**Side: Camellia**
Thanks to the kindness of Yamato, Prim, and Edward, I, Camellia, accompanied the Torencia army and stepped into the Emperor’s Castle.
I had been warned that I would be executed for disobeying orders. However, considering how I had almost violated them during the recent battle, this was unavoidable.
What truly bothered me was the thought that my actions might bring trouble to the Wing Crest.
Therefore, I had to be careful not to act on my own impulses.
We took up positions in the Audience Chamber of the Emperor’s Castle, while the Torencia army spread out to secure various locations within the castle.
Several reports of successful subjugation came in, but the Emperor’s whereabouts remained unknown.
“By the way, Ed, why did you come?”
“An Emperor’s Castle isn’t somewhere you can just visit anytime, right? I was simply curious.”
“I understand how you feel, but once Sister Hilde takes over, I’m sure you can visit whenever you like.”
“Even if that were the case, that would only cause more problems, wouldn’t it?”
Although I was allowed to accompany them, I was forbidden from drawing my sword except in self-defense.
Thus, my role was ostensibly to guard Emperor Hildegard. Yamato, Prim, and Edward, who were also supposedly guarding Emperor Hildegard, were chatting idly without focusing too much on their guard duties.
Well, Yamato and Prim were Ancient Class, and Edward was High Class, so I doubted they could be easily caught off guard.
“Excuse me! Your Majesty, we’ve found the Emperor’s location!”
After a period of waiting, a hunter from Lamia rushed into the Audience Chamber with the information we had been eagerly awaiting.
“Where is the Emperor?”
“We don’t know where it leads, but there’s a secret passage, and it seems he escaped through it with his retainers.”
The Emperor escaped?
It was true that he had had time to flee, but would a king abandon his people and shirk responsibility for the war?
“So he did escape after all.”
“Several hunters and sabers are pursuing him. If they manage to apprehend him, they will bring him here. There aren’t many in the pursuit party, so it will likely be just the Emperor alone.”
“That will be fine. If they bring him back safely, they must be rewarded. His retainers are likely important figures from Solemne. Defeating them would be a significant accomplishment.”
For the Torencia army, the conquering of the Emperor’s Castle was a golden opportunity to earn merit.
The monster subjugation during the march, the suppression of garrisons in various cities, and the battles near Laofen and in the Klagen Plain had, due to the overwhelming difference in strength, mostly been credited to the Amister side.
Only the Emperor’s Castle remained, making this the last chance to truly earn merit.
Therefore, capturing the Emperor’s high-ranking officials would be the highest form of achievement.
However, Emperor Hildegard needed to capture the Emperor herself, so presenting his head would likely be considered a crime.
“Everyone will be pleased.”
The Lamia hunter, who had offered to deliver the message, left the Audience Chamber.
The next person to enter the Audience Chamber was Miranda of the Royal Order.
“Reporting. The Amister army has defeated the Deseo garrison and secured Deseo. Emperor Reinhardt, H.R.H. Elis, and H.R.H. Maruca, along with the General Order, will be entering the Emperor’s Castle shortly.”
They had already subjugated the garrison, which was typical of Amister.
“Understood. What are the casualties for the Amister army?”
“None.”
And no casualties, which was utterly unbelievable.
However, the Amister army had many High Class individuals and over twenty Ancient Class individuals, so this outcome was to be expected.
“Understood. Please convey this to His Majesty. The Emperor is currently attempting to escape through a secret passage. However, sabers and hunters are in pursuit, and he should be apprehended soon.”
“Yes. I shall take my leave.”
Miranda then left the Audience Chamber.
“No casualties. As expected, remarkable.”
“Actually, I’d be more impressed if they *had* caused casualties.”
Prim and Edward made lighthearted remarks, but I felt the same way.
The number of High Class individuals in Solemne was estimated to be only around a hundred, fewer than in Torencia.
Furthermore, it was believed that most of them had perished in the recent battle in the Klagen Plain, meaning there might be fewer than ten remaining in Solemne.
While they would likely be guarding the Emperor, such a small number would be insignificant against the Allied Forces.
