Riot Grasper

- Rahal, who became a soldier in Imperial Capital, made good progress in his promotion.

Sometimes I've had Duran, a brilliant civilian, look me in the eye, but I should say his hiatus efforts have borne fruit.

When I worked as a soldier, I didn't like it, but a lot of information came in.

Powerfully, the emperor is at the apex, but there's constant factional strife underneath?

The person was humble, but Duran, a high-ranking civilian, also leaked that he was easy on such barren power disputes.

Also, such disputes do not remain exclusively with high-ranking martial and civilian officials.

The Duke's nobles and others are encouraging their daughters to be invited to the Emperor's side room, trying to connect with the Emperor.

If you can cage a successor, you will be officially welcomed as a queen, and it is only natural that your child will be desperate because he or she will be the next emperor.

Naturally, some people will imitate their opponents as despicable as kicking them down.

Rahal's worries only increased because I don't think Alisha could stand around so well in such a drooling competition.

... but in working stuffing every day, my body breaks better first.

After getting his first holiday in a long time, Rahal wandered around the city of Gran Bern, the Imperial capital.

Exactly, it's just called the Imperial Capital, and it's bigger than the city of Erindal by digits.

Just a stroll would crush the day.

"... heh. Sounds like a pretty good apple."

Seeing a line of bright fruits in the store, Rahal appropriately purchased some.

The first place I met Rick also reminded me that he was the destination of such a fruit shop, with a stinging grin.

Hit the bright red colored pulp as you walk, and look around as you indulge in the sweet flavors of the cucumbers.

I'm also a little tired of walking around the city, so is there somewhere I can rest?

With that in mind, I just got an affordable building in my eye.

It is a majestic building - the Church of Cricaia - carefully assembled and completed with bricks fired into deep colors. Crikeia is what preaches the teachings of a dragon that long ago helped man in a war with the Demons.

The stories of the sub-people who fled without fear in a dispute with the Demonic Nation, of the humans who fought without fleeing, of the wise dragons who helped it, even children know it if they live in the Imperial Capital.

Because Crikeia is also widely permeated within the Suaven Empire, many turn a cold eye to the subpeoples who allegedly fled in the battle against the Demons.

"... well, let's just say that"

As Rahal stepped into the church and closed the large, thick wooden doors, the hustle and bustle of the noisy city broke off as if it were a lie.

The interior of the church was very quiet and the sun slipping through the stained glass was changing into warm shades to illuminate the chapel.

These atmospheres are very calming.

Just because it is a church for spreading Crikeia does not mean that only enthusiastic believers are allowed to enter.

As much as you use it when you just want to take a short break in a quiet place, you won't be punished.

Rahal glimpses a regular lined bench and looks for a chair where no one is sitting.

- Huh, that's where the familiar face caught my eye.

I don't pray enthusiastically like any other believer, just a girl with her eyes closed and jizzy motionless.

I also thought you were asleep, but when I narrowed my distance trying to speak, my eyelids opened like a mechanical doll.

"... what? Do you have any business with me?

An atmosphere of carelessness is gathered and vain eyes without heat are directed towards Rahal.

I can't forget.

It will be quite a while ago, but when Duran took me on an inspection to the local lord, he is the girl who helped me in danger.

I was just a little concerned about the vain eyed girl peeking out of the missing mask.

I heard he's in the Secret Service, but he's probably in the middle of relaxing on holidays there, too.

"Uh, you may not remember that one, but I couldn't even thank you enough then"

"Oh... you, not the soldier then. Speaking of which, did they see your face? Hmm... I don't really want others to remember my face because of the nature of my work."

"No, look, even if it's not the same unit you belong to, the other day you're a soldier who works for the Empire, and I don't know if I need to be that vigilant... Oh my God"

"... okay. If it bothers you, you just have to turn it off."

The girl snapped horrible things with a whispering whisper.

It seems like a joke, and it seems like it's serious.

"Huh? Did I say something?

"Nothing. So... that's all your errands?

"Yeah, but this is how we met again, so I thought I'd introduce myself."

These casual places may have been influenced by Rik while he lived in Erindal for a long time.

"I'm Rahal. What's your name?

"Aren't you stupid? Just because you named me first doesn't mean we'll be honest with you."

"I see. So is that."

"... if it's a prayer, why don't we just go home?

"It was my first holiday in a long time, so I was strolling around the city a lot, just fleeing into church to take a silly break. I'm not so eager to pray for faith. Maybe you feel the same way?

It's a little hard to imagine a vain eyed girl eagerly praying.

In fact, it looked like she was asleep from a distance.

……

The girl, who remained silent, turned away from Rahal and closed her eyes again.

Does that mean I'm not going to talk to you anymore?

That attitude, even modest, would not be friendly.

"Okay. I'm sorry to interrupt where you're being quiet. To apologize, I'm sorry about the excess, but I'm going to give you the apple I bought at the market earlier. The sweetness and sourness are just right."

I took the last one out of the paper bag and put a little red fruit on the bench where the girl was sitting.

"If you don't want it, give it to the church as an offering. Bye."

