It was hard to understand what had been said.
Kidnapped? Jaekiel?
The fact that Jaekiel was kidnapped itself was unbelievable, and by demons,
no less?
Fortunately, the princesses were used to hiding their expressions.
Outwardly, they showed little, but inside, an indescribable confusion began
to rise.
Having risen to high ranks and positions on the continent, the princesses
had dealt with many enemies and overcome numerous hardships.
Therefore, they knew well that when involved with the Demon Realm,
things could spiral out of control more severely than anywhere else.
The Third Princess, Solana, clasped her hands and spoke. It was an action
born out of anxiety.
"…I'm not sure what this situation is."
Then Anes, looking embarrassed, spoke up.
"As I mentioned, it is as it is. To my regret, the Purple Tower betrayed us,
and the Auditor went to the Demon Realm to save the hostages."
"…"
The princesses were struck with shock.
Seina, who had been standing nearby, spoke.
"We were betrayed, and we've lost the Auditor. I have no excuse for being
alive, but I endured the rudeness to come here and tell the truth."
She bowed her head.
"If necessary, I'll go to the Demon Realm and sacrifice my life. Perhaps
you princesses might have some judgment or be able to help…"
Go to the Demon Realm?
In her heart, she wanted to do that right now.
But…
'The scale is just too large.'
Solana thought to herself.
If she led the Inquisitors to the Demon Realm, it would certainly be a
formidable force, but with that kind of scale, it would undoubtedly escalate
into a war.
War.
When there had been a war with the Demon Realm, the continent lost so
much. The problem was that Solana knew Jaekiel's heart all too well.
-Solana, are you crazy? This could all be fixed with just my death…!
Since Solana had known Jaekiel since childhood, she could picture him
saying that in her mind.
He would rather put himself in danger than let things escalate. The man
Solana admired, and her teacher was that kind of person.
'What should I do?'
Even the Second Princess, Hedera, seemed to have thought the same way,
with an expression similar to Solana's. At that moment, no princess dared to
speak easily.
"I'll go."
The First Princess, Ether, stood up from her seat.
"I will go directly to the Demon Realm, crush them all, and bring back the
Teacher. I will depart immediately."
The First Princess's eyes were sharp.
Her will to crush the demons with overwhelming strength and rescue
Jaekiel was mixed with fury.
While Anes and Seina's expressions brightened slightly, Solana and Hedera
couldn't share that sentiment.
Was direct confrontation really the best option?
It was too early to make a final judgment, and there was a risk that Jaekiel
might end up in even more danger.
The Second Princess, Hedera, opened her mouth as calmly as possible.
"I understand the First Princess's feelings."
Ether's eyes slid toward Hedera.
"But rushing out like that is too reckless."
"Why? Are you afraid to take risks?"
Hedera met Ether's gaze directly.
"I am an extremely selfish woman, but right now, I am prepared to bear any
loss. I'm not the only one who wants to save the Auditor."
"Then?"
"I don't know if charging in blindly will truly help the Auditor's safety."
Hedera continued calmly.
"We need to approach this carefully. We must suppress our rising emotions
and plan meticulously, moving silently."
"Ah, so…"
A vein stood out vertically on Ether's forehead.
"While the Teacher might be undergoing torture in the Demon Realm, you
want us to sit calmly and make plans? Is that really your suggestion?"
"…First Princess."
Hedera sighed deeply.
"The Demon Realm can also speak. First, we can communicate, figure out
what they want, and negotiate. We can't just storm in."
Ether clenched her lips.
Of course, Ether knew what Hedera was warning about. But right now, she
was prepared to annihilate everything that tried to harm Jaekiel, even if it
meant burning her very soul.
"Second Princess, this is where our differences show."
"Differences?"
"You're discussing negotiations like you're dealing with objects, foolish.
Even if emotions are involved, it's right to fight with all our strength and
take him back. At the same time, we must punish those who kidnapped the
Teacher."
"Stop speaking with only emotions…"
Just as Hedera was about to retort.
"Yeah, emotions take the lead!"
Ether slammed her fist on the table.
Crunch!
The table, which had been incredibly large and sturdy, shattered like a mere
wooden plank. Not only that, but cracks even appeared on the floor.
"The Teacher has been kidnapped! How can you expect us to stay rational?
It's only natural to go all out!"
It was then that Solana intervened.
"You both should stop there."
The Third Princess had closed her eyes and clasped her hands. Even in this
moment, she quietly prayed for Jaekiel's safety.
Focused on Solana, the Third Princess calmly began speaking after a
moment.
"To save Jaekiel, the first thing we must do is something different."
"Hm?"
Ether furrowed her brow and looked at Solana.
"First, we must cooperate. While each of our strengths is formidable, if we
can't move in the same direction, we will accomplish nothing."
It was a valid point.
All the princesses desperately wanted to save Jaekiel, but their differing
personalities and methods were a problem. They had never cooperated
before.
"Cooperate…"
Hedera slowly nodded.
"You're right. If we continue to fight and can't come to an agreement, we'll
just waste time. Ultimately, we'll only put the Auditor in more danger."
"Exactly, I'm glad you understand."
"But, how do we come to a consensus…?"
A brief silence passed.
Solana's words were undoubtedly right, but trying to combine their
opinions brought them back to square one.
What should they do? What was the best course of action?
While they pondered that,
"I have come to see the princesses."
A figure suddenly appeared in the meeting room. Dressed like a butler with
monocle glasses, it was Ilaref, a close aide to the Emperor.
Ilaref's expression was extremely serious.
"You've all been discussing methods to rescue Jaekiel, right? Please
disperse."
The princesses' eyes widened in surprise.
"Disperse? To us, how dare you?"
"I am well aware of your status, princesses. However, this is an order from
His Majesty the Emperor, the highest authority on the continent. Refusing it
would be an act of treason."
Ilaref's gaze now turned to Seina, the elder of the Blue Tower, and Anes,
Jaekiel's personal secretary.
"You were the ones who reported the kidnapping to the Imperial Palace.
You may return to your respective towers now. We're not sure what the
Purple Tower might be plotting, so please be cautious of your safety."
"Are you telling us to just go back like this?"
Seina couldn't hide her confusion and asked. Anes, who was standing next
to her, also couldn't leave and joined in.
"We are dealing with an urgent matter. How could His Majesty the Emperor
have judged this situation—ah?"
Then suddenly,
"Could it be…?"
A grim thought crossed Anes's mind.
"Has His Majesty the Emperor decided to abandon the Auditor? Is that why
he issued the order to disperse the meeting?"
It was a reasonable deduction.
The Emperor only considered the continent's position and didn't care much
for individual matters.
He likely judged that it was better to abandon the Auditor rather than risk a
conflict with the Demon Realm.
It seemed that everyone had come to the same thought as Anes. Shock
passed across their faces.
"Could it be that the Secretary is right?"
"No way. How could the Emperor make such a judgment…?!"
"What is going on?"
Each of them voiced their shock, but Ilaref only slowly blinked.
Then, his answer was also unexpected.
"The Auditor's rescue will be carried out."
A question mark appeared in everyone's mind.
The First Princess, Ether, asked.
"Will it happen? How?"
Ilaref paused for a moment.
And after a long silence, he seemed unsure whether it was okay to reveal
this, speaking with uncertainty.
"His Majesty the Emperor will go himself."