All eyes in the car went onto Ayato. Ayato looked back and forth between Mao Zhao and Aindeau. He didn't know what to do.
When he saw Aindeau's expression tense and Mao Zhao's scowl, he instantly put his hands up in the air. Ayato surrendered immediately without knowing why he had to, he simply wanted to know why but it was obvious they were not going to listen to him.
"I don't know why I'm wanted but I'm not going to fight back."
He said aloud, loud enough for the Queen to hear. The woman over the phone scoffed.
[Hmph, you don't know?]
"No clue."
[Aindeau, how far are you from the palace?]
The man in the waistcoat looked outside the window.
"Around 5 minutes."
[Meet me in the throne room and we'll talk then.]
For him, he thought it would be better to give up than escape and run without reason. Running would be the same as telling everyone that he's guilty. Guilty of what? That was the real question.
The call cut.
Ayato looked over at the Chinese man. Mao Zhao glared at Ayato. The boy sighed before looking outside the window.
"Go on."
"You're involved in this, aren't you?"
"Honestly, I have no idea."
"Stop playing dumb."
He looked back at Mao Zhao, shocked. He thought that he was going to get shouted at like what happened in the bunker.
'Perhaps that little speech I gave made him mature. Yeah, it's probably that!'
The teenage boy felt unnecessarily proud.
"What's with that smile, aren't you scared of being exposed?"
Aindeau asked Ayato.
"No, because I don't know why the Queen wants me."
Ayato answered.
The worst thing he could do right now was attack them and escape. Mao Zhao was already on edge and Aindeau was watching him. Ayato was curious, however. He wanted to know why the Queen had ordered him to be captured.
·———·
Ayato walked through Buckingham Palace. It was a grand place. Certainly similar yet different from the White Palace.
Excluding the few Anti-Magic soldiers behind Ayato and the others walking in front, the corridors were empty.
The only people they saw were two guards standing in front of a large golden door. The door was the largest in the palace, it was obvious what was beyond it.
As Mao Zhao attempted to walk through, the guards crossed their guns, denying entry.
"W-what? Didn't the Queen want to see us?"
"The boy and Lord Aindeau only. Handcuffs too."
The guard told him, glancing over at Ayato.
"It should be fine to let these two through as well."
Aindeau said, stealing a pair of handcuffs from an Anti-Magic officer. He swung it around his index finger.
"B-but, Lord Aindeau, no one other than the elite forces and people authorised by the Queen should come to see her. Plus, we would have to search them..."
The other guard timidly objected. Aindeau handed the handcuffs over to Ayato.
"It's fine. If they do anything, I'll take responsibility. You won't get in trouble."
"If you say so..."
The guards exchanged looks and uncrossed their guns. Ayato stared at Aindeau, unentertained. The man in the waistcoat turned.
"What?"
"You think this is a joke? You seriously give the handcuffs to me so I can handcuff myself?"
It wasn't the fact that Ayato wouldn't handcuff himself, he was asking why would Aindeau vaguely tell him to do so.
"Hm? You don't have to. I seriously doubt you could hurt the Queen anyway."
Ayato wasn't laughing as he saw Aindeau's teasing smile.
"Okay then,"
He put the handcuffs on himself. The red light on the handcuffs shone green, showing that the mana-dampening effect was working.
Now, Ayato Kyouya was a normal human being, excluding his magician constitution.
The guards opened the door. The four of them entered.
"Welcome, Mao Zhao, Yu, Ayato Kyouya and Aindeau."
The queen was sitting on her throne. She crossed her legs and held a golden sceptre in hand. Alice Ilistria did not appear pleased.
Aindeau pushed Ayato forward. He looked up at the queen.
"Now, Ayato Kyouya,"
Alice uncrossed her legs and straightened her back.
"Tell me where Ashley is being kept."
The boy blinked a few times before tilting his head.
"Sure? I just want to know why you're asking me."
Ayato was 90 percent sure that this entire situation was a misunderstanding. Who knows who told her that he knew about the location, but it must've budded the wrong idea in Alice's mind.
Lying would be the worst thing to do. Lying without a solid foundation wasn't anything Ayato was good at.
Lying in front of the country's monarch would be the worst idea.
"Why? Because you kept it from me."
Alice said.
Ayato nervously smiled.
He couldn't deny that. Even if he only learned about it around half an hour ago.
"You're also some sort of spy, aren't you?"
Queen Ilistria stood up from her throne. She walked down the steps and stopped, glaring at the Japanese boy.
Ayato furrowed his brows.
"What? Your Majesty, I think we're getting the wrong ideas now."
It was a misunderstanding, after all.
"Wrong ideas? It's fine if you want to change the subject Morgan told me that she found where Ashley is anyway. I wasn't expecting much."
Alice looked down at Ayato.
He was shocked. There was currently no way to change Alice Ilistria's mind. She disregarded whatever Ayato said that didn't match her interests.
'Wait...'
"Your Majesty,"
Ayato remembered his meeting with Pride and their conversation about Morgan Le Fay.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you that your subordinates—or at least one of them—were plotting to destroy your country?"
Alice squeezed her sceptre. She sauntered toward him before smacking him in the face with it. Normally, that attack wouldn't result to much, but Ayato was handcuffed with mana dampeners. His body was only slightly more resistant than a normal human's.
"Out of the question."
The queen growled.
"Shit, my nose..."
Ayato felt his nose bleed without stopping. The injury was abnormal. The blood that leaked from his nose shouldn't have been that much.
"Ah, I forgot that I was holding my sceptre. I guess that's an injury a criminal like you should keep forever."
"Forever...?"
Before Ayato could inquire more, the golden door burst from its place. It smashed into the wall behind her throne.
Alice stopped in her tracks. She looked at the entranceway. Her two guards had been neutralised. They were unconscious on the ground.
"Hah..."
The white-haired woman sighed, looking at the door.
"Is there anything you want?"
She asked.
"Me? I was just wondering why I couldn't enter your throne room. Looks like you're involved in something interesting, Queen."
It was Joker, Arcadia Arcana.