"This is the man, Professor," Bethan said.0

Bethan visited me at the Yukline mansion with someone he called a whistleblower, their face covered behind a mask.0

“This is the man who sought me out from the desert—”0

“Bethan, move ahead. If this man’s words hold true, there’s no room left for hesitation,” I ordered.0

“… Yes, Professor.”0

"What you’ve done will not go unnoticed, and it will reach Her Majesty’s ears."0

"Yes, Professor!" Bethan replied, rising at once with a formal salute, and as he turned to leave, a bright smile spread across his face.0

Soon after, the attendants stepped out, and in the silence that settled over the sitting room, I used Telekinesis to lift the mask from their face.0

“Agh!”0

Pale skin. Long blond hair. Blue eyes, as clear as ice. There was nothing that aligned with the signs of the Scarletborn in him. But that’s what he was—indistinguishable from any other citizen of the Empire.0

“Your name?” I inquired.0

“... Lumenil, sir,” the man replied, his voice taut with nerves.0

“Is that your true name?”0

"Yes, sir. It is my real name."0

Although his voice shook, his eyes remained clear. There was no doubt in them.0

"So, Primien is Scarletborn?" I inquired, nodding.0

“Yes, sir. That is correct.”0

“On what grounds?”0

"Lillia’s real name is Yurine. Like me, she’s a Scarletborn from the Northern Region. We’ve known each other for fifteen years."0

"Is this how you choose to betray fifteen years of camaraderie?" I said, meeting his eyes with a faint smirk.0

"… This isn’t betrayal. The Scarletborn have no future. And to be honest, I’ve never believed in them—not as a kind, not as a people. So shouldn’t I at least try to survive? I wasted ten years of my life in the desert. Ten years," Lumenil said, his voice loosening, looking as if the weight on his shoulders had already made...0