Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“That man threatened our peace!”

“Kill the rebel!”

“That halfie bastard! Rip off the limbs of the man who has disturbed the Empire! That dirty bastard!”

For today alone, the first floor of the colosseum had been opened to the public. As a result, crowds had gathered from far and wide to witness the execution.

“Child, did you know? Some of those who are shouting insults right now were paid to do it. They were paid to set the mood for the execution by inciting and invoking the crowds.”

With her chin tucked into her hands, Marissa grinned.

“Fear that is witnessed and learned.”

“… Learned?”

Was this really a conversation to have when my brother was about to be executed?

“I’m just telling you a way to make use of your enemies. Isn’t that something you’ll need to know?”

Marissa wasn’t facing me. Nevertheless, I could hear her loud and clear. I tried to reply but I swallowed my words.

Before I realised it, the moment was drawing near. When I spotted Rebecca, she nodded at me.

I opened my watch. It was three minutes before the hour hand turned 12.

“Right when the hour hand strikes 12, there will be an explosion. Then, Landes, a Templar of Eros, will muster smoke and fog in the venue. Amidst the confusion, Fleon will blend in with the panicked crowds and disappear without anyone noticing.”

With two minutes left, the public had been throwing stones at Fleon. Fleon, who was being mercilessly struck with stones, raised his head.

For a moment, our eyes met.

With only a minute to go, Fleon laughed. And the angered crowds threw their stones even more relentlessly. To the point where even a templar, who was stronger than an average human, would stumble.

‘Right now!’

I should be hearing a loud boom resonating.

But the colosseum remained ridiculously quiet. No, that wasn’t quite right. All I could hear was the curses and shouts strewn by the angered crowds echoing along with the cheers of joy throughout the gigantic arena.

‘Why didn’t an explosion go off?’

Staring at Rebecca in bewilderment, I noticed that she was as perplexed as I was.

‘A problem must have arised.’

Something must have happened. But I couldn’t do anything about it right now. I mustn’t leave my seat. Castor was still here. I was the only one who could monitor him lest something unexpected occurred. No one else could do that but me.

Upon first glance, Castor seemed to be leisurely staring straight ahead. I realised something while staring at him.

Hernan was gone.

There was no one standing behind Castor. The man who had been present while I had greeted him earlier was now missing? The puzzle pieces quickly assembled in my head.

Did Castor predict something like this would happen?

I quickly flipped open my diary. It wasn’t the best choice to make but the situation had turned urgent. It was then I couldn’t move. The page now had a slight reddish hue to it.

‘What’s this? What’s wrong with you?’

The diary had never done this before. Red leaves were etched onto the pages alongside words written in an even scarlet red.

[The 21st Day of the Month of Haberon in the Year 826.

The execution ceremony of my brother, the 6th Prince, was held today. And my brother was executed.]

The future had not changed. No. It must have been because it was yet to be midnight. Yes. That must be it. The contents of the diary always changed at midnight, right? Just when I was trying to calm myself down.

[No.]

The ink in the pages smudged before coming together to form new letters.

[This is a future that cannot change.]

[Whatever you do, this fact will be as unchanging as the law.]

I thought I could hear a faint giggle coming from somewhere.

[Give it up, Ashley.]

I didn’t hear it wrong. It was Rusbella’s voice.

“No!”

I got up impatiently. Pivoting, I made eye contact with Marissa.

“Did something not go your way? You look troubled.”

She spoke with an indiscernible expression. She looked a little sympathetic but at the same time, expectant.

“Let me give you a little hand, child.”

She whispered shortly afterward. Marissa yanked on the pendant around her neck causing it to snap off. In the blink of an eye, the pieces of her pendant could be seen flying in the air. Marissa had thrown the pendant toward the first floor of the colosseum in an area without people.

Boom!

A huge explosion resonated through the venue. This was the sound I had been waiting for.

And the smoke which was much thicker than we originally planned enveloped the arena. Chaos quickly ensued. Marissa grabbed my hand in the midst of the confusion.

