—This isn't good.
Accompanying
First of all, Ram was in poor condition.
By her own reckoning, this was the worst she had felt in the past year.
Her body was never one that readily cooperated, but she typically kept her willpower taut, locking her baseline state into place through sheer force of discipline to maintain her performance. And that thread had finally slackened at precisely the worst moment.
"Going back to the Manor once was a mistake, wasn't it?"
After reuniting with her sister in the Empire and bringing the awakened
Thanks to that, Ram had been able to see the long-awaited sight of Rem wearing the
With a ludicrous accusation hanging over Subaru and the camp needing to stand united to dispel it, Ram was forced to expose herself as being far from peak condition.
"— — —"
Walking silently down the long corridor, Ram observed the castle guards they passed along the way.
Like the soldiers who had come to escort Emilia from the Royal Guest Palace, these men carried a tension born of duty in their eyes and their entire bearing. After a wordless salute, they let Ram and the others pass, watching their backs recede. But only moments later, Ram sensed through the air that the doors behind them had been closed.
Doors that were customarily left ajar were being shut. The meaning was obvious.
—This wasn't good.
The doors being closed, the heightened tension of the guards, and above all the personal reception by the Captain of the Royal Knights — all of it pointed to the highest level of alert. And that, in turn, meant that their impression on the other side had already tilted heavily toward the negative.
This was the true nature of the second unfavorable development — separate from Ram's physical condition.
"…It really feels like we're being very politely locked in, doesn't it?"
"—. I'm surprised. That even Lady Emilia possesses the sensitivity to feel it."
As Emilia slowed her pace and murmured beside her, Ram raised an eyebrow slightly in response to the girl's keen observation of the Royal Castle's atmosphere.
Receiving this, Emilia lowered her well-shaped brow slightly and said, "The air is all tense and prickly — that kind of feeling. When I was living with
"Indeed. It seems Barusu caused quite a stir."
"…I hope Subaru and
Emilia's amethyst pupils wavered slightly as she spoke, and Ram fell silent.
Honestly, the outlook was grim. Based on what she had been told, Miklotov MacMahon, a member of the Council of Wise Men, had been murdered, and
Ram had been bedridden with poor health and only knew the bare outlines of the trouble involving Crusch and the
"To think Lady Beatrice was with him… No, that one is too soft on Barusu, so she's no good. Barusu lacks self-restraint. If only he would just think about Rem and… Lady Emilia, that would be enough."
As an older sister, Ram's feelings were complicated — but she had to acknowledge that Subaru cherished Rem, and that fact had been a source of comfort in its own way. Even Rem, who had not recovered her memories, said all sorts of things, but it was plain to see that she harbored special feelings for Subaru.
That was precisely why Subaru needed to keep a firm grip on his reins and carefully decide who to show his kindness to. His people-pleasing tendencies had come back to bite him at exactly this moment.
"Ram, are you angry?"
"…I have long found Barusu's flirtatiousness to be beyond remedy. But the accusation being leveled now is something else entirely."
"Yes, you're right. I need to talk to them properly and make them understand who Subaru is. I should be ready for anything they might ask afterward."
"For now, Lady Emilia, why don't you have about ten good things about Barusu prepared."
"Ten? Only ten? How could I possibly narrow it down to just ten…"
Ram marveled that Emilia could think of ten good qualities about Subaru — though for entirely different reasons. What else would one praise him for, if not his sense of timing?
In any case— "—This is the moment of truth."
Looking back, it seemed like nothing but critical moments lately — but setting that idle sentiment aside, Ram turned her gaze forward alongside Emilia. There, Marcos had stopped in front of the doors at the end of the corridor and was pushing them open, gesturing for them to enter.
Following him through the doors, Ram was greeted by multiple stares and a taut, solemn atmosphere, and the silent tension mounted.
—Ram and Emilia were not escorted to the Great Hall, but to the council chamber within the castle, where the kingdom's key figures held their meetings.
This was the same room where, not long ago, Emilia had stood alongside Filiore to declare her intention to participate in the Royal Selection and to witness the appointment of her knight. They returned only days later, but the treatment was entirely different — the attitude of everyone around them was as though they were escorting criminals.
"— — —"
Entering the room, Ram first checked the soldiers' positions.
Two flanking the door on either side, four along the walls, and several figures standing behind the semicircular ebony round table that formed the room's centerpiece. None of them had drawn their swords or even placed a hand on the hilt. And yet, it was clear from the start that this gathering had been prepared for the possibility of trouble.
"A very courteous invitation."
The form was polite, but this was no welcome.
This was the upper class's way of cornering someone — sealing them inside a fine box with an elegant lid, cutting off every avenue of escape. As if to prove it, the sound of the doors closing behind Ram was doubled. Two doors separating the room from the corridor meant a thorough effort to prevent anything said inside from leaking out.
