Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V5Part5

Part 11 (Part 4 of Volume 5)

It took a week for permission to visit to be granted.

Fifteen days had passed since the two had been captured.

As the intense August sunlight scorched the streets of Odin, Balthazar squinted up at the police station before him, his eyes pained by the brightness.

—They’re down there, in the basement.

Fulfilling his promise to Cecil had taken more effort than expected. He had casually requested to visit but kept getting denied. In the end, he had to rely on his superior’s influence to negotiate with the military police’s higher-ups, and finally, he was here today.

The sunlight stung his eyes. It could partly be due to the altitude—the island floating 2,000 meters above sea level—but his ongoing sleep issues were also likely to blame. The light entering his eyes felt so intense it was causing him a headache.

He still couldn’t sleep without sleeping pills. For the past ten days, he had been relying on medication to get through the night. Though the cause was unclear, lately, Kagura had been appearing in his dreams more frequently, which was troubling.

—Why are you in my dreams? You have nothing to do with me.

He wanted to complain, but every night, Kagura appeared in different forms: when they had braved enemy territory together on the Eriadore, when they fought in mock air battles during officer training school, and when she visited his dorm, and they strolled along the beach together. Kagura’s cool smile would always fade into darkness, sometimes accompanied by her screams from within the pitch-black void. Despite the sleeping pills, there had been three occasions when he jolted awake, unable to stay asleep.

Why he was having such dreams, he couldn’t understand.

—Ridiculous. What do I care what happens to Kagura?

—She’s nothing to me. I don’t care if that samurai woman dies in prison.

—Really. I’m completely fine.

Gazing up at the sun-soaked police station, Balthazar tried to reassure himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to go in. It was rare for him, but he was honestly feeling scared.

—What am I afraid of? No matter what happens to them, I won’t change.

—I’m here because Cecil asked me. Nothing more, nothing less.

—I’ll check on them, send a quick telegram, and get the information I need.

—That’s it. It’s over. Even a child could do this; it’s a simple task.

Repeating this to himself over and over, Balthazar finally stepped into the building.

After undergoing a body check from security and informing the reception of his visit, he was met with a disinterested look from the officer in charge before being guided down to the underground holding cells.

The air was damp and mouldy. Perhaps it was the same everywhere, but military police and gendarmerie officers tended to be gloomy and often brutal. Their job involved investigating not enemy personnel but their own soldiers, often performing duties close to internal surveillance, which made them disliked and looked down upon by other soldiers. This sense of inferiority often manifested in their violent interrogation methods.

"It's rare for a captain from Operations to visit a place like this," the officer said as he led Balthazar down the dark stairs. He had likely figured out that Balthazar was one of the "Six of Eriadore" and had come to check on his comrades out of personal concern.

"We’re just following orders from above, you know. I feel sorry for them, but given the times, it can’t be helped."

He was already making excuses. Balthazar silently followed him.

"Everything is about what suits the higher-ups. For them, only the convenient stories are the truth. Our job is to pass that "truth" up the chain of command. You understand, given we’re at war."

A bad feeling began to settle in Balthazar’s chest. He answered shortly.

“I’m not here to criticize you. I’m only following orders myself. Once I’ve seen their condition, I’ll leave.”

The officer didn’t respond, but a sense of relief seemed to flow from his back.

On the second basement floor, there was another guard. The officer showed his ID, and after checking his face, the guard lifted the iron gate. Since this holding cell had originally been built by Urano, the mechanisms were outdated and overly elaborate.

They passed through a narrow hallway, and on the right, cells began to appear.

Since Odin had only recently started its operations, most of the cells were empty. However, there was a faint scent of blood lingering in the air.

—Whose blood is that?

Such thoughts burst through his mind. The sense of foreboding grew stronger.

The officer stopped in front of a certain cell.

“This is it.”

Balthazar also stopped and looked into the cell.

In the darkness, Sakagami Kiyoaki sat slumped against the wall.

He hadn’t noticed Balthazar’s arrival. His right leg stretched out in front of him while he rested his left knee upright, using it as a pillow for his head, which was buried in his arms.

“Hey.”

There was no reply. There were bloodstains on the floor.

