Why would Creon say that he can tell me where Lucy is?
　There's no benefit to Creon in doing this.

　Only that he's trying to frame me for it.

　Claire has told me.
　Father Gapon and Cleon are going to execute me and Lucy together.

Me and Cleon used to be friends.
　I don't know if Creon really wants to go that far.

　But now Creon cut off the wise man Arte without a care in the world and sacrificed him for the resurrection of the Demon King.
　He would do whatever it takes to revive his fellow girl, Sia, who had died, without a care in the world.

　The Creon in front of me, however, didn't even bother to mention it, and looked at me cheerfully.

'I'm sure Solon will go to Dr. Lucy's rescue. But I'm sure he has no idea where he's being held.

But not entirely free of it.

　Lucy was captured by an army lieutenant, Claire. And Claire is a member of the Imperial Capital's military intelligence service. Father Gapon, who warned me to give up on retrieving Lucy, is also active in the vicinity of the imperial capital.

　If that's the case, it's more likely that he's being held in a facility in the imperial capital rather than being taken away somewhere far away.

　There are several military facilities in the imperial capital.

　The military academy, the alma mater of Claire and Notaras. This is located in the Eastern District of the Imperial Capital.

　The Imperial Capital Military District Headquarters is also an important military facility. It's the headquarters responsible for the defense of the imperial capital.
　There is also the Central War-time Industrial Committee. It was formed by the military and civilian businessmen and women who promised to cooperate with each other during the Great Republican War, and its headquarters are located in the Imperial Capital's large bank.
　In addition, the military had various other facilities, such as the archaeological site investigation hall, which was the headquarters of the First Section of the Imperial Military Site Investigation Department.

　Furthermore, it is also conceivable that they are under house arrest outside of the military facilities. For example, the Imperial Central Prison under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.

　The main focus of this is the headquarters building of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
　On the top floor of this building is a prison for holding political prisoners.

　However, we have no definitive information on Lucy's whereabouts.
　Since we can't carry out an infiltration operation without knowing whether she's there or not, we need to know Lucy's location in advance.

　But that doesn't mean I can trust Creon to tell me that.

'In the first place, if I go to help Lucy-sensei by using force, I'll be caught for treason of the state. There's no way I can do that.

Then what do you do?　Would you ditch Dr. Lucy?

'All you have to do is prove that Dr. Lucy is innocent. And then the doctor will be released, right?

　I blurted out.
　In reality, Lucy was part of the Free Alliance's plan, and the evidence would have been suppressed.

　So it would be impossible to prove her innocence, which meant that rescuing Lucy in peace would be difficult.

　Creon knows this, and he shook his head at me.

''The only option you have is to risk your life to save your mentor.

'I can't do anything so fearful as to rebel against the Empire, but suppose, in the unlikely event that I were to try to get Dr. Lucy back from her prison. What would you do then, Creon?

What do you think he'll do?

　Creon asked me back in a low voice.
　Of course, the answer is obvious.

　Creon would catch me as a sinner.
　The activities of the Knights of the Kingdom of Salvation, the resurrection of the Demon King, and the revival of Shea. I'm a potential obstacle to any of Creon's objectives, so Creon has good reason to try to get rid of me.

"The basement two floors of the Imperial War and Navy Ministry.

　Creon quietly announced Lucy's whereabouts.
　The Ministry of War and Navy is an agency that oversees the military administration of the Imperial Army and is the heart of the military. This is where the headquarters of the Salvation Knights, led by Creon, are located.

　It's a huge building just southwest of the Imperial Palace.

　But did Creon really imprison Lucy there?

''Do you think I'm going to trust what Creon says?''

I'm not lying. After all, you can't afford to talk like that.

What does that mean?

'Because Dr. Lucy will be crippled at this rate. It means she won't be able to use magic, she won't be able to speak, and her body won't be able to live properly.

You're not going to torture me, are you?

　I suppressed my rage.
　If I lost my cool, Creon would take control of the scene.

''So far, no harm has come to Dr. Lucy. But it's only a matter of time. Lucy-sensei will be sacrificed to the resurrection of the Demon King.

''After sacrificing Arte, Flora, and so many descendants of the Demon King, do we still need to sacrifice for the resurrection of the Demon King?

'The Demon King has become a dwarf in a bottle. To regain his power, he needs a sorcerer's body with powerful magic power and magic circuits. That means Dr. Lucy is supposed to be the Demon King's retainer.

If that happens, then Professor Lucy's body will be controlled by the Demon King.

That's right.

Claire it's not your plan, is it?

Yeah. Claire would be in captivity with Miss Lucy by now.

Why?

'Because he opposed making Dr. Lucy the Demon King's deputy. Father Gapon, the promoter of the plan, considered me a traitor.

　I was at a loss for words.
　Claire seemed to be antagonistic towards Lucy, but she still promised me that she would make sure that no harm came to her.

　That backfired and even Claire was in danger.

　And to Father Gapon, Lucy was still very important to him, and he couldn't afford to let her be taken back.

'Claire seemed to be hiding a lot of things, but even if she was tortured, she didn't vomit anything, so that's an admirable thing. Even if it's a magic-less lacking person, it's still a member of my duke's family.

Claire is being tortured?

''Yes. Unlike Lucy-sensei, who is the Demon King's retainer, Claire has nothing of value to offer.

'Claire she's ... she's Creon's sister and you shouldn't say she's not worth it.

I don't want you to think that I am the one torturing you.

'That said, if my sister is being tortured, she shouldn't look so unconcerned.

'It's trivial compared to bringing Shea back to life. Besides, I don't like Claire.

"Because I'm the lackey with no magic?

No, I don't. That doesn't matter. What I don't like is the fact that Claire has always adored Solon. In the past and in the present, he has always been on Solon's side. It means that he cares more about you than he does about me, his brother. I have no reason to be concerned about such a situation.

　I was at a loss for words.
　I didn't know my friend felt that way about my friend's sister.

'It's not just Claire. Sophia chose Solon over me, too. But Shea is different. Shea told me that I was the only one who mattered. So, Shea is the only thing that matters to me...

　Creon cut off what he was about to say, and then he was silent for a moment.
　Then he looked straight at me.

''If Dr. Lucy is important to you, you should come to the Army and Navy Ministry. The plan to make Dr. Lucy the retainer of the Demon King will be carried out in three days.

　This is a trap.
　I don't even know if what Creon says is true.

　But it's probably true that Lucy is in a desperate predicament, and that she wants my help.

　Creon drew his holy sword and flashed it out.
　The ivy that had been tangling the spearman Ren was taken care of in an instant.

''Solon. Choose a path you will not regret. Because you'll have to make horrible sacrifices to get back what you've lost.

The same way I brought Shea back to life.

So I'm sure you'll be there to help Dr. Lucy.

　Creon said as if to declare, and then turned his back to me.
　Then he walked out of the gates of the mansion with Ren and disappeared into the evening darkness.