Am I still dreaming?
Glenn Scarlet wasn’t certain he could deny that question.
Sitting alone in an empty room on the third floor of Building 12, he stared blankly at the blood-lit moon as a sickening realization hit him.
The scenery he was looking at, the situation he was in, even the muffled sounds of the battle beyond the corridor... everything felt disconnected from reality.
It was as if he had been incarcerated in hell.
Glenn listened to the sounds of battle outside.
The Special Forces, young heroes, and cadets seed to be working together to fight off the incoming dolls.
How are they doing? Glenn wondered. Marco must be worried.
Marco used to say that he needed Glenn to be in his sights at all tis. Only then could Marco lay down his life.
Glenn’s mind conjured an image of his aide’s stern face saying those words.
Glenn had ignored him, then. Yet at this rate, if the third floor was breached and they had to retreat to the fourth, Glenn wouldn’t be able to escape in ti...
Glenn found himself thinking that being killed by a doll wouldn’t be so bad of an end.
Is this a symptom of madness?
Glenn had seen the ugliness of those academy students who lacked the aptitude for magic resistance. Those whose minds were consud by madness showed extre emotions and seed to lose the ability to think normally. They abandoned their dignity as human beings and ran around like wild animals.
If that was the typical appearance of insanity...
Then sadly, Glenn had not yet gone mad. His head was cool and his emotions subdued. His mind alone was going on a quiet rampage.
Or, to put it another way, he was feeling sothing closer to a calm insanity...
...But Glenn knew that this ability to keep his composure wasn’t due to his own strength. This, too, was the power of his blood.
As the noblest of the Great Houses, the blood of the imperial family carried such power.
An innate aptitude for magic resistance?
Because of that, Glenn was not content. To him, even this innate blessing seed like a curse.
If only I could have gone mad too.
Glenn considered it a misfortune that he couldn’t go crazy.
In a situation like this, madness would be an escape.
How liberating would it be to leave everything behind and go insane? Of course, it would be the most irresponsible form of escape in the world.
So he didn’t know how to describe his current feelings. How should he describe the feeling of going crazy over his inability to go crazy?
Even now, his sharp mind was still analyzing the situation.
...Did Elder Sister Ferith do all this?
He wasn’t sure. Sohow, it felt like there might have been a misunderstanding, but it also felt like the truth.
Though they were related by blood, Glenn knew very little about Ferith. They had barely spoken to each other. Though they both attended the academy, only a handful of tis had they crossed paths as students.
If Glenn knew anything about Ferith, it was that unlike him, who pretended to be a loner while secretly forming his own faction...
Princess Ferith was actually alone.
To be honest, Glenn Scarlet even felt a tinge of jealousy toward her. Unlike his pathetic self, who could never truly be alone, Ferith always looked noble, even when standing alone.
It would have been impossible without an imnsely sturdy ntality.
Except...
If Ferith was indeed a mber of the Church, he wanted a chance to talk to her.
The existence of the Church of Darkness, standing in opposition to The Empire, had always intrigued Glenn.
His curiosity was natural. Knowing the imperial family’s ugliness better than anyone, he was curious about the beliefs of those who stood opposite them.
What was the Church’s true goal after the fall of The Empire?
If he learned about the Church’s goal, and found himself agreeing with it enough...
Glenn was willing to abandon the na “Scarlet” at the drop of a hat.
As the third prince was harboring this rather dangerous thought...
Bang!
The door was thrown open harshly.
Glenn expected Marco, arriving at last... but an unexpected figure stood in the doorway.
“Wh...?”
At first, he couldn’t recognize her.
It was definitely a face he was familiar with, but the incongruity of her appearance overwheld his recognition.
Her hair, always so well kept, was disheveled. Her eyes, normally observing the world with a refined, relaxed attitude, were jumping around wildly. And her torn clothes, bloodstains, and heavy breathing were far from dignified.
Still, it wasn’t enough to make him unable to recognize her innate elegance with enough ti.
After all, there was only one other cadet in the academy who wore a jet-black dress.
“...Elder Sister Ferith?”
Or, no, was this a doll?
It was only natural for Glenn to be suspicious. Anyone would be when the mastermind behind everything suddenly burst through the door and revealed themself.
Spotting Glenn, Princess Ferith suddenly rushed forward and grabbed his hand.
Glenn could have reacted, but he didn’t. He sensed the desperation in her body language and her expression.
“There you are, Glenn.”
“What is... going on? Why are you here—”
“I’ll explain the details later, but for now, let’s escape together.”
Glenn blinked. “What do you—”
“I know a way out!” Ferith cut him off, her voice rising to a near shriek. Even Ferith was startled by the sound of her own voice, so after taking a mont, she lowered her voice and continued, “...A way out of this Veiled Side. O-only I know about it. Not everyone can go, no more than two at most, but if we can just make it there, then Deathberry, the demon lord, won’t be able to chase us any further.”
