Chapter 245: Escape Route


    After we teleported to the upper floors and approached the throne room, we found Mias group waiting for Finne there.


    Finne-sama!!


    Mia-san.


    Once she spotted Finne, Mia jumped into Finnes chest.


    Im d! I was wondering what I should do if something were to happen to you!


    Its okay, Al-sama came to help me.


    If he coulde out to help you then he must have been nearby in the first ce right!? He should havee out sooner!


    Dont be crazy. Its not like there are secret passages everywhere in this castle.


    While replying so, I bowed to my mother.


    Im d that you are safe, Mother.


    Yes, its all thanks to Finne-san you know. I told them to run away by themselves though.she is such a troublesome child isnt she.


    I agree. But..I have always been saved by that.


    Unlike me who only makes calcted moves, Finne acts ording to her morals.


    If she thinks that action is correct, she will take it. If she thinks that it is wrong, she will reject it.


    It sometimes causes deviations in the n but it does lead to results that I can not aplish by myself.


    This time as well, I lowered the priority given to my mother. However, Mia and Finne decided to head to my mothers side.


    If they gave their priority to my sister inw, they would have missed her and I dont know what will happen to my mother if that was the case.


    In the end, I made the decision based on the result I wished for. However, as long as there are lives involved, the result is everything.


    Y, Your Highnesswhat about Rupert?


    Please rest assured. He is already inside the throne room.


    Ahhthank you.


    When she heard that Rupert was safe, Giannas eyes teared up.


    Mother then gently hugged Gianna.


    Seeing that, I asked my mother a question.


    Dont you want to ask me about Christa?


    Traugott is by her side right. She will be okay.


    Well, thats true.


    I sighed at my mothers strangely high evaluation of Trau-niisan.


    Those who are familiar with Trau-niisans upbringing usually acknowledge his abilities.


    After all, they knew that he grew up together with the Crown Prince and received the same education as him.


    The only problem is his personality.


    He is very unpredictable as a person after all. Even if he has the ability, there is rarely an asion that he would demonstrate it.


    One could say that it is a waste but that could be said to be his good point as well.


    Then shall we go? We are thest group after all.


    Saying so, we headed to the throne room.


    I am d to see you safe, Your Highness.


    You too, Knight Commander. How is the situation here?


    There were several raids after Your Highness headed back down but there has been no movement from their side since then.


    That is probably because of Zandras presence on the middle floors. She probably disrupted their chain ofmand.


    While having such a conversation, I entered the throne room with Alida.


    Inside are Cami, the Third Consort, my sister inw, Therese, Rupert, Christa, and Tau-niisan. There were many escorts and dignitaries inside as well as the castle servants.


    Rupert! Ahh, Im so d that you are safe!


    Mother too, Im d


    When Gianna spotted Rupert, she ran up to him and gave him a hug.


    It was a moving reunion of a mother and her child.


    Although it is not to their extent, Christa also rushed up to Mother.


    Okaa-sama, Im d you are safe..


    Christa too. You are not injured anywhere right?


    For the time being, all the people who were likely to be held hostage in the castle were gathered here.


    Looking at the situation, the dignitaries from the Dominion and the United Kingdom would be on the enemy side. They are probably not even in the castle right now.


    Ara, Mitsuba-san. I am happy to see that you are able to get here safely. I was worried you know?


    Thank you for your concern. Cami-sama.


    Cami smiled and called out to my mother during that moving reunion.


    I wanted to ask how she could say that but right now I have no time for that.


    Trau-niisan. Have you informed the Knight Commander about the situation in the castle?


    Of course.


    Is that so..then you should already know that Raphael betrayed us right?


    Yes. I dont see him as someone who would betray us but I do not think that Oliver is lying either.


    It doesnt matter why he betrayed us. What is important is that he did. I dont know how many of Raphaels men are on his side but we should assume that the Tenth Corp is on the enemy side. If that is the case, we can not trust in the safety of this ce either.


    That is true. With him as an opponent, I will not be able to move freely.


    If we got cornered during that time then it will be over. We have this many people to slow us down after all.


