Several minutes later, Katima sat down for a short break. Krone leaned in to wipe away the sweat that had formed on the princess’s brow.
“I’m sure it would’ve been easier if Professor Oz was here but... I’m hesitant to drag him into this pawsitively dangerous mess.”
“Your Highness, why did you mention the professor?” Chris asked.
“Mrow? Did mew not hear? He woke up while Ein was off fighting, left the hospital, and ran back to Ist in a hurry.”
“I had no idea.”
“Thinking back to it, did we become indebted to him when we were last here? His idea of creating an artificial Demon Lord made my fur stand up on end... But on second thought, it is an interesting topic.”
“I agree. It really takes me back...”
By sheer coincidence, Chris had heard talk of an “artificial Demon Lord” in a quite recent battle.
“It...takes me back...” Chris murmured.
She’d said it herself in the past.
“I knew it... Edward! You’re the artificial Demon Lord that was created in Ist!”
“That man has his uses after all,” Edward had said. “I was infuriated when he said he wasn’t going to cross the ocean with her, and I vowed to end him. But with results like this, I have no choice but to forgive that fool.”
“I knew it! Your comrades were lurking somewhere in Ishtarica!” Lloyd had yelled.
“Comrades? Well, not precisely. He never acted with us. He seemed to be pursuing his own goals, after all. But of course, I know not what he actually wants to achieve. Ah, now, now. No need to be so feisty. I’m not going anywhere.”
As Chris thought back to this exchange, she was perplexed as to why she was recalling this series of events. Did the words, “artificial Demon Lord” jog her memory? Or was it because she heard that Oz had returned to Ist?
Chris was frighteningly calm as she posed a question. “Um, and where is Professor Oz? With all the monsters flooding into this city, he might be under attack.”
“M-Mew’re right! He’s in danger!”
Despite Chris’s thoughtful words, she knew that there was no need to worry—she’d started to put two and two together. If possible, she wanted to leave this place at once and confirm for herself, but she thought about the horde of monsters. What if that was all also part of his plan? She wondered.
“Dame Chris? Is something the matter?” Krone asked.
“N-Nothing much. I was just thinking...” Chris trailed off.
The realization made the elf shudder as the worst-case scenario filled her mind. Not only will we be unable to stop Sir Ein’s rampage, but Katima and Krone will also be in danger. A cold sweat ran down her neck as Katima stood back up.
“This is my final spurt! Let’s mew this!” the princess said confidently as she got back to work.
After a handful of minutes ticked by, Katima managed to fully dismantle the jewellike device. She’d successfully removed the contraption, but her furrowed brows seemed to imply that she was less than happy about it.
“I’m fairly certain that the Tower of Wisdom didn’t go berserk by itself the other day; someone did it on purrpose,” Katima muttered, pointing at the device. “Something felt strange while I was finishing this up. A tube had been left disconnected and it shouldn’t have been... Not to mention that there are signs that the other tube has been oddly rearranged. Mrow...”
“Are the red foxes involved?” Krone guessed.
“Meow. That was my thought as well.”
The exchange with Edward flashed across Chris’s mind once more.
“I think I’ll head to the roof alone,” the elf said.
There were more than a few serious questions that required answers. The mention of an “artificial Demon Lord” had aroused her suspicions, but now, the tower’s malfunction could’ve been an equally dubious subject. Chris had only become more convinced of her horrific epiphany.
“How do I remove the device on the roof?” Chris inquired.
“Mew simply need to cut the tube it’s connected to,” Katima replied. “But there’s no need to rush there. We should wait for a short while.”
“Is it because it’s dangerous?”
“Purrecisely. I have a feeling that those monsters outside were meant to drive us into the tower.”
“I thought the same as well, Your Highness. But is there any chance of our situation becoming safer if we wait it out?”
“Meow...”
“I don’t think so. We’re out of options that’ll let us save Sir Ein, so we have to remove the device and rush back to Kingsland.”
“Dame Chris,” Krone started.
“I’ll be fine!” the elf assured her. “I’ll take it in a flash and be back before you know it!”
She turned her back to her company and proudly walked ahead. Chris slapped her cheeks and glared at the space in front of her.
“Professor Oz,” she muttered under her breath, “just what is your goal?”