I was wondering if it was okay to ask such a question carelessly, when a simple answer was heard.

“Magic circle, that’s correct.”

Delphine turned her gaze to look at the man.

He spoke in his usual somewhat brusque manner.

“Didn’t you notice by looking at my hair and eye color? My mother was a gypsy and a witch.”

Delphine’s eyes widened slightly.

Black hair and eyes were indeed rare in the Empire.

This was because many were captured and burned at the stake as evidence of being witches during the witch hunts 300 years ago.

“I learned that the association of black with magical power was simply superstition. Are you saying it was actually true?”

“I don’t know exactly either. It was such a long time ago, and there are no records left.”

Lin answered calmly.

“However, over those long years, our family secretly inscribed magic circles on our bodies to continue the lineage.”

He took out a fossum from his pocket.

“I was also the one who first told Belli that magic could be used with fossum.”

“…I see.”

The shape of this group, which was so unknown at first, gradually became visible.

That must be because they trusted her enough to reveal the truth one by one.

‘…Unlike Ioan.’

“By the way, let’s turn around now.”

At those words, she turned around to see a strange building that looked as if it was built by stacking wooden blocks.

Turning her gaze to examine it, she saw fossum emitting a faint light embedded in the boundary of the main gate.

Probably some kind of barrier magic was being applied.

Thinking so, Delphine entered the building following Lin’s guidance.

The La Rouge headquarters she visited again had quite a different atmosphere from last time.

“Ah, the lady has come!”

“Hey, watch your mouth. Unless you want to become charcoal black. Our headquarters is a wooden building too, you know!”

Recognizing Delphine’s face, some whistled and made remarks that were hard to tell if they were admiration or jokes.

Judging by the occasional pat on her shoulder, it seemed to be playful admiration.

…Had she been somewhat accepted by them?

The casual welcome she had never experienced before wasn’t unpleasant.

Lin, who had been staring down at her smiling slightly, led her to a corner of the headquarters.

“He is in the underground prison.”

At the end of the corridor, a large iron door appeared.

Lin placed his hand on the door and muttered something quietly, and the iron door opened with a heavy sound.

What appeared behind that door was, surprisingly, stone stairs leading underground.

Delphine thought that some magical power must be at work on this building itself.

The path underground was quite dark.

Lin silently held out his hand.

Holding that large hand, Delphine slowly began to descend the stairs.

“Were you able to find out much from the man?”

When Delphine suddenly asked as they walked down the stairs in silence, Lin slightly furrowed his brow.

“…Yes, but it was too reckless.”

He looked somehow angry.

At his attitude, Delphine protested quietly, feeling as if she was making excuses.

“But it was an opportunity I simply couldn’t pass up.”

“If I hadn’t appeared, something terrible could have happened.”

“But… Oh, that’s right. That day, were you watching me?”

At that, he flinched.

“Well…”

“Ah, welcome, friend.”

Just then, the stairs ended, and an inappropriately cheerful voice was heard.

“Belli.”

As Delphine nodded slightly, Belli also greeted her with a bright smile.

“Welcome.”

Even in the dark basement, it was still an angelic smile.

His golden hair like melted gold shone brightly even in the dim candlelight.

“You’ve done even better than expected, my lady.”

At those words, Lin raised one eyebrow and immediately refuted.

“What do you mean ‘done well’? What did you hear from my report? She was in a dangerous situation when I arrived.”

“Well, it was certainly a bit reckless… But it was very good judgment in an urgent situation.”

Delphine glanced at Lin, who looked displeased, trying not to show too much triumphant expression.

As Lin was about to say something in dissatisfaction, Belli quickly cut him off.

“Well. Shall we go inside? Our friend has finally opened up with sincere talk after a week.”

Belli led them deeper into the prison.

Nicolai was sprawled inside the bars.

The once neatly handsome man had turned almost into a rag doll.

What was most terrible was his hand.

“His fingers…”

“He wouldn’t open his mouth easily, but his fingers were his weakness. When I asked if he never wanted to play again, he finally grasped the situation.”

Belli said with an angelic face and a gentle smile.

“Thanks to that, we were able to have a sincere conversation. Right, friend?”

