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The royal palace of Nebulis.
The Planetary Stronghold. A castle hosting a concentrated number of Sovereign leaders.
It was allegedly constructed by ancient astral arts of crystallized astral powers. Regular fire would not do any harm to the halls. Even damage dealt by a cannonball would be restored overnight.
Toppling it was an impossible feat. For a century, the palace had represented something indestructible. And now, the hundred years of truth had crumbled.
“It was bound to happen…”
The Queen’s Space was the sacred room constructed of stately stone pillars and colorful stained glass, blanketed in carpets the color of wine.
A once sacred space, Alice corrected mentally, sighing.
The sun cast light on the changed scene before them. The carpet had been ripped to shreds. The stained glass panels on the second floor were shattered, unrecognizable. Even the stone pillars had snapped. This was the aftermath of the battle between the queen and the Saint Disciple of the first seat, Joheim.
The outcome of their fight, still fresh on their minds.
“……” Alice avoided looking at the dark bloodstain on the floor—blood shed by the queen and her older sister, Elletear.
This was the nature of war. No battle ended with no blood shed. Aliceliese might have known that in her heart, but she wasn’t too keen on looking at it directly.
“Princess Alice! We have finished extinguishing the fires on the grounds!” One of the royal guards ran into the Queen’s Space, out of breath. “There is still smoke, but there is no threat of the fire spreading. At present, we are continuing our recovery efforts and searching for enemies on the grounds.”
“Thank you. We would be in danger if there were still Saint Disciples in our midst. Please have the Planetary Domiciles accompany the search teams.”
“Understood!” The guard bowed before scurrying off, other soldiers in tow. Alice and Rin watched over them.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, Rin,” Alice requested.
“I think it’s very likely that the Imperial forces have retreated.” Rin stared out into the grounds through the broken windows on the second floor. Her cheeks were still sooty. “Several members of the royal family went missing overnight. Unfortunately, we must assume they have fallen into the hands of the Imperial forces.”
“…The Empire would consider those spoils of battle.”
“If they captured purebreds, they would no longer have a reason to stay in enemy territory. But I’m sure they’re after something else. An ulterior motive.”
“…Yes.” She gritted her teeth.
It had all happened in the span of a single night. In just a few hours, the Nebulis Sovereignty had suffered the worst loss in its entire history. At present, Alice was aware of at least four members of the royal family who had been victims of the attack.
One person was out of commission:
—Queen Mirabella Lou Nebulis IIX: In surgery to stitch up her left arm.
Three were missing:
—House of Lou, Eldest Princess Elletear: Captured by Imperial army.
—House of Lou, Youngest Princess Sisbell: Captured by Imperial army at the villa.
—Head of the Zoa, Growley—MIA. Witnesses wanted.
These weren’t small casualties.
It was grave enough to bring the decline of the country upon them. Now that the Empire had caught purebreds, there was no telling what their next move might be.
…But there’s something happening under the surface.
…And Rin and I are the only ones in the castle who know this.
There was someone behind the plot—traitors who were just as despicable to Alice as the Empire. They were the real villains. They had both betrayed the queen and abducted her little sister, Sisbell.
“This Imperial raid was not just orchestrated by the Empire.”
“The masterminds behind the coup are the Hydra. The head of household attacked and demolished the estate with mages disguised as Imperial soldiers.”
No one would doubt the story that the Imperial forces had taken her sister.
…I mean, I was tricked into thinking that, too.
…Had Iska not told me, I would have directed all my rage at the Empire.
The night before, she had initiated another death match with the Imperial swordsman Iska. The battle had been ruthless, and she hadn’t held back. Though it couldn’t even compare to her ideal crusade, she hadn’t been able to stop herself.
“Let’s stop.”
“I don’t want to fight you when you’ve forgotten who you are, Alice. This isn’t the time for us to engage in battle.”
“……”
“Lady Alice? Lady Alice, are you well?” asked one of the royal guards, which brought her back to her senses.
“Oh yes.”
She had only meant to linger on the memory for a moment, but it seemed more time had elapsed than she’d anticipated.
“My apologies, but you seem exhausted…,” the guard continued.
