"Murderer!"
"And h-he said his name was Na-Nakano!"
"It's the devil!"
"Kill this murderous heretic!"
So let's get back to the present: Sophia's trial.
The crowd of nobles stirred after Kurone shot Princess Elisabella; the girl's lifeless body plummeted from above to the hall floor. Despite the commotion, no noble dared to descend to where the young man lay.
"What happened?" The king asked, confused.
A young man in elegant clothes next to the middle-aged man whispered something in his ear — probably explaining what had just happened.
"I wish you wouldn't be so frightened by my actions, you see." Kurone's voice echoed through the court.
The angry nobles looked at the place pointed out by the young man: the corner of the wall where the princess' body had fallen.
"AHHHH!" Everyone shouted in amazement as they saw the grotesque and disturbing scene.
Elisabella's body rose up, first her arms doing "crack crack", then her torso and finally her legs. The princess with the bloodied face was standing up again.
"As you can see," she called out again, "this is not the princess you know. It's a demon!"
The creature made a pretense of running to Kurone, but then fell down with an arrow stuck in its face.
"Thank you," thanked the girl with a crossbow in hand.
Amelia remembered to bring the old crossbow in the carriage, even though it wasn't very accurate, the weapon would come in handy, as it was at that moment.
The frightened nobles whispered even more among themselves as they saw the coachwoman from the Soul Za house standing next to the heretic.
"If this girl is not the princess," he shouted as he fired a few shots to make sure the demon would not get up. -Where is the real princess? Would you know the answer? - He pointed his rifle at Raoul, who was trying to sneak away.
"I-I don't know! I've been tricked like everyone else here!"
"Huh...?"
"Who's to say you're not fooling us too!" Marquis Guller protested. "I mean, how did you know that the princess was in fact a demon? The truth is that you are that terrible Orient Demon called Nakano, aren't you?"
Kurone was confused by the ending, but answered the bald-headed nobleman with puffy cheeks without hesitation:
"It's simple, the great goddess Cecily assigned the "Holy Eye" to me."
'Talking like that I even sound like a real religious leader, hehe…'
The young man's words aroused the interest of the Saint who had remained silent until then.
"Don't lie! A heretic like you would never have the Holy Eye."
"It's the purest truth, see for yourself," he said, raising his bangs and showing his yellowish left eye. The pupil was shaped like a black star, while the iris glowed a strong yellow.
"Tell us, Saint Bishop, it's a lie, right?"
"I'm afraid not, Marquis Guller."
"Impossible!" The marquis punched the pillar of the wall beside him.
"This eye allows me to see the flow of mana in people, ghosts, and to discern humans from demons."
Kurone didn't mention the last part. Using the Sacred Eye for a long time, besides consuming an incredible amount of mana, caused excruciating headaches, nausea and other symptoms that the young man could handle with sheer willpower and insanity.
"So where is Princess Elisabella?" The red-haired nobleman next to Noah asked.
"Can you tell us, Amelia?"
"Yes." The coachwoman moved to the center of the hall and stood near the body of the princess-like creature. "The culprit, the man behind the false accusation of Sophia, the attack on Grain Village, the organization known as the Crows, and the kidnapping of several girls, including Princess Elisabella, is none other than... the Marquis Edward Soul Za, my master."
The nobles on both sides were stunned for a moment, some just whispered among themselves while others slowly processed what the coachman said
"Lies!" Guller protested again. "Where is your proof!"
"I am a living proof" Amelia opened her masculine arms. "I, a demon, helped Edward Soul Za in his evil plans, didn't I, Raul?"
"H-HUH?"
"You also helped Edward, both in the kidnapping of the princess and in framing his master, am I wrong?"
"Raul... Why?" Sophia turned a pitying look on the young man.
"Why?" Raul shouted, giving up the idea of sneaking away. "You want to know why? I'll tell you why! You bitch, you killed my sister!"
"The noblemen, who had become the audience for this spectacle offered by Edward, shouted in unison."
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"I saw it all," he continued, "you didn't even notice, but I was hiding during my sister's fight against you! YOU, you bitch, you killed my sister without mercy!"
"Raul…"
"I don't want to listen! Since that day I swore that I would take revenge, but I was caught by a slave trader and sold to the Marquis Guller... A few years later, I met the Marquis Edward, who promised me that he would help me in my revenge!"
"Raul, you bastard!" Noah shouted from above.
"Bastard? I only wanted to avenge my sister!" Tears began to fall from the young man's face as he burst his vocal cords. "Sister Ruthy never meant anything to you? When she died, you just followed this murderer and forgot all about her! I felt disgust every time I heard you mention "sister Ruthy's" name, you traitor!"
"That's not true!" Noah shouted in disgust. "It was sister Ruthy's will!"
"DON'T MENTION MY SISTER'S NAME, YOU BITCH!"
"Raul!" Sophia shouted angrily.
"I don't want to listen to you... I hope everyone burns to death... Yes! I hope the marquis is arrested before he delivers the sacrifices and the Black Beast unleashes its fury on the residents of Andeavor! HAHAHA!"
"No kidding!" The red-haired nobleman shouted.
"What's the problem?"
"Don't you know the legend of the Black Beast?" asked Noah.
"No…"
"It is a monster known to be the very embodiment of gluttony." Raul continued, in an insane tone. "A monster that devours everything in front of it mercilessly. A demon that lives up to its title of Calamity-class monster."
"What does this monster have to do with Edward?" Saint Bishop asked in a tone of astonishment.
"HAHAHA! The Marquis has made a contract with this demon!"
- I-impossible! - Guller shouted in surprise.
"We are all in danger!" The red-haired nobleman warned.
Fear filled everyone's faces, until the priestess raised her voice.
"Don't worry!" Inri tried to calm the nobles. "If you help us, we will manage to survive!"
"And what is your plan, you heretic?" Bishop asked, looking disgusted at the girl.
"To avoid problems with the Black Beast, we will evacuate the population to a safe area. With Amelia's help, we can quickly reach the Margrave's hiding place and free the prisoners…"
"This plan is…"
"Perfect." The king overlapped the Saint's speech.
"Ma-majesty!"
"Saint Avios Bishop, it is my daughter who is in danger, the princess regent, in case you don't have a better idea, we'd better follow this lady's plan, whether she is a heretic or not."
"Argh!" Bishop gritted his teeth.
"You can count on my help too!"
"We haven't finished your trial yet!" Guller tried to scold Sophia.
"What am I accused of?"
"Urgh…"
"If I haven't committed any crime, I can't be condemned... Unlike you, Marquis Guller, who seem to know a lot about Ed's plans…"
"What are you implying?"
"This is no time to argue! We must act as quickly as possible." A noblewoman next to Guller tried to calm things down.
"So, Your Majesty, are you telling us to trust a heretic, an ex-convict, a filthy demon, and a stranger who calls himself a Saint?"
"Exactly, Saint Bishop. We have no time to lose! I charge the Marquise Sophiette with the leadership of this mission."
"Your Majesty, if it's not too much to ask, I would like you to leave the leadership to Nakano."
"Well... I don't see a problem with that, but are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Then, Nakano, the leadership of the mission is yours." The king pointed to a random wall.
In the cathedral, Inri told why Princess Elisabella had become the princess regent: one day, the current king, her father, mysteriously went blind. Pointing to random places while talking was something customary for that old king.