Editing Rakuin no Monshou:Volume10 Chapter5 (section)

=== Part 3 ===

It was after dawn when news of Vileena’s flight reached Orba’s ears. At first, he could not understand what had happened. He even wondered if an enemy spy hadn’t sneaked in and kidnapped the princess.

However, as his surroundings grew brighter, his sight became correspondingly clearer and, bit-by-bit, he received more accurate inform and was able to digest it. Vileena Owell, along with her lady’s maid, Theresia, had boarded a ship and, with Krau at the helm, they had flown in the direction of Nedain. Given that it was a ship with a long cruising range, they had almost certainly reached the Nedain area without needing to replenish their ether. Their destination was, of course, obvious.

“Shall we give chase?” Asked the air force commander from Rogue’s division.

Orba’s feeling however was that it was – ''already too late''.

And, as expected, an airship arrived in the afternoon from the direction of Nedain, carrying on board a messenger from Odyne’s camp. He said that the princess, having alighted at the encampment, had shaken off any attempts from Odyne and the others to restrain her and, after both parties had sent messengers to one another, had entered Nedain.

When Orba heard about this, there were a few other people in the room, Gowen included.

''What’s she up to?'' Since having been informed about it at dawn, Orba had felt sick at heart and helpless.

He had constantly had the impression that what with Salamand, Ende, and Allion, the net was slowly but visibly tightening around him and leaving him isolated.

And on top of that, Vileena, who should have been an ally, had gone and acted on her own. ''Didn’t you say that you were leaving this war to me?'' His temper flared up unbidden.

''Orba'' – On receiving a glance from Gowen, he realised that his inner feelings were showing in his expression. The former overseer of slaves had given him advice previously: since from here on, he would have to thoroughly deceive not only those around him but also the entire country and every person who had anything to do with Mephius, Orba’s ‘face’ as a private individual would be nothing but a hindrance.

In other words, he could not act on his thoughts alone. The burden he shouldered was too heavy, so much so that even taking a single step was cause for hesitation.

Although he understood that, his feelings were not so easy to curb.

''Even calling someone a liar and a coward…''

Actually, “liar” and “coward” were Orba’s own words about himself when he had been second-guessing the princess’ evaluation of him, but leaving that aside for now…

“Liar.”

“What?”

With Orba abruptly blurting out something nonsensical, Gowen reverted back to his expression “from the old days”.

''No, nothing'' – Orba shook his head while continuing his train of thought.

''Right, a “liar” was it?'' He inwardly realised. That was what Princess Vileena had told the masked Imperial Guard Orba less than a few days ago. It had been a message to Crown Prince Gil Mephius. ''Huh,'' now ''I remember it. Orba was supposed to pass it on to the prince.''

He felt like a fool. He should have noticed at the time. When it came to carefully observing hostile opponents, Orba demonstrated unparalleled powers of concentration; as he took note of every one of their actions, even down to their words and unplanned gestures, in order to see through their weaknesses and intentions. But when the opponent was a fourteen-year-old girl, he was completely lacking.

If he had to deceive a multitude of people, then Vileena was undoubtedly one of them.

''I forgot all about it.''

In a way, it could be seen as the princess’ revenge. She had deserted Orba just as he had once fled from all that had been burdening him.

''But in Vileena’s case, she wouldn’t have run away.'' Even if he held nothing but hatred towards her, that was still the one thing he could asserted with certainty. When she moved, it was to fight.

Since things had come to this, he wanted to be able to understand what she would do next.

“It couldn’t be that…” He wondered.

''Eei'' – the wave of his emotions rippled out in different directions and he found it impossible to calm down. He was seized with the impulse to slam his fist hard against a wall.

“Gowen.”

“Aye.”

“It’s already too late to hide the fact that Princess Vileena has gone, isn’t it?”

“Since she went through General Odyne’s camp, it will be impossible to stop all of the soldiers from talking.”

“Then have it been known that when I – when Gil Mephius heard of her departure, his only reaction was to say ‘Is that so?’”

It was a ridiculous order.

However, if it were known that the princess had selfishly taken action and that the prince had lost his composure because of it, the soldiers’ morale would plummet to rock bottom. He had to let it be believed, to the very end, that the princess’ flight had not had a great effect on him, or else that she had acted with his approval.

Once everyone had left the room though…

“Shit!”

