CHAPTER 4
Under One Roof
1
The Lou Erz mansion. Alice’s private quarters.
Alice hummed to herself as the morning sunlight filtered into her living room.
“Hee-hee. The weather is spectacular. A clear blue sky. Clean air. I feel like I can really unwind on this vacation!”
“Lady Alice.”
“Just another day full of hopes and dreams.”
“Lady Alice! What has gotten into you? You’ve been in a good mood all morning…”
Rin peeked at Alice’s face. She was in the middle of combing Alice’s golden hair, and it seemed Alice’s humming had caught her attention.
“Hmm? I feel normal.”
“I’m asking you because it doesn’t feel normal to me. You’ve been humming all morning… On any other day, your eyes would be glazed over, and you’d be sporting a gloomy look on your face when you wake up.”
“That’s because you make me sign documents day in and day out. I don’t have to worry about that while I’m at this villa.”
“Are you sure that’s all?”
“Totally.”
“…Seems suspect.” Rin stroked Alice’s golden locks with her hand.
Each strand glittered like spun gold in the sunlight, velvety to the touch, like silk.
“Lady Alice, your hair has a healthy sheen to it this morning.”
“Yeah?”
“And it was easier to apply your makeup, because your skin is glowing… It’s like you’re full of life today.”
Alice’s cheeks were flushed pink.
And that humming. It was natural for Rin to wonder what was going on.
“What happened? I heard you spent the night in Lady Elletear’s room. Did something good go down in there?”
“…Something good, huh? Yes, it was good for the three sisters to sleep together.” Alice’s voice was peppy. “And it was fraught with competition.”
“Pardon me?”
“It was so difficult to keep my voice down so I wouldn’t wake my sisters, but it was a fantastic struggle.”
“…Um… What?”
“What would I expect from a former Saint Disciple? He resisted me like an iron wall of defense. If I just had a little bit longer, I would have been able to uncover his secret… Oh, we did nothing shameful. He saw my undergarments first, so it was a respectable battle to exact my revenge.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about!”
Of course, Alice couldn’t divulge everything. If she told Rin that she’d been trying to tear off Iska’s clothes all night, Rin would look at her differently.
…It’s all right if no one understands.
…Because it’s a battle between me and Iska. As long as it pleases my heart, that’s all that I can ask for.
In the end, Alice had grown tired and fallen asleep.
By the time she’d gotten up, Iska hadn’t been in bed anymore. Even still, her heart swelled with happiness. She could hardly believe “grappling” with him after their long time apart could have been such an adrenaline rush for her.
“Lady Alice, I’m done with your hair.”
“Thank you. I wonder what I should do today. The weather is nice, so maybe I should spend time outside?”
She went to the veranda to look down at the rear garden. She had flashbacks to her fierce battle against Iska from the night before.
“Isk—wait, no, no.” She wanted to call out to him, but she managed to stop herself.
After all, they were pretending not to know each other. Plus, Rin was behind her. There was no mistaking that Alice calling out to him would put Rin in a sour mood.
“Humph. The Imperial swordsman.”
As Alice had expected, Rin’s mood had soured immediately when she caught sight of Iska in the rear garden.
The three others from the Imperial unit were there, each holding golf clubs, ready to use the driving range.
“Those people… Don’t they know they’re on Lou property? They might be guests, but do they really think we should wait on Imperial forces hand and foot? And who led them to the rear garden?”
Alice was very familiar with Iska and Commander Mismis.
The other two had to be Jhin and Nene. She had only exchanged greetings with the pair and didn’t know anything about their personalities.
…It’s probably better if I don’t know.
…It’d be bad if we got along and it caused me to hesitate on the battlefield.
The four Imperial subjects started to play golf as Alice watched them from the balcony. All they were doing was aiming at the net, hitting the balls with their clubs. It was as if they were at a batting cage. This repetition was so dull, Alice had immediately gotten bored of it as a child.