“No, I’m fine. I was just lost in thought.” She manufactured a smile.
In actuality, she was tired. It was rare even on the battlefield to be actively ready for an entire evening. After giving orders in the queen’s place, Alice’s energy reserves were totally depleted.
“…Right. Would you be kind enough to fetch me a glass of water? My throat is parched from all this talking.”
“At once.”
“And some sugar and caffeine tablets,” Alice added.
The sugar and stimulant would wake her up and ward off her fatigue. There was no time to rest.
…First, I need to secure the inner palace. Then I need to prepare an announcement to give to the people.
…And I need to come up with a plan to save Sisbell in secret.
She gritted her teeth. With the queen out of commission due to an injury, Alice was the only one who could do anything from the House of Lou.
“Is Alice here?”
Clack… A hard heel echoed through the Queen’s Space, marking the entrance of a man in black. A member of the royal family, he hid his face with a metal mask. A counsel to another royal bloodline, the Zoa.
“Lord Mask? What happened to you…?” Alice started to say.
His clothes were in tatters. Alice doubted her eyes when she saw bloodstains. Had he been battling with Imperial forces? The lacerations all over his body, however, had not come from bullets. It looked as though he had been sliced up by a sharp sword, but if that had been the case, the wounds would have been much deeper.
What in the world had harmed him then?
“Oh, I was just dancing. My partner was a mischievous lady.”
“…Was she a Saint Disciple?”
“Who can say? We didn’t have the manners to exchange names. I did make some advances, but she politely turned me down. She must have left the castle already,” Lord Mask replied, looking quite serious. “I have an urgent message for you, the acting queen. We’ve finished our search within the Moon Spire. No Imperial forces remain. We’re about to check the hidden cameras.”
“I’m relieved to see you’re safe.”
Alice wasn’t just saying that. She meant it. They might have been feuding behind the scenes, but they still were blood relatives. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt.
“Safe? I think you’ve misunderstood the situation,” Lord Mask replied, trampling all over her hopes. His voice was at such a volume that Alice and Rin turned toward him in surprise. Even the royal guards turned their attention to him.
“Our palace has been invaded by Imperial forces. Our gardens charred, the blood of our brethren spilled, several people from our family missing—including the head of my household, Growley.” Lord Mask spread his arms, like he was appealing to the royal guards. “And most importantly, our people are stewing in hate and growing restless. And you think we’re safe?”
“……”
“The Zoa have counseled the Lou—more times than I can count. We pleaded with you to let us attack the Empire. Our demands were denied, and as a result, the Imperial forces drew first blood,” Lord Mask said. “So the blame falls on our queen.”
She didn’t even need to ask him what his goal was. That much was obvious—the succession of the queen.
“Then again…” A sigh escaped from the gaps between the mask and his face. “Now isn’t time for this conversation. As one of the Zoa, it’s my top priority to find the head of the house. After all, something isn’t adding up.”
“…I know he has had a long history serving in the military as an astral mage.”
Growley—the possessor of second-generation Vice. There wasn’t a single person in this place who didn’t know about his impressive record.
…I doubt he was captured by the Imperial soldiers.
…Even I have a hard time imagining a Saint Disciple apprehending him.
This explained why the Zoa were concerned. They couldn’t go against the queen or Alice now. Without their leader, it would be unwise to make an enemy out of the Lou.
“By the way—” Lord Mask started to say, but then he stopped immediately and tilted his head.
Another person had appeared in the Queen’s Space.
A gallant man decked in a white suit had made himself known, walking toward them with relaxed strides.
“Lady Alice,” Rin whispered.
“I know, Rin. I should be patient, right?” Alice clenched her hand into a fist and held back her anger. The one to appear in front of her was a member of the Hydra.
“I’m so glad to see you safe, my dear,” said Talisman, the head of household, voice clear. “And I’m indebted to the efforts of the royal guards.”
His chiseled face was dastardly and suave. He didn’t forget to extend his thanks to both Alice and the royal guards.
…Arrogance, personified.
…How dare he? After all he did—abducting my sister and ushering the Imperial forces into our country.
She felt something other than anger—something like awe.
