Seeing no trace of tension in her demeanor, Zenon pressed a hand to his forehead.
"From the start, this is merely my conjecture. It may not be the work of monsters."
It was a conclusion reached after considering multiple angles. After all, a black shadow had indeed attacked them.
Everyone had witnessed the same thing, so it certainly wasn't a misconception, and since it wasn't illusion magic either, he had turned his attention toward monsters.
"But you said it wasn't magic. If it were poison, the Imperial Physician would have detected it, so that's not it either. Since there were ducks present at the time, we can gather testimony and find out."
"But......"
"Anyway, we left Nadab behind at that place. I need to go personally to retrieve him."
At the mention of Nadab's name, Zenon flinched and fell silent.
With a deflated expression, Zenon averted his gaze and mumbled in an excuse-like tone.
"......We didn't leave him behind. He rushed out on his own."
His voice barely audible as he protested, he added with his eyebrows drooping.
"Still, I apologize for not looking after him properly."
Zenon's eyes, which had been wandering aimlessly to avoid Anneli, met Samuel's. From Samuel came a gaze of disdain along with a faint sneer.
Someday that insolent paladin bastard would get kicked by Nadab's hind legs. Starting tonight, he would pray earnestly every night!
Grinding his teeth and glaring, Zenon watched as Samuel, seemingly uninterested, urged Anneli.
"We've assessed the situation, so we should leave now. There's nothing good about staying longer."
"I understand. Before that......"
After gazing at Zenon with contemplative eyes for a moment, Anneli explained calmly.
"Zenon. Sir Samuel came in to hear your testimony regarding this attack incident. I intend to go out and acknowledge that this was an attack caused by monsters."
"Is that acceptable?"
Perhaps reading some emotion in Zenon's expression, Anneli's lips curved slightly upward.
"Are you worried it would be disadvantageous to me if we call it a monster attack?"
Honestly, Zenon had thought exactly that.
Even without knowing the full details, everyone believed Anneli was connected to monsters.
Hadn't that woman at the banquet hall, claiming to be the Crown Prince's fiancée, stirred up such commotion trying to paint Anneli as an undead?
What was to stop them from applying that same absurd logic to this incident?
Seeing Zenon's expression, Anneli let out a faint mocking laugh.
"If Her Majesty the Empress never wakes, it would be a problem, but if there's a way to wake her, it's no problem at all."
"But they were threatening intensely, saying the atmosphere wasn't good. That...... Prince Heinley also seems to be at a disadvantage somehow."
So if he knew something, he should speak up—the watchers outside had subtly pressured Zenon.
Of course, Zenon hadn't paid the slightest attention to their words.
Despite Zenon's concerns, Anneli looked unconcerned. After pondering for a moment, Zenon added quietly.
"That crazy ex-fiancé of yours was also spouting nonsense. Saying the Resurrected One failed to fulfill their proper role."
"......Zenon. I'm telling you this because I won't be able to stay by your side for a while, but regardless of severity, if you're caught insulting the imperial family, you could face extreme punishment."
"I didn't say who the ex-fiancé was."
At his matter-of-fact rebuttal, Anneli wore an expression of disbelief. Then she let out a deflated laugh and shook her head.
Seeing this, Zenon quietly suppressed the swell of satisfaction rising within him.
Seeing her relax and laugh, even for a moment, put his mind at ease. To be having such foolish thoughts, he really must have gone blind.
"Originally, I was the one who first mentioned that there's a sinister energy in the Imperial Palace that attracts monsters. If they bring up that story again, that would be walking into a quagmire with their own feet."
Anneli spoke with a hint of amusement in her voice and shrugged her shoulders.
"This incident will rather be an opportunity to elevate the status of the Resurrected One."
'Just as Frizian said,' Anneli muttered softly, her voice barely audible.
"This is a good chance to clean up some troublesome matters, so it's actually fortunate."
She seemed to have something planned. In such conflicts, Anneli was clearly a hundred times more skilled than himself, so Zenon decided to set aside his worries.
'She'll handle it well.'
But setting aside his worries didn't mean he could view her immediate safety optimistically.
After checking the tightly closed door once, Zenon spoke earnestly.
"As soon as we leave this room, the appearance alteration magic will be applied. But I can't show you transforming, so please keep your head lowered as you exit. Fortunately, the clothes have a hood, so you can pull it down deeply. That paladin bastard is ridiculously large, so he'll hide you completely."