After a while, six men and women were brought in by a saber.
“Reporting. We have apprehended four consorts, one prince, and three princesses in the residential area, whom we have taken into custody.”
From their attire, I had suspected as much, and they were indeed members of Solemne’s royalty. The consorts and princesses wore expressions of fierce anger, while the prince’s head was bowed in dejection.
“Where in the residential area were they found?”
“In their private rooms. They seem to have been told by the Emperor that the residential area was safe.”
“I see. So the Emperor abandoned his family and tried to flee, did he? What a despicable man.”
Just as Emperor Hildegard said. Abandoning, and even sacrificing, his own family to escape through a secret passage was hardly the act of a king.
“And why did you bring them here alive? I thought I said that anyone other than the Emperor could be taken as spoils of war?”
“Regarding that, Second Prince Luther here has submitted a plea for clemency.”
“A plea for clemency? However, considering the actions of the Imperial family, we can only refuse such a plea.”
I agreed. However, upon closer inspection, only Prince Luther was not gagged. This suggested he had surrendered willingly rather than resisting capture.
“It is an honor to meet you, Emperor Hildegard Minato Torencia. I am Second Prince Luther Ruin Solemne of the Solemne Empire.”
Prompted by the saber, Prince Luther spoke.
“Yes, it is an honor to meet you as well. Now, why are you requesting clemency after causing such an incident?”
“This war was caused by my father and older brother… by generations of Emperors. We are not saying we were uninvolved, but my sister and I repeatedly advised our father and brother that we should focus on domestic affairs. However, they would not listen, and ended up attacking not only Torencia and Libertà, but also Valentia and Bacion without declaring war…”
Prince Luther was second in the line of succession, but it was said he would never become Emperor. This was because he had no interest in the unrealistic dream of unifying the Philia Continent and instead believed that guilds should be accepted.
More accurately, he intended to utilize them rather than simply accept them.
However, while the number of princes and princesses in the Imperial family was known, their personalities were not. Therefore, even if he said such things here, we had no credible basis to believe him.
“Wise. ”
“Yes. I will ask you a few questions. Silence will be interpreted as affirmation, so be aware. ‘Hearing Start’.”
Wise, understanding Emperor Hildegard’s intent, used “Hearing” on Prince Luther. It was described as a magical skill capable of discerning lies, but this was the first time I had seen it used.
Though referred to as “Mystic Magic” as it was a guild magic used by the Saber’s Guild, it was apparently very similar to Knight Magic. Knight Magic also apparently included magic for moving within the Sky Tree, suggesting that it, Mystic Magic, and Holy Knight Magic were the only differences.
“Was the construction of the Steam Battleship initiated by the Emperor’s order?”
“Yes.”
“Were the blueprints for the Steam Battleship obtained from Abaricia?”
“Yes, an operative we had infiltrated into Abaricia provided them.”
“Was it the Emperor who ordered the attack on Bacion?”
“Yes, my father and my brother.”
“Was the Emperor who decided on the invasion of Libertà?”
“Yes.”
“‘Hearing End’. Your Majesty, unfortunately, it is not credible.”
When Wise announced this, not only Prince Luther but also the consorts and princesses changed color.
“I thought so, but which question did it trigger?”
“The invasion of Bacion and Libertà. The Emperor and the First Prince were surely involved, but judging from the feel of the hearing, he was also involved.”
I knew it was magic that could detect lies, but its accuracy was astonishing.
“I see. Indeed, that makes it impossible to trust.”
“So, this guy was trying to shift all the blame onto his dead older brother and his father who is about to die?”
“It seems so. ‘The dead tell no tales,’ as the saying goes.”
Yamato and Delfina exclaimed in exasperation at Wise’s judgment, and I felt the same.
“‘Hearing Start.’ You proposed the attack on Valentia and Bacion, didn’t you?”
“…”
“You proposed the invasion of Libertà, didn’t you?”
“…”
Wise used “Hearing” again for interrogation, but this time Prince Luther remained silent. Silence, I had heard, was affirmation, and his inability to speak was tantamount to a confession.