“What in the world...”
Glenn’s eyes lowered. He still didn’t fully understand the situation. He had no idea what Ferith was rambling on about after appearing so suddenly.
He didn’t know why, but... for so reason, seeing the way she was acting helped calm him down and clear his head.
Glenn swatted Ferith’s hand away. It was subtle, but it sent the ssage he wanted.
“Ah...”
“You’ll have to explain it in a way I can understand.”
“I told you, there’s no ti for that!”
Was this how Ferith normally spoke? He didn’t know. He wouldn’t know because they weren’t close enough for him to know how she usually spoke.
“...Is that so? Then you may leave alone,” Glenn said, his voice a little shaky... but not out of fear.
The prince was still not used to talking to others.
“Are you serious?” Ferith asked. “You’ll die if you stay here?”
Glenn answered with silence.
He had never feared death. In fact, he genuinely thought that this wouldn’t be a bad place for his grave.
If Ferith took offense at his attitude and left alone, he wouldn’t care in the slightest.
“...”
Ferith trembled slightly at the look on Glenn’s face. He still looked fragile, but from his glazed eyes, she felt the grimness of soone prepared for death. “...Fine,” she said, “but since we’re short on ti, I'll explain as briefly as possible.”
“I’m listening.”
And so Ferith explained...
* * * * *
* * * * *
Glenn’s expression changed mont by mont as she continued, but those outward changes paled in comparison to the storm brewing inside him.
When it was all said and done...
When Glenn spoke next, his voice no longer trembled. “So, Elder Sister, what you’re saying is... You got everyone involved, and now you want to run away, just the two of us?”
His unwavering gaze was locked straight on Ferith.
Ferith was startled at the look on her younger brother’s face, a look she had never seen before, but she didn’t let it show as she replied, “...I thought it was all a dream. Looking back now, it was all Deathberry tricking . You, you’ll never know how long that demon spent ticulously brainwashing . On the Veiled Side, I’ve fought you cadets dozens, hundreds of tis...”
“...”
The more he listened, the colder he felt inside.
Belatedly, Glenn realized that the emotion he was feeling was anger, a realization that left him taken aback.
What am I so angry about?
“So let’s quickly get out of here while we still can. I’m still ‘connected’ to this world, I can go anywhere I want. Once we’re out, if we just request help from the imperial family—”
“Why ?”
“...What?”
“You could have left on your own. It’s not like you and I are close, so I’m curious why you bothered to co here and try to drag along.”
Though they were of the sa royal blood, they had no bond or relationship otherwise, and any familial affection was even more out of the question.
Then Ferith Scarlet answered, “Well, because we’re royalty.”
...The words Glenn loathed most.
“What do you think will happen when two mbers of the imperial family die at the hands of the Church of Darkness, and in the middle of the Imperial City at that? The imperial family, if not The Empire, will have no choice but to respond. Whether it’s a declaration of war against the Church or simply a political gesture to show displeasure, The Empire will be in turmoil...”
Ferith’s words faded into the background.
Sure, she had a point, but words were only as good as the mont and the person speaking them, even if the words were later repeated verbatim. It wasn’t unreasonable for Glenn to take everything Ferith said as nothing more than a disgusting excuse.
Glenn’s head ached.
...I can’t believe a mber of the imperial family thinks like this.
Suddenly, Glenn shuddered as if struck by lightning.
It was a huge shock that seed to pierce through his thoughts, beliefs, and his very identity all at once.
At the sa ti, he was even more shocked as he ca to understand the source of his anger.
“Glenn?”
“...”
He looked Ferith in the eye, and he saw soone pathetic. Soone who had caused all this trouble, and now, as the situation got out of hand, decided to make a run for it. It was pitiful and revolting behavior unbecoming of an imperial princess.
Yes, right now, Glenn felt deeply disappointed in Ferith.
Why?
If he hated the imperial family, if he was disgusted with them, then confirming Ferith’s true nature should make him happy.
But he wasn’t. He couldn’t be.
At this mont, Glenn’s mind flashed back to his older sister, to the hundreds of imperials who had been raised like test subjects, and among them, the one person who had beco their beacon in the dark.
If she were in Ferith’s shoes, if she had been tricked by the demon’s deceitful tongue, caused this great of a disaster, and realized her faults...
What would she have done?
A mocking, breathless laugh escaped him. “...Ha.”
It was for himself.
At this mont, Glenn realized what he’d been avoiding all along.
The imperial family. The appearance, speech, deanor, conviction, and sense of responsibility that soone of the highest rank should uphold... The example set by his sister he once relied on was engraved in his heart like a seal.
