The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 149
EP.149 Interlude
It seemed the ceremonial robe didn’t quite fit.
The Emperor stood still, lost in thought, while holding his bag.
Lucas had been able to escape thanks to wearing the ceremonial robe. Considering that it had withstood both his own sword energy and the Sword Saint’s strikes, its performance was undeniably exceptional.
However, even the ceremonial robe had its limits. Someone wearing that robe would be vulnerable if they could feel pain and couldn't easily escape. Since Lucas was so affected by just one of Sylvia's shots, the Empire probably doesn't have much to fear.
Not everyone who wore that robe could be like Lucas.
“Seems your skills don’t quite measure up to his.”
“…I apologize.”
Jayden bowed his head deeply.
“It’s fine. What could you have done? It was impossible from the start.”
“……”
Though the Emperor had spoken with good intentions, it didn’t seem that way to Jayden. The strongest knight in the Empire—he must have taken great pride in that title.
Come to think of it, they've never really fought each other to the death. He thought they had some sort of bond, at least among his other children.
“Verratti isn’t dead?”
“That is correct. She is currently recovering. Her life is not in danger, but we do not know when she will wake up…”
“And Sylvia as well.”
Jayden’s expression twisted slightly. He likely blamed Lucas for her condition.
That was only half true.
But the other half…
“I see. For now, return to your duties.”
“Understood.”
Jayden had been injured, but it seemed his wounds weren’t too severe. After all, Lucas had poured all his strength into escaping. If it had been a real duel, Jayden wouldn’t have walked away unscathed.
Jayden snapped to attention before turning on his heel and exiting the audience chamber.
Meanwhile, Alice had remained in Sylvia’s room ever since. Even after hearing that Sylvia’s injuries weren’t life-threatening, she couldn’t rest easy. Though the room was already attended by caregivers, Alice insisted on tending to Sylvia herself.
When had they grown so close?
…It must have been because of Sylvia. From the moment she arrived, Sylvia had been considerate of Alice.
“Hm.”
The Emperor opened the bag in his hands.
Inside was a Relic. It wasn’t entirely unexpected. Considering the commotion Lucas had caused in the Papal State, there was no way he had left empty-handed. However, he hadn’t expected the Relic to hold such a power.
“I’ve never met anyone of that kind before.”
Muttering to himself, the Emperor answered his own thoughts.
Or rather—could they even be called human?
Every nation in the world, especially those with myths tied to the Goddess Church, knew that Relics were important. Even based solely on their vast magical energy, it was clear they served as a crucial key to something. Yet, very few understood their exact purpose.
That’s right. Few knew.
And the Emperor was one of those rare few.
There's a legend passed down only to those who inherit the throne, a tale of a Fangriffon and a Goddess. However, according to that legend, a Relic could not be utilized unless all the pieces were gathered to form a complete whole.
It would be ideal to collect them all someday, but there was no reason the Empire had to be the one to do it. Ultimately, the Relics had to be used in the Holy Land, meaning war with the Papal State was inevitable.
Even if the Empire possessed just a single piece, they could simply overpower their enemies in the end and take the rest by force.
The gears that turned the world’s mechanisms.
The unfinished machine Fangriffon had built in an attempt to usurp the Goddess’s power.
These Relics were the broken cogs of that machine.
“I never imagined a single piece would hold such power.”
A mere component of an essential mechanism. Logically speaking, a single piece should hold no real value. Even if it did, it shouldn’t be able to activate the full mechanism on its own.
And yet—
Even in its fragmented state, was it still imbued with the Goddess’s power?
The masked woman wasn’t the issue. The Relic she possessed was what had suppressed Sylvia’s abilities. If this Relic counteracted the masked woman’s power, then it all made sense.
Of course, some questions remained. If Sylvia was the Goddess or her vessel, then why was she aiding Fangriffon—her supposed nemesis? Why was she trying to make Alice the Emperor instead of herself?
Perhaps she was thinking the same thing as him.
If she was waiting for the Emperor to gather the Relics, only to steal them at the final moment…
Even so, the Relics were still necessary.
Sylvia had been able to use her powers despite the presence of a Relic, though the backlash had been immense.
And if that masked woman’s Relic wasn’t nearby, then once Sylvia awakened, there would be no restrictions on her abilities.
To prepare for any similar beings that might exist, the Relics had to be gathered.
“This will be useful.”
The Emperor smirked as he looked down at the bag once more.
*
Another failure.
Dragging her creaking body forward, she contemplated.
Click. Click.
The sound of gears turning echoed with every movement of her fingers. In truth, it wasn’t just her fingers. She heard it when she walked, when she moved her eyes to see, even when she thought. She wanted to silence the sound. But she couldn’t. That sound was the only proof she existed.
Her body still had blood, flesh, and bones—
Yet, no matter where she looked, everything appeared the same. A sensation as if her body were floating in the center of a kaleidoscope. As if she had become something infinitely small.
Whenever she saw Sylvia, a clicking sound resonated deep within her chest. What she felt was joy. Longing. Happiness and sorrow. And yet, with this body, she couldn’t even speak properly. She couldn’t even laugh.
Alice—was she Alice?
She had memories. That was why, every time she saw Sylvia, she felt these emotions.
Sylvia had a sorrowful expression on her face. She was shooting at 'Alice,' herself. But the bullet missed— and then Alice's wings...
Regret, endless and relentless, consumed her.
No—was regret even the right word? Had she truly regretted anything? That had to be incorrect. Alice hadn’t existed then. More precisely, that event hadn’t even happened yet.
Click. Click.
The more tangled her thoughts became, the louder the sounds of movement grew. Her head trembled from the vibrations.
Perhaps this body—this blood and flesh—was nothing more than decoration.
If the machinery in her head was the only thing proving her existence— who had created this body? Who had implanted these memories? Why had she been dropped into that place without any guidance? What had they been thinking when they created this puppet—when they created her—
—Still, at the very least, there was one thing she could do.
If nothing else, she could share what she did know.
*
Returning to the student council room after a long time, I encountered someone I wasn’t entirely comfortable with.
No—was uncomfortable even the right word? In a way, we were practically enemies.
Especially from her perspective.
“Lady Crowfield.”
At my greeting, Crowfield lifted her head to look at me. Shadows hung heavy beneath her eyes.
“…What happened over the break?”
Even before Charlotte, who had come in with me, could greet her, she asked that question. That was how bad Mia Crowfield’s condition seemed. Her dried-out eyes suggested she had cried extensively.
And understandably so. She had been forced to face the truth—that the family she had loved so dearly… were those kinds of people.
She had collapsed to the ground and screamed back then.
She probably didn’t even know who to resent. Directing hatred at a single target was easy, but when the reasons were layered and tangled…
Even so, I believed there was still hope.
She hadn’t left the academy. She hadn’t locked herself away in the dorms. She hadn’t attended the opening ceremony, but she was here, in the student council room.
That meant she wanted to talk.
“..….”
I felt I needed to say something, but when I tried, I didn’t know what.
A greeting like “Hello” didn’t seem appropriate—Mia Crowfield was far from fine. The same went for “I hope you’re well.”
Alice stole a glance at me, while Charlotte, Claire, and Leo seemed to grasp that this conversation had something to do with me. The four of them stood slightly apart, giving us space.
“…Going forward—”
I slowly began speaking, organizing my thoughts as I went.
“Going forward… let’s try to get along.”
Not the most eloquent words.
I wasn’t sure how Mia Crowfield would react, so I waited nervously.
Then, barely, she gave a small nod.
That was enough for me to breathe just a little easier.