Fremd Torturchen - Volume 8 - Chapter 6

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, come—be quick about it.”

“Wait, stop, there’s no need to— 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 settle the score with her killer was eating away at them day after day. Elisabeth had been hearing about their frustration for some time.

’Twould seem Vyadryavka is keeping in close contact with their commanding officers.

Earlier, Elisabeth had spotted one of them in the hallway. He’d had a dangerous look in his eyes, and his hand had been resting on his sword’s handle. Even outside of battle, Valisisa’s men were making no efforts to hide the fury bubbling up inside them.

Embers of conflict were smoldering even there.

Elisabeth shook her head. She sat down on the bed and flopped backward without so much as turning around.

Then she took a look at the bandage she was carrying. She had tried analyzing it on the off chance she’d find something, but it really was just an ordinary piece of cloth.

In fact, there weren’t even residual traces of mana on it. In terms of identifying its owner, it was utterly useless to her, and yet something about it felt inexplicably familiar. She could have sworn she’d never seen it before, but it felt nostalgic to her all the same.

She squeezed the cloth strip tight, as though she were squeezing a hand.

“…If you let your guard down in a situation like this, you might well end up dead, you know. What is it that commands your attention so, O daughter of mine?”

“Well, I was just musing on how wretched a man would have to be to barge in on a woman he ostensibly calls his daughter. What the hell are you doing in here?!”

As Elisabeth shouted, she magically hardened her pillow and hurled it at Vlad for his troubles. He took a step back and raised his hands in a show of surrender.

“Worry not—even compared to my old friend the Grand King, your build is too modest by half. There’s no need for that particular type of concern, I’m merely being considerate of my daughter’s— Okay, well, see now, that one would have actually killed me! Ha-ha!”

With a laugh, Vlad sidestepped the guillotine rushing down on him from overhead. However, that left him unable to react to the elliptical hole that opened under his feet, and he disappeared into it so quickly it was like he’d never been there at all.

That was thanks to the torture device Elisabeth had used to create a space under the floor.

Death Row Cell had no windows. It had no doors. ’Tis perfect for giving him time to reflect on his actions. She shrugged, then sat back down on the bed.

Right when she was about to get comfortable, though, Vlad’s voice echoed up from within his confinement.

“Hey, daughter of mine, would you be so kind as to let me out? The floor’s a little too hard to get any decent sleep in here.”

“The fact that you immediately tried lying down and sleeping is impressive, in its own way. I think you’re fine just where you are.”

“Ah, how the rebellious phase drags on… I will say this, though.”

Vlad paused for a few seconds. With his echoey words gone, only silence remained.

When he spoke again, his voice was far more earnest than she’d expected.

“When I said you could die if you let your guard down, I was being serious. I really am worried about you.”

There was nothing quite so ominous as a jester removing his makeup.

Elisabeth let out a small exhale.

She offered no reply to Vlad’s message of concern. Instead, she merely closed off the hole. If Vlad got bored, he could always just break the spell to escape. She never intended the cell to actually hold him.

Elisabeth then spread her arms wide and flopped backward for the second time. For some reason, she was dead tired. She slowly closed her eyes and gave herself over to the drowsiness. All of a sudden, though, her eyes snapped back open.

At the same time, a knock echoed out from the door.

Elisabeth succinctly gave them permission to come in.

“Enter.”

“Pardon me, Madam Elisabeth.”

Lute did as instructed, then saluted as he gave his message.

“Lord Vyadryavka Ula Forstlast has returned.”

“I must say, I was shocked when Ain told me she was pregnant.”

As the two of them headed to see Vyadryavka, Lute suddenly broached the subject.

He’d clearly been wanting to talk about it for some time.

Now joined by the sound of his voice, their footsteps echoed through the wide hallway.

“It’s taken a long time, but we’ve finally been granted the greatest blessing a person can receive. I can hardly even begin to describe how happy I am. But at the same time…I feel like I just don’t know anymore.”

Lute murmured quickly, practically speaking to himself. He probably wasn’t looking for any sort of response yet, so Elisabeth continued listening to him in silence. Instead, she glanced around the hallway.

The sun had already set, and their surroundings were dim. Desert lilies bloomed a brilliant white against the still darkness. A gift from the demi-humans, no doubt. As the two of them strode on, the flowers receded behind them.

Now there was nothing much to see at all, and Lute continued.

“If my son or daughter were taken hostage, would I truly be able to make the right decision? What would I be willing to sacrifice, and what would I cling tight to?”

“…Hmm.”

“Oh, what am I saying? That’s no way for a vice-captain to talk! Ha-ha, don’t mind me. I meant nothing by it.”

Lute laughed, but it came out raw and forced, and his tail was drooping. Elisabeth knew exactly what had given rise to his worries.

She turned her thoughts to what Aguina Elephabred said to them back in the demi-human lands.

“Of course. No amount of grieving, boasting, laughing, or crying will change who I am or what I need to do. Why not be brazen about it, then? And also, Sir Lute, back to my original topic…

“My son and his family live in that settlement.”

