Chapter 35: The Princess and the Academy City (4)

The Princess’ fingers were twitching, as if something was missing from her clasped hands.

And despite the tense atmosphere, the lack of a weapon in her grasp created an awkward feeling.

“Tell me everything you know.”

“I’m still investigating some parts, so let’s start by filling in the blanks at the beginning.”

“Beginning?”

“Yes. Let’s start with carefully retracing your memories. I’ll fill in the parts I can.”

“…”

Rohan began opening a hamburger wrapper with a rustle.

He offered one of the two hamburgers he had bought before coming to the Princess, but she shook her head, refusing it as expected.

It was wise of her not to accept food from others in a situation like this.

“Princess Testarossa. This isn’t a difficult problem.”

“?!”

“Just retrace your memories and confirm the questionable parts. Starting from the day the ruler of Tigrova changed.”

A title Rohan had never used before.

The Princess’ eyes widened in shock upon hearing those words from someone else’s mouth.

“…You delved that deep into my affairs? I’m impressed. It makes me trust you more, actually.”

“If you find it unpleasant, I’ll change the way I address you. If you give me an alias, I’ll use that.”

“It’s fine. It’s a meaningless name anyway. There’s no reason for formalities.”

Permission granted.

As if waiting for that moment, Rohan dropped the honorifics.

“Testarossa is long… How about Shion?”

Shion Testarossa.

How long had it been since she had heard her real name,and not “Princess,” from someone else’s lips?

Those words were like a flame ignited before her darkened eyes, and Shion was unable to suppress a strange exhilaration, letting out a hollow laugh.

“Unbelievable. My name has been so easily given away.”

“There’s no one else around me who knows it. It’s exclusive information only I know, so there’s no need for worry.”

“Have you ever considered that those words might put you in danger?”

Rohan barely managed to stifle his laughter at Shion’s quasi-threat.

To think someone whose nature didn’t allow them to persecute the innocent would say such a thing.

It would be a good tool to manipulate the old Elders, but to Rohan, it was just naivety.

“Since I’ve proven my ability to obtain information, I don’t think I’ll die.”

Shion shrugged at Rohan’s words, as if to say she didn’t know.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d give me a name to call you too. An alias is fine.”

“Rohan.”

Shion muttered the name “Rohan” a few times and then nodded.

“Good. Let’s start with the day the ruler of Tigrova changed.”

“Okay.”

Rohan listened while chewing on his fries.

“Honestly, there’s not much to recall. I was just a snot-nosed kid who didn’t know anything back then. I was in my room when the Elders brought me the news of my parents’ demise, and then I ran away.”

Grand Emperor of Snow, Noa Frozenheart’s father, became the new ruler of Tigrova from that point on.

Rohan made a show of listening to her carefully, letting Shion mull over the important facts.

“So you didn’t witness what happened to your parents personally? And you only heard it from the Elders?”

“…That’s right.”

That must have been the part that bothered her the most.

Rohan was satisfied with it being brought up.

“First, let’s correct the most important fact.”

“I’m listening. Tell me.”

A brief pause.

Satisfied with Shion’s attention, Rohan spoke.

“First of all, the Grand Emperor of Snow never killed the Testarossa Royalty.”

“…”

“But he did defeat them in battle. In Tigrova, individual martial prowess is the ultimate authority.”

The Grand Emperor of Snow became Tigrova’s rightful ruler by demonstrating overwhelming power. However, he wasn’t needlessly cruel, and he possessed a deep-rooted reputation that required no examples. Therefore, he didn’t kill Shion’s parents, but simply sent them away instead.

And regarding their subsequent whereabouts, the Grand Emperor of Snow was different from the image Shion had in mind.

He welcomed the small number of Elves residing in the Coniferous Forest as members of his court and even attempted to place those of Testarossa bloodline in key positions within Tigrova.

“That’s all for now.”

Rohan’s explanation ended.

Shion’s expression held an indescribable discomfort.

Bright red blood trickled down her lips she had bitten hard in an attempt to suppress her emotions.

“Even if, and I mean a very big IF, what I just heard is true… then what happened to my parents…?”

The girl’s question about who harmed her parents remained incomplete.

Because, assuming Rohan’s words were true, certain figures flashed through Shion’s mind.

The Elders and Rohan.

It was clear that one of them was lying to her.

“Let’s take it step by step to make it easier to find the answer.”

“…”

“What do you think the Elders want?”

The girl’s mind was already in turmoil.

The air felt oppressively heavy.

“Answer me. You know what the Elders want from you, right?”

As Rohan pressed her in a low voice,

Shion answered in a small voice.

“…To reclaim Tigrova from the Grand Emperor of Snow.”

