***Arc 6 One Who Pierced Through, Chapter 143 Royal Capital of Blood***
The doctor stood up and looked at Kreschenta and Selene.
"... For the time being, there’s nothing more that can be done. Your Majesty the Queen has dealt with it well, and I've done all I can... but whether or not she can make it through tonight we can only pray."
"Thank you. You may go."
"Understood. Then please excuse me."
Lying on the bed was a red-haired servant.
She was unconscious, just asleep.
At her side, Cliche just looked at her face.
Anne and Elvena watched the doctor get up and leave, and Kreschenta looked at her sister's expressionless face.
"Um, Onee-sama..."
Until now Krische hadn’t said a single word.
She just caressed Bery's cheek as she slept.
"The woman had been caught. She doesn't seem to know anything, but I'll soon find and catch the one who did this. So, uh..."
Kreschenta had a frightened look on her face.
It was none other than Bery who had been stabbed.
She didn't know what her sister would do.
The knife contained a deadly poison called ‘A Drop One Night’.
It is a well-known poison in its own right, and Kreschenta also had the antidote in her possession.
Kreschenta rushed to the scene and immediately made a judgment based on the symptoms, and gave him first aid, but poison is not something you can let your guard down.
Rather, it's more likely that Bery will die at this rate.
In the first place, the poison was aimed at Kreschenta, and in a sense, the cause was her own.
That's why Kreschenta was afraid of her older sister.
Krische’s purple color glanced at Kreschenta.
Kreschenta’s body stiffened.
"It's okay, Kreschenta. Bery won't die."
Krische said to the frightened Kreschenta and stroked her head.
Krische puts her hand on Bery, seemingly oblivious to the confused Kreschenta.
At that moment――a pale magic surged out from her hand.
Selene's eyes widened and Kreschenta frowned.
What emerged from Krische’s hand was a geometric pattern of magical power.
It was similar to the technique used to engrave magic crystals, the main difference being the unusual density of the patterns.
And that it was being drawn in midair.
Lines and lines that emit a bluish-white light drew arcs and acute angles, crossed each other, and were connected.
The pattern that was drawn grew at an accelerated rate and filled the room.
Selene, Anne and the others had no idea what was happening, and only Kreschenta understood the meaning of the patterns created by her older sister――what it meant.
The magic that covered the room converged, and a blue-gray sphere enveloping the bed――a semi-transparent sphere was created on the spot.
"Krische, what are you——"
Before Selene, who could not hide her surprise, could ask, the staggering Krische collapsed on the spot.
Kreschenta immediately supported her.
"...Onee-sama drew a formula in the air. Engraving the formula on her own magic... the principle is the same as the magic crystal."
Holding her mouth as if she was nauseated, Krische wrinkled her eyebrows and shook her body.
The reason she seemed so weak compared to usual was probably because she had spit out all the magic from her body.
The amount of magic released in that instant was so huge that it could not be compared to the physical strengthening.
Suspension, stagnation, immobility, maintenance——that's about all the formula Kreschenta could read.
However, when she saw Bery wrapped in a sphere, she could understand what had happened.
The breathing that had taken place until just before was gone.
Bery's chest didn't move up and down, and it seemed as if she was dead.
But no.
Even the tiny dust particles floating in the air stopped inside.
It wasn’t just as if, but literally time had stopped.
"Onee-sama probably stopped time..."
"……time?"
Serene approached and reached for the sphere.
There it was, hard and smooth as glass.
It's a strange feeling, like there's an invisible wall.
"Kreschenta"
Kreschenta was embraced by Krische with a weak force.
Without her magical power, Krische was nothing more than a little girl as just she looked.
"……Just a bit"
"……? a……"
Her magic power was sucked up from the part where it made contact, a strange sensation.
Kreschenta did not resist and let Krische do as she wanted.
Soon it was over and Krische took a deep breath and raised herself up.
"Krische cut out that space and made it a different space. With this, the Bery won't die."
"Different space..."
"It would be too long to explain in detail but"
Krische said and looked at Elvena.
"Krische'll do something about it during this time. Elvena, please help."
"Help...is it? What should I do——"
"We’re going to do some research in the archives. Let’s do what we can for now. Anne, please make dinner.
"Y-yes...I understand."
Anne nodded while correcting her posture even though she was confused.
Krische’s word, who they thought would be more shaken than anyone else, were so clear that even the confused Anne recovered from her powerful words.
"Selene and the others are fine as usual. Krische will take care of everything, so don't worry about it."
"... Even if you say so. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Hmm... Please take care of Jaragasha and Krische’s army for now."
Saying that, Krische quickly left the room.
Elvena soon followed her, and Selene and Kreschenta looked at Bery sleeping.
"... even if you say to do what we can..."
"We have no choice but to leave it to Onee-sama until she is satisfied."