“…They seem to be having fun, Lady Alice.”
“…They do seem to be enjoying themselves.”
All four of them had to be amateurs. They kept missing the ball, clubs swinging through air. Whenever they managed to land a hit, the ball would kind of just roll along the ground rather than soar through the sky. Despite that, they seemed to be having a good time.
“It’s unexpected,” Rin said to herself. “That Imperial swordsman has no problems swinging his sword, but he can’t manage to properly swing a golf club?”
That was right. Iska was the worst out of the four of them. He had physical potential, but his posture was too stiff.
…I’m getting annoyed just watching him.
…Ugh! If only I were there! I could teach him the basics!
Observing from the balcony was making her feel antsy.
Then, Sisbell, who Alice had last seen sleeping in their sister’s room, stepped foot on the practice range. What was the youngest sibling planning on doing? Alice tilted her head, curious…
“Hee-hee, it seems you’re all enjoying yourselves.”
A gentle smile graced her lips as she casually let herself into their group.
“Oh, Iska, the ball won’t go anywhere if you hit it like that.”
“Huh? It won’t?”
“I shall teach you the fundamentals. We need to change the way you hold the club. Oh dear, you’re tensing up your shoulders too much. You need to be more relaxed… Yes…”
Sisbell slipped in next to Iska, wrapping her arms around him as though hugging him from behind. They both held the golf club.
“Th-that little—?!” Alice screeched.
“It seems Lady Sisbell called them to the golf range… I wonder why she’d go out of her way to entertain Imperial soldiers.”
Rin seemed genuinely puzzled, but Alice could figure it out.
This exact moment was what Sisbell was after. Sisbell held Iska’s club with him. To Alice’s eyes, it looked almost exactly like a bride and groom slicing through a wedding cake together.
…She’s trying to lay her hands on my rival again!
…Not just Iska. She’s trying to walk off with all four members to herself!
Alice was sure Iska wouldn’t yield, and she doubted the three others would betray the Empire, either…but it was hard to reason away an emotional response. When she saw her little sister trying to press up against Iska, Alice just could not keep her mind composed.
“…I’ll lecture some sense into that girl later.”
“Lady Alice, you look ridiculous. Please take care not to say your good-byes with that face.”
“…Say good-bye?”
Come again? Alice froze in place as Rin scowled at her.
“But it’s too early to let the Imperial troops leave.”
“Not them. Lady Alice, remember your own duties. Didn’t you strike a deal last night?” Rin softly whispered into her ear, “Lady Elletear is heading home. The queen is waiting at the palace.”
2
The Lou Erz mansion. Third floor.
“Lady Sisbell, I’ve brought you a new towel.”
“…Thank you. Please leave it there. I need to change.”
The servant exited the room. As the door shut behind her, Sisbell quenched her thirst with cold water, drying the sweat dripping down her neck with a towel. She took off her shirt, undressing down to her underwear.
“…Did I really just do that?”
Her face was reflected in the full-length mirror, slightly red from the game of golf. It was supposed to have been a bit of passing whimsy.
…It’s just a way to pass the time while we’re trapped in the villa.
…Otherwise, my heart might break from worrying too much about my missing attendant.
She had taught the Imperial soldiers the basics of the game since they hadn’t played before, and that had been…fun. At first, she had planned to only observe, but she had ended up teaching them, which had turned into a demonstration, which had led to her mingling with the four Imperial soldiers and enjoying herself.
…This is bad. They’re enemy troops.
…They’re becoming more than just my guards.
She’d sweated so much, she needed a change of clothes. She’d been lost in the game.
The wind stirred. The summer breeze blowing in from the window felt nice on her sticky skin. She forgot about changing and let herself be tickled by the wind.
“Sisbell, it isn’t even noon yet. Have you already tired yourself out?”
Instantly, the pleasant warmth of her skin dropped a million degrees. Sisbell felt as if she’d plunged into an icy ocean.
