Let us turn back the clock to a few days earlier, when Liliana and her guards had been dropped off near the capital. After leaving Fernir, they rode carriages she had brought along for the journey.
As she'd outpaced all of the messengers and diplomats she'd sent ahead, Liliana doubted the empire knew she was coming. That made her feel somewhat apologetic for all the uproar her sudden arrival would cause, but right now there was no time to waste.
At the very least, she'd sent her royal guards ahead of her to give the imperial castle some advance warning of her visit. That would have to be enough.
"The city appears to be on high alert, Your Highness." One of her maids, Helina, said that as she poked her head out the carriage window.
Eventually, Liliana made a pained frown and replied.
"It must be because of the recent demon attack. I've heard as much from the Haulia, but it appears the raid really did take a toll."
"And to think, this wasn't even their main army. Thank goodness that boy showed up to protect us. Without him, I doubt our capital would have survived."
"Indeed..."
"If you could just convince him to stay with the kingdom, our country's future would be secure..."
"I suppose so..."
For some reason, Helina was staring very intently at Liliana.
"If you could just convince him to stay, our country would be secure."
"Why do you keep repeating that line!? And why are you looking at me like that!?"
Helina looked Liliana up and down, as if appraising her. Then, with a hopeless sigh, she spoke once more.
"If you could do that, he would become our new king..."
"Like I said, why do you have to keep... Wait, what did you just say? And what exactly was that sigh for, pray tell? What exactly about my body disappointed you so!?"
Helina had been one of Liliana's maids since childhood. For years, Helina had supported her princess from the shadows. And Liliana considered Helina to be one of her few friends that she could truly open up to. Though Helina's tendency to casually insult her friends wasn't so commendable.
In the time that Liliana was grilling her maid, the carriage arrived at the castle gates. The pair were shown to their room without incident, and were told that Gahard would hold an audience in the evening.
That evening, Liliana made her way to the audience chamber. When she stepped inside, she found Gahard waiting with a smile on his face.
Gahard D Hoelscher, emperor of the Hoelscher Empire, was in his late fifties, but looked like a man ten years younger, and possessed the vitality and energy of a man twenty years below him. His lustrous silver-gray hair, sharp gaze, and bulging muscles made it clear that he hadn't let old age get the better of him just yet. It had only been half a year since Gahard had snuck into the kingdom to test Kouki's strength, so it stood to reason that he hadn't changed much since.
Liliana had thought that since the demons had invaded the capital he might have been injured, but he seemed completely unscathed.
"Well met, Princess Liliana. Considering your rather sudden visit, I expect you have something interesting to report."
"I hope that Your Majesty finds it so..." Liliana prefaced, before explaining the details of the invasion of her kingdom.
She started from the very beginning, when Eri had started turning the royal soldiers into undead. She also explained what the true Apostles of God were, and the secret machinations that Ehit had been scheming all along. Liliana finished by describing the destruction of the Holy Church, Eri's betrayal, and the death of her father, King Eliheid.
Gahard had sat in silence, taking in the entire tale, and when Liliana finished he heaved a long sigh. Then, he leaned back in his chair and covered his face with one hand.
Though Gahard had never been a very devout follower of Ehit, the revelations still shook him to the core. Liliana had experienced much the same herself, so she quietly sipped her tea and waited for him to sort out his feelings.
"I see... So Eliheid, Loggins, and even that wily old geezer who I thought was immortal... died." His voice was controlled, devoid of emotion. And yet, there was a sadness in his gaze.
After a while, he straightened his back and met Liliana's gaze.
"That is quite a troubling turn of events. It grieves me to learn that a wonderful king and one of the best soldiers the world has ever seen are now dead. Thank you for bringing me this information, Princess Liliana."
"I simply did my duty. Besides, it appears you've suffered quite a bit yourself." Liliana was surprised by Gahard's unexpected sympathy. She had thought he was a far colder man.
"But still... I see, so the Holy Church, and Ehit... If this information were to become public, there would be an uproar."
"And yet you yourself don't seem too shocked by this revelation, Your Majesty."
"Oh, I'm plenty shocked. The god I believed in since I was a little brat turned out to be a madman. But well, you know how it is with the empire. All we really believe in is strength. Killing our enemies and taking what we want is all that matters to us. The weak exist to serve the strong. So if it turns out Ehit's a sham, well, it's his own damn fault for getting found out. Now that I know the truth, there's no point in worshiping a false god."
"I-I see..."
The empire's devotion to strength was unshakable. After all, they even decided who had the right to be the next emperor through a series of duels. But still, I can't believe he considers his philosophy to be applicable even to god... The people of Hoelscher are... Insane, Liliana thought to herself with a frown.
Gahard didn't seem the least bit perturbed, and he swiftly changed topics.
"However, I must say. The explanation you came up was rather well-thought. You expertly deflected... no used, the citizens' shock to your advantage. Were you the one who came up with the idea?"
"Well, I suppose I was the one who finalized it at least."
Gahard narrowed his eyes at Liliana's vague response.
"Which means... someone else was the brains behind it?"
"It wasn't me, no."
"This is going nowhere. Quit beating around the bush already. The empire absolutely must know who it is that came up with such a shrewd plan. If you insist that it was you, Princess Liliana, then I will have no choice but to make you my own. After all, anyone who can come up with such a nasty excuse is sure to catch my eye."
"Very well, as you suspect, this plan was suggested by someone else." Liliana sold Hajime out without hesitation. Or rather, she'd gotten permission beforehand to tell Gahard about him. After all, if she was going to explain the truth of the gods and the demons to him, she would inevitably have had to explain his involvement as well.
Though, she would have preferred to keep his existence a secret, if possible. Most because she was worried that the emperor, who valued strength above all, would become obsessed with him. She wasn't worried that Gahard might actually manage to capture Hajime. No, she was worried that Hajime might wipe the empire, her only ally, off the map if Gahard was too persistent in chasing Hajime.
But they should be deep within the sea of trees by now. Even His Majesty won't be able to find them there. That was the main reason Liliana had decided to talk.
After hearing about Hajime's existence and achievements, Gahard held out a hand and stopped her speech.
"Wait a moment, Princess."
"Of course. Take your time. I can guess what you must be thinking."
Gahard rubbed his temples and tried to absorb what Liliana had just told him.
"I'd like to believe this is all just a joke, but..."
"Everything I said is true. He is a most abnormal Synergist, one capable of single-handedly destroying an army a hundred thousand strong, and creating artifacts that can travel the distance between our capitals in a day and a half." Liliana smiled, a weary expression on her face.
Wrinkles appeared on Gahard's forehead as he digested her words.
"This is on a scale far beyond anything I've ever seen. If what you said really is true, he's a strategic force all on his own. If he felt like it, Hajime Nagumo could wage war on a nation all on his own. He's nothing like that immature hero I fought before. That kid was strong, but nowhere near that level. We can't just let him run wild. What kind of person is he?" Gahard was worried that Hajime might have been making ridiculous demands of Liliana, as repayment for saving their city.
However, Liliana smiled and shook her head.
"Don't worry, he's not what you think. He's not evil, but I wouldn't quite say he's good either. He just has no interest in the affairs of this world. Basically, his stance is one of non-intervention. He won't give up his artifacts to anyone, either. However, if it's for the sake of the people important to him, or for his goals, he won't hesitate to do anything, no matter how crazy. He's like a porcupine, only dangerous if you poke him."
Liliana's frustration at the way he treated her leaked out a little in her explanation. Gahard smiled wryly and stroked his chin.
"So what you're saying is I shouldn't get involved with him. As the head of the state, you know I can't do that."
If possible, Gahard wanted to bring Hajime into his fold. Ideally, he wanted to be able to utilize Hajime's powers as he wished. As the emperor of Hoelscher, it was only natural he would think that.
"That being said, if he truly can traverse the skies in a flying artifact, even meeting him would be difficult. For now, I'll be content to wait and see. In the meantime, I must get my hands on ancient magic, the source of Hajime Nagumo and the demons' power."