Kreschenta sat down in her chair and breathed deeply.
Then she looked at the sphere and narrowed her eyes.
"If it's possible, Onee-sama will definitely try it. Rather, if we don’t let One-sama, we wouldn't know what will happen in the future."
"...seems so, huh"
"I wonder if Argan-sama knows how important her body is to the Kingdom. Now matter, to think she would get herself stabbed, how imprudent."
While glaring at the sleeping Bery, Kreschenta stood up.
"Selene-sama, just do as Onee-sama said. I have a little something to do, so I will excuse myself."
"Okay, I understand. Please be careful."
"... who do you think you are talking to?"
Kreschenta pouted her lips and left the room.
The escorts, Kilik, were waiting outside the mansion, but Anne followed them in a hurry to see them off.
Left alone, Selene sat on the bedside chair, covered her face and sighed.
"... I guess I'm the one who's the most upset when you're like this.... how pathetic huh, Bery."
Then, as if to hold back the tears in her eyes, she pressed both of her palms over her eyelids.
In the basement of the royal castle, there is a prison where criminals, including royalty, who cannot be shown to the public, were held.
It had not been used for a long time, but this was where the woman was currently being held.
"Dagris, you didn’t lay your hand on her right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Roland's former spy——Dagris was now the Queen's eye and limbs.
The underground people who have been used in the royal palace for a long time basically have various ties and troubles.
The man who Kreschenta ordered for her personal errands was basically this man who seems to have pledged allegiance to Krische. Kreschenta was satisfied with Dagris, who was not greedy and had no shortage of ability as a secret agent.
"Y-your Majesty, forgive me, f-forgive me..."
The woman tied to the chair trembled at the sight of Kreschenta, and Kreschenta smiled.
"Well, well, to think you did the most troublesome thing possible. I'm a pretty mild person, but this time I'm pretty angry."
"Hi..!"
"I've been thinking about how to hurt you and kill you, but I'm not into vulgarity, so I'm going to keep it simple this time."
The woman's features were relatively well-groomed.
Many perverts would be happy if she ordered them to torture her, but that's not Kreschenta’s hobby.
Considering that the more people she used, the more trouble she would need to deal with, it was best to do it in secret.
Why this woman wanted to kill her——there were too many reasons that came to mind, and she was not particularly interested in that.
She won't spit out much information even when tortured.
The one that was used was a drop one night, this well-known poison was too popular, and it was difficult to pinpoint the route to obtain it――perhaps it was used precisely because of that.
She was a royal servant, and the number of nobles she interacted with on a daily basis was enormous.
It is unlikely that the culprit on the other side of several layers of cushions could be identified from this woman's testimony.
In short, this was pointless torture.
For Kreschenta, this was a relatively unusual action.
Killing her would have been the end of it――she didn’t even need to dirty her own hands but in this case, if she didn’t she won’t be able to settle down.
At least this woman did the worst thing she could do.
The woman's hands were spread out on the table.
Kreschenta picked up a hammer from the tools Dagris had prepared and smiled at the woman.
Then, she suddenly slammed the hammer down on the woman's finger.
Her fingertips were shattered along with her nails and bones, and a loud scream erupted.
Kreschenta frowned as the sound reverberated through the prison, and the woman begged for forgiveness, saying that she will tell her everything.
Kreschenta smiled and gagged her.
"Don't worry. I'm not interested in the information that comes out of your mouth. You probably don't know much anyway, and it's pointless to ask. It's your role to feel pain until I'm refreshed and tired of it, and then die."
"――!?"
Kreschenta had no hesitation.
After she gagged her, she swung the hammer down and crushed her fingers as naturally as she would massage it.
She did not have the proper nerve to have her conscience pricked at the thought of hurting someone else.
"The Duke of Arkasakos, I suppose. But still, it's a little sloppy."
"...Certainly, it's a little strange. It's like asking to be killed. It's also possible that the threat didn't work but."
Dagris responded to Kreschenta, who naturally opened her mouth while crushing the woman’s fingers.
He already knew that the lovely princess, who seems wouldn't even kill an insect, was in fact a deviant.
Simple, as she had said, the torture of crushing her fingers was also something her was familiar with from years of experience, and Dagris did not particularly care.
Dagris was also crazy to the extent that he could eat while torturing people.
"I wonder if the method was a bit naive. After all, it might have been better to kill him early. Above all, Argan-sama."
After crushing the fingertips of her left hand, she moved on to the woman’s right hand.
She sighed while making a pleasant sound.
"If Onee-sama goes to your place, cooperate as much as possible. Regardless of what happens later, it's fine. If you disobey, you will probably be killed. Onee-sama is furious right now."
"To disobey... I understand the terror of that lady firsthand."
Dagris recalled her appearance in an alley in Keluaran and said that.
