The stranger bearing a dragon’s energy snatched Salindra away and put distance between us. I could not tell who he was, as a long blue cloak concealed his entire body, but the fact that he showed no openings despite standing at ease made it clear that he was powerful.
The man in the blue cloak exhaled a faint stream of ice-blue smoke and spoke.
“Pathetic.”
The moment he finished speaking, he and Salindra turned into smoke and vanished before I could react.
‘They clearly said the dragons couldn’t break through Hairi’s barrier. How did he do that?’
If they possessed a method of penetrating the barrier, why had they gone through the trouble of creating spies instead of simply launching a frontal assault?
Countless thoughts led into one another. Just as the tension began to leave my body, I heard someone running into the Great Tree Sanctum.
“Your Highness, are you all right?”
Elder Philn and Elder Yorite approached me with worried expressions.
“Elder Philn.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I looked down at the traitors I had killed with the staff.
“This is the fate of those who chose betrayal. Display them publicly so that every elf may see.”
Elder Philn gazed bitterly at the dead, whose faces had been crushed by the staff, and answered.
“Understood.”
Elder Yorite looked at me.
“Your Highness, I have informed the Investigation Unit. We may proceed immediately to where the First Investigation Unit has gathered.”
“Ah, Elder Yorite.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I can use my spirit’s power to identify spies.”
“Ah! Elder Philn told me before we arrived. As expected of a First-Generation Spirit.”
“I see. Ah, one more thing.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“It seems we must alter the plan to summon the Covert Operations Unit, Supply Unit, and Special Operations Unit back to the kingdom. The traitors have likely already leaked the information.”
“Yes. We have not contacted them yet, so that should not be a problem.”
“That is fortunate. Then have every Guardian Unit member repairing the barrier and everyone capable of using Subspace personally bring them here one at a time.”
“Individually? Could there not be traitors among them?”
“Did you not say that the members operating outside belong to my generation?”
“That is correct.”
“Then none of them can use a spirit’s power, so they cannot summon dragons through Subspace, can they?”
“Understood. However, the barrier must be repaired continuously every day…”
I looked down at the spies I had killed.
“They were secretly breaking the barrier from within.”
At my words, Elder Philn and Elder Yorite simultaneously lowered their gazes to the bodies on the floor.
“No wonder…”
“Breaking something is easy, but putting the broken pieces back together is difficult. What we are doing now is mending the vessel before pouring in new wine. I believe summoning everyone must take priority.”
“Understood.”
With his answer, Elder Philn handed Elder Yorite an unfamiliar bottle. Elder Yorite accepted it with both hands and asked him.
“Elder, what is this?”
“Tea brewed from Leaves of the World Tree. You will be traveling through Subspace all day, so you will need it.”
“Thank you.”
I picked up the staff I had dropped and spoke to Elder Yorite.
“Let us depart.”
Elder Yorite nodded at my command. After walking out of the Sanctum with me, Elder Yorite opened Subspace.
***
HUMMMM.
Walking within Subspace felt like wading through vast, deep water. When I emerged, I found myself in a forest filled with the scent of grass and the rustling of blades swaying in the wind.
Hundreds of blond elves had gathered closely together before me. Although they all shared the same hair color, their hair varied in length, and their eyes were all different colors. Every one of them was beautiful.
Like the Guardian Unit, the Investigation Unit had received the spirits’ power. Their long, pointed ears made them look distinctly different from humans.
Elder Yorite stepped forward with a bright smile.
“It has been a long time, everyone.”
The members of the First Investigation Unit greeted Elder Yorite cheerfully.
“Elder, it has been a long time!”
“How have you been?”
Was it because my hair had turned black during Complete Bodily Rebirth?
They greeted Elder Yorite warmly, but they stared at me warily, with murderous intent in their gazes. Several of them even extended their Energy Sense, seemingly curious about my identity, but I lightly brushed their probes aside.
Without revealing anything, I silently surveyed everyone, including those who had extended their Energy Sense toward me. Elder Yorite glanced at me before facing the members and speaking with authority.
“What do you think you are doing?! This is Prince Kellick. All of you, show His Highness the proper respect at once!”
Whether shocked, dumbfounded, or flustered, they all hurriedly knelt on one knee and greeted me respectfully.
“May nature bless you!”
CLACK. CLACK.
I pointed with my index finger at the eight who had probed me.
“Everyone I pointed at, step forward.”
Elder Yorite forced a bright smile to conceal his tension as he looked at the members. The eight exchanged glances before hesitantly approaching me.
There might be a spy among them, or there might not.
However, I had realized something through the countless experiences I had endured within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
When people confronted power that vastly surpassed what they believed possible, the way they viewed both me and the kingdom would change, and their morale would rise.
Just as the elves who had witnessed me killing the dragons in the Ellar Kingdom had washed away the defeatism and nihilism born from suffering one loss after another.
Many of those here had likely not heard the news yet.
I would have to show them.
Once a martial artist reached a certain realm, they could kill or render an opponent unconscious through murderous intent alone. As I approached the eight while brimming with murderous intent, not only they but every Investigation Unit member behind them began sweating and wearing helpless expressions.
The closer I came, the louder the sound of beating hearts became from all directions.
“What is your name?”
“R-R-Rishiki… I-I’m Rishiki, Your Highness!”
“Can you use Mind’s Eye as well?”
“I… I cannot… but I can use something… s-similar in its place.”
“Do not try to gauge me secretly from behind. I will give you a proper opportunity to learn what I am.”