“Sakagami. It’s me.”

When he raised his voice slightly, an arm twitched.

The swollen face of Kiyoaki turned towards Balthazar.

He stared back in stunned silence.

—Looks like he’s been beaten quite a bit.

Balthazar could tell just by looking at Kiyoaki’s face.

Balthazar, who rarely placed value on emotions, felt a pang in his chest.

—Could it be that Kagura has suffered the same?

The thought crossed his mind. No matter how rough the military police were, he didn’t want to believe they would go this far against a woman.

“Quite the looker, aren’t you?”

Trying to hide his agitation, he made a sarcastic remark. Only then did Kiyoaki come to his senses.

“…Captain?”

“Cecil asked me to come. Just checking up on you.”

There was a flicker of what seemed to be joy in the eyes of Kiyoaki, whose face was now almost unrecognizable.

He hastily tried to stand, but his legs gave way, and he stumbled forward, crawling towards the iron bars.

“Captain…! Thank you, Captain!”

“Calm down. I’m not here to rescue you. Just checking in.”

“Yes, I know, I understand. But still… I’m so happy…!!”

Kiyoaki’s voice was almost in tears as he expressed his joy, unable to hide it. Balthazar, feeling uncomfortable, looked away.

“I came because Cecil wouldn’t stop pestering me. That’s all.”

He repeated the same excuse. Kiyoaki asked,

“What about Kagura…!? Is she safe!?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to check on her now.”

“Yes… Please, please check on her.”

“…Don’t expect too much from me. There’s nothing I can do.”

Kiyoaki glanced at the officer. It was clear the man was eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Captain, there’s something I must tell you.”

“What is it?”

Kiyoaki swallowed his words for a moment, took a breath, and then said something strange.

"It was Reiner who took down the communications equipment."

Balthazar glanced at Kiyoaki's face for a moment. Seeing that his sincere expression didn't waver, he nodded, understanding what Kiyoaki wanted to convey.

"I see."

"Please…"

"I understand."

The task was done. Balthazar shifted his gaze toward the darkness at the end of the corridor.

"I want to see the other one."

Upon hearing this, the officer looked uncomfortable but led him further down the corridor. Balthazar cast a glance back at Kiyoaki and said,

"Take care."

"Yes. Thank you very much."

With that brief farewell, he left Kiyoaki’s cell behind.

In the damp darkness, they passed under three conical beams of light from overhead bulbs, finally reaching the end of the corridor and descending another flight of stairs.

Their shadows flickered against the bare concrete walls. Their footsteps echoed ominously, as if being drawn into some underworld deep beneath the earth.

—Is Kagura really down here?

His heartbeat quickened. Balthazar became acutely aware of his fear. He was surprised to realize such a weakness existed within him. It was a feeling rising from deep within his chest, perhaps for the first time in his life.

They reached the second basement level.

The oppressive atmosphere in the air became even thicker.

"I'll tell you this now," the officer began making excuses again, "that girl, she acted up terribly again this morning."

He continued, "We've had to restrain one of her arms. She seems to know martial arts, and if you underestimate her because she's a woman, you'll get hurt."

Balthazar asked the officer, his gaze on his back,

"Did she have some reason for needing to resist?"

The silence was his response.

A heat unlike anything he'd felt before surged through Balthazar's temples. He almost kicked the officer in the back but caught himself just in time.

—Why am I getting so worked up?

—I'm no child. There’s no reason to be emotional.

—I'm here because Cecil asked me. That's all.

He repeated this mantra to himself. He should be able to control his emotions with ease—or rather, emotions didn’t exist for him. For a top-tier modern person, emotions were like the appendix, a leftover from when humans were still hunters and gatherers. A first-class individual understood the mechanisms of self-destructive behaviour caused by emotions, and could control and dismantle them.

—It's surprising that I still have a trace of such things within me. But.

—I won’t let it consume me.

As he repeated this internal caution, the officer stopped in front of a certain cell.

"This is Kagura Murasaki's cell."

Balthazar realized he was afraid.

He was scared to look inside.

—What am I afraid of?

—What does it matter what state Kagura is in? It doesn’t concern me.

