Right in front of me, the Mad Crows were dripping black liquid-like substances as they drew closer. Despairingly, the water streams on the ground weren’t even enough to fill half of this place.
“D-don’t come closer….”
That’s when it happened.
– Crackle!
A massive light surged up between the net-shaped water streams. It was a huge electric shock wave. Lightning bolts extending from the net that started in the waterways formed chains, covering the sky in a hemisphere shape and trapping the demon beasts.
Contrary to my expectation that the water would soak this entire area, the water was merely a medium for the lightning.
“You’re too late…!”
At the touching sight of the demon beasts trapped in the electric field and panicking in confusion, I hugged Mitche tightly in my arms and burst into tears.
Soon, the black fireball I’d seen before began to rise in the center. It was Lampel’s magic. The demon beasts constrained by electricity closed their mouths as if entranced the moment they saw that sphere. And then, as if being controlled by someone, they flew toward the fireball with dazed wing flaps and spontaneously burned up and disappeared.
‘That’s Brainwashing Magic, right? He’s using it on demon beasts? Amazing!’
The black wings burned in the flames one after another and crumbled like dust. Seeing the demon beasts that had been like a massive black mountain scatter in an instant was unbelievable even while watching it.
“Ah….”
Between the gray dead swamp, mana particles showed reddish afterimages and flickered like flames. The bright orange light flared up for a moment then subsided—it was a strange, no, even wondrous scene, as if witnessing the birth and end of mana.
“Hiiing.”
Mitche began to tremble violently at the sight. And suddenly my vision became hazily blurred as pain washed over me as if my body was being torn to pieces.
“Urgh!”
Abruptly, the surrounding scenery began to change to something even more desolate. A barren land with no swamp or anything else remaining. When I came to my senses, I was standing in that place. It was a strange land thickly covered with red lava and black fog.
A stinging sandstorm blew as if it would sweep away my body. When I opened my eyes, someone holding a large staff was standing ahead.
Lampel? No, it was Cesare. He was looking down at the barren land and giggling.
“Lionel. Look at what we’ve made.”
“Wh-what is this…! Cesare, this place… what happened?”
“Torusian is finished now too.”
Torusian? Our empire? Here? Is this a prophecy of the future? My head was too confused.
“You shouldn’t have trusted me. Lionel, you stupid and dull bastard. Keke. Kwahaha!”
Cesare, who had been bursting with maniacal laughter, suddenly became serious and glanced this way. His unfocused eyes were full of chilling and dark energy.
“Cesare, what the hell is this…!”
As if being sucked into those eyes filled with gloomy aura, my mind became hazy and I lost consciousness just like that.
* * *
“Ugh. My head….”
I grabbed my splitting head and opened my eyes, but the surroundings were pitch dark. The barren land I’d just seen was nowhere to be found—only soft sheets could be felt. I tried to get up from my spot, but my legs were still throbbing and my body wouldn’t move properly.
“Ongnyongnyong.”
Hearing Mitche’s sound in the darkness, it seemed the creature was safe too. As I fumbled my hand to check the surroundings, I touched something like a wall that was both hard and soft, wrapping around me.
“Mm?”
As I fumbled again touching the wall, a low purring sound rang out.
“…How disgustingly you squirm.”
The wall moved with a squelch and surrounded my waist. And soon something like a solid rope wrapped around my lower back. My body stiffened as I thought of something from the harder form I felt behind me.
I was lying down being held. And by Cesare at that. What I’d thought was a wall was his chest, and what I’d thought was a rope was his arm. And what I’d thought was a hard baguette….
“Just sleep. If you do anything stupid, I’ll blow your head off.”
“Wh-why am I here with you…?”
May I ask why I’m sleeping held in your arms? And why are you shirtless? And by any chance, are you hiding a baguette down there? Who knew combining words could be this difficult?
“This was the only tent left. I can’t send you to the soldiers’ barracks.”
Cesare muttered in a sleepy voice, still not fully awake. But that answer only solved the first question. As I trembled at the unfamiliar skin touching my back, unable to do this or that, Cesare irritably adjusted his hold on me.
“Do I have to sing you a lullaby now too?”
“No….”
“It’s safe now, so sleep.”
His cool yet heavy breath settled on the nape of my neck. At the same time, his arm pulled me tighter. Like that, Cesare seemed to fall back asleep, as only breathing sounds could be heard afterward.
I shuddered at the feeling I couldn’t tell was good or creepy. Was the one standing on the barren land with a maniacal appearance just now a dream? While still confused, another voice was heard in the darkness.
“Newborn puppy. The sound of your eyeballs rolling is noisy. Should I cast a spell for you to sleep?”
Good lord. The one lying on my other side was Lampel. The three of us were sharing one tent, and we were using the same bed side by side.
“U-um, the Mad Crows, they’re all finished now, right?”
“…Yeah. Thanks to you, it ended smoothly. For a newborn puppy, you ran around quite well.”
A pleased smile formed at the words that it ended well thanks to me. When I sneakily checked on Cesare with eyes accustomed to the darkness, he seemed to be in a deep sleep. Thinking this was my chance, I carefully spoke to Lampel.
