Zephyr D. Quiet Elaine.
He was the very man who, over forty years ago, had been cast out after losing the imperial throne to the current emperor. He even took only a single subordinate with him as he left in defeat.
Though he had been spared his life thanks to the current emperor’s mercy, no one had heard from him since.
And yet, now he had returned to the imperial palace.
Despite all those years without setting foot in the palace, Eldorath—no, Elaine—entered the hearing hall with striking confidence.
“Hahaha! What a sight. You’re all looking as if you’ve seen a ghost, no? Like you’ve just witnessed an undead, am I right?”
Elaine’s booming voice filled the hall, and murmurs spread rapidly among the nobles.
“H-How could he possibly be here…?”
“He’s alive? He survived all this time?”
“But even so, for what reason would he show up now?”
A few nobles who didn’t recognize Elaine’s face looked around, puzzled by the tense atmosphere, while the older nobles felt the smell of blood brush against their noses.
The battle for the throne back then had been fiercely brutal, with countless ruthless schemes unfolding behind the scenes.
Elaine, who had outlasted all of the previous emperor’s other children to the very end, had been especially infamous for his cruelty.
The old nobles gathered here had all survived the blood-soaked era of old, so Elaine’s appearance filled them with a dark foreboding, as if another storm of bloodshed might soon sweep through the palace.
“Well, judging by your faces, I’m fairly satisfied. Seems there are still quite a few young pups here who don’t know who I am though.”
At the term “young pups” several of the younger nobles bristled, but recalling the words of the host, they quickly masked their expressions.
After all, even the older nobles at their side were shaking with unease.
Just then, as Elaine took his seat, the host dabbed at the sweat beading on his forehead with a handkerchief before finally speaking.
[A-As our witness, Sir Elaine has now taken his seat. Princess Olicia, do you have anything you wish to say?]
“Yes, I certainly do.”
When Olicia rose from her seat, the murmurs among the nobles abruptly quieted.
They had to hear why Elaine, after more than forty years, had returned.
“Before I begin with my questions, there’s something I’d like to address first. I wonder, does anyone here happen to know what’s been happening recently in the Underground City?”
“……?”
“…What?”
“C-Could it be!”
At her question, most of the nobles tilted their heads in puzzlement.
Of course, nearly everyone present was powerful enough to have at least caught wind of the recent disturbances in the Underground City.
But why would she bring that up here, of all places?
Meanwhile, several nobles looked at Olicia with expressions beyond mere shock; their faces were marked by pure terror.
They were the nobles aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction.
“It seems you’re already aware. Yes, about two years ago, Count Salier was found murdered at his villa. Despite His Majesty’s strict orders, he was a vile figure who dared to enslave not only non-humans but even humans alike.”
For the first time in this hearing, Olicia’s tone was sharp and the nobles’ eyes widened.
“Recently, a transaction ledger left behind by that criminal was discovered in the underground city. And it was found in an auction house on the fourth underground floor. This is a floor accessible only to select VIPs of the coalition.”
“……!!”
“…Th-This is outrageous!”
Olicia’s gaze settled on a few nobles who appeared visibly flustered.
“Incidentally, rumors have it that a few nobles I happen to know were present at that auction house.”
“Wa-Wait! Objection!”
A noble raised his hand and shouted out; his expression betrayed his urgency. The host responded.
[Please speak.]
“Wh-what is this transaction ledger and the underground auction house? Does this have anything to do with the current hearing?! Your Highness, if you could kindly stick to matters related to this case and speak about the alleged collusion with the black mage—”
Before he could finish, the hearing chamber was filled with a burst of laughter.
“Hahaha! Collusion with a black mage? Collusion, you say… And with just this, you’re calling it collusion with a black mage.”
As Elaine spoke, a cold silence fell over the chamber.
Then a young nobleman on Samuel’s side boldly rose from his seat.
“Is it acceptable for a witness to interrupt like this? That person has absolutely no connection to this case!”
His hand was even pointing as he spoke. The young man’s actions left many nobles staring in shock.
[Th-That is…!]
Elaine interrupted the host’s stammered words with a smile on his face.
“Kukuku. Coming here after so long, I see all sorts of fools drawn to the flame. Yes, this is the kind of thrill the Imperial Palace should have. Now, let’s see. You there—what’s your name?”
“Uh, A-Adrian. Adrian G. Gorte.”
Without meaning to, the young noble found himself responding obediently under Elaine’s intimidating presence.
“Ohh, Adrian, is it? A familiar name. Right, now I remember. You’re the one who got cleaned out by the dealers in an underground gambling hall, threw a fit, and got beat up so badly they threw you out like a rag on a rainy day, right?”
