Epilogue: Whose Is This?

"Fifteen minutes. Any more than that, and the others will get suspicious."

"I know."

They were in the independent state of Alsamira. Tucked away in a corner of the resting

area set up in a gigantic shopping mall, Iska and Alice were sitting at a bench together.

They might have been mistaken for a couple by the people around them, but the two

in question wore concerned expressions on their faces.

"…I just want to confirm what we talked about earlier."

Alice was close enough that he could have touched her shoulder. The silky strands of

her blond hair were on his shoulder, and he felt uneasy about the unfamiliar sensation.

…Ugh, focus… My life is on the line here.

He tried his best not to look at Alice's face from the side.

"You found an article talking about me hidden in Sisbell's room?"

"Yes. She must be suspicious about our relations. I suspect she thinks I'm a princess

with ties to the Empire."

But it wasn't that they had connections. Had this been the battlefield rather than

within an independent state, Iska and Alice would have engaged in an all-out battle

with each other without a word.

That was their fate.

ThetwoofthemwereenemiesTheywererivalsTheyhadnointentionofcolluding

with each other.

"…But I wonder why I always meet you in places like this."

"…That's what I should be saying."

They weren't betraying their countries. They were both fighting for the sake of them.

It would be an incredible nuisance if anyone misunderstood and thought otherwise.

"That's why I need to reconfirm this. I want you to pretend you don't know me in front

of anyone from the Sovereignty. Even in front of Sisbell."

"I think that'd make her super suspicious, though."

"Do it regardless. The worst thing that could happen would be if she found out about

the neutral city of Ain. And that goes for both you and me."

"…I got it. But is there one thing I can ask you about?"

"You may."

"Isn't she your little sister?"

Couldn't Alice honestly tell Sisbell about the circumstances surrounding Iska? He just

couldn't wrap his head around that.

"Yes, but…"

"But?"

"Only one of us can become queen."

"Uh."

"I am conflicted about that, too. Last night, I was absorbed in looking for her and came

running over. But for one moment… I almost felt regretful. Why did I save her? If I

hadn't, there would have been one less successor to the throne."

Her gaze was tinged with grief before something made it flip to rage.

"It is an embarrassment. I am pitiful for even letting that cross my mind for a moment.

The throne of the queen shouldn't be obtained through underhanded measures. In

order to be fully accepted and followed by the people and the royal family—… Oh..."

The princess came to her senses and stopped talking. She turned her eyes away from

Iska as though she was shy.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be telling this to an Imperial soldier…"

Then she stood up, looking down at Iska, who was still sitting on the bench.

"This is a deal… I don't think the occasion will occur often, but I would like you to stop

talking about me."

"Even if I get caught by the astral corps and tortured?"

The blond girl bent down so she could look directly into his eyes.

"In exchange, I will keep one of your important secrets hidden."

"What's that?"

What important secret? Iska couldn't think of anything that was more important than

these meetings with Alice. Was there something else that Alice would intentionally

insinuate?

"Your captain has turned into a witch. Isn't that right?"

"…Uh!" He instinctively stood up.

"It must have happened when she fell into the vortex. I even know her crest is on her

left shoulder."

"…You knew about all that?"

When and where had she found out this information? But Alice was a princess of the

Paradise of Witches. She had to be more sensitive to astral power than someone from

the Empire.

…She went out of her way to use the word witch… She wants to imply what would happen

if that spread across the Empire.

If it was disclosed that a commander in the Imperial Army had turned into a witch,

Unit 907 would come crashing down on itself.

"So you get it? We both have each other's secrets."

"…Yeah." His shoulders slumped. "Nothing will leave this conversation."

"That's right. Let's keep this our little secret… Ha-ha. My heart is racing. It's like we're

equals in this relationship."

"Why're you happy about this?"

"I-I'm not! You're so rude! I'm trying to have a serious conversation." Alice suddenly

swept away her bangs and cleared her throat. "I have something I must discuss with

Sisbell. Well, then—"

"Yeah, see you around."

The witch princess turned to leave, sweeping her hair through the air. He watched her

graceful silhouette from behind.

"I should get going, too. I'm making the captain wait."

Iska was starting to leave.

"…But I'm conflicted. Should I stay in this country or go somewhere else?"

Alice took a step out of the shopping mall where she had left Iska.

"Phew! It's so hot outside. Maybe I should have brought a parasol…"

The blinding sunlight made Alice narrow her eyes. This was Alsamira, the desert of

tourists. Unlike the night, the temperature would become a scorching heat by midday.

