The sudden and rude entrance made everyone wear expressions like ‘who dares’ as they checked the source of the sound, only to turn pale as if they’d seen a ghost.
Everyone rose to their feet, moving with trance-like motions.
The person who strode in, openly displaying anger, was the Emperor.
“We greet His Majesty the Emperor!”
Though it had been kept quiet from the empire’s citizens, the nobles in this room had already secretly heard.
The last person to see the Emperor reported that he had been bedridden in his chamber, unable to move.
His pale, thin body had reportedly been completely motionless, barely clinging to life.
Most people here had thought it would take at least several months for him to get up, and even then, his strength would be so diminished that he would pass the successor position to Forcite, the Second Prince.
The Emperor stood before the platform.
Forcite was naturally pushed aside.
The blood drained from Forcite’s face, which until now had been nothing but composed.
…How? There was no trace of dark energy on the Emperor’s body.
The Emperor didn’t even spare Forcite a glance. With an expressionless face, he threw the document he had brought onto the nobles’ table.
[Duke Hartez shall actively assist to the extent possible when the Emperor requests the extermination of magical beasts.]
[The Imperial Family shall provide full support for House Hartez’s research on magical beasts.]
It was part of the original contract, with only the content related to the Tower Master removed.
“…Are you saying there was a contract between the Imperial Family and House Hartez?”
“It seems the magical beast research was true….”
The audience began to murmur loudly.
Some were even trembling.
Public opinion swung greatly toward Ariel.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Emperor tossed something else down with a stern and irritated expression that no one could imitate.
It was the fake letter that Forcite had sent to Ariel while controlling the Emperor’s body.
“This is the letter I sent to Duke Hartez right before this special edition was published. As you can see, the Duke’s body has recovered considerably, and he gladly responded to my request. This was while you were all speaking ill of the Duke.”
The Emperor was actually using this to his advantage.
The nobles, standing awkwardly, were busy rolling their eyes and watching each other’s reactions.
“One more thing. It was Saint Merrien who saved my life.”
When the Emperor’s hand pointed to the door, everyone’s gaze instantly fixed there.
Merrien stood at the door, awkwardly smiling and rubbing her arms.
“You all know well that Saint Merrien healed Duke Hartez. The Saint saved my life as well. If they had been colluding with magical beasts to attack the empire, why would the Saint staying at House Hartez bother to save me?”
“……”
The surroundings became quiet as death.
There were some, like Baron Marist, who clenched their fists and glared at Forcite.
Forcite couldn’t accept this fact. Merri healed the Emperor?
No, that’s impossible. From the beginning, that energy couldn’t be removed by a Saint’s power.
Could it be…
Forcite’s pupils moved strangely, almost inhuman, then suddenly stopped.
“Then I conclude this noble trial with Duke Ariel Hartez being found not guilty. You’ve suffered much due to this strange misunderstanding, Duke.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Ariel smiled and bowed respectfully.
Merrien, still watching the situation from the doorway, hid her trembling hands behind her back.
Agnes’s plan, which had been like a gamble, had succeeded.
“I think I can remove the energy covering the Emperor.”
“You, Nes?”
“Yes. I don’t know why, but that voice keeps muttering in a manner resembling brainwashing. I can cover it with my voice. I tested it on a Griffin, and it defied its original orders to follow my instructions. If the Emperor’s energy works exactly the same way, I can remove it.”
The plan was as follows:
Agnes and Merrien would enter the Emperor’s room with Charlotte’s help. Of course, Agnes would transform into a dog.
While Charlotte temporarily left, Agnes would remove the dark energy.
When the Emperor woke up, they would make it appear as if Merrien had healed him.
They would tell the Emperor everything that had happened and have him bring the original contract between the Imperial Family and House Hartez to the courtroom.
At exactly 4:30 PM.
Ariel’s job was to stall for time until then.
If even one thing went wrong, who knew what would happen to Ariel, Merrien, and even Agnes due to Forcite’s schemes?
‘Thank goodness, really…’
Merrien smiled as she saw Ariel wink at her.
But Forcite couldn’t accept any of this.
The dark energy flowing from his entire body began to writhe like a living creature.
The energy completely enveloped Forcite and grew to an enormous size that threatened to fill the entire courtroom, then suddenly burst.
‘…Huh?’
Merrien, who had been watching with an anxious expression while covering her mouth, became dazed.
This was all a precursor to what was about to happen.
Crash-! Bang-!
The huge glass window that occupied one side of the courtroom shattered like thin plastic breaking into pieces.
What entered with a loud noise after breaking the window was a top-tier magical beast.
“Wh-why is a magical beast here…!”
The nobles were so surprised they couldn’t properly sit in their chairs and fell on their bottoms on the floor.
Some crawled or hurriedly ran toward the door, but another top-tier magical beast blocked their way with thundering steps.
In an instant, dozens of top-tier magical beasts filled the courtroom.
The door had already collapsed beyond recognition, and more than half of the pillars were broken. It was only a matter of time before the ceiling itself collapsed.
All the top-tier magical beasts contained B within them, and the dark energy connecting them to Forcite flowed over their thick hides.
Forcite’s pupils were greatly dilated as he stood still, watching the top-tier magical beasts.
-Kill Merrien.
The dark energy in Forcite’s eyes whispered.
A strange voice, like tearing laughter, loudly echoed in the minds of the top-tier magical beasts.
The massive beasts moved toward Merrien. Their sharp claws were about to reach her.
“…Merri. No!”
Suddenly, Forcite, his eyes returning to their original red, desperately shouted and ran toward Merrien.
Bang!
But what Forcite faced was a magical beast disappearing perfectly before his eyes, leaving behind not even skin or blood.
The dust-filled smoke that had covered the courtroom until just now gradually disappeared.
Someone was standing in front of Merrien.
It was Ariel with brilliant silver hair.
“Merri, are you okay?”
The courtroom was filled with settled dust.
Ariel paid no attention to the dust thickly covering his hair and clothes.
He carefully touched Merrien’s hair, which had no dust to brush off, as he had shielded her with his entire body.
“…Mmm.”
Merrien hesitated before answering, perhaps still vividly remembering the beast’s claws that had suddenly approached her.
If he had been even a little late, she might have been torn to shreds by those claws.
The nobles, who had been holding their breath as if in a separate space, gradually raised their heads.
Though a significant amount of dust had settled on their heads, the brilliant hair that sparkled like dew was clearly silver.
In the empire, those with silver hair would be Saint Charlotte or the Tower Master…
“T-Tower Master?”
Someone’s trembling voice echoed in the quiet courtroom.
Come to think of it, those blue eyes. They were similar to the Tower Master who appeared wearing a mask in the evening.
The fact that someone who had been so far from Saint Merrien was suddenly there, and that all the top-tier magical beasts disappeared without a trace, with just a snap of his fingers.
These were things only the Tower Master could do.
Ariel, who had been examining Merrien’s face, turned his head.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“!!!”
A playful, smooth voice. Yes, the nobles finally realized.
Duke Ariel Hartez is the Tower Master!