The attendants' faces were hardened, avoiding each other's gaze, hesitant, they only stared at the ground. The one who broke the uncomfortable silence was Melbon, the only one among the three attendants who had yet to speak a word of defiance to Prince Ejain.
"...If you truly believe there's no traitor among us, there's no reason to hesitate."
At his quiet voice, the other two attendants looked at him.
"We all swore to die for the prince if need be, that's why we came here. No matter what the prince does, he must return to Nelarn safely, and for that, we need their help. So, it's time to prove our loyalty."
Melbon reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge. The emblem was etched into a cloudy, milk-like gemstone, which at first glance looked similar to an accessory typically worn on a belt.
"..."
Yuder noticed that the hand Melbon used to hold the token was slightly trembling. It was impossible to tell if the trembling was simply due to nervousness, or if there was some other reason behind it.
Once Melbon took out his badge, the other attendants hesitated for a moment before doing the same. Kanna accepted the badge from the attendant who was on the far left. He was the one who had been defying Ejain's orders all this time, his face still clouded with doubt.
"What are you going to do with these?"
"We're going to read the information embedded within."
"Reading the information? What does that mean..."
Kanna didn't explain further. Instead, she closed her eyes while clenching the badges in both hands. After a moment, Yuder noticed a faint, flowing energy radiating from inside her hands. As the energy, which looked like a heat haze, grew stronger, so did the strength Kanna put into her grip. Her eyelids fluttered.
A moment later, Kanna opened her eyes. A complex emotion briefly flickered between her furrowed brows.
"...This badge, it's a token from the Second Prince, isn't it?"
"Yes... it is. I received it... on the day I was chosen as the Prince's personal attendant."
The attendant stuttered out the answer.
"So it's something you shouldn't pass to someone else. Right?"
"...Isn't that obvious? Anyone could guess that."
"Then why did you hand over such an important badge to someone?"
"What?"
Kanna's sharp blue eyes pierced the attendant's face. The pale attendant gulped, blinking rapidly.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about. I've never done that."
"You did. You gave it away and in return, you received something. Something written on a piece of paper..."
"Now, look here. It seems like you're making things up, saying that you're reading information. I'm not such an easy fool to fall for that. If you want to find the traitor, use a more credible method...!"
"The night before you left for the Empire, on a full moon night. At the end of the western corridor of the Balu Palace, in front of the blind sage's statue. The land of Musetti! Are you still going to say you don't remember?"
The attendant, who was about to shout to silence Kanna, froze at her following words.
"H...How?"
He was gasping for breath, his mouth agape.
"How do you... know?"
He stared in disbelief at Kanna, Prince Ejain, and his fellow attendants.
"Who, who told the Empire? Who is it? Who's trying to trap me..."
He seemed to believe that Kanna had not read the information, but that someone had informed her about him. Cold sweat streamed down over the wide-open eyelids of the man who was frantically insisting on his innocence.
"Your Highness. It's not me. Don't trust the words of this Imperial agent. I am...!"
"Musetti was one of the regions where the next administrator had not yet been determined."
Prince Ejain, who had been sitting with his body turned away from them, opened his mouth quietly.
"So, they told you they would give you the land if you betrayed me, Jenn?"
"No, Your Highness!"
The attendant, Jenn, shouted out straight away and shook his head.
"They did call me through Kindi the day before we left for the Empire. But as soon as I saw who was there, I immediately left without listening to a word! I'm innocent!"
"Then who is Dayla? Who is Dayla?"
However, Jenn's outcry was soon halted by Kanna's words that were heard again. While he remained silent, Prince Ejain responded slowly.
"It's the name of Jenn's wife, if my memory serves me right."
"Ah...ah."
Shivering, Jenn alternately looked at Ejain and Kanna. Kanna closed her lips tightly, then sighed and opened her mouth.
"She also borrowed this emblem. The reason was...to postpone your gambling debts in your stead with this emblem. You wanted to hide that. And it wasn't a very old event. Isn't it?"
"..."
"She said... the prince would never help with such a disgraceful matter."
Kanna's direct gaze targeted Jenn, who was retreating awkwardly with a pale face.
