◇ ◇ ◇
"It has begun…"
I—Vince Briars, leader of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky—murmured quietly as I gazed at the magic circle drawn across the night sky visible from the office window.
When I lowered my eyes to the desk, two resignation letters came into view.
I had already been told what Orun planned to do next, so even when I heard the loud explosion in the distance, I felt little surprise.
I had only known him for about a year, but that had been more than enough time to understand what a kind-hearted person he was.
It was no exaggeration to say that Orun had caused this commotion to protect the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky—and above all, the members who belonged to it.
I recalled the words Orun had declared in front of the other executives when he first joined.
"I have no intention of devoting myself entirely to the clan. However—as a member of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky, I will give everything I have to protect my comrades no matter the situation."
Because we lacked the strength, Orun had resorted to these drastic measures. If we had been stronger, there might have been another path.
"…There's no point in complaining about our weakness now. If we don't have power, then we have no choice but to do everything we can with what we do have."
What Orun had asked of us was to conquer the southern Great Labyrinth.
We would accomplish it no matter what. That would be our way of repaying him for trying to protect us.
The die had been cast. It was time for me to do my part.
Marquis Forgas would soon publicly announce that Orun was the culprit behind this incident. At the same time, Orun would be placed on the wanted list. That would be my cue.
Right after that, I would declare that Orun and Luna had both been expelled from the clan. It was to loudly proclaim that Orun and the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky had parted ways.
After reaffirming what I needed to do, I burned the two resignation letters on my desk so that no one else would ever see them.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Lord, we have received a report regarding the recent explosion. The detention facility has been half-destroyed, and parts of nearby buildings appear to have collapsed as well."
A soldier who had come to my office began his report. Since Orun had already told me what to expect, I was not greatly surprised.
Thanks to the strengthened patrols around the detention facility that we had arranged in advance, all the criminals who had tried to escape—except for Oliver and the others—had been recaptured.
The fire that broke out right after the explosion had already been extinguished.
"Any harm to the residents?"
"As far as we know at this point, no injuries have been confirmed. Considering the scale of that explosion, it's practically a miracle."
It seemed Orun had kept his promise. I could not imagine anyone else being able to pull off such a feat. All I could say was that he truly lived up to his reputation.
"Understood. Do you think this incident is connected to the empire?"
I knew the truth of the matter, but I had to pretend to know nothing on the surface.
When I asked with feigned ignorance, the soldier shook his head.
"No, we do not believe it is related to the empire."
"What is the basis for that conclusion?"
"Well… that is…"
"Why would you need to hide anything? Speak quickly."
"Y-yes! At the scene, many soldiers are claiming that Orun Dura is the culprit…"
"Orun is the culprit?"
"Before the explosion occurred, he apparently told the soldiers stationed at the detention facility that his goal was to free Oliver Cardiff. When we resisted and he was surrounded by a large number of troops, he seems to have set off that explosion in desperation."
From the sound of it, he had made quite a spectacle of himself. There were too many witnesses for him to talk his way out of it.
'Please frame me as a criminal,' huh.
I doubted I would ever be asked to do something like this again.
"…Understood. Place Orun on the wanted list. Spread the word throughout the territory immediately. I will handle the report to the royal family myself."
"Understood! I will make the arrangements right away!"
The soldier who had received my orders left the room.
Once I was alone, I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling.
In the span of this one year, I had sacrificed the young man who had brought so many blessings to Tsutrail in exchange for the safety of the other residents.
I was well aware that the world did not run on pretty words alone. Even so, the guilt weighed heavily on me.
"Orun… I'm sorry. I have no right to say something like this, but please win the future you desire—the future where you can smile and live freely."
My murmur dissolved into the darkness of the night and reached no one's ears.