the Holy State," I absolutely had to understand the situation. Because there might be something far worse than what I'd intended to ask about.

And besides, that Masked Woman was probably still hiding somewhere near me.

Even if I managed to fit the pieces into place, the picture still wouldn't be completely visible because several were missing. Still, those few puzzle pieces fell into place inside my head, and I could just make out a rough outline.

"I have to go."

When I spoke again with emphasis, Alice looked at me for a moment before nodding.

"Then we'll go with you."

If I had my way, I would have preferred to go alone, but even if I insisted, those three would absolutely never let me go by myself.

Without the ability to turn back time, I wouldn't have been able to get past the three of them.

"......."

And, without an ability like that, I wouldn't have been able to protect all three of them.

But—

"...... Very well. However, you absolutely must not overdo it."

"Look who's talking."

Alice answered as if she couldn't believe me.

This entire situation had gone awry because of me.

I absolutely had to witness that situation directly.

And I also had some trust in one thing.

There were two people inside this imperial palace who wouldn't simply overlook the existence of Lucas.

*

"...... You. Why in the world are you doing this?"

"There are plenty of reasons."

Facing the red-haired man before her, Berati retreated as far back as she could. Her back touched the wall.

She knew that as a glorious knight of the Holy State, acting like this was beneath her dignity, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Berati had a mission far more important than that.

At the very least, she could not afford to die.

"I'm not sure where to begin."

The man said that and gave his sword a sharp flick. The blood clinging to the blade spattered downward. The blade was clean from just that. As if it couldn't tolerate being dirtied in such a manner.

And upon seeing that cleaned blade, Berati's mouth fell open in a daze.

"...... The Sword of Jericho."

"Ah, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you know it? As expected of a Cathedral Knight."

Lucas held the blade upright as if showing it off. It was a sword rumored to cut through anything thanks to its extreme sharpness, yet no one had ever seen its edge chip.

It wasn't a Divine Treasure, but because it had been forged with lost ancient magic, it was treated as a treasure nonetheless.

"...... What of Antonio?"

"What do you think happened?"

When Berati spoke the name of the sword's original owner, Lucas countered with a question.

"He wasn't skilled enough to be this sword's rightful owner, at least."

Crunch. Berati ground her teeth.

"Honestly, when I headed toward the Holy State, I wasn't expecting much. I just wondered about the true identity of my future-reading younger sibling, and I went there recklessly thinking maybe I'd find some hint."

Lucas shrugged.

"Surprisingly, there were all sorts of hints. Though you people didn't seem capable of even imagining them properly."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Lucas quietly regarded Berati as she asked the question. Looking into his eyes, Berati felt goosebumps rise all over her body.

She was going to die.

The man before her right now had absolutely no intention of letting her live.

"I'm the one asking the questions here."

Lucas spoke slowly, as if he wanted to ensure Berati didn't miss a single word.

"I asked a few of the cardinals. You. I hear your capture here was somewhat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠deliberate."

"......."

"If you could find a Divine Treasure in the ruins, that would be good. And if you got captured and brought in, you'd search for the Divine Treasure's location from inside the imperial palace. I hear you carved several magic circles onto your body?"

"How do you know that......."

"I told you. I asked."

Lucas spoke while maintaining his smile.

"It's truly fortunate the Holy State is such a secretive country, isn't it? If it weren't, the name of the Cathedral Knights would have a huge stain on it by now. On a global scale, no less."

And he took one step closer to Berati.

Since her back was against the wall, Berati could move no farther from Lucas.

"I intend to ask you the same thing. How about it?"

"I......"

Berati started to speak, then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠closed her mouth.

If it had been the kind of "interrogation" that made those cardinals talk, it wouldn't have been the "gentlemanly" approach the Empire had shown Berati so far.

Which meant......

"Well, if you don't intend to talk—"

Just as Lucas was about to take another step toward Berati,

"—Whoops."

Lucas ducked his head in a hurry.

A sword swept through the space where Lucas's head had been a moment before. The sword aura flew forward as it was, grazing the ceiling above Berati's head.

A few stone fragments clattered down over the crown of her head.

Lucas leaped backward, putting distance between himself and the newcomer standing behind him.

Then he turned to face that direction, and,

"Oh?"

He let out an exclamation, as if intrigued.

Standing there was a woman wearing a black robe and a plain white mask with only two eyeholes.