Alice Subjugation — Interlude (4)

The Imperial carriage crossed the land bridge and headed towards the capital, Viyans.

Inside the carriage, Emperor Carlos looked desolate, as if all the years had finally caught up to him.

"My God…"

Regaining his composure, Emperor Carlos rested his forehead on his hand.

He never expected Snow White to be involved with the Ice Sovereign.

Realistically speaking, White was a shy girl with no ambitions and no outstanding qualities other than her beauty.

She might have tried to form a good relationship with the Priestess and Saintess of the academy.

But the thought that she could have recognized and befriended the Ice Sovereign on her own had never crossed his mind.

Yet…

They were already close enough to embrace…!

It was shocking.

His daughter, Snow White… embracing the Ice Sovereign and crying desperately in front of everyone was etched in his mind.

Moreover, the Ice Sovereign did not seem to question her embrace.

Anyone could see that the two had already formed a significant bond, perhaps something greater.

The mystery of how the Ice Sovereign came to possess the watch that Snow White cherished was solved. They were that close.

Emperor Carlos clenched his eyes shut and gripped his fists tightly, his body trembling.

He cried out inwardly with determination.

Well done, Snow White…!

Discussing matters with the Ice Sovereign and having White enter a romantic relationship with him were separate issues.

The thought of his precious daughter leaving for another man's arms pained him, but if it was the Ice Sovereign, he would gladly accept him as his son-in-law.

Age, appearance, status, and abilities. Everything was exceptional. He was someone even the Empire could not touch and had a history of protecting White from great danger.

It was an incredible benefit to the nation.

Could this be the guidance of the Lord, Manhalla?

Emperor Carlos looked out the window. The clear sky greeted him.

"Who could be my son-in-law?"

"Hmm."

Excellent.

Emperor Carlos couldn't help but smile.

The escorts on horseback were startled by the eerie laughter coming from inside the carriage.

***

On my way back from consoling Snow White. After repeatedly emphasizing the fact that I wasn't leaving, I finally managed to reassure her.

She was relieved but then looked around and blushed deeply.

She had been so focused on her emotions that she only realized what she had done much later. She must have been incredibly embarrassed.

White kept apologizing to me, and I had to explain our relationship to Emperor Carlos.

With so many prying eyes, rumors about me and Snow White were likely to spread within the Imperial court. I could only hope that the Princes and Princesses vying for the throne wouldn't take unnecessary actions upon hearing the news.

But still.

White had somehow made up her mind about how to regard me.

We'll just go back to how things were.

That was such a relief.

In the Academy Detention Center.

I sought out a four-person cell to speak with the four Paladins.

The cell, like a typical prison, had one side lined with iron bars.

However, being focused on rehabilitation, the facilities inside were clean and well-maintained.

The four Paladins were on alert as soon as they heard my footsteps. This was our first meeting since the「Alice Subjugation」.

"How have you all been?"

I greeted them calmly, placing a chair in front of the iron bars and sitting down.

A tense atmosphere hung between the Paladins.

Even though they were all wearing cuffs that disrupted their mana flow, they could easily escape this detention center if they so wished.

The problem is that the one they have to get through is me.

Two Ice Knights in silver armor stood behind me.

"There's something I want to ask."

The first to speak was the Spade Paladin, Zenon.

"Go ahead."

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"Because I didn't want to."

I wanted to avoid taking human lives as much as possible.

Moreover, at the time, I still had unanswered questions about Alice, and I wanted to avoid committing needless slaughter in such a restless state.

I also considered the situation and anticipated that Zenon would remain helpless until the end of the 「Alice Subjugation」.

Of course, if Zenon had harmed anyone from the start, I would have made him pay the price.

Zenon narrowed his eyes.

"Then… why didn't you use your full strength when fighting me?"

"Would you have known how to fight me if you felt the full extent of my mana?"

"…"

Zenon lowered his gaze. He seemed dissatisfied, but he couldn't deny the fact that I was the Nameless Hero.