Samuel frowned as if he found Zenon's words unpleasant, but didn't say anything in particular.
That was fortunate. He too worried about Anneli's safety just the same.
Put differently, this could mean that Zenon and Samuel treated Anneli with the same feelings, but......
Zenon cut off the unpleasant thread of thought. That guy was a clergyman who had even taken a vow of chastity, while he was a mage with no such bindings. Looking at their positions objectively, he had the advantage.
Though it was laughable to weigh pros and cons over such feelings in the first place.
Meanwhile, Anneli, unaware of what Zenon was thinking, contemplated alone for a moment before speaking to him quietly.
"You'll be released soon too. Lord Heinley said he would resolve things so no problems arise for you."
She probably wanted to reassure Zenon.
She surely didn't even know why Zenon was so worried, what was troubling him.
That what mattered wasn't where one stayed, but whose side one was on.
In the past, that might have been slightly disappointing, but having already experienced Anneli sufficiently, Zenon decided to complain openly rather than hope she would understand his feelings.
"When will you let me out? Treating me so poorly, I can't stay here anymore."
As he spoke with a sigh, a trace of apology crossed Anneli's face.
"Even when you leave, you shouldn't go as if escaping. Just wait a little."
Zenon was slightly surprised, having expected a scolding to just endure a bit longer.
He knew she was soft-hearted toward him, but seeing that emotion directly revealed gave him satisfaction beyond anything he could hope for.
He must be crazy. Being this happy to this extent, wanting to help her even more.
"Lady Anneli, please enter carefully, and if you're going to do something dangerous...... please do it safely."
Thinking she would probably do something dangerous, Zenon had started to tell her not to, but changed the content entirely.
At Zenon's words, Anneli smiled faintly and pulled up her hood.
"If you do something dangerous safely, is it still something dangerous?"
"You're not saying you won't do it."
He knew she would say that, but still. Scratching the back of his head and pondering for a moment, Zenon spoke tentatively.
"If the Emperor doesn't believe that monsters were involved, I could obtain the Magic Tower's guarantee for you."
"The Magic Tower's guarantee?"
Anneli, who had been heading toward the door, stopped and looked back at Zenon.
"Yes. However, this cannot be falsely fabricated. Since it's done with a Covenant of Trust, we must guarantee the truth."
A clergyman who broke an oath sworn to their god would lose their divine power, or so it was said.
Mages had something similar. That was the guarantee made with a covenant—the creator's seal on official magical tools operated on this principle.
The covenant was made by pledging one's own magical power. Furthermore, if it wasn't the truth to begin with, the covenant itself couldn't be established.
"If the culprit behind this attack isn't a monster but magic, the Magic Tower's guarantee wouldn't carry much trust, though."
However, Zenon still thought there was a high possibility this attack was the work of monsters.
So the Magic Tower's guarantee would probably...... be quite helpful to Anneli. If she intended to confirm this incident as a monster attack.
"Anyway, Lady Anneli will probably confirm whether it's a monster's doing, and you can decide whether to accept the Magic Tower's guarantee after that. I'm just letting you know this option exists."
Anneli, who had been listening to Zenon's explanation, narrowed her eyes.
"This isn't an empty promise, is it?"
"Of course not!"
"Then I can receive it right away when I want? I think I'll probably need it."
There was a strange certainty in her voice, and Zenon couldn't help but look puzzled. Seeing his expression, Anneli paused before explaining in a casual tone.
"Actually, Minte and Jigor already went to the attack site to confirm. If it's as you say, the work of monsters, those two would know. I was personally leaning toward the magic angle, but...... well, I had considered how to act in case it was monsters too."
The latter part was almost a murmur to herself, but it was enough for Zenon to understand.
"Lady Anneli, you have everything planned."
Zenon murmured involuntarily, his mouth falling open. Anneli looked at him as if he was amusing, then turned away.
Samuel, who had been silently listening to their conversation, took the lead as if he had been waiting.
Watching her retreating figure—more composed and confident than when she first came to this room—Zenon suddenly thought.
The Imperial family and Roam should have just let her go when she said she would disappear and run away, rather than chasing after her.
Perhaps they were...... inviting in a force they couldn't handle on their own, bringing about their own destruction.