When I said that and tried to take a seat, the girl's eyelid opened once again.

"... weirdo"

The girl with the placed apple in her hand leaked such words as she stared seriously at the glossy surface.

"... hella"

"Hmm? What?

"My name. Because I felt like it...... I'll tell you"

- Then again, Rahal spent several years as a soldier.

A girl named Hera and I often met each other in church on occasional holidays, and although we had an unsolicited attitude at first, our attitude softened a little bit over the course of several meetings.

At one point, Rahal asked what he was wondering.

Why did Hera become a member of the Secret Service?

Secret Service is an intelligence operation or a difficult task to get on the table… If you say so, you are often entrusted with dirty roles that people don't really like to do.

Sometimes, by that nature, those who worked evil and were punished, for example, are forced to be assigned.

"Nothing, I'm not here to be punished. It's not so uncommon for a nobleman to push into a harsh secret service force because he doesn't want to recognize a child that has been given birth to civilians or slaves, and I guess... I'm that way"

You think it doesn't matter if you lose your life due to harsh labor.

"Something... bad. Ask me something weird."

"Nothing. I don't even know who my parents are, so I don't even care."

That's what Hera said, but I guess she wanted to connect with people at the bottom of her heart because of her continued work lurking in the dark. I probably also felt lonely for not refusing to talk to Rahal.

- One day like that, things started to go wrong with Hera, who was strong.

Even if Rahal talks, it's in the sky somewhere, and he bumps and crushes something from time to time.

"Yes... yes... why only me"

"Oh, man. Is everything okay?

"-... Oh, Rahal. Were you there? Heh... I'm going to be tasked with the SWAT team leader next time. If it works a lot more than it does now, I'm sure that guy too... hehe, haha, more... more"

Obviously things are not right. I saw Hera and Rahal tried to ask me what was going on, but she didn't try to tell me the details.

On the contrary, there were fewer and fewer opportunities to meet with her.

So much so that by the time Rahal was promoted to Kingsguard for his hard work, he'd barely seen Hera again.

While worried in the corner of his head, Rahal moves to fulfill his original purpose.

Rahal, who was cleared and became a close guard, managed to make contact with Alisha.

In the rear palace, where the emperor's side chamber lives, there are many female officers who are caregivers.

I managed to steal the woman's eyes and had a lot of difficulty talking to Alisha.

"- What, hey, hey! Why is Rahal here?!?"

Suddenly, my old friend came to visit me, so that would have surprised me already.

Same as before...... no, she got a little bit screwed up and was honestly happy that Rahal came to see me.

But although he's behaving brightly, there's a curtain on his face somewhere.

It was easy to imagine that there were frequent feuds between women in the backyard, because if we gave birth to a successor to the emperor, we could be the official queen, and because his children would be the next emperor, it was clear that that would be the burden of Alisha.

"I don't know, are you doing okay? Speaking of which, my sister Elsa is supposed to be with you, right?

"Huh..."

The moment I put that name out, Alisha was clearly upset.

Says her sister, Elsa, was sometimes originally weak, but she continued to fall ill and fall asleep... the other day - she died.

"Ah, ha...... I don't really like to make weak noises, but hey... it may be a lot of hard times"

"Is there anything I can do? Say anything."

... I knew it.

This place, she doesn't deserve it.

You shouldn't keep her locked up in a place with such filthy emotions.

Rahal, who is usually supposed to be calm, but he couldn't contain his anger all this time.

If she wants, she can help you get out of here ready to die.

If you are able to identify the cause of your sister's illness - focus all your efforts on getting rid of them.

I'm not just gonna say the word on the top, I'm gonna do whatever it really is.

But Alisha gently rejected such Rahal's words.

It's okay, I want you to leave me alone.

Of course, I guess I said no because of the feeling that I couldn't let Rahal do such a dangerous thing.

The truth is, even what we're talking about right now is an extremely dangerous act.

"Uh, I just need one favor,"

"What? Whatever."

"If I ever go home to Erindal... would you tell Rick that I was doing fine? I don't really want him to worry."

"Ah...... oh! Fine. I'll take care of it."

- Later.

Rahal was sitting in a church bench late at night.

Nobody, a space full of quiet.

All this time, its tranquility is pleasant.

Meet with Alisha to make sure she's safe - the original purpose of this was to serve the bend.

"Don't you want me to worry,"

... thin, I was aware.

I'm not lying about being a good friend...... but what I couldn't help but like about Alisha.

And... also that her feelings are pointing in a different direction.

If it wasn't me who came, it was him, I could have encouraged him better.

"Ha... you sound kind of like me, stupid"

There's nothing I can do about it. There's a sense of vanity coming at me.

"- Oh? Hehe, haha. It's been a long time since I've seen you, but you look like you're in a lot of trouble."

"You..."

It was the girl who hadn't seen her face in a while - Hera - who had been speaking to Rahal like that.

Her broken howling voice often echoes in a quiet space where even one sound is likely to sound.

His eyes were unchanged and vain, but something felt like a mixture of maddening colors.

"Hey. Is there anything I can do? If you feel like it, you can help me."