"That is all well and good, but know that if you attempt anything, we will not sit idly by. Though we are allies, he is our kingdom's savior."
"Hmph, big words." Gahard snorted.
While it had been a boon to discover what the reward for clearing a labyrinth was, the emperor was well aware that clearing one himself was most likely impossible. The most practical solution was still to solicit someone who already possessed ancient magic. But that, too, wouldn't be easy. It was a vexing situation for Gahard.
"Now then, I'm sure you didn't come here just to tell me that. Let me hear what you propose regarding our alliance."
"Of course. To be frank, I came here to request your assistance in rebuilding the kingdom and to renew our alliance."
Liliana passed over the documents detailing her plans for their joint battlefront against the demons. The main thing Liliana wanted from Gahard was for him to send over military aid.
After Eri's betrayal, the kingdom had lost their strongest knight, Meld Loggins, along with the core of their elite forces. In order to fill the hole those soldiers had left, Liliana wanted to borrow the strength of the empire's best.
"I see. I would be willing to part with one division of troops. It is in the empire's best interests to keep the kingdom safe as well. The last thing I want is to fight a war on two fronts."
"Thank you for your generosity."
Liliana breathed a sigh of relief. The thing she'd wanted the most had been granted without any conditions.
The two of them hashed out the details of Hoelscher's support, then moved to discussing their overall policy for dealing with the demons.
Naturally the two of them couldn't make sweeping policy decisions on their own, so they mostly discussed high-level strategy and outlined the steps they would be taking.
"That about wraps it up, I believe. All that remains is to show the rest of the world the strength of our alliance. I am afraid I will have to ask for your cooperation, Princess Liliana."
"I understand. If you wish to seal our alliance with a marriage, I would be willing to set up an engagement. However..."
"I understand your situation, of course. At present, you cannot leave the kingdom in anyone else's hands. Prince Lundel has yet to be officially crowned, correct? And I believe you mentioned many of your most competent ministers were killed in the attack? I do hope you're not working yourself to death."
Liliana nodded with a wan smile. In the end, it was decided that she would be engaged to the imperial prince, and their engagement would be announced publicly within the next few days. After that, Liliana would head home with the platoon of soldiers Gahard would lend her.
The marriage itself wouldn't take place until the situation in the kingdom settled down. However, once it did, it would show both their own citizens and the demon army that the two countries were steadfast allies.
Overall, Liliana was pleased with how the discussion had gone, so she tried to pretend she didn't notice the sting of disappointment she felt at having to get married.
Two nights later, messengers delivered a most unusual report to Liliana and Gahard.
"And that concludes my report, Your Majesty!"
"Very well, you are dismissed."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Gahard stared at the door the messenger walked out of for a few seconds before shooting a questioning glance at Liliana, who was maintaining a poker face.
She gave him a troubled smile and said nothing more than "That sounds troubling." Her expression made it seem like she was concerned as the ruler of a neighboring nation, but was refraining from meddling directly in the affairs of another sovereign state. Gahard was impressed by how little it gave away.
"What an unbelievably ridiculous state of affairs. First we were invaded by an impossibly powerful demon army, and now a bunch of crackpots in masks attacked in the middle of the night...? What are your thoughts on the matter, Princess Liliana?"
"I am afraid I understand no more than you. The messenger said they claimed to be an elite unit of the demon army, but..."
"Indeed. I suppose that possibility exists. Though I doubt any demon would be caught dead in a mask like that, it wouldn't do to dismiss the possibility entirely. Even if one of the masked warriors happened to wield light magic and an artifact wreathed in holy light..."
"Oh my, that does sound rather terrifying."
"Curious indeed. When my soldiers asked him what his motivations were, he claimed that he wished for us to free our slaves. Rather incomprehensible, wouldn't you say? I cannot imagine any inhabitant of this world wishing for such a thing. Quite mysterious, is it not?"
"That it is, Your Majesty." Liliana's smile didn't even crack under the pressure of Gahard's searching gaze. What was even more impressive was that it wasn't just a static expression, but a dynamic smile that changed to match the needs of the situation. This was a skill that all royalty needed if they wished to survive in the world of politics. Unfortunately, while her poker face was perfect, Gahard noticed that her breathing had grown slightly erratic.
"Princess Liliana."
"Yes?"
"The kingdom's hero should currently be on his way to the sea of trees together with Hajime Nagumo, should he not?"
"That is correct."
"I see, I see. By the way, did you know I recently captured a very interesting group of beastmen?"
"Hm?" Liliana, who'd been breaking out in a cold sweat, blinked at the sudden change in topic. Gahard, however, ignored her surprise and continued.
"They were a very, and I mean very, unique group of rabbitmen."
"..." Liliana felt like she'd just been punched in the gut. Still, she kept her mask of a smile up all the way through. In a way, she had become the fifth ranger of the group.
"They were more than a match for my imperial troops even outside the forest. I never imagined rabbitmen could display such ferocity."
"My, I know that rabbitmen are known for being peaceful, but I guess that means some of their clans aren't. How frightening..."
"That's not all. Their equipment was made of the highest quality ore, the kinds of materials you can only find in the Great Orcus Labyrinth."
"It seems Verbergen's technology is far more advanced than we thought, wouldn't you say?"
"Assuming, of course, it was Verbergen's craftsmen who made those weapons. The only person I can think of who would be capable of mass producing such sharp swords is the abnormal Synergist you mentioned earlier."
"..." Liliana's heart couldn't take much more. She needed Helina's special tea to calm her down. Once this meeting's over, I'll ask her to brew me some, she thought firmly to herself.
Just then, there was another knock on the door.
"Enter."
"Pardon the interruption, Your Majesty. But I have an urgent report!"
"No need to stand on formality, tell me what happened. Has the masked group returned?"
"N-No, Your Majesty. The thing is... All of the Haulia have escaped their cells!"
"..." Gahard turned to Liliana. This time, his expression was grim. His cold gaze bored into her, but even still, Liliana's smile didn't waver. Though internally, she was panicking.
He's here! He's definitely here! No one else could free an entire group of people from the empire's prison without anyone noticing! But how come Kouki-san and the others are here too!? And what even was the point of the masks!? If he wanted to hide his identity, he shouldn't have used his holy sword!
Gahard questioned Liliana in a flat voice.
"By the way, Princess Liliana."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Hajime Nagumo has a group of extremely powerful comrades with him, does he not? And isn't one of those a rabbitman?"
"Indeed." Liliana tilted her head, as if to ask "What does that have to do with this?"
She masterfully morphed her smile into a look of mild confusion. It was amazing how natural she made it look.
There was a reason Liliana had been hailed as one of the most talented princesses in history. When it came to diplomacy and communication, she had no blind spots. On the outside, at least.
Holy crap, he totally knows! He doesn't suspect me of being an accomplice, does he? God, why is this happening to me? I've never seen the emperor look at anyone like that! This is all Nagumo-san's fault! I bet he was the one who put Kouki and the others up to that ridiculous stunt with the masks, too... He probably just wanted to make fun of them! I can't believe he did this all just as a prank! Knowing him, he probably knew how much trouble it would cause me and still did it anyway! Ugh, why does that man always treat me like an afterthought!? It really hurts, I swear! I'm the princess!
None of those thoughts showed on her face though, so Gahard had no way of knowing she was secretly cursing Hajime.
The next day, Gahard was planning on making Liliana's engagement to the imperial prince public, so she was busy preparing for the coming upcoming ball where he would make the announcement. As she was picking out her dress, someone knocked on her door.
"Princess Liliana, there is someone asking for you at the front gate..." One of Liliana's maids relayed the message she'd received from the soldiers down below.
Liliana tilted her head. She hadn't been expecting any guests.
"Who is it?"
"Uh, well... He claims to be the hero."
"Why's he just marching through the front gate!?"
Liliana screamed, making her maid jump at the sudden outburst.
