Ch.185Life Never Quite Goes as Planned, They Say

The sound was like a mountain collapsing.

Cracked marble shattered as pieces collided, and golden ornaments were crushed and flattened under the weight of falling rocks.

Even the word “catastrophe” was woefully inadequate to describe this scene.

The eight-hundred-year myth of the Empire was turning into ruins.

Even the Royal Guards who rushed to the scene could only stare blankly at the devastation before them, not knowing what to do.

Though they should have immediately rushed in to rescue Empress Isabella and the palace residents, no one dared to try.

Entering that area would be nothing but meaningless suicide.

The impact of the collapse was so great that even the supposedly solid foundation was crumbling away.

—-

The thunderous noise and vibrations that echoed all the way to the 1st Prince’s Palace were more than enough to wake me from my sleep.

The sound was like hundreds of lightning bolts striking in succession. It even gave me a sense of déjà vu.

It sounded just like when the rocky mountain in Karmine Forest collapsed.

And when the walls of Einfeld Castle shattered to pieces.

I threw off my blanket, jumped up, and hurried to the window.

What I saw outside was truly shocking.

What is this, a dream…?

Unable to believe what I was seeing, I rubbed my eyes and looked outside again. Nothing changed.

Because it wasn’t a dream.

Half of the Main Palace was collapsing into the ground.

Like dominoes, the destruction kept spreading endlessly.

In an instant, with no chance to do anything about it.

My mind was in such chaos that I couldn’t even utter a word of shock.

The tremors only stopped after just the entrance of the Main Palace remained.

Only then did my ability to think somewhat return.

I could guess who was behind this. It had to be Isabella’s doing.

Although there were significant differences from my memories, I had seen similar scenes several times before.

The collapse of the Imperial Palace.

Though it would be meaningless now, this was the scene that marked the beginning of the fourth episode.

After Ernst smoothly ascended to the throne and somehow managed to repel Hersella’s forces.

In the middle of the battered Empire, Isabella, who had become the Empress Dowager, finally revealed her true nature in that episode.

Isabella, along with the dragon Nidhogg, destroyed the palace and soared into the sky, revealing her identity to the world and unleashing thousands of monsters upon the land.

It was quite a shocking story for those experiencing it without prior knowledge.

Even users who knew Isabella was a villain from experiencing the bad ending didn’t know she was a witch.

Plus, it was also the episode where “dragons” first appeared in the story.

Anyway, according to the original timeline, the palace collapse shouldn’t have happened for at least another five years.

There was a setting that dragons couldn’t awaken until the time was right.

It’s difficult to put full faith in the game’s story now, but the settings themselves tend to be fairly accurate… so it probably wasn’t a dragon that appeared.

Indeed, I didn’t hear anything that could be described as a dragon’s roar. Nor did I see any massive form rising through the debris.

…Then, does that mean the one who destroyed the palace now wasn’t a dragon but… Isabella herself?

Come to think of it, the scale of destruction was too small for a dragon’s appearance.

That’s somewhat fortunate, I suppose.

Even the Empire’s First Sword doesn’t seem to have surpassed the level of Master, so if a dragon appeared at this point, it could probably conquer the world with just that one beast.

Masters would be nothing but chunks of meat bursting apart with a single strike from a dragon.

The remaining problem was that I couldn’t understand why Isabella would destroy the palace at this point… but this wasn’t something I could solve by thinking about it.

Honestly, I didn’t have time to think about it either.

Royal Guards and other knights were gathering toward this detached palace.

I grabbed my sword and armor and headed to Leopold’s room.

—-

Before I even reached the prince’s bedchamber, I ran into Leopold in the corridor.

“The Main Palace collapsing… what in the world…!”

Leopold looked about ten times more shocked than I was.

He too must have been startled awake, as he wore only an overcoat over his nightclothes, and his hair was disheveled.

Percival, standing beside him, was also staring blankly out the window with his mouth open.

“Your Highness Leopold, now is not the time to stand around in shock! This way, knights are coming!”

“Knights? Are you saying Isabella is openly attacking us? Then, does that mean the collapse was also Isabella’s doing…?”