—I'm here because Cecil asked me to be.

He repeated the silent mantra he'd recited thousands of times over the past week, rubbing it into his consciousness. Only then did Balthazar look into the darkness of the cell.

Amid the heavy shadows, a single figure stood in a strange posture.

His heart thudded in his chest.

His legs trembled. But Balthazar steeled himself and focused his gaze into the darkness.

A single chain hung from the ceiling.

An iron shackle was fastened around the figure's right wrist, attached to the chain.

Suspended by the right arm, Kagura knelt on the floor of the cell, her head drooping.

Her face was hidden by her bangs.

Her clothing, though dirtied, was the same white uniform of the Voltec Air Squadron from when she had been detained.

"It's me. Kagura."

He called out. There was no reply.

The usual dignified aura was nowhere to be seen, and her vitality seemed to have faded away.

A seething heat boiled in the pit of Balthazar's stomach.

He felt an overwhelming urge to grab the officer by the temple and slam his head into the iron bars.

—Calm down.

He told himself, then called out again, this time more forcefully.

"Kagura. Wake up. It's me."

Her head, which had been hanging down, lifted slightly.

"…!?"

Barely… she started to raise her face, but then stopped.

"Balthazar…?"

A hoarse voice escaped her lips. It was faint, weak, and raspy—Kagura's voice, but worn and fragile.

Without thinking, Balthazar grabbed onto the iron bars with his left hand. He had no idea why he made such a meaningless gesture.

"Are you okay?"

He asked, but Kagura lowered her head again.

"You came."

Her voice was withered and strained, but the joy in it couldn’t be hidden. However, she still didn’t lift her face toward him.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm here because Cecil asked me. That's all."

As he made his excuse, Kagura, still facing downward, gave a faint laugh.

"That’s the real Balthazar. I thought you were a phantom. But you're real."

It was the same teasing tone Kagura had used when they had once walked together along the beach. But now, it was filled with happiness.

A bittersweet feeling spread through Balthazar’s chest.

It was a strange sensation, something he had never experienced before—sweet, painful, and so intense that it threatened to shake his very being.

"I’m just here to check on you. That’s all. There’s nothing I can do."

Instinctively, he continued to make excuses. Kagura still didn’t face him, but she spoke, her words dropping softly onto the floor.

"Yeah. I understand. Thank you. Just you coming here is enough."

Balthazar felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.

—Why won’t she look at me?

Though Kagura’s words conveyed her genuine feelings, she refused to show him her face.

—I want to see your face.

Just as that desire rose strongly within him, the memory of Kiyoaki’s swollen, bruised face flashed in his mind.

Surely not.

"…Were you beaten?"

Before Balthazar realized it, his right hand was gripping the iron bars.

Kagura didn’t respond.

“…Did the people here… did they hurt you?”

Without realizing it, his voice trembled. An unknown surge of emotion rose within him, making him grip the bars even tighter.

Still, there was no reply.

"Lift your head, Kagura."

Kagura, slumped like a broken doll, said nothing.

"Show me your face."

Please.

Just once more, show me the smile you always used to tease me with.

"Hey, Kagura."

I want to see you, the way you used to be—strong and proud.

"You really are oblivious to people's feelings, aren’t you?"

Finally, Kagura’s voice reached him.

"I don’t want you to see my face right now. I’m sorry."

Her words tried to sound composed, but Balthazar could tell she was trying to mask her emotions.

"Did they hit you in the face?"

"…"

"The people here. Did they hit you in the face?"

The anger in Balthazar’s voice was unmistakable. He pronounced each word slowly, as though the boiling rage was about to overflow.

"Balthazar, I don’t want to cause you any trouble."

Kagura, still looking down, said those words.

"Answer my question. Have you been hurt or not? Which is it?"

Balthazar's heart felt like it was bleeding. His blood boiled, racing through every vein in his body.

Kagura, still hunched over, let out a small laugh.

"I'm surprised. I didn’t think something like this would make you angry."

"What’s so funny? I’m not angry. I’m just confirming the facts of what’s happening here."

"I guess it’s too much to expect delicacy from you."

"Look at me."

"No."

"Look at me!"