Belli asked in an affectionate tone as if calling an old friend.

At that, the man who had been sprawled like a rag doll flinched and hurriedly mumbled.

“Y-yes. That’s right! I-I already told you.”

“Well, why don’t you say it once more in front of this lady here.”

“W-what should I say?”

“Let’s see. Where should we start… Ah yes. Who did you say bestowed that black crystal upon you?”

Belli asked with his eyes curving brightly, yet the pupils within not smiling at all.

Then the man, who had been watching carefully, slowly opened his mouth.

“…His Majesty.”

The mastermind behind the strange murder cases.

Those who had secretly wielded enormous power in the Empire where magic had been forbidden for 300 years.

And the one behind all this, who could even thoroughly hide it from Delphine, a noble of District 1…

“His Majesty the Emperor bestowed it upon me.”

“…!”

Astonishment appeared on Delphine’s face.

The man continued to ramble on while watching Belli’s reaction.

“H-His Majesty specially gathers loyal subjects and bestows black crystals…”

“What did you call that group again?”

At Belli’s cold question, the man quickly answered.

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

Veri…tas?

It was a name she was hearing for the first time.

Belli continued to press the man with an icy gaze.

“What loyalty did you offer in exchange for joining Veritas?”

“I-I received it in exchange for composing and performing songs praising His Majesty. Saying that music was the best tool to incite the people of the Empire…”

The Emperor…

The Emperor of this Empire, descendant of the great hero, was behind all these strange incidents.

Delphine muttered in disbelief.

“This can’t be…”

But as soon as she uttered those words, she felt as if all the puzzle pieces were clearly falling into place.

In fact, if it wasn’t someone of the Emperor’s level, who else could secretly manipulate the entire Empire like this?

“Then can anyone use such power if they just have a black crystal?”

“N-no. That’s not the case…”

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

“I don’t know why either, but a special ritual is needed. …You can only use that crystal if you abandon your humanity.”

Abandon your humanity…?

“Then what did you do for that?”

Lin asked, looking down at the man.

His black eyes held cold contempt.

“C-cats… I offered cats.”

It was a disgusting sound that could make one vomit.

Unlike Delphine, who barely swallowed the rising nausea, Belli asked in a calm tone.

“I heard rumors that cats suddenly disappeared from the capital recently. How many did you offer?”

“Th-three… Three hundred and thirty-three.”

The man stammered, examining his ruined fingers.

“Originally, s-six hundred and sixty-six would be better… B-but it couldn’t be helped. Th-three hundred were so noisy as it was…”

“Shut up. What are you bragging about?”

When Lin struck the bars with his scabbard as a warning, the man quickly closed his mouth.

The Emperor.

The act of abandoning humanity.

…And Ioan, who holds the position of captain of the Emperor’s guard.

Ioan, who had been fierce since childhood and showed little interest in humans other than her.

Her heart pounded heavily.

Delphine took a moment to steady her breath, then difficultly opened her mouth again.

“…Then Ioan, no, Lord Pryde as well…”

Unable to finish her words, Delphine’s lips trembled for a moment before she finally completed her question.

“…Has he also received a black crystal from the Emperor?”

Then the man who had become a rag doll answered, gasping for breath.

“I d-don’t know about that man either. Really. I saw him for the first time at the concert.”

“…You saw him for the first time?”

Delphine exclaimed loudly without realizing it.

Her voice echoed ominously in the dark, damp cave.

“Y-yes. His Majesty only specially bestows black crystals to subordinates who show exceptional loyalty.”

The man quickly nodded and answered.

“At a gathering where we all met together. But I’ve never seen that man before.”

“I also found it suspicious and asked several times, but it seemed to be true.”

Belli, standing nearby, confirmed.

The collapsed man flinched and whimpered pitifully, probably wondering if Belli had simply asked quietly.

“I told you many times it’s true… But why did you do this to my fingers…”

“But is that really within human capabilities? With that man’s cruel way of handling things…”

“Hmm. Hey, Lin.”

As Belli cautioned him, Lin glanced at Delphine’s pale face and closed his mouth.

“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask. What is this black crystal?”

Delphine asked, trying to remain calm despite her pale face.

“What power is imbued in the fossum?”