Having lost his usual judgment, Leopold could only ask questions in a daze.

A response as if his soul had left him. Well, it was understandable.

I could take it in stride because I’d seen it in the game, but for people of the Empire, this must be a sight beyond imagination.

However, now was not the time for such luxury.

“Who else could it be but that woman! I didn’t expect her to attack so openly, but given the situation, we need to escape first…!”

Perhaps my shout helped bring him back to his senses, as focus returned to Leopold’s eyes.

After shaking his head once, Leopold raised his hand to stop me as I was about to dash out.

“What are you doing? We don’t have time for this…!”

“No, wait. Calm down, Princess. Didn’t you say knights are coming? Then we shouldn’t flee like this.”

Leopold stared outside with a stern expression.

The knights’ presence was close. At this distance, Leopold could probably see them too.

“Royal Guards. With the emergency at the palace, it’s natural for them to come protect the imperial family. Whether they truly intend to protect me or are following Isabella’s orders to attack or detain me here… breaking through them and escaping the palace would be the worst choice.”

“What do you mean…?”

“A prince trying to flee the palace by force right after it collapses—wouldn’t that look like a confession of guilt to anyone? Isabella is probably counting on that. For now, we should hold out in this palace at least until the confusion subsides.”

Leopold’s words made sense.

If we tried to escape now, we’d have to fight the Royal Guards, and if it came to that, even if we claimed innocence later, no one would believe us.

“…I understand. In that case, at least arm yourself. With me here, we can hold out even if they attack, but… we can’t be too careful if arrows start raining down.”

“I will. Princess, please keep watch at the main entrance for now. And Sir Percival, could you help me with my armor?”

“Yes! It would be my honor!”

Percival, who had been staring at the Main Palace, snapped to attention and saluted.

This doesn’t seem like the time to talk about honor.

We might end up fighting your senior knights at any moment.

…Though from Percival’s perspective, this might be his chance to avenge the rye bread incident.

Leaving them to return to the bedchamber for armor, I hurried toward the main entrance.

Hoping I wouldn’t have to draw Durandal.

—-

In the end, Leopold’s prediction proved correct. This time, at least.

The knights who arrived at the 1st Prince’s Palace did not attack us.

They simply surrounded the palace and stood still.

“We can’t leave?”

“That’s correct, Princess Aishan-Gioro. Orders have been issued to seal off the palace and thoroughly protect the princes and distinguished guests, so I cannot allow you to leave this place.”

The Royal Guard who stepped forward as their representative declared firmly. Stay put and don’t move.

With his right hand already on his drawn sword, he made it clear he would not hesitate to use force if we tried to leave.

Yes, it was a reasonable approach.

In a situation where a sudden terrorist attack had occurred, it was natural for the guards to evacuate and protect important figures in a safe location.

The only problem was whether this was truly done out of professional duty… or if it was Isabella’s machination.

“Orders? Whose orders exactly? Empress Isabella’s? I see she must be safe despite the Main Palace being destroyed?”

If these were Isabella’s orders, then it could be considered a plot.

If that were the case, staying put would only increase the danger.

I might have to break through even at the risk of being framed…!

However, the Royal Guard shook his head in denial.

“The orders come from Lord Valenstein. The lord himself has personally secured several culprits who attacked the palace. As for the safety of Her Majesty the Empress… there is currently no information available.”

Valenstein?

Why does that name keep coming up?

Does this mean it wasn’t Isabella’s intention to send knights to detain us?

Or could it be that Lord Valenstein is also in league with Isabella?

No, wait. Then what about the captured culprits?

The palace collapse must be Isabella’s doing, so did Lord Valenstein arrest Isabella’s subordinates?

If so, should I consider them enemies?

With too little information, I couldn’t be certain of anything.

At the very least, this Royal Guard didn’t seem to be connected to Isabella.

When answering about Isabella’s whereabouts, there was even a slight sigh in his voice, which didn’t suggest he was here on the Empress’s secret orders.

In the end, I had no choice but to quietly return to the prince’s palace.

While breaking through them would be possible, I couldn’t do something that would be impossible to justify later without knowing the truth of the situation.