It was perfect. The mastermind behind the plot to overthrow the country had disguised his fangs, devoting himself to playing the role of head of household. How much experience did he need to have to accomplish such a feat?
“Alice, my dear.” Talisman was staring straight at her. “I offer you my condolences, seeing that Elletear and Sisbell have gone missing.”
“Ngh.”
“They’re precious members of our family,” Talisman continued. “I will lend you my powers to find them.”
“…I appreciate that.”
How could he say such a thing after all that he’d done? Had Rin not been there beside her to comfort her, Alice would have flown into a rage.
—Hold back for the time being.
There was no official proof of Talisman’s plan. If she tried to expose his wrongdoings right now, her subordinates would have a hard time believing her. Alice bit her lip and tried to bear it.
“I am so pleased to hear you’re safe, Lord Talisman. Also, there was something I wanted to ask you,” Lord Mask cut in. For once, his words were a saving grace. “I still don’t have the whole story. It seems that the Solar Spire alone had escaped from the Imperial attack. Or so I’ve heard.”
“Yes. They concentrated their attacks on the Queen’s Palace. Had I realized their goal earlier, I would have been able to spare more of my own personnel. Pity.”
“……”
There was a moment of silence. Lord Mask and Talisman. The two men—both rather tall—were facing each other, tension in the air between them.
“And one other thing. Our head of household, Growley, has been missing since dawn,” Lord Mask continued. “Do you have any clue as to what has happened to him?”
“No, but I could send out a search party,” Talisman replied. “If I learn of anything, I will notify you immediately.”
“Thank you. In that case, I will be taking my leave.”
Lord Mask was the first to retreat.
Though the conversation had been a short one, it gave Alice some clues she could work with.
…Does he know?
…The Zoa must suspect the Hydra were involved in the Imperial forces’ attack, too.
But they had no proof, so they couldn’t do anything about it.
They were in the same position as Alice. The only difference was that Alice was certain of the culprit while the Zoa were still piecing it together.
“Well, Alice. We’ll overcome these unprecedented times together,” Talisman offered.
“…Yes,” Alice replied.
Talisman left the Queen’s Space. Alice was annoyed by his confident stride.
“Princess Alice, the queen has woken up!” called out one of the medical unit nurses clothed in white, running in their direction. “We’ve finished operating on her arm. She is still under anesthetic, but I don’t believe that’ll get in the way of a short conversation between the two of you.”
“Thank you. I will head over right away.” Alice exchanged a look with Rin and nodded. “Rin…”
“I’ll do things according to plan.” Rin bowed and passed by Alice’s side.
She was going to the villa. Iska had claimed that assassins had destroyed the structure, and she wanted to go see it with her own eyes.
…I’m counting on you, Rin.
…Make sure neither the Hydra nor the Zoa suspect where you’re going.
“Lady Alice, to the queen’s room,” the nurse urged.
“Yes,” Alice answered. “Take me there immediately.”
Nebulis Sovereignty. Star Spire.
The private quarters of the head of household for the Lou: the Stardust Skyscraper. This space had been passed along from the first-generation leaders of the Nebulis Sovereignty down to the Lou.
In the living room, Queen Mirabella Lou Nebulis IIX sat staring out the window. She looked even better than Alice had expected. The overnight surgery was a success. Her left arm was wrapped in bandages.
“Mother…”
“Pathetic. I’m not even in the mood to make excuses.” The queen’s voice almost came out like a sigh. “I thought I vowed to fulfill my duties as queen… When did I become so weak?”
She covered her left arm with her right. The queen turned to her daughter with slightly red eyes.
…Were you crying, Mother?
…Or is that because you were under anesthetic for so long?
Alice assumed the queen had heard about the events of the night before: that her eldest daughter had been hauled off by a Saint Disciple, that her youngest daughter had been attacked when the Imperial forces had invaded the family villa.
“Doctors, could I have a moment alone with my mother?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” They filed out of the room.
After listening to their footsteps disappear down the hall, Alice locked the door.
“Mother, there is something important I must tell you.”
“…I’m prepared for anything. Especially given the circumstances, I know it can’t be good. I’m even prepared for my own daughter to reprimand me for my conduct.”
