HRADH 46

Chapter:46

 In the Name of Truth

 Delphine hesitated, unsure if such a question was appropriate—but a simple answer quickly came.

“A magic circle. Yes.”

Delphine turned her gaze toward the man. He spoke in his usual slightly curt tone.

“You didn’t notice even after seeing my hair and eye color? My mother was a gypsy—and a witch.”

Delphine’s eyes widened slightly.

Black hair and black eyes were rare in the Empire.

Three hundred years ago, many had been burned at the stake for possessing those very traits, believed to be signs of witchcraft.

“I was taught it was merely a superstition that black features were tied to magic. So… it’s true?”

“Even I don’t know for sure,” Lin answered calmly. “It was so long ago, and no records remain.

But through all those years, my family secretly engraved magic circles on our bodies and preserved our lineage that way.”

He pulled out a piece of posium from his pocket.

“I was the first to show Belli that posium could be used to wield magic.”

“I see…”

The once-indecipherable structure of this group was beginning to come into focus.

It was likely because they now trusted her enough to reveal the truth piece by piece.

…Unlike Ioann.

“Well then, shall we continue?”

At his words, Delphine turned to see a strange building behind them—its construction resembled stacked wooden blocks.

Embedded along the arch of the front gate was a shimmering posium, glowing faintly.

She assumed it must be maintaining some kind of protective barrier.

With that in mind, Delphine followed Lin’s lead and stepped inside the building.

This second visit to La Rouge Headquarters felt markedly different from before.

“Oh-ho! The lady’s come back!”

“Hey, mind your tongue unless you want to end up charcoal! The HQ’s made of wood too, remember?”

Recognizing her face, a few of the members offered whistles and remarks that hovered between admiration and teasing.

Some clapped her lightly on the shoulder, and from that, she guessed their greetings were at least partially affectionate.

…Perhaps she had, in some small way, been accepted by them.

The warm, unfiltered welcome—so unfamiliar—was not entirely unpleasant.

Lin, watching her faint smile, led her to a quiet corner of the base.

“He’s in the underground cell.”

At the end of the hallway, they came to a large iron door.

Lin placed his hand on the door and whispered something low. With a deep, mechanical groan, the door opened.

Beyond it was a flight of stone stairs, descending into darkness.

Delphine was now certain—there was magic woven into the very structure of this place.

The path downward was dim and narrow.

Lin silently offered his hand.

She took the large hand and began to descend, step by careful step.

“Did you learn much from the man?”

Delphine asked as they walked, and Lin’s brow furrowed slightly.

“…We did. But it was far too reckless.”

He looked upset—almost angry.

Feeling the need to explain herself, Delphine muttered in her defense.

“But it was a chance I couldn’t let slip.”

“If I hadn’t arrived in time, something terrible might’ve happened.”

“But… wait. That day, were you… watching me?”

Lin flinched.

“Well…”

“Ah, you’re here. Friends.”

Just then, as they reached the bottom of the stairs, a cheerful voice rang out—oddly out of place in the gloomy setting.

“Belli.”

Delphine dipped her head politely, and Belli returned her greeting with his ever-sparkling smile.

“Welcome.”

Even in the dim, flickering candlelight of the dungeon, his golden hair glowed like molten sunlight.

“You performed beyond expectations, my lady.”

At those words, Lin raised an eyebrow and retorted immediately.

“Beyond expectations? What part of my report did you miss? When I arrived, she was in real danger.”

“Yes, yes, perhaps a bit reckless… but her judgment in that critical moment was impressive.”

Delphine tried not to look too pleased as she caught Lin’s annoyed glance.

Lin opened his mouth again, clearly still dissatisfied—but Belli swiftly cut in.

“Now, shall we go in? Our friend finally decided to speak honestly after a week.”

Belli led them further into the dungeon.

Inside a cell, they found Nikolai sprawled out like a heap of rags.

The man who was once so polished and handsome had become nearly unrecognizable.

Most horrifying of all were his hands.