“W-What! How did you know that?!”
“How, you ask? Because I owned that gambling hall, that’s how. I remember every fool who stormed out cursing after losing his money and getting tossed out on his ass.”
“……?!”
The young noble was now visibly shocked. He quivered and sank to the floor.
So he was from the Underground City? And a gambling hall owner, at that?
“No way… Are you Goldmine Eldorat?”
“Yes, though that’s what they call me now.”
“……!”
Realization hit the nobles around him, and they stared at Elaine with mouths agape.
A member of the Underground City’s Four Families.
He was standing right before them.
[Baron Adrian, mind your words! This man bears the blood of the Imperial Family by record!]
“Th-The Imperial Family?”
At that, the young nobles who hadn’t known Elaine’s past suddenly recalled the rumors they’d once heard from older nobles.
The Imperial Misfit, the Butcher of Brothers, Mad Dog Elaine.
This Elaine… was that Elaine?
The young nobles glared at the host as if they had been wronged.
Shouldn’t he have mentioned right from the start that this man was part of the Imperial Family?
But the host had his reasons.
You fools. Have none of you even read the Imperial histories?!
The host had two reasons for not explicitly introducing Elaine. First, Elaine was famous enough that introductions were hardly necessary, and second, even uttering his name required careful consideration.
After all, he himself had witnessed the battle for the throne forty years ago, even if only as a child.
Moreover, wasn’t there still a portrait of Elaine preserved in the Imperial histories?
Forty long years had passed, but Elaine had retained enough of his appearance from those days.
Anyone in the Imperial Court who didn’t recognize him was simply a fool; they had no right to place that blame on others.
“Well, there’s no thrill in beating pups who haven’t even weaned yet. The real satisfaction comes from slapping the cheeks of those whose flesh is nice and ripe.”
As he said this, Elaine’s eyes gleamed like a beast’s as it toyed with its prey.
Under his gaze, every noble caught in his line of sight could do nothing but lower their eyes.
Watching this, the other young nobles looked on in disbelief.
No, no matter how you look at it…
Isn’t this just too much?
Wasn’t he a man who had been banished from the Imperial Family forty years ago?
Just moments before, these same nobles who had spoken with such disregard for the emperor’s authority now looked like a pack of cowed animals.
For those young nobles who had little involvement with the Underground City, it made no sense, but that was only because they were woefully ignorant.
During the throne battles, Elaine had been a true mad dog.
He was known to bite at anything he perceived as a weakness.
The issue was that those Elaine marked as prey all shared one thing in common. They each had something to hide.
Back then, it had been things like the family head’s indulgences, the murder of commoners, and drugs.
If even a single wrongdoing was uncovered in his presence, Mad Dog Elaine would tear into it until they were left battered and breathless, only to be discarded once the life had drained from them.
“Well, I’d say that just about takes care of things. Let’s start again, shall we, niece?”
“…Yes. Thank you for your help, Uncle.”
“Haha! Good. At my age, with no children of my own, even being called ‘Uncle’ makes me feel ten years younger!”
“It’s not too late for you yet, my lord.”
“Fufu, right. Once I settle down, I suppose there will be opportunities, Elliott.”
Next, it was Olicia’s turn to speak.
“As I just mentioned, there were those who came to the auction house on the fourth floor to target Count Salier’s ledger. However, I won’t be revealing who they are here, as it has no direct bearing on this hearing.”
At this, a few nobles couldn’t help but let out sighs of relief, but that relief was premature.
“However, if your name appears in that ledger, then the story changes.”
“….…?!”
“……!!”
Once again, murmurs spread through the hearing hall.
Wasn’t it believed that the ledger had been completely lost in the Underground City incident?
So how had it ended up in her possession?
“E-Even if my name is supposedly listed in this, this ledger, what does that have to do with this hearing?!”
One of the trembling nobles shouted in a last desperate attempt, but Olicia’s next words left him with nothing but despair.
“Of course, it’s relevant. The exact purpose of this hearing is to determine, ‘Why did I have to rely on the power of black mages?’ Isn’t that correct?”
[……That is correct.]
“This recent terrorist incident was caused by unknown black mages. That much was revealed when the bodies of the deceased non-humans were examined. Now, I found some interesting information in that ledger. Uncle, would you like to explain?”
At Olicia’s words, Elaine smiled and pulled an old document from his coat.
“Let’s see here. Brake T. Anthony. Five years ago, he purchased a young man in his twenties from the feline non-human race. Brown fur with spots, a large scar on the left arm, and his right big toe had been amputated. It’s all written here.”