However, Liliana no longer had enough composure to act calm. Gahard had already seen through Kouki's ruse, but he'd just waltzed up to the gate and asked to see her. Liliana was certain Hajime had been the one to put him up to everything.
"Bring him up immediately! Take him straight to my parlor! Don't let him meet with anyone else! Please," Liliana begged, grabbing her maid by the shoulders and shaking her back and forth.
"Y-Yes, Your Highness!" The maid ran out in tears, terrified by her mistress' bloodshot eyes.
"Helinaaa! We need to see Kouki-san before he has a chance to talk to Emperor Gahard! Help me get ready!"
"Leave it to me!" Helina gathered the other maids, then quickly set them to work.
Liliana scurried about as well, trying to get ready as soon as possible before Kouki messed something else up.
Hoelscher's imperial castle was a symbol of the empire's might. It sat right in the middle of the capital, surrounded by a twenty-meter deep moat, and sturdy walls enhanced by multiple layers of magical barriers.
Aquatic monsters roamed the moat's depths, and the ramparts were constantly patrolled. The only way into the castle was through the massive drawbridge leading to the front gate.
The number of people allowed into the castle was relatively small, and all of them were required to present magical identification cards to prove they were allowed access. There was a French-style arch in front of the bridge, with guardrooms built into the sides. Any visitors first had to pass the inspection there before the guards would even lower the drawbridge.
If anyone was suspected of attempting to sneak in illegally, they would be thrown into the monster-infested moat right then and there. The inspectors at the arch had no mercy whatsoever. Even traders who had been granted access cards had their goods inspected thoroughly before being allowed to reach the gate. Naturally, this meant sneaking in among a bundle of a merchant's wares was impossible.
In short, this meant that sneaking into the imperial castle was nigh impossible. All of this ran through Kouki's mind as he waited for his turn to be questioned. He nervously looked back at the people who'd come with him. His childhood friends Shizuku and Ryutarou, Suzu, and of course Hajime's group.
Hajime had returned to the capital because he'd determined that boldly waltzing through the front gate was the best course of action. As he saw just how strict and thorough the inspections were, Kouki started thinking.
Even if we were out there creating a diversion, I'm amazed Nagumo was able to get the Haulia out of THAT without anyone noticing.
Of course, since they were able to use spatial magic, Hajime would have had no trouble getting everyone out. But even sneaking in past all of these guards couldn't have been easy.
While Hajime had asked about the location of the imperial dungeons, unless he'd had a perfectly accurate mental image of their location, he wouldn't have been able to teleport inside it. And if he'd tried to infiltrate through the front, someone would have questioned him. Kouki couldn't fathom how Hajime had done it, but he had to admit it was an impressive feat all the same.
Once again, Kouki was reminded of the huge difference in strength between the two of them. He sighed forlornly.
Incidentally, the only people Kouki had been able to draw were the units stationed in the city, so his diversion hadn't actually done anything to lessen the castle's security. At best, he'd made some of the wall guards curious as to what was going on.
"Next... Haven't seen you around before. Show me your pass." The gate guard glared suspiciously at Kouki.
As the number of people allowed into the castle was small, the gate guards recognized most of them. Even if someone new did arrive, they were usually people of stature, and their clothes and entourage tended to reflect that. It was rare for someone unknown and also dressed in adventurer's clothes like Kouki to approach the castle gates. Rare enough for the gate guards to become suspicious, in fact.
"I don't have a pass, but I think this should be able to prove who I am..."
"Hm? A Status Plate? What's this for?"
Naturally, no one in Hajime's party actually possessed the magical identification pass required to enter the castle. However, Kouki's title came in handy at times like these. After all, he was humanity's hero. The leader of the apostles Ehit had sent to lead them in the war against the demons.
The gate guard dubiously took Kouki's status plate and looked it over. His eyes stopped on the job field, which said "Hero." He blinked in surprise a few times, then looked from the Status Plate to Kouki, then back to the Status Plate. His colleagues came over as well, wondering what had their comrade so shocked.
"So then you're really... the hero... sir? The same one who was summoned to the kingdom by Ehit?"
"Ah, yes, that's me. I'm the hero. I accompanied Princess Liliana partway to the capital... and now, because of certain circumstances, I have returned."
"I-I see..." Upon learning Kouki's true identity, the gate guards started murmuring hurriedly to each other.
"Why did he leave the princess halfway through her journey?"
"And why didn't he tell anyone he was coming now?" Their confusion was understandable.
However, they were dealing with a member of god's chosen flock. They couldn't pry too deeply, or it would be seen as a slight to the Holy Church. And so, they concluded to themselves that he must be on some sort of secret mission, and decided to let their superiors figure out whether or not to let Kouki in.
Terrified of making humanity's hero wait too long at the front gate, a few of the guards dashed into the castle and started looking for someone with authority. In the meantime, Hajime and the others were let into a waiting room while things got sorted out.
They were only waiting for 15 minutes before someone came back.
Kouki and the others had gotten so used to Hajime's harem's antics that they hadn't even said anything when Yue sat on one of Hajime's knees while Shea, Kaori, and Tio wrestled with each other to determine who got to sit on the other. In fact, they had gotten so used to it that they didn't even bat an eyelid when the force of Shea, Kaori, and Tio's struggle made the drawbridge creak.
"I've heard the hero party is here to visit the castle... Would that be you?"
"Ah, yes, that's us."
A burly soldier walked into the waiting room. Judging from the respect the other soldiers gave him, he was clearly someone of considerably high rank.
He brusquely looked Kouki up and down, checked over his Status Plate, then turned his suspicious gaze onto everyone else. When he spotted Shea, who was hiding in a corner of the room, his eyes went wide with surprise. Second later, a lascivious grin spread across his face.
Shea squirmed slightly under his creepy gaze.
"Very well. I am captain of the imperial guard's third squad, Grid Half. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I have already informed Princess Liliana of your visit. She will receive you in her quarters. I will have one of my subordinates take you there. By the way, who is that rabbitman with you? That choker around her neck doesn't appear to be a slave collar."
"Oh, uh, she's..."
Grid Half nonchalantly nodded toward Shea as he returned Kouki's Status Plate.
Kouki stuttered, at a loss for how to respond. Shea's ostentatious choker couldn't be considered a slave collar by any stretch of the imagination; it looked more like the kind of gift a husband would give his wife. To be honest, even Kouki wasn't exactly sure what Shea was.
Seeing as Kouki wasn't going to say anything, Grid turned to Shea instead. His tone left no doubt as to why he was interested in her.
"Hey, little bunny. What did you do to my men?"
"Your men? Why would I— Wait..."
Grid's sudden question caught Shea off-guard, but then a second later she realized what he was insinuating and her eyes shot open.
Shea hadn't met too many imperial soldiers. The only ones she knew were the ones who'd chased her and her family down when she'd first ran to Hajime for help. The same soldiers who'd killed, kidnapped, and enslaved her family, and herded those who remained deep into the Reisen Gorge.
"Don't you think it's strange? None of my men ever came back, but here you are, alive and well. Why the hell are you still alive, huh!?"
"Uwaaah..."
Grid leaned over and brought his face close to Shea's. By some strange twist of fate, Shea had run into the commander of the unit that had initially chased her family into Reisen.
As Grid had been the commander, he hadn't participated in the battles himself, which was why Shea hadn't recognized him. However, because of how rare Shea's hair color was, Grid remembered her vividly.
Flashbacks of her friends and family being hunted down one by one floated to the surface of her mind. The thoughts made her let out an involuntary groan as she scuttled backward, but then a steady hand pinched her cheek, and she returned to her senses.
She looked over and saw Hajime standing right next to her. Then, she felt another warm pinch and turned to see Yue beside her.
She didn't look worried. In fact, she looked rather reproachful. Her eyes seemed to be saying "If you can still let a weakling like him get to you, you need more training."
Shea gave her a weak smile in response. While that experience may have been traumatic, she now had the mettle to take on Labyrinths' greatest monsters and come out on top. There was no reason for her to fear a measly imperial general.