His tone became harsh. Kagura laughed again.

"Come on, Balthazar. Try to understand a woman’s feelings, would you?"

Though she spoke in a joking tone, Balthazar realized her words were tinged with tears.

Kagura was crying.

"I'm glad you came. That’s enough for me. Please tell Cecil I’m fine, even if it’s a lie."

She was trying her best to hide it, but he could hear the faint trace of tears in her voice.

—Even you cry, Kagura.

A feeling of helplessness poured out from Balthazar’s soul.

He was frustrated, unsure of what to do. It felt as if every nerve in his body was about to burn out.

He struggled to find the words, speaking from deep within his throat.

"Are you planning to rot away here?"

"…"

"Is this truly your fate… to wither away in a place like this?!"

He remembered the time when they had flown in the Eriadore airship, navigating through enemy lines together.

When Kiyoaki had tried to perform a night-time water landing to save Mio, Balthazar had stopped him. The word Kagura had used then was “fate.”

That word was still etched in Balthazar’s memory.

"Let’s make sure we all return alive. That is the fate we should follow."

Looking back, it was that successful water landing that earned them the title “The Seven of Eriadore” and led Balthazar to his current position. In a way, Kagura had given him everything he had now.

And yet.

Is this how it ends?

"Answer me, Kagura!"

Forgetting to hide his anger, Balthazar slammed his words into her.

"Shall we finish up now? You’ve confirmed that your friends are safe."

The officer spoke from behind, his tone businesslike.

Balthazar turned his head slightly to look back at him.

"Don’t talk to me right now. I’ll kill you."

"…"

The officer fell silent. He instinctively knew that Balthazar wasn’t lying—if he spoke another word, his life would indeed be at risk.

"Hey, Balthazar."

Still without lifting her head, Kagura called out to him in a quiet voice.

"Please tell everyone that I’m fine. We’ll figure things out on our own. Kiyoaki and I came to this country fully prepared for something like this."

Her voice was firm, though Balthazar could tell she was summoning all her strength to remain composed.

"You don’t look fine."

"It's fine. Thank you for coming. I'm really happy. You truly are a kind and caring person, aren't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't have such cheap emotions."

Kagura laughed again, a soft sound deep in her throat. Balthazar noticed that droplets of water were falling from Kagura’s cheeks, landing on the floor.

Though he couldn't see her face, Kagura continued to let her tears drip onto the ground.

Was she in pain? Was she sad? Was she crying because of the agony she was enduring?

—No.

Balthazar knew.

—Kagura is crying out of happiness.

For some reason, he was certain of that.

Even now, Kagura, with one arm bound and suspended from the ceiling, was both laughing and crying.

"What are you laughing at? I'm being serious."

"Yeah. Yeah. I know."

Kagura answered, her tone full of amusement as if she found everything inexplicably funny.

"What kind of woman laughs in that state?"

Balthazar was starting to feel awkward. He finally realized that Kagura’s laughter was aimed at him, gripping the bars with both hands, unable to hide his anger.

"Sorry. I guess I am a strange woman."

Kagura managed to stifle her laughter and tears but still kept her head down as she spoke.

"Please, just go."

"…"

"Give everyone my regards."

"…Alright."

Balthazar sensed the unspoken feelings behind Kagura’s words.

She didn’t want him to see her like this anymore.

"I'll report your treatment to my superiors."

"…Yeah. Thanks."

"…Take care, then."

"Yeah."

Balthazar glared at the officer before turning on his heel.

It felt as though his feet were shackled by iron balls, heavy with every step.

Dragging his feet, Balthazar left Kagura behind.

He followed the officer back up the stairs.

The oppressive air began to lighten, returning to its normal atmosphere.

Balthazar stepped out of the police station and returned to the surface of Odin’s floating fortress, looking up at the clear blue sky.

The transparent, pure sky was in stark contrast to the gloomy scene he had just witnessed.

He wondered if Kiyoaki and Kagura would ever be able to gaze up at this sky again.

As these thoughts filled his mind, Balthazar headed toward a civilian post office to send a telegram to Cecil. While military postal services were available at the Odin branch of the Operations Command, this was a personal matter, so he couldn’t use them.

