A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size.

It immediately became noisy and Austin with soldiers entered after kicking down the door.

The eight students who were safely recorded were brought to the royal palace for a hearing.

Everyone's family except for Sh.e.l.ly's was waiting at the royal palace, so she looked somewhat envious, but she saw a girl and a boy when she looked down when her clothes were being pulled at.

「Huh? You are…… Felice and Albert, was it? Why are you here?」

「We were worried about our older brothers so we came here. It seems that you still have time until your hearing, why don't you have a cup of tea with us?」

「Older brothers?」

The place where Felice dragged Sh.e.l.ly to was a room where the women and children of the royal and Faust families were resting.

「Eh? By any chance-」

「You must be Sh.e.l.ly. I am Adam and Dylan's mother, Adria. This is my daughter, Grace」

「How do you do? I am Grace」

「I am Miguel and Nathan's mother, Samantha」

「I am Austin's wife, Angela. This child is our son, Rihito」

「Ai!」

「How do you do, I'm Sh.e.l.ly. Umm, Felice and Albert are?」

「Feli is our little sister」

「Al is the little brother」

「Now, now, let's have a tea!」

Urged by Samantha, Sh.e.l.ly finally could take a breather after taking a seat and drinking a cup of tea.

After that, Sh.e.l.ly nervously answered the various questions the women had.

The boys just listened in silence without interjecting.

Felice and Albert kept Rihito company.

A short time later, Lewis came over and brought the eight students to a different room for a hearing.

It has already become night, but everyone cooperated in order to apprehend the culprit and told their sides of the story.

When the talk was over, Sayo entered the room, destroyed the『Slave Collars』and left.

The students will be protected in the royal palace until the incident is settled, and the families returned home.

「With this, the partic.i.p.ation of the Dyner House's patriarch and little brother are certain」(Lewis)

「I have already captured the little brother, he's in the dungeon now」(Blake)

「Good work, Blake. Claude, what about the patriarch and the son? There was also the girl」(Evan)

「From what I learned, she was adopted to the family half a year ago. How about having him report to the King? Along with his son and daughter」(Claude)

「I see. He wouldn't be able to ignore a direct summons of His Majesty」(Meison)

「If he did that, it would be like admitting that he was the culprit. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of face he will have when Elder brother summons him」(Austin)

The Dyner House was ordered to report personally tomorrow, so we decided to rest.

Thus, the next day around the noon, Evan, Lewis, Claude, Dyner House's patriarch, Bob, and the little girl met in the audience hall.

「Now then, do you know why you were called? Dyner」(Evan)

「Now then, I don't have any idea」

「Let me explain. Yesterday, starting with Prince Adam-sama and Dylan-sama, eight students of the Radius Academy were taken captive. Additionally, Princess Grace-sama and Austin-sama's son Rihito-sama were attacked. The name of the Dyner House turned up as the involved party. Can you tell us why?」(Lewis)

「That is something unknown to me. I am not able to answer your question」

「You are going to pretend until the end? In that case, bring in the witnesses!」(Claude)

The door opened as instructed by Claude, and Adam, Miguel, and Austin dragging along a man came inside.

The man who was dragged by Austin was the younger brother of the Dyner House's patriarch.

The patriarch opened his eyes in shock for a moment, but he quickly recovered as he watched his younger brother.

Bob didn't know that they were already rescued, so he turned pale when he saw Adam and Miguel.

「Adam, who was it that you saw last? Is that person here?」(Evan)

「Yes, Your Majesty! The person whom we have seen last is the girl over there」(Adam)

「Then, Miguel. Who appeared in the mansion where you have been kept captive? Is that person in this place?」(Evan)

「Yes, Your Majesty! It was Bob over here, who is also the student of the same school」(Miguel)

「Well then…… Mash Dyner, who has instructed you to carry out the kidnapping? Is that person present?」(Evan)

「Ah…… ugh…… t, that's……」

「I am going to sentence you to the capital punishment as the mastermind if you don't talk!」(Evan)

「Hii!? Please don't…… t, the one who instructed me to do so was my Elder brother! Even though I told him that I do not approve, he told me that he would make me the Prime Minister when he becomes the King! He forced me to do it!」

「So are the witnesses saying, what do you think, Dyner?」(Evan)

「Surely…… surely, my son was tricked into cooperation with this stupid younger brother of mine. If not, my son wouldn't do something so terrible. These lies of his were also to push the blame onto me. Isn't that right, Bob?」

「Y, yes! It's as Father says! Uncle came up with everything!」

「What!? Are you going to betray me, Elder brother!」

「I see, so you will say that you are not related in any way. Fine…… Claude!」

「Yes, Your Majesty」

Hearing Dyner's words, Evan had Claude take out a certain thing.

The thing in Claude's palm was an earphone.

When Claude poured magical power into that earphone, it started replaying voices.

【Always so c.o.c.ky! At any rate, why have you been chosen as the representative of commoners!】

――Slap!

【Kya!】

【【【【【Stop it! Bob!】】】】】

【What are you doing, Bob! How could you hit a girl――】

【Shut up!】

――Slap!

【Kyaa!】

【Talking to me despite being a woman! You, what's up with that face of yours!】

――Bam!

