By no means had it been an easy task. She was used to having things taken from her, but now she was the one doing the taking. Her determination had been nothing short of extraordinary, yet at the same time, dark emotions like fear and regret still lingered within her.
Causa offered Lupus a glass of water with his usual smile.
“Drink this,” he said. “It should help relax you a little.”
“Thank…you.” Although Lupus was hesitant, she accepted the glass from Causa. She drank it in one gulp, trying to suppress the inexplicable nausea rising from deep within her stomach.
“I must say, when you first proposed this plan to me, I didn’t think it would be possible. I never imagined you would actually kill Ross yourself,” Causa said as they sat in the moving car. The smile he showed her now was different from the one she had seen on him before. Clearly, he had also thought of her as a fragile, young girl.
But the princess in front of him was a completely different person than she used to be.
Her eyes still brimming with adrenaline, Lupus looked at Causa.
“Ross is dead, and I am disgraced,” she said. “You’ve simultaneously denied two members of the imperial family a chance at the throne. Now it’s time for you to hold up your end of the bargain.”
“No need to worry,” Causa replied with his characteristic composure. “I agree completely. I’ll fake your execution as promised, and I’ve already completed the arrangements for you to defect to Elbar.”
Right after appointing Tsushima as her knight, Lupus had approached Causa with a deal. The plan was for Lupus to kill Ross herself, throwing away her claim to the throne in the process.
Of course, Lupus had no intention of being killed. With Causa’s cooperation, she planned to fake her execution and defect to Elbar.
Her proposal would have been impossible without Causa’s cooperation, and although it had surprised him, he had gladly agreed to it. This was how Lupus and Tsushima had gained the powerful support of Causa.
“I’m guessing it’ll take about fifteen minutes to get to the airport,” Causa told her. “My private jet will take off from there. Rest assured, no one will stop you like before.”
“That’s what I’m hoping,” Lupus said, placing a hand on her chest as if to check that her heartbeat had calmed down. She gazed out the window at the heavy snow clouds hanging over the northern mountain ridges.
“Are you worried about Tsushima?” Causa asked, reading Lupus’s emotions from her gesture. What Lupus was worried about wasn’t people coming after her. It was Tsushima’s safety.
Ignoring Causa’s question, she narrowed her eyes as she continued staring out the window. Shrugging at her silence, Causa continued speaking.
“Canus didn’t show up when you went to kill Ross. That likely means Tsushima was successful in drawing him away,” he said, directing his gaze toward where Lupus was looking outside.
If Ross and Canus had been together in the same place, there would have been no way for the plan to work. Understanding that, Tsushima had gone alone to the outskirts of the capital to lure away Canus. Tsushima would return after he had killed him. When this would be was anyone’s guess, but Lupus had confidence.
“Knowing Tsushima, I have no doubts he’ll come back alive,” she stated firmly, as if dispelling an unwanted future from her mind. “Even if he’s up against Canus from the Six Imperial Swords, I’m sure he’ll be all right.”
Causa nodded in agreement.
“That may well be true. Since this is Tsushima we’re talking about, that might be possible,” Causa said in a somewhat standoffish tone.
His demeanor gave Lupus a bad feeling. He was speaking while wearing a perfectly composed smile—a mask that revealed nothing of his true thoughts.
“His name is Tsushima Rindou, isn’t it?” Causa continued. “I couldn’t help but be curious about him, so I decided to look into who he really is. At first blush, he seemed to be just an ordinary Informationist with an unremarkable background—too unremarkable. That convinced me to dig deeper, and I uncovered something strange.”
At those words, Causa pulled out a clipboard containing a report. Lupus furrowed her brow, as if putting up her guard.
“I investigated his past, and it was just so unnatural,” Causa informed her. “No matter what I looked into—the War to Recapture Jabar, Elbar’s War of Independence, the records of the Informationist Guild that came after that—I couldn’t turn up even a single photograph of him from that time. The only records about him are written, and those only described his career as utterly ordinary and insignificant.”
“What are you trying to say?” Lupus asked.
Causa rested his fingers on the documents before continuing.
“Could it be possible the Informationist named Tsushima doesn’t actually exist and is someone else entirely? Or could it be that he has to hide his past from view? Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine how someone’s background could be so unnaturally sparse, devoid of even a single photo.”
Lupus couldn’t respond to Causa’s suspicions. The Informationist called Tsushima Rindou definitely existed, but he was wrapped in shadow and secrecy. That much was certain.
Causa closed the clipboard and succinctly laid out the question he had arrived at.
“Who is Tsushima Rindou really? Who is behind him?”