"Do you also deny this?"
"...Your Highness!"
Jenn, the attendant, covered his face and knelt.
"I...I said once would be enough. I was only asked to inform about who would accompany Your Highness before we left... But I was never... involved in this incident. That's the truth...! Please believe me!"
In the end, he crumbled. His voice, filled with fear, flowed out in a confused manner. As Prince Ejain silently watched him, Kishiar swiftly signaled to Emun.
"Emun, you said it's possible to temporarily trap a target other than yourself in darkness, right?"
"Yes. I'll trap him."
Quickly picking up on Kishiar's intention, Emun reached out his hand. Then, from above Jenn's head, a darkness like a falling veil covered him, swallowing even the screams he was making.
Everyone stayed silent as they observed the entity now concealed in darkness, invisible and inaudible, unable to recognize one another. After a moment, Prince Ejain cleared his throat and spoke.
"...When you mentioned the ability to read information, I doubted it. But I didn't expect you to find it so quickly. Truly, an impressive ability."
"I'm sorry, Second Prince, but the readings are still in progress."
Kishiar responded without a change in expression.
"We were lucky that the first person turned out to be the traitor, but whether it was 'only that one time' or 'from the very beginning', no one knows. You haven't forgotten his words just now, have you?"
The first attendant, Jenn, claimed that while it was true he had betrayed them, he had not given any information that could lead to an assassin. If this was true, it meant there could very well be more traitors.
"..."
"Of course, if you believe it to be enough, Prince, the Cavalry will not move further."
Upon hearing the cold statement, Prince Ejain's eyes darkened. Various emotions flitted across his painfully neutral expression, but in the end, the prince made but one choice.
"...Yes, you are correct, Commander. I am embarrassed by my haste. I will continue to rely on your guidance."
"Understood. Kanna, proceed."
The atmosphere among the remaining two servants grew even heavier. Kanna too, seemingly feeling a stronger sense of burden, exhaled softly. She glanced between the two servants, then reached out her hand to the servant standing closer to Melbon. He hesitated momentarily, but then wordlessly placed his symbol into her hand.
Kanna used her powers in the same manner as before. As she read the information, her furrowed face heated up, beads of sweat forming.
"..."
After a moment, she opened her eyes, her gaze shifting to the second servant. For some unknown reason, he merely kept his eyes lowered, looking at the floor. Kanna, watching his face, bit her lip, turning her head towards Melbon to speak.
"...I apologize, but before I speak about the information I read from his token, may I also read the one from the person next to you?"
What kind of information could she have read from the second token to make such a request? Someone, unable to bear the tension, swallowed dryly.
"Pl...please do so."
Melbon handed his own token to Kanna. A current of power, like a swirl of mist, shot wildly out of Kanna's hand, now holding the third token. Her small hand shivered uncontrollably under the pressure, her eyelashes trembling.
"Uh...hoo, ha..."
A moment later, as the power finally faded, Kanna drew in ragged breaths. Her blue eyes, revealed beneath her eyelids, flickered with an indiscernible emotion.
She looked at Prince Ejain, who was currently avoiding her gaze, and then bowed her head toward Kishiar.
"...I've finished reading, Commander."
"So, what did you learn?"
Kanna unusually hesitated for a moment. But she did not stop her answer.
"Each of the servants present here, for some reason, has passed on your information to others."
"..."
A terrifying silence followed. All doubted their own ears at the unexpected answer. The servants, too, couldn't utter a word.
"...Is that true?"
Kishiar, also seeming to think the result shocking, unusually reconfirmed the answer. Kanna nodded firmly.
"Yes."
Her gaze shifted to the second servant.
"He had already given up before he gave me his symbol, so it would be better for him to speak directly."
"...There really is nothing we can hide."
The second servant, as if resigned, clenched his fist tightly. But when everyone's gaze turned towards him, he immediately knelt before Ejain.
"I, Faity, have served you for a long time, Prince, and there was never a moment when I was not proud."
"...Then why."
Ejain quietly asked, avoiding the servant's gaze.
"Why did you betray me?"
"It wasn't betrayal. I only thought that if the direction of the path you were taking was wrong, I should correct it for you."
