Ever since the dragon’s assault on the city, Gepard had felt a mounting sense of unease.
First came the threat of the Rift, visible to all, and then the troubling actions of the Supreme Guardian, who seemed entirely unconcerned with the bigger picture. Since receiving Bronya’s letter, his worry had only deepened.
Knowing Cocolia as he did, Gepard could sense that she would escalate to even more “drastic” measures.
Yet he hadn’t expected the first target of her wrath to be his sister.
During his discussions about the new equipment, he’d been quietly concerned that they might upset Cocolia. But he hadn’t thought his worries would come to pass so quickly.
The orders from Qlipoth Fort weren’t a call to help his comrades on the frontlines, nor instructions on how to handle the ongoing conflict, or even an update on the Wind Dragon. No—the orders demanded he personally lead a squad to arrest his own sister.
This was a blatant attack on the Landau family, and a declaration of malice toward all the Architects.
The Landau family, one of the most prominent among the Architects, would be humiliated if this became public, severely damaging the Architects reputation.
And the fact that a member of the family itself would lead the arrest…
Gepard couldn’t understand why the Supreme Guardian would give such a reckless order in a time of crisis.
With Bronya’s letter fresh in his mind, he couldn’t help feeling lost about Belobog’s future.
But as a captain handpicked by Cocolia herself, duty compelled him to carry out her command.
And so, leading a contingent of Silvermane Guards, he hurried to the Perpetual Machine Shop.
Conveniently enough, his route happened to pass through the zone overseen by Intelligence Officer Pelageya.
Though they exchanged no words, Gepard trusted that someone as sharp as Pelageya would pick up on the irregularity and perhaps alert the bard before he was thrown to the wolves.
And now—
“Uh… what did you just say? I’m in league with who, now?”
Serval blinked, utterly baffled, unable to comprehend Cocolia’s latest play.
“According to the warrant,” Gepard replied, “you conspired with the bard, Venti, using forbidden means to lure the Wind Dragon to the city. You sought to profit during the crisis by selling illegal arms and plotted to undermine the state.”
Even Gepard couldn’t help but frown at the words.
Such baseless accusations, implicating innocent people, would cause tremendous harm the moment they were made public.
With a single announcement, the Landau family’s honor, carefully built over centuries, would be tarnished beyond recognition, and Serval and Venti would be branded as criminals.
To quell the ensuing public outrage, they would either need to execute the two publicly or banish them—only those extreme measures would suffice.
“…”
Perhaps understanding these consequences, Serval’s expression hardened, her usual warmth replaced by a bitter smile.
“Plotting rebellion and profiteering? Heh… Cocolia hasn’t matured one bit over the years; she’s only regressed.
If she wants to punish me, fine. But why drag innocents into this mess?”
“Silence! You will not insult the Supreme Guardian—!”
One of the guards accompanying Gepard shouted angrily.
But Gepard raised a hand, stopping him, though the guard shot him a suspicious look. Some of the others looked equally uncertain.
“Captain Gepard, are you protecting your family?”
“That is not my intention. I, too, am angered by her disrespect, but as public servants, we must remain calm and restrained. We cannot let the suspect’s words provoke us and risk disclosing unnecessary information.”
Gepard’s tone was cool and just, convincing the other guards. He then turned to Serval, his tone even colder.
“—Sister. Or should I say, Serval. This may be the last time I call you that. The family is likely already convening to officially disown you. Do you have any last words?”
“Do what you like. I’ve never cared for fame or titles. I am my own person, not some appendage of the Landau family—or of anyone else.”
Serval rubbed her forehead, weary.
“But tell me, why would she give such an order?”
“…I only carry out commands. If you want more details, you can ask the High Justiciar when we reach the court. Guards, seize the suspect Serval Landau.”
Gepard gave the order, and the other guards approached her, locking the restraints around her wrists without hesitation.
Throughout, Serval remained calm, and as she passed Gepard, she muttered,
“Tell her one thing for me: Cocolia, you have betrayed me again, and this time, I will not forgive.”
Gepard remained silent, personally escorting her to the courthouse once they left the shop. This large procession of guards down the now-desolate streets naturally drew attention.
And with the Landau siblings being widely recognized in the city, word spread swiftly to every shelter.
Soon, people gathered in clusters, discussing the unfolding events. Most importantly, now that they had a scapegoat, their anger shifted from the Supreme Guardian to the so-called “traitors.”
Though some voices of doubt arose, they were quickly drowned out by the larger, furious crowd.
By this time, Venti and his companions had already caught wind of the situation and left the inner city shelter.
Seele anxiously twirled a strand of her hair, unable to understand why things had escalated so suddenly.
“Damn it, how did she figure this out?”
“Calm down, Seele. This was always a possibility, wasn’t it?”
Though Venti was equally curious about how Cocolia had learned of their plans, he reminded himself that, with her connection to the Stellaron, she might have unique detection methods.
Fascinating, truly. If his path were completely unchallenged, it would have been too easy, too boring.
Seele, however, shot him an annoyed glare.
“What are you smirking about? What about your grand plan? We were supposed to rally public support, and now we’ll be lucky if they’re not all out for our blood!”
“No, no, Seele. You’re missing something important here. The warrant only names me and Big Sis Serval. There’s no mention of the lower district, and definitely none of Wildfire’s ‘Butterfly.’”
Venti held up the warrant, showing them the retro-style portraits.
“In other words, the plan to stir up support still stands—we’ll just need to approach it a bit differently.”
“Approach it differently? Don’t tell me, Venti, you’re planning to—”
Clara was the quickest to catch on, clapping a hand over her mouth in surprise.
Svarog and Seele both turned to look at Venti, waiting for an explanation. Facing their expectant stares, Venti replied calmly,
“That’s right. Since she wants to see me so badly, it’s better that you turn me in yourself, Seele.”
“Me? Turn you in?”
“Mmhmm. Think of it—capturing the ‘biggest, baddest, most notorious’ criminal in Belobog’s history. You’d be praised, your reputation skyrocketing in an instant.”
“But is it really necessary to go that far?”
Seele frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of “betraying” a friend for fame.
Clara and Svarog also waited, hopeful he had an alternative plan.
“If you put it that way, then no, it’s not necessary. But since this whole thing has dragged Serval into it, wouldn’t it be wrong to abandon her to face it alone?”
Venti waved a hand dismissively.
“Besides, since I’ll need to face that tyrant eventually, I may as well use her own plan against her. Once she brings me in, I’ll have Dvalin swoop in for a visit. Watching her reaction up close will be a show worth seeing—and one worth broadcasting.”
After all, the winds flowing through Belobog were his allies.
He could use them to listen in on distant conversations, but he could also make them carry his voice across the city in real time.
He was eager to see how Cocolia would react to that!
But first, to add a bit more drama to the stage, he’d need to enlist Pela’s help—
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