Unable to meet my eyes, she answered in confusion.
“I… I apologize!”
With trembling hands, she placed both palms upon my shoulders and shouted.
[Detect]
She had barely touched my shoulders before pulling her hands away and panting harshly.
At that moment, the Flower of Death’s hollow bass voice reached my ears through Sound Transmission.
[That child has betrayed you.]
[Can you converse with another spirit even when the other person sends Energy into me rather than me sending Energy into them?]
[That is correct. It is no different from her spirit reporting to me. What will you do now?]
I looked down at the member sitting upon the ground and gasping for breath.
[Many positions opened within the Guardian Unit when the capital was attacked. Every Investigation Unit member who has not betrayed us will be transferred to the Guardian Unit. Naturally, every traitor will be executed.]
I looked at the person beside the collapsed Rishiki and asked him a question.
“Can you use Mind’s Eye as well?”
“Y-yes. I can.”
“Do it.”
[Detect]
Immediately after placing his hands upon my shoulders, his legs began trembling. He clutched his chest with one hand as though his heart hurt and gasped for breath.
[He is not a traitor.]
“Next! Extend your Energy and sense the spirit’s power flowing within me.”
Every member of the First Investigation Unit, including the eight who had secretly probed me, used the spell called Detect to extend their Energy and sense the spirit energy flowing through my body.
“Gasp, gasp.”
“Haaah. Haaah.”
Rather than my Energy, it was the presence of the Flower of Death dwelling within me that left them drenched in cold sweat, struggling and unsure of what to do.
I looked over the exhausted members of the First Investigation Unit.
“Rishiki.”
“Y-yes! Your Highness!”
“I recently performed a Spirit-Summoning Ritual.”
Her eyebrows trembled faintly as she answered.
“Did you? Congratulations.”
“So you did not know.”
“I apologize. We have been investigating the locations of spirits and have not received news from the capital.”
“After the summoning ritual ended, I also performed something called the Blooming Ceremony.”
“That must be why you emanate such powerful energy. Congratulations.”
Some might have believed that she was maintaining her composure well, but I noticed her faintly trembling eyebrows and lips, as well as the irregular beating of her heart.
How could someone serving as a spy control her emotions so poorly?
She had likely never received proper training in espionage, so she could control neither her expression nor the sounds of her breathing and heartbeat.
“Elder Yorite.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I calmly sent Elder Yorite a Sound Transmission.
[I will begin the purge.]
Elder Yorite forced himself to remain composed as he nodded and answered through Sound Transmission.
[I will obey your command.]
I looked at the Investigation Unit members again.
“Everyone whose name I call, step forward.”
Of the First Investigation Unit’s 142 members, I called thirty-seven before me. They exchanged glances and crept toward me.
Perhaps their instincts had made them tense. Rather than walking confidently, their steps were rigid and uneasy.
I examined the spies standing before me one by one, then glanced at Rishiki at the front.
“Isena ranks highly among the dragon bastards, does she not?”
“So I have heard.”
“Is Dellyor Isena’s subordinate?”
“What?!”
Rishiki immediately became flustered by my question. I asked her again with an indifferent expression.
“The Special Operations Unit claims that he is.”
“Is that so?”
“Tell Dellyor that you are sorry for failing your mission.”
“What do you—”
CRUNCH—!
Before she could finish answering, I crushed her face with the wooden club in a single exchange.
“This woman might as well have killed Jenia, Kyle, and everyone else who went to a place called Zone 17 in search of spirits. She leaked information to that bastard Dellyor.”
“That cannot be!”
“Why would Rishiki betray us…?”
The members of the First Investigation Unit began murmuring in confusion.
[Blink]
As their voices rose, I cast Blink. Before the remaining thirty-six traitors could move, I swung the staff wrapped in Aura and purged them all.
WHOOSH—!
WHACK. WHACK. WHACK.
The members of the First Investigation Unit stood frozen like statues turned to stone by the sudden purge.
I casually dropped the blood-soaked staff onto the ground and continued.
“Because of these people, many spirits were killed, and we were unable to perform the Spirit-Summoning Ritual. Elder Yorite!”
Elder Yorite swallowed hard before answering.
“Yes… Your Highness.”
“Explain to them what happened in the capital.”
The Elder nodded, then told the Investigation Unit members about the traitors who had used Subspace to summon dragons into the capital, how I had killed both those traitors and the dragons, and the many people who had died at the dragons’ hands.
“There were traitors within the Investigation Unit as well?”
“The only way an entire team could be wiped out would be if someone attacked one of our field hideouts, would it not?”
“How would they know the hideout’s location?”
“It would be possible if a traitor reported it.”
I looked at the terrified, murmuring members, cleared my throat once, and spoke quietly.
“Therefore, due to the Guardian Unit’s shortage of personnel, every Investigation Unit member will be transferred to the Guardian Unit.”
Unlike me, Elder Yorite addressed them in a gentle voice.
“Not only the First Investigation Unit, but every Investigation Unit will soon receive orders to return. We are currently searching for the traitors, so do not misunderstand! Thank you for continuing your duties despite the harsh conditions. And I am sorry.”
[Subspace]
Elder Yorite opened a passage into Subspace large enough for one person and spoke.
“Return to the capital. Elder Philn will lead you from there.”
“Understood—!”
After confirming that they had all entered Subspace, Elder Yorite spoke to me in a somber voice.
“I sincerely hope there are no traitors in the Second Investigation Unit.”