So, what's going on? Frondier? It seems like demons are still running rampant outside.

Philly asked. She must be curious why I came back, leaving the demons outside.

I have something to tell Your Majesty.

Can't we talk here?

No. We need to move.

What I'm about to say concerns the Dragon Heart and the Shadow Unit.

Both are matters of utmost secrecy, even their existence within the palace.

Philly would naturally anticipate what I was going to say. She readily nodded.

Alright. Let's talk as we go.

Your Majesty.

Ludovic opened his mouth with a worried expression, but Philly waved her hand dismissively.

It's fine. The Frondier here is undeniably the real one, and with the real Frondier by my side, there's nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. I guarantee complete safety.

Philly defended me almost like a threat. This was the first time I had received such a heavy compliment.

Come on, let's go.

Yes.

I hid a deep sigh and left the room with Philly.

Despite all the progress I had made, Philly was still a formidable opponent.

Alright. Where are we going?

At Philly's question, I replied,

The basement.

As expected. We're going to see the Dragon Heart, aren't we?

I was about to nod at her words, but I tilted my head slightly instead.

We might not be able to see it.

***

I navigated the complex path and opened the door leading to the palace basement with Philly.

No one comes here. We slowly descended the long staircase.

Frondier.

Yes.

How do you know this way?

Philly looked at me suspiciously.

When I guided you here last time, I clearly blindfolded you, spun you around to disorient you, and the route here was already so complicated? Yet...

.

Now that she mentioned it, that was true.

Philly had made the route here confusing to prevent me from memorizing the way.

However, I already knew the entire layout of the palace before even coming here. It was part of the game's information.

I couldn't explain that, so my words trailed off for a moment.

Philly sighed and shook her head.

Sigh. At this rate, Frondier will soon know all the secrets of the palace.

I have nothing to say to that.

Moreover, I actually did know almost all the secrets.

At this rate, the only option left is to officially bring Frondier into the palace.

Please don't say such scary things.

Why? Is Aten that bad?

Please, really, don't say such scary things.

It was terrifying that she spoke her intentions so directly and that they were actually feasible.

I forcibly changed the subject.

It all started with the Mana Injection.

That's right. Although on the surface, they appear to be separate incidents.

Thankfully, Philly followed my lead.

The Mana Injection is, as the name suggests, an injection that increases mana. As Your Majesty has seen, the side effects are somewhat noticeable, but they have minimized them to the point where they don't pose a threat to life.

Yes, after countless human experiments.

Those human experiments eventually led to the discovery of the hidden laboratory in Constel, and along with the evidence I had recorded, the laboratory was shut down.

But that was as far as it went. We didn't reach the tail of the Shadow Unit.

The Shadow Unit must have been dissatisfied with that.

With what? That there are still side effects remaining?

Yes. Unlike Angus, the laboratory director, who desired money, the Shadow Unit genuinely wanted humans to evolve to the next level.

So they tried to find a new method without any side effects?

Yes. But with the laboratory closed, they needed new power and knowledge.

The Shadow Unit was on the Empire's side.

They were on the Empire's side, but not on the side of the Empire's citizens. The Shadow Unit would do anything to make the Empire strong and prosperous. Their loyalty was misplaced, their loyalty had gone mad.

As Your Majesty has seen, the palace is currently swarming with demons. How did they get here? If they could come here, why haven't they done so until now?

Whatever the demons wanted, if they desired to fight humans, there were many more advantageous times.

Even if you exclude me, it would have made more sense to strike when Enfer and Azier were absent.

Philly pondered my question for a moment and then said,

Based on the intent of your question, you're suggesting that the demons didn't choose the timing to come here, but rather, they couldn't come until now?

Yes. As expected, Philly, Your Majesty has excellent insight,

We're alone now, so what does it matter what you call me.

I had just been sweating bullets because of that title, but Her Majesty was shameless.

Anyway, my thought is this. It wasn't easy for the demons to come here in the first place, and they needed a certain condition to do so.

And the Shadow Unit is involved in that condition?

I nodded.

The demons didn't force their way into this world. Someone opened the door for them. Humans opened the door for demons to come here. Doesn't a certain method come to mind?

Ah.

At that moment, as if a realization dawned on her, Philly let out a sound.

There were indeed many types of demons, but most of their stories converged on one particular method.

I spoke,

The Shadow Unit made a contract with the demons.