The servant answered, tears streaming down his face.
"How could you possibly think of borrowing the power of the Empire, Prince? Even if you deemed it necessary, you could never truly rise Nelarn upright through that method. You, of all people, should not have done so."
"So you handed over my information?"
"...I didn't wish for Your Highness to be endangered. I thought if you met those who would moderately hinder you and failed, you would return to the right path. The appearance of the monster was an unexpected event... but now that things have come to this, I have nothing more to say."
At a glance, his gaze still seemed to be filled with loyalty. Yet, the cold emotions hiding within were of a stubbornness and anger of a man who had failed to manipulate his lord to his own will. Prince Ejain closed his eyes as if in pain.
"...I always valued your audacity and kept you by my side. I explained the necessity of this journey to the Empire several times, and I thought everyone had accepted it. But this is how it's repaid."
"Haven't I also repeatedly advised you out of loyalty? Dealing with the Empire is a dangerous proposition. If you had decided to face the other princes directly like before, I wouldn't have had to go to these lengths!"
"And what of the innocent people of Nelarn?"
Prince Ejain countered with a dry voice.
"What about our citizens, exhausted from years of border conflicts and unstable politics, who've lost even the strength to fight? Knowing there is another way, should we sacrifice their lives for a meaningless battle among princes? Is that what you believe is right?"
"At this point, isn't whatever I add just the hollow rambling of a traitor?"
The servant who had revealed his name as Faity hunched over and let out a laugh.
"Having failed like this, I will not have the honor of serving you again. Please... may you live a long and healthy life."
The bowed servant seemed to tremble, overwhelmed by emotion. At that moment, Priest Lusan, who had been quietly observing the situation from afar, seemed to realize something and abruptly stood up and exclaimed.
"Hold on. Something is off. This person...!"
"Urgh, cough!"
But even before Lusan could finish his sentence, the servant coughed up dark blood and collapsed.
"He swallowed poison!"
"Quickly, turn him over!"
But by the time those around him rushed to turn him over, he had already breathed his last.
The attendants' faces were hardened, avoiding each other's gaze, hesitant, they only stared at the ground. The one who broke the uncomfortable silence was Melbon, the only one among the three attendants who had yet to speak a word of defiance to Prince Ejain.
"...If you truly believe there's no traitor among us, there's no reason to hesitate."
At his quiet voice, the other two attendants looked at him.
"We all swore to die for the prince if need be, that's why we came here. No matter what the prince does, he must return to Nelarn safely, and for that, we need their help. So, it's time to prove our loyalty."
Melbon reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge. The emblem was etched into a cloudy, milk-like gemstone, which at first glance looked similar to an accessory typically worn on a belt.
"..."
Yuder noticed that the hand Melbon used to hold the token was slightly trembling. It was impossible to tell if the trembling was simply due to nervousness, or if there was some other reason behind it.
Once Melbon took out his badge, the other attendants hesitated for a moment before doing the same. Kanna accepted the badge from the attendant who was on the far left. He was the one who had been defying Ejain's orders all this time, his face still clouded with doubt.
"What are you going to do with these?"
"We're going to read the information embedded within."
"Reading the information? What does that mean..."
Kanna didn't explain further. Instead, she closed her eyes while clenching the badges in both hands. After a moment, Yuder noticed a faint, flowing energy radiating from inside her hands. As the energy, which looked like a heat haze, grew stronger, so did the strength Kanna put into her grip. Her eyelids fluttered.
A moment later, Kanna opened her eyes. A complex emotion briefly flickered between her furrowed brows.
"...This badge, it's a token from the Second Prince, isn't it?"
"Yes... it is. I received it... on the day I was chosen as the Prince's personal attendant."
The attendant stuttered out the answer.
"So it's something you shouldn't pass to someone else. Right?"
"...Isn't that obvious? Anyone could guess that."
"Then why did you hand over such an important badge to someone?"
"What?"
Kanna's sharp blue eyes pierced the attendant's face. The pale attendant gulped, blinking rapidly.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about. I've never done that."
"You did. You gave it away and in return, you received something. Something written on a piece of paper..."
