Translator: Pink Tea Editor: Ryunakama
A stone floor with tiles that lined up in a neat square like graph paper. Some stones were cracked or chipped, but it still was enough to tell that it was not a simple stone tower.
On that floor, Schwartz was crawling around. With a speechless face, Yuri was looking at that crown prince prowling on the floor and straining his eyes.
「Your Highness Crown Prince Schwarz. Have you found it?」
When asked, Schwartz replied without turning around.
「…Wait a while.」
Receiving a reply in a displeased tone, Yuri closed her mouth and let her gaze wander around the area. Perhaps built this way on purpose, but the castle had no structure higher than the lady"s mansion. Yet it was hard to find and had no possible way to attack it except for the sky.
However, Ditzen while hiding, kept restlessly surveying the courtyard and the castle, where Aifa was supposed to be.
「The sounds coming from the castle became fainter…… Aifa might have gotten caught……」
「Angry voices from soldiers still can be heard, so isn"t it okay?」
「T-That"s right… Well, anyway, we still have time to search for the elf, so we have to get down there faster…」
When Ditzen, mumbling, looked at Schwartz"s back, coincidentally right at that moment, he discovered something and spoke.
「Found it…」
「You did?!」
Reacting to Schwarz"s words, Ditzen immediately rushed over. Yuri also peeked with interest from behind Schwarz.
The floor where Schwarz was touching it had a faintly visible crest carved on it. Schwartz put his right hand on the stone with the emblem.
And whispered something almost indistinct.
Immediately afterward, the gaps between the orderly tiles of the rooftop glowed bluish-white, and then some of them slowly descended downward.
With a heavy rumbling sound, stones were going down one after another, and before long a spiral staircase was formed.
「…Amazing. As expected from Blau Empire.」
Without going into specifics, Ditzen gave ambiguous praise to which Schwarz shook his head after getting back to his feet.
「This tower was built by the first emperor. Currently lost magic techniques were used here. I have no clue what the gimmick behind it is.」
After saying this much Schwarz quickly went down the stairs.
「Eh? Is that okay? M-Maybe it"s a trap?…」
As Ditzen was seized with fear, Yuri looked at the staircase amusedly and followed after Schwartz.
「……Well, it, it will be okay, right? Probably…」
Watching the two go down first, Ditzen muttered that with a dry laugh and proceeded down the stairs.
The stairs didn"t seem to be that long, and soon dim light could be seen as he descended while putting his hand against the wall. Although the figure of Schwartz, who was in the lead, was not visible anymore, Yuri and Ditzen descended the stairs without any rush.
「Looks like we are almost there.」
「……Why is it so quiet?」
「Yes, the aura of tranquility can be felt.」
「It"s not what I meant……」
「Ah, we arrived. The door is open.」
Yuri said quietly and peeked through the gap. Behind the door, Schwarz"s back could be seen, and opposite him stood three female soldiers with their swords drawn. Lightly equipped they had only breastplates and arm guards.
「So it was a trap after all!」
When Ditzen uttered that line, the female soldiers turned their heads with stern expressions.
「Friends of his, huh?」
「Don"t move from that spot.」
Out of the three, two calmly started to walk towards Yuri"s group.
「L-Let"s force our way through here.」
Saying that, Ditzen chanted inaudibly.
But nothing happened.
「I, I can"t use my techniques……?!」
「Oh my, you are right.」
Yuri bemusedly agreed with those words. Soon, a blade of the sword was held to her neck.
「Sealing technique that prevents the use of magic is applied to this place. To reach this building you need a magician, but once you get inside they will be powerless.」
While one soldier put her sword to Yuri"s neck, another pointed her sword at Ditzen"s face.
「I don"t know why you know about this entrance. But there is that much ruckus outside. I won"t let you get away.」
「Since techniques can"t be used I won"t be able to escape even if I tried…」
Saying that while dripping with a cold sweat, Ditzen raised both hands, immediately showing his will to surrender.
Then, Schwarz, who stood with his back turned to Dizen, spoke.
「Who do you think you are pointing your sword at? I"m the Crown Prince.」
Soldiers glared sharply at Schwartz after that announcement.
「Absurd. You are the Crown Prince? As if it"s possible for us, the elite guard, not to know. What are you trying to do by posing as the royal? You couldn"t be thinking about a revolution with yourself as the frontman?」
As the soldiers oozing with anger ridiculed him, Schwartz boldly laughed and took one step forward.
「If you think that is a lie then call my mother, Her Majesty Empress Merleira.」
That line caused the faces of the soldiers to stiffen slightly. They couldn"t help but to exchange glances and then the soldier that stood in front of Schwartz said.
「…You do understand what will happen if you claim to be an empress" child and that turns out to be a lie?」
「Enough of that, hurry up and call her.」
When Schwarz repeated his request in a deep voice, the soldier, perplexed, furrowed her eyebrows, creating a deep wrinkle in between.
As the soldier stood there without moving or changing her expression, a voice came from behind her.
「……Schwarz-sama?」
Then, hearing that voice, everyone looked behind the soldier.
There stood an elven woman that looked young enough to be called a girl. The elf with short golden hair wore a blue dress close to a one piece by design. Just like any other elf, she had a slender figure and a beautiful face, but different from other elves, her eyes were bright green. Seeing that elf, Schwarz narrowed his eyes.
「Fiatora. As expected, you didn"t change at all.」
When Schwarz said that, the elf woman called Fiatora raised her eyebrows and replied.
「……Schwarz-sama has changed a lot. What happened in the few years we didn"t meet?」
Asked Fiatora with an expression that had a mix of surprise and bewilderment on it. To which Schwarz groaned with a sour face.
「……It"s a long story. I will see my mother first.」
As he replied so, lowering the tone, Fiatora lightly nods with a troubled look and then shifted her gaze to Yuri and Ditzen.
「However, those people…?」
As the conversation switched to her, Yuri donned a soft smile and replied.
「We came to see you, Fiatorsama.」
「…M-Me?」
Shaken, Fiatora replied with a question to which Yuri deeply nodded.
「Yes. We came on behalf of Aifsama.」
When Yuri answered, Fiatora blinked in surprise.
「From Aifa……? He knew that I was here?」
While Fiatora stood in confusion, Ditzen showed his face from behind Yuri.
「Ehmm…… For starters, can you make them put their swords away? I can"t stand how scary it is……」
Uttered Ditzen while glancing at the blade of the sword that still was pointed at him.