The princess, with her arms crossed, twitches her fingers as if feeling empty.
Despite the tense atmosphere, there’s no weapon in sight. It’s just awkwardness, I guess.
“Spill everything you know.”
“There are still parts I’m investigating. So, let’s fill in the blanks from the beginning.”
“Beginning?”
“Yes. Let’s carefully tread through the memories. I’ll fill in the parts I can.”
“…”
Rohan starts rustling and unwrapping a hamburger wrapper.
He offers one of the two hamburgers he bought earlier to the princess, but she shakes her head, declining.
It was wise not to eat something handed by someone else in such a situation.
“Princess Testarossa. This isn’t a difficult problem.”
“?!”
“Just trace back your memories and check the questionable parts. Starting from the day the ruler of Tigroba changed.”
A title Rohan had never used before.
The princess’s eyes widened in shock at hearing it from someone else’s mouth.
“…You’ve dug that deep about me. Impressive. It actually makes you more credible.”
“If it’s unpleasant, I can change the title. Just give me an alias, and I’ll follow that.”
“Forget it. It’s a name without substance anyway. No need to demand courtesy.”
“Is that so.”
“No need to force formal speech. Call me as you please.”
A word of permission.
Rohan, as if waiting for this, drops the formal speech.
“Testarossa is too long… How about Sion?”
Sion Testarossa.
It’s been a while since someone called her by her real name instead of ‘Princess.’
That one word was like a flame lighting up the darkness before her eyes, and the princess couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“Impressive. My name was sold off so easily.”
“There’s no one around me who knows you. It’s exclusive information only I have, so don’t worry.”
“Have you ever thought that such words might put you in danger?”
Rohan barely held back his laughter at Sion’s half-hearted threat.
Someone with a nature that can’t oppress the innocent saying such things.
She might be a good tool for the old elders, but to Rohan, she just seemed naive.
“Since I’ve proven my skill in gathering information, I don’t think I’ll die.”
At Rohan’s words, Sion shrugs, saying she doesn’t know.
“I’d like a name to call you too. An alias would do.”
“Rohan.”
Sion mutters the name Rohan a few times and then nods.
“Alright. Let’s recall the day the ruler of Tigroba changed.”
“Okay.”
Rohan listens while chewing on some fries.
“Honestly, there’s not much to remember. I was just a clueless kid back then. I was in my room when I heard the elders bring the news of my parents’ death and then fled.”
Noah Frozenheart’s father.
Since then, Lord Seolho became the new ruler of Tigroba.
Rohan, showing that he was listening, made Sion ponder over an important fact.
“You haven’t actually seen your parents with your own eyes, have you? You’ve only heard about them from the elders.”
“…That’s right.”
That part must be the most unsettling for her.
Rohan was initially satisfied with having reminded her.
“First, let’s correct the most important fact.”
“I’m listening. Speak.”
A brief pause.
Rohan, satisfied with Sion’s focus, opened his mouth.
“First of all, Lord Seolho never killed the Testarossa royalty.”
“…”
“But it’s true that he fought and won. In Tigroba, personal strength is the ultimate power.”
Lord Seolho became the rightful ruler of Tigroba by demonstrating overwhelming power.
However, he wasn’t needlessly cruel and had such deep popularity that he didn’t need to make an example. So, he didn’t kill Sion’s parents and sent them back.
As for his later actions, Lord Seolho is different from the impression Sion has in her mind.
He accepted a small group of elves living in the coniferous forest as members and tried to place the Testarossa lineage in key positions in Tigroba.
“That’s it for now.”
Rohan’s explanation ended.
Sion’s expression was filled with indescribable discomfort.
Blood dripped from her lips, which she had bitten hard to suppress her emotions.
“Even if I concede a hundred times and assume what I just heard is true. Then my parents…”
The girl’s question about who harmed her parents remained unfinished.
Because, assuming Rohan’s words were true, there were figures that crossed Sion’s mind.
The elders and Rohan.
It’s certain that one side is lying to her.
“Shall we make it easier to reach an answer?”
“…”
“What do you think the elders want?”
The girl’s mind was already a mess.
The air was heavy, as if pressing down.
“Answer me. Do you know what the elders expect from you?”
As Rohan pressed with a low voice.
Sion answered in a small voice.
“…To reclaim Tigroba from Lord Seolho.”
The fact that she revealed it so easily without doubt meant she was very confused.