Most of the people he passed were military personnel, but he noticed a few settlers here and there. They walked with bright smiles, excited about their new lives in this frontier.

The vibrant energy of Odin’s floating fortress hinted at the bright future of the St Vault Empire.

Yet in its shadows, two Akitsu citizens were being tortured, forced to give false confessions.

"That's just how it is."

Balthazar spoke aloud, as if to convince himself.

"An individual can't do anything about it. It's the flow of history."

He muttered the words to himself like a mantra, trying to impress them upon his rational mind.

"Don't get swept up by meaningless emotions. There's nothing to gain from it."

The post office came into view. He could send a telegram to Cecil saying, "They're safe," and the job would be done. As promised, Cecil would secure cooperation from the Sylvanian royal family.

"That's enough, isn't it? It’s an easy job."

Balthazar quickened his pace, as if trying to outrun something.

‘You're not as cold-hearted as you think.’

Kagura's smile, from the time they had walked together on the beach of Mauregan Island, resurfaced in his mind.

‘I’m happy you came. That's enough for me. Please tell Cecil I’m doing fine. Even if it’s a lie.’

Overlaid on that smile was the image of Kagura, bound by chains, her head hanging low, speaking those words.

Balthazar’s heart burned.

From deep within his soul, an overwhelming torrent of emotion surged again, sending heat coursing through his entire body.

—Hey, Kagura.

—You're not the kind of woman to hang your head like that.

These thoughts rose unbidden in his mind.

"Ridiculous. These are cheap emotions. They bring no benefit."

He tried to deny it with words.

But his heart wouldn't stop screaming.

—You’re not the kind of woman who cries like that.

"I don’t care. It’s none of my business."

Dragging his trembling hands and feet, Balthazar entered the post office.

"A telegram."

He forced the words out to the clerk.

—You’re meant to stand tall, proud, with the cool wind at your back.

"I don’t care."

—You're supposed to be facing forward, walking with confidence.

"Am I an idiot?"

—Stop hanging your head, Kagura.

"I don’t care."

—I want to see your face again.

"A telegram."

The clerk, eyeing him suspiciously, asked for the message.

If he sent a single telegram saying, "They're safe," to Cecil, the task would be over.

It would bring him one step closer to his grand ambition. If he sent a lie, claiming "they're safe," he could shake off this accursed emotion.

—I will not be controlled by my emotions. Never.

The clerk asked what the message should say.

As Balthazar departed, Kagura, with her right hand bound by the chain from the ceiling, struggled to suppress the scream that was rising inside her.

She couldn’t let it out.

Holding herself back, she waited until she could no longer hear the footsteps of Balthazar and the officer before finally releasing the words that had been stuck in her throat.

"Help me."

In the darkness, a faint whisper escaped.

"Help me, Balthazar."

The true voice of her heart, which had been buried beneath laughter and tears, finally leaked out into the darkness.

"I'm scared. So very scared."

Still staring intently at the floor, Kagura bit down on her weakness.

She had been captured, chained in this cell, forced to give false confessions, and subjected to the violence of the military police.

She had always thought of herself as a samurai, someone who lived with death as a constant companion. She believed that. But now, in this dire situation, facing a humiliating death, she realized something for the first time.

—I’m just a coward.

Born into a samurai family, raised from childhood with Bushido drilled into her very bones, she had lived her life focused solely on "how to die." Or so she thought.

And yet…

"I'm scared, Balthazar."

Her voice trembled.

"I don’t want to die like this."

Now, in the darkness, Kagura laid bare her true feelings, the ones she had never shown in front of Balthazar.

She had discovered a part of herself she hadn’t known.

A weak, pitiful self, terrified of violence and filled with cowardice.

Kagura held onto that part of herself, all alone.

"Sometimes, it's okay to lean on others," she had once told Balthazar when they had walked together along the beach on Mauregan Island.

Those words now echoed back to Kagura herself.

—I want to lean on someone. I want to lean on my comrades.

If she could have clung to Balthazar and asked him to save her—maybe, just maybe, he would have done everything in his power to rescue them from this place.

Kagura was now fully aware of the desire inside her to depend on someone else.

