The law in the empire was always extremely strict.

    Except for the empress—who reigned above the law—the empire had the most packed judicial proceedings in the entire Sera world.

    Which meant...

    Anyone who tried to harm Her Imperial Majesty the Empress would definitely end up like this, even if they were a marquis.

    “...”

    I stared at Marquis Bogut in front of me, my gaze was filled with pity that I couldn’t hide.

    It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he had turned into a rag.

    His whole body was filled with traces of merciless torture, which was mind-boggling to say the least.

    “Jeez, seriously, they’re being too much!”

    “...”

    “I cooperated as much as I could, and I still ended up like this!”

    Seeing him say such words with all smiles, despite his current awful state made me think that he really was something else.

    But I didn’t come here for that. I let out a sigh, interrupting his words.

    “I heard that you wanted to see me.”

    That was the condition he imposed on the empire in turn for turning himself in.

    He wanted to have a private talk with me without any wiretapping, even if it was only for a short time.

    They probably agreed to this because they knew he couldn’t harm me anyway even if they complied. I also didn’t have anything to complain about this arrangement.

    “So, what did you call me here for?”

    “Well, you see, the Magic Tower is going to contact you soon.”

    “...What?”

    “My existence serves as a huge threat for them, since I know a lot of things that they’re trying to hide. This is why I managed to procure so much of their equipment that you’ve seen back in Count Ravel’s territory. They’ve been itching to tear me apart for a while now.”

    “...”

    “Too bad for them my current position is a little too complicated for them to act as they please. If they don’t follow the legal procedure to get rid of me—I mean, I’m still a Major Noble in the empire all things considered—they’ll just attract unnecessary troubles. Meanwhile on the empire’s side, my crime is too severe for them to just behead me and be done with it. They want to kill me as painfully as possible.”

    “...”

    “And that’s where the two sides’ interests align. Since the two groups want to kill me so badly, they both are going to try their best to give me a painful death to satisfy both sides.”

    To turn him into a ‘research subject’ in the Magic Tower... I guess that was the conclusion that both sides had arrived into.

    That was the gist of what he was trying to say.

    But... Even when he was saying all that, his smile still didn’t leave his face.

    I gave him a blank stare.

    “And here’s where you come in. I want you to become my ‘escort’ and accompany me to the Magic Tower so I could become their research subject proper.”

    “...”

    “Somebody has to do it anyway; to become the bridge that connects the empire and the Magic Tower. You’re going to be the perfect fit for it.”

    “...”

    “The Magic Tower may be a group that’s disconnected from the rest of the continent, but at the end of the day, they’re still a group that are operated by humans. There’s no way they could ignore the political dynamics of the Superpowers. Which means that if you—someone who has personal connections with both the empress and the Tribal Alliance’s Chieftain—were to push through with this idea, there’s a huge chance that they’ll make an exception for you and let you into the tower, even though you’re an outsider. There’s also the fact that you’re someone who has the biggest contribution in suppressing the incident I created. With such a background, you—”

    My blank stare persisted as he kept on pouring all those words without a hint of getting tired, but then...

    “...You.”

    I cut his words off.

    There was just this nagging feeling that I felt the whole time I listened to his words.

    “Could it be that you...”

    “Hm? Yes?”

    “...You started the rebellion and all that stuff...just because of ‘that’...?”

    Just for one goal. To get me to enter the Magic Tower.

    I had a strong feeling that everything this punk had done so far were all for the sake of that one goal.

    “Whoa, whoa, do really you think that I’m that amazing?”

    He muttered as such, feigning ignorance, but I ignored him and stated the one fact that had been stumbling me for a while now.

    “No one died.”

    “Pardon me?”

    “For the Empire’s Great Turmoil where a marquis rebelled against the empress, the number of people who died can be counted in one hand.”

    Even then, they died because Count Nicholas indiscriminately attacked everyone inside the Imperial Palace, not because the marquis had killed them personally.

    Not to mention...

    Chapter 5, the Empire’s Great Turmoil, was the bloodiest chapter among all chapters of Sera. The reason why the branching route of Eleanor’s complete corruption occurred in this Chapter was because she killed way too many people during it.

    But...

    For some reason...

    It ended just like this. Short, quick, and simple.

    As if someone was instigating the ‘flow’ intentionally so that things would end up this way.

    “You were the one who did all that, not me.”

    “...Rather than that, it feels like you planned everything in such a way after you predicted that I’d pull off something like that from the beginning.”

    This was one of the people I tried to avoid as much as possible ever since I returned to Elfante.

    “No, Teach, that isn’t it. You aren’t avoiding us, we’re just giving you some space.”

    “...”

    “Stop deluding yourself, there’s no way you can avoid us just like that. We’re just giving you some space so you could prepare your heart for what’s about to happen next.”

    “...”

    I couldn’t even move my lips to answer as I turned my gaze towards Iliya, who was approaching me while saying so.

    “You don’t need to turn so stiff. It isn’t like I’m going to eat you right now.”

    [You heard that?]

    Heard what...?

    [She said she’s not going to eat you ‘right now’.]

    ...

    [You’re so fucked.]

    Caliban said, sounding as if she was sending me a cunning smirk. I could feel the headache coming, but then Iliya stuck out something to me.

    It was a carefully sealed envelope. There seemed to be a letter inside.

    “You have nothing to do during the holidays anyway, no?”

    “Yes, and I was about to celebrate that just now...”

    “I see. Then, cease your celebration.”

    “...”

    Since when did she become so ruthless...?

    “I can turn back into the gentle Iliya if you want to. But, only after seeing the result.”

    “...What result?”

    “I’m speaking about getting us in an inseparable relationship. To do that, first, I’d need you to fill up my belly—”

    “Huh? What’s this? Damn, I can’t wait to see what’s inside—!”

    I rushed to rip open the envelope Iliya handed me before she could say something crazy.

    As I scanned the letter that peeked out from the envelope, I noticed the huge seal of Margrave Kendride embedded there.

    “...”

    Seeing that...

    Anxiety completely enveloped my heart.

    “It’s an invitation for you to come to our territory.”

    Indeed, it was an invitation.

    An invitation for me to visit Kendride’s Margraviate.

    The northern territory where Iliya’s adoptive father resided.

    “...Why?”

    “Because he can? What, are you saying that he can’t? With our relationship?”

    “...No, not that, it’s just like... Why...?”

    Why now of all times?!

    “I mean, you have to keep your promise. You promised to come to my house once, didn’t you?”

    “...”

    “You’ve gone to the Student Council President’s house last time, so this time, you have to come to mine to make it fair.”

    “...Makes what fair...?”

    Iliya shrugged her shoulders as if the answer to my question was obvious.

    “Opportunity.”

    “...”

    “Well, everyone would probably gather and crowd there if they know Teach is coming, but that’s just how it is. And it’s going to be easy for me to beat them all since it’s my hometown and all.”

    “...”

    “Ah, also, don’t even think of playing dumb and ask me what opportunity am I talking about.”

    She tapped my shoulder before throwing me a smile.

    “Well, I’m sure you already knew what I meant anyway.”

    With such words, she walked to the other side of the hall while humming.

    “...”

    I began to break out in a cold sweat.

    [Dumbass.]

    “...”

    [I told you. Just give up.]

    I didn’t have any energy to refute anymore.