My Pov
As is customary, Alice and I walked alongside one another through the halls of this empty castle. Since there was no one else in this castle besides Alice, I, and a few maids, the atmosphere was very calm.
This atmosphere, in which not even the guards are permitted to look inside the castle, is one that I find more desirable.
I got up and headed toward the dining room, not only because Alice hadn't eaten since she got back but also because I was feeling peckish myself.
When someone's level increases, it stands to reason that they will have less of a requirement to eat and drink.
Why is that, exactly? Because an individual can absorb the energy already present, allowing that energy to satisfy his body's requirements.
Therefore, there are situations in which increasing your level results in a person appearing as if they are not getting older. This is because the individual processes the energy in the world into clean energy that is then absorbed into their body.
"I find that the ambiance in this castle is not to my liking in any way."
Suddenly, Alice, who was standing next to me, started talking, but she tried to keep her voice quiet and kept looking to the left and right as if she didn't want anyone else to hear what she had to say.
Her expression appears to be one of alarm as she draws nearer to me, but I am aware that she is doing so to be pampered by me, so I just give her a soft smile while I gently rub her head.
"Doesn't this feel like home? Then why are you acting so frightened right now?"
While maintaining my calm demeanor and proceeding in the direction of the dining room, I said.
"I'm not sure, but it could be because I'm not used to being in this place."
Alice responded to my question while looking at me with an expression that suggested she was hesitating to say something.
This child dressed in a white robe appears to be completely clinging to my body at this point.
Alice kept chatting excitedly about a variety of topics as I occasionally added my two golds to the conversation down the hall.
However, before we knew it, we had arrived in front of the door leading into the dining room. When I opened the door, I found Sascha already seated at the dining table.
The table also appears to have been provided with complete dishes and beverages, and I can see that this food has just been cooked because it is still steamy on top of the table.
And as soon as Sascha saw Alice and me approaching, the expression on her face lit up as though she had been holding out for a very long time.
Alice and I pretended like Sascha wasn't even there as we walked over to one of the empty chairs and sat down without saying a word to her.
"Sascha, what are you doing in this place?"
But then Alice asked with an even tone, her expression also becoming slightly wary.
"I anticipated that you two would be hungry, so I prepared all of this in addition to my apologies for upsetting the Princess Alice."
Sascha admitted her guilt while facing Alice head-on.
I couldn't care less about their antics, so I reached over to the table and grabbed a piece of fruit. The rind had already been removed, so I could easily pop the fruit right into my mouth.
This meal was memorable due to the contrast between the sour flavor of the scenery in front of me and the sweet taste that immediately exploded in my mouth.
"In the end, this training of six days proved to be somewhat pointless. Did you just use me to take care of those people?"
Alice persisted in putting Sascha in a corner with her question as if she was unwilling to give up the fight.
I said with an expression that suggested I was somewhat surprised before Sascha answered.
Before Sascha answered, I said with a slightly surprised expression.
"You are indeed my most clever little sister, but how have you known the background of those people all this time?"
Yes, I am aware of what Sascha did to those people because I instructed her to carry out the acts.
It appeared that Alice could find something simply by using that clue. However, to tell the truth, the things she found didn't really matter because those people would be killed in the end.
On the other hand, the fact that Alice, at the age of 12, was already able to possess such sensitivity demonstrated how talented she was.
"Of course, despite the fact that at first I was a little hesitant, I'm certain that these people are related to the bandits that we met the other day."
As Alice spoke to me in a soft voice and smiled brightly, I could tell she was a little bit proud of what she had accomplished.
However, after that, with a trace of hesitation in her voice, Alice muttered something.
"Because I let my feelings get the best of me at the time, which resulted in me giving the soldiers the order to..."
"kill them all?"
I continued, building off of what Alice had planned to say.
"Yeah, aren't you mad? Because those individuals have all died, we are unable to determine who was the mastermind behind hiring those people."
Alice posed a question that was perfectly reasonable.
But I responded in a nonchalant manner, giving Alice the advice that she should avoid giving it too much thought.
"It's okay, you don't have to worry about that."
When I learned that Alice had ordered her troops to massacre the tribe, including children her age or younger, I wasn't surprised by the news.
In contrast, I would be disappointed if Alice did not choose that path because sooner or later in the future, she will be taking more lives in this world, but this time with her own hands.
About whether something is evil or good, in my opinion, it is without value, or more accurately, I could care less about it.
Because it's possible that, based on what's been recorded in the annals of history, you could say that I have the cold, callous heart of a demon.
Of course, I am lying. Even the heart of a demon isn't as bad as the deep and dark abyss that resides within me, Hadrian Von Kaiser.
That is what I believe, and Alice is the only one who can truly understand how she feels about the concept of good and evil.
However, I don't feel too concerned about that because Alice has matured and possesses some of the personality I've developed from a young age.
So that in the future, I won't be forced to deal with tedious drama situations in which Alice will have to decide between me and this world.
While all of these thoughts were going through my head, the dinner was calm, and it appeared that Alice and Sascha were also eating their food slowly and not saying anything to each other.
The occasional clanking of spoons and forks could be heard at the dinner table.
The soft voice of Sascha can be heard in the background while I am currently drinking a glass of sour juice after I have finished eating.
"Young master, how would you rate the meal?"
Sascha got left out of the conversation because Alice and I had been chatting with each other for a considerable amount of time.
"As per usual, your cooking doesn't seem to be too terrible, does it, Alice?"
By including Alice in our discussion, I hoped to bring about a reconciliation between the two of them.
"I will concede that your ability to cook isn't terrible; however, how are your other skills?"
Alice continued to make Sascha uncomfortable whenever she had the opportunity to do so.
Since I wasn't interested in listening to the two of them argue, I immediately got up from the chair and exited the dining room as soon as possible.
Alice, upon learning that I had stood up and indicated that I wanted to leave, immediately chased after me by following in my footsteps.
But before we get to that, I wanted to remind Sascha to get ready for our trip back to the capital city, which will take place early in the morning.
"Sascha, don't forget that we are leaving early in the morning tomorrow, and if you are late, I will immediately leave you."
"Don't be concerned, young master. I'm looking forward to the trip that we have tomorrow."
Sascha responded with a vibrant tone and a broad smile that betrayed her joy and contentment.
But Alice, who had been listening in on the conversation, screamed in shock because I had never told her about it before.
"Wait, Sascha is going to travel with us as well?"
"Yes, and in the future you will be together more often, so it is important that you learn to get along now."
I responded with a lighthearted tone, and when I saw Alice's reaction, I couldn't help but grin.