But she also knew better than anyone that she couldn’t allow herself to show that weakness.

She couldn’t let anyone see her like this. She wouldn’t. Because if she did, she knew it would destroy the lives of her comrades.

—The only way for us to escape this prison is to break military law.

—But if we do that…

—Balthazar, Cecil, Illia, Reiner… We would ruin their futures.

That’s why, when Balthazar had come, she had hidden her true feelings, teased him, joked around, and sent him away. She hadn’t meant to cry, but seeing Balthazar’s genuine side for the first time was so endearing, so precious, that the tears wouldn’t stop.

But that had been enough.

Balthazar’s sincerity had touched her deeply, giving her the greatest joy and the warmest tears she had ever experienced.

—I can’t ask for anything more.

Kagura held herself back, suppressing her fear as she hung her head.

The only consolation was that Balthazar hadn’t seen her face, swollen and bruised from the beatings. She wanted him to remember her as she had been—full of confidence, walking proudly across the land.

"Thank you, Balthazar. It’s more than enough."

Swallowing her rising fear, Kagura whispered her farewell in the darkness.

After a long, long week, the day had finally come.

As soon as Cecil Hauer received the telegram from the postal worker at the Selfaust Military Academy, she ran toward the courtyard.

She had to read the telegram alone. No one else in her shared room could hear its contents.

It was a late August afternoon.

The academy had entered a short summer break, and there was no one else in the courtyard.

The strong sunlight made the green of the grass even more vibrant, and the scent of the rain from the morning shower rose thickly from the wet grass beneath her feet.

Cecil held the telegram in both hands, unable to break the seal.

She was scared to look inside.

Everything would be decided by the contents of this telegram from Balthazar.

Inside would be the message that would determine the fate of Kiyoaki and Kagura and change the bond between "The Seven of Eriadore" forever.

She was afraid. She couldn't open it.

Cecil took deep breaths again and again.

Her trembling hands tried to tear the seal, but she hesitated and pulled them back.

Finally, she pressed her forehead against the telegram and prayed.

"Please... Captain. Don't shatter my hope."

She pleaded.

"I want to believe in you, Captain. That you're not a terrible person."

She wanted to believe that deep down, beneath that cold-blooded exterior, there was at least a grain of humanity in him.

"We're comrades bound by our oath."

The oath made by the seven of them after their perilous mission aboard the Eriadore airship.

She wanted to believe that the promise they made also lived in Balthazar's heart.

And if, by any chance, Balthazar wasn't the man she hoped he was...

—I won’t let you get close to the Sylvania royal family.

—I’ll cut every tie that connects you to the royal family.

That was Cecil's resolve.

—Please. Don't make me come to that decision.

Calming her thoughts and steadying herself, she looked at the telegram with resolve. Her trembling hands finally opened it.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

The message that would decide Kiyoaki and Kagura's fate was written here.

She gazed up at the sky, took one last deep breath, and lowered her eyes to the document.

What entered her vision was an utterly plain, emotionless sentence, a reflection of Balthazar's personality.

"Secure transportation for the two."

Cecil let the brief sentence sink deep into her chest.

She read it twice, three times.

No matter how many times she read it, it was a purely factual, unadorned message.

Hugging the telegram close to her chest, Cecil closed her eyes.

The curt message, sent with a sense of reluctance, gently warmed her heart, slowly spreading through her soul.

"Captain..."

She spoke his name.

"Captain..."

From the single sentence pressed to her chest, something so pure and powerful overflowed and touched the deepest part of her soul.

"I love you, Captain."

Tears flowed uncontrollably.

"Thank you, Captain. I love you. I love you."

Beneath the cold mask Balthazar always wore, such noble and warm human blood flowed.

"Captain. Captain. Captain..."

Hugging the telegram tightly, Cecil cried and laughed, repeating his name over and over. She didn't bother to wipe away her tears. As the August sun beat down from above, her heart felt completely connected to Balthazar.

Balthazar was going to break the law and help Kiyoaki and Kagura escape from prison.

And Cecil's task was to secure transportation to return the two to the Akitsu Federation. If she could work with Balthazar, the jailbreak plan would no longer be a pipe dream. This telegram from Balthazar signified his agreement to cooperate with Cecil.

