I tore a long strip from my clothes, covered the Stigma on my right eye, and tied it tight behind my head.

Once this is over, I’ll need to get a magi-device eyepatch first—one engraved with “Sturdiness.”

“It’s done.”

“Thank goodness! I thought you were really going to die.”

Andromeda stretched lazily and flashed her usual bright smile.

“Ah, I’m finally starting to feel alive again.”

“What happened to you?”

“They drugged the water and the meals. When I refused to eat and held out, they vaporized it and sprayed it everywhere. Like… fifty liters, maybe?”

“You could’ve taken a bath with that. Do you remember what it was? There could be aftereffects.”

“If I’m getting up fine, there probably aren’t any aftereffects. It was a sedative. ‘Dreamjoy’s Kiss.’”

“Isn’t that a poison that can put an elephant to sleep with a single drop?!”

Just hearing the name made me recoil.

Spraying that by the liter.

It was a drug that could put someone to sleep forever if you misjudged the dose by even a little.

“Thanks to that, I slept like a rock for once. If I’m fine, I’m fine, right?”

Andromeda laughed as if good enough was good enough.

It was absurd, but maybe her energy was contagious—my crushing fatigue and the vicious headache from overheated nerves eased, if only a little.

Reality snapped back into place.

“Sis. Can you fight—or use Authority—right now? We’re about to die.”

Beating Traysan didn’t mean it was over.

Even now, my personal guard was fighting outside.

“So you need to get the situation under control?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright.”

Andromeda rose to her feet.

Crackle! Crack!

Bright blue electrical sparks snapped around her eyes.

“Now that I’m outside the Sealing Stones’ range, I feel like I can breathe again.”

Her voice split into a duet.

["And my mana’s filled back up to the floor, too."]

Her usual high, lively voice, and a low, clipped metallic tone.

Rumble!

Thunder rolled.

The light that had been pouring in through the stained glass vanished.

The clouds I’d gathered with Pillar Cloud had, before I knew it, spread back out over all of Astrion.

Rumble! Rumble!

The thunder wouldn’t stop.

["……Andromeda……declares……"]

That thunder gradually shifted into a human voice.

["Andromeda of Astrion Astreos declares."]

It was an Authority I knew.

Heavenly Thunder Voice.

The highest-tier lightning arts Authority—said to rival that “Heavenly Tribulation”—that delivered speech by controlling the volume and pitch of thunder.

["The conspiracy of the former Senior Adopted Heir Traysan, who unlawfully imprisoned me, has come to an end. I have been liberated and restored physically, politically, and in Authority, and I can once again exercise combat Authority."]

Andromeda unfurled that Authority.

["All Astreos blood relatives and related combat units who moved under the orders of the former Senior Adopted Heir Traysan will immediately disarm and surrender. In addition, the Inner City Guard and the Royal Guard……"]

Maybe because we were inside the Inquisition building at the Grand Cathedral, even Heavenly Thunder Voice sounded several times more sacred as it echoed through the ventilation shafts.

With words like those, I thought you’d feel the same majesty no matter where they came from.

“Let’s go. We need to save your men.”

“Yes.”

Listening to the endlessly looping Heavenly Thunder Voice, I drew the Star-Sword.

I retraced the path I’d come alone—this time with Andromeda.

Joi fought to the very end.

With Crescent Moon Swordsmanship, she drew countless moons and drove back the royal knights and Navigators.

That adjutant—running off on his own.

Her limit arrived soon enough.

Clang!

Strength slipped from her hands.

The aftereffects of reaching Navigator-rank hit.

I’m hungry.

The process—soldier to Retainer-rank, Retainer-rank to Navigator-rank, Navigator-rank to knight—was like an insect’s metamorphosis.

I’m hungry in a situation like this? Are you kidding me? Why the hell—…ah.

She’d burned through an enormous amount of energy, and right after metamorphosing, a gap had formed between her nervous system and her muscles and bones.

Her mind and nerves were already those of a Navigator, but her muscles and bones were still those of a Retainer.

The price of forcing movements only a Navigator’s body could endure through a Retainer’s body was brutal.

Stagger.

In a chaotic melee where close-combat daggers, war hammers, and longswords held in reverse grips flew back and forth,

Joi rolled across the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.

“I’ve wanted to kill you this whole time!”

A royal Navigator lifted his longsword high overhead.

“Joi!”

Feijin hurled themself forward, twisting an eastern saber.

Too late.

The handful of lightning they’d had was spent long ago.

