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[AI CENSORSHIP BLOCKED THIS CHUNK - RAW ENGLISH RETAINED]

Who from the Hydra brought her here? She could work with that bit of information and figure out how to escape from this doorless room.

“O planet.” She planted her hand on her chest, placing it slightly above her small breasts. The astral crest started to emit a faint light.

“Please show me your pa—?!”

Sisbell’s breath caught, unable to continue.

A door had appeared right in front of her eyes—oblong and rising from the pristine walls that once held nothing.

No, wait. Correction: The door hadalwaysbeen there.

…Was I just too dense to notice it?

…Was this a trick to prevent me from noticing it or was it concealed with camouflage using an advanced astral power?

They must have done it while she’d been unconscious. She hated to admit she hadn’t noticed they had addled her mind using astral power.

“Don’t play games with me. Now that your power has worn off, I imagine you intend to show yourself. Come out!” She pointed at the door.

The door creaked open in front of her.

Central state. Woodlands.

They were at an abandoned storehouse, seemingly left unused for decades.

Iska doubted his eyes when he saw past the rusted door.

“…So it justlookslike an old shed on the outside.”

The room within was divided by thick concrete walls. Iska spotted a state-of-the-art communications device inside. Thecenter of the room functioned as a meeting space, and a pile of boxes storing emergency rations and water were stacked in the corner. He would have mistaken it for an Imperial base.

“You’ve got a war room? Even Imperial conference rooms aren’t this nice,” Jhin observed, locking his gaze on a concrete wall lined with machine guns.

Even now that the villa had been destroyed, it was still possible to continue commanding the military from this safe house without any obstacles.

“Whoa! Hey, Commander, this communications device runs on a seventh-generation G system. It’s the newest type of wireless device capable of driving an unmanned car up to sixty miles—with super-low latency. They don’t have these anywhere in the Empire except in the capital—” Nene started to say.

“Please remember the situation we’re in.” The servants stared her down.

“…I’m sorry,” Nene uttered before becoming silent, dejected.

“This is the safe house operated by the Lou. Since it’s in the woods, it’s a one-story structure, but there are two basement levels, so it’s decently spacious. However…” The oldest servant, Yumilecia pointed to the stairs at the back that led down to the basement. “I think it’s obvious that this building houses Sovereign secrets—ones we don’t want anyone from the Empire knowing. Especially in any areas below us now.”

“Noted,” Iska said. “We won’t go into the basement; we won’t even go near the stairs.”

He looked beside him. Once Commander Mismis nodded, Iska looked back at the servants. “Does that work for you?”

“Yes. I believe you’ve already realized that everything you say and do at this base will be under surveillance, so the royal family can review it at a later time.”

A surveillance camera glared from a corner of the ceiling. Iska had noticed it the moment he’d stepped into the safe house.

“You know what they say: Do nothing suspicious, and there will be nothing to suspect. Please refrain from doing anything that would make us question your conduct.”

“As long as you behave, we all intend to treat you as guests. It’s what Lady Sisbell ordered, after all,” said another girl who had stepped forward from behind Yumilecia. She held clean towels in both her hands. “We will lend you rooms. They are all en suites, so please use the showers while we still have time.”

“While we have time?”

“Miss Rin will arrive in two hours.” The servant was facing away from them, gaze fixed on the communications device on the table. “I’m sure she will have directions on how to rescue Lady Sisbell.”

“First, I will hear what they have to say. Then I will give Lady Alice an update…”

These woods were owned by the House of Lou.

Rin dragged a suitcase along as she quickly walked down the trails that had not been maintained for the past few decades. She had changed into a simple black suit before leaving the palace and taken a taxi to get to the outskirts, rather than take an official car. From there, she had walked through the countryside.

All were precautions to dodge prying eyes.

There would be Talisman’s soldiers undercover around the palace and near the villa. These measures were taken to avoid being spotted by him.

“…Those damned Hydra. Now they’ve really done it.”

Only minutes before she had entered the woods, she had caught a glimpse of the Lou Erz mansion over the wall. Rin found herself speechless. The castle had been destroyed beyond recognition. In a little under a day, the stately residence had become rubble, a shell of what it was the night before.

“…This is the work of Vichyssoise.”

The castle caved in as though a cannonball had shot through it. Based on the debris from the damage, the witch must have used her trump card, the Magic Shot of Corpses. Rin could tell by the destruction: The estate had been attacked the night before by the assassins from the Hydra, led by Talisman.

…I suppose the silver lining is that the servants are safe.

…Though I hate to be indebted to that Imperial swordsman.

She reminded herself she needed the former Saint Disciple’s help at this moment.

“…I hate to ask him for anything.”

But the priority was rescuing Princess Sisbell. Rin had been reluctant to agree with Alice’s point that they needed Iska’s help; ultimately, she had agreed to do it out of necessity.

Rin hated the Hydra as much as she hated the Imperial forces who had invaded the royal palace.

“You’ll see, Hydra. We’ll make you pay,” Rin told herself just as a rusted storehouse came into view. It was the safe house unknown to the other royal bloodlines. “It must have been a full year since I’ve been here…”

She used a spare key to open the metal lock. Beyond the door, which had been camouflaged with rust, was a concrete room outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment.

“It’s me. I’ve arrived earlier than… Huh?”

Rin blinked. She didn’t see anyone in the meeting area in front of her nor any sign of the five servants, Iska, or the rest of his unit. The half-empty water bottles were the only indication they were somewhere in the place.

“They must be meeting in a back room.”

She had already told them she was coming. They had to be discussing ways to rescue Sisbell in anticipation of her arrival.

“I see. Not bad for Imperial subjects. I might even say that’s praiseworthy.”

Rin hauled her suitcase farther into the room. She could hear movement behind the many doors down the hallway and placed a hand on one of them.

“It’s me. I’m coming in.”

“Huh? Is that voice…Rin?!”

It was Iska speaking beyond the door. Sheknewthey were meeting in one of these rooms.

“W-wait! Wait a sec! I’m—”

“What? I’m coming in.”

She opened the door to find Iska, as expected. Except…her vision went white when she saw anunfamiliarside of him.

“Um…I was taking a shower…”

“”

He wasn’t wearing a thing. As he claimed, he must have gone to freshen up.

A girl of tender age, Rin wasn’t unfazed upon seeing a naked boy of the same age. He looked more muscular without his clothes. And his black hair clung to his forehead, slick from the water, making him seem more manly than—

“Wait! No!” With a flushed face, Rin threw the suitcase she held at Iska. “Wh-wh-what do you think you’re doing?! I—I’m…seventeen years old! A young maiden! And you’re an exhibitionist!”

“Youwere the one who walked in onme!”

“This isyourfault!”

“In what world?!” Iska rushed behind a chest of drawers. “We were attacked by assassins last night. If we don’t clean out our wounds, they’ll fester!”

“…Anyway, put on some clothes. I’ll turn away.” Rin could hear the quiet swishing of his clothes, which made her more embarrassed. “I have something to tell you. You can listen while you dress.”

She cleared her throat. “Lady Alice informed me of the events that transpired at the villa last night. I’m here to confirm the story with the servants.”