Her fear gone, Shea nodded to Hajime and Yue, then turned back to Grid and smiled sweetly. She stood her ground, and finally responded to his question.
"I don't know what happened to your men, and I don't care. Those worthless morons probably got themselves eaten by a monster or something. Also, I have no obligation to tell you anything!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself now, girl. You better not think you'll get off lightly because you're with the hero's party! If you're not a slave, you probably weaseled your way into their group by selling your body! Don't think any of these guys'll stand up to protect you!"
However, Shea was already ignoring Grid. She'd said what she needed to, and now he wasn't worth any more of his time.
All Grid's yelling did was make the other girls mad at him. Realizing that this wasn't the time to kick up a fuss, Grid grit his teeth in frustration, but did nothing more. He quickly forced a smile and turned back to Kouki.
"My apologies, Sir Hero, but this bunny girl might know something about my subordinates who went missing two months ago. Would you mind handing her over to us? If you need another bunny girl to satisfy your needs, I can of course—"
"Listen, trash." Hajime interrupted Grid before he could finish. Grid's cheeks reddened in rage and he rounded on Hajime.
"What do you—"
"Shut up, trash. Your job here is done. I don't give a damn about your men, so quit wasting our time with your useless prattle. Hurry up and take us to the princess."
"You little—"
"Do you not understand the meaning of shut up? I don't have any time to waste on useless pieces of shit like you. Learn your place, scum."
Hajime's haughty attitude left Grid fuming. Eyes bloodshot, Grid barely restrained himself from attacking the entire hero party then and there. Instead, he jerked his head toward one of his men, indicating for him to guide everyone to Liliana's rooms.
Hajime ignored Grid's furious glare, and followed his guide out of the waiting room.
While his treatment of Grid had left Ryutarou and Kouki a little intimidated, the girls seemed to have appreciated it. Hajime himself hadn't actually tried to be mean, he'd just actually meant what he said. Had Grid known that, he probably would have popped a blood vessel.
However, if he had actually gone off on Hajime he would likely have had his balls crushed, so in a way he should have been thankful for his self-control, really.
Hajime and the others ignored Grid's glares and followed the pale-faced guide across the drawbridge.
"Well?" That was the first thing Liliana said upon seeing Hajime and the others. Though she was smiling, it was a rather terrifying expression. It was obvious she was angry at Hajime, and wanted an explanation.
The last few days had left her extremely stressful. While it could be said she was only baring her feeling so openly because she was close to Shizuku and Kaori, that didn't make them any less terrified of her wrath.
"First you cause an uproar in the capital, and now you come back the next day!? What on earth are you doing!? You better have a good explanation for this. I won't let this matter drop until you've convinced me. You hear me, Nagumo-san!? I know you're the one behind this, so don't you dare try and change the subject! Don't just sit there rubbing Shea-san's bunny ears while pretending you've got nothing to do with this either! And Yue-san, I know you had to be part of this too, so don't bother trying to run!"
Liliana glared at Hajime. At that point she'd come to understand that when anything ludicrous occurred, ten times out of ten Hajime was the one behind it. As far as theories went, it was a pretty accurate one.
In response, Hajime just sat there, with Shea instead of Yue on his lap for once. He was rubbing her bunny ears, while Yue sat on his other knee and played with Shea's cheeks.
"Hm? Did you say something?" Since entering the castle, Hajime had been too busy fondling Shea to pay much attention to his surroundings.
For once, he actually hadn't heard Liliana and was not just pretending.
In tears, Liliana screamed.
"I'm the princess, the least you could do is listen to me!" She repeated her earlier words in a shrill voice.
"Why're you so loud, Princess? I'm sitting across from you, so you don't have to shout."
"I'm shouting because you didn't listen to me when I was just talking!"
"C-Calm down, Lily! Help me out here, Shizuku-chan. Her fury is piercing the heavens! I've never seen her this mad before!"
"I'm pretty sure Nagumo-kun's the only person who's managed to make the princess mad. Anyway, calm down, Lily. We'll explain everything, don't worry."
Kaori and Shizuku attempted to soothe Liliana. Unfortunately, Hajime's next words didn't help the matter.
"Anyway, can't you just forgive us for this, Princess? We had a lot to deal with. And Shea's still a little shaken, so..."
"She is? What happened to her?" As always, Liliana was kind to a fault. She looked on worriedly at Shea, who was still being toyed around with by Hajime and Yue. At first, she had still looked a little stressed, but thanks to her best friends' ministrations, she was feeling a lot better. Shea looked up at Liliana and gave her a reassuring smile.
Though Yue and Hajime's support had helped her get over it, the meeting with Grid had still been rather traumatic.
However, the reason for her current stress wasn't because he'd terrified her. Quite the opposite, in fact. It had taken everything she'd had to keep herself from ripping him to shreds then and there. After all, Grid was responsible for the death of so many of her friends and family. Once she'd overcome her trauma, all that had remained was an overpowering hatred.
Still, because killing him there would have ruined their plan, she was forced to hold herself back. It had taken every ounce of her willpower, and both Hajime and Yue realized that. So once they'd left, the two of them had started coddling Shea to calm her down.
Hajime briefly explained the relationship between Shea and Grid to the others. Once he was done, Kouki and the others rose up in anger, while Liliana looked down sadly into her lap.
Liliana was part of the society that had normalized the slavery of beastmen, so she felt as if she didn't have the right to be angry on Shea's behalf. Though now that she'd learned the truth, her bias against them was rapidly fading. She had been told as a child that beastmen were pathetic creatures who Ehit had abandoned, but if Ehit himself was mankind's enemy, it seemed rather silly to still hate beastmen on that basis. That was true for all others who'd discovered the truth as well.
Still, just because they no longer discriminated against beastmen didn't mean that their history of persecuting them had been wiped away. Liliana knew she had no right to criticize others, so she just gave Shea a small nod of solidarity and turned back to Hajime.
"I understand that, but why are you here? What happened to conquering the labyrinth in the sea of trees? And why on earth did you cause that ruckus with the masks last night? I'm sure Gahard will ask to see us soon, so we need to have our stories straight ahead of time. It took a lot of effort to meet you before he asked to see all of us, so the least you can do is explain the situation."
"Now now, there's no need to rush, Princess. You'll understand everything by tonight. As for why we're here... Well, let's just tell the emperor that we finished conquering the labyrinth faster than expected and dropped by here before we head out again."
"Th-That's not nearly a good enough excuse... And wait, if you say I'll understand by tonight, does that mean you're planning on donning masks and rampaging across the city again? I know you, Nagumo-kun! You're the one who made Shizuku and them wear those embarrassing masks, right!?"
"Don't get so worked up, you'll go bald."
"I will not! How could you say such a thing to a girl!"
"...Baldy Princess."
"Yue-san!?"
Liliana looked down, crestfallen. It was clear Hajime had no intention of explaining his plans to her. Meanwhile, Shizuku was gloomily muttering "embarrassing masks..." over and over to herself.
"Leaving the mask incident aside, last night a group of people escaped from the imperial dungeons. Nagumo-san, you were also the one behind—"
"Why do you keep accusing me of things... You're one mean princess, you know that?"
"I don't want to hear that from you. Sure, I don't know all the details, but the captured rabbitmen were part of the Haulia clan, were they not? You must have saved them for Shea-san's sake. That much makes sense, but you coming back certainly does not. What are you planning?" Liliana's tone made it clear that she was willing to help, if necessary.
Though she was only 14, she was the head of a nation. There was a lot of pressure on her from numerous factions. Despite that, she was willing to do anything to help Hajime's cause. Even Yue couldn't help but smile. Naturally, everyone else was also moved by her kindness.
Liliana had been like this from the beginning. Even when all the other people of the kingdom were putting the students on a pedestal and calling them god's chosen, only Liliana had realized that they'd been dragged into this world's fight, and had done everything in her power to support them.
Seeing her serious gaze, Hajime smiled and responded.
"I don't get what you're saying."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Liliana flared up again, looking just about ready to slap Hajime in the face.
