Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Sophien (2)

As soon as I left Sophien’s bedroom, I moved to the Imperial Palace’s basement. I came out practically running, but a statue was blocking my path.

“Keiron.”

Keiron raised his eyes to regard me. The blade of the sword he held scraped against the floor.

“…”

Keiron didn’t say anything. However, yesterday, Julie said that my wound was from a sword. From then on, I had expected something like this might occur. In the first place, there weren’t many people strong enough to penetrate Iron Man and were also too fast for me to mount a defense.

“I thought deeply.”

Keiron’s voice rang low, the tip of his sword lifting upward.

“What was your conclusion?”

“…It’s that I’m Her Majesty’s knight. It doesn’t matter to me whether the world turns upside down or it goes as a demon wills it.”

Keiron was a knight only for the Emperor. Therefore, he wished only for Sophien’s happiness and protection. He was a knight as savvy as Julie. No, his single-mindedness was worse than Julie’s.

“The mirror swore to me. It promised me a new world.”

“…There is nothing more stupid than believing in a demon, Keiron.”

The new world was promised to Keiron by the Devil’s Mirror… I could only imagine what it would be like. Perhaps it would be a world in which Sophien was never ill. It would be a world in which she grew up in peace and ruled the Empire with kindness. Or perhaps it would be a world of mirrors in which right-handed and left-handed people were reversed. Regardless, it would be a world as good as a Game Over.

“That would be the end. It’s a demon promising you this, Keiron.”

“No. It is a restart, not the end. There is no one more important in this world than Her Majesty. If there is a master of the world, it would be her. The real world only exists where Her Majesty is.”

To some extent, that was correct. It was impossible to specify the main character in this world’s view, but if the most important character were the main one, it would be Sophien, of course. When she died, the player’s game would end as well.

“If there is a sun in this world, it’s her. A miraculous living witness-“

Boom-!

At that moment, a mace rose from nearby and bashed into Keiron’s flank.

Baaaang-!

Keiron was thrown to the side by the surprise attack as my eyes were drawn back instinctively. A knight in full-plate-mail greeted me.

“Hurry, go!”

She was heavily armed, covering not only her body but also her face, but as soon as I heard her voice, I knew who it was. Julie.

“…”

Keiron stood, wiping away his spilled blood, but his feet froze as he tried to move.

“Professor, quickly!”

Julie’s voice echoed urgently from within her iron helmet. Keiron released his magical power to burn away Julie’s ice.

“Go!”

If I let myself be worried and stand around, I would only be worsening Julie’s situation.

“…Okay.”

I nodded and ran to the basement door.