But at this moment, the isolation felt more physical than merely about preventing eavesdropping.
"—Emilia!"
While Ram was assessing the room's atmosphere, a voice suddenly rang out from one end of the semicircular table — a woman in monastic robes with long golden hair and red eyes.
She kicked her chair away with a clatter, leaped over the round table without a care for the stares of those around her, and plunged straight into Emilia's chest where the silver-haired girl stood at the room's entrance.
Emilia absorbed the full force of the impact, blinking in surprise, and said: "Filiore, you're here too."
"Of course I am! It's about Emilia and her knight Subaru! When I heard something had happened, I had to come as fast as I could to offer my support!"
"Filiore…"
"Don't worry! I'm here for you! I mean, I don't understand what's going on at all, but there's no way Emilia did anything wrong! No matter what happens, I'm on your side!"
Embracing Emilia tightly, the woman in monastic robes — identified as Filiore — was recognized by Ram as the new Royal Selection candidate who had recently made a stir in the
In fact, Filiore's behavior was unwelcome among the council chamber's attendees — the members of the Council of Wise Men, several upper-class nobles whom Ram recognized, and the Royal Knights standing guard.
Amid the coughing and stern glances raining down, a woman addressed her with "Filiore-chan?" She was seated next to the chair Filiore had kicked aside.
With a gentle tone and expression, she looked at Filiore clinging to Emilia and said: "Everyone's getting quite the surprise, you know. Really now, don't get so worked up."
"Worked up!? I'm not worked up — I'm filled with genuine remorse! If I had stayed close to Emilia from the beginning, I could have been there for her from the very start! The Holy Scriptures say it too: 'No soul is bereft of salvation beneath this sky. When the Dragon's blessings are shared with one's neighbor, lonely hearts find healing, and true salvation shall be attained'!"
"Feel free to interpret it as you wish, but delaying the proceedings won't leave a good impression, will it? If Filiore-chan drags her feet, won't it be Lady Emilia who suffers for it?"
"Ugghhh… Sakura, you idiot…"
"Oh my, how disliked I am."
The teary-eyed Filiore's childish retort earned a shrug from the woman called Sakura. The exchange was quite lopsided in terms of composure, but it was Emilia who gently patted the defeated Filiore on the head.
"Mm, thank you, Filiore. You're really reassuring. Please keep watching over me."
"Emilia… Yes. Yes! I'll be watching with my eyes wide open!"
"—Then, Lady Filiore, perhaps you should return to your seat now."
At Emilia's words, Filiore wiped her glistening eyes vigorously and nodded repeatedly. Seizing the opportunity to finally interject, Marcos gestured for her to take her seat.
Reluctantly parting from Emilia, Filiore hurriedly righted the chair she had knocked over, sat down, and promptly turned her face away from Sakura with a huff.
After that brief interlude— "Lady Emilia, please take the central seat. Your handler will be—"
"Ram will stand behind Lady Emilia."
"— — —"
"Is there a problem?"
"No, there is no problem. Please, go ahead."
As a token of resistance, Ram refused to be separated from Emilia and instead took position at an oblique angle behind the testimony seat where Emilia was guided. For a brief moment, she exchanged a glance with Emilia, and responded to the mix of unease and gratitude in those eyes with nothing more than a small dip of her chin.
"Lady Emilia, we are grateful for the trouble of coming here."
The one who opened proceedings with this formally weighted greeting was an elderly, bald man with a particularly striking presence among those seated at the semicircular table — Boldo Tselgeff.
One of the seven members of the Council of Wise Men, he was a hero of the Kingdom who had personally swung a halberd during the Demihuman War. Known for his staunch anti-Demihuman stance forged through that experience, he was arguably the worst possible counterpart for Emilia.
The opening he had chosen showed outward respect for Emilia in words, while signaling that its substance was entirely different.
But setting that aside, Emilia's attention was drawn not to Boldo but to the empty seat at his right.
"That's where Miklotov-san usually sits, isn't it?"
"— — —"
"Miklotov-san… is it really true?"
"It is an unco— no, a verified fact. A devastating blow to the Kingdom. Since the
Boldo shook his head slowly from side to side, answering in his hoarse, low voice.
In truth, considering the role Miklotov had played in the Kingdom of Lugnica until now, every citizen would have no choice but to nod at Boldo's answer.
But the impression Emilia drew from that answer was different. Narrowing her long-lashed eyes, she said: "…Is that all?"
"—I beg your pardon?"
"I'm sure it's a terrible thing for the Kingdom, of course. But you and Miklotov-san have known each other for a long time, haven't you, Lord Boldo? So then…"
"Do you think we should be struck by grief and shedding tears? But if the Miklotov we knew could see us now, that is precisely what he would not want. He would not permit his death to rot the Kingdom's brain while its limbs slowly wither."