Once again, Kaori and Shizuku pinned her arms and tried to calm her down.
No matter how many times Liliana tried to ask after that, Hajime would just continue to play dumb. And since Hajime wasn't saying anything, all the others decided it was best to stay quiet too. Finally, Liliana just gave up and looked out her window like a broken doll. "Whatever will happen, will happen," she murmured to herself.
The reason Hajime didn't explain anything was because it would have been too much of a pain, and the reason no one else said anything was because they understood the situation. Kaori and the others were still trying to cheer Liliana up when a messenger came to announce that the emperor had requested their presence. Hajime and the others followed the messenger back to the audience hall where Gahard was waiting.
In the center of the wide hall sat a long, rectangular table large enough to seat thirty people. Like the rest of the room, it was unornamented. Gahard lounged at the head of the table, his chin in his hands and a triumphant grin on his face. Behind him stood two elite warriors. It was obvious these were his most skilled and disciplined soldiers. Those weren't the only bodyguards he had protecting him, either. Though they'd hidden themselves well, Hajime could sense the two soldiers hiding inside the walls, the four in the ceiling, and the two that had just taken up positions outside the room's closed doors. The ambushers weren't as strong as the soldiers directly behind Gahard, but they were still powerful.
Gahard had them completely surrounded, it seemed.
"Are you Hajime Nagumo?"
Gahard ignored Kouki, who was ostensibly humanity's hero, and went straight to questioning Hajime. His sharp gaze seemed to pierce right through him. Gahard was ready for a fight to break out at any time.
The intensity he exuded made it clear that he hadn't risen to the top of a nation that valued strength above all by mistake. He was emperor of a nation that encompassed hundreds of thousands of people, and he had the strength to back that claim up.
Kouki and the others took an involuntary step backward and readied their weapons, while Liliana let out a terrified squeal.
However, Hajime, Yue, Shea, Tio, and Kaori seemed unaffected by the heavy pressure Gahard was emitting. Even Kaori, who had far less experience than the others, had faced much worse within the Sunken Ruins of Melusine. Compared to fighting against immortal soldiers from eons past, the intimidation attempts of a mere emperor were nothing.
Excited by their lack of reaction, Gahard's grin grew even wider. He waited eagerly for Hajime's response.
"Yeah, I'm Hajime Nagumo. It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty."
"Huh!?"
Hajime placed a hand over his breast and bowed. Kouki's jaw dropped open in surprise, Ryutarou pinched his cheek to make sure he wasn't dreaming, Suzu cowered behind Shizuku, while Shizuku herself feared Hajime might be coming over with something.
"Kaori, please! You need to heal Nagumo-kun before it's too late!"
"Huh? Sh-Shizuku-chan?"
Liliana was even more stunned than the others. Who is this and what have they done with Nagumo-san!? After the treatment she had received at his hands, she couldn't fathom Hajime being nice to royalty.
"What the hell's with those looks, guys?" Hajime's eyebrow twitched. Even he knew there was a time and place to act polite. Most of the time he just didn't care enough to do so. It just so happened that right now, he couldn't afford to get kicked out of the capital. In which case, angering the emperor would not be a wise move. That was why he had shown a basic level of courtesy.
However, he hadn't expected his comrades to be so shocked. Well, everyone but Yue, who'd seen through his intentions already. Gahard chuckled and joked playfully.
"Kuku... So this is the man capable of coming up with a story to deceive the masses. You can create any facade you please for yourself, can't you? However, I would prefer you talk as you usually do. I have already heard tales of your arrogance from Princess Liliana. Even if that were not the case, the esteemed hero's reaction tells me all I need to know. If you treat me any nicer than you do the princess, you'll make her cry, you know?"
Hajime glared accusingly at Liliana. Now why'd you go and tell him that? Liliana harrumphed and turned her head.
"I'm interested in the real you, not some made-up persona, so enough of the unseemly antics."
"Haaah, if you say so. In that case, I'll just talk normally."
"Good." Gahard waved toward the nearby chairs, and everyone took a seat. Once they were seated, Gahard took his eyes of Hajime and began inspecting Yue and the others. He seemed particularly interested in Shea.
Next, he swept his gaze across the students. He ignored Kouki completely, but gave Shizuku, who was sitting next to him, a roguish grin.
"Long time no see, Shizuku. Have you finally decided to become my wife?"
"Your Majesty, I believe Shizuku already refused that proposal!" Before Shizuku could say anything, Kouki jumped to defend her.
Gahard spared Kouki a glance, scoffed at him, then turned back to Shizuku. The message was clear: Kouki wasn't even worth Gahard's time. Kouki fumed at being treated so dismissively.
Shizuku sighed, then replied.
"I have no intention of changing my mind. My apologies, Your Majesty, but I must refuse your offer."
"How cold. Still, that's what makes you a worthy prize. I'll prove to you that staying with me would be far more interesting than going home to your world. I look forward to the day that composed expression of yours crumbles and you come begging to my bed."
"I'm afraid such a day won't ever come. Besides, don't you already have a wife, Your Majesty?"
"Your point? Or do you mean to tell me you're unsatisfied with being my concubine? Hmm, unfortunately, taking you as my legal wife would be difficult..."
"That's not what I mean! How can you continue chasing after women even though you're already married?"
"Whatever do you mean? I'm the emperor. It's only natural for me to have a couple dozen concubines."
"Ngh... I see. A-At any rate, I'm afraid I cannot become your concubine. Please give up, Your Majesty."
"Well, seeing as you won't be receiving any help from Ehit, I'm sure you'll be stuck in this world for a while longer at least. I'll just have to take my time seducing you. Kuku, prepare yourself, Shizuku."
Gahard was well and truly infatuated with Shizuku. An greedy man like him wasn't one to take no for an answer. He wouldn't stop until Shizuku was his.
Shizuku was looking at him like he was a disgusting lecher, but he didn't even seem to mind. She pointedly turned away from him, and ended up locking eyes with Hajime.
He was lacking his usual intensity, and it seemed almost like he was spacing out, but it was clear he was still listening to the conversation. When their eyes met, Hajime smirked at Shizuku. His gaze seemed to be saying "Must be hard, being everyone's nanny."
Annoyed, Shizuku reached over to the tea set and flicked a sugar cube at him. Though she lacked Hajime's might, her abilities still weren't to be underestimated. The sugar cube flew toward Hajime's face with considerable force.
However, Hajime wasn't going to let it hit him. He opened his mouth and caught it with his teeth. And then, he chewed on it slowly, savoring the sweetness, before swallowing in an exaggerated fashion. Once he was done, he returned to looking disinterestedly at a corner of the wall.
Gahard hadn't missed that little exchange, and he turned his sharp gaze back onto Hajime. He looked the young man up and down, appraising him.
"Hmph, what a tedious meeting. Hajime Nagumo, there are a mountain of questions I have for you, but there's something I need to know before that."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Have you already slept with my Shizuku?"
"Bwuh!?"
Shizuku, Kouki, Ryutarou, and Suzu all choked on their tea. Not only had that question been completely unexpected, Gahard had said it with a straight face. Even Gahard's guards shook their heads and muttered, "Your Majesty... is that really so important?" It seemed, just like Shizuku, Gahard's men had their own problem child to deal with.
Flustered, Shizuku screamed.
"Your Majesty! What kind of question is that!?"
"Quiet, Shizuku. I'm asking Hajime Nagumo, not you."
Gahard held out a hand to silence Shizuku. Seeing as he wasn't going to budge, Hajime sighed and responded.
"What insane thought process led you to that deduction?"
"Well, it appears to me that Shizuku is willing to relax around you... I didn't think you had, but I just wanted to make sure."
"Haaah... Of course I haven't."
"Hmm, that doesn't seem to be a lie. In that case, what do you think of Shizuku?"
At that, everyone in the room turned to Hajime. Kouki's expression turned grim, while Ryutarou and Suzu appeared nervous. Yue, Shea, Tio, and Kaori all had an eclectic mix of expressions as well.