The tears showed no sign of stopping.

Humans don’t only cry from sadness. In moments of great joy, they can shed just as many tears.

"I love you. I love you. I love you..."

Hugging the telegram filled with Balthazar’s sincerity, Cecil repeated the words through her tears.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you..."

The torment she had endured from Balthazar in the past had completely vanished. She now adored and respected the humanity that had always been hidden within that cold-blooded man.

"For the rest of my life, I will trust you. Captain. Captain. Captain..."

If Balthazar were here right now, she would embrace him tightly and cry into his uniform, smearing it with her tears and snot until he was utterly bewildered.

"I’ll repay you. What you’ve given me, I’ll return it tenfold, a hundredfold."

The Sylvania royal family had now pledged eternal trust in Balthazar Grimm.

And then—

With her face soaked in tears, Cecil looked up at the summer sky.

A deep, rich blue filled her entire vision.

It was a grand, pure sky, as if imbued with someone’s will.

Cecil understood what she had to do.

She couldn’t let Balthazar bear the burden alone.

She, too, had to abandon her selfish desires and devote everything to the greater cause.

Wiping her eyes roughly with her arm, Cecil fought to hold back the flood of tears, and determination settled into her gaze.

There was something she had to do.

Something only she could accomplish at this moment.

And to do that, she could no longer remain Cecil Hauer.

—I will accept my destiny.

She would no longer run from her true name.

Even if the lives of those close to her were sacrificed for the restoration of the royal family.

Even if this decision invited new clouds of war to the archipelago.

—I will take the name of the king and change the world, even if only a little.

Looking up at the sky, she filled her lungs with the untainted blue, and the lost princess bid farewell to the false name she had carried.

—Goodbye, Cecil Hauer.

The tears streaming down her cheeks dissolved into the radiant light of midsummer.

—I am Elisabeth Sylvania.

Beyond the summer sky she gazed upon, the Valkyrie flag fluttered.

The flag of the strongest wings in the world, reigning over the skies Elisabeth pointed to.

Amid the rich blue expanse, the warriors of the heavens called out with a resounding cry.

—Let’s go.

Elisabeth turned on her heel. Every strategy needed to deliver Kiyoaki and Kagura safely back to the Akitsu Federation took shape in her mind.

Once the two were safely returned to the Federation, it would mean unavoidable conflict with the St Vault Empire. The seven members of Eriadore would be divided into enemies and allies, perhaps even meeting each other on the battlefield.

But.

—Even if we are divided as enemies, we will never hate one another.

—Our friendship is eternal.

The oath we made binds us.

What lies ahead on this path is not hatred.

One day, we will meet again, and we will exchange smiles.

—I will restore the royal family.

With this resolve etched into the core of her soul, Elisabeth decided to contact Colette first to arrange a meeting with the Akitsu Federation ambassador.

Late.

At the operations headquarters of the flying fortress Odin, Balthazar waited impatiently for Cecil’s reply.

The telegram he sent yesterday should have already arrived. There should have been some response by now, but Balthazar had no idea how Cecil intended to contact him. While a telegram would be the quickest method, rescuing Kiyoaki and Kagura would require more secure communication. Time was running out. If he left Kiyoaki and Kagura as they were, it wouldn’t be long before they were forced to provide false confessions and face execution by firing squad.

—Hurry, Cecil.

Balthazar's eyes were bloodshot. The image of Kagura, with her right arm chained and head hanging low, was burned into his vision, refusing to fade.

Seated deeply in a chair, arms crossed, Balthazar glared into the empty space before him, unmoving.

He had conveyed his intent to Cecil.

Even though he knew it wouldn’t benefit him in any way, he had done it anyway. He stopped trying to rationalize why.

—It doesn’t matter anymore.

—I just want to eliminate this inexplicable anxiety from my mind.

He hadn’t been able to focus on work all day. This was a first for him. His mind was completely consumed by the thought of Kagura in captivity, preventing him from handling any other tasks. Even he didn’t understand why this was happening to him.

As he sat there, stewing in impatience, an officer from the telegraph room approached him.

