Chapter 236
W-what!? The sky looks weird!?
Rupert was visibly shaken when he saw the celestial sphere suddenly unfold.
Even so, the others were surprised as well, though not as much as Rupert.
It wasn't the activation itself.
It was the timing.
"Grau... what is this...?"
"Too soon."
I answered briefly as I looked toward the arena.
It hadn't been long since the commotion began.
Gordon must have targeted Father, triggering the chancellor's plan.
However, even the chancellor could not have anticipated the celestial sphere activating this soon.
"Hey! What is this!?"
"The Great Barrier: Celestial Sphere. It's defensive magic that protects the imperial capital. Only members of the imperial family can activate it. Once activated, no one can enter from outside or leave from within. When activated at full strength, five colored pillars extend from the castle into the sky."
After hearing my explanation, Rupert looked up at the castle.
Three colored pillars extended from the castle.
In other words, it had only been activated to the minimum extent.
"There are three now!"
"Then there are three Rainbow Sky Orbs in the enemy's possession..."
"There are two in the throne room we're heading for. The commander of the Imperial Guard is probably guarding them. Getting past him would be nearly impossible. I thought Imperial Guard captains were guarding the other two as well, but I never expected them to be overcome this quickly... This is about as bad as it gets."
The worst possibility would be for the commander of the Imperial Guard to have betrayed us. But if that had happened, the celestial sphere would not have activated with only three colors. The entire situation would already have been understood, and the castle would already have been taken.
That meant we had to assume that one or both of the other two captains had betrayed us.
W-what does that mean...? The throne room we're heading for is safe, right!?
Unable to understand the gravity of the situation, Rupert threw the question at me.
How should I explain this?
As I considered that, Alois gently took Rupert's hand.
"Listen carefully, Your Highness."
"O-okay..."
"The celestial sphere requires up to five special jewels. There are five in the castle, and even Prince Arnold, who knows the castle inside and out, didn't know where all of them were. That shows how heavily guarded they were. The enemy's target is those jewels. That is why experienced Imperial Guard captains must have been chosen to guard them. Besides the commander of the Imperial Guard, who is probably in the throne room, there were two other captains in the castle."
"D-did the captains lose!?"
"We don't know for certain. But the only people I can think of who could be so strong that an Imperial Guard captain couldn't even buy time against them are a Hero or an SS-rank adventurer."
Tears spilled from Rupert's eyes at Alois's words.
After hearing that explanation, he must have simply assumed that someone of that caliber was among the enemy.
In fact, that was a possibility.
But if someone that powerful had joined the enemy, we would have noticed.
So that was not what we should suspect in this case.
Alois understood that perfectly well, too.
"I-if the enemy is that strong, we don't stand a chance..."
"...Whether that is fortunate or unfortunate, we would know if someone that powerful had joined the enemy. There may be an immensely powerful person we have yet to see, but something else is more likely."
"Huh...?"
"...It isn't that the Imperial Guard captains were unable to buy time. More likely, one of the captains assigned to guard the jewels defected to the enemy. That would explain how quickly this happened."
"A-an Imperial Guard captain... betrayed us...?"
Rupert's eyes widened in disbelief.
Of course. To the imperial family, an Imperial Guard knight was the final shield protecting them.
If that shield betrayed them, they would no longer know whom to trust.
"N-no way... The Imperial Guard is the strongest... They've sworn loyalty to the Emperor...! There are only thirteen captains! His Majesty himself appointed them! T-they couldn't betray us!"
"Your Highness..."
"F-Father couldn't have been betrayed... His Majesty the Emperor couldn't have..."
He seemed more shocked by the fact that the Emperor had been betrayed than by the fact that an Imperial Guard knight had betrayed him.
Father was a distant figure to Rupert.
But because he was distant, Rupert admired him. In Rupert's mind, Father must have been a perfect and absolute figure.
But...
"An Imperial Guard captain is human. And so is the Emperor. Humans can change their minds. Humans can lose their appeal. Growth and aging are changes that every human inevitably undergoes. It is hardly unusual for relationships to change along the way."
"...Then... is it okay to betray someone? If they've changed, is it okay to break a vow they once made!?"
Rupert, who had been frightened until now, spoke forcefully for the first time.
He must have been glaring at me through tear-filled eyes.
Apparently, Rupert couldn't forgive such an irrational betrayal.
He really is an Adler too, in his own way.
So I gently placed my hand on Rupert's head.
"An ordinary person's promise is different from an Imperial Guard knight's oath. They solemnly swear to the Emperor to protect the people, the country, and the imperial family. That is why they are trusted. Even though the Emperor has not been a tyrant, betraying him would betray not only the Emperor but everyone living in the Empire. That—I will never forgive. I believe it must not be forgiven. If you feel the same way, don't forgive it either."
"...Yeah!"
"Then let's go. Now that the enemy has activated the celestial sphere, they'll search for the hostages still inside the castle. Wouldn't it gall you to let them do as they please any longer? We won't give the enemy a single hostage. That means you absolutely must not get caught. Are you good at playing tag, Prince Rupert?"
"Um... not really..."
Rupert lowered his gaze.
Rupert was not a particularly gifted prince.
His studies were average. His athletic ability was average, too. He was shy, had few friends, and was almost always with his mother.
Even games require experience. The more someone plays, the better they get, one way or another. If you're slow, you learn how to escape in your own way.
But there was nothing to be done about lacking experience. Some people can manage things easily even without experience, but Rupert isn't one of them.
That was precisely why it was worthwhile for me to stay at his side.
"Then don't worry. A strategist exists to compensate for what you're bad at and to help you. I promise I'll get you to the throne room. Not to brag, but I'm a fairly decent strategist. You can trust me at least that much."
"That's modesty talking. If you're merely decent, then every strategist in the world is merely decent or worse."
Alois said that with a smile.
He then turned toward Rupert.
"I cannot know what others will do. Nor can I say what the future holds. So I cannot swear lifelong loyalty, but—for now, at this very moment—I will never betray you. No matter who we face, I will protect you to the end."
They were words from someone with a clear-eyed view of himself.
The fact that he did not say he would flee alongside Rupert must have been part of Alois's resolve.
When the time came, he would surely become Rupert's shield. Alois was prepared for that.
Realizing this, Rupert nodded.
"Yeah, I'll trust you too... Alois, all of you."
And so, we set off toward the throne room.