Just moments before the loud explosion shook the grand hall.
Francis deeply conversed with Sabine. He had hoped that their conversation would be enough to avoid having to engage with the nobles.
He told Sabine about how he admired Leofric, who always looked charismatic and flashy. He wanted to be like Leofric, who controlled everyone with his strength, easily ignoring people's words because he was the strongest.
Of course, Sabine was worried when she heard about that.
Sabine was apprehensive about Francis becoming someone like Leofric. She didn't even wish for him to possess the same strength as Leofric, although his mother, Queen Ismenia, would have a different opinion. But when she saw Francis's face light up with enthusiasm and eagerness as he spoke of becoming the strongest, Sabine could not help but support his goals.
"You know, Sabine. Brother Leofric told me to try to catch up with him," Francis said with a big smile on his face. It was the same face he had when he first boasted about his quarry to Sabine.
Then he continued,
"I... I will become stronger someday! Then I'll challenge Brother Leofric to a duel! ---- NO! I'll challenge him to a duel every time he comes home, that way, I'll be able to measure my own progress!"
'There is no way you can do that,' Sabine thought.
"I understand, Sabine. You must be doubting me! I know… you don't have to say anything. I'm still weak. But Sabine, do you know that mana will answer your determination if you never give up?! Just watch me, Sabine! One day I will show you that Francis Ismenia Wildenhall will be the strongest man in the land!"
Sabine smiled, then recalled how she used to breastfeed Francis. The child whose whole body she used to be able to hug with both hands was now so big and was slowly starting to turn into a reliable man,
"Haha, I can't wait to see those moments, your highness. The important thing is that you must learn something else too!" said Sabine.
"Ukh! I knew it! After what happened today, I will also study harder!" said Francis in embarrassment, remembering that he really looked terrible in front of Felicia earlier.
Francis was the main character this time; he felt happy. Everyone was looking at him; he was dancing with the kingdom's prettiest girl. Sabine was always supporting him, Leofric was giving him advice, and Heit was giving him hope.
And that happiness...
Immediately crushed by sight in front of him...
The brother had always been proud of, yearned for, and loved...
was now hanging in front of him, with spear planted deep in his stomach.
"It can't be true..." muttered Francis, frozen, unable to believe what he had witnessed.
The room fell silent; everyone was shocked at the sight before them. Suddenly, Francis snapped out of his daze and rushed toward his brother's lifeless body, screaming in agony.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! BIG BROTHER!"
His cries shattered the silence, and chaos erupted as everyone joined in on his mourning.
"KYAAAAAA!!!"
"PRINCE LEOFRIC IS DEAD!!!"
"NO WAY! DID DOLLS KILL HIM?!"
"IF DOLLS CAN KILL PRINCE LEOFRIC, THEN WHO CAN BEAT DOLLS?!!!"
While everyone was frantically looking at Leofric's hanging body, one person looked unusual. A maid ran over to the boy as if Leofric's death didn't matter to her.
The one who saw them was Alicia.
Her brother's sudden and tragic loss had left Alicia reeling with shock. Despite her typically composed demeanor, she was utterly stunned at the sight of his lifeless body, unable to comprehend the reality of what had just happened. Though a glimmer of hope remained that he might still cling to life, Alicia couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of dread that had settled deep within her heart.
Her brother's sudden and tragic death had left Alicia reeling with shock. Even Alicia, who was quite confident in her calmness, was utterly stunned at the sight of his lifeless body, unable to comprehend the reality of what had just happened.
And what brought her out of that shock was not Francis' scream. But an overwhelming aura of hatred overflowed from the direction the maid was running. That aura of hatred was so thick and dense that it gave Alicia goosebumps.
It was as if... there was a monster between them.
"That boy... If I'm not mistaken, the other-worlder young knight of the Boldenville family. What was he doing near the broken door? Is he the one who killed Leofric?"
That boy, Allen, immediately left the room, looking for Felicia outside.
Then, amid the panic, Alicia looked at her brother, Harald, who seemed to be trying to catch up with Allen.
"WAIT! DON'T CHASE HIM!" Alicia shouted.
Harald stops as he hears Alicia's words.
'So Harald also found himself in shock as well. I am curious about that boy, but there was something even more crucial at hand: the spear that thrust Leofric's body.'
Harald went straight to his sister.
"What's wrong? Why aren't we going after that kid? Isn't it obvious that he's the culprit?"
'Harald does not have enough confidence. But his ability to understand the situation is outstanding. He already has his thoughts about this, but he still chose to listen to me and ask me about it. I'm glad that he trusts me,' Alicia thought.
Then the second explosion happened. It sent people into another panic. But the panic was quickly dispelled when they heard the sound of shuffling feet from the main door on the second floor.
