Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume14 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 6===

"...Ooh... Hmm..."

Inside a dimly lit room, Fianna woke up.

She could sense from this room an unusual pressure that did not stem from its crampedness.

Without any windows, no sunlight entered at all. The only light source was a spirit crystal glowing on a candlestick.

This was the Temple of World Isolation located underground, under the Great Shrine of Areishia in the center of Ostdakia, the imperial capital. In the past, it used to be a place where princess maidens of royal blood trained.

Due to seals on the stone floor, all links to Astral Zero were severed completely. Let alone summoning a contracted spirit, even using spirit magic was impossible.

A princess maiden had accidentally died during training in this room during the previous emperor's reign. As a result, the room had not been opened for a very long time now.

(It turns out to be quite handy as a place for imprisoning princess maidens.)

Those who made attempts on the emperor's life would normally be locked away in the lowest level of Balsas Prison, but the prison had been half-wrecked in the attack a few days ago and was under repairs.

"...Guh... Ah."

Her arms ached intensely when she twisted her body.

Bound by chains with spells written in them, Fianna's body was suspended from the ceiling. The pure white dress she was wearing at the assembly was tattered in a sorry state, most likely ripped while she was forcibly taken here.

Her consciousness was still hazy.

Was it mind manipulation magic? Or perhaps they had used some kind of drug.

&mdash;After the incident, Fianna was instantly arrested and imprisoned in this room.

According to the knights, the anti-Arneus faction's signed petition was discovered in Fianna's room. All the great nobles with their signatures there were arrested.

Lord Conrad had committed suicide by poison in his own room. According to the Imperial Knights' interpretation, the prime minister had committed suicide as the main conspirator after knowing the plan had failed.

Naturally, it was impossible for Fianna to believe such an explanation. The prime minister's objective was to prevent Arneus, the Holy Kingdom's puppet, from succeeding to the throne at all costs.

(The prime minister isn't stupid. How could he possibly use such a reckless method as assassinating the emperor?)
[[image:STnBD V14 115.jpg|thumb]]

But in that case, why did the prime minister hand that Bloodstone over to Fianna?

(...Was he not aware that a demon spirit was sealed inside?)

Assuming that was the case, he must have fallen to someone's trickery. The demon spirit's rampage was a show engineered and put on by the Arneus faction with the purpose of taking down all Fianna-faction nobles in one fell swoop, but&mdash;

There was still one more fact that bothered her.

(The rampaging demon spirit was the headmistress' contracted spirit...)

The existence of the Dusk Witch, currently holding extreme political clout, was probably quite an obstacle to the Arneus faction. Hence, they used the demon spirit formerly employed by the witch to successfully frame her. However, what kind of method did they use to seal up an archdemon-class spirit, and ''The'' Dusk Witch's contracted spirit to boot...?

In her hazy consciousness, numerous questions surfaced in her mind.

At this time, a heavy sound of the door opening was heard in the Temple of World Isolation.

"...!?"

A ray of light from the outside world shot into the dim space, forcing Fianna to squint.

"Kukuku... What a splendid sight, my little sister&mdash;"

Hearing that voice made Fianna frown in disgust.

Entering with his arms spread ostentatiously was Arneus.

Fianna cast an angry gaze of complete hostility on her older brother's face.

"Dear esteemed brother&mdash;no, perhaps it would be better to address you as Your Majesty, Emperor Arneus?"

"I'm not the emperor yet, not yet&mdash;"

Smiling like that, Arneus brought his face up close, enough for her to feel his breath.

"However, my father is currently confined to bed, infected by the miasma from the demon spirit you summoned. Naming me as his successor is only a matter of time&mdash;"

"It must not have been easy for you to devise such a plan. Is the Holy Kingdom backing you by any chance?"

"...!"

Arneus' face instantly changed in alarm.

"...Hmph, you'll be executed in a few days anyway, Lost Queen."

Spitting out such words, he left the room and closed the door violently.