"Now, look here. It seems like you're making things up, saying that you're reading information. I'm not such an easy fool to fall for that. If you want to find the traitor, use a more credible method...!"
"The night before you left for the Empire, on a full moon night. At the end of the western corridor of the Balu Palace, in front of the blind sage's statue. The land of Musetti! Are you still going to say you don't remember?"
The attendant, who was about to shout to silence Kanna, froze at her following words.
"H...How?"
He was gasping for breath, his mouth agape.
"How do you... know?"
He stared in disbelief at Kanna, Prince Ejain, and his fellow attendants.
"Who, who told the Empire? Who is it? Who's trying to trap me..."
He seemed to believe that Kanna had not read the information, but that someone had informed her about him. Cold sweat streamed down over the wide-open eyelids of the man who was frantically insisting on his innocence.
"Your Highness. It's not me. Don't trust the words of this Imperial agent. I am...!"
"Musetti was one of the regions where the next administrator had not yet been determined."
Prince Ejain, who had been sitting with his body turned away from them, opened his mouth quietly.
"So, they told you they would give you the land if you betrayed me, Jenn?"
"No, Your Highness!"
The attendant, Jenn, shouted out straight away and shook his head.
"They did call me through Kindi the day before we left for the Empire. But as soon as I saw who was there, I immediately left without listening to a word! I'm innocent!"
"Then who is Dayla? Who is Dayla?"
However, Jenn's outcry was soon halted by Kanna's words that were heard again. While he remained silent, Prince Ejain responded slowly.
"It's the name of Jenn's wife, if my memory serves me right."
"Ah...ah."
Shivering, Jenn alternately looked at Ejain and Kanna. Kanna closed her lips tightly, then sighed and opened her mouth.
"She also borrowed this emblem. The reason was...to postpone your gambling debts in your stead with this emblem. You wanted to hide that. And it wasn't a very old event. Isn't it?"
"..."
"She said... the prince would never help with such a disgraceful matter."
Kanna's direct gaze targeted Jenn, who was retreating awkwardly with a pale face.
"Do you also deny this?"
"...Your Highness!"
Jenn, the attendant, covered his face and knelt.
"I...I said once would be enough. I was only asked to inform about who would accompany Your Highness before we left... But I was never... involved in this incident. That's the truth...! Please believe me!"
In the end, he crumbled. His voice, filled with fear, flowed out in a confused manner. As Prince Ejain silently watched him, Kishiar swiftly signaled to Emun.
"Emun, you said it's possible to temporarily trap a target other than yourself in darkness, right?"
"Yes. I'll trap him."
Quickly picking up on Kishiar's intention, Emun reached out his hand. Then, from above Jenn's head, a darkness like a falling veil covered him, swallowing even the screams he was making.
Everyone stayed silent as they observed the entity now concealed in darkness, invisible and inaudible, unable to recognize one another. After a moment, Prince Ejain cleared his throat and spoke.
"...When you mentioned the ability to read information, I doubted it. But I didn't expect you to find it so quickly. Truly, an impressive ability."
"I'm sorry, Second Prince, but the readings are still in progress."
Kishiar responded without a change in expression.
"We were lucky that the first person turned out to be the traitor, but whether it was 'only that one time' or 'from the very beginning', no one knows. You haven't forgotten his words just now, have you?"
The first attendant, Jenn, claimed that while it was true he had betrayed them, he had not given any information that could lead to an assassin. If this was true, it meant there could very well be more traitors.
"..."
"Of course, if you believe it to be enough, Prince, the Cavalry will not move further."
Upon hearing the cold statement, Prince Ejain's eyes darkened. Various emotions flitted across his painfully neutral expression, but in the end, the prince made but one choice.
"...Yes, you are correct, Commander. I am embarrassed by my haste. I will continue to rely on your guidance."
"Understood. Kanna, proceed."
The atmosphere among the remaining two servants grew even heavier. Kanna too, seemingly feeling a stronger sense of burden, exhaled softly. She glanced between the two servants, then reached out her hand to the servant standing closer to Melbon. He hesitated momentarily, but then wordlessly placed his symbol into her hand.
