Chapter 126: Call My Name (3)
“…What, nothing happened?”
The definition of “nothing happened” varied a bit, but from Eranya’s perspective, it was true enough.
But for the others who saw Eranya suddenly appear at the window of Astrid’s room on the second floor of the mansion, it wasn’t “nothing.”
“Th-That, Eranya unnie. Why are you here?”
“Yeah, but I think it’s weirder that she’s here.”
The tip of Eranya’s chin pointed toward Veracien.
Veracien, now fully revealing her succubus form.
At least to Eranya, it was strange that Veracien stood there in her true succubus form, and no one else seemed to mind much.
“Well… it’s kind of.”
Explaining it would take a while.
I, Leopold von Einthafen, glanced around.
Astrid…
A logical explanation seemed impossible from her.
Ashray…
He probably hadn’t fully grasped what was happening either—just staying quiet because everyone else was.
Veracien herself wouldn’t be believed even if she explained.
In the end, it fell to me to explain, but that’d take too long.
“She’s not an enemy.”
“Oh, really?”
Thankfully, Eranya seemed to accept it.
She climbed off the windowsill and stepped into the room.
Her deep green boots touched the floor without a sound.
It was quite different from her usual self.
Though she held her bow casually, her index finger was slightly outstretched, ready to nock an arrow at any moment, and her gaze stayed fixed on Veracien without wavering.
“I’d like a detailed explanation.”
Her words made me start thinking again.
How far should I trust Eranya?
How much information should I give her?
From what she’d said, it seemed she was hostile toward Veracien, but I couldn’t just assume the enemy of my enemy was my ally.
She could be against Astein and Veracien and hostile to me, Astrid, and Ashray too—that possibility couldn’t be ruled out.
“More importantly, Eranya unnie. Why are you here? I think you should explain that first.”
“Why I’m here?”
Eranya hesitated slightly.
The moment she’d shown herself here, keeping the promise to Kreutz and Wolfgang to stay discreet became impossible.
Well, whatever then.
At least three factions were in this room.
Leopold, Astrid, Ashray.
Veracien.
Eranya.
None knew the others’ true intentions.
How much should they reveal here—
The one to start was Eranya.
“Kreutz and Wolfgang asked me to watch over you two. But unfortunately, Veracien and Astein split up, and I don’t have two bodies, you know?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Ugh… this kid, so smart but can’t take a hint?”
The crown prince and the young lady destined to be his consort enrolled in the academy at the same time—did they really think they’d be left there without any protection?
Kreutz and Wolfgang had asked her discreetly to ensure no harm came to them.
Eranya had accepted, gone to the academy, enrolled, and naturally joined their squad—
That was it.
“Huh.”
I hadn’t known.
“But, Eranya unnie, how do you even know His Majesty or my dad…?”
“Their first love.”
A frigid silence fell over the room.
“Just kidding.”
Eranya grinned as she spoke, but it didn’t feel like a joke, so neither I nor Astrid could laugh.
“So, hey, demon.”
“Demon? I’m a succubus, okay? Would you like it if I called you a pointy-ears instead of an elf?”
“Not like I’d mind.”
Eranya kept smiling throughout.
“Succubus, demon, same difference. Anyway, what’s your deal with Astein? From what I saw, Astein’s out there—”
Just revenge. Revenge. Revenge against the invaders who destroyed my homeland.
Yeah. Just revenge. I’ll bring down Astrid von Miterien from the inside—she’s someone I could never beat barehanded—and through her, I’ll topple Crown Prince Leopold too. I can’t collapse the empire in one blow, but… you know how it goes, right?
A fallen prince sharpening his blade for revenge… that sort of thing. And there’s another story like that too, isn’t there?
…A great empire, having lost its heir, falls into chaos as those vying for the throne tear it apart, leading to its eventual ruin—that kind of story. It’s not unheard of, after all.
“Some royalty from a nation crushed by the empire, I guess?”
Judging by how eagerly he’d rambled, that seemed likely.
Astrid couldn’t follow the conversation bouncing between Eranya and Veracien at all.