“Wise, I would like you to ask him something else as well, if that’s alright?”
“Hmm… Understood. You proposed contacting former Second Prince Leonas of Valentia, didn’t you?”
“!? ”
“You instigated the King’s rank of Valentia to frame Duke Ternal Hydransia, didn’t you?”
“Th-that…!”
Prince Luther visibly flustered at Yamato’s questions.
“‘Hearing End’. Your Majesty, I await your command.”
“Prim, the disposition of Prince Luther is entrusted to you.”
“Thank you, Sister Hilde.”
As Emperor Hildegard gave her command, Prim’s wings of blazing flames enveloped her. Her face clearly showed her suppressed rage. In fact, her magic pulsed in response to her anger, making even me uncomfortable.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Primrose Hydrangea Mikami, daughter of Ternal Hydransia.”
“T-daughter of Ternal…! Weren’t you supposed to be dead!?”
“Unfortunately, as you can see, I am very much alive. Oh, and let me tell you beforehand, I’ve known for a long time that Solemne was connected not only to Leonas, but also to King’s ranks like Reine, Streihait, and Gumnos.”
This was the first I had heard of it, but Solemne had ties with all three royal families of Valentia?
“Wh-why…”
“Who do you think sank the Steam Battleships that attacked Valentia and Esperanza? I defeated Leonas then, and captured Reine. Unfortunately, Reine didn’t know who in Solemne she was connected to.”
“Th-the Steam Battleships… sunk? Our country’s newest and most powerful ships…?”
I had experienced their terrifying power firsthand during the attack on Nuestra Señora de la Estrella, and even High Class mages had been helpless. Therefore, I knew that Steam Battleships were weapons with incredible capabilities. However, they were no threat to the High Class mages of Amister and Torencia, and for Ancient Class mages, they were mere targets.
“It’s too late for that now. Hundreds of those scrap metal ships couldn’t kill us. Besides, how do you think we got here? Well, rather than that trash, it’s enough for me to know that *you* are the true enemy of my father!”
“Hieee!”
Before Prim, whose wings of blazing flames burned even more fiercely, Prince Luther, as well as the consorts and princesses, turned deathly pale.
“Wait, Prim. He’s not your only enemy out there, is he?”
“That’s right. Camellia, you come too.”
“Huh?”
Edward called out to Prim, who was burning with righteous anger, and Prim, in turn, called me to join her.
“You have the right to take revenge too. Is that alright, Sister Hilde?”
“I’ve entrusted it to you, so it’s fine.”
“Ah, thank you!”
I hadn’t expected to be called here, but this man having proposed the invasion of Libertà made him an enemy to me as well. Thus, I stood beside Prim and glared at Prince Luther.
“She’s a hunter from Nuestra Señora de la Estrella. She lost her family because of you. Therefore, she also has the right to take revenge.”
“I will avenge my siblings now!”
I drew my sword, but instead, I conjured a Fire Lance. While I wanted to take revenge with my own hands, killing the Second Prince after the war would cause problems. Therefore, though it couldn’t compare to Prim’s wings of blazing flames, I wanted to imbue my own feelings into the attack by using a fire attribute magic of the same kind.
“Yamato, please.”
“You got it.”
“Wh-what!? What are you doing?! Let go! Let me go, you insolent cur!!”
With Yamato’s Telekinetic Magic, Prince Luther’s body floated into the air. I unleashed my Fire Lance with all my might towards him.
“I’ll leave your head. Disappear from this world with your pathetic ambitions!”
Prim’s Unique Magic, Seraphim Striker, was a spear of blazing flames far larger and hotter than my Fire Lance. It easily swallowed my Fire Lance and pierced Prince Luther, floating in the air, incinerating him, his clothes, his bones, leaving no ash behind. And true to Prim’s declaration, only his head fell back to where he had been.
“Thank you, Sister Hilde.”
Following Prim, who was filled with a myriad of emotions, I also bowed deeply to Emperor Hildegard. I had never thought I would be able to strike back at my enemy with my own hands. Therefore, I am truly grateful, Emperor Hildegard, Edward.
