and Vyade's senior. "First prince Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast." Elisabeth spoke the man's name. He nodded, then gave his cloak a flourish. It flared out behind him, and the ornamental peafowl feathers on his shoulders fluttered along with it. Then, as Elisabeth looked at him in puzzlement, he made his move. Without a shred of hesitation, the first imperial beastfolk prince knelt before the Torture Princess. Then, still on one knee, he gave Elisabeth a deep bow. She regarded him with suspicion. "What's this now?" "It's quite simple, Torture Princess Elisabeth Le Fanu. I kneel before you with a humble request. We can no longer place our trust in the humans. But you are a different matter, and my people have a score that still needs settling." "And what score is that?" "Our emotions run deep, and our honor runs deeper. My sisters were murdered, and we will not take that lying down. So as such..." One of Vyadryavka's fists was pressed against the ground, and he clenched it tight. Elisabeth thought back. Some of the demi-humans had betrayed humanity and sided with those of mixed race. In contrast, the beastfolk had maintained the status quo. However, it was clear to demi-humans and beastfolk alike that the humans could no longer be trusted. So what were the beastfolk to do? The answer was right before her. "...we intend to receive the betrayer of humanity as an honored guest." The first imperial beastfolk prince made his declaration. His aim was as Vyade's had been when she extended her invitation to Kaito all those years ago: to pick up a blade the humans cast aside in order to do battle with it. 6 The Final Intermission The room was as red as always the chess pieces atop the board were in utter disarray and there was a woman crying into her tea. She was a young woman with lustrous silver hair, and her tears fell without end, their artificial fluids rolling down her pale cheeks one after another. She was an automaton, so the tears were fake. But her sorrow was as real as could be. She let out a quiet murmur, her thoughts still with the one who had just left. "Lady Elisabeth..." There was no answer. The Torture Princess had been stroking her head and saying kind things to her mere moments ago, but now she was gone. That was the bitter truth. Hina looked up at the red ceiling and bawled like a baby. "Hey, Hina. I'm home." Suddenly, another voice echoed through the room. That in and of itself was odd. After all, the room was completely sequestered from the outside world. It had no windows. It had no doors. It was distant from everything. Nobody could leave it. And nobody could come in. It was almost like a graveyard. Or perhaps a prison. And in that place, that place where nobody ought to be "Welcome back, Master Kaito." Hina dried her tears and greeted her beloved husband as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "Welcome back, Captain Elisabeth!" "Welcome back, Madam Elisabeth!" The chorus of voices all blended together. Standing before Elisabeth were her Peace Brigade subordinates, all lined up in a row. Elisabeth was so surprised she froze up. At the moment, she was at Vyadryavka's primary residence. She had come there after accepting his invitation, but upon her arrival, she found herself greeted by a number of people she knew. Whatever she'd been expecting, that certainly hadn't been it. Just like Vyade's manor, the building was crafted from stone, and its walls and ceilings were decorated with all manner of live ivy, flowers, and embroidered tapestries. Each member of the imperial family had a unique insignia that reflected their personality, and Vyadryavka's was an elaborate design that incorporated grapes, two panthers, and three species of ivy. In short, the halls were finely adorned, a fact well accentuated by the slanted rays of golden light streaming in from outside. And amid all that decor, there was a full lineup of familiar rugged faces. To put it mildly, Elisabeth had no idea what to make of it. She leaned over to Lute, beside her, and quietly asked him to fill her in. "Wait... After the tragedy with Vyade Ula Forstlast, her Peace Brigade was reassigned to the World Tree to protect visiting dignitaries...was it not?" "Well, whenever I mention you to them, they always talk about how much they miss you..." "This was your doing, then?" "As you can see, I brought them all here to Lord Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast's manor." "All of them?! This is absurd! Think of all the trouble this must be causing!" Her voice still quiet, Elisabeth fired off a sharp rebuke. She may have been the Torture Princess, but she was also their captain, and it was her job to speak up when her subordinates were out of line. However, the culprits in question were collectively all smiles and grins. Given how calm they all seemed, she could only surmise that they'd obtained the necessary permissions to come. In fact, their whole ambience was so terrifyingly welcoming that even the Torture Princess was powerless before its might. Elisabeth spoke in a strained tone. "...Er, erm...I'm back?" "Welcome home, Captain! Excellent work out there!" Her men spoke in unison, their heels all perfectly lined up. Elisabeth tilted her head, just as flummoxed as before. It hardly seemed like an appropriate response. Not only was she currently on the run from the humans, but this wasn't even her castle. Welcoming her home hardly made any sense whatsoever. Beside her, though, Vlad puffed up his chest with satisfaction. "Ah, what a delightful reception. I'm back, too." "I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone was talking to you." This time, the reply came from just one of her subordinates, a dog-headed beastman who was quite proud of his short black-and-white-spotted fur. Although he had panicked during the