In the mind of a knight who’d crossed death lines tens of thousands of times, the path to save Joi ran through endless simulations.

To save Joi in their current state, the only option was to throw themself in and take the blade on their armor.

Of all times…

The problem was that Feijin’s armor was already shattered.

Even an engraved relic had turned into rags after taking the royal Vow-taker’s sword a few times.

Like this, it might even be pierced by some Navigator’s blade.

If you survive, you could even become a Blue Knight.

Feijin clenched their teeth.

Joi’s bright laughter flickered in their mind.

A person with scorched skin and a rough look who got mistaken for being shallow, but who had yellow eyes gentler and more earnest than anyone’s.

Whoosh!

Feijin launched themself.

They were ready to die.

Bzzzzzt!

“Aagh!”

That was when the royal Navigator toppled backward.

Huh?

Feijin ended up doing nothing but cover Joi with their body.

“Feijin?”

Joi looked up at them, her face red.

Feijin lifted their head, vowing never to forget that expression.

Snap!

A finger-flick rang out.

Lightning howled.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Kyaaaargh!”

“Run!”

The royal Vow-takers who had terrified them were flung in every direction like paper dolls.

“You suffered holding out.”

From far down the corridor, two figures approached.

Two?

Feijin felt an impossible Pressure from the woman standing beside Kyrie.

“Disgusting vermin.”

“We should take them prisoner and interrogate them.”

“Why are you using polite speech again?”

“Aren’t we in front of subordinates right now? You need to mind your dignity.”

“I told you to talk normally.”

“You told me to talk normally when we’re alone.”

Navy bangs cut like a blade, a ponytail tied high, dignified eyes holding every shade of blue in the world, and a bewitching aura like an elegant fox.

Andromeda.

The pinnacle of lightning arts stood before them.

Feijin rose and bowed their head—by a knight’s courtesy, and by the courtesy owed to someone who embodied their ideal.

“I ask you. What is your name.”

After tidying the battlefield in an instant, Andromeda looked down at Feijin.

“Feijin. I follow Sir Kyrie.”

“Good. Sir Feijin. Hand these ones over to the Inner City Guard. They will also handle treatment and protection.”

“I will obey the Sub-patriarch’s command. However, before that, I must have my lord Sir Kyrie’s permission—”

Even then, Feijin tried to keep chivalry.

Pressure was Pressure, and order was order.

“Listen to my sister.”

Kyrie blurted it out quickly.

“Ohhh! Your subordinates are loyal, huh?”

Andromeda patted Kyrie’s back, looking at Feijin with approval.

“……You need to keep moving. Fighting is still breaking out all over.”

Kyrie nudged Andromeda forward.

Something similar happened at the entrance to the Inquisition building.

“Kyrie, Kyrie… I’m here. Hehe.”

“Frey!”

Andromeda blew away the Blue Knights Traysan had raised illegally in a single strike, and Kyrie saved Frey, who had been trampled and was a breath away from having their throat cut.

“Your hand—!”

“A hand, whatever. If I rub on holy water and get a few healing prayers, I’ll be fine. Get out with her. Nereus is gonna die.”

Kyrie found Frey’s hand among the hands scattered around, set it aside, and headed for the gate with Andromeda.

By then, the adopted heirs had grasped the whole situation.

“They’re coming.”

It wasn’t that they had an information network still functioning in this chaos.

["……Silvanus, Scipio, Nicolaos, Chermidon, Bataos, Sirmines. Immediately disarm and surrender. In addition, the Inner City Guard and the Royal Guard……"]

It was because Andromeda’s Heavenly Thunder Voice had been booming without end.

Urmes of the Royal Guard, Silvanus of the Goldcoin Brigade, Scipio of the Mounted Patrol, Nicolaos and Chermidon of the Light Cavalry, Bataos and Sirmines of the Outer City Guard.

The adopted heirs and adopted daughters all stared toward the Grand Cathedral, sharing complex expressions.

Andromeda was the pureblood of the direct line—someone Traysan had barely managed to seize by throwing a monstrous army and every hidden card he had.

Now that Andromeda was free with clear proof that Traysan had joined hands with the Royal Stellite Line, there was no way to win.

“What about the soldiers?”

Urmes, the unspoken second in the hierarchy, asked the adopted heirs.

“Look at their faces. You think they can fight with something like that booming from the sky?”

Nicolaos of the Light Cavalry brushed back his wild hair and shrugged.

“Your Highness! Mercy!”

“We beg your mercy!”