Kanna used her powers in the same manner as before. As she read the information, her furrowed face heated up, beads of sweat forming.
"..."
After a moment, she opened her eyes, her gaze shifting to the second servant. For some unknown reason, he merely kept his eyes lowered, looking at the floor. Kanna, watching his face, bit her lip, turning her head towards Melbon to speak.
"...I apologize, but before I speak about the information I read from his token, may I also read the one from the person next to you?"
What kind of information could she have read from the second token to make such a request? Someone, unable to bear the tension, swallowed dryly.
"Pl...please do so."
Melbon handed his own token to Kanna. A current of power, like a swirl of mist, shot wildly out of Kanna's hand, now holding the third token. Her small hand shivered uncontrollably under the pressure, her eyelashes trembling.
"Uh...hoo, ha..."
A moment later, as the power finally faded, Kanna drew in ragged breaths. Her blue eyes, revealed beneath her eyelids, flickered with an indiscernible emotion.
She looked at Prince Ejain, who was currently avoiding her gaze, and then bowed her head toward Kishiar.
"...I've finished reading, Commander."
"So, what did you learn?"
Kanna unusually hesitated for a moment. But she did not stop her answer.
"Each of the servants present here, for some reason, has passed on your information to others."
"..."
A terrifying silence followed. All doubted their own ears at the unexpected answer. The servants, too, couldn't utter a word.
"...Is that true?"
Kishiar, also seeming to think the result shocking, unusually reconfirmed the answer. Kanna nodded firmly.
"Yes."
Her gaze shifted to the second servant.
"He had already given up before he gave me his symbol, so it would be better for him to speak directly."
"...There really is nothing we can hide."
The second servant, as if resigned, clenched his fist tightly. But when everyone's gaze turned towards him, he immediately knelt before Ejain.
"I, Faity, have served you for a long time, Prince, and there was never a moment when I was not proud."
"...Then why."
Ejain quietly asked, avoiding the servant's gaze.
"Why did you betray me?"
"It wasn't betrayal. I only thought that if the direction of the path you were taking was wrong, I should correct it for you."
The servant answered, tears streaming down his face.
"How could you possibly think of borrowing the power of the Empire, Prince? Even if you deemed it necessary, you could never truly rise Nelarn upright through that method. You, of all people, should not have done so."
"So you handed over my information?"
"...I didn't wish for Your Highness to be endangered. I thought if you met those who would moderately hinder you and failed, you would return to the right path. The appearance of the monster was an unexpected event... but now that things have come to this, I have nothing more to say."
At a glance, his gaze still seemed to be filled with loyalty. Yet, the cold emotions hiding within were of a stubbornness and anger of a man who had failed to manipulate his lord to his own will. Prince Ejain closed his eyes as if in pain.
"...I always valued your audacity and kept you by my side. I explained the necessity of this journey to the Empire several times, and I thought everyone had accepted it. But this is how it's repaid."
"Haven't I also repeatedly advised you out of loyalty? Dealing with the Empire is a dangerous proposition. If you had decided to face the other princes directly like before, I wouldn't have had to go to these lengths!"
"And what of the innocent people of Nelarn?"
Prince Ejain countered with a dry voice.
"What about our citizens, exhausted from years of border conflicts and unstable politics, who've lost even the strength to fight? Knowing there is another way, should we sacrifice their lives for a meaningless battle among princes? Is that what you believe is right?"
"At this point, isn't whatever I add just the hollow rambling of a traitor?"
The servant who had revealed his name as Faity hunched over and let out a laugh.
"Having failed like this, I will not have the honor of serving you again. Please... may you live a long and healthy life."
The bowed servant seemed to tremble, overwhelmed by emotion. At that moment, Priest Lusan, who had been quietly observing the situation from afar, seemed to realize something and abruptly stood up and exclaimed.
"Hold on. Something is off. This person...!"
"Urgh, cough!"
But even before Lusan could finish his sentence, the servant coughed up dark blood and collapsed.
"He swallowed poison!"
"Quickly, turn him over!"
But by the time those around him rushed to turn him over, he had already breathed his last.