Rohan, feeling sorry inside, forcibly led the conversation.
“How do you reclaim it?”
“By me, the last of the Testarossa lineage, fighting and winning.”
“Fair and square?”
Seeing Sion nodding, Rohan stroked his chin.
‘If we add the condition of someday, the possibility isn’t zero.’
Lord Seolho will grow old, and Sion’s strength will peak and rise.
But.
With the premise of within a few years, it was a delusional plan that could only be criticized as wishful thinking.
Unless they come up with some special trick like the elders do.
“Then think about this for a second. What do you think the elders are doing by calling in all these screw-loose characters?”
“…”
“They can’t even help with training using their own abilities, so what exactly are they up to?”
The small room fell silent in an instant.
Creak── Rohan leaned back in his chair and waited.
He wasn’t waiting for an answer.
He just needed to give Sion some time to think.
“Sion.”
“…”
At Rohan’s call, the girl lifted her head.
Her eyes, once sharp and intelligent, now looked sticky and dull.
Her face was filled with ominous assumptions flooding her mind.
“What are humans and beastmen?”
“Humans and beastmen are…”
Sion, in her dazed state.
There was an answer that reflexively came to mind at the sudden question.
But she couldn’t continue.
Rohan’s gaze and aura were fierce, as if warning her not to utter those words.
The girl forcibly snapped out of her muddled thoughts.
─ Princess. Humans and beastmen have filthy blood, no different from Satan.
─ Do not mingle with races other than elves. They are despicable creatures with mouths that spew lies at every opportunity.
Words she had heard repeatedly from the elders during her formative years.
Words she had heard so often that they even echoed in her dreams and hallucinations.
Sion winced at the sharp headache piercing her temples.
“Don’t tell me what someone else taught you. Tell me what you’ve seen and felt. What about the people you saw on the streets?”
“…”
She didn’t have any particular impressions.
She didn’t feel they were good, nor did she feel they were evil.
But.
The girl with closed eyes she had met while going to buy water droplet friends.
Could she really insult that girl, who greeted her with a gentle smile, as having filthy blood?
“…”
Rohan gave Sion another moment to think.
Watching her was enough.
‘It must be tough, hearing that kind of information from the start.’
He thought he had softened the information as much as possible, but it must have still been harsh.
But if she hadn’t broken, it was fine.
In fact, solving this first doubt was pretty much the whole point of the ‘Broken Crown’ story.
How long had the elf girl been leaning against the wall in silence?
Beep beep──! Beep beep──!
The clock shattered the silence, announcing that it was time to go.
“I guess… we should head back for now…”
Sion spoke in a weak voice, staggering as she moved.
She put on the combat boots she had taken off and pulled out goggles from her pocket.
“I’m not sure if the information helped, but I’ll keep collecting more.”
Rohan opened the window as if seeing off a guest, and the room…
Feeling the cool breeze, he spoke softly.
“Sion.”
“…”
The girl, with one foot on the windowsill, looked at him.
“Don’t be so shocked. You don’t have to believe everything I say right away.”
Sion muttered, having heard everything, wondering what she was supposed to do.
Rohan added a word, apologizing.
“You’ll probably think of ways to verify the facts.”
“…”
Of course, there were many parts that were doubtful.
After all, she had spent a long time outside.
*Thud.*
Sion, who had been on the windowsill, came back into the room.
Facing Rohan directly, the girl asked.
“Just in case… really, just in case…”
“Yeah.”
“If Rohan’s words turn out to be all true… what should I do?”
Sion seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.
“Even if you’re so angry you feel like your head will explode, don’t act rashly.”
“…Are you telling me to wait? Or to calm down?”
“Both.”
“…”
Sion tightly closed her mouth.
She didn’t seem confident in either option.
“Wait.”
Rohan picked up a hamburger left on the desk and wrote his number on the wrapper again.
He forced it into Sion’s hand.
“Do you remember what I said?”
“…”
At his words, a conversation from their first meeting in the ruins flashed in the girl’s memory.
*─ I’ve roughly written down the times when you can call, so feel free to call even if it’s not about business.*
*─ If you have worries, or if you’re feeling down and want something sweet? Even small matters are fine.*
Sion nodded with a slightly relieved expression.
Rohan carefully sent her off again.
“After all, we’ll meet again.”
No matter how much she thought about it, it was all still confusing for Sion.
Yet, unable to deny it, the girl left the academy city, remembering Rohan’s words.