“Is that you, Sister?!”
“I did knock, but you didn’t answer, so I let myself in.”
The voice came from behind her.
Sisbell didn’t even have time to turn around before Elletear squeezed her from behind. She couldn’t move. Her older sister had caught her with the force of a predator clamping down on its prey.
“Wha…? What do you need…?” Sisbell managed to rasp out.
Something is different about her.
It feels almost as though my sister is a different person from last night.
Sisbell could tell because she was her younger sister. There was a mechanical tone to her sister’s soft words. Her voice seemed disinterested, as though Elletear were addressing a roadside pebble.
“I’m in the middle of changing… And I thought you were returning to the palace…”
“I came to say good-bye,” Elletear murmured. “I had a blast, Sisbell. You never hang out with me. You lock yourself up in your room and even have your food brought to you. You’re always just with your attendant, right?”
“I-I…”
“Oh, yes, yes. About your attendant…” The eldest sister chuckled under her breath.
Her chest pushed onto her younger sister’s back as though riding on top of Sisbell.
“I imagine Shuvalts was kidnapped. You’ve been through so much.”
“? Uh?!”
Her attendant had been kidnapped? How could Elletear say that with such certainty ?
Shuvalts’s whereabouts were unknown. His correspondence had been cut off since he’d entered the central state…but they had not determined he had been kidnapped just yet.
…I can’t claim he wasn’t in a traffic accident or hospitalized for an illness.
…Even I haven’t been able to uncover why Shuvalts has disappeared!
Only the person who had attacked him could know the truth.
In other words…
“…Uh…ah…”
Her vocal cords weren’t cooperating. The culprit was right here.
“Well, Sisbell. It seems that you’re giving your best to find new recruits.”
“Lord Mask?! Wh-why are you here…?”
The informant who had tipped Lord Mask off about her mission in Alsamira.
The one responsible for kidnapping her attendant, Shuvalts.
…The traitor to the Lou family.
…So it was you, my sister!
Sisbell was too frightened to articulate it. Her teeth chattered, and her lips dried up from nerves.
“Oh my… What’s gotten into you? You’re shivering. Did the wind get you? You’re practically naked. Your frail body can’t take it.”
Elletear’s hands tensed to squeeze Sisbell with an even tighter grip.
“If you have anything that ails you, your older sister will hear you out.”
“S-Sister…”
“You’re going to be all right.”
The force against her back abruptly ceased.
“As long as you obediently stay in the mansion, your attendant will come back to you… That’s what my instinct tells me.”
“? Gh!”
Sisbell turned around as if she had been spring-loaded.
But her older sister Elletear had long since left the room.
The Lou Erz mansion. Eastern wing.
“All right. Only eighteen more to go, seventeen, sixteen… Commander, you’re more sluggish than usual.”
“B-because…we were just golfing! I can barely move!”
They were in the hallway inside Iska’s guest suite.
Commander Mismis was repping squats, carrying Nene on her shoulders. Jhin and Iska had finished their drills already, taking a break on the sidelines.
“Golf? All you were doing was swinging your club at nothing, boss.”
“Like. I. Said. That’s not because I have bad hand-eye coordination. I’m telling you, the ball kept running away from my club!”
“There’s no scientific proof of such a phenomenon.”
“But there is! I swear! …Ugh. Raising my voice is just making this worse…!” The petite commander staggered, pouring sweat. “N-Nene…how many more?”
“Twenty-five left.”
“I thought it was less! You tacked on more, didn’t you?!”
Her death throes echoed through the space.
In the living room, Iska realized Jhin was doing nothing for once, sitting on a chair by the table.
“Jhin, aren’t you going to inspect your guns—? Oh. Right.”
“They were confiscated. Like your astral swords.” Jhin leaned into the chair.