… Orba was finally able to slam his fist into the wall to his heart’s content.

He felt cold and numb to the bone. It was no longer only hatred that filled his heart. It was nothing so simple. He bitterly regretted that his own impatience at the current situation had been seen through. He even felt some sympathy for the princess’ position as, had it been him, he might well have done the same thing.

Still, calmly analysing things and coolly observing what happened from here on was a completely different matter.

His heart was chilled. The warmth he had felt at his side had already vanished and gone far away. It had only been fleeting.

Who could even say for sure that it was still anywhere in this world?

Roan, his mother, Alice, and even Shique – the people who had been breathing by his side as though it were the most natural thing in the world had, in an instant, lost their warmth and been lain to rest, cold.

Orba ground his teeth hard.
 


Recently, she had constantly been having the same dream.

It was shrouded in shadows and there was a beast-like smell.

She screamed and struggled to escape. But the shadow tirelessly flew towards her.

It was undoubtedly a beast.

Its blazing eyes gleamed with desire and, from within its open maw, fangs glistening with saliva waited to tear through her tender skin.

In the end, her hands and feet could no longer move.

All she could do was scream endlessly.

Overwhelmed by the omens of death and destruction, her very mind lost the freedom of thought. She knew that soon, her flesh would be destroyed.

Just before it happened, a fierce crash of thunder roared.

It was a gunshot.

She did not know who had shot the bullet but the shadowy beast staggered and fell, and soon, it had disappeared.

The terror that had utterly filled her body and mind also gradually faded away, like the ebbing of the tide.

Before she realised it, the sun was shining brightly down from above her.

It was like a completely different world from earlier. A cool breeze brought the sound of a ringing temple bell to her ears.

Men and women that she was acquainted with were lined up on either side of her. All of them were smiling. And whenever their eyes met, they called out their blessings to her.

“Congratulations.”

“Congratulations, Layla.”

''Oh right'' – Layla realised – today was her wedding ceremony.

''Thank you'' – she answered in return to each smiling face, happy and proud as she walked by in her pure white wedding dress.

At the point she was walking towards, amidst the shower of petals, her bridegroom was waiting. He was an honest and sincere young man. To amuse Layla, he would sometimes tell her jokes – something he was not used to – but immediately afterwards, he would always turn bright red. When it came to work, he closely resembled her obstinate father. She did not think that was why she was attracted to him. It was simply because she was convinced that they could become a couple that was just like her parents, who were always so affectionate with each other.

Her bridegroom was also smiling. Layla’s fingers brushed against his outstretched hand.

But, just before she could take it, the bridegroom’s expression suddenly turned dark and the arm that Layla’s hand should have wrapped around was instead used to thrust the bride away.

She staggered back. It was so abrupt that she was left dumbfounded.

“Why?” She asked, staring at her bridegroom whose smile had vanished without a trace.

Or at least, that was what she tried to do, but her voice would not come out. Instead –

“Why?” She was asked in return. “Why are your clothes torn to shreds? Your wedding dress should be as white as snow, why is it filthy with blood instead?”

Startled, Layla looked down at herself.

It was just as he had said. Her clothes were ripped all over, exposing her skin. And the area around her chest was stained a deep red. Although it must have been clinging to her until just now, as soon as Layla laid eyes on the blood, it reverted back to liquid and slowly dripped down her wedding dress; before long, it was trickling to the ground from between her legs.

The bridegroom pointed at the puddle of blood pooling at her feet.

“You’ve been defiled,” he said. “Leave, this is no place for you to be. Leave, defiled bride. Leave, filthy whore!”

There was another scream.

It was so very loud that she wanted to cover her ears, and did not notice that it was coming from her until her surroundings suddenly changed again.

People were running around all over. All of them seemed to be shrieking, but Layla could not hear anything except her own screams. The friends who had been at the wedding ceremony moments ago were there. The kind neighbours she had met in that foreign land were also there.

All of them were being chased. It was as though the blood that had run down Layla’s body had given birth to slaughterers clad in the red of gore and flames.

Steel glistened. A woman who had been her childhood friend was pierced from behind with a spear. A foreign boy who had given Layla flowers had his arm sliced off with a sword and sent flying in the air. 

Layla screamed all the more. Not out of fear for her own life. She knew what would happen next. She had already witnessed it time and time again.

