"He is unharmed, Shogun."
Pandora smiled in satisfaction. A trace of liveliness appeared on her usually calm and beautiful face.
"Thank you for your trouble..."
Seeing this, she slowly crouched down in front of the other party, looking at the sharp-fanged boy who had just been buried in the dirt.
She recalled Frederica's warning to her and Emilia before they set out—
[While traveling to the Sanctuary, you must be careful of someone named Garfiel. When you are in the Sanctuary, he is the one you need to be most wary of.]
[He is... my younger brother. If he gives you trouble, show him this pendant.]
Those were her exact words.
"Your name is Garfiel?"
She asked directly.
"Huh?! How do you know—"
Garfiel was clearly startled that the Shogun knew his name.
"Frederica."
She interrupted him again.
"Hah? Why are you saying Frederica's name?!"
He looked at her suspiciously.
"You're her younger brother?"
"How do you know about our relationship?!"
He demanded loudly.
"She told me."
She answered plainly.
"..."
He fell silent.
"Why should I believe you?"
Not to mention the woman standing before him, but the little girl beside her was even more suspicious. In that instant, he had been completely unable to resist, as if everything had already been arranged in advance. It was extremely strange.
The Shogun then took out the deep-blue pendant Frederica had given them before they left. She held it in front of him and gave it a small shake.
...
"I see... but doesn't that mean I got beaten up for nothing?!"
Otto, who had climbed back onto the ground dragon carriage, wiped the blood that had just stopped flowing from his nose and shouted angrily toward the inside of the carriage.
"What about my anger?! Who's going to take responsibility for that?! How am I supposed to vent it?!"
Snap...
"Aah—!"
He subconsciously jerked the reins in his hand, startling the little ground dragon in front of him.
"You're so annoying, coachman! Didn't I already apologize?!"
Garfiel, who was leaning against the corner of the carriage, waved his hand impatiently. Ever since earlier, this stupid coachman had been buzzing around like a fly, making his ears ring.
"Hah—?! You call that an apology?! Are you talking about when you said— 'Sorry, idiot! I got it wrong!'?!"
The more Otto spoke, the angrier he became. He slammed his fist against the backboard of the carriage.
"Tch, you're so naggy... fine! I get it! I apologize! I was wrong! Happy now?!"
Garfiel said helplessly.
"Haa..."
How noisy.
The Shogun sighed inwardly. She had thought there would be some peace and quiet, but ever since this guy got on the carriage, it had only gotten worse. Pandora had already returned to her transparent state, quietly floating beside her.
"Besides, you guys are at fault too! If you'd just shown me that thing earlier, this would've been settled already. Tch, making me suffer for nothing."
Garfiel looked at her with open disdain.
"Foolish. Wasn't it you who attacked without clarifying anything first?"
She cast him a cold glance.
"Ugh! I didn't have a choice! You were suspicious as hell! Speaking of which... where did that brat go?"
He glanced around the carriage but failed to notice Pandora in her transparent state.
"She has her reasons. It would be best if you did not meddle."
She replied.
"Tch... acting all high and mighty... like I care!"
He leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head and turning away.
"..."
She subconsciously looked at Pandora. The latter gently placed her palm on her slender shoulder and gave her a subtle smile.
Looking at that pale hand, she grew curious and reached out to grab it—only for her fingers to pass straight through it, as if through a phantom with no physical substance.
(While I'm in this state, you can't touch me, Shogun.)
Pandora noticed her movement and shook her head gently in reassurance.
(I wasn't trying to touch you. I was just curious.)
She averted her gaze slightly, replying with a faintly stubborn tone.
(Hehe... I understand~)
Pandora smiled knowingly, playing along.
"Mmm~"
Just as the two were chatting, Emilia, who had been lying unconscious on the bench, finally showed signs of waking. Like a kitten, the girl let out a soft, lazy murmur. She shifted her right leg slightly, bent her calf for a moment, and flexed her fingers before slowly opening her eyes in a dazed state.
"Shogun... where are you?"
The first thing she said upon waking was to look for her.
The Shogun turned and sat down beside the bench where Emilia lay, gently touching her forehead.
"...How do you feel? Any better?"
She asked in a softened voice.
"Mm... my head feels a little dizzy. What happened to me?"
Emilia narrowed her eyes in confusion and pressed a hand to her forehead.
"That's a side effect of entering the Sanctuary. Demihumans and mixed-blood individuals experience this to varying degrees. It's nothing serious."
Garfiel explained.
"H-He is?"
Emilia asked.