It was mere suicide to make an enemy of Krische. And Dagris had no suicidal thoughts.
"In a sense, it seems like it will make the job a lot easier. No questions asked."
"I'm a little disappointed that my efforts so far seem to be in vain."
Kreschenta pressed her fingertips against her cherry-red lips and made a troubled face.
Then she casually smashed the last finger of the woman’s right hand.
"If anything, I prefer the image of a good and respectable ruler who is kind to the people. The people are more willing to give their lives that way right? "
"Well, I can't deny it. From the point of view of seizing power, I don't think it's a bad way to tie them down with fear but"
"That kind of method will make enemies. Do you know Grabaraine?"
"I don't know the details, but... was she poisoned at the end?"
Kreschenta nodded and crouched down.
When she was done with the woman’s hands, now it was her feet.
She took off the woman’s shoes, leaving her barefoot, and swung the hammer down again.
The woman’s fingers were crushed.
" Even a queen who has built an invincible superpower ends up like that. I don't want to go through the same thing. So, I'm trying to be careful not to make the same mistake. Of course, it's certainly easier to do that."
She rhythmically crushed the woman’s fingers and pricked her lips.
"I could smash this woman's face, cut off her limbs, and send the finished product back to the house where she was born, but that would only cause unnecessary resentment, wouldn't it? For a while, they might be afraid of me and obey me, but that kind of hatred won't disappear with time. It would be better to say that she died in an accident during the torture, so that there would be no repercussions later. It is inevitable that a person who wants the queen's life should be tortured and die as a result."
Kreschenta smashed both toes, then went back to the woman’s hands.
Next she picked up a pair of large, blunt scissors.
The woman who had nearly fainted from the pain and fear increased her resistance again.
"I want to punish her as much as possible, but I want to settle it that way. Well, at this point, I don't care about the noble."
She put the woman’s fingers between the gaps in the blade, and without hesitation she tightened her grip on the handle.
Even as she was gagged, the screams filled the room and echoed.
"The problem is the public's feelings, is it?"
"That's right."
Kreschenta turned her gaze to Dagris, wondering if he had any good ideas.
Dagris thought for a moment and opened his mouth.
"If Your Majesty wants to avoid dishonoring Your Majesty’s name, then Your Majesty probably needs a substitute."
"I wonder if that will be the case after all."
Kreschenta’s lips twitched in dissatisfaction.
The only thing that makes her look like a child is the way she did that while cutting off the human fingers with scissors.
"Well, it depends on what happens."
"Argan-sama is a brake for Onee-sama. It’s obvious."
Kreschenta said exasperatedly,
"Borrowing everyone else 's, Onee-sama originally had the same disease as me."
while pointing to her head.
For several days, Krische and Elvena had been locked in the library of the royal castle.
The books piled up in front of her, she quickly put them away and brought a new one.
She digests the books at a speed that makes it seem as if she is just rolling up the pages, whether she is reading them or not.
The librarians in the library were all mobilized, and they were just working for her.
A hectic time continued until she finished reading a random one from a collection of over 10,000 books, and when she was done, Krische drank the tea Elvena had brewed and crossed her arms.
Surprisingly from Elvena's point of view, Krische seemed calm.
Considering her usual appearance of being spoiled by Bery, it felt unnatural, and even when Elvena asked her to rest and eat, she obediently responded without any particular resistance.
"There are 3,875 items that are described as secret medicines or elixir and have such descriptions. If we exclude those that are considered to be identical or the same, there are 37 of them. Of these, 23 are probably no more than mere medicines, and 12 are of doubtful existence. That leaves two that Krische thinks are worth trying."
‘Less than expected’, Krische said.
The librarians were bewildered by her unusual words, but Elvena was no longer surprised.
Her intelligence was on a level that couldn’t be compared to that of a normal human being.
"... two"
"It looks like it will take some time to find the ingredients for the first one, so let’s leave it for later. First, the other one... it looks like it can be done right away. Krische knows where it is."
"……that is"
But even Elvena widened her eyes at those words.
She understood what the two, that Krische was talking about.
"Krische-sama, that's――"
"Krische’s only doing what is worth trying."
It was the coldest voice she had ever heard.
There was no room for objection, and Elvena finally realized there that Krische was only pretending to be calm.
"If Selene hears it, she'll say no, so please keep quiet until Krische goes."
"……yes"
Krische caressed Elvena's cheeks as if troubled.
"Krische, doesn't want to get angry at Elvena, and Krische doesn't want to fight with Selene, so please promise Krische, okay?"
"..Understood. As Krische-sama’s will."
"Until Krische comes back, please share the workload with Anne and take care of Kreschenta and the mansion."
With that, Krische turned away.
" Krische -sama... are you leaving now?"
It was night when the sun had already set.
The moonlight was hidden behind clouds, and darkness spread outside the window.