"You."

Suddenly, the Heart Paladin, Shera Hectorica, looked up.

"What are you going to do with Queen Alice?"

"What do you mean?"

"You made her your minion!"

"And?"

"T-then that means you can do whatever you want with her! I know all about your reputation as a womanizer. If you so much as lay a finger on the Queen, you won't get away with it! Surely… you haven't already…?"

Shera's face turned red as she raised her voice, perhaps imagining something inappropriate.

Then, she bit her lip. She knew well that she couldn't beat me and that Alice was now completely mine.

"Your loyalty is admirable."

I considered teasing her for a moment but ultimately decided against it.

These were people who had been willing to sacrifice their lives for Alice. It wasn't something to joke about.

It was better to answer seriously.

"It's alright."

I adjusted my round glasses and answered calmly.

"I will cherish and take care of Alice, just as much as you all do. You don't need to worry about the things you're concerned about."

"I-I don't believe you."

"Then don't."

I don't care if you believe me or not. No matter what you say, Alice belongs to me now.

"Ugh…"

Shera groaned.

I could only imagine how exhausting it must have been for Alice to manage these fools.

"Ah, by the way. Pierre, come here."

"…?"

The Clover Paladin, Pierre Flanche, cautiously approached the bars at my command.

"Closer."

I gestured with a smile, and Pierre brought his face closer.

Kwaak!

"Kugh!"

I swiftly reached through the bars and grabbed his nose, twisting it sharply.

Pierre squeezed his eyes shut and screamed, startling the other Paladins.

"Hold still, you need to learn some manners."

"Ack…!"

This bastard, I had been waiting for this.

I tormented Pierre's nose for a while before pushing him away.

He fell backward, clutching his nose with cuffed hands, and groaned.

However, the other Paladins didn't come to his defense, merely watching him quietly.

Thinking about Pierre's previous actions during the Grand Festival when he had suddenly lashed out at me, it was hard to feel sympathy for him.

"W-what are you doing?!"

"Do I need to spell it out? Do you want to come back here?"

"No, I get it. It's fine…"

Pierre meekly lowered his head.

He used to be so eager to fight me, but now it seemed he had lost that desire.

"...What are you going to do with us?"

The Diamond Paladin, Alexa, ignored Pierre and asked dryly.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I don't care. Kill us, torture us, do whatever you want… I'm ready for it."

"Don't say such grim things. That won't happen."

Alexa looked doubtful.

"Why?"

"Because you're on my side now."

The four Paladins stared at me intently, without saying anything.

I spoke calmly.

"You belong to me. You need to act for my sake and be ready to risk your lives for my cause. Why would I mistreat you? It would only be a loss for me."

Alexa looked sullen.

"We follow Queen Alice, not you."

"...Pierre, come here again."

Pierre hesitated, knowing he would suffer the consequences of Alexa's defiance.

"Not coming?"

Pierre reluctantly approached the bars.

"Aaaaaack!!"

I grabbed and twisted Pierre's nose again before shoving him back.

Pierre fell to the ground once more, but the other Paladins didn't seem particularly upset.

"Aren't you going to stand up for me…?"

Pierre's nose turned red, but the other Paladins averted their gaze.

Zenon ignored Pierre and stepped closer to the bars, locking eyes with me. I understood what he was thinking and watched him silently.

Eventually, Zenon knelt on one knee and bowed his head to me. The other Paladins looked surprised.

"That day, Queen Alice genuinely looked happy. It was all thanks to you. We were unable to bring back her smile."

No one wanted to be helplessly manipulated.

The Paladins had also been forced to act under the influence of the demons.

"If you can be our new master, I have no complaints. For now, I just want to give you my gratitude."

"...I see."

I looked at Zenon for a while, then stood up from my chair.

"I'll give you a choice."

"…?"

The four Paladins looked at me with puzzled expressions.

I spoke with a smile.