“It isn’t good news.” Alice looked straight at her mother, who let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “But it could possibly turn this whole situation on its head.”
“What?”
“I will recover Sisbell. Not from the Imperial forces, but from the Hydra.”
“…Alice? What did you just say?” Life seemed to return to the queen’s voice. Her once emotionless eyes gleamed and steadily regained focus as she scanned her daughter’s face.
“The Hydra brought the Imperial forces upon us, Mother.”
“……”
“Their troops attacked our villa costumed as Imperial forces. Five servants witnessed it, and they are safe.”
“…Alice, can I really trust this information?”
“I swear it on my right to succeed the throne. You will know for yourself once you see the five of them,” Alice told the queen, who pondered what her daughter had said.
Alice kept going, her voice firm. “And we have circumstantial evidence. We can’t assume that the Solar Spire just so happened to escape the Imperial raid last night. And you must know, Mother, that the attack also released the witch—Vichyssoise—from her cell.”
“ ”
“The Hydra must have known about the invasion. Planned it years in advance, in fact.”
“…Both sides will resort to anything, it seems.” After a while, the queen let out a sigh. “I also suspected the Hydra were involved in the coup. I was too optimistic to believe the matter would be settled by Sisbell’s return, but I never would have suspected they would call in the Imperial forces to stop her…”
“Yes. All we have is circumstantial evidence, and that includes the eyewitness reports of our servants. We don’t have decisive evidence that can bring them down.”
“So that’s why they took Sisbell.” The queen nodded.
Sisbell’s Illumination could reproduce the past in three dimensions. If they could just recover the youngest princess, they would be able to show that the Hydra were colluding with the Imperial forces, which would redeem the Lou. The administration under the queen would regain its foothold.
“Thank you, Alice. I see the situation now, though I do not have all the details. And coming back to your initial point, we will retrieve Sisbell… Of course I would do anything I could for my daughter, even if it wasn’t in my best interest.”
“On that point, Mother, I seek your wisdom and insight.”
Alice looked out the window, staring at the Queen’s Palace—a domineering presence—and the Solar Spire, hazy behind it.
“Do you have any idea where Sisbell might be held?”
Everything was white.
The floor, the ceiling, the walls—all painted over in untarnished white. Even the bed on which she had been laid was the same color.
“…How long are the Hydra going to keep me cooped up in here?”
Her voice bounced off the walls.
In a doorless bedroom, Sisbell started yet another monologue in her glorified cell, which was only a few yards wide in all directions.
Sisbell Lou Nebulis IX. Her face was as cute as a heroine from a fairy tale. Her strawberry-blond hair, lustrous. Her large eyes were determined, princess-like.
“I won’t bow down. This is nothing…compared to the cold Imperial jails.”
She had a bed. A bed that was even outfitted with impeccably clean sheets. This was hospitable, unlike her time in the Empire.
…They’ll keep me locked away here.
…But they would never rough up a princess. Otherwise, they would have to answer for that.
So, that was the purpose of the room. But what did they plan on doing with her?
“I thought they were attempting to silence me, but if they’re keeping me hostage, that can’t be their plan…”
Were they planning to use her as a hostage against the Lou if push came to shove?
“O-oh, right!” Sisbell snapped her head up. Why hadn’t she thought of it until now? “I just need to use Illumination to see everything that happened up until I was brought to this room…!”
Who from the Hydra brought her here? She could work with that bit of information and figure out how to escape from this doorless room.
“O planet.” She planted her hand on her chest, placing it slightly above her small breasts. The astral crest started to emit a faint light.
“Please show me your pa—?!”
Sisbell’s breath caught, unable to continue.
A door had appeared right in front of her eyes—oblong and rising from the pristine walls that once held nothing.
No, wait. Correction: The door had always been there.
…Was I just too dense to notice it?
…Was this a trick to prevent me from noticing it or was it concealed with camouflage using an advanced astral power?
They must have done it while she’d been unconscious. She hated to admit she hadn’t noticed they had addled her mind using astral power.
“Don’t play games with me. Now that your power has worn off, I imagine you intend to show yourself. Come out!” She pointed at the door.
The door creaked open in front of her.
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