"Nn... Krische has some business to do, so Krische'll leave the capital after finishing it. It's more convenient at night anyway."
The woman ended up hurting the servant.
They didn't want her to succeed, so you could say that she did well.
"Well, the failure is as planned――the rest is how the Queen will act."
Farre Arkasakos sat down on the sofa and sipped a glass of wine.
The restless Count Narques looked at Farre in amazement.
"Haah, how can you be so calm"
"In the end, it’s just what’s going to happen. Whether you expect it or get anxious, it doesn't mean that the card you've put down will change. You can think about what will happen after you flip it up. Don't you agree?"
"... You may be reluctant, but you resemble your father in that way. I can't do that."
Narques, looking even older, takes a sip of wine and sighs.
"Don't rot like that. I need someone like you on my side. I want to cherish someone who can see things objectively....Father didn't have that kind of existence, so as he got older, his pride grew."
Farre said, pouring down the wine, rolling it on his tongue and tasting it.
"It's going well, there's no proof. Even if it didn't go well, my father wouldn't think it was our fault."
"I hope so."
Narques, perhaps wanting to change his mood, headed to the window and Farre smiled wryly.
"Once everything is over, I'd like to take it easy and go hunting for the first time in a long time. I'm not very good at it, but you must have been good at it right."
"Hunting. ...... sounds good."
Narques opened the window and answered.
Farre wasn't good with swords or bows, but Narques was different.
They have different personalities and likes and dislikes. But strangely enough, they got along well.
Friendship is not about ability, it's probably something you feel in a different part.
Decades of throwing away various things――Farre wanted to regain even a little of that.
"Deer are good. That one I ate when I was young was exceptional.... I'm sure the meat was tough but"
This time there was a short pause.
There was no reply, instead a thud sounded.
He frowned and looked at it.
Narques was lying on the floor.
Farre furrowed his eyebrows thinking he shouldn’t have drunk enough to be dead drunk.
――Then he felt a hard sensation in his throat.
Silver flickered at the edge of his vision.
Under the fallen Narques's neck――he could see a pool of blood spreading there.
Farre's breathing almost stopped.
"W-wait, do you know who I am——"
"Farre Arkasakos. Heard you are the legitimate son of the Duke of Arkasakos."
The voice that tickled his ear was somewhat childish.
It was a voice very similar to that of the Queen.
The silver hair that's been glimpsed in the edge of his vision——Farre finally understood who's behind him.
"W-wait. Why, why me. I swear, I have nothing to do with this incident."
"Is that so, but either way is fine."
"Wha, kha——?"
Suddenly he couldn't breathe.
He couldn't even speak, instead an eerie thumping sound resounded under his chin.
Farre rolled over, feeling a burning pain in his throat.
"Don't worry. Krische’s just killing the nobles of the royal palace who don't follow Kreschenta right now as disobedience to the royal family. It’s not like Krische decided on her own that you're the culprit. The bad (worst) person will die together properly."
A sharp pain runs through his right shoulder and he writhes uncontrollably.
"Krische doesn't really know who the bad person is, but if Krische does the same to all of you then that's it."
He realized a little later that he had lost feeling in his right arm.
"I'm doing this because treason is a dismemberment, but if it was not, Krische might think it was a bit excessive as a punishment for disobedience. ...But don’t worry, Krieches’ll let everyone go through the same thing. It's not like you're the only one who hurts."
He stretched out his left arm as if crawling to escape and was immediately amputated.
Like a hot knife cutting into a hot butter, Farre lost both arms without any resistance.
"Ah, but Krische killed Count Narques first, huh? Isn’t that a little unfair… Well, Krische’ll do the same for him later, so after becoming a corpse, both will be the same."
Without uttering a single word, he turned around with only his neck.
A beautiful silver-haired girl——her eyes sparkled like jewels, purple.
"Krische just wants to prevent something like this from happening again. Look, if the room is dirty, you'll clean it, right? Just like that..."
There was a smile on her lips.
Her eyes were icy, full of anger and hatred.
"Clean up all the bad things, and then Krische can relax."
Then his leg was severed.
――Kingdom history years 458.
Shortly after the coronation of the new Queen on this year, an unprecedented big incident occurred in the Royal Capital of Albenaria, in which 17 nobles were slaughtered and their limbs cut off in one night.
The culprit was never caught, and there was no eyewitness testimony.
There is also a description that all the victims were conservative aristocrats who did not show allegiance to the new Queen Crescenta, and despite the grave murder of the aristocrat, the subsequent investigation was discontinued.
For this reason, there was a strong opinion that it may have been caused by Queen Alberan, whose evaluation is still divided, and it is often called the Great Purge of Kreschenta.
Many memoirs suggest that the main culprit was Kreschenta’s older sister, Krische Christand, but there was no official record of her being tried.