"— — —"
"The way we grieve for our own is simply different from how you do. That is all."
"…You're right. I'm sorry. It must be incredibly painful for you too, Lord Boldo."
At the sharp answer, Emilia let out a quiet sigh.
She conceded the point about differing expressions of grief and withdrew, but watching from a step back, Ram held a different impression from the kind-hearted Emilia.
The reasoning was certainly plausible. That a sage who had always worried about the Kingdom's future — inheriting his wishes meant there was no time to stand still.
But whether there was truly no room left for mourning at all — Ram had her doubts. At the very least, the suspicion she was building about this situation only deepened.
"I would like to begin by explaining the reason Lady Emilia has been called here today — to commence an inquiry into the suspicions surrounding the knight
"Subaru's suspicions, that is…"
"Yes. — The suspicion is that the knight Natsuki Subaru may be connected to the
As Boldo's low but clear voice restated the suspicions, Ram furrowed her brow.
She personally found the accusation absurd, and the camp could do nothing but deny it — but the allegation's origins were unknown.
Honestly, Subaru had his own reasons to worry: he had sheltered
As long as they needed Spica's authority, the Empire would not want her identity to become public. — And so, it should not have been connected to suspicion against Subaru.
"I can answer that question clearly. Subaru is not part of the Witch Cult. He is my first knight, and an irreplaceable ally."
"That's right, that's right! Their bond is strong! I can clearly… mgh mgh…"
"Filiore-chan? Do be quiet for a moment."
Emilia answered the accusation with dignified resolve, and Filiore's attempt to back her up was silenced by Sakura beside her — but both produced the same result: a frozen atmosphere.
Whether it was Filiore's near-shouting defense or Emilia's clear denial of the accusation against Subaru, the cold fire in the stares directed at them did not change.
Emilia must have sensed this too. Before the other side could speak further, she cut in: "First of all, I want to know why Subaru is even suspected of being in the Witch Cult. I already spoke with Marcos-san at the Royal Guest Palace, but you all know about Subaru's accomplishments too, Lord Boldo. Even with Regulus, it was because of Subaru…"
"The subjugation of multiple Archbishops of Sin and two of the Three Great Mabeasts — the
"Exactly. So then—"
"—But those very accomplishments are the focus of the suspicion."
"— — —"
The suspicion's focal point — placed squarely at the center of discussion — made Emilia gasp.
It was outrageous. To suggest that Subaru's accomplishments against the Witch Cult were themselves suspect was simply unconscionable.
"In other words, you're saying Barusu's contributions were suspiciously convenient."
"I'm sorry, but the handler does not have the right to speak. Kindly refrain from commenting."
"I spoke out of turn. It's just that I couldn't believe my ears."
Ram added this with a glare, and the stares directed at her sharpened. But it was her honest feeling.
That said, even the opposing side knew this argument was a stretch — at least, as things stood, it was nothing more than speculation. But if they were going to force this inquiry against Emilia, they had to have more than this.
And that— "I'm sorry, Ram. But what do you mean Subaru's efforts are suspicious?"
"The suspicion is that everything may have been orchestrated. The subjugation of multiple Archbishops of Sin, the defeat of the Three Great Mabeasts — all of it may have been part of a stratagem to infiltrate the Kingdom from within."
"That's—!"
"You call it outrageous? But consider this: against the Witch Cult, which has repeatedly inflicted suffering upon various nations, an extraordinary amount of success was achieved in just a year and a half. The Three Great Mabeasts as well. It is as though someone intentionally created opportunities for the knight Natsuki Subaru to distinguish himself."
Emilia was struck speechless, and Boldo pressed on relentlessly. Seizing his momentum, the figures filling the semicircular table nodded one after another: "The White Whale — which even the Great Expedition had failed to catch — was subjugated, and then the Archbishop of Sloth was dispatched in rapid succession. A sin Archbishop who had even been labeled a calamity…"
"According to testimony from those involved at the time, the knight Natsuki Subaru predicted the date and time of the White Whale's appearance and preemptively foiled every one of the Witch Cult's schemes."
"That Archbishop was contained with virtually no casualties. Given the damage the Witch Cult has caused in the past, it is difficult to believe."
"But however you look at it, would the Witch Cult really cut down someone in an important position?"
"There are also reports that the Archbishops of Sin hate each other. The possibility that internal conflicts within the Witch Cult were exploited—"
"—Wait!"
"— — —"
As suspicion spilled forth like water breaking through a dam, Emilia's voice forcefully cut through the torrent.
The opposing side had likely been waiting for this moment with these words — but none of the individual claims were strong enough to serve as a decisive blow, nor powerful enough to truly cultivate the seed of suspicion.