That was why it felt as if something was missing. Jhin always looked after his guns as part of his daily routine. In the Imperial capital, the independent state of Alsamira, and the Sovereignty, he had done so each day without fail.
…Because being a sniper demands the most attention to detail.
…Jhin must feel restless, not being able to touch his guns for so long.
Of course, Iska was in the same boat. He could almost feel the astral swords in his hands, and visualizations were part of his everyday practice. He was worried about how his seized weapons were being stored.
“Iska.”
“Hmm?”
“That phony woman confiscated our weapons and communicators, but they say she headed home in the morning.”
Iska knew whom Jhin was talking about even when she went unnamed.
The eldest princess, Elletear. She had claimed to have connections with the Empire as a double agent, but they had no way of confirming such claims.
“What about our equipment? If she walked off with them, there’s nothing we can do.”
“…I really don’t think she would have.”
Maybe they could ask the servants? Well, it was hard to think they would give them a straight answer…at least not without orders from the other princesses.
…I can’t ask Alice. We still have to keep our relationship from the others.
…And if I ask Sisbell, then I’ll end up owing her a weird favor later…
They heard a hesitant knock come from outside the room. Nene and Commander Mismis stopped their training in front of the door and opened it.
Even Iska could hear the two of them gulping.
“Sisbell?”
The strawberry blonde walked down the hall toward them.
What did this mean?
She’d been so cheery during their game of golf earlier. Now she was deathly pale, as though the light had slipped from her eyes.
“? ”
The youngest princess collapsed in front of them, crumpling to her knees on the carpet. Right before she could crash onto the floor, Iska caught her.
“What’s wrong?” Jhin asked.
“Ms. Sisbell? Are you okay?!” Mismis screamed.
This was not normal.
Jhin stood up from his seat. Commander Mismis rushed after the girl. She was surrounded by the four Imperial soldiers.
“…Iska…” Sisbell looked up at him.
Iska involuntarily held his breath. He saw Princess Sisbell was biting her lip, desperately holding back tears.
“I just…realized…”
Realized what?
Before he could ask, Sisbell squeezed his arm tight. She clung to him with all her might.
“My sister Elletear is the traitor… I’m sure she’s behind the scenes, trying to betray the queen!”
3
The royal palace.
The Moon Spire stretched up into the blue skies.
It served as the official residence of the Zoa, who were descendants of the Founder, and all those who served within the tower worshipped the ideologies of the family.
A secret underground room—Moon Shadow—was surrounded by four-layered walls; it was an extension that had been constructed by the current head of household after the main tower had been built.
It was a room unknown to the Lou and Hydra. Even Sisbell’s Illumination power could not eavesdrop on their conversations in this room as long as she was not privy to its location.
“Elletear of the Lou has just returned to the royal palace from the family villa.”
Six members of the Zoa were lined up in the room. All of them were part of the Founder’s bloodline—purebreds who possessed potent astral energy.
“We just received the news. It seems she’s refused an audience with the queen, citing her ailing health.”
The speaker was a man in a formal suit, face concealed behind a mask.
Lord Mask On was something like a staff officer within the Zoa.
“I don’t imagine she’ll come out of her room today or tomorrow. It does make me wonder what she must be biding her time for.”
“…That girl.” A hoarse voice quietly snarled in the secret room.
This was the Zoa head of household, Growley, known as the Sin. His frail seventy-year-old body was propped up by a wheelchair. Though he sported deep wrinkles from old age, everyone knew he was the most fearful astral mage among the Zoa.
“I remember…the birth…of the eldest princess…twenty years ago… When I saw her astral power…I was certain of our victory…in the next conclave.”
Her skill was useless. Elletear’s Voice could memorize and mimic voices she’d heard.
“But it can only parrot things. I was convinced she could not become queen with that…”
That had been their folly.
Elletear had shown the Zoa that she could manipulate her powers in unthinkable ways. Like in the plot to assassinate the queen.
“Good-bye, Lou bloodline.”