Right on cue, a shadow rushed between her and the slaughterer. Layla’s father, the former officer of the imperial guards, Rone Jayce.

Her father stood before her and spread his arms out wide and, just like that, he was pierced through his abdomen. As though encountering no resistance from sinew and skin, the spear pierced her father’s gut through to his back, its tip emerging before Layla’s eyes. Her father’s body lurched to one side.

Layla’s gaze unconsciously travelled from her father’s collapsed form, to the spearhead, and up to the man who was grasping the spear.

A man whose entire body was drenched in fresh blood –

Gil Mephius.

When he laughed, even his teeth were dyed red.

Layla could no longer even hear herself screaming.

“Good.” In its place, a solemn voice resounded. “Be at ease, Layla. There’s nothing to be afraid of. For now.”

This man was not her father, nor her lover.... not even someone she would normally have been acquainted with; yet at his voice, Layla’s feelings calmed down shockingly quick.

She quietly closed her eyes and bent her head backwards as though in sleep.

In reality, Layla had been asleep all along. All that she had just experienced, with such vivid fear, was no more than a dream built from the dregs of her memory. The flesh-and-blood Layla was currently alone in a darkened room.

No – there was one other person there: the sorcerer Zafar, clad in robes so black they seemed to melt into the shadows.

He was the man who had arrived a few days ago in Birac and set up a medicine stall. Of course, it was not merely on a whim that the sorcerer had disguised himself as one of the common folk. It was to gather information.

Even if what he caught hold of was only vague, he had intended to learn from the soldiers serving at the mansion, as well as from the maids who heard of his stall through them, about the movements and attitudes of the man who claimed to be Crown Prince Gil Mephius and who was currently residing in Birac.

Spies sent from Solon had no doubt also arrived in Birac by now and were probably collecting the same information.

Zafar’s objective was to support their actions and help them achieve their purpose. However, he was not to let them know that he was a sorcerer serving the Dragon Gods’ faith, nor was he allowed to make direct use of his magic powers.

To the very end, everything had to be accomplished by human hands.

Thereupon, a person more suitable than he could ever have hoped for appeared before him.

A lady’s maid serving the Garberan princess – Layla. Guessing from her position that she could be made use of, Zafar had brought her to that deserted house; by applying drugs and suggestion, he had then ensnared her into a deeply hypnotised state. As a result of which, he successfully managed to pick up fragments of her memories.

Thanks to them, he inferred that she held a deep-seated hatred towards the prince. It was she herself who had wished to serve the Garberan princess as a lady’s maid, and that was probably not unrelated to that hatred.

Zafar worked hard in order to sound out the depths of her consciousness with greater precision. He got her to visit him once every two days.

“Hmm, I see, so that’s what the princess is doing.”

He listened as Layla, sitting on a chair, gave her report. The sorcerer’s invisible “hands” were probing through the depths of her consciousness and, by cutting away scenes in her mind and manipulating them, he was able to alter the deep consciousness. However, that was not the same as saying that he could make her do whatever he wished.

Exactly as had been the case for Reizus, the sorcerer who had once appeared in the western lands claiming to be Garda, it was necessary to spend a lot of time in understanding the heart and mind of the targeted person. Moreover, it was impossible to force them to do something that greatly differed from their own intentions. All that could be done was to guide the person’s feelings until they became convinced that those intentions were their own.

When Zafar had heard that the princess had left Birac, he had wondered – ''might there be a way to take her hostage and lure the prince out?''

However, in order to do so, a great many procedures would need to be put into place. Making important changes to a situation was bothersome since a lot needed to be taken into consideration.

''Anyway, according to the plan, it should be about the time when I get in touch with the spies.''

Just as with Layla, their meeting would have to appear completely coincidental. With that in mind, he would pull in Layla, whose interests coincided with theirs; and, with her cooperation, he would guide the plan to its conclusion.

''And for that…'' It was essential to destroy Layla’s doubts, ethics, and feelings as much as possible.

Just as when Reizus had once ordered Princess Lima of Kadyne to “die,” making a person under hypnotism act against their own instincts was extremely difficult. Which was why Zafar was taking the time to summon Layla and have her relive again and again the memories of her past. Where and when it was convenient to make a change, he planted feelings within her that overrode her instincts.

Feelings of wanting to kill Crown Prince Gil Mephius.



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