Emilia knew this too. So, even as she was battered by the wave of allegations, she did not let a single fragment of trust in her knight waver in her eyes: "Everything you've said just now — to me, it all looks like you had already decided Subaru was suspicious and were seeing everything through that lens. Yes, Subaru has incredibly good instincts and always finds the best way forward, and that's how we've managed to deal with the Witch Cult, but…"
"That might actually work against him…"
"But! Don't only look at my knight through the lens of the Witch Cult or the Three Great Mabeasts! Even at the
"Lady Emilia…"
As Emilia's cheeks flushed and she pleaded desperately, Ram's eyes widened ever so slightly.
Emilia's rebuttal — though admittedly lacking in eloquence — confronted the accusations head-on.
Even Ram, who acknowledged only Subaru's sense of timing as a genuine strength, knew that this quality had manifested in situations far beyond the Witch Cult. In a sense, Subaru was always well-timed. That quality's suspiciousness did not equate to him being a
And so— "—I understand what you're saying, Lady Emilia. We have no intention of defaming the knight Natsuki Subaru with what amounts to baseless accusations."
"…Really? If that's the case, then fine. Then—"
"—However, your knight faces strong suspicion of being the successor to the Archbishop of Sloth. What do you have to say about this?"
Ram gritted her back teeth. She understood that everything up to this point had only been the preliminary skirmish.
△▼△▼△▼△ —The successor to the Archbishop of Sloth. That was the main charge being leveled against Natsuki Subaru.
Emilia's amethyst eyes shook violently at this unexpected question. Behind her, Ram's own pale crimson eyes deepened with confusion.
"I was told that the Archbishop of Sloth was killed by Barusu and Otto."
Knowing Ram's assessment, she could imagine Otto saying, "I'd like to object to that!" — but the absent straight man had no ears to lend at the moment.
Though not directly involved, Ram had been part of the fight against the Archbishop of Sloth in an indirect capacity. That the world's most infamous Archbishop of Sin had died — and that this had marked the beginning of the Emilia camp's entanglement with the Witch Cult — was indisputable.
But the connection between that Archbishop of Sloth and Subaru being questioned was— "Is that because Barusu's role in the Sloth subjugation was also suspiciously convenient?"
"You don't have the right to—"
"No, it's fine. That too. But the main focus of the suspicion lies in a certain testimony."
"A testimony?"
When Emilia's mind stalled, Ram prompted the conversation forward. Marcos attempted to reprimand her, but Boldo checked him with a hand gesture and revealed what came next.
The main focal point of suspicion against Subaru was— "—The testimony of the captured Archbishop of Wrath."
"—, Sirius's…"
"That Archbishop of Sin is still imprisoned in the Watchtower of Correction. She has not cooperated properly with our questioning, but during her transfer from the Water Gate City and on several other occasions, she made statements. — That 'the Archbishop of Sloth dwells within Natsuki Subaru.'"
"— — —"
"At the commendation ceremony held in the Royal Capital… when the contributions of subjugating the White Whale and slaying the Archbishop of Sloth were honored, I recall there was a detailed report. It stated that the Archbishop of Sin of Sloth was an evil spirit that could possess others' bodies, having passed through many forms. — What do you make of that?"
Boldo narrowed his eyes beneath those thick brows and posed the question, and Emilia's cheeks stiffened.
It was not that suspicion toward Subaru had taken root in her heart. Rather, the flood of emotion was choking her words because of how cruelly this argument coincided with Subaru's own misfortune.
In essence, the suspicion was that Natsuki Subaru had been body-snatched by the Archbishop of Sloth, and that from that day until now, someone else had been playing the part.
For Emilia, who had welcomed Subaru as her knight, this was an unbearable insult.
More than that, the accusation was equally — to Ram— "—This is absolutely preposterous."
Without realizing it, Ram heard the harsh edge in her own voice only after it came out.
But even aware of it, she could not suppress the emotion behind her next words. — Because this suspicion, this insult, was tantamount to declaring that Subaru's nightly visits to Rem's sleeping form had been nothing more than an act.
"That the honorable members of the Council of Wise Men would convene such a gathering on the basis of such suspicions — I cannot believe it. Setting aside the content of the accusations, the source of this information is the real issue."
"Then you're saying this is entirely baseless — nothing but our own groundless speculation?"
"Of course. Trusting the word of an Archbishop of Sin — that is absurd. The captured Wrath was said to have powers that affected others' minds. Under that influence—"
"—Ram!"
Snapped back to awareness by a splash of cold water to her consciousness, Ram held her tongue.