Eyewitnesses, including the queen’s direct reports, had all claimed they heard Lord Mask right before the explosion in the Queen’s Space. That had become the circumstantial evidence needed to put the Zoa under suspension.
They were suspects until the true perpetrator was caught.
“On… She got you…,” rasped Growley.
“Indeed. I hadn’t been able to wrap my mind around it.” Lord Mask shrugged. “The voice in the Queen’s Space was fabricated by the princess’s astral power. She was trying to pin the blame on me.”
Elletear had been nearly engulfed in flames during the explosion. There was no way that she was behind it. She must have, however, predicted the reigning queen would be able to block the detonation.
“That’s where the Hydra got involved. They were behind the explosion, and Elletear fabricated my voice in time with its blast. That is the truth…which I reached the other day.”
“On… Did you tell the queen?”
“No need. The youngest princess will return in due time. She will reproduce the scheme and reveal the true culprit in front of everyone.”
The sky was going to fall—the Sun and the Stars, the Hydra and Lou, and all. It was time for the Moon—the Zoa—to shine down on the world.
“There is one issue that concerns me.” Lord Mask looked at the ceiling, arms crossed. “That girl is smart. Elletear knows it’s only a matter of time before her sister’s astral power will reveal her collusion with the Hydra. Why would she go to the lengths to do this…?”
“You think there is an ulterior motive?”
“That is how I read the situation.” Lord Mask nodded at Growley. “She may have something else up her sleeve. Kissing, that’s where you come in.” He beckoned to the girl next to him.
Kissing Zoa Nebulis, purebred Witch of Thorns.
Both eyes were concealed, just like when Iska had met the black-haired girl in the past. It was said that one day she would exceed Aliceliese if she kept up with her special training.
“We need to remain on our guard. Should something happen, it will likely take place in the next few days.”
The toll of the eleven o’clock bell pealed through the night.
All the servants of the Lou Erz mansion wrapped up their professional duties, relaxing in that hour.
“She’s nothing but guilty. She basically confessed to it.”
Inside Sisbell’s room, Unit 907 had finished watching the conversation via Illumination.
Jhin continued. “Your sister must have planned the kidnapping of your old man Shuvalts. Otherwise, she never would have asked if he was kidnapped.”
“Jhin?!” Mismis yelped.
“She asked for our honest opinions. I was just answering her question.”
“I-I know, but the way you said it…,” Mismis interjected when Jhin didn’t mince his words.
Sisbell was silent on the sofa, chewing on her lip to endure her discomfort as her hand formed a fist over her thighs.
It was too painful for Iska to watch.
“Hey, Jhin,” he ventured.
“Mm?”
“…Why do you think she revealed that to us?”
“Who knows? My only guess is to serve as a diversion. That last bit about obediently remaining in the mansion was basically a threat to stay put or else.”
“So that includes all of us?”
“Probably. It’s just…”
The silver-haired sniper leaned against the wall…with his favorite sniper rifle slung across his shoulder.
“She doesn’t care what happens inside the mansion. It’s not like she forbade us from recovering the confiscated weapons.”
Mismis and Nene were armed, too.
Iska was in possession of his black and white astral swords, which were laid out on the table. Sisbell had found all the weapons in the residence’s storage room.
That had been a silent act of resistance against her oldest sister. This was the one thing she could do.
“So what do you want to do, little miss employer? Even if you’ve handed us our weapons, you can’t order us to go to the palace to exact revenge on your sister,” Jhin muttered.
“…I don’t intend to do that.”
Her voice was firm. Iska almost doubted his ears.
“My sister has returned to the palace. The queen will interrogate her regardless and ask why she’s keeping me locked up in this villa.”
“And?”
“The rest will be settled with time. I will return to the palace in eight days to expose everyone behind the plot to assassinate the queen. That will be the end of it.”
“You think you’ll make it in time?”
“…Huh?”