    Saying so, I sweep my eyes over the throne room.


    The castle servants that managed to escape to the throne room all looked uneasy.


    It was probably because they heard that this ce will not be safe either.


    Seeing me like that, Alida asked what I am nning to do with her eyes.


    That being saidwe are escaping.


    Even if you say that there is nowhere to escape to though?


    Alida said.


    Judging from how she said it, she probably doesnt have any intention to disclose the Emperors secret route huh.


    Well, of course. Once we use it, that route will be known making it unusable in the future.


    If the enemy cant take control of the castle by normal means, using a secret passage that connects the castle to the outside to infiltrate the castle is a viable n after all.


    Alida probably cant disclose it at her own discretion.


    Given Alidas position, that is understandable.


    Well, I already know that and I dont expect her to share it with me either.


    I grinned at Alida and headed to the corner of the throne room.


    There, I triggered the mechanism that opens the hidden passage.


    If its the escape route then we have this one right here though.


    H, How did you?


    For the first time, Alida lost her cool.


    Seeing her expression mixed between surprise and confusion, I nodded in satisfaction.


    Father told me about this ce eleven years ago. I never thought that I would have the chance to use it though.


    His Majesty himselfeven if you are a prince, teaching someone such a secret is..


    Alida puts her hand on her forehead and sighs.


    That probably gives her a headache as the Knight Commander huh.


    The fact that I was the one Father taught such a secret to is probably the root of her worry. She will probably have to start an investigation on what secret was leaked and to whom it was leaked to once this is over.


    ..as long as it is known, this passage will no longer be a secret. Certainly, this passage can lead us outside. Are we going to evacuate everyone through this passage?


    Yeah, the problem is that this passage isnt that big.


    Originally, this passage was designed to let the Emperor and his aides escape.


    It was not designed to allow arge number of people to pass through.


    If we are going to evacuate this many people, it would be necessary to divide the people here into several groups.


    Then I and Therese-san will go through first. Please have some Imperial Knights escort us.


    Cami said so as if it was the most natural thing.


    On the other hand, I frowned.


    As long as we can only use one escape route, it is natural that the person who uses it first will be the most unlikely person for the enemy to discover.


    In that case, I think that we should prioritize the Imperial Family first though?


    We should prioritize the people with the highest value as a hostage first. It would be a problem if Therese-san fell to the enemys hand, no?


    If thats the case then sister-inw Therese and Christa should be in the first group.


    I cant rmend putting two of the most valuable hostages to be in the same ce. I think that we should put them into separate groups. I do not mind apanying Her Highness Christa myself though.


    Saying so, Cami nced at Christa with her snake-like eyes.


    Christa involuntarily hides behind Mother.


    Personally speaking, I wanted Cami to be in thest group to escape this ce. However, as a consort, she is the highest-ranking person here.


    I can not refuse her without a solid reason.


    With no other choice, I sigh andply with her suggestion.


    I understand. The first group to leave will be you and my sister inw. We will attach the Imperial Knights to escort you two as well.


    Thank you.


    Its nothing. But may I ask you to do something for us?


    What is it? I am willing to assist any way I can though?


    Cami smiled after saying so.


    I respond to that with an evil smile.


    My bad but my principle is to pay back the favor in full.


    I will never forget that you used my mother as a decoy.


    Knight Commander. Are those Rainbow Celestial Jewels disyed at the throne fake?


    Yes. They are dummies.


    Two rainbow-colored jewels are disyed behind the throne as if to show off to the enemy.


    For people who are unfamiliar with it, they would think that those are Rainbow Celestial Jewels. However, even if this is the throne room, the Prime Minister isnt so bold to disy them like that.


    Thats why those are dummies.


    However,mon soldiers shouldnt be able to tell the difference.


    Then, please take a dummy with you. With the Imperial Knights escorting you, the enemy soldiers should be fooled.


    What did you say..?


    Cami made an expression as if she couldnt believe my words.


    After all, I just told her to be a decoy.


    Even so, she just did the same thing earlier.


    I will have her get her own just dessert.