Part 6
A beautiful young woman with fiery-red hair inspects the librarian’s corpse.
The woman is Iris Midgar, one of the Midgar Kingdom’s princesses as well as Alexia’s older sister. Alexia sent Claire home and went to explain to the Knight Order what had transpired.
“Right before he died, the librarian told me what the Cult was planning. They were the ones behind the disappearances, and they’re trying to unseal the right arm of Diablos that’s here in the—”
“That’s enough,” Iris says, cutting Alexia off.
“Huh?”
“I’m through with listening to this nonsense.”
“N-nonsense?” Alexia repeats in bewilderment.
Iris gives her a stern look. “Listen to me, Alexia. The Cult of Diablos doesn’t exist.”
“Doesn’t exist? Iris, what are you talking about? You swore to me we would investigate the Cult together…”
“And through that investigation, we learned that the Cult of Diablos doesn’t exist.”
That statement doesn’t come from Iris, but rather from the tall man beside her. He has eyes like a snake’s and pallid skin, both of which are vaguely unsettling.
“And who are you?” Alexia asks.
“It’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Alexia. I’m Adder, vice-captain of the Crimson Order.”
“He’s Glen’s successor,” Iris adds. “His talents have been a huge asset to us.”
“You flatter me, Highness,” Adder says, smiling faintly at Iris’s compliment. “Now, you wanted to know about the Cult’s nonexistence? Well, we’ve gathered plenty of proof.”
“The entire thing is a Shadow Garden hoax.”
“I-I’m sorry, what?”
“The Shadow Garden has committed countless crimes,” Adder explains. “They kidnapped you, Princess Alexia, they attacked the school, they destroyed the Sanctuary, and they slaughtered scores of people over in the Oriana Kingdom. And we’ve heard talk that there are even more victims across the world.”
“But it was the Cult of Diablos that was behind all that!”
“The Shadow Garden made the Cult up. In order to cover up their own crimes, they invented a criminal enterprise that doesn’t actually exist.”
“You seriously think anyone’s going to believe that deranged nonsense?!”
“Here’s our proof.”
“Huh?”
Adder hands Alexia a hefty document. On the cover, it says “How the Shadow Garden Invented the Cult of Diablos.”
“A thirty-four-year-old man confessed that he pretended to be a Cult adherent on the Shadow Garden’s orders. They took his family hostage, so he had no choice but to obey them. A twenty-eight-year-old woman was kidnapped by the Shadow Garden and forced to forge documents about the Cult of Diablos. A fifty-seven-year-old man was—”
“This is all bullshit!!” Alexia throws the document on the ground. “These confessions aren’t worth the paper they’re written on! If anything’s been forged, it’s this!!”
“Don’t be uncouth, Princess Alexia. Are you accusing these fine people of falsifying their testimonies?”
“I’m not even convinced they exist!”
“We have material evidence as well, you know. This here proves that the Shadow Garden—”
“I can’t take this anymore!”
When Adder tries to hand her something, Alexia shoves it aside. Adder’s eyes narrow.
“You have to open your eyes, Iris,” Alexia pleads. “Why are you listening to this charlatan? Please, look at me!”
Iris averts her gaze. “You’re the one who needs to open your eyes, Alexia.”
“I’m begging you here. They’re trying to free the right arm of Diablos!”
“The Shadow Garden has pulled the wool over your eyes. All those people you thought were working for the Cult were acting as another arm of the Shadow Garden.”
“You’re wrong, Iris!! You have to listen to me!!”
As Iris turns her back on Alexia, Alexia reaches out for her.
Slap.
Iris swats Alexia’s hand away.
“But…”
“My enemy is Shadow, and I’ll mow down anyone who gets in my way. Even my own sister.”
With that, Iris leaves.
“The Crimson Order is busy dealing with the Shadow Garden,” Adder says triumphantly. “I’m afraid we need to take our leave.”
Alexia stares in shock as her sister goes.
Then she hears a voice from her side and turns to see a familiar face. “Princess Alexia…”
“Marco…”
It’s one of the Crimson Order’s founding members. He’s still young, but Glen trusted him a lot, and Alexia had always assumed that Marco would be the one to fill Glen’s shoes.
“I’m sorry, Princess Alexia.” Marco walks briskly off, unable to meet Alexia’s gaze.
“You too, Marco?”
Marco doesn’t answer her question. Members of the Order carry the librarian’s corpse away.
The forbidden book tumbles from Alexia’s hand.
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