INTERMISSION
Rin’s Great Miscalculation
The Lord’s offices.
A four-story tower stood in dignified silence deep in the capital. On the uppermost floor, in a room filled with the smell of rushes…
“What’s wrong, little witch? You’re looking quite pale.”
“…Guh…!”
Lord Yunmelngen quietly laughed.
Rin had no strength to muster a retort as she knelt, her shoulders heaving up and down.
“How…did…”
She bit her lip. An unending stream of sweat was dripping down her brow and chin.
“I…can’t believe you’re this strong…!”
“You’ve really let me down, witch.” The beastperson’s voice was cold as they swayed their silver tail to and fro. Then the Lord sighed. With disappointment and contempt on their face, they brought down their hand. “I don’t see a point to even pitying you. I’ll put you out of your misery.”
“Huh! W-wait!”
“There, checkmate.”
“Ahhhhhh!” Rin fell over and hid her face.
Before her was a shogi board.
“Looks like it’s game over.” The Lord quickly turned over Rin’s king piece with their sharp claws. “There, I’ve won. How many was that again? Seventeen in a row? I wish the matches would last longer.”
“Guh! I’ve still got more in me!”
Rin jumped back up. She grabbed the game pieces from the board and started setting up a new game without regard for the Lord.
“Again! One more time!”
“Oh? You’ve got guts—more than I gave you credit for. But there’s an overwhelming difference in our abilities. You won’t win against me without a strategy.”
“Take that back! I’ll make you cry this time… Wait, what am I doing?!” Rin stomped her foot loudly against the tatami mats. “I got caught in the moment. What is going on here?!”
“Hm?”
“What happened to our match? Weren’t we going to have one?!”
Rin pointed at her own knives, which had been cast aside on the ground. Though she had unsheathed them just hours earlier, in the end, she hadn’t gotten a chance to use a single one.
“You told me to come at you with all I’ve got! And said it would be a matter of life and death for me. And that you’d unconditionally free me and allow me to leave the capital if I won!”
“Well, obviously I meant if you won against me at this game.”
“You’re so misleading!”
“What? You couldn’t possibly think I meant something as violent as that.” The silver-furred beastperson picked up a knife. They scrutinized the Sovereignty-made blade. “Unfortunately, all of my guards are out today. I can’t fight you right now.”
“…”
That statement… Rin narrowed her eyes. “By guards, do you mean the Saint Disciples?”
“That’s right. They were injured during the Sovereignty raid.”
“Huh!” Rin leaped violently off the ground, hard enough to break the tatami mat. She charged right at Lord Yunmelngen, then thrust the point of a newly drawn knife at their neck. “Looks like you’ve got some self-awareness, then… That’s right, you’re the one responsible for sending the Imperial forces to attack our nation! How many of our kindred do you think were wounded in that attack? Even our queen wasn’t spared!”
“…”
“What? If you have anything to say, spit it out now!”
“That wasn’t my idea.”
“What?!”
The tip of the knife quivered.
“Stop playing dumb! Who else could have ordered the Saint Disciples?!”
“The Eight Great Apostles.”
“Huh?”
“Well, I guess that didn’t clarify anything for you, at least.” The Lord yawned leisurely, without a care for the knife at their throat. “The Eight Great Apostles don’t show themselves publicly. It’s no surprise the Sovereignty wouldn’t know who they are.”
“What are you going on about?”
“You’ll understand soon enough.”
The Lord flopped over onto the tatami mats. There were so many ways she could kill them. But the Lord showed so little hostility that Rin was taken aback despite being the one holding them at knifepoint.
“That was part of the reason we took you captive. The Third Princess Sisbell should be making her way here soon. We should be able to explain everything using her powers.”
“Huh? …What do you mean by that?”
Rin knit her brows. She had noticed a minute difference just then. For an instant, the carefree and friendly Lord had shown a fleeting hint of coldness in their tone.
Something like rage…
“There’s something I’d like to know.” The beastperson, still stretched out, placed a hand on their face. “It happened a hundred years ago. I want to know exactly who turned me into this.”
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