“If I were in your position, I’d use the opportunity to bare your fangs, so to speak.”
That rattled Sisbell. “What do you even mean?!”
“Head straight to the palace right now. Then expose the culprit using your astral power. You haven’t got the luxury of waiting here for eight days.”
“Huh?! I-if I were to do that, then Shuvalts’s life would be…”
“He might be in danger, but I’ve got one thing to say. There’s greater odds of something unimaginable happening if you sit tight in this villa.”
“…Is it because of the ten-day promise? You think my oldest sister will act in that time frame?”
“That’s exactly it,” spat the silver-haired sniper. “If you’re not going to do anything, at least be prepared to return to the palace at any moment.”
“You’re so nice.”
“Mm?”
“You don’t need to give me advice. It doesn’t fall under the purview of the mission. Are you advising me because you’re worried for my welfare?”
“…” Jhin didn’t respond.
Sisbell burst into laughter. “I’m greatly obliged to you. I won’t forget this.”
All of them were sick with nerves.
Time continued in silence. As the Imperial soldiers guarded Sisbell, they found nothing was amiss that day in the family villa.
4
It was eleven o’clock at night, a whole day after Elletear had left the vacation home.
“…Seems strange.”
At the table in her room, Alice pouted, propping her head up in her hand.
“For two days, Iska and Sisbell have both been avoiding me like the plague. There’s something going on. What do you think?”
“That’s how they should be acting.”
Across from her was Rin, lining up her assassination tools, totally engrossed in the process of examining them. Two throwing knives, needles, and steel wires. Plus, poison and sedatives. Alice was always impressed Rin carried these things in secret around the clock.
“Lady Sisbell has always been shy, and the Imperial swordsman must be keeping his mouth shut so that no one knows your relationship with him, Lady Alice.”
“That’s not it. It’s like…I’m not sure how to put it. It’s like they’re trying to keep a secret from me?”
She had felt that way passing by them in the hall.
Something about Sisbell looked different. It might have changed after their older sister had left for the palace? Sisbell’s expression seemed unusually stout, as if she was preparing for something.
…I’d like to ask Iska about it.
…But I can’t just do anything in this mansion.
He was here with her under the same roof. This kind of situation wasn’t anything new, but it was so exhausting to pretend they didn’t know each other in front of the servants.
It made her feel icky.
Even if she managed to talk to him in secret, she was worried that her younger sister was listening in on the conversation through her astral powers.
…Ugh. Even for my little sister, that’s an absurd skill to have.
…I hate that I can’t have a moment of privacy.
However, that was exactly why her sister’s astral powers were necessary. When it came to the attempt on the queen’s life, Sisbell would always be able to get to the truth.
Speaking of suspects…
“Rin, how is my sister Elletear?”
“She only just returned to the palace yesterday but immediately felt ill, so she retired to her room last night.” She tucked the blades under her skirt and hid the wire in her sleeve.
To Alice’s eyes, it looked almost like magic, like the deadly tools were vanishing into thin air. Her guard was blessed with many gifts.
“Her Majesty gave Lady Elletear permission to rest for one night. That was yesterday, so I believe she will have an audience in the Queen’s Space tonight.”
“…I wonder if it’s happening right around now.”
The queen would ask why Elletear had taken Sisbell to the villa.
In a sense, this would be an inquisition.
“I wouldn’t be happy about it if I were in her shoes.”
“Yes, I’m sure the queen is in the same boat. When push comes to shove, it might necessitate that she imprison her own daughter. I’m sure she is prepared to do whatever is needed.”
“…” That left Alice with a bitter taste in her mouth.
A battle between blood, schemes behind closed doors. They’d all learned to notice clues and conceal their true intentions. But she would never get used to this caged feeling.
The conclave had already begun.
“Rin, let’s go to the bath. I’d like to take my time and—”
The communicator started to go off under her gaze.
It had to be an emergency.