She looked up to see that Emilia had risen from the testimony seat and turned toward her, her refined features sharpened with anger at her discourtesy — or rather, an act of anger. The realization that she had forced Emilia to reprimand her, that she had become so emotional as to need correcting, drove Ram's heart to its deepest self-reproach.
This was bad. — Her lack of physical composure was affecting her mental state. What was the point of volunteering to accompany Emilia if this was how she would behave?
"Ram, I'm sorry again. If necessary, I will order you to leave."
As Emilia turned back to face the semicircular table with those stern words — words uncharacteristic of her, offered to cover Ram's mistake — Ram felt a bitter sting.
She was bearing responsibility for Ram's actions, and that only made Ram's frustration grow.
Emilia's growth was a joyous thing — if only the circumstances were different. If only they were not in a place like this: a predetermined show trial.
"—There is no need for you to leave the room. However, refrain from speaking further. If you persist, it is Lady Emilia's own conduct that will be called into question."
"…I'll keep that in mind. I apologize."
As Ram spoke her apology, she could not help but register the bitter truth that the fact she was not being expelled confirmed her suspicion — that they intended to keep both Emilia and Ram together in one place.
"Thank you, Ram, for not having me thrown out. …Then, let me ask you this as well. Is it because Sirius said it that you think Subaru might be the Archbishop of Sloth?"
"Naturally, at first it was dismissed as nonsense. Taking the words of a captured Archbishop seriously would be foolish. But Miklotov was not of that opinion. He was a man with the discernment to distinguish between delusions that should be discarded and portents of genuine calamity."
"Miklotov-san… oh, then, could it be that…"
Emilia instinctively brought her hand to her mouth, and Ram had reached the same realization.
After completing preparations to depart for
Perhaps the very reason Miklotov had summoned Subaru was— "The detailed purpose of the meeting was not shared with us. But if the knight Natsuki Subaru was present at the scene — and Duke Karsten, who had assisted in the White Whale subjugation and the subsequent battle against Sloth, was there as well — then suspicion is unavoidable. — That the knight Natsuki Subaru caused something inconvenient, and that is why Miklotov was killed."
"That is—"
"Then what are we to make of someone who throws away his own chance to clear his name!!"
"—!"
In an instant, Boldo's booming voice exploded, and the full force of it struck Emilia head-on, freezing her in place.
Behind Emilia's reaction, Ram likewise felt the malice of the situation — or rather, the engineered arrangement itself.
The other side had, from the very beginning, assembled unassailable reasoning and summoned Emilia.
"—The worst-case scenario came true, didn't it?"
From the series of events at the Royal Guest Palace, Ram and Otto had already envisioned the worst possibility — an inescapable summons to the castle, and the resulting division of the camp.
Whoever had drawn up this plan had spun the threads with painstaking precision.
Boldo's interrogation continued: "From the scene where Miklotov was killed, the knight Natsuki Subaru fled alongside Duke Karsten. According to the testimony of those present, the knight Natsuki Subaru used an inexplicable art, nullified another's magic, and manipulated invisible 'something.' This too was reported during the deliberations — the Archbishop of Sloth was said to manipulate invisible arms."
"That was a spell that Subaru and Beatrice devised…"
"Furthermore, those victimized by the Archbishop of Gluttony lose their existence from others' memories, or alternatively lose their own memories. Yet the knight Natsuki Subaru reportedly remembered those who had been forgotten. How do you explain this?"
"Because Subaru remembered, Rem and Julius weren't left all alone!"
"By the Archbishop of Lust's depravity, Duke Karsten suffered wounds that would never heal. The knight Natsuki Subaru, who suffered the same harm, emerged unscathed. Can you explain that?"
"That's exactly what hurt Subaru the most!"
"Then who is this knight Natsuki Subaru, and where did he come from? There is no record of this person anywhere before he appeared at the Royal Castle to declare himself your knight. Why is that?!"
"Subaru is—!"
"—Stop this right now!!"
As Emilia's voice, on the verge of tears, was being cut down mid-sentence by the onslaught of questions, a voice louder than any of them thundered through the council chamber — Filiore, who had risen from her seat at the far end of the table and slammed her palm down.
Tears streamed from her red eyes, and her lips trembled as she spoke: "Stop ganging up on Emilia… She's the most confused of anyone here, and she's the one who wants to talk to Subaru the most."
"…We are not raising our voices unnecessarily. Moreover, it was your colleague, Lady Filiore, of the Divine Dragon Church, who recovered Miklotov's body and described what had happened at his estate."
"I know that! And Tigre was injured… but Tigre was bleeding so much, couldn't he have simply mistaken what he saw?"
"Now that's just too harsh on Tigre…"
"—Anyway! I object to this approach! The Holy Scriptures say: 'No soul is bereft of salvation beneath this sky. Look up to the heavens and the Dragon's shadow is ever present, and there the promise of equal salvation is given to all its children'!"
