Chapter 35: The Princess and Academy City Part 4

Released:

The princess’s fingers which were folded in her arms twitched as if they felt empty.

Even in this tense atmosphere, she had no weapon. That was why it felt awkward.

“Tell me everything you know.”

“I’m still investigating some parts. So let’s fill in the blank at the beginning and go from there.”

“The beginning?”

“Yes. Let’s carefully trace the front part of your memory. I’ll fill in whatever I can.”

“……”

Rohan began rustling as he tore open the hamburger wrapper.

He had bought two hamburgers on his way here and offered one to the princess, but she shook her head as if she didn’t need it.

In a situation like this, it was wise not to eat something handed over by someone else.

“Princess Testarossa. This isn’t a complicated matter.”

“?!”

“You just need to go over your memories and check any suspicious parts from the day Tigrova’s ruler changed.”

It was a title Rohan had never used before.

Hearing it come from someone else’s mouth, the princess’s eyes were filled with shock.

“…So you dug that deep into me. I’m impressed. Oddly enough, it makes you more trustworthy.”

“If it upset you, I’ll change how I address you. If you give me an alias, I’ll use it.”

“No need. It’s a name without substance anyway. There’s no reason to demand courtesy.”

“Is that so.”

“You don’t have to strain yourself to speak politely either. Call me whatever feels comfortable.”

With that single word of permission,

Rohan, as if he had been waiting, discarded his polite speech.

“Testarossa is long… so how about Sion?”

Sion Testarossa.

How long had it been since someone last spoke her real name instead of “princess”?

Because that single word was like a flame flaring in the darkness before her eyes, she couldn’t hold back a strange sense of happiness and let out a hollow laugh.

“How ridiculous. My name was sold off that easily.”

“There isn’t anyone else who knows except me. It’s exclusive information I’m holding, so don’t worry.”

“Have you ever considered that such words could put you in danger?”

Rohan barely managed to hold back laughter at Sion’s not-quite-empty threat.

For someone whose nature prevented her from oppressing the innocent, to say something like that—

She might be an easy tool for those old elders, but in Rohan’s eyes, she was merely naive.

“I figured that since I’ve proven my ability to gather information, I won’t be killed.”

At Rohan’s words, Sion shrugged as if she wasn’t sure.

“I’d like a name to call you by as well. Even if it’s just an alias.”

“Rohan.”

Sion mumbled the name “Rohan” a few times and then nodded her head.

“Fine. Let’s recall the day Tigrova’s ruler changed.”

“Mhmm.”

Rohan chewed on a french fry and listened.

“To be honest, it’s not much of a memory. I was just a snot-nosed kid back then who knew nothing. I was in my room when I heard from the elders about my parents’ tragic news and then fled at the same time.”

From that moment on, the Snow Tighter Emperor, Noah Frozenheart’s father, became the new ruler of Tigrova.

Rohan who was showing he was listening made Sion dwell on the crucial facts.

“You’re saying you never saw your parents with your own eyes? All you got was what the elders told you?”

“…That’s right.”

That was likely what bothered her the most, too.

Rohan felt a measure of satisfaction, having reminded her of it.

“First, let’s correct the most important fact.”

“I’m listening. Go ahead.”

He paused briefly.

Satisfied with Sion’s focus, Rohan spoke.

“First of all, Snow Tiger Emperor never killed the Testarossa royalty.”

“..…..”

“But he did fight them and win. Tigrova is a country where personal power is the highest authority.”

The Snow Tiger Emperor had displayed overwhelming strength and rightfully became Tigrova’s ruler.

However, he wasn’t needlessly cruel, nor did he require brutal examples to maintain his substantial popularity, so he did not kill Sion’s parents and instead sent them away.

As for his subsequent actions, the Snow Tiger Emperor was different from the image in Sion’s head.

He accepted a small number of elves living in the coniferous forests as part of his people, and at the same time, he tried to place those of Testarossa blood in key positions in Tigrova.

“That’s it for now.”

With Rohan’s explanation over,

Sion’s expression held an indescribable discomfort.

She bit her lip hard to suppress her emotions, and bright red blood trickled from it.

“Even if I make every concession and assume what I’ve just heard is true, then what about my parents…”

The girl’s question about who on earth harmed her parents never reached completion.

Because if Rohan’s words were true, certain individuals flitted through Sion’s mind.

The elders and Rohan.

It was certain that one side had lied to her.

“Shall we take a few steps to make it easier to figure out the answer?”

“…….”

“What do you think the elders want?”

The girl’s mind was already in shambles.

The atmosphere was heavy as if the air were crushing her.

“Answer me. You know what the elders want from you, right?”

When Rohan pressed in a low voice,

Sion responded in a subdued tone.