Why the hell is the emperor grilling me on my relationship with Shizuku? With a sigh, Hajime turned to Shizuku.
Her face had contorted into a bizarre grimace. He tilted his head and observed her for a few seconds. As he watched, the tips of Shizuku's ears started to turn red. Eventually, Hajime said something quite shocking.
"She reminds me of my mom."
"Okay, now you're asking for it, Nagumo-kun. Outside. Now."
Young, vivacious, 17-year-old Shizuku rose to her feet. This time for sure, she would make Hajime pay for calling her a mom. There were no traces of the faint blush from earlier.
Ryutarou and Suzu, who'd been worried about this exact thing happening, rushed to stop her.
"A truly unexpected answer... but no matter. Shizuku, don't let yourself fall for him. You're mine, after all."
"I am not yours, Your Majesty, nor do I have the slightest romantic interest in Nagumo-kun! Now can we please change the topic!?"
"Fine, as you wish. No need to get so worked up. If you deny it so strongly, it'll just make people suspect the opposite."
"Grr..." Shizuku growled, but then obediently sat back down.
Suzu gave her a strained smile and tried to placate her while Kouki glared angrily at Hajime.
"Hajime Nagumo. You better not lay a hand on Shizuku either."
"Don't worry, I'm not the least bit interested in her. Can we cut the crap and get to the point already? I wanna go back to my room."
"You wound me. And this is a very important discussion, you know? It concerns a future concubine of the emperor, which in turn could influence the empire's future... Well, no matter. It's true I didn't ask you here to talk about Shizuku. As I'm sure you can guess, I want to know about those abnormal powers of yours."
Gahard had been able to get a good measure of Hajime by seeing how he reacted to the topic of Shizuku, but now it was time to get down to business. His joking attitude vanished, replaced by the sharp stare he'd had when Hajime and the others had first arrived. He kept his eyes on Hajime as he explained the reason behind calling them here.
"I've heard some things from Princess Liliana already. You were able to conquer one of the Great Labyrinths and used the power you gained there to create a set of unique artifacts... after which you annihilated a demon army and traversed a distance that should take two months to cross in just two days. Is that all true?"
"Yeah."
"And is it also true that you have no intention of granting the empire or the kingdom any of these artifacts?"
"Yeah."
"Hmph. Do you truly believe... we would allow you to monopolize such power?"
"Allow me? Even if you didn't allow it, what could you do to stop me?"
Gahard narrowed his eyes dangerously. He, along with the guards standing behind him, shifted into fighting postures. Hajime also sensed the soldiers lying in ambush attempt to mask their presence even further. A battle could have broken out at any minute.
"E-Emperor Gahard, what are you thinking!?" Liliana was as white as a sheet. Even though she'd warned him earlier not to provoke Hajime, he'd gone and "kicked the dragon's arse," so to speak.
However, Gahard didn't bother to reply. Instead, he kept his gaze focused squarely on Hajime. Kouki and the others tensed up as well, ready for anything.
Meanwhile, Hajime ignored the heavy pressure coming off of Gahard and continued sipping his tea. He looked up at the ceiling and over to the walls, as if to tell Gahard he knew where all the other guards were. Shaken, Gahard sat back in his seat.
"Hahaha, it's my loss, I suppose. Can't believe you saw through that. You really are one hell of a monster. I can tell if we fought you here you'd slaughter us all."
With a hearty laugh, Gahard relaxed his muscles. At the same time, all of his men lowered their weapons. He hadn't planned on actually doing anything, but as emperor it had been his duty to see just how strong Hajime was. After seeing him with his own eyes, Gahard was convinced.
Confused, Hajime asked,
"Why do you look so happy?"
"Come now, I'm the leader of the empire! What kind of emperor wouldn't jump for joy after seeing someone so strong?"
As someone who respected strength more than anything, such a reaction was to be expected. Kouki and the others breathed a sigh of relief and slumped back in their chairs. Meanwhile, Liliana sat back and rubbed her stomach. All that stress had given her an ulcer.
"And it's not just you. Those girls you've got with you are all insanely strong too. Hey, where'd you find them? If there's girls who are so strong out there, I've been chasing after the wrong women... Mind giving at least one of them to me, Hajime Nagumo?"
"Say that again and I'll crack your skull open... Actually, wait, you can have Tio."
"Wh-What!? M-Master, did you just sell me off to another man again!? Haaah, haaah, such a cruel punishment is... wonderful! Haaah... Haaah!"
"She's got a few problems, but at least she looks pretty."
"Sorry, but even an emperor has his limits. That drooling pervert is too much for me to handle."
"H-How can you be so impertinent when the person in question is sitting right in front of you!? Mmmmmm, just imagining the emperor forcibly taking me right here in front of Master is making me... Haaah... Mmm... I may have to change my underwear."
Upon seeing the look of ecstasy on Tio's face, the emperor shrank back in disgust. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat and returned to the topic at hand. Better to pretend the past minute just never happened.
"Personally, I would love to have that bunny girl next to you. I've never seen one with hair that color. Not only that, she didn't seem the least bit intimidated by me. In fact, she reminds me of a few toys I captured a while back. There wouldn't happen to be a connection between the two, would there?"
Shea's eyes narrowed at Gahard's mention of the word "toys." Yue, who was sitting next to her, grabbed Shea's hand under the table.
"I'm not sure what you mean by toys, but..."
"Unsure what I'm referring to? In that case, how about you come see them later? Most of them escaped, but I've still got a few of the women and children in the dungeons. They're quite—"
Gahard was bluffing. Cam had already helped Hajime make sure he'd released all the captured rabbitmen. He was hoping to tease information out of Hajime by leading him on.
However, Hajime didn't take the bait.
"Nah, I don't really care..."
"Oho. Well, perhaps this will pique your interest, then. All of the beastmen I captured were using extremely sharp and durable shortswords. Surely a master Synergist such as yourself must be at least a little curious?"
"I don't really use swords, so..."
"Is that so... By the way, you wouldn't happen to know of any special artifacts or magic that could let one sneak in and out of a highly guarded prison without being spotted, now would you? You see, no one was able to find out how those beastmen who escaped last night got out."
"Nope... Sure wish I had something like that."
"Very well, this is my final question. What will it take to entice you to my side?"
"A method to get back to my old world. If you give me that, I'll help you out from the other side or something." Throughout the exchange, Hajime sounded utterly bored.
"Tch... You really are just as the princess described. Sheesh, you're not a very cute kid, you know that?"
Gahard scratched his head in irritation. Despite his annoyance, the smile on his face proved he was still enjoying himself. He loved having a worthy opponent to go up against.
Furthermore, he'd been able to confirm through their exchange that the things Liliana had said about him were mostly true. He finally had a good grasp on the kind of person Hajime Nagumo was.
Frankly speaking, Hajime's attitude toward Gahard was extremely rude. Even though Gahard himself had allowed Hajime to speak freely, normally he would never have stood for being looked down upon. Any other person would have been executed for their impudence.
However, Gahard understood just how dangerous it would be to make an enemy out of Hajime, which was why he permitted Hajime's insolence. More importantly, as someone who valued strength above all, he knew he should be the one showing respect to Hajime.
In short, he had determined that attempting to recruit or eliminate Hajime would be a bad idea. As he was considering his next move, one of his guards leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Gahard nodded and rose to his feet. It appeared their audience was over.
"Well, I learned everything I wanted to, at least. For now, I'll be satisfied with that. Both the empire and the kingdom have too many other pressing matters that must be handled first. Oh yes. I am planning on holding a welcome ball for Princess Liliana tonight. As it will also be where I announce my son's engagement to her, I would appreciate it if you and your party were present as well. Regardless of the truth about the gods, there is no doubt that the hero and his entourage still have a great deal of popular support. It would be an honor to have them grace the ball. Should I expect you to attend?"
Gahard ignored Kouki and the others' shock, and gave Hajime a meaningful glance. Then, without waiting for a reply, he strode out of the room, leaving the others to grapple with his sudden declaration.