Bringing out the Scriptures and slamming them down on the semicircular table, Filiore's emotional rebuttal doused the proceedings — but Subaru's precarious position did not change. And what Ram feared was the further suspicion that would follow from this accusation against Subaru.
That was— "—Did Lady Emilia, and by extension her patron Marquis
"— — —"
"If this was concealed through collusion within the camp, then in the event the suspicion that the knight Natsuki Subaru is the successor to the Archbishop of Sloth proves true — the reason Lady Emilia was made to participate in the Royal Selection and the accomplishments accumulated to this day would also be…"
Everything that had been built since the start of the Royal Selection — every effort made by Emilia, by Subaru, by the entire camp — would be declared a fabrication.
All the blood, sweat, and tears that everyone had shed to build it — every last drop of it— "—Emilia?"
A vacant voice struck Ram's ear, which had been clenching in a tight fist.
It came from Filiore, who remained in her posture pressing the Scriptures against the table, her eyes wide and round. She blinked her large eyes, staring blankly at the center of the room.
Drawn by that gaze, Ram too looked toward the testimony stand — and saw Emilia standing there.
She had been told that the ground beneath her could go dark at any moment.
She had been struck with a despair as though the ground had crumbled away and she had lost all sense of where she stood.
It would not have been strange for her to be swept away by a storm of injustice and unfairness and to cry out.
But— "—My name is Emilia. Just Emilia. Of the Elior Great Forest, the Witch of Glaciation."
Declaring this, Emilia stood at the testimony stand and pointed a single finger toward the heavens.
It was a pose Ram had seen many times before — the reckless, impossibly foolish boy pointing at the sky when he was about to say and do the most absurd things in the world.
"This isn't the first time I've been looked at with those eyes. I've been on the receiving end of those looks so many times, and each time I've been dejected, and each time I've picked myself back up."
"— — —"
"So even if we're back where we started, I'm fine with that. I won't lose. We won't lose."
"Lady Emilia…"
"We won't lose. — Right, Ram?!"
Without turning around, Emilia called out to her from the stand, finger still pointing skyward.
The fact that she did not turn to check — infuriatingly — was nothing less than a testament to her trust. She believed completely in what Ram would say back, in what expression Ram was wearing.
That was why. That was why Ram could not turn away. She had to answer that trust.
She had been the one to volunteer as Emilia's escort.
Here, pushing aside everyone who wanted to respond to Emilia's trust, it was Ram — by her own choice.
"—Ha! Of course."
Matching her expression and her voice to that trust, Ram stepped forward.
Boldly, with dignity, with vigor and poise — as the Ram that Emilia believed in, standing firm against any hardship, supporting from behind the girl who gritted her teeth in defiance.
"Look at you, you fools."
The Emilia who walked this path — not on a smoothly paved road of fabricated accomplishments, but forged through trial — could never have emerged from such comfortable origins.
All of you who harbor doubts — burn, and turn to ash.
Those eyes that would dare to question this — let me gouge them out and replace them with glass marbles.
Through tears and screams, through blood and sweat, through all of that forged brilliance — this was the royal vessel that Emilia had truly won with her own desperate efforts.
"— — —"
No one could immediately respond.
Scoffs, doubts, and interrogation dressed as reason — for that one moment, they had lost all purchase before Emilia's declaration.
"—A messenger! A messenger!"
The voice of a soldier bursting into the council chamber shattered the heated silence that had been ruling the room, prompted by Emilia and Ram's display.
Marcos, who had been standing by the door witnessing the proceedings, stepped in front of the soldier who had burst in and roared: "An urgent inquiry is underway! What are you thinking?!"
"My apologies! But there is something that must be conveyed immediately!"
"Immediately? What is it?"
Listening to the soldier's urgent report, a deep furrow carved itself between Marcos's brows, and a heavy murmur of "I see" escaped him.
Hearing the note of resignation in that murmur, Ram narrowed her eyes.
And then— "Captain Marcos, what happened? Is it related to the inquiry?"
At Boldo's question, Marcos turned and glanced briefly toward Emilia. Then he slowly shook his head atop his massive frame: "It is not unrelated."
"Then let us hear it. The soldier's urgency tells me this is no small matter."
"—The members of Lady Emilia's camp who remained at the Royal Guest Palace have exploited a lapse in surveillance and departed the premises. No injuries among the soldiers who attempted to intervene, but we are currently tracking their movements."
"What…"
At the low, grave report from Marcos, Boldo brought a hand to his mouth. Then the gaunt elder released a sigh of exasperation and looked at Emilia: "While their mistress pleads her case in the Royal Castle, her subordinates deceive the eyes of the Kingdom. Viewing this in a favorable light is… somewhat difficult."
