Chapter 289 (1/2)

Febris Castle, which was at the center of Elarc, was surprisingly quiet.

If one step out were taken, the worried voices of refugees and the sounds of battle that resounded in the distance could be heard.

However, only within this castle, it was quiet as if it were a different world, or like it was an isolated place.

And that was only natural. Right now, within this castle, there was only the minimum amount of people.

In other words, Third Princess Celis and the Swords of Light Chivalric Order, several servants and the cabinet minister, the parliamentary officials……and then, Reina, who was a guest.

The cabinet minister and the parliamentary officials were trembling in the rooms they were given, and the servants were in a similar state.

The members of the Swords of Light Chivalric Order were being vigilant of the Alva, which they didn’t know when or where they might come from, and only made the bare minimum amount of conversation.

On top of that, the enemy wasn’t just the Alva. The people of First Princess Narika’s side might take advantage of this chaos and start something. Not too long ago, there was a spy that tried to sneak in.

Rather, those were the ones that they should originally be wary of, but thanks to the Alva, everything became a mess.

Among the Canal Kingdom’s Swords of Light Chivalric Order, there were even some that were gossiping, saying that Princess Narika had joined hands with the Alva.

More accurately, it wasn’t that Princess Narika had formed a structure of collaboration with the Alva who they couldn’t communicate with through words, but it was a story that she had joined hands with someone that manipulated the Alva.

An existence that would manipulate the Alva, which were Mazoku──In other words, the Zadark Kingdom’s Demon King Vermudol.

He had formed a friendship with the Jiol Forest Kingdom, but there were rumors that he was doing various suspicious things in the shadows of that.

If the Zadark Kingdom was making a move, that would mean that Princess Narika had a powerful existence known as the Mazoku as her backer, and Princess Celis’s chances of winning were slim.

In reality, there were some among the Staves of Light Knights that immediately gave up and went to the First Princess’s side.

Even among the Swords of Light Knights, it wasn’t like there weren’t any that changed sides, but even so, most of the Swords of Light Chivalric Order had sword their loyalty Princess Celis even now. As for why, it was because they believed that Princess Celis was the righteous one.Even Celis herself understood those feelings of theirs.

The flames of determination dwelled within Celis’s eyes as she offered her prayers in the Altar Room.

Holding up a beautiful silver long staff in front of her, she prayed.

The Magic Gem that was fitted into that long staff received the light that poured down from the ceiling and shone beautifully.

This Altar Room, which was placed on the highest floor of the Febris Castle, had light pouring down from the ceiling that had beautiful crystals set into it, and that made it seem like the entire room was illuminated.

That was also the fundamental structure of a temple that worshipped the God of Light Raidolg.

When praying in this room, anyone other than the royal family was forbidden from entering, but Reina frequently entered without worrying about that rule.

That being said, now that there was no telling if when the Alva would appear in this room as well, even Celis was unable to strongly reproach her, and offering her her honest opinion was the most she could do.

But, as expected, since she felt that it was wrong for her to repeatedly intrude over and over again, she requested that she stand in wait on the floor below right now.

「Raidolg-sama……Please, help us……」

「Are you praying?」

What came from behind Celis, was a voice that was clearly not Reina’s, but a voice that sounded male.

After noticing that and turning around, there was a black shadow standing at the entrance to the stairs that went from the Altar Room down to the floor below.

Sinister horns. Bat-like wings. A body with a black lustre.

He clearly seemed like an Alva, but he had a slender and muscular body, his claws weren’t long, and instead, he somewhat resembled a member of mankind.

And then, above all, he spoke words that even Celis could understand.

「Whoa there, if you’re expecting help, then it’s pointless. My comrades are downstairs as well, and are stopping her from leaving after all.」

「……What do you want.」

After Celis glared at him, the Alva went “Oya” and raised a surprised sounding voice.「How courageous. Or is it just a bluff?」

「I asked you, what do you want.」