He betrayed everything, became an enemy of the world. ’Tis only reasonable he be denounced and despised by all. And yet…

He never betrayed his family, nor did he betray his race. Depending on how history played out, he might well be remembered as a hero. However, he could just as easily be remembered as a laughingstock of a fool, with people coming to mock even his grave.

But either way, his wife would take pride in what he did.

And even so, she sold him out to protect her son.

Each and every person has different things they hold precious.

Or as someone once put it, “In their heart of hearts, everyone has just one thing that truly matters to them.” No two scales ever tilted quite the same way.

Upon remembering that fact, Elisabeth opened her mouth and spoke.

“Justice takes a different form for everyone. All you can do is follow a path that shan’t leave you with regrets. If you become my enemy, I shall strike you down, and if I become yours, you shall strike me down in turn. That’s all there is to it. But know that yours is a blade I trust.”

Lute stopped in his tracks and looked at her in shock.

Beastfolk expressions were difficult to read, but in that moment, Elisabeth was keenly reminded how that barrier could be overcome with familiarity and experience. She continued conveying her sentiments to her subordinate.

“You’re an honest man, and you were a good friend to Kaito Sena. You’ve earned that trust well.”

Elisabeth said the words as though she were stating the obvious. This time, it was Lute’s turn to open his mouth. His jaw dropped as he stared at Elisabeth in surprise. A good few moments passed before he shook his head to compose himself.

With a loud click, he snapped his heels together and bowed deep.

“I fear you think too much of me, but it is an honor nonetheless.”

“Do I? I thought it a rather deserved assessment myself.”

“…You know, Madam Elisabeth, you really are the best captain a man could ever ask for.”

“Hmm? I don’t see how you got that from anything I just said.”

Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. All she had done was give voice to her honest thoughts.

Lute raised his head with a terribly serious look in his eyes. He started to say something but stopped and shook his head.

“No disrespect meant, but…,” he prefaced his reply, “…that’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself someday, Madam Elisabeth.”

“…You’re a strict one, aren’t you?”

As the response sprang naturally from her mouth, Elisabeth thought back.

Long ago, in a rattling carriage, Hina had told her the exact same thing.

“That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself someday, Lady Elisabeth. It wouldn’t mean anything if I just told you,” she had said with a finger playfully raised in front of her lips. Elisabeth had never gotten a clear answer to Hina’s question from that day, and the chance to check her guesses had now been lost to her.

Elisabeth closed her eyes for a few short seconds, then resumed her stride.

At some point, the golden sunbeams lighting the corridor

had been overtaken and replaced by silver moonbeams

whose hue so matched the hair of a person she held most dear.

The two of them continued briskly down the corridor.

Eventually, they could hear a voice off in the distance. Someone was angrily shouting. However, there was no sign that anyone had bumped into them, nor did it seem to be directed at the lady-in-waiting standing outside the entrance. In fact, it didn’t seem to be directed at anyone else at all.

Those were the shouts of a man possessed. Elisabeth raised an eyebrow.

Something was clearly up.

Soon, the foyer came into view, and with it, the shouter pacing agitatedly around it.

“Again, again with this! It’s okay, though, I still got a bite. I still got permission for my audience tomorrow. I’ll do it…I’ll do it, dammit! I’ll get those three to take action! No matter what it takes, even if it costs me my life! No matter what it takes! I—ah, Madam Elisabeth.”

Suddenly, Vyadryavka whirled around. His white wolf cloak swayed as he gave her an almost intoxicated bow. He was riled up and dead tired, and his body smelled faintly of blood.

Elisabeth furrowed her brow, wondering what the hell he had been up to. As far as she could tell, though, he wasn’t wounded, nor did he appear to have anyone else’s blood on him, either. It seemed unlikely he had just come from a fight.

But what, then?

“Your wound is healed, I hope?” he asked. “…I do apologize, by the way, for inviting you and then taking off so suddenly.”

“…Goodness, your voice is so hoarse I can barely understand you.”

“Ah, that… Ha-ha, I may have overused my throat a bit, yes. No need to worry about me, though.”

That was the answer—the bloody scent was coming from inside his mouth. He must really have run his throat ragged.

Elisabeth replied with silence. Lute did the same. Talking to Vyadryavka now would accomplish little, as his heart was clearly elsewhere. After bowing once more, he began walking again. Several ladies-in-waiting hurriedly followed after him.

As he scratched at his brow, he started muttering.

“That’s right… It’s unforgivable. Unforgivable. I will have my revenge. No matter what it takes. No matter what it takes. No matter what it takes.”

Elisabeth could see full well that the look in his eyes was the same as in Valisisa’s soldiers’.

Just like them, Vyadryavka was making no effort to hide the intense fury he felt toward his enemies.

Once again, Elisabeth realized something.

Ah. How right you are, Vlad.

She really might end up dead if she let her guard down.

Things had been peaceful that day, but even that calm was nothing more than a fleeting illusion. The tranquility was but an intermission in the farce. And before long, the show would begin again to cheers and thunderous applause.

When that happened, those scant peaceful hours would vanish like they’d never been there.

And what’s more, she was sure

that this would be the play’s final intermission.