"I don't think so. If everyone did it, that means everyone decided it was the best thing to do."
"Regrettably, that answer is far from satisfactory. — Including the suspicions against the knight Natsuki Subaru, Lady Emilia, you will be required to remain within the castle."
With only his words tinged with regret, Boldo issued his order, and Ram clenched her teeth.
She was well aware of the man's infamous disdain for Demihumans — but with the moderate Miklotov gone, for him to move so aggressively to expel Emilia was hard to believe.
This deftness of maneuvering — perhaps even Miklotov's death itself — in any case, his show of regret was nothing but hypocrisy.
From the very beginning, the outcome of this inquiry had been predetermined.
And that was precisely why— "—Rem, make sure to keep Garf and Otto in line. They'll have to rely on you."
It was a farewell made with the full knowledge that with Emilia and Ram detained and unable to move, they could only entrust their absence to Rem and the others they had left behind.
△▼△▼△▼△ "—Emilia-nee!"
"
They were being escorted from the council chamber where the inquiry had taken place, on their way to a separate room within the castle.
Hurrying toward Emilia with a flushed face, making quick patter-patter footsteps, was one of the fellow Royal Selection candidates — Felt.
Felt dashed up to Emilia, glared one by one at the Kingdom soldiers flanking her on either side, and said: "Hey, what the hell is this? You're treating Nee-san like she's some kind of criminal. We're Royal Selection candidates, you know. You think you can get away with this?"
"Felt-chan, it's all right! I'm not exactly convinced — well, I'm not convinced at all, really — but I sort of have accepted it, in a way."
"What the hell kind of answer is that!? Acceptance isn't a half-measure! You either accept it or you don't! If you don't, just say you don't!"
At Felt's fierce display of anger, Emilia's eyes went wide, and then her brow softened. She was glad that Felt was angry on her behalf.
She wanted to hug her on the spot — but if she did, Felt might be taken as a hostage, so she held back with all her strength.
"Lady Felt, your feelings are very much appreciated, but Lady Emilia gave them quite a talking-to inside, so please rest easy."
"Gave them a talking-to… ah, so that's how it is. You wouldn't just take it lying down, would you, Nee-san. …Don't tell me you got arrested for that."
"No, that's not it. I just can't do anything about it right now."
"…It's about Crusch-nee and Subaru-nii, isn't it?"
After nodding in response to Ram's reply, Felt clicked her tongue. Emilia nodded.
Word had apparently reached Felt about Subaru and the others. But thinking about it carefully, today they were supposed to be rushing to Priestella with Reinhard's help.
If Emilia and her group — and Filiore's group as well — failed to appear for that arrangement, it was only natural for Felt to worry.
"That bearded old geezer getting killed is one thing, but suspecting Nii and the others of doing it is way too much."
"You think so too, Felt-chan?"
"Of course I do! I owe Nii a debt ever since that crazy Intestine Hunter came after me. And on top of that, at Priestella I saw the real-deal Archbishops of Sin with my own eyes, and I even guarded Wrath's transport. No way those lunatics and Nii are on the same side."
"—!"
At Felt's unwavering answer, Emilia once again had to fight desperately against the urge to embrace the girl's small frame.
But yes. That was right. Not just Emilia, not just her camp. Even Felt, from a different camp, and surely many others — they all understood.
How hardworking Natsuki Subaru was, how desperately he tried — surely they all knew.
"—Emilia! I'm coming too! I'll get locked up along with you!"
Just then, the council chamber door burst open, and a young girl's voice rang out as she came tumbling through.
Emilia and the others turned in surprise to see Filiore, half in tears, rushing toward them with her hair in disarray.
She launched herself full-force into Emilia's chest: "A-a-a-a one-sided interrogation like that is unacceptable! I'm lodging a protest! I have to — I became a Royal Selection candidate, after all! Authority! Yes, with all the authority at my disposal, I'll have this unjust treatment of Emilia reversed…!"
"C-calm down, Filiore. You can't do that. I'm really, really happy that you feel that way, but it would only cause trouble for you too."
"What good is a friend if they can't get into the mud together!? With Emilia, I wouldn't mind getting covered in mud!"
Lifting her face from Emilia's chest, Filiore spoke without a moment's hesitation. Emilia felt a surge of emotion welling up inside her as she was spun around by the girl's momentum.
She had just managed to resist hugging Felt, but with Filiore throwing herself like this, her restraint was completely undone.
And while being embraced by Emilia, Filiore said "Ah," and noticed Felt scratching her head nearby.
Come to think of it, the relationship between these two was supposed to be incredibly complicated.
Ideally, Emilia should have been the one to mediate, but— "—No need to worry, Emilia-nee. Right now I've got enough on my mind with Nii and the others. I can't afford to take on your problems too."
