A Situation That's Turned into a Complete Mess (5.5K) (continued)

"...?!"

I was recognized?

Cid, who was wearing the Shadow Vest, was momentarily stunned.

The Slime Suit I was wearing was working perfectly without any problems.

He then replied coldly:

"Hmph, my name is Shadow, I lurk in the Shadow, hunting those in the shadows."

Despair.

Having said that, Shadow stepped forward and vanished into the night, disappearing into the darkness.

"Wait, Cid!"

Claire tried to catch up, but the belated knights surrounded her.

The lead knight picked up the boots from the ground, examined them carefully, and then looked around at the traces left by the fight, his brow furrowing.

Finally, he turned around and stood in front of Claire, saying:

"Apprentice Knight Claire Cagano, please come with us."

"So, Jeno Grifi, a candidate for Knights of the Rounds, has already taken action, not only kidnapping Princess Alexia but also using Claire as a scapegoat?"

And will he become a scapegoat, mainly because of the Shadow?

"Yes, that's how it is."

In the room at night, Alpha sat on the edge of his bed with his legs crossed.

The black jumpsuit clung tightly to her body, perfectly highlighting her well-developed, ample bust and shapely figure.

She held a sandwich with a thick slice of beef in her hand and handed it to Mahiro.

It was also wrapped in paper bearing the Arcadia logo.

"Would you like to try some? It's a new product that Gamma is about to launch."

"No, thank you. The current situation is a bit chaotic, and I want to sort it out."

Mahiro declined Alpha's offer of food.

Things really did unfold in a way that was beyond our expectations.

The fact that Jeno was kidnapped by Princess Alexia is not surprising.

Because they already knew this guy was sitting in the villain's seat among those associated with the Order, but because they couldn't find the Order's stronghold in the capital, the Shadow Garden never made a move.

You could say we've been waiting for this moment.

But unexpectedly, Claire witnessed this scene.

Then Cid suddenly appeared and blocked Claire's path, ultimately leading to the capture of the knights who had arrived due to the commotion?

"What is all this nonsense...?"

Feeling that things had gotten so Mahiro incomprehensible, Makoto simply lay down on the bed.

"Yes, things have become quite complicated."

Alpha understood Mahiro predicament, because she was completely confused when she received the information.

"A complete mess" is an understatement to describe the current situation.

The surging undercurrents have not only come to the surface, but have also been stirred up into a complete mess by various forces.

Besides the Shadow Garden and the Diabolos Cult, there's also that imposter whose allegiance is unclear, and Miss Claire, who was inadvertently dragged into it.

As for the Knights, they can simply take them outside and ignore them.

"So what are you planning to do?"

Alpha asked as he helped him tidy up his clothes in the room.

"You're all ready to take action, right?"

"Yes, Beta has already reorganized its current forces and is ready to eradicate the cult lurking in the capital at any time."

"Then let's wait a little longer."

"?"

Alpha didn't quite understand what he meant.

"I'll go to the Knights' place first to get Claire out, and then we'll act together."

"You're ready to make your move, aren't you?"

"Um."

Mahiro nodded.

He originally didn't want to get involved in this mess, but since Claire was involved, it was a different story.

After all, he's very protective of his own.

How can we stand by and watch others bully our own people like this?

Moreover, although the capital of Midgar appears to be in the industrial age, its ideology is still largely rooted in the Middle Ages.

In cases like the kidnapping of a member of the royal family, if the real culprit cannot be found, the most suspicious person will almost certainly be executed.

This is a necessary deterrent against external threats.

To put it bluntly, it's about making an example of someone.

So, after Alpha left, Mahiro also took action.

They went directly to the Knights' headquarters.

In the reception room, he met the person in question.

Her hair was as red as flames, and in the candlelight, her long, bright red hair shone with a luster, making her stunningly beautiful figure the envy of all.

A pair of wine-red eyes scrutinized him closely.

"Princess Alice, this must be our second meeting, right?"

"Yes, last time was at the Chamber of Commerce, but please keep it short this time. As you know, Yotsuba Clan- sensei, I have other things to do."

Princess Alice made no attempt at small talk.

After understanding this, Mahiro shrugged and said:

"Alright, then I'll get straight to the point: please release Claire."

That's impossible.

His words seemed to be exactly what Alice expected, without any surprise.

He merely drooped his eyelids slightly, shook his head, and said:

"I know about your relationship with Claire, but my sister has been kidnapped and there's still no news about her. As someone involved, Claire can't be released."

"This isn't a request, it's a notification. If you still want to see your sister Alexia, release Claire."

"What's the meaning?"

Mahiro's indifferent yet firm words made Princess Alice frown slightly, and she looked up to meet his gaze.

"The meaning is simple, Your Alice, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your beloved sister Alexia, would you?"

"You kidnapped my sister?!"

"Ha, what a foolish idea."

Mahiro chuckled and shook his head, "If I really tied her up, would I be sitting here chatting with you in the middle of the night? Besides, what good would it do me to tie her up?"

"Then do you know who the murderer is?"

"I know. But there's no point in telling you, and you wouldn't believe me anyway..."

In short, it boils down to one sentence --

Release Claire, and tomorrow morning I'll show you a perfectly unharmed Alexia here.

It's that simple.

Alice: "..."

Alice stared at him for a long time.

She didn't know much about Yotsuba Mahiro, or rather, she had very little information about the man himself.

Its origins are mysterious, as if it had no past.

The only thing known is that he has a very close relationship with Luna, the president of the Arcadia Trading Company, and is even respected by President Luna to a certain extent.

Besides that, there's the relationship with the Kagenou Baron House.

She worked as a tutor in Kagenou Baron House for three years before coming to the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy and forming a romantic relationship with Claire.

Everything else is unknown.

If I had to say, she shouldn't have agreed to such a request in the first place.

But for Alexia's safety, she chose to trust the man in front of her this once.

"Okay, I agree. You can take Claire away, but I need to see my sister first thing tomorrow morning."

"No problem."

After saying that, Mahiro left the room.

And at Alice Alice's command, the Knights released Claire from her confinement.

"Teacher..."

"Are you alright? They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

"No."

Claire shook her head.

She indeed had no injuries; she looked exactly the same when she went in as when she came out.

Too.

Apart from Princess Alice, practically no one can do anything to her.

I don't know why, but she seems very down...

"Teacher, I saw Cid."

Claire suddenly spoke, her crimson eyes already brimming with tears as she looked up.

"Teacher, that child really is lying to me, just like you said..."

Although Cid was wearing a coat and her face was completely covered, she would never mistake her for someone else.

The curves of its form, the aura it exudes, and the faint connection that originates from its bloodline.

That's definitely her brother, Cid!

She never imagined that everything her teacher told her was true, and in the end, she foolishly believed that Cid wouldn't deceive her.

A while ago, I was thinking of finding something for my silly younger brother to do, like becoming a trainee knight in the Knights Order like her.

So much so that it provides a way out for the future...

Now, he's made himself look like a clown.

"Okay, it's alright now. Go back and get some sleep, and everything will be fine the next day."

Mahiro gently stroked Claire's long hair.

He didn't have much to say to comfort Claire now.

After standing in front of the Knights' Order for a while, Claire took the initiative to leave and headed towards the dormitory.

"Is it really okay to just let her leave alone like this?"

Under the cover of night, Alpha suddenly appeared beside him and said...