Chapter 104 — Are You Trying to Rebel?!
Serie orchestrated everything from the shadows.
Elias stalled the enemy within the realm of the mind.
Flamme and Carlile traveled all the way to Northern Plane to settle matters face-to-face.
And with that—
Grausam's plan to force the people of the Holy City into mutual slaughter
ended in complete failure.
Even after being reduced to a fading remnant,
he never got to witness the mountains of corpses he had envisioned in the distant south.
---
By the shores of Silverlake in the western outskirts—
Having escaped the Paradise through her own power, Frieren heard a question from Elias for the very first time:
"Frieren…"
"It's because you can't really imagine me becoming human, can you?"
The white-haired elf fell silent.
That was the great demon's thousand-year obsession.
And also the contradiction at the heart of her own imagination.
She didn't want to betray her instincts.
Nor did she want to deny his wish.
So she chose silence.
Elias rose quietly to his feet.
His gaze rested on the lake's shimmering surface beneath the sunlight, ripples reflecting an indescribable brilliance.
"All right, Frieren."
"We'll talk about this another time."
"Serie's commission has been completed. Go say goodbye to your friends, then take a carriage back to the village on your own."
"I still have one last matter to attend to."
Frieren stood and nodded.
"Understood, Elias."
---
After running in circles and tying up loose ends,
Elias returned once more to the towering spire and entered Leiya's chamber.
He casually repaired the door he had previously cut apart and reinstalled the defensive magic.
Then, in front of Leiya, he removed the guard's medal—its gemstone already gone.
"Miss Leiya, I'm returning this to you. My assignment is complete."
"Elias?"
Leiya was utterly bewildered.
"What on earth happened?"
"Why did you leave without saying a word after hearing about Yuna?!"
"That was… a misunderstanding."
Elias chose not to elaborate.
She didn't need to know about the demons' schemes.
Before long, the Cole family would withdraw from the Allied Army anyway—
their reputation and status already on the brink of collapse.
"In fact, every day I served as your guard, including my excessive vigilance… was also a misunderstanding."
"However, there is one matter you must be informed of."
Leiya listened, half-lost in confusion—
but she already had a guess about that one matter.
"It's about Arisols, isn't it?"
"It's about El—"
Elias was about to correct the spell's name,
but stopped himself mid-thought.
Revealing his own name might expose his age—and create unnecessary complications.
"Heh… very well."
Elias lowered his gaze and gave a faint smile.
"Then let's call it that—for now."
He proceeded to lay everything out before Leiya:
the Green family's past,
the assassination attempt by the 99th Robin,
and the death of the 98th Robin.
Leiya listened in silence from beginning to end.
For a long time, she couldn't recover from the shock.
Elias didn't interrupt her.
His deep, steady gaze simply waited for her answer.
"Heh…"
Leiya let out a bleak laugh and slowly closed her eyes.
"It's strange, really."
"People say my father is the sharpest mind on the human front lines… but I've always thought he was confused."
"Especially after becoming the Commander of the Allied Army—he only got worse."
"For the sake of a treasure that never belonged to the Cole family,
for the sake of preserving his position in the military,
and for so-called family honor…"
She took a breath.
"On one hand, he abused a sealing ritual and turned his own daughter into a cripple."
"On the other, he claimed 'legitimate defense' and caused the rightful owner of the stolen treasure to die from severe injuries."
"Even if he is my father, there is no room for me to defend him."
"The sins he committed must be paid for by his own hands."
By the time she finished speaking, Leiya's resolve was clear.
"Elias, the sudden disappearance of the Allied Army's commander would be a major incident."
"I'll issue orders saying my father has fallen gravely ill and returned south to recuperate."
"I'll also inform General Yug to stabilize everything within the army."
"As for my father…"
She hesitated for a brief moment, clenching her teeth to suppress her doubt.
"…I'll leave him to you."
---
Elias headed for the master bedroom, where Butler Pierre was standing guard outside the door.
"…Hm?"
"Lord Elias, why aren't you staying with Miss Leiya?"
"I need to see General Theodore."
"But…," Pierre hesitated, "the general is reviewing military matters. Perhaps—"
—Crack!!
This was the second time Elias cut down a door that morning.
Pierre collapsed to the ground in shock, only to hear Elias's cold chuckle.
"Heh. Military matters…?"
"There's no need to think anymore."
With a snap of his fingers, Pierre immediately fell unconscious.
Elias walked straight in.
Theodore, startled by the noise and the sight of that cold expression, frowned deeply.
"…Elias?"
"You're supposed to be guarding Leiya. Why are you barging in here and making such a racket?!"
Anger flared in Theodore's eyes—
until he noticed Elias's chest.
Empty.
"Wait…"
"Where's your medal?"
"Elias, do you realize that removing a military medal is tantamount to rebellion?!"
Instead of backing down, Elias stepped closer.
"General Theodore, I won't bother explaining what 'rebellion' means."
"Because soon enough, you'll be leaving the Allied Army just like I am."
"What did you say?!"
Theodore roared.
"You're not only rebelling—you intend to kidnap me, the Commander of the Allied Army?!"
"W–wait!"
Theodore's famed intellect kicked in, his thoughts rattling at full speed.
"Don't tell me… from the very beginning—
entering the selection, accepting the medal, becoming Leiya's guard—
it was all aimed at me?!"
Elias was momentarily speechless.
Complicated matters—Theodore reduced to something simple.
Simple matters—Theodore overthought into absurdity.
Elias genuinely began to wonder—
Is this really the man hailed as the greatest mind on the human front lines?
"Elias!"
Theodore suddenly shouted.
"I've figured it out—you want to replace me as commander of the Allied Army!"
"Heh. Think whatever you like."
Elias slowly raised his hand.
Yet Theodore stood there laughing loudly.
"Hahaha! So I was right!"
"I only threw it out there casually, and you couldn't suppress your ambition!"
Elias's face went completely blank.
Firing an arrow first and then drawing the target afterward—
was that really worth being this proud of?
But Theodore wasn't done.
He stepped forward, his thick, fleshy face looming close, his grin wild and arrogant.
"Boy, did you forget?"
"The very first day we met, I had you reveal the extent of your mana."
"Your mana barely filled most of a room."
"And my mana—"
"—fills the entire room, right?"
Elias interrupted calmly.
His smile was colder than Theodore's, tinged with something darker.
"Then you'd better watch closely."