“You can go ahead. The emperor will be here soon.”

She told me firmly.

“But Castor…”

If he were to come forth now, I would lose this game almost immediately. I could feel Marissa tense her arms.

“I’ll stop him if he makes a move. Go on. Of course, I won’t be able to buy you a lot of time.”

“Why are you helping me?”

Marissa paused.

“It’s because you look a lot like the past 1st Princess. And also because…”

Marissa smiled with an expression I had never seen on her before.

“Let’s just say I want to believe in you. Because I like you.”

She pushed my back forward.

“So. Let’s try to change things this once.”

I knew what she was referring to was not the future. Because she knew almost nothing about me. Still, she pushed me forward.

So, I ran. I ran frantically until I reached the first floor. I spotted the execution site in the distance surrounded by panicked people. It looked a long way off. It was at that moment, someone grabbed my arm.

“Princess!”

It was Soricks, In spite of his bloody appearance, he led me forward.

“Where are we heading?”

“The 6th Prince is currently being led by Meta. We will be joining them!”

“What the hell happened.”

“As soon as I tried to detonate the bomb, the Duke of Devolo appeared. And just as I managed to survive without ending up as a corpse, the aedile came to my rescue. We had already missed the timing to set off the explosion. Fortunately, another incident occurred in the meantime…”

He asked if I was the one behind it. I nodded my heavy head. Soricks then gave a faint smile as if he was relieved.

[This is a future that cannot change.]

I couldn’t get the words written in the diary out of my head. Shaking my head, after walking for a while more, I finally met Fleon.

“Ashley! What did you–”

“There’s no time to explain. Brother, we have to run.”

Fleon swept his face down as if he still had things to say but he opted to follow after Soricks. He seemed to have noticed that he would only waste more time if he were to speak. Still, it was funny to see how my brother was so aware of his situation only during times like these.

[Whatever you do, this fact will be as unchanging as the law.]

I was finding it hard to breathe. Flashes of red passed by my line of sight. The red pages in the diary. What did they mean?

“No matter how hard you struggle, you cannot save the 6th Prince.”

No. Her predictions are wrong. I shall prove them wrong. So, get away from me. I mean, just go away.

“And then you will soon lose the 7th Prince and your knight in turn.”

My legs were staggering at this point. I was running out of breath. But I couldn’t stop. I clenched my teeth and chased after the templar. In the midst of our escape, Soricks turned his head around to ask if it would be better if I waited here. But I wanted to see the end of today.

“You will even lose your beloved 4th Prince.”

We had finally reached the end of the tunnel. There was once, a long time ago, I had visited someplace similar with Hernan before. He forced me to escape before following after me and disappearing soon after.

And just like back then, he was now standing in the middle of the space.

“… Hernan.”

We were standing in the same place but we were on two completely different sides of the fence.

“Stay back, princess.”

Soricks and Meta stepped forward.

But Hernan merely tilted his head expressionlessly.

“They’re not good enough to fight me.”

Hernan’s eyes were only on me. He was like a robot that had been programmed to only talk to me.

“Castor has given you a choice.”

“A choice?”

An ominous sensation crept up my skin. Behind Hernan stood a cart and the exit in the distance.

“To let only one of you, either you or the 6th Prince, live. You decide.”

Someone once told me. That a Templar of Beasts who had lost their ego was like a doll that could only repeat the words it had been ordered to utter. There was no thought behind his words. He had only memorised the words he had been told to.

“So who will be the one to live?”

Hence, persuasion, logic or intimidation would be useless against this doll.

“Hernan.”

“Please choose.”

“Hernan!”

Despite my loud exclamation, he continued staring at me expressionlessly. It was just then. Drones of templars and knights swarmed into the space. Their weapons had a strange golden hue to them.

“These are combat templars who work under the emperor’s direct command. Even if you end up getting past me, you won’t be able to handle these templars with only two of your own.”

In the end, there was only one choice to make. To start from the beginning and answer Hernan’s question. To let Fleon live or myself.