From the door, appeared a swarm of soldiers. These soldiers were led by Maximilian Beatrix Glenham, the Head of the Knight. And the captain of second, sixth, sevent, ninth knights, the 12 Milites.
"UNCLE!" Alicia shouted.
Maximilian gazed upon Alicia, his finger aimed towards Leofric's lifeless body that hung starkly against the wall.
As with the rest, Maximilian and the other captain stood in stunned silence, unable to fathom what could have defeated Leofric. He immediately ordered his soldiers to remove Leofric's body from the spear. After that, he went over to Alicia.
"Is His Highness really dead?!" asked Maximilian.
"I can't feel his mana at all," said Alicia.
Since Alicia was a specialist, Maximilian immediately believed what she said.
"So, why did you forbid me from chasing after the boy?" Harald said.
"You mean the culprit? Where is he?!" asks Maximilian.
"No, he didn't do it," Alicia replied.
"How do you know that?" asked Harald.
Alicia pointed at Leofric's body, Harald and Maximilian turned their heads, looking in the direction Alicia was pointing.
"The answer is in that spear. That spear is a lancer-type armacar, which can extend and retract. We all know who the owner is,"
Harald and Maximilian were immediately surprised to hear that, then looked at the spear more carefully.
"The owner is Swithin Magisend Robins, one of the Knights of Rounds."
As soon as Alicia said that, a second spear shot out. Towards Leofric's body,
Harald reacted instantly, pulling out his sword, jumping, and deflecting the spear.
-TWANG
"As expected of Prince Harald," a voice came from the broken door.
"Why are you doing this, Sir Swith?!" shouted Harald.
Swith walked casually into the room. While everyone thought he was a traitor, Alicia found him very strange.
Alicia then used her hands to form a window, after which she muttered,
"God's blessing: Appraisal,"
Alicia's god's blessing, appraisal, could allow her to see directly into a person's mana at a certain distance. And when she did that, she could analyze and measure almost all the data that the target she was looking at had.
With her blessing, Alicia immediately realized what was happening to Swith.
"Why am I doing this? Of course, it's all for the master," Swith said.
"Harald! He's not Sir Swith! He's already dead, and his body and all of his organs are controlled by someone else!" Alicia shouted.
Alicia pondered the strange occurrence of Sir Swith's lingering mana. A person's mana should vanish upon their death unless they possessed such a steadfast willpower that their mana granted them the ability to sustain it in the world even after their death. However, Sir Swith's mana was peculiar. It was not of the ordinary variety that any person left behind.
'It was probably someone else's mana that compelled his to remain, despite his passing,' thought Alicia.
Without hesitating, Harald lunged toward Swith with his sword, ready to strike. However, Swith was prepared and quickly used his second spear to defend himself, successfully parrying Harald's attack. But Swith didn't stop there; he seized the opportunity and hurled Harald backwards with a mighty force, sending him flying far behind.
"Milite Captain, please guard the nobles. Uncle, Please help Harald; I will analyze Leofric's corpse!"
Maximilian nodded, while Alicia immediately approached Leofric's corpse. Alicia's ability could be activated from afar and without a chant, but the further she was from the target, the less information she could see.
As Leofric's lifeless body was stuck on the wall, Francis stood over him with tears streaming down his face. Alicia approached, but she felt something was off as she drew nearer. "Maximilian ordered the soldiers to take Leofric's body," she wondered, "so why is Francis here alone?" As if compelled, Alicia felt drawn to the body, hoping for answers.
When Alicia looked up, it turned out that the dozens of soldiers ordered by Maximilian to retrieve Leofric's corpse were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, blood was pouring down, indicating that someone had cut them all down earlier. What surprised Alicia was that no one realized that there was an attack above. Even she herself didn't realize it.
Something strange happened, but Alicia chose to ignore it for now. She knew she couldn't sense Leofric's mana, but a closer inspection might reveal something new that would explain what happened now. But before she could even lean in…
-WHUUUUSH
a sword appeared before her in a flash, warning her to stay away.
Then there was something else that surprised Alicia: the shape of the sword now in front of her. A sword that was very famous among other-worlders.
A katana.
From above jumped a black-haired girl wearing a mask that covered her face and one eye. The woman held the katana with ease. As she stepped back, the black-haired girl landed gracefully in front of her, blocking her path. Her one-black eyes were hard and determined as she gripped the katana's hilt.
Alicia could feel the tension in the air and knew she was not dealing with an ordinary person. She could sense the power emanating from the other-worlder woman before her and instinctively knew it would be foolish to make sudden movements. She tried to speak, but her throat felt dry and scratchy, and no words came out.
The woman held the katana backwards. Then she started to say something. Her voice was low and measured as she spoke:
"Abare: Hisanna Funjin Saigai no Tsurugi"