***Arc 6 One Who Pierced Through, Chapter 143 Royal Capital of Blood***
The doctor stood up and looked at Kreschenta and Selene.
"... For the time being, there’s nothing more that can be done. Your Majesty the Queen has dealt with it well, and I've done all I can... but whether or not she can make it through tonight we can only pray."
"Thank you. You may go."
"Understood. Then please excuse me."
Lying on the bed was a red-haired servant.
She was unconscious, just asleep.
At her side, Cliche just looked at her face.
Anne and Elvena watched the doctor get up and leave, and Kreschenta looked at her sister's expressionless face.
"Um, Onee-sama..."
Until now Krische hadn’t said a single word.
She just caressed Bery's cheek as she slept.
"The woman had been caught. She doesn't seem to know anything, but I'll soon find and catch the one who did this. So, uh..."
Kreschenta had a frightened look on her face.
It was none other than Bery who had been stabbed.
She didn't know what her sister would do.
The knife contained a deadly poison called ‘A Drop One Night’.
It is a well-known poison in its own right, and Kreschenta also had the antidote in her possession.
Kreschenta rushed to the scene and immediately made a judgment based on the symptoms, and gave him first aid, but poison is not something you can let your guard down.
Rather, it's more likely that Bery will die at this rate.
In the first place, the poison was aimed at Kreschenta, and in a sense, the cause was her own.
That's why Kreschenta was afraid of her older sister.
Krische’s purple color glanced at Kreschenta.
Kreschenta’s body stiffened.
"It's okay, Kreschenta. Bery won't die."
Krische said to the frightened Kreschenta and stroked her head.
Krische puts her hand on Bery, seemingly oblivious to the confused Kreschenta.
At that moment――a pale magic surged out from her hand.
Selene's eyes widened and Kreschenta frowned.
What emerged from Krische’s hand was a geometric pattern of magical power.
It was similar to the technique used to engrave magic crystals, the main difference being the unusual density of the patterns.
And that it was being drawn in midair.
Lines and lines that emit a bluish-white light drew arcs and acute angles, crossed each other, and were connected.
The pattern that was drawn grew at an accelerated rate and filled the room.
Selene, Anne and the others had no idea what was happening, and only Kreschenta understood the meaning of the patterns created by her older sister――what it meant.
The magic that covered the room converged, and a blue-gray sphere enveloping the bed――a semi-transparent sphere was created on the spot.
"Krische, what are you——"
Before Selene, who could not hide her surprise, could ask, the staggering Krische collapsed on the spot.
Kreschenta immediately supported her.
"...Onee-sama drew a formula in the air. Engraving the formula on her own magic... the principle is the same as the magic crystal."
Holding her mouth as if she was nauseated, Krische wrinkled her eyebrows and shook her body.
The reason she seemed so weak compared to usual was probably because she had spit out all the magic from her body.
The amount of magic released in that instant was so huge that it could not be compared to the physical strengthening.
Suspension, stagnation, immobility, maintenance——that's about all the formula Kreschenta could read.
However, when she saw Bery wrapped in a sphere, she could understand what had happened.
The breathing that had taken place until just before was gone.
Bery's chest didn't move up and down, and it seemed as if she was dead.
But no.
Even the tiny dust particles floating in the air stopped inside.
It wasn’t just as if, but literally time had stopped.
"Onee-sama probably stopped time..."
"……time?"
Serene approached and reached for the sphere.
There it was, hard and smooth as glass.
It's a strange feeling, like there's an invisible wall.
"Kreschenta"
Kreschenta was embraced by Krische with a weak force.
Without her magical power, Krische was nothing more than a little girl as just she looked.
"……Just a bit"
"……? a……"
Her magic power was sucked up from the part where it made contact, a strange sensation.
Kreschenta did not resist and let Krische do as she wanted.
Soon it was over and Krische took a deep breath and raised herself up.
"Krische cut out that space and made it a different space. With this, the Bery won't die."
"Different space..."
"It would be too long to explain in detail but"
Krische said and looked at Elvena.
"Krische'll do something about it during this time. Elvena, please help."
"Help...is it? What should I do——"
"We’re going to do some research in the archives. Let’s do what we can for now. Anne, please make dinner.
"Y-yes...I understand."
Anne nodded while correcting her posture even though she was confused.
Krische’s word, who they thought would be more shaken than anyone else, were so clear that even the confused Anne recovered from her powerful words.
"Selene and the others are fine as usual. Krische will take care of everything, so don't worry about it."
"... Even if you say so. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Hmm... Please take care of Jaragasha and Krische’s army for now."
Saying that, Krische quickly left the room.
Elvena soon followed her, and Selene and Kreschenta looked at Bery sleeping.
"... even if you say to do what we can..."
"We have no choice but to leave it to Onee-sama until she is satisfied."