***

The next day, the damp dawn air filled my lungs.

It was the time with the fewest people wandering around the academy grounds.

We arrived at a forest near the campus. I was with Alice Carroll and the four Paladins.

They wanted to return to the Heart Kingdom in peace, so I had brought them here to fulfill that wish. This had already been discussed with Emperor Carlos and Headmistress Elena.

Up until now, Alice couldn't return to Wonderland due to her contract with Mephisto.

Even when she was imprisoned in the academy detention center, she didn't return to Wonderland.

She said it was partly because of my order, and because she wanted to decide whether to go back or not after her situation was settled and she was at ease with her fate.

But Alice had decided to continue her studies at the academy until she graduates, so she promised to return soon. This was her own decision.

The Paladins, however, were not. They had enrolled at the Academy against the age regulations, and they themselves had no desire to continue their studies there. They were now leaving the academy for good.

Of course, if I gave the order, the Paladins would have to come back here and assist me at any time. They were all now my subordinates.

"Ohh."

There was a small cave under a large tree, big enough for an adult to enter comfortably.

A gate shimmering with mana had formed there, also large enough for an adult to pass through.

Inside the gate was a mysterious passage where all sorts of furniture, instruments, and paintings floated in the air.

"You can return to Wonderland through here."

Alice, who had created the gate, gave her usual gentle smile.

It wasn't quite the same as the Floating Island's ability to warp to desired locations, but it was a similar ability nonetheless.

Even though Alice had explained it to me before, seeing it with my own eyes was truly impressive.

"So… Mephisto gave you the coordinates of this world, and that's how you were able to come here with this spell?"

Alice nodded at my summary.

It seemed that Mephisto had provided Alice with the "coordinates" of this world that was necessary for her magic. Thanks to that, Alice was able to travel between this world and Wonderland.

If I used the gate Alice created, I could also visit Wonderland.

"It's a shame that I can only transport up to five people at a time. That's my limit."

Even moving just one person is already incredible…

In any case, if Mephisto ever came back to the Heart Kingdom, I could go there to deal with him myself.

Soon, the Paladins in their attires and Alice in her academy uniform stood with the glowing gate behind them, looking at me.

Alexa, with a dry expression.

Shera, feeling grateful to me even if her pride was hurt.

Pierre, with his nose still red.

Zenon, with a faint smile.

Alice, with her kind smile.

One by one, they began to step into the gate.

"It's… a bit embarrassing to say this, but thank you."

Alexa left through the gate.

"This is a warning. If you ever think about laying a finger on the Queen, I won't let you get away with it! Keep your word!"

Shera left through the gate.

"Go easy on my nose next time… I mean, please…"

Pierre left through the gate.

"I'll see you again."

Zenon left through the gate.

"…"

Alice started to step towards the gate but then turned back to look at me.

I had been waving my hand, but seeing Alice's smiling face, I lowered it. She gazed at me intently.

"What?"

Without a word, Alice walked closer and stood in front of me.

"Fix your necktie, Baby."

"My necktie?"

Suddenly?

I had hurriedly tied my necktie this morning because classes at the academy were resuming today.

As I tried to fix it, Alice started to adjust it properly for me.

I watched her quietly. She smelled so nice. It was the same Alice, still smiling sweetly.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Alice neatly fixed my tie.

"Congratulations on winning our bet."

Suddenly, she grabbed my tie and stood on her tiptoes.

"…?"

Something sweet and moist touched my lips. My eyes widened.

I felt her warm breath.

Alice was gazing at me lovingly from up close.

She lowered herself, her face still slightly flushed, and stepped back.

"I'll be back soon. Take care until then, baby."

Alice smiled like a blooming flower, showing the whites of her teeth.

Then she turned and entered the gate.

Soon, the gate vanished, and only the sound of chirping insects filled the air.

"…"

I turned around and started walking.

By now, the morning sunlight was filtering through the leaves, illuminating the forest.