The next morning, the carriage started moving again.

I didn't sleep a wink and stayed up all night. Frondier's body is accustomed to sleep, and at the same time, I have a lot of experience overcoming fatigue.

It was impossible for Ameline to keep watch, and I couldn't trust the coachman, so it was a natural thing. Of course, Ameline thought I was taking turns sleeping.

Moreover, there was no boredom during the night.

'They're attacking a lot.'

Whether the secret Ameline holds is dangerous or not, all sorts of guys attacked during the night.

However, most of them were monsters. I wonder if they were lured here by magic, or if they were trained.

I had killed all the monsters, and used a blunt weapon to knock out any humans who attacked. Of course, I couldn't be sure that I hadn't killed anyone. I just did my best.

"Miss."

The carriage continued to move forward, and it was about time to calculate when we would arrive at the Imperial Palace.

I spoke to Ameline, who had a tense face inside the carriage.

"Yes, yes."

Ameline answered, a little surprised.

At first, Ameline was excited about being escorted by a knight, but by now, she couldn't help but notice what was going on.

Ameline hadn't seen the monsters or bandits herself, but she could hear the sounds.

The threatening sounds that kept coming from around the carriage.

Even now, I was using the Obsidian to eliminate all the things that were rushing towards the carriage. As long as they couldn't break through my senses, they couldn't touch the carriage.

I looked at Ameline and smiled.

"You must have been bored. I'm not much of a talker."

"No, no! That's not true. I had a lot of fun!"

Ameline said that with a sincere face, but her eyes still trembled at the eerie sound that occasionally reached her ears.

"Um, excuse me, Sir Knight. I haven't been able to say this because I was scared, but maybe..."

"Still, it was a peaceful journey."

"Yes...?"

"I'm glad that it was a safe journey, except for the initial bandits."

At my words, Ameline blinked her eyes.

"...A safe journey..."

"Yes. As a knight, I can be relieved that there was nothing harmful to you."

...Please notice, Ameline.

The meaning behind my words.

Why I didn't let you see the countless enemies until now.

Why I didn't stop the carriage and removed all the threats from within it.

"...Yes, that's right."

Soon, Ameline smiled.

"I'm really glad that nothing happened."

I smiled contentedly at her words.

"That's right. Peace is the best."

And so, the carriage moved on.

The carriage, which had taken a long detour to the Imperial Palace, arrived without any injuries.

Without any special events, it was peaceful.

* * *

"......Nothing happened......"

Late at night, Lily is reading a report on Frondier's current mission.

While Frondier was escorting Ameline, they investigated the assassins targeting her.

If they could identify the attackers or the types of traps used against the carriage, they could also confirm who the assassin targeting Ameline was.

However, by the time Frondier and Ameline arrived at the palace, Ameline said it was a 'peaceful journey'. She said she saw no bandits, monsters, or traps. In fact, the carriage was almost as intact as when it set off.

That story must have reached the ears of the assassins.

Frondier neither abandoned Ameline nor publicly announced the attack of the assassins.

...In other words,

"So, this is another way to threaten."

Frondier gave the assassins a chance.

They knew Ameline's secret was dangerous, but Ameline had not yet spoken.

So, Frondier proposed a line to the assassins.

The danger of killing a civilian who does not disclose secrets, and the risk of Frondier escorting Ameline himself.

Beyond all that, is it necessary to silence the mouth of a single child?

For the last time, Frondier gave the opportunity to reconsider that to the Shadow Unit.

The Shadow Unit might not have answered yet, but Lily had a rough idea of what the answer would be.

"…You've worked hard."

Lily's expression, muttering to herself, was not very good.

Lily forced Frondier to make one of two choices.

To protect Ameline, or to side with the Imperial Palace.

No matter which side she chose, Lily had a plan.

But Frondier did neither.

"…In other words, the opportunity Frondier gave was not only to the Shadow Unit,"

"It's also an opportunity for you, Lily."

"!"

Surprised, Lily turned her head. Frondier was at the window. Lily's room was on the 3rd floor of the building, so Frondier was floating in the air.

"You, you came quickly?"

Lily tried to ask calmly, but the question itself was already strange.

Ignoring the question completely, Frondier said,

"The fact that Miss Ameline is in danger means that you, Lily, are also in danger."

Lily turned away, her face unreadable.

It was no coincidence that Lily had assigned me to this escort mission.

Lily had anticipated that Ameline would be in danger, meaning she also knew that Ameline held the secret of the Shadow Unit.

In other words, Lily also knew the secret of the Shadow Unit.

'How did Lily know that?'

Ameline, who had brought up the story about her uncle in front of Frondier. Just by looking at her, one could tell that she wasn't tight-lipped.

But Ameline said she hadn't talked about her uncle to anyone other than Frondier. That probably wasn't a lie. She, who didn't know how important this secret was, had no reason to lie.

So, Lily had learned that the Shadow Unit had summoned a demon, not through Ameline's mouth, but through another route.

"......Lady Ria Lis."

"Why?"

"There's something I want to ask."

"What is it?"

The way for Lily to find out about the demon summoning, not through Ameline, but through another route.

As far as I know, there's only one way.

"Is Lady Ria Lis a demon?"

"......"

Frondier knew that Belphegor, the demon of laziness he had fought, was summoned from the palace of Satan. He knew this without moving a step from Manggot, the far end of the west.

He didn't know exactly how it was done, but if Belphegor could sense it, and if Lily could also sense it, then she must have figured out that it was the work of the dark department.

Lily opened her eyes wide at Frondier's words, and then asked with a stiff face.

"What if that's the case? What are you going to do?"

"I don't particularly have any plans."

"Liar. There's no way a kid like you would ask such a question for no reason. Normally, you wouldn't ask at all, but dig around until you're sure."

Frondier didn't particularly refute that statement.

Probably because it's true. If Frondier was just suspecting that Lily was a demon, he wouldn't do such a foolish thing as to ask her directly. He would have asked when he first came here.

"......Are you going to tell the palace about this?"

"I told you, didn't I? I'm giving you a chance."

Frondier looked at Lily with infinitely cold eyes, contrary to the content of his words.

"You must have been curious about what kind of person I am."

"......!"

"I feel the same. I'm very curious about what kind of woman Ria Lis is."

Zodiac, Ria Lis.

Lily, who is called one of the best experts on the continent, faced a greater threat than ever before.

"I don't particularly like the fact that you tested me with such a prank, but considering the situation, it seems like you also wanted to save Ameline."

Frondier's obsidian seeps out like fog. It surrounds Frondier.

"I want to hear it from your mouth."

Frondier asks Zodiac Ria Lis.

"Do I have to kill you?"