Kreschenta sat down in her chair and breathed deeply.
Then she looked at the sphere and narrowed her eyes.
"If it's possible, Onee-sama will definitely try it. Rather, if we don’t let One-sama, we wouldn't know what will happen in the future."
"...seems so, huh"
"I wonder if Argan-sama knows how important her body is to the Kingdom. Now matter, to think she would get herself stabbed, how imprudent."
While glaring at the sleeping Bery, Kreschenta stood up.
"Selene-sama, just do as Onee-sama said. I have a little something to do, so I will excuse myself."
"Okay, I understand. Please be careful."
"... who do you think you are talking to?"
Kreschenta pouted her lips and left the room.
The escorts, Kilik, were waiting outside the mansion, but Anne followed them in a hurry to see them off.
Left alone, Selene sat on the bedside chair, covered her face and sighed.
"... I guess I'm the one who's the most upset when you're like this.... how pathetic huh, Bery."
Then, as if to hold back the tears in her eyes, she pressed both of her palms over her eyelids.
In the basement of the royal castle, there is a prison where criminals, including royalty, who cannot be shown to the public, were held.
It had not been used for a long time, but this was where the woman was currently being held.
"Dagris, you didn’t lay your hand on her right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Roland's former spy——Dagris was now the Queen's eye and limbs.
The underground people who have been used in the royal palace for a long time basically have various ties and troubles.
The man who Kreschenta ordered for her personal errands was basically this man who seems to have pledged allegiance to Krische. Kreschenta was satisfied with Dagris, who was not greedy and had no shortage of ability as a secret agent.
"Y-your Majesty, forgive me, f-forgive me..."
The woman tied to the chair trembled at the sight of Kreschenta, and Kreschenta smiled.
"Well, well, to think you did the most troublesome thing possible. I'm a pretty mild person, but this time I'm pretty angry."
"Hi..!"
"I've been thinking about how to hurt you and kill you, but I'm not into vulgarity, so I'm going to keep it simple this time."
The woman's features were relatively well-groomed.
Many perverts would be happy if she ordered them to torture her, but that's not Kreschenta’s hobby.
Considering that the more people she used, the more trouble she would need to deal with, it was best to do it in secret.
Why this woman wanted to kill her——there were too many reasons that came to mind, and she was not particularly interested in that.
She won't spit out much information even when tortured.
The one that was used was a drop one night, this well-known poison was too popular, and it was difficult to pinpoint the route to obtain it――perhaps it was used precisely because of that.
She was a royal servant, and the number of nobles she interacted with on a daily basis was enormous.
It is unlikely that the culprit on the other side of several layers of cushions could be identified from this woman's testimony.
In short, this was pointless torture.
For Kreschenta, this was a relatively unusual action.
Killing her would have been the end of it――she didn’t even need to dirty her own hands but in this case, if she didn’t she won’t be able to settle down.
At least this woman did the worst thing she could do.
The woman's hands were spread out on the table.
Kreschenta picked up a hammer from the tools Dagris had prepared and smiled at the woman.
Then, she suddenly slammed the hammer down on the woman's finger.
Her fingertips were shattered along with her nails and bones, and a loud scream erupted.
Kreschenta frowned as the sound reverberated through the prison, and the woman begged for forgiveness, saying that she will tell her everything.
Kreschenta smiled and gagged her.
"Don't worry. I'm not interested in the information that comes out of your mouth. You probably don't know much anyway, and it's pointless to ask. It's your role to feel pain until I'm refreshed and tired of it, and then die."
"――!?"
Kreschenta had no hesitation.
After she gagged her, she swung the hammer down and crushed her fingers as naturally as she would massage it.
She did not have the proper nerve to have her conscience pricked at the thought of hurting someone else.
"The Duke of Arkasakos, I suppose. But still, it's a little sloppy."
"...Certainly, it's a little strange. It's like asking to be killed. It's also possible that the threat didn't work but."
Dagris responded to Kreschenta, who naturally opened her mouth while crushing the woman’s fingers.
He already knew that the lovely princess, who seems wouldn't even kill an insect, was in fact a deviant.
Simple, as she had said, the torture of crushing her fingers was also something her was familiar with from years of experience, and Dagris did not particularly care.
Dagris was also crazy to the extent that he could eat while torturing people.
"I wonder if the method was a bit naive. After all, it might have been better to kill him early. Above all, Argan-sama."
After crushing the fingertips of her left hand, she moved on to the woman’s right hand.
She sighed while making a pleasant sound.
"If Onee-sama goes to your place, cooperate as much as possible. Regardless of what happens later, it's fine. If you disobey, you will probably be killed. Onee-sama is furious right now."
"To disobey... I understand the terror of that lady firsthand."
Dagris recalled her appearance in an alley in Keluaran and said that.