She’d thought Eranya was just a dimwit, and though she knew Veracien was a succubus, understanding their exchange was tough.
“…What are you two even talking about?”
“Hmm, I’ll listen and explain it to you later in a way you’ll understand, Astrid.”
Astrid.
“No, I get it. So.”
Suddenly, Astrid’s demeanor shifted, and she let go of my arm, which she’d been holding.
Her already sharp eyes narrowed further, and a menacing glint sparked in them.
“So, Astein enrolled in the academy with ill intentions toward Einthafen from the start, targeting His Highness and me. Veracien, you were in on it. And Eranya, you were trying to stop it. That’s the story, right?”
“…Huh? Astie, why are you…?”
Crunch, creak.
As Astrid stepped off the bed, a strange twisting sound rang out, and the floor beneath began to dent.
With every step she took, the floor creaked and sank, thin cracks spiderwebbing out.
“Calm down, Astie. It’s not time to get angry yet. Veracien, you agree, right?”
“Yeah. I achieved my goal anyway, so I’m on your side now.”
Veracien shrugged and smiled at Astrid.
Whatever had happened, if Astrid lunged at her now, it wouldn’t be easy.
She hated dealing with such hassles.
“How can we trust that?”
“Oh my, no race keeps promises as well as demons. It’s you humans who break them, not us. I got the reward I was promised, so I’ve got no regrets. Joining your side sounds way more fun.”
“You were allied with Astein, and now you expect us to believe you’re switching to us?”
“Don’t believe me then. But if you don’t, it’s your loss.”
“No, it’s not. Do you think it makes sense to spare an enemy out of desperation?”
【Calm down, calm down.】
‘Shut up for a bit.’
Astrid wasn’t in a good mood.
She could tolerate insults aimed at her.
A scared, weak dog barked—so thinking of it that way, she could endure it.
But insults aimed at—
Leopold,
The imperial family,
And furthermore, her homeland of Einthafen—she’d never forgive.
“I don’t get how we’re supposed to trust you and Astein, who tried to threaten Einthafen’s safety. That’s nonsense. Are you telling a soldier who protects the empire to trust someone who tried to terrorize her country?”
“Wow, she’s so rigid.”
Veracien clicked her tongue.
How had they raised their daughter that at just twenty, Astrid’s mind was this inflexible? She couldn’t fathom it.
“Oh, how about this then? I’ll take you to the self-sustaining tower. That work? I’ll help you catch Astein there directly. Then you’ll trust me, right?”
Puffing out her chest proudly as if to say, How’s that?, Veracien spoke confidently, but unfortunately, Eranya was there.
Eranya, who’d just come from a fierce fight with Astein.
“Uh, Astein’s not there right now.”
At Eranya’s words, Veracien belatedly realized Astein wasn’t within her detection range.
“…Oh, you’re right.”
“You damn demon, daring to mock His Highness…!”
As Astrid radiated a menacing aura, ready to charge, Veracien hurriedly waved her hands.
“N-No, no! Wait, we still need to go to the self-sustaining tower, right? Even if we know Astein’s goal, don’t we need to investigate how he plans to do it and what methods he’ll use?”
“I was just there, so I know there’s nothing—wait, hold on.”
Astrid paused, lost in thought.
The symbols drawn in that vast cavern were definitely familiar.
Familiar because… she’d seen them somewhere before.
“You can take us to this self-sustaining tower directly from here, right?”
Whatever clicked, the menacing aura faded, and Veracien nodded with inward relief.
The tower was hers to begin with, so she could return anytime and bring them along without issue.
“If you want, I could even pull the whole tower here.”
“Then bring it closer.”
Astrid turned to look at me.
Her eyes still glinted with a predatory edge, like she’d locked onto a target, sending a chill down my spine.
In contrast,
There was Veracien, panicking because she couldn’t contact Parie—her ally who’d long since been attacked by Eranya and reverse-summoned to the demon realm.
“…I-I don’t think I can pull it up.”
“As expected, demons can’t be trusted.”
At Astrid’s words, Veracien had no retort this time and stayed silent.