"Y-yes, I think that's for the best. I was going to say the same thing. We really do see eye to eye, don't we!"
"Well, we might end up competing for the same seat — the only one available — twice. Forget about seeing eye to eye, we're bound by fate, aren't we?"
Felt squinted at Filiore with a curious look, and Filiore, clinging to Emilia, stared back with a flustered expression.
Not only their issue, but of course Subaru and Crusch, and Otto and the others who had escaped the Royal Guest Palace — it was nothing but worry, worry, worry.
"I want to believe everyone's going to be all right, but…"
"—Indeed. Felt, if I may."
"Hm? What is it, Maid-nee?"
"Earlier, you said you owe Barusu a debt. Might you return that favor sooner rather than later?"
"Oh?"
At Ram's words, Felt raised one eyebrow and tilted her cheek with interest.
Watching Felt's reaction and Ram's manner, Emilia caught on. If this was about repaying Subaru's kindness— "—Is the 'Sword Saint' here with you today?"
"Well, that's the logical move, isn't it? Given how ugly this situation is. I can't exactly leave her be, so I'd gladly lend her out… is what I'd like to say."
"…Sounds difficult?"
"Nah, she got called away to somewhere else in the castle for a separate matter. Same thing with me."
As Felt scratched her head and answered, Emilia and Ram exchanged a glance. Then Filiore, still nestled against Emilia's chest, tilted her head hesitantly: "You too? You were called away too? It wasn't because you were worried about Emilia?"
"It wasn't just that. Sorry."
"No, that's totally fine, but being called away…"
"—I got summoned to the same room."
Felt jerked her chin to indicate where she meant — the room Filiore had burst out of, the same room where Emilia had undergone the inquiry: the council chamber.
Looking around, Ram noticed that besides the soldiers escorting Emilia and herself, soldiers guiding Felt had also joined them. The circumstances were different from when Marcos had escorted them, but— "A Dragon might show up, or a Witch — either way, it's never a good sign, huh?"
At that wry, Felt-like smile, Emilia felt unable to grasp the same sense of reassurance she had felt before — and that made her inexplicably frustrated.
△▼△▼△▼△ —Around the same time, in a separate room within the Royal Castle,
"— — —"
A piece placed at the center of the map marked the Royal Guest Palace in the Noble District.
Along the various routes leading from there to the outer edge of the Noble District, red marks had been drawn. The familiar map of the Royal Capital had been transformed into a cold diagram showing escape routes and encirclement lines.
And what that signified— "It is believed that the remaining members of Lady Emilia's camp who departed the Royal Guest Palace have slipped past the surveillance network and are plotting to escape beyond the Noble District."
The one who reported this was a civil official dispatched as an emissary of the Council of Wise Men.
An expression that revealed nothing of his emotions, a voice tone to match, an attitude of absolute dedication to his assigned role — Reinhard made no comment on any of it. He simply listened to the reason he had been summoned.
"— — —"
"Their objective appears to be rendezvousing with the knight Natsuki Subaru, or preparing to extract Lady Emilia, who remains within the castle. At present, this is merely speculation — but the fact that they exploited a fire disturbance to slip out from the Palace, which was under surveillance, is significant."
"A fire?"
"Smoke was detected rising from beneath the kitchen floor. No actual spread of flames was confirmed; the smoke was largely caused by a blockage in the chimney disrupting ventilation."
"I see."
As the official explained how the guards had been deceived, he turned the pages of the order document in his hand. Alternating between the document and the map on the table: "We are in pursuit, but these individuals possess extraordinary ability. If we rush to suppress them, there may be casualties on both sides — the soldiers and the targets. Therefore—"
"—An order was given to me."
"Yes. It has been decreed that Reinhard van Astrea, 'Sword Saint,' shall be tasked with their pursuit and capture. Here."
The order document he handed over contained exactly the words he had just recited, letter for letter — and Reinhard perceived the iron resolve behind its thoroughness.
"— — —"
Under normal circumstances, Reinhard would have read the order's contents and accepted it immediately, then moved.
But at this moment, the Sword Saint's response was slightly delayed — because it could not be entirely divorced from the presence of his master, who had also come to the Royal Castle.
"—Valga Cromwell."
Abruptly, the name the civil official spoke lowered the air in the narrow room by another degree.
"— — —"
With just that name, the official offered no further words. And from Reinhard's side as well, no question about its meaning was raised.
After a brief silence, Reinhard folded the order document and returned it to the official.
And then— "—Understood."
With those words, Reinhard turned his gaze from the map and from the official alike.
As his retreating figure made for the door, the official added a single sentence: "The targets are to be captured."
"I will stop them."
—With only that parting word, the Sword Saint departed the small council chamber of the Royal Castle.