"My dear sister Aliceliese." Sisbell had come to her wearing a cute sun hat.

"Oh, where did that come from?"

"I just bought it. I thought it would act as a bit of a disguise." She pulled the large brim

of the hat low over her eyes.

"Because Lord Mask is looking for you?"

"—" Sisbell was silent.

Nothing about this was different from their usual interactions. Alice had hoped her

sister would open up now that they were finally outside the palace, but Sisbell kept

her mouth shut just like always.

…But now one suspicion has been cleared… When Sisbell confided in me last night.

It was that during the incident where Iska helped a witch escape jail, he had saved

Sisbell. She'd had the magazine tucked away because she had been looking into the

Imperial soldier from that event.

She hadn't been suspicious of the relationship between Alice and Iska.

But Alice had not heard about Sisbell being captured by the Empire —from within the

royal palace.

Someone had control over the flow of information.

If Sisbell had disappeared, no one in the palace would have noticed, since she was

usually cooped up in her room.

…I wonder if our mother knows?… If she did know, she never would have allowed Sisbell

to come to this country alone.

How had Sisbell even been captured in the first place?

There was no way that her sister could have been captured in an Imperial prison

unless Sisbell had left the Sovereignty and gone into Imperial territory herself.

And then there were the events that had just occurred. How had the Imperial Army

found out that a purebred would be in this country?

"Sisbell, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Aliceliese," Sisbell answered indifferently. "I believe I already told you at the hotel last

night. One year ago, I made a mistake, which caused me to get caught by the Empire.

He saved me while I was imprisoned."

"Yes, but—"

"That's all I can tell you about."

"What?! Sisbell! Wait! Wait for me!"

"I'm busy. I have a mission that I received from our mother. Please go back home to

our country ahead of me. Isn't that Salinger still on the run? I think you should really

return to the castle quickly."

"…Uh?!"

Sisbell was still unfriendly to her sister.

But last night, she had been so alive when she had closed in on Iska and taken his hand

to ask him to work with her.

It was as though… she cared for the Imperial soldier more than her own sister.

"Sisbell, listen to me! When you get back to the royal palace, you'll have a lot of

questions to answer!"

"Whatever. Let's head out, Shuvalts."

Leading along the older gentleman who acted as her keeper, Sisbell walked briskly

into the sea of people.

"…What will I tell my mother?" Alice sighed to herself.

It didn't take them long to get out of the shopping zone.

"My lady! I am relieved. What about your reply to Lady Alice…?"

"It's fine." Sisbell flatly shook her head at the keeper who walked next to her.

"I believe she said she came to this country worried about you. I think she is here to

see you."

"Yes."

Alice had saved her from the self-destructing Object. That was true.

But she still had her doubts.

"Lord Mask?!"

"Just on a holiday."

The only ones who knew she had gone on this trip were the House of Lou.

…Lord Mask, your act won't work on me… Either Alice or Elletear fed you that information!

The Object must have also been weaponized by the same person.

One of her sisters was the informant.

One of them had to be a traitor to their country, a friend of "that monster." One of them

was treacherous and had targeted their mother's life so she could be in the top

position in the Sovereignty.

"Shuvalts, I still have my suspicions about my sister Alice."

What was the true reason for Alice visiting this country? Could she have come because

she was secretly connected to Lord Mask, working with him on a plan to trap Sisbell?

…But they made a mistake with Iska… Did my sister jump ship and pretend to be my ally?

Sisbell had to be hypervigilant. She couldn't open her heart up to Alice yet.

"Shuvalts, I have realized something on my trip. I am in need of a guard. I need someone

who can battle for me."

"I have no objections."

"And I have already decided on the person. It should definitely be Iska—"

She silently gripped her hand into a fist. When she had held his hand in the night, it

had been warm.

"I definitely will not give up. I need you. Fortunately, I can be useful to you as well."

She put her hand to her chest and over her astral crest.

Her dress was currently open at the front, but no one had noticed the mark, which she

had skillfully covered with a bandage, made with a special film that not only covered

the light from an astral crest but could also blockade its astral energy.

It was a new material that the Empire hadn't developed yet. It was useless to Iska

himself, but…

"Your commander needs this, doesn't she?"

Another secret relationship would bind the Imperial swordsman Iska to the witches,

launching him on a different path toward his destiny