"Garfiel. The Guardian of the Sanctuary. Judging by your hair color, you must be the legendary 'Lady Emilia,' the silver-haired half-devil, right?"
His tone remained disdainful as always, though now it carried a hint of teasing.
"It's silver-haired half-elf—eh? Garfiel? You're the one Frederica warned us about..."
Emilia instinctively corrected him, then suddenly remembered the half-beast girl's warning before departure. She looked at Garfiel with scrutiny.
"Ah... so you know Frederica too. Looks like that woman made quite a few friends without me knowing."
Garfiel shrugged indifferently.
"You really resemble her, especially—ah, never mind."
Emilia hurriedly stopped herself.
"You were going to say 'teeth,' weren't you?!"
He snapped in irritation.
Why does everyone who sees me always talk about my teeth?! Are they really that ugly?! It's not like I wanted them like this!
"Are the villagers from Ram and Arlam all with you?"
Emilia stepped forward and asked with concern.
"Yeah... they're all here. But since you've entered, don't think about leaving. You can't get out anymore."
He grinned wickedly.
"..."
The Shogun frowned slightly.
"So... we've already entered the Sanctuary?"
Emilia looked toward the Shogun.
"That is correct."
She replied.
"I see... thank goodness... at least nothing went wrong. But... why did this pendant glow earlier?"
Emilia puzzledly pinched the deep-blue gemstone in her hand.
"Heh~ This pendant is connected to the barrier. It's only natural that it reacted to you. It's not just half-elves who trigger it—this great me and others do as well! Which means..."
"Not only mixed-bloods, but demihumans live here too?"
Emilia continued.
"Smart!! Welcome to the 'Sanctuary'!!"
Garfiel suddenly stood up and jerked his chin toward the view outside the carriage window.
As Garfiel spread his arms wide with a wild grin, the dragon carriage passed through layers of forest. What came into view was a desolate village sitting in an open clearing.
Unlike what one might imagine from the name "Sanctuary," the place was dim and bleak—almost pitifully poor. It was the complete opposite of anything sacred.
Gloomy skies, dilapidated houses, and uneven dirt roads filled the air with a sense of decay.
"This is the Sanctuary? It's... a bit different from what I expected."
Emilia leaned against the carriage window, staring outside in surprise.
According to Garfiel—
Roswaal had once named this place the "Sanctuary." Yet it bore no resemblance to such a beautiful word. In Garfiel's own blunt terms, it was "a place where useless people gather" and "an experimental ground with no future."
As he said, aside from the run-down houses and a few impoverished villagers, there was nothing else. And those villagers were all beastfolk—demihumans with animal ears. The moment they saw the dragon carriage approach, they hurriedly picked up their children and retreated into their homes.
Why were they so afraid?
"You're late, Garf."
After the carriage came to a stop, Ram—whom they had not seen in some time—was already standing before them. She crossed her arms and stared at the blond, sharp-fanged boy with an expressionless complaint.
"I'm disappointed you brought them here so slowly. No... the fool is me for expecting anything from you."
"Hey! I didn't have a choice! You never told me what they looked like!"
Garfiel jumped down from the carriage and protested.
"Hmph."
Ram flicked her nonexistent long hair disdainfully and ignored him. She then immediately stepped in front of the Shogun and Emilia, straightened her posture, and folded her hands politely before her.
"Lady Emilia, Lady Shogun, welcome. Lord Roswaal is waiting for you inside. Please follow me."
She bowed in a proper maid's greeting. The difference in attitude was like night and day.
"Mm... Ram, how have things been for you here?"
Emilia asked with concern.
"There is no problem. Life here is not as destitute as it appears. Aside from taking care of Rem, I only handle minor tasks. As you can see, Ram is still cute and healthy. The villagers of Arlam are safe as well."
Ram replied with a gentle smile.
"And how have you both been, Lady Emilia, Lady Shogun? Is the mansion well?"
"With Frederica watching over it, there should be no issues."
The Shogun answered.
"I see. Then I am relieved. If it is entrusted to her, I have nothing to worry about. Please follow me, my ladies."
Ram gestured toward a slightly more refined private house and prepared to lead them away when Garfiel's complaint sounded from behind.
"Hey, Ram! What about me?"
"You can settle the dragon carriage and the driver."
Her tone instantly turned dismissive.
"You really love ordering people around! ...Well, that's what I like about you. Come on, coachman!"
"My name isn't 'coachman'!! And seriously... why are you agreeing so shamelessly?!"
Amid Otto's sharp retort, the two of them drove the carriage away.