“His fingers…”

“He wouldn’t talk for the longest time, but his fingers were the key. I asked if he wanted to never play again—and that finally opened his mouth.”

Belli spoke with a serene smile on his angelic face.

“Thanks to that, we had a very productive chat. Right, friend?”

Belli asked with a friendly tone, as if addressing an old companion.

Nikolai shuddered violently, his voice trembling.

“Y-Yes! I said everything already…”

“Then say it again, for our lady here.”

“W-What do you mean…?”

“Come now. Let’s start with this. Who gave you the black crystal?”

Belli’s eyes sparkled, but the chill in his gaze belied the warmth of his smile.

After glancing nervously between them, the man began to speak.

“…His Majesty did.”

The force behind the recent murders.

Those who had wielded massive, hidden power in a kingdom where magic had been forbidden for 300 years.

And the mastermind who had managed to keep all of this secret—even from a noble of Sector One like Delphine—was…

“His Majesty the Emperor gave it to me.”

“…!”

Shock flooded Delphine’s face.

The man continued nervously, stealing glances at Belli.

“H-He gathers only his most loyal subjects… and grants them the black crystal…”

“And what do you call yourselves?”

Belli asked coldly.

The man quickly answered.

“Among ourselves, we call it ‘Veritas.’”

Veritas?

Delphine had never heard the name before.

Belli, face now emotionless and ice-cold, continued interrogating.

“What loyalty did you offer to join Veritas?”

“I-I composed and performed a hymn praising His Majesty… He said music is the best way to sway the people…”

The Emperor…

The Emperor of this Empire—the descendant of a great hero—was behind all these bizarre events.

Delphine whispered, disbelieving.

“This can’t be…”

But the moment the words left her lips, everything suddenly made sense.

Only someone as powerful as the Emperor could orchestrate such a vast and covert scheme.

“Then, anyone who has a black crystal can use magic like that?”

“N-No, not just anyone…”

The man shook his head desperately at Delphine’s sharp question.

“I don’t know why, but a special ritual is required… You have to abandon your humanity to use it…”

Abandon your humanity…?

“Then what did you do to perform that ritual?”

Lin asked, his voice cold with disdain.

The man couldn’t meet his gaze.

“A-A cat… I offered a cat…”

The words were enough to make one nauseous.

Delphine swallowed her rising disgust, while Belli questioned him further in a calm voice.

“There were rumors recently—many cats disappearing from the capital. How many did you offer?”

“T-Three hundred… thirty-three…”

The man looked down at his broken fingers.

“Six hundred and sixty-six would be ideal… But even three hundred were so loud and—”

“Shut up. You’ve no right to run your mouth.”

Lin slammed the hilt of his sword against the bars, and the man flinched into silence.

The Emperor.

Sacrificing humanity.

…And Ioann, the Captain of the Imperial Guard.

Since childhood, a savage man who showed no interest in anyone but her.

Delphine’s heart pounded violently in her chest.

After taking a breath, she asked with difficulty:

“…Then Ioann—no, Sir Pride… Did he also receive a black crystal from the Emperor?”

The man, now little more than a heap, gasped and shook his head.

“I-I don’t know him. I swear. I only met him for the first time at the concert…”

“You’d never seen him before?”

Delphine exclaimed, unable to hide her shock. Her voice echoed ominously through the damp dungeon.

“Y-Yeah. His Majesty only gives the crystal to those who prove their loyalty. He handed them out in person, during our gatherings. But that man—I’d never seen him before.”

“I asked him many times, doubting his claim,” Belli added from beside her.

The quivering wreck on the floor hiccupped and sobbed.

“I said it over and over… But you still had to take my fingers…”

“But could a human really do those things? The way he handled that situation…”

“Lin.”

Belli warned gently, and Lin fell silent, sneaking a glance at Delphine—who stood pale and frozen.

“I have one more question. What exactly is that black crystal?”

Delphine asked, her voice trembling as she tried to remain composed.

“What power does it hold within posium?”