That was why he hated himself.
He thought soone like him wasn’t worthy of being royalty, that only soone like his late sister—soone who accepted and led everyone—was worthy of such esteem.
He had thought it hundreds, thousands of tis. It should have been who died.
“What are you doing? We have to hurry.”
Glenn didn’t listen. He again ripped away from Ferith’s grasp.
Ferith was taken aback. “Wha...?”
“So, if I understood you correctly...”
“What?”
“...You intend to simply run away from this ss you created,” Glenn spat.
It felt like sothing in his mind had snapped.
Anger was an unfamiliar emotion for him, and expressing it openly was even more foreign.
With a shaky voice and teary eyes, Ferith said, “It wasn’t my intention! Did you even listen to ? The demon lord himself deceived and manipulated ! I-I was just tricked and played as its puppet...”
“I know how the Church works. They use their silver tongue to manipulate the ignorant. You're right about one thing: The fault usually lies with the deceiver. It would be too harsh to place the bla on the ignorance of the deceived.”
“R-right?”
“That is, if you were not royalty.”
Ferith flinched.
“Even if we make the sa mistakes as a commoner, ours carry a different weight. Ours are tied not just to the imperial family but to the authority of The Empire, the honor of the crown, and above all, the pride of its people. Do you understand? Those who stand above must not, under any circumstances, show disgrace.”
Glenn had thought she knew this quite a bit better than he, but Glenn did not say that part aloud.
“That is why we receive abundant support and advanced education, and enjoy luxuries that commoners could never dream of: All to avoid making such mistakes.”
“I-I never indulged in luxuries...”
“Didn’t you? Then let ask you, how many tis have you used the academy’s dining hall?”
“...”
“That dress you’re wearing, the jewelry you are adorned with, the tea you drink so often... And I’ve seen Deathberry’s outfits. While ordinary citizens play with straw dolls, you dressed your doll in clothes made of materials they could never even imagine wearing. If that is not luxury, then what is?”
Ferith was at a loss for words. The boy in front of her was her younger brother she had never cared for in her life. He was a frail boy who couldn’t even make eye contact with others and always stuttered...
But he was different now.
“...Know so sha,” Glenn muttered in a low voice. “What of royalty? I’m not trying to deny that our status and bloodline are great. In most cases, our lives are prioritized over others, but if that’s the case, shouldn’t our sense of responsibility outweigh theirs that much more?”
Ferith instinctively stumbled backward. “I-I...”
But she didn’t get far before her heel bumped against the door.
“If you want to run away, do so alone, Elder Sister. But before you do, think one last ti about the aning of a mber of the imperial family fleeing alone, leaving innocent people behind.”
Without its people, there could be no empire nor imperial family.
Glenn was about to speak those words, but he held back. And, with those final words left unspoken, he pushed past Ferith and exited the room.
Click.
As the door closed behind him, he felt an inexplicable sense of liberation and relief.
For so reason, a laugh escaped him. “Ha...”
Had he finally gone mad? He’d never expected to find any kind of relief in a situation like this.
A Church that deceived, manipulated, and ultimately killed others.
An imperial family that raised and disposed of humans like lab rats.
What was right, and what was wrong?
Glenn did not know. Nor did he want to know.
The blood of the imperial family, that repulsive imperial lineage and the disgusting crimson... all things he had denied for so long and wanted to continue to deny.
But he couldn't. No matter how much he denied it or struggled against it, so things couldn’t be changed, like how tearing open the skin would always reveal crimson blood escaping the wound.
—Hey, Glenn, you know what?
Suddenly, Glenn rembered what Luan had said to him just before he left.
—Rember what I told you before?
—What?
—About how Bednicker is not a stigma but a tool.
Of course Glenn rembered. He doubted he would ever forget, even to his dying day.
—You should think about it. I an, Bednicker’s fine and all, but an imperial title? It sure sounds better and cooler than what I’ve got.
—Why... are you giving advice?
Because of the mistake Glenn had made, he couldn’t trust Luan Bednicker. If Luan had been any stronger, Glenn would have been badly injured that day.
But the answer he’d received was absurd.
—That’s how kids your age get along. They bond through their fists.
—...
—Of course, I have an ulterior motive, which requires your imperial status.
—My status?
—In the future, when all this ss is over... how about showing the Naless King’s Tomb? You know, as a favor for your friend.
Glenn gave a small smirk.
...‘Friend’...
It was a word he’d thought would never apply to him. But if he could survive this place and make it out alive, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
.bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Glenn removed his hat. He took off his glasses and threw them aside.
His crimson hair, shining its own unique color even under the blood-lit moonlight, was revealed, and his crimson eyes stared straight ahead.
Step...
The third prince of the Naless Empire strode down the hallway.
____
Reviews
All reviews (0)