“Um, Your Grace. Are you asleep?”
“……”
“The magic was really cool.”
I wondered if this was how hard it was to work on favorability with NPCs in RPG games. Though I obsequiously waited for an opening to add a word of flattery, Lampel gave no answer.
“I just wanted to tell you that. Yes. You can sleep now. Hmph.”
“…You.”
“Yes?”
“You have a bunch of prohibition spells on you, you know you’re following him around knowing that’s all Cesare’s doing?”
My eyes that had closed to sleep snapped open. After hesitating for a long time on how to answer, I missed the timing to respond. Then Lampel spoke again.
“I’ve cast a silence spell.”
At the words implying our conversation wouldn’t be heard, I slowly inhaled. According to Professor Peter, Lampel was a traitor. I couldn’t rule out the possibility that he wasn’t in league with Cesare.
“I met Priest Heiss and he said someone cast Brainwashing Magic on me. The priest said Your Grace knows well about Brainwashing Magic, so I came to find you….”
“……”
“But the culprit is Cesare?”
When I asked with as much surprised emotion as possible, a cold answer came.
“Your acting is disgustingly bad. Drop that in front of me.”
Was I caught? But how? My body stiffened with a start and I couldn’t easily speak.
“Normally, you’d immediately slam him down, put a blade to his throat, and rage that you’d kill him if he doesn’t undo the magic.”
That was true. If I hadn’t known Cesare’s intentions, I would have done that and more.
“Whether you’re under a spell or not, everyone who learned Yanox’s secrets did that.”
What’s Lampel’s intention in saying such things? My mind moved busily but I had too little information about him.
“If you’re staying attached even knowing you’re being used by Brainwashing Magic, either you want something too, or Cesare has your weakness… no, or you’re just stupid. One of the three.”
I spoke resentfully with a surge of emotion.
“I’m not stupid, I just didn’t know what to do so I stayed still!”
“What Cesare can use is barely crawling-stage brainwashing. Being persuaded by that suggestion is just proof that you’re stupid.”
“Urgh….”
“You said you’re a commoner from a merchant guild background? Then it’s not hard to guess either. Was he trying to get money through you? How foolish. The ducal family is doomed to fall anyway once the imperial family has made up its mind.”
“Cesare is trying. For the sake of the territory’s people.”
Feeling bad at the tone that seemed to belittle Cesare’s efforts, I protested on his behalf. But Lampel was indifferent.
“Newborn puppy. Since you helped with this matter, I’ll give you one piece of advice. Whatever that kid asks of you, let go and run far away. He’s not yet skilled enough to brainwash you into dragging you down with him.”
Everyone was strange. Cesare was struggling to the point of receiving the Young Duke title, casting addiction on me, and even using the Astol forces, yet both Cedric and Lampel only said to just let him go. When Cesare was working harder than anyone in unseen places to preserve the territory.
Was it sympathy for him? With a stinging heart, I eventually asked directly, getting worked up.
“Why does the imperial family hate Yanox so much in the first place? Does it have to do with Your Grace starting a rebellion before? If so, they should have just annihilated the family back then. Why are they trying to slowly kill Yanox now?”
“Did Cesare tell you? That I started a rebellion?”
From the sounds of it, Cesare seems to know about Lampel’s rebellion too.
“No. Professor Peter did.”
“That damn old raccoon….”
“Professor Peter asked me to watch over Cesare. He’s genuinely worried about Cesare. But you’re family. Why don’t you directly resolve the ducal family’s matters?”
“Genuine? Peter Higgins is a mage first. Higgins is moving that way because he wants something too. Don’t be mistaken.”
“Your Grace is the one who committed treason, so why does Cesare have to struggle going around?”
“I’m not a traitor.”
Lampel’s voice flowing out from the darkness. What it contained was calm anger and resignation.
“…Th-then, does that mean you were falsely accused?”
“No. The crime of treason is entirely ours to pay for. So just leave the ducal family alone.”
Frustrated by Lampel’s story that only dragged me deeper into the mire the more I heard, I decided to play my trump card.
“Does this have to do with the Empress?”
“Well now….”
Suddenly, an invisible force in the darkness tightly covered my mouth.
“Mmph!”
“So you were a puppy with horns.”
I gasped for air, unable to breathe. I tried to call Cesare, but my body also stiffened and wouldn’t move well.
“Kgh, ai-air….”
“I was going to let you off because you seem like a cherished toy, but let me show you what happens when you try to know too much.”
“Ce-Cesa-re…. Kgh.”
In the suffocating situation, I barely moved one hand down. And with all my strength, I grabbed Cesare’s baguette.
– Squeeze!
“Kheuk! Lionel!”
“Puha! Ahk!”
The moment Cesare woke up crying out loudly, the magic was released and I could breathe again.
“What’s going on! Ugh, what the… what is it! Did you have a nightmare or something? Lionel, say something!”
“Kheulk! Kgh, kreugh! Heuk!”
While Cesare checked on me coughing without understanding the situation, Lampel silently left the tent.
But based on the original work’s information and Lampel’s attitude just now, there was one fact that fit together like a puzzle.
‘Good lord. The rebellion was done together by Lampel and the Empress.’