raid on the second imperial princess's residence, he was generally hailed for his composed temperament, and his attitude toward Vlad was as cold as ice. Vlad replied with a malevolent grin. "Heh-heh-heh. You have nerve, I'll give you that." However, the brewing tension was nipped in the bud by Elisabeth's subordinates lugging over a heavy package. The package in question was a basket woven from vegetable fiber, and its interior was loaded with thick cloth. Elisabeth tilted her head to the side yet again. Lute's ears perked up. "Oh, would you rather start with a bath, then?" "Lute...I want you to take a moment and think about what you just said. A single moment, if you would. Just one." That was enough to give even Elisabeth pause. Why in the world would she want to take a bath? Sure, Vyadryavka wasn't there at the moment. He had sought out Elisabeth after hearing Lute's report and advice, but according to him, he had put off a prior arrangement to do so. It must have been rather important, as he left immediately after inviting her. His fur was practically standing on end... What could it be? Because of that, Elisabeth was hardly in any sort of mood for relaxation. However, Lute seemed earnestly surprised by her response. The Peace Brigade's members were many things, but blessed with social awareness was not one of them. Upon seeing her reaction, a sheep-headed subordinate of hers raised his hand and spoke, his voice brimming with confidence. "Ah, right you are! Forgive us for being so insensitive, Captain. We all know how much you love to eat, so we should have known that you'd want to have dinner first!" "Once things settle down, remind me to dock your pay for disrespecting a superior." Elisabeth's tone made it clear she was being quite serious. The sheepman leaped back with shock. "No!" Elisabeth shook her head in exasperation. Is there anyone around here with a lick of common sense? Then she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She turned, only to have her eyes go wide when she was greeted by yet another familiar face. It was a goat-headed beastwoman with intelligent eyes. She was a healer who worked at the World Tree as well as Lute's beloved wife. "Why, Ain, it's you. I hadn't imagined even you would be here." "Lute told me about what happened and about the injury you suffered. I finished my work quickly today so I could come. Now, let's see what we're dealing with. Come, comeâ€”be quick about it." "Wait, stop, there's no need toâ€” Someone help me!" Ain was a preeminent healer, but her methods were forceful to say the least. Elisabeth's men knew just how terrifying she could be...and they also knew better than to get in her way. Tragically, that meant there was nobody to stop Ain from capturing Elisabeth. She unraveled Elisabeth's bandage without letting her get so much as a word in edgewise, exposing her smooth shoulder. Ain narrowed her eyes as she looked the wound over. Then, clearly satisfied, she let Elisabeth go. The moment Elisabeth got free, she leaped backward with a feline hiss. Ain gave her a composed nod. "It's not bad. Despite how ugly the wound is, it's healing surprisingly well. By tomorrow, there won't be so much as a scar. One thing I can't abide, though, is how dreadfully that bandage was wound. That said, it's about what I would expect from a skilled mage overly used to relying on their magic. Did you bind it yourself?" "Nay, not I! Although... A skilled mage, you say...?" Elisabeth trailed off as she sank into thought. That cloth from before fluttered through her mind and then faded back into the darkness. She wasn't certain if he had been able to use magic, but she still couldn't think of anyone else who might fit. Sensing that Elisabeth was preoccupied, Ain turned to go. She certainly wasn't boorish enough to meddle in other people's business. Suddenly, though, she turned back and spoke in a sharp tone. "The bath I've prepared for you is highly medicinal. I expect you to take it." "...Yes, Doctor." Elisabeth raised her hands in defeat. And with that, her men carried off the basket, wagging their tails as they went. Regular bathing wasn't really a part of the beastfolk custom. However, what they lacked in quantity they made up in quality, and noble beastfolk would generally use large, public baths filled with flowers and fragrant herbs. The room Elisabeth now found herself soaking in was no exception. Red flower petals were even strewn glamorously across the water's surface. It was a wholly unnecessary flourish and one she suspected had been added for her benefit. After her bath, a lady-in-waiting led Elisabeth to her room. The beastfolk held nature in high regard, as evidenced by the vegetation adorning the guest room's stone walls. After they first learned to use fire, their early attempts at constructing buildings suitable for their climate led them to develop a technique where they combined stone with various other materials. The room Elisabeth occupied was simply another one of the fruits of that technique. Everything about it, from its sunlight-accommodating windows and hay-stuffed mattress to the carpets on its floor, were the exact same as they'd been in Vyade's guest room. Elisabeth let out a small sigh. She was feeling a most uncharacteristic emotion. However, her time working for Vyade had by no means been short. Not even she could escape nostalgia's pangs. ...But now she is dead. The Wise Wolf was gone. And even Elisabeth could tell how much their master's death was affecting her men. They were putting on brave faces, but it was taking all they had to do so. Valisisa Ula Forstlast had also been slain, but her subordinates were taking her death a little differently. After all, the Dynast's men were a group of battle-hardened soldiers, and they were no strangers to loss. For them, not being able to