Causa suspected the person known as Tsushima Rindou might have two identities. People’s pasts were not so easily erased. However, even that would be possible if Mayor Tachibana of the Free City of Elbar were to get involved.
So then, who exactly did that make Tsushima, to have drawn the involvement of such an influential figure?
Lupus looked uneasy for a moment, but the light in her eyes didn’t fade. Seeing this, Causa pressed further.
“I’ve seen many things in this world, but I’ve never heard of a level-seven Informationist defeating a level-eleven Informationist. Tsushima is far too unusual. Do you know anything about him?”
As Causa tilted his head questioningly, Lupus shot him a strong-willed look that showed she had no intention of backing down.
“The Tsushima I know has a terrible attitude, smokes wherever he pleases, and is far from a model adult. But no matter the situation or his opponent, he always achieves his goal. Tsushima Rindou is a level-seven Informationist and nothing more,” Lupus declared firmly, holding on to her unwavering belief despite Causa’s shakedown. Imitating Tsushima, she then added one more unnecessary remark: “What, do you not like my answer?”
Causa sighed at her demeanor, as if realizing she wouldn’t have responded any other way.
“I see. I suppose there’s no helping it if you don’t know anything. Still, I at least would have liked to have learned who Tsushima really is.” It was unusual for a good strategist like him give up.
This also gave Lupus a bad feeling. There was no way a man like him would back down on this, or anything, for that matter. The only times he ever showed hints of resignation were when he felt a bit of guilt after having already acted.
Once Lupus processed this, she had a sudden realization. A cold sweat ran down her back as she wondered why it hadn’t occurred to her sooner.
“For you to help me defect, I believe your condition was the successful assassination of Ross and Canus, correct?”
“Indeed, that’s what we agreed.”
“But you don’t know whether Canus is dead yet, do you?”
At Lupus’s words, Causa raised his brows slightly, then smiled. Lupus’s eyes widened; she instantly understood what his expression meant.
“Did you make Tsushima go after Canus while intending to dispose of him from the very beginning?”
“Yes, that’s right. Even at his worst, Canus is still one of the Six Imperial Swords. It would be far too presumptuous of me to kill him at my own discretion. After all, the rightful master of the Six Imperial Swords is His Majesty the Emperor. Besides, even if Canus lives, I won’t be at a disadvantage. As long as Ross is eliminated, everything takes care of itself.”
“In that case, it should have been enough for me to kill Ross. Why are you trying to eliminate Tsushima, too?”
Causa shook his head a little in exasperation at her question. Then he rested his chin on his hand, turning his gaze in a completely different direction.
“You see, I despise outsiders who don’t act according to my plans. And Tsushima clearly falls into that category. Men like him must be eliminated when the opportunity arises. After all, I also live with the knowledge that tomorrow could bring my downfall. Please give up.” Causa actually seemed apologetic, his brows arching in a sorrowful expression. It was like he was legitimately expressing remorse. To Lupus, however, this only fanned the flames.
“How could you do such a thing? Killing someone who has kept their promise? How utterly dishonest. That’s something a villain would do!” Lupus shouted angrily.
Causa responded with a troubled look on his face, as if mortified.
“The only thing I promised was your safety. I never guaranteed his life. Tsushima entered the agreement fully aware of that fact. I haven’t broken any promises,” Causa asserted, stating the brutal facts with a calm expression before smiling cheerfully.
Meanwhile, Lupus froze in horror at the sheer monstrosity of his statement. The man sitting in front of her was an actual devil.
“I’m going to go get Tsushima!” Lupus declared.
“That would be futile. No, actually…perhaps I should say it would be impossible.”
As Lupus instinctively reached for the car door handle, she noticed something strange. The arm she thought she had raised had barely even moved halfway. Just then, she felt a tingling sensation in her fingertips, and an intense drowsiness assailed her.
Pressing her fingers between her brows in an attempt to remain awake, Lupus glared at Causa as her consciousness faded.
“What did you mix into the drink you gave me?”
“There’s no need to worry. When next you wake, you’ll be in the safety of Elbar. The diplomatic arrangements have even been taken care of already. However, you’ll be the only one to get there safely, unfortunately. This, too, is unavoidable. Tsushima simply knows too much.”
Despite her will to resist, Lupus started to lose consciousness as she reached for Causa. She collapsed into the seat and blacked out before she could touch him. Her entire body went limp, and she began breathing softly in a deep sleep.
Causa smiled in satisfaction and crossed his legs.
“I’ll eliminate any obstacles in my path to supremacy, even a pebble. A lion never holds back, not even against a mouse. You’d do well to remember that.”