"Lieutenant Grimm, there’s a phone call for you."

The moment Balthazar heard those words, he jumped to his feet, kicking the chair back.

"I’ll be right there."

The intensity of his reaction startled the officer for a moment.

—A phone call, of all things!

He bounded up the stairs two steps at a time, heading toward the only telephone in the operations headquarters on the third floor.

The phone lines had only recently been installed, and only a select few military officials, high-ranking bureaucrats, and government dignitaries knew the number. The people who could use it were very limited.

Who could it be?

Catching his breath, he put the receiver to his ear.

"This is Grimm. I apologize for the wait."

A polished, refined female voice answered.

"This is Colette Avery. It’s been a while, Lieutenant Grimm."

A chill shot through him.

An indescribable shudder coursed through his body.

—I’ve hit the jackpot.

"It’s been a while. I owe you for your help back then."

"I’d love to catch up, but the phone bill would be astronomical. I’ll get straight to the point."

"Understood."

Balthazar instinctively straightened his posture, waiting for Colette's naturally dignified words.

"In the name of Elisabeth Sylvania, I request that you return Kiyoaki Sakagami and Kagura Murasaki safely to their homeland."

His legs trembled.

He couldn’t stop his lips from quivering.

—So, it’s true.

Cold sweat trickled down from his temples.

—Cecil, you really are Elisabeth!

"The princess is alive, then," he asked, struggling to suppress his shaking.

"Once the two are safely returned, I will answer that. Until then, I cannot respond to any questions regarding the princess."

His heart raced. Though he tried to maintain his composure, Balthazar’s mind struggled to keep up with the sudden turn of events.

"My husband’s subordinate is in Odin. We’ll coordinate the escape plan through him. I will also be coming to Odin soon."

"Understood."

"You are to devise a plan to free the two from prison, Lieutenant. The royal family will take responsibility for their return to their homeland."

"Yes, ma'am!!"

Straightening his back, he responded, and the call ended.

He returned the receiver and took a deep breath.

He realized just how serious the situation had become.

The entire exchange had been heard by his superiors at operations headquarters. The content recorded on tape would soon reach the officers.

—If it’s revealed that I’m breaking military law...

—That means my career is over...

Balthazar accepted that reality.

For so long, he had played along, performing menial tasks in silence, continuously winning war games and simulations. He was convinced that his future held a path to becoming Chief of Staff, as the abilities of his peers were nothing to be concerned about.

Everything he had steadily built since his academy days, all the achievements he had accumulated, would now be forfeit.

—But.

In his mind, he saw Kagura, hanging from the chains.

Kagura, her head lowered, never raising her face.

—If that image will disappear.

—If Kagura will smile again in its place.

He clenched his fists so tightly they bled.

There was no regret in his resolve. He reassured himself of that.

"Wait for me, Kagura."

Seething with anger, Balthazar stormed back to his desk.

Glaring into the void, he began formulating a plan to break the two out of prison.

"I’ll get you out of there."

At that moment, the door to the office opened.

Colonel Andy Bott, his superior in the intelligence division, approached Balthazar with a graceful stride.

The colonel had likely already learned the contents of the phone call. He stopped in front of Balthazar, his eyes glinting with intelligence behind his glasses.

"Do as you wish, Lieutenant Grim."

The colonel said with a slight smile, his gaze clearly indicating approval for a capable subordinate.

"If you’ve learned to understand human emotions, you have nothing left to fear."

With that cryptic remark, the colonel turned on his heel and returned to his office.

"Understanding the subtleties of human emotion is best learned through interaction with friends."

The words Colonel Andy had once said echoed in Balthazar’s mind. He still didn’t fully understand why such a thing was so important. But he did understand that his superior had given him tacit approval to act freely.

—I can do whatever I want.

—Whatever I want.

He felt a surge of determination. If the operations headquarters was going to overlook his actions, there was no greater stroke of luck. He could now execute the prison break plan without fear of military repercussions, taking full responsibility for it on his own.

—I will see this through, no matter what.

With that determination, Balthazar began formulating a detailed plan in his mind to safely deliver the two of them to the Akitsu Federation.