Among the soldiers, more than half had already thrown away their weapons and armor and prostrated themselves.

“And at the gate—what about him?”

“Over there. Still kicking. What’s he saying?”

Urmes turned his gaze toward the gate.

A Blue Knight in brass armor had been fighting three-on-one, took a massive hit, and was being driven back miserably.

It was Nereus.

“Surrender.”

Nereus had been holding three adopted-heir-level Blue Knights in place so Kyrie could go to the Grand Cathedral.

Silvanus of the Goldcoin Brigade, and Bataos and Sirmines of the Outer City Guard.

Every one of them was a formidable monster.

“A Tonatio bastard putting ‘surrender’ in his mouth?”

Sirmines—the adopted daughter—spat back, sharp as her looks.

Bleeding all over, Nereus shook his head.

“Losing once doesn’t mean it’s over.”

His armor and body were wrecked, but his teal eyes still burned.

“As long as you don’t run from the fight called life, that’s enough.”

“Shut up. Before I slice you to death.”

Sirmines trembled.

“Sir.”

Bataos took her hand.

“If this keeps up, big brother Traysan is going to die! That monster Andromeda is going to chew big brother up, and then we’ll all die too! Let go! Even if it’s just this one bastard, we have to take him with us—!”

“Sir.”

Drip. Dripdrip.

Rain began to fall.

Drumdrumdrumdrum!

From beyond, messengers came running.

“By the words of Fortress, the self-luminous Fixed Star Seat and commander of the Outer City Defense Force: all Blue Knights of the Outer City Defense Force will immediately cease all combat actions and return to headquarters! That is all.”

“Captain of the Goldcoin Brigade……”

“Captain of the Royal Guard……”

It was an order to cease fighting.

“Sir.”

Bataos gripped Sirmines’s hand even tighter.

The Seats had moved.

It meant the Patriarch had given the instruction.

The Patriarch had judged they had lost.

A judgment that had always been right until now.

“---, ---!”

Sirmines’s roar rang out into the sky.

“What did you say?”

“By the words of the Parent Star Seat at the center of the orbit, His Highness Pellaeus: my son, Kyrie of Astrion Astreos, is to appear immediately at the lord’s audience hall together with my daughter, Andromeda. That is all.”

On the way to the gate with Andromeda, I met the messenger the Patriarch had sent.

The Patriarch. Immediately. Appear.

Words that turned ominous just by hearing them.

Am I screwed?

I wondered if this whole thing had been the Patriarch’s self-staged play to replace the heir with Traysan—and whether, now that I’d ruined it, he would kill me.

There was no way he hadn’t known Traysan was working with the Royal Stellite Line, and his willful blindness was proof enough.

I prayed it wasn’t true.

“I want to confirm Nereus’s safety first.”

I threw out an excuse.

“If you mean the successor of House Tonatio, he has already been rescued by the Inner City Defense Force. He is currently being transferred to the Inner City Defense Force headquarters.”

Shot down immediately.

“My little brother. Loyal, huh! At headquarters, give him a good potion in my name.”

I even got praised by Andromeda.

Feeling like I might pass out, I turned around.

Let’s go. Go.

From the Outer City to the Inner City, from the Inner City to the Main Fortress, and from the Main Fortress up to the lord’s audience hall at the very top.

Rumble, crash!

Rain poured down in sheets.

All the blood on my body washed away.

The moat in front of the Outer City was probably turning bright red about now.

Just like last time, I wiped myself down in the waiting room, changed clothes, and headed for the audience chamber.

Back then it had been three of us, but this time it was two.

That, at least, pleased me.

I stopped before the door and waited for the head attendant to open it.

I imagined the Patriarch saying, You ruined my plan. Splendid! and taking my head clean off.

Creeeeak.

The door opened.

“Splendid!”

A shout—near enough to a roar of praise—rang out.

I almost screamed without meaning to.

“It was a magnificent decision, and a magnificent Authority. I couldn’t see the inside of the Grand Cathedral because of its defensive blessings, but I have no doubt you put on a performance the Seats would find most pleasing to watch.”

Pellaeus rose from his throne and strode over barefoot.

The Platinum Mask and trailing robes rushed closer.

Then he did something I’d never once imagined, not even in my dreams.

“As expected of my son.”

A scent like a pine forest after rain spread out.

My vision was blocked; I couldn’t see anything.

Cloth rubbed against my cheek, and a palm touched my back with just the right strength, then pulled away.

Yes.

The Patriarch pulled me into a fierce embrace and patted my back.

Chapter 126

Comments