It was only when the door slammed shut behind him that Kouki and the others returned to their senses. They rounded on Liliana and pressed her for answers.
"Lily, you're engaged!? What on earth happened!?"
"Well... if the demons invade again, we'll have no choice but to fight. It's true that we have no reason to be at war and this is all part of the gods' scheme, but the demons don't know that. The kingdom has lost its king, and the new king is only ten years old. With our kingdom in such a precarious position, we have no choice but to strengthen ties with our allies," Liliana said nonchalantly.
Kouki was speechless. However, Shizuku wasn't. She frowned sternly and responded.
"And that's why you offered to marry the emperor's son?"
"Yes. He is next in line for the empire's throne. In truth, my father was planning on having me marry the prince from the beginning. The only thing this ball is for is to make the engagement official. The public needs to see our unity in the face of the demons' invasion."
"What about your advisers? Don't you need to confer with them?"
"Though I haven't consulted with them, I suspect they won't object. As I said, this was meant to happen from the very beginning. Besides, I am the acting sovereign of the kingdom. Lundel's too young to be given any real authority, and my mother never liked being a public figure, which means even if they disagree, no one has the authority to object. Right now, speed is of the essence. I don't have time to get everyone's approval."
Liliana's voice was exceptionally calm. She didn't seem the least bit distressed about her fate, showing that she was determined to do everything she could for her country.
Kouki scowled and questioned her.
"Lily, do you love the emperor's son?"
Liliana gave him a troubled smile.
"It doesn't matter whether I love him or not. This marriage is a political one, after all. However, because he's next in line for the throne, he has a lot of concubines already. I'm sure many of them were hoping to become the next empress, but... well, thanks to my rank, I'll jump right past them and become the formal wife of the future emperor. Amazing, isn't it? Well, I'll be the youngest among his harem, and the thought of dealing with their jealousy does make me a little nervous, but..."
Liliana tried her best to sound as lighthearted and cheerful as possible, but it was obvious she was forcing herself, which only made Kouki angrier.
"H-How can you say that!? You don't even love him, so how can you consider marrying a guy like that!?"
"It may seem strange to you, Kouki-san, but this is standard for royalty. I've been prepared for this since the moment I was born."
"What do you mean standard... Sure, you're a princess, but you're a girl too, Lily! Don't you want to spend your life with a guy you truly love?"
All Liliana could do in response was smile awkwardly. Naturally, she too yearned to experience a heart-throbbing romance and marry someone she loved. Especially now, after she'd spent so many nights together with Kaori and Shizuku, hearing stories of how relationships worked in their world.
Still, she knew that was an unattainable dream. As royalty, she had a duty to fulfill.
So please, stop reminding me of the future I can no longer have. Please don't make me say things I don't mean... Still unsatisfied, Kouki tried to push even further. But before he could, Hajime got up off his seat.
The words Kouki wanted to say died in his mouth, and he turned his attention to Hajime.
However, Hajime didn't say anything. He just started walking toward the door, the same bored expression still on his face. He wasn't interested in Liliana's fate, he just wanted to leave.
With nowhere else to vent his frustration, Kouki rounded on Hajime.
"Hey, Nagumo! Are you telling me you don't care at all about this!?"
"Huh? Should I? They're getting married for the sake of their countries, right? Guys like us who have no idea how the political world works shouldn't be sticking our noses into their affairs."
"Ngh, b-but..." Kouki was starting to sound like he had the night before Cam's rescue. Hajime doubted he would go on a rampage so long as Shizuku was around to keep him in check, but he decided to nip the problem in the bud just in case.
"Don't forget, we've got our own mission. You better not do anything stupid. If you get in the way of the operation, I'll beat you up so bad you won't even be able to talk." That was all he said before walking out of the audience chamber.
Yue and Tio gave Liliana nods of solidarity as they followed out after him. They'd both been former royalty, so they could sympathize with her situation. Shea, too, seemed worried for Liliana. However, at Yue's urging, she obediently followed the others out the door.
"Dammit... Every single time that bastard just—"
"Calm down, Kouki. This might not actually be something you need to worry that much about."
Kouki turned to Shizuku in shock.
"Aren't you worried about her!?" his accusatory glare seemed to say. However, Kaori, Suzu, and Ryutarou all came to Shizuku's defense.
"Y-Yeah. Good point. If things end up the way we think, then the engagement won't even matter..."
"He said there'd be a welcome ball, right? I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this."
"There'll be a ball alright, but I don't think he'll welcome it very much."
Kouki fell silent. The moment it dawned on him, his expression stiffened. Depending on how the next few hours went, there might not have been any engagement. Confused by their cryptic remarks, Liliana questioned the group.
"Huh? Wait, guys? What's going on? Why're you all looking at each other like that? I'm starting to get really worried here!" Liliana looked from one student to the other, but no one gave her a reply. Needless to say, Liliana could feel another stomachache coming on.
Still worried, Liliana went back to her room to prepare for the coming ball. Kouki and the others returned to their assigned quarters as well. With the help of Helina and the empire's maids, she was outfitted in a regal dress worthy of a princess.
"My, you look stunning, Liliana-sama!"
"Truly... You look like a fairy, My Lady!"
"I'm sure the prince will be pleased as well!"
The imperial maids squealed in excitement when they saw Liliana in her finished outfit. It wasn't just empty flattery, either. Their enraptured expressions made it obvious that they truly thought Liliana looked stunning in her dress.
At the age of 14, Liliana was straddling the border between childhood and adulthood. The pale pink dress she was wearing brought out the charms of both her maturity and innocence. She truly looked as lovely as a flower.
"Heh, of course she looks great."
"Helina, why do you look so proud when I'm the one they're praising?"
Liliana smiled at her grinning maid to show she meant no ill will, then looked herself over in the mirror. Once she was done, she nodded in satisfaction to herself.
Even if this was just a political marriage, even if the man she was getting married to was a bigger womanizer than his dad, even if the only time she'd met him, he'd beaten up the kingdom's apprentice knights under the pretense of "training," even if he was a bully who liked to show off, he was still going to be her husband.
That meant, as his wife, she couldn't afford to arrive at the ball in an outfit that would embarrass him. Besides, this was her engagement party as well, so she had to dress for the occasion.
But try as she might, she couldn't get Kouki's earlier words out of her head. "You don't even love him, how can you consider marrying a guy like that!?"
Though she didn't let it show, she still yearned for a future where she didn't have to marry the crown prince. Her worries regarding her future husband's character only compounded those worries.
Foolish as it was, she still entertained a faint hope that a gallant hero would save her at the last minute. The two of them would grow closer as they overcame hardships together, and then despite their different social stations, get married and live happily together. Of course, she knew that was never happening.
She shook her head, driving those happy delusions from her mind. Because she had been a precocious child, Liliana had always accepted that this would be her duty, which was why even if she secretly despised her husband-to-be, she still planned on being as upstanding a wife as possible. She was determined to act the part of the perfect princess during the ball. And so, she couldn't let these fanciful dreams shake her resolve.
You have to keep it together, she told herself. Just then, she heard a commotion outside her room. Before she could even take a single step, her door burst open and a large man waltzed into her room as if he owned the place. Liliana's imperial guards tried to restrain him, but he shrugged them off with little effort.
"Oho, so this is what you're wearing tonight... Not bad."
"Baius-sama. Barging into a lady's room is not a very gentlemanly thing to do."
"What!? I'm the man who's gonna be your husband! Don't you dare talk back to me."
Baius D. Hoelscher, crown prince of the Hoelscher Empire, was both a vulgar and violent man. On the outside, he looked just like his father, Gahard. He was 26 years of age, and hadn't changed one bit from the vicious, vindictive man Liliana had met one year ago. Even back then he'd been a sadistic monster who loved lording over people and saw others as nothing more than playthings. The way he looked at Liliana made it clear he saw her as his property. She felt chills run up her spine as he ran his gaze over her body.