Shadows became deeper, thicker, stronger under the night sky.
It was chilly. The atmosphere was getting sapped of afternoon warmth as the sun sank below the horizon.
“Elletear, have you ever been afraid of the night?”
“Never. And you, Mother?”
“Sometimes. At this age, I’ve begun to find the nighttime chill haunting.”
There was no air conditioner in the Queen’s Space. Though she questioned the century-long tradition, Queen Mirabella felt she had finally understood the reason for it.
She could feel her body’s natural decline through these sensations.
This was the way the Queen’s Space informed her that it was time for her replacement.
“Aging is hard. I thought I looked young for my age, and I’ve been secretly trying to work out to keep in shape.”
“Mother.” The emerald-haired princess’s tone suddenly softened. “Please don’t say something so sad. I need you to continue fulfilling your duties for some time to come.”
“No, Elletear, I’m not upset about my physical decline.”
“Pray tell?”
“It’s because my daughters are feuding with each other. That’s what brings me sorrow.”
The air seemed to freeze over…from a chilly sigh far colder than the night.
“Elletear, why did you take Sisbell to the villa?”
“…”
“I’m currently in pursuit of two criminals. One behind the coup eight days ago. The other one responsible for telling the Zoa about Sisbell’s location. In both of those cases, I will be able to find the culprits once she is back.”
Elletear had obstructed that from happening.
That meant she would be in some kind of trouble if the youngest daughter returned.
“I’ve determined that the culprit behind the blast was either the Zoa or the Hydra. The issue is nailing down which one. The explosion occurred just as I approached that door. In other words, it’s likely that someone within the Queen’s Space gave the instruction for it.”
But what had triggered that explosion?
It had been a certain voice.
“Good-bye, Lou bloodline.”
That hadn’t been a proclamation that they were starting a coup d’état.
It had been a cue informing someone outside the door that Queen Nebulis IIX had approached.
“Elletear, that’s all possible with your astral power.”
“…”
“You could fabricate Lord Mask’s voice. I put much thought into this. You could have signaled the detonation and charged the Zoa with the blame.”
“Please wait a moment, Mother!” yelled the eldest princess. It was as if the floodgates had opened. “I would never plot something so awful. I would have died in the blast without you!”
“…”
“Isn’t that right? Had the explosion been successful, I would have been sacrificed as part of the greater scheme. And now you suspect me! I lose in both cases!”
“…You’re right about that.” The queen sighed. “I am sorry, Elletear. I want to believe you’re innocent here, but I cannot eliminate you from the suspect list at present.”
“I would understand if you would like to put me under confinement. Until my sisters come back, I will not take a single step out of my room.”
“About Sisbell…”
“Mother, you can tell her she may return to the palace now.” The eldest daughter grinned.
As if to twirl around in a circle, she checked the hour on the clock tower behind her.
“Just on time.”
“Huh?”
The queen had no time to process her daughter’s cryptic words.
The witches’ paradise started to shake violently.
A thunderous impact blasted through the night.
“What?!” Queen Mirabella lost her footing as the ground jerked out from under her. It was as though the Nebulis palace were being flipped from its foundations.
“What…? Impossible…”
Was it an earthquake? It couldn’t be.
As an astral mage who’d had her fair share of fights, Mirabella Lou Nebulis IIX recalled that this…was an Imperial bombardment.
This was the central state of the Nebulis Sovereignty.
A sacred area that no Imperial forces had ever invaded before.
“No…! It couldn’t be!”
She sprinted up the steps of the Queen’s Space to the second floor.
From the recently repaired window, she glanced down at the scene—and saw pure crimson. The queen was at a loss for words.
The palace was up in flames.
Embers flickered in the sky as the courtyard was encased in fire.
There was nothing amiss in the streets that stretched from the palace.
Only the Planetary Stronghold had been set ablaze through the Imperial forces’ concentrated attack.
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