It was mere suicide to make an enemy of Krische. And Dagris had no suicidal thoughts.
"In a sense, it seems like it will make the job a lot easier. No questions asked."
"I'm a little disappointed that my efforts so far seem to be in vain."
Kreschenta pressed her fingertips against her cherry-red lips and made a troubled face.
Then she casually smashed the last finger of the woman’s right hand.
"If anything, I prefer the image of a good and respectable ruler who is kind to the people. The people are more willing to give their lives that way right? "
"Well, I can't deny it. From the point of view of seizing power, I don't think it's a bad way to tie them down with fear but"
"That kind of method will make enemies. Do you know Grabaraine?"
"I don't know the details, but... was she poisoned at the end?"
Kreschenta nodded and crouched down.
When she was done with the woman’s hands, now it was her feet.
She took off the woman’s shoes, leaving her barefoot, and swung the hammer down again.
The woman’s fingers were crushed.
" Even a queen who has built an invincible superpower ends up like that. I don't want to go through the same thing. So, I'm trying to be careful not to make the same mistake. Of course, it's certainly easier to do that."
She rhythmically crushed the woman’s fingers and pricked her lips.
"I could smash this woman's face, cut off her limbs, and send the finished product back to the house where she was born, but that would only cause unnecessary resentment, wouldn't it? For a while, they might be afraid of me and obey me, but that kind of hatred won't disappear with time. It would be better to say that she died in an accident during the torture, so that there would be no repercussions later. It is inevitable that a person who wants the queen's life should be tortured and die as a result."
Kreschenta smashed both toes, then went back to the woman’s hands.
Next she picked up a pair of large, blunt scissors.
The woman who had nearly fainted from the pain and fear increased her resistance again.
"I want to punish her as much as possible, but I want to settle it that way. Well, at this point, I don't care about the noble."
She put the woman’s fingers between the gaps in the blade, and without hesitation she tightened her grip on the handle.
Even as she was gagged, the screams filled the room and echoed.
"The problem is the public's feelings, is it?"
"That's right."
Kreschenta turned her gaze to Dagris, wondering if he had any good ideas.
Dagris thought for a moment and opened his mouth.
"If Your Majesty wants to avoid dishonoring Your Majesty’s name, then Your Majesty probably needs a substitute."
"I wonder if that will be the case after all."
Kreschenta’s lips twitched in dissatisfaction.
The only thing that makes her look like a child is the way she did that while cutting off the human fingers with scissors.
"Well, it depends on what happens."
"Argan-sama is a brake for Onee-sama. It’s obvious."
Kreschenta said exasperatedly,
"Borrowing everyone else 's, Onee-sama originally had the same disease as me."
while pointing to her head.
For several days, Krische and Elvena had been locked in the library of the royal castle.
The books piled up in front of her, she quickly put them away and brought a new one.
She digests the books at a speed that makes it seem as if she is just rolling up the pages, whether she is reading them or not.
The librarians in the library were all mobilized, and they were just working for her.
A hectic time continued until she finished reading a random one from a collection of over 10,000 books, and when she was done, Krische drank the tea Elvena had brewed and crossed her arms.
Surprisingly from Elvena's point of view, Krische seemed calm.
Considering her usual appearance of being spoiled by Bery, it felt unnatural, and even when Elvena asked her to rest and eat, she obediently responded without any particular resistance.
"There are 3,875 items that are described as secret medicines or elixir and have such descriptions. If we exclude those that are considered to be identical or the same, there are 37 of them. Of these, 23 are probably no more than mere medicines, and 12 are of doubtful existence. That leaves two that Krische thinks are worth trying."
‘Less than expected’, Krische said.
The librarians were bewildered by her unusual words, but Elvena was no longer surprised.
Her intelligence was on a level that couldn’t be compared to that of a normal human being.
"... two"
"It looks like it will take some time to find the ingredients for the first one, so let’s leave it for later. First, the other one... it looks like it can be done right away. Krische knows where it is."
"……that is"
But even Elvena widened her eyes at those words.
She understood what the two, that Krische was talking about.
"Krische-sama, that's――"
"Krische’s only doing what is worth trying."
It was the coldest voice she had ever heard.
There was no room for objection, and Elvena finally realized there that Krische was only pretending to be calm.
"If Selene hears it, she'll say no, so please keep quiet until Krische goes."
"……yes"
Krische caressed Elvena's cheeks as if troubled.
"Krische, doesn't want to get angry at Elvena, and Krische doesn't want to fight with Selene, so please promise Krische, okay?"
"..Understood. As Krische-sama’s will."
"Until Krische comes back, please share the workload with Anne and take care of Kreschenta and the mansion."
With that, Krische turned away.
" Krische -sama... are you leaving now?"
It was night when the sun had already set.
The moonlight was hidden behind clouds, and darkness spread outside the window.