"Okay, you lot get out." Baius ordered the maids and Liliana's guards out with a grin. The imperial maids left at once, but naturally the imperial guards hesitated to leave their master alone. Helina didn't even try to hide her distaste and glared angrily at Baius.
When he saw Helina's defiant gaze, Baius narrowed his eyes dangerously. Worried about what he might do to the others, Liliana hurriedly told her servants and knights to leave.
"If anything happens, just yell out and we'll come right away," Helina whispered those words into Liliana's ear as she walked past, and Liliana nodded in response. With one final backward glance, Helina and the knights hesitantly closed their master's door behind them.
"Hmph. You should at least discipline your mutts better."
"They are not my 'mutts.' They are true and loyal vassals."
"Still a tomboy, huh? I remember how you chewed me out years ago when you were barely still a kid. I knew back that then that I wanted to make you mine."
Baius licked his lips and grinned lasciviously. Though Liliana stiffened, she held her ground and met her future husband's gaze. But then, Baius suddenly stepped forward and groped her chest.
"Huh!? Owww! That hurts!"
"Looks like you've grown up nicely. Still a bit on the small side, but they'll do."
"S-Sto—" Liliana face contorted in pain. That only made Baius more aroused, however, and he pushed her to the ground with a sneer.
Though Liliana screamed, the guards outside didn't respond.
"Cry and scream all you want. This room was specially designed to be soundproof. Besides, even if those mutts of yours came back, they wouldn't dare to raise their weapons against the crown prince. Hell, let's call them in here. I'm sure they'd love to watch you lose your virginity. Gahaha!"
"Why... you..." Though she was pale as a sheet, Liliana continued glaring angrily at Baius.
"Yes, that's it! It's those eyes I wanted to see! I can't wait to dye them in pain, despair, and pleasure!" Baius' grin grew even more warped.
"Nothing brings me more pleasure in life than trampling and humiliating those who oppose me. I just love seeing their defiant expressions crumble as they realize how powerless they are. Making fools like you kneel before me is truly the height of ecstasy. Ever since I first tasted this exhilaration, I've been addicted. Liliana, from the moment we first met, when you glared so fiercely at me, I knew that I had to make you mine and break you."
"You monster..."
"Hey Liliana, how does it feel knowing you're going to lose your virginity before your marriage. Hell, before we even announce our engagement? Will you even be able to show your face at the party after this? Hahaha, I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes!"
Though Liliana held no love for Baius, she'd thought that if she supported him well as his wife, she'd eventually be able to change him into a more upstanding ruler. But after seeing the depths of his depravity, her resolve to reform him began to crack.
Liliana understood now. The man pinning her down and savoring her despair was in many ways the perfect person to rule the empire. He took what he wanted by force, beating the weak into submission. He was the very embodiment of the empire's ideals.
The dress Liliana had chosen specifically for Baius was ripped to shreds by his hands. She reddened in shame as her skin was exposed little by little.
Once she'd been stripped to her underwear, Baius leaned in for a kiss. He kept his eyes open wide, wanting to savor Liliana's terror until the very last moment.
When she tried to turn away, he grabbed her jaw and forced her to look into his eyes. Liliana was so afraid and ashamed that she didn't even notice she was crying. She'd resolved herself to marry someone she didn't love, but this was too much.
I want to find someone I love and be happy too! The feelings she'd kept locked up all this time started slipping through the cracks in her armor. She couldn't keep pretending this was fine because it was her duty as a princess.
In the depths of her despair, Liliana remembered something Kaori and Shizuku had told her. Back in the labyrinth, when they'd lost all hope, Hajime had swept in and saved them from their plight. He'd crushed the unreasonable situation they were trapped in with an even more unreasonable strength, like the hero of a fairy tale.
If only he would save me too. The rational side of her knew it was foolish to expect such a thing, but the more childish side of her couldn't help but pray.
Please, save me. Just then, a small spider dropped down from the ceiling and landed on Baius' shoulder.
"Wha..." Liliana murmured in shock. A second later, the spider raised one of its legs and stabbed it into Baius' neck.
"Owww! What the hell!? Something just stabbed my neck..." Baius rubbed his neck and pulled back from Liliana. He had been seconds away from stealing her lips, and probably more.
The spider was already scurrying back up the thread dangling from the ceiling, and was safe from retaliation. Liliana watched it go, still unsure of what had just happened.
"What the... everyshing's shpinning—" Baius started slurring his words, and lost consciousness before he could even finish a sentence. His limp body fell on top of Liliana, pinning her to the ground.
"Wha? Huh?"
The spider scurried back down the thread and landed on Baius' shoulder once more. As Baius was currently laying on top of Liliana, that also put the spider inches from her face. Upon seeing it up close, Liliana noticed something strange about the spider's body.
"It's made... of metal?" Indeed, the spider crawling across Baius' shoulder was made entirely of metal.
As Liliana's eyes widened in surprise, the metal spider lifted a different leg from last time and thrust it into Baius' neck, perhaps looking to finish him off for good. Though he was unconscious, his body still spasmed at the pinprick. However, he was still breathing, so it appeared the spider hadn't really killed him.
Liliana suddenly remembered she was still stuck underneath Baius and wriggled her way out. She rose herself into a sitting posture and looked at the metal spider again.
It stared at her with its crystalline eyes for a few seconds before beginning the climb back up to the ceiling.
"Ah, p-please wait! Are you..."
The spider ignored Liliana's pleas, scuttled across the ceiling, and disappeared through a crack in the wall. Then, there was a flurry of tiny red sparks, and the crack closed up behind it.
As Liliana was gathering the scraps of her torn dress to cover herself up, she finally realized what must have happened. A smile spread across her face.
"Thank you... Nagumo-san," she whispered.
Of course, so long as Liliana was engaged to Baius, she would have to deal with him eventually. All Hajime had done was postpone the inevitable. But still, it made Liliana happy to know that when she'd cried out for salvation, he'd come to her rescue.
She held the torn pieces of her dress close to her chest, as if they were something extremely precious.
After the meeting with Gahard, Hajime and the others were shown to their quarters.
Once he'd gotten to his room, Hajime flopped down onto the sofa and closed his eyes. He lay there, unmoving, except to occasionally take a few sips of water. Neither Yue nor anyone else disturbed him. They knew better than to interrupt him when he was concentrating.
He waited there until the sun started to sink below the horizon. Only when the sky was dyed bright orange did he finally open his eyes.
Noticing the slight shift in his posture, Yue walked over and sat next to him.
"How'd it go, Hajime?"
"Mmm, perfect. I had to deal with a little trouble in the middle, but I still got through 70% of the preparations."
Kaori didn't miss the tinge of exhaustion in his voice and hurried over to start healing him.
"That must have been tough. Were there a lot of traps?"
"Yeah. Guess I should have expected as much from the imperial castle. Thankfully, I don't have to disarm them all."
"Indeed, it is fortunate that the emperor wishes to hold a ball tonight. It will be easier to put our plans into motion with crowds of people milling about."
"Do you really think it'll work?" Shea asked in a worried voice as she massaged Hajime's shoulders.
The showdown to decide the fate of her family would begin in a few hours. It was only natural for her to be nervous.
In response, Hajime rubbed her ears, Yue pinched her cheeks, Tio stroked her hair, and Kaori held her hand. They all smiled at her, and Shea felt herself tearing up.
But she didn't let the tears fall. They may have been tears of happiness, but it was still too early to shed them. Instead, she gave everyone the most dazzling smile she could muster. She had comrades she could trust, and a family she loved. What more could she ask for?
It was that unflinching positivity that Hajime and the others loved most about her. Kouki, Ryutarou, Shizuku and Suzu were captivated by it as well. After confirming that Shea was alright, Hajime grinned like a kid about to pull a huge prank and declared his intent.
"The stage has been set. All that remains is for the festival to begin. Let's get ourselves dressed so we're ready to welcome the stars of the show."
Yue and the others smiled fearlessly, while Kouki and the students nodded nervously.