Under Ram's guidance, the Shogun and Emilia walked along a narrow path and soon arrived at the house where Roswaal was temporarily staying.
Click~
The moment the door opened—
"Ah~ Lady Emilia and Miss Raiden~ It has been~ quite a while~~"
That familiar, exaggerated tone filled the room.
It was unmistakably Roswaal himself. However—
He was lying in bed, his entire body wrapped in bandages, as though he had been beaten black and blue.
The curtains were not drawn open, leaving the room dim. Under the glow of candlelight, everything was bathed in a warm yet muted hue, their shadows flickering against the walls.
"Roswaal, how did you get those injuries?"
Emilia frowned.
"Ah~ it is a long story~"
He seemed reluctant to explain.
"Were you beaten by someone who couldn't stand your manner of speaking?"
The Shogun teased mischievously.
"Pfft... that is also possible."
Emilia joined in with a rare hint of mischief.
"If that were the case, would I not be beaten by you two quite often~?"
Roswaal showed no anger, even mocking himself in return.
"By the way... we've formed an alliance with the Karsten family. The condition was granting them mining rights in Elior territory. I'm sorry... I made the decision on my own."
Emilia apologized. At the time, the situation had forced her hand, and she had not informed Roswaal beforehand.
"It is fine~ I am very satisfied with your decision, Lady Emilia. Possessing such admirable judgment is a good thing~"
Roswaal shook his head, unconcerned.
"Roswaal, what exactly is this place? You call it the Sanctuary, but... the feeling it gives is..."
"The Witch's grave."
He cut Emilia off and answered bluntly.
"Eh?"
Emilia froze.
Just as expected—his explanation matched what Pandora had told her earlier.
The Witch's grave. This was where the Witch of Greed, Echidna, had died. He had named it the "Sanctuary."
He definitely knows more than he's saying.
The Shogun glanced at the transparent girl who had been silent the entire time. Pandora had not joined their conversation. Instead, she stood beside a candle, idly playing with the flickering flame—unnoticed by anyone else.
"Why are you the one managing this place?"
The Shogun asked.
"Simple. The Mathers family has overseen this land for generations."
He replied.
"Are you saying the Witch of Greed and the Mathers family have been connected since long ago—"
"Echidna."
He interrupted her, correcting her almost reflexively.
"...The Witch of Greed and the Mathers family—"
"Echidna!"
He corrected her again.
"The Witch of—"
"Echi—"
He stopped her before she could finish the first word.
"..."
They fell silent for a moment.
"Why are you so insistent on that? There's no real difference, is there?"
She sighed, exasperated.
"When referring to her, please use her name. The title 'Witch of Greed' sounds far too evil. That would not be appropriate, would it, Miss Raiden~?"
He smiled elegantly.
Too evil?
Aren't witches inherently that kind of existence?
Besides, they all call themselves by the names of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Still... why did Roswaal suddenly give her the strange impression of a devoted sycophant?
Recalling the white-haired girl she had met—Echidna—the Shogun felt a bit helpless. Could it really be that kind of relationship?
"As you suspect, the Mathers family has indeed been associated with Echidna since ancient times. However, calling it 'management' would be overstating it. Furthermore, the barrier exerts special effects on those who meet certain blood conditions. Lady Emilia has personally experienced this, has she not?"
A sharp glint flickered in Roswaal's eyes.
"Mm..."
Emilia instinctively took a step back, only for the Shogun to take her hand. Feeling that warmth, Emilia steadied herself and stepped forward again.
"Tell me why you haven't returned to the mansion."
The Shogun asked directly.
The evacuated villagers, Roswaal himself, Ram—why had none of them returned? She wanted to know.
"..."
Roswaal merely smiled.
"Is it really as simple as you being too injured to move?"
She glanced at the bandages wrapped around him.
"No... Lady Shogun, we are currently under house arrest within the 'Sanctuary.'"
Ram spoke the truth in his stead.
"Eh? House arrest? Why?"
Emilia gasped.
"Mm~ Ram, the villagers of Arlam, and even you two who have stepped into this place are included."
Roswaal looked completely unconcerned—almost gloating.
He's so irritating...
The Shogun complained inwardly.
Bang!
The next second, Garfiel pushed open the door and strode into the room, looking displeased.
"What? Still not done talking?!"
"Garfiel, what do you mean by house arrest? And his injuries—were they caused by you—?"
Emilia's eyes filled with hostility. Her expression turned cold, her tone accusatory.
"No! His injuries were the result of being rejected by the Trial!"
Garfiel refuted immediately.