The news that the Severian had personally beheaded the southern barbarian chief reached the Grand Duke of Ethel.
And it was also the news that he had come back as a completely different person with different eyes. He has become so cruel that it cuts people's heads off without hesitation, like slashing dirt dolls.
Along with the news, an invitation to the victory party arrived from the Imperial family. It was an invitation written by Severian himself. Chession felt suspicious and rushed straight to the Gremory.
"Mori. Isn't it strange? What is this overly understated Invitation? Did he carry iron on the battlefield? Look, there's something wrong."
"As you say, he must have grown up on the battlefield."
Gremory, who had just woken up from a nap, rolled around on the futon and replied roughly.
"There's another strange thing. You and Isolene also received an invitation. I want you two to be brought back."
"There's nothing strange, isn't it? Isolene and I have attended an Imperial banquet before."
"That's true, but he doesn't usually send invitations directly to the maids."
"Go ask Isolene about this. I don't know much about the human world."
"... Yes."
Gremory has closed its business. The reason was annoyance.
Unable to find a suitable solution, Chession trudged back. He also went to Isolene, but he didn't get a satisfactory harvest.
***
That night, Gremory, who had been quietly minding Chession's words, got out of bed.
'The Crown Prince suddenly changed like that? And he even ordered the two dark-haired maids to be brought in? It's definitely strange.'
Gremory sat down against the window and dyed her pupils red. She connected her vision with a crow that was flying outside. The crow flew to the Crown Prince's Palace and sat on a branch in front of the bedroom window.
The Prince's bedroom. There, the Severian was talking to someone.
"I really thought I was going to die, but mysteriously, my body moved on its own. I cut through all the barbarians who rushed at me. I didn't know it at the time, but now that I think about it, it's a little scary. Hehe..."
"And that! I love that everyone recognizes me! Chession drove out the northern barbarians every time, but he couldn't cut the chieftain's throat, right? I did what Chession couldn't do!"
"My father approved of me! The order was revoked! Now, the 4th Duke will invite me to the party, right?"
It was strange. She could hear Severian talking, but shr couldn't see anyone he was talking to. It was like a madman chattering in the air.
'Did some combat-related abilities accidentally manifest on the battlefield? But there is no place to brag about it, so they are chatting in the air?'
That was the most likely.
Seeing him talking like an academy nursery student, it was clear that he hadn't changed much. It was understandable why he sent invitations to the Grand Duke's maids. It was to show off his accomplishments all over the country.
Gremory tried to cut off the sight of the crow. But at that moment, she felt an eerie feeling from the Severian side.
'It's a witch!'
Scared to notice the witch's presence, the witch who had been hiding slowly began to appear.
It was the advanced witch, Oppensia.
'Damn. She is a witch who is good at stealth. She had no presence so much that I didn't even know she had been summoned to the human realm.'
Gremory quickly disconnected from the crow before Oppencia found out about her presence.
"The Prince used the power of a witch to destroy the barbarians. But why does he want to invite me and Isolene to the victory party? Are you really going to target me with the witch?"
Gremory lay on the bed, frowning and tossing and turning. Iris, who was trying to close her eyes on the sofa, asked her.
- Miss Mori, no matter what your worries are...
"Drrr..."
Gremory slept well. She tossed and turned just to find a comfortable position to fall asleep. The combination of a high-ranking witch and a fool Prince whose main skill is stealth was not scary at all. It is enough to respond before it is installed.
***
Before boarding the carriage to the Imperial Palace, Gremory placed a transparent restraint around Alice's neck.
"Oh, you can't go to the Demon Realm without this!"
"Until I go to the Imperial Palace."
Alice whined and went to do the laundry.
Grand Duke Ethel's carriage departed. After passing through the familiar scenery and the splendid view of the Imperial palace, they returned to the banquet hall.
They were greeted by a banquet hall that was more ornate than the previous Imperial banquets.
"...Did you come?"
Severian, who was sitting with his legs crossed at the table, pretended to know with no expression.
Chession responded with the same expressionless expression.
"You made quite a remarkable contribution. Congratulations."
"Thank you for the day when I'll hear your praise. And the person next to you, did you say your name is 'Mori '?"
"It's an honor to see the Imperial Sun."
Gremory followed what she had learned from Isolene and looked at the Severian energy. She could feel something Invisible behind Severian's back. Oppensia did her best to hide, but Gremory, the High Witch, saw a faint shape.
Isolene, who was next to her, also lowered her head.
"I am honored to see the Imperial Sun."
"Ah... Oh, Mori. I've been thinking about your confession. How about tonight to seduce me?"
Severian ignored Isolene and taunted Mori. To be precise, the Chession that was next to Mori.
"Please do it properly, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. If you shake your cheeks with just one victory, your socialite reputation will fall back into the abyss."
"Thanks for the advice. Well, by now, we're all together."
Severian slowly scanned the inside of the banquet hall. He raised his hand and instructed the orchestra to stop the music.
The banquet hall fell silent in an instant. Severian spoke to everyone in an unusually serious voice.
"As the Prince of the Brilliant Empire, I must say something about the terrible information I have heard on the battlefield."
The Severian was like a different person. Chession took a step back, sensing that the currents had changed in him.
Gremory's eyes saw it. The figure of a whitish black woman was pointing something at Severian's back.
"The southern barbarians were subject to dark magic. All the barbarians I faced were using dark magic, and they were strengthening their bodies to produce ridiculous power."
Black magic to play with the world.
The banquet hall buzzed for a moment at the ominous sound. For a moment, Severian's bright eyes made the hall quiet again.
"And the barbarian chieftain said something funny before he died. The Brilliant Empire can't afford to defile black magic.. Someone is doing something even dirtier."
Just then, Chession's eyes met.
"Grand Duke Ethel of Chession. You have recently easily defeated the wyrm."
"Yes."
"Can you tell me how you were able to catch a wyrm, said to be the strongest monster on the continent, so easily, and in a day?"
"...Do you suspect that I used some kind of black magic?"
"How could you be good enough to ban witch hunting? Alas, no. You have no reason to use black magic to stain my hands. You can use the witches."
"You're talking strangely. How can I use a witch who doesn't exist in the world?"
"No, witches exist in the world. This is information that I heard clearly from a barbarian chief who sees through the world with black magic. And he told me something like this. All the witches of the Brilliant Empire are in the Grand Duke of Ethel."
The banquet hall buzzed again. The nobles looked at the dark-haired maids of Chession and whispered.
"Why is the story going like this all of a sudden?"
"If the Grand Duke didn't rescue the victims who were driven to witches, but gathered the witches to build their strength.... Oh, that can't be."
"What if the witch hunt was banned to protect his own witches...?"
"Quiet."
Severian's words plunged the surroundings into silence again. His smile gave off a life that had never been seen before.
"There must be a lot of curious people, so you can check it out right away. Grand Duke Ethel, what were you thinking when you opposed the witch hunt, and the two maids behind you were ordinary people?"
"..."
"Grand Duke Chession Ethel, you must have been pretending to be good and plotting wicked things behind your back. This is your destiny."
The Severian beckoned to the acolyte. Then the chamberlain brought two cups of yellowish tea.
"It's Rilkena tea, who is known to seduce witches and kill them. The handmaidens of Chession Ethel should drink all the tea at once."
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