“Yes, thank you. His appearance is a perfect match for one of the non-human victims in the first wave of terror attacks on the coalition.”
“Indeed. And here’s another. Terni R. Ogarin. This one purchased a bald crocodile beastman. His right eye was slashed, and half of his tail had been severed.”
“That individual survived thanks to the efforts of the second son of the Clayton family. He is still undergoing treatment for mental trauma.”
“Right. And….”
After that, more noble names were called, along with the characteristics of the non-human beings they had bought.
With each name, the nobles’ faces grew paler, some even turning ashen white.
How long did this continue?
It wasn’t until a dozen or so noble names had been called that Elaine’s testimony finally came to an end.
“That’s all. This is the non-human slave trade they conducted.”
“Thank you, Uncle. Now, everyone, you’ve all heard enough to understand, haven’t you? Yes, this is exactly why I struck a deal with the black mages of the Life School. It was to capture the vile individuals who defied His Majesty’s strict prohibition and bought non-humans as slaves and sold them off to black mages.”
“Th-That’s…!”
“This, this is an outrageous accusation!”
“That’s right! Do you have any proof that this ledger is real?!”
A few nobles desperately tried to escape the situation, but even this was already within Olicia’s plan.
“I’d like to call additional witnesses.”
[……Very well. Bring them in.]
At the host’s command, several individuals who had been waiting outside entered the hearing hall.
Seeing them, the nobles who had been shouting moments before now collapsed in their seats. They looked as though they had aged years in an instant.
The people who entered were all well-dressed commoners.
“Witnesses, please share what you saw that day.”
“Yes, yes. I have served as a butler in the Brake Viscount household for fifteen years. The information in that ledger… it’s all true. I personally transported the non-human to the viscount’s villa.”
“The same goes for me. By the order of Baron Terni….”
One by one, the witnesses gave their testimonies.
Every one of them had been hired to handle the non-human slave trade and, after being paid hush money, sent off to the countryside.
In recent days, with Adam’s help, Olicia had tracked them down and succeeded in bringing several of them here.
“This is, this is slander!!”
“Indeed! You insolent fools! Do you even know where you are to spout such nonsense?!”
“This is nothing but baseless lies!!”
Once again, the hearing hall filled with shouts, but Elaine’s voice charged with magical power silenced them all.
“How dare you─!!”
“……?!”
“……Urgh!”
The nobles groaned and covered their ears at Elaine’s rebuke, who was well into his mid-sixties.
“How dare worthless criminals dare to talk back to the imperial family! I should personally see to it that your entire families are eradicated!”
Though it sounded absurd, Elaine wore an expression that suggested he truly believed it possible.
After all, the handling of non-human slaves had been decreed by the Emperor himself. Since they had broken this law, wiping out their families was not an impossible matter, if he so desired.
Evidence?
Since when was evidence of any real consequence in politics?
Besides, there was already more than enough evidence to implicate them. It only needed time to be verified, but it was undeniably damning proof.
“What are the soldiers outside doing? Why have they not yet bound those who dared to insult the imperial family!”
[W-Wait a moment! The hearing isn’t finished yet…!]
“Hearing? Nonsense! These are the ones who defied the Emperor’s sacred decree and handed non-human slaves over to the black mages responsible for this terrorist attack! That alone is more than enough! Today, we will uphold the Empire’s sacred laws properly!”
At Elaine’s fierce command, the soldiers waiting outside startled and rushed into the hall.
But just then, someone else hurriedly entered through the line of soldiers.
“Yo-Your Highness!”
“……?”
“News has arrived from those who investigated the non-human slave camps!”
“……! What… what did they find?”
“That is…!”
The noble who had brought the information glanced around nervously before cautiously approaching Olicia and speaking.
“It… it appears that the Crown Prince has been linked to dealings with the terrorist organization…!”
And so the course of the hearing was thrown into further confusion.
A path that seemed to lead only to more chaos.
***
“…Oh my. You’ve opened your eyes?”
As a languid voice drifted over him, the man in the mask—Shane— slowly focused his vision.
By now, the scent of the familiar herbs tickled his nose.
“This place…”
“Where else? This is the Lake of the World Tree.”
“..…..”
Platinum-blonde hair that was swaying gently like willow leaves brushed past Shane’s nose.
Eyes like the still surface of a lake were gazing intently into his own roseberry-colored ones.
“Do you know that your heart stopped once?”
For some reason, that languid voice seemed to carry a hint of rebuke.
Through his hazy vision, Shane looked at the Elf Queen Priscilla with that thought in his mind.
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