"Nn... Krische has some business to do, so Krische'll leave the capital after finishing it. It's more convenient at night anyway."
The woman ended up hurting the servant.
They didn't want her to succeed, so you could say that she did well.
"Well, the failure is as planned――the rest is how the Queen will act."
Farre Arkasakos sat down on the sofa and sipped a glass of wine.
The restless Count Narques looked at Farre in amazement.
"Haah, how can you be so calm"
"In the end, it’s just what’s going to happen. Whether you expect it or get anxious, it doesn't mean that the card you've put down will change. You can think about what will happen after you flip it up. Don't you agree?"
"... You may be reluctant, but you resemble your father in that way. I can't do that."
Narques, looking even older, takes a sip of wine and sighs.
"Don't rot like that. I need someone like you on my side. I want to cherish someone who can see things objectively....Father didn't have that kind of existence, so as he got older, his pride grew."
Farre said, pouring down the wine, rolling it on his tongue and tasting it.
"It's going well, there's no proof. Even if it didn't go well, my father wouldn't think it was our fault."
"I hope so."
Narques, perhaps wanting to change his mood, headed to the window and Farre smiled wryly.
"Once everything is over, I'd like to take it easy and go hunting for the first time in a long time. I'm not very good at it, but you must have been good at it right."
"Hunting. ...... sounds good."
Narques opened the window and answered.
Farre wasn't good with swords or bows, but Narques was different.
They have different personalities and likes and dislikes. But strangely enough, they got along well.
Friendship is not about ability, it's probably something you feel in a different part.
Decades of throwing away various things――Farre wanted to regain even a little of that.
"Deer are good. That one I ate when I was young was exceptional.... I'm sure the meat was tough but"
This time there was a short pause.
There was no reply, instead a thud sounded.
He frowned and looked at it.
Narques was lying on the floor.
Farre furrowed his eyebrows thinking he shouldn’t have drunk enough to be dead drunk.
――Then he felt a hard sensation in his throat.
Silver flickered at the edge of his vision.
Under the fallen Narques's neck――he could see a pool of blood spreading there.
Farre's breathing almost stopped.
"W-wait, do you know who I am——"
"Farre Arkasakos. Heard you are the legitimate son of the Duke of Arkasakos."
The voice that tickled his ear was somewhat childish.
It was a voice very similar to that of the Queen.
The silver hair that's been glimpsed in the edge of his vision——Farre finally understood who's behind him.
"W-wait. Why, why me. I swear, I have nothing to do with this incident."
"Is that so, but either way is fine."
"Wha, kha——?"
Suddenly he couldn't breathe.
He couldn't even speak, instead an eerie thumping sound resounded under his chin.
Farre rolled over, feeling a burning pain in his throat.
"Don't worry. Krische’s just killing the nobles of the royal palace who don't follow Kreschenta right now as disobedience to the royal family. It’s not like Krische decided on her own that you're the culprit. The bad (worst) person will die together properly."
A sharp pain runs through his right shoulder and he writhes uncontrollably.
"Krische doesn't really know who the bad person is, but if Krische does the same to all of you then that's it."
He realized a little later that he had lost feeling in his right arm.
"I'm doing this because treason is a dismemberment, but if it was not, Krische might think it was a bit excessive as a punishment for disobedience. ...But don’t worry, Krieches’ll let everyone go through the same thing. It's not like you're the only one who hurts."
He stretched out his left arm as if crawling to escape and was immediately amputated.
Like a hot knife cutting into a hot butter, Farre lost both arms without any resistance.
"Ah, but Krische killed Count Narques first, huh? Isn’t that a little unfair… Well, Krische’ll do the same for him later, so after becoming a corpse, both will be the same."
Without uttering a single word, he turned around with only his neck.
A beautiful silver-haired girl——her eyes sparkled like jewels, purple.
"Krische just wants to prevent something like this from happening again. Look, if the room is dirty, you'll clean it, right? Just like that..."
There was a smile on her lips.
Her eyes were icy, full of anger and hatred.
"Clean up all the bad things, and then Krische can relax."
Then his leg was severed.
――Kingdom history years 458.
Shortly after the coronation of the new Queen on this year, an unprecedented big incident occurred in the Royal Capital of Albenaria, in which 17 nobles were slaughtered and their limbs cut off in one night.
The culprit was never caught, and there was no eyewitness testimony.
There is also a description that all the victims were conservative aristocrats who did not show allegiance to the new Queen Crescenta, and despite the grave murder of the aristocrat, the subsequent investigation was discontinued.
For this reason, there was a strong opinion that it may have been caused by Queen Alberan, whose evaluation is still divided, and it is often called the Great Purge of Kreschenta.
Many memoirs suggest that the main culprit was Kreschenta’s older sister, Krische Christand, but there was no official record of her being tried.