【Kyaa!】

【You are just a woman! Just a woman!】

【That's enough, Bob!】

【Shut your mouth! Putting on airs just because you are a royalty! Aren't you just a mere idiot!】

【What to do, I cannot deny it】

【Nathan, don't say that now】

【Elder brother isn't an idiot! He's a fool! A person like that isn't able to put on airs!】

【Is that supposed to be a follow-up!】

【Stop ignoring me! Oh well, when the plan comes into fruition, Father will become the King and I the Prince!】

【”If” is the magical word, no?】

【Father's plan is flawless! Right, you had a little sister, right? Miguel. I will make her and that cheeky Grace my concubines! Be grateful!】

【【【【Try saying it one more time!】】】】

【Hii!?】

【With that remark of yours, you have antagonized someone you should have never made your enemy】

【My condolences. You…… won't have it easy】

【Truly. There's a possessive brute behind Felice. You have suddenly become quite pitiful】

【Elder brother, what are you saying! That fellow said he would lay his hands on Grace too!】

【That was so! Serves you right!】

When Claude stopped the recording, he looked at Adam and Miguel while rubbing his glabella with a face that was at a loss for words.

Evan and Austin were making the same faces, so Adam and Miguel tried to play innocent with insincere smiles.

The Dyners couldn't laugh though.

Because the son exclaimed the words “Father's plan” clearly, he couldn't make any more excuses.

He glared at his son and shouted without minding his surroundings.

「What were you thinking! Didn't I tell you not to go to that place! Just how much are you planning on holding me back from achieving success! Both you and Mas.h.!.+ You merely had to capture them! That's why you can only work as a teacher! You are a disgrace to the Dyner House!」

The yelling Dyner than glared at Evan while breathing heavily.

「Have you finished talking? Bosh Dyner, you are deprived of your peerage and to be imprisoned! Arrest him!」

When the soldiers entered and were about to seize Bosh and others, the soldiers were suddenly blown away as a girl's voice resounded around the hall.

「Don't touch me, humans. Seriously, you useless fellows. In the end, you are just an inferior race」

「What? Who are you!」

「How do you do, King of the inferior race. I belong to the n.o.blest of this world's races…… the Demoness Liverte, Liverte von Shchneider」

The girl's figure blurred and a woman in her twenties appeared.

「Von, you said? …… Why is a royalty of the Demons like you doing here?」

「We have come to this country to look for a certain gentleman. We were able to find him, but that gentleman has been hatefully sealed away. But, after researching for many years, we have discovered a way to dispell the seal!」

「We…… so that means you have allies here, huh」

「It seems you had thought about it, Elf. To be precise it's “I had an ally.” That fellow has been unfortunately done in by a man with a strange presence. As I thought, I should have gotten rid of him the moment I noticed him at the church」

「Oy…… by an ally, you don't mean the guy called Zero, do you?」

「N? You are the parent of the children that Zero failed to kill, are you not? If they died there, they wouldn't need to experience death all over again」

「You……」

Liverte was looking at Miguel, so Austin stood in front of the two children.

「S-ranked adventurer, huh? Someone like you cannot win against me. Be at ease, once we extract every drop of royal blood from the children, I will properly send you the remains. Their corpses, that is」

As everyone stiffened when Liverte took a step forward with overflowing bloodthirst, she heard a familiar voice.

「Certainly, Austin might not be able to win. Then, how about me?」

「Wha!? You are! Just when did you appear!」

「I was here from the beginning. You just didn't notice」

Liverte was startled by Al who appeared all of sudden, but Al who approached her without minding her reaction kicked Bob, Bosh and Mash who fainted, flying.

Incidentally, Adam who saw that thought that they were definitely dead, but they still breathed faintly.

「Say, who is that “gentleman”? Why do you need the royal blood of children?」

「T, that has nothing to do with you!」

「Hmm~ It's not like I am trying to ask you nicely……… I am telling you to “reply to me”!」

「Hii!? J, just who are you!」

Struck by Al's anger and bloodthirst, Liverte inquired while trembling.

「When did I allow you to question me? I am not a patient person. Quickly answer me yourself or I will have a look into your mind directly」

「I, I understand. That gentleman is the late Demon Lord, Lars-sama! Lars-sama fought the Hero and was sealed in his body! To undo the seal, blood from the different world the Hero came from is needed! Not the stained blood of adults, but the blood of pure children! I have investigated that the blood from that different world is flowing in the veins of this country's royalty!」

Hearing Liverte's story, a delicate atmosphere drifted in the hall.

「Did I hear her say the late Demon Lord? Claude, did I hear wrong?」

「Don't worry. I heard it too. I also heard he was sealed in the Hero's body」

「To think it would be like this」(Lewis)

「Of all things, for him to be the cause. I want to give him a good punch」(Austin)

「Uncle, please do so when Feli is not around」

「Once Dylan hears about this, he will definitely crush that fellow's head」

In this weird atmosphere, Liverte shouted irritatedly.

「What is it! What are you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds talking about!」

「Well, let us catch you obediently first」

「As if!」

Just as Al was about to put his hands on her, a strong light emitted from Liverte's body and she disappeared

「Seems like she escaped. I will be right back!」

Saying such, Al's figure vanished.