The fact that she had revealed this so easily, without any suspicion, meant she was greatly confused.

Rohan felt a pang of guilt inwardly as he forced the conversation to continue.

“How do they plan to reclaim it?”

“By having me, the last of the Testarossa bloodline, defeat him in battle.”

“Fair and square?”

Seeing Shion nod in agreement, Rohan stroked his chin.

If she adds the condition of ‘someday,’ the possibility isn’t zero.

The Grand Emperor of Snow would age, and Shion’s strength would follow an upward trajectory, eventually reaching its peak.

However,

If the premise of ‘within a few years’ were added, it was a delusional plan that could only be criticized as wishful thinking. Unless the Elders had devised a special strategy.

“Then consider this. What do you think the Elders are planning to do by bringing in those incompetent individuals?”

“…”

“They can’t even help you with training with their own abilities, so what are they doing?”

Silence descended upon the small room.

Creak— Rohan leaned back in his chair and waited.

He wasn’t waiting for an answer.

He was simply giving Shion time to think.

“Shion.”

“…”

The girl raised her head at Rohan’s call.

Her eyes had lost their intelligent gleam and were now dull.

Her face was filled with ominous assumptions.

“What are humans and Beastkin?”

“Humans and Beastkin are…”

Amidst her dazed consciousness,

There was a reflexive answer to the unexpected question, but she couldn’t continue.

Rohan’s gaze and the atmosphere carried a fierce and ominous aura, as if warning her not to utter those words.

The girl forcibly roused herself from the murky swamp her mind was sinking into.

─ Princess. Humans and Beastkin have filthy blood, no different from Satan.

─ Do not speak with races other than Elves. They are deceitful beings with mouths that spew lies at every opportunity.

Words she had heard constantly from the Elders during her formative years.

Words she had heard so much, that they even echoed in her dreams and haunted her as auditory hallucinations.

Shion winced, a sharp headache piercing her temples.

“Tell me what you saw and felt directly, not what someone taught you. What were the passersby you saw on the street like?”

“…”

She didn’t have any particular impressions.

She didn’t feel they were good, nor did she feel they were evil.

However,

The girl with closed eyes she met when she went to buy Water Drop Friends merchandise.

Could she call that girl, who greeted her with a gentle smile, someone with filthy blood?

“…”

Once again, Rohan gave Shion time to think.

Observing was enough.

It must be hard for her, especially having heard such information from the very beginning.

He thought he had softened the information as much as possible, but perhaps it was too harsh.

Still, it was fine as long as she hadn’t broken down.

In fact, solving this first suspicion was practically the entirety of the “The Broken Crown” storyline.

How long had the Elf girl been leaning against the wall in silence?

Beep beep beep—! Beep beep beep—!

The clock shattered the stillness, announcing that it was time for her to leave.

“I… I should head back now…”

Moving listlessly, Shion put on her boots, and took her goggles out of her pocket.

“I don’t know if the information was helpful. I’ll try to gather more.”

Rohan opened the window as if seeing off a guest, and spoke softly in the cool breeze that entered the room.

“Shion.”

“…”

The girl, who had one foot on the windowsill, looked back at him.

“Don’t be so shocked. And you don’t have to believe my information at face value right away.”

Shion muttered that it was easier said than done after hearing everything.

Rohan added a word along with an apology.

“You’ll probably think of ways to confirm the truth.”

“…”

Naturally, there were many parts that raised doubts.

After all, she had spent a long time in the outside world.

Thud.

Shion stepped back into the room from the windowsill.

Looking directly at Rohan, she asked,

“What if… just what if…”

“Yeah?”

“If everything you said turns out to be true… what should I do?”

Shion appeared to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“Even if you’re so angry that your head feels like it’s about to explode, don’t act rashly.”

“…Are you telling me to wait? Or to calm down?”

“Both.”

“…”

Shion pressed her lips together.

It seemed she wasn’t confident she could do either.

“Wait.”

Rohan picked up the remaining hamburger on the desk, scribbled his number on the wrapper once more, and forced it into Shion’s hand.

“Do you remember what I said?”

“…”

At his words, a conversation immediately surfaced from the girl’s memory.

The short chat they had during their first encounter in the Ruin.

─ I’ve also written down the approximate times you can contact me, so feel free to call even for non-business matters.

─ If you have any worries, or if you’re feeling down and want something sweet? Even trivial matters are fine.

Shion nodded, her face slightly less worried.

Rohan told her to be careful again as he saw her off.

“We’ll meet again anyway.”

No matter how she thought about it, it was a cryptic statement from Shion’s perspective.

Even so, she couldn’t deny it, so the girl kept Rohan’s words in mind as she left Academy City.