“…To take Tigrova back from Snow Tiger Emperor.”

Admitting it so easily without suspicion meant she was deeply confused.

Feeling somewhat guilty, Rohan continued the conversation in a forceful way.

“How do they plan to take it back?”

“By having me, the last living Testarossa, fight and win.”

“Fair and square?”

Seeing Sion nod her head, Rohan stroked his chin.

If we consider “someday” it’s not a zero possibility.

The Snow Tiger Emperor would definitely grow old, and Sion’s strength would rise in her prime.

However—

If they were talking about within a few years, it was an impossible plan that could only be called delusional unless the elders had some special trick.

“Then think about this one thing. What do you think the elders are doing by bringing in people with loose screws?”

“…….”

“They can’t help with training using their own abilities, so what are they actually up to?”

The cramped room fell silent for a moment.

Creak—

Rohan leaned back in his chair and waited.

He wasn’t waiting for an answer.

He simply had to give Sion time to think.

“Sion.”

“……..”

At Rohan’s call, the girl lifted her head.

Her eyes had lost their bright clarity and taken on a sticky look.

Her face was filled with ominous assumptions.

“What are humans and beastkin to you?”

“Humans and beastkin are…”

In the haze of her mind,

She had a reflexive answer to that unexpected question.

But she couldn’t continue.

Rohan’s gaze and demeanor carried a vicious, ferocious air as if he was warning her never to utter those words.

The girl forcibly roused her mind, which had been sinking into a sticky swamp.

– Princess. Humans and beastkin had filthy blood, no different from that of Satan.

– Do not talk with any race other than elves. They are beings with disgusting mouths that would spew lies the moment they had a chance.

It was what she had heard endlessly from the elders during her childhood years, when her values were being established.

They were words she had heard so many times that they appeared in her dreams and echoed in auditory hallucinations.

Sion frowned at the sharp pain that pierced her head.

“Not something someone taught you. Tell me what you saw and felt for yourself. How were the passersby on the street?”

“…….”

She did not particularly feel anything.

She did not think they were good, nor did she think they were evil.

However—

The girl with closed eyes who ran into her while she was shopping for the Droplet Friends items.

Could she call such a girl who greeted her first with a gentle smile someone with filthy blood?

“…….”

Rohan once again gave Sion time to think.

Just watching was enough.

It must be hard to hear such information right from the start.

He thought he had toned down the information as much as possible, but perhaps it had still been too harsh.

Even so, it was fine as long as she did not break.

In fact, solving this first doubt was practically the entirety of the “Broken Crown” story.

Who knew how long the elf girl had remained silent with her back against the wall.

Beeeeep! Beeeeep!

The clock shattered the silence and announced that it was time to go.

“Well… I guess I have to head back now…”

Sion moved unsteadily as she spoke in a feeble voice.

She put on the battle boots she had taken off and pulled goggles out from inside her coat.

“I hope the information helped somehow. I’ll collect more from now on.”

Rohan opened the window as if seeing off a guest, then spoke quietly into the cool breeze that entered the room.

“Sion.”

“…….”

The girl, who had placed one foot on the windowsill, looked this way.

“Don’t be so shocked. You don’t have to believe my information at face value right away.”

Sion mumbled as though asking what she was supposed to do now that she had heard everything.

Rohan added one more remark, along with an apology.

“There should be ways to confirm the truth.”

“….….”

Of course, there were many things that made her suspicious.

She had lived outside for a long time.

Tap.

Sion, who had been on the windowsill, came back down into the room.

The girl faced Rohan and asked him,

“By any chance… I mean, really just in case…”

“Yeah?”

“If I decide that everything you said is true… what should I do then?”

Sion looked as if she was on the brink of a mental breakdown.

“Even if you feel so angry that your head might explode, don’t rush into anything.”

“…Are you telling me to wait? Or to stay calm?”

“Both.”

“…….”

Sion pressed her lips together tightly.

She seemed uncertain about either choice.

“Wait.”

Rohan picked up the remaining hamburger on the desk, wrote his number on the wrapper again, and forced it into Sion’s hand.

“Do you remember what I said?”

“…….”

Those words instantly brought up a conversation in the girl’s memory.

The short, idle talk they had shared when they first met in the ruins.

– I wrote down roughly the times when you can call, so feel free to call me even if it’s not business.

– If you have worries or feel tired and want something sweet, any small reason is fine.

Sion nodded her head. She looked a bit less burdened.

Rohan carefully urged her to go and saw her off one more time.

“We’ll be meeting again anyway.”

It must have sounded incomprehensible from Sion’s point of view.

Even so, she could not deny it. The girl left the Academy City as she held Rohan’s words in her memory.

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