Chapter 42: Arena Forty: Exiled Past IV
"So... You did something again."
Commander Neil sighed as he looked at me and Anastasia who was sitting in front of him. It was the second time I met the commander, but I still couldn't help but think that he felt like a grandpa instead of an army general.
"... I have no excuses, commander."
Anastasia looked down as she apologized. I also bowed my head to support her apology.
"You don't need to apologize, Arnold. You did nothing wrong... Rather, it was thanks to you that we could solve this matter without any casualties. Even though you were a victim in this, you helped us out a lot."
"Even so... I would like to ask for a lighter punishment for Anastasia."
"... Well, even if you don't ask me, I would have forgiven her. While she had activated her forbidden mode first, Catherine was the one to instigate her. Not to mention, Catherine herself had activated Ymir's forbidden mode... So both parties are at fault."
Neil stopped for a moment before sighing again.
"So... You'll let both of them go?"
I asked, raising an eyebrow. While Anastasia and Catherine both had broken military rules, Catherine had also kidnapped and beaten me.
"Well... Yes. Both of them. While Catherine will get a warning for kidnapping you, we can't do anything more as uh... You beat the girls responsible for your abduction to the point where they are traumatized. I've been told that their mental damage had exceeded 20%... Though it will be healed soon, you went a bit overboard."
I averted my gaze while Anastasia widened her eyes in surprise. Sighing for the third time, Neil continued.
"And... Well, the Phoenix squad is already down, and if we now suspend the Medusa squad too, our frontlines will crumble. You might be forgetting it... But to us, the existence of humanity is much more important than momentary justice."
Neil's words hit me hard. He was right... The most important thing was to win the war. Due to the gaps between the battles, I had forgotten what was at stake. I nodded quietly, understanding his point.
Though, it didn't make it any less frustrating.
"Anyhow, I will not punish any of you, and Arnold will be compensated for his inconvenience. He will also be rewarded for his efforts to stop the fight."
"How exactly will I be compensated?"
I asked, tilting my head. I had everything covered for me by Grey, so I didn't know how they could reward me.
Unless it was from the Imperial Family... But I didn't think the Imperial Family would reward me a medal just for stopping two girls fight.
"You'll be compensated by the Imperial Family."
Neil answered me as he rubbed his temples, shattering all my theories.
So apparently the Imperial Family did intervene in the squabbling of the Elliots...
...
"This is absurd."
Anastasia commented as soon as we walked out of the room. We walked through the empty corridor of the base towards the elevator.
I nodded without a word, I already knew what she was going on about.
"The Imperial Family wouldn't directly reward anyone like this..."
Anastasia, who had once been rewarded by the emperor, commented. She had more insight into the matter than me, so I agreed.
"But it doesn't seem to be a trap either."
I pointed out as I entered the elevator. Anastasia pressed the ground floor on the screen and stepped back from the door.
The elevator started going down with a gentle buzz.
"True. The Imperial Family doesn't have a reason for harming you... Honestly, this is too confusing for me."
The Elliot beside me commented as she bit her lips, lost in thoughts. Then finally, she shrugged and turned towards me.
"I am sure the Rubiat family would know about it... Perhaps you can ask them."
I was surprised at her suggestion. Anastasia, who hated Roxy, was suggesting I ask for help from her family... Was this matter really this complicated?
"It's just a rewarding ceremony, right? Do we really need to ask the Rubiat family just for this?"
"... You are underestimating the ceremony. Nobles from all levels will be present there, and all will observe your movement. The moment you accept the medal, your chances of living a normal life will become zero. Well... Though... That wouldn't be so bad for me..."
Ignoring the last line, I asked her another question on my mind.
"We can ask Principal Flora, right? The Valentina Family is also a part of the three major families, so she should know something about this."
Hearing my words, Anastasia frowned.
"Well... It will be better if you don't ask mother anything right now. She is a bit... occupied."
"... Oh. Due to the Jeffery situation?"
I had heard that Jeffery had escaped the prison from Grey. And he was still out there somewhere, waiting for the perfect time for his revenge.
"Mhm."
Anastasia fell silent with that. Cursing myself silently, I withstood the uncomfortable silence.
The elevator soon reached the ground floor, and we got out of it.
Neil hadn't given me an exact date for the rewarding ceremony... But he had told me to be prepared to move out anytime.
[Can you talk right now?]
A sudden voice speaking inside my mind shocked me, but I breathed in relief as I recognized who it was. I didn't let my guard down though.
"I'll be going back to the squad mansion... Are you going to come?"
Anastasia asked me at the same moment. I pondered for a moment before shaking my head with a smile.
"I have an appointment with Grey. I'll see you tomorrow at the academy."
"Oh... Alright. See you later, then."
Anastasia smiled at me before turning around. I looked at her retreating back before muttering a reply.
"Hello... Where do I meet you?"
[I'll update the map coordinates in your gear... You should be able to see the location mark now.]
The woman, who had first shown me the Stigma back in the facility after attaching the device to my nervous system, spoke up from inside.
True to her words, a small mini-map appeared in the corner of my eyes, marking the way to the designated location.
"Alright, got it."
I started treading my way through the crowds of soldiers and technicians in front of me towards the skyscraper marked on my map.
...
I entered the building, which was oddly, empty. I couldn't see any receptionist, nor I could see any civilians inside. The area around the building itself was fenced off, making others avoid the building altogether.
[Take the elevator and come to floor 12.]
According to the instructions given to me, I searched for the elevator and got on it once I found it.
Soon, the high-speed elevator brought me to floor 12. The door opened and I stepped inside a completely empty hallway.
The isolated and pressuring atmosphere made me feel extremely uncomfortable... But I suppressed the feeling and asked for further instructions.
[Just turn right at the end of the hallway and enter the room directly in front of you.]
The gentle voice coming through my mind calmed me down. I followed her words and found myself standing in front of an extremely luxurious door.
"Good to see you again, Arnold Tilgen."
As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, the familiar lady greeted me while smiling. It had only been around half a month since I last saw her... But she seemed much older than before.
Then I noticed Grey, who was standing behind her, eyes closed and arms crossed. It seemed like he had no intentions of greeting me, let alone participate in this conversation.
"Hello..."
I decided to greet the woman in front of me, but then realized that I didn't know her name.
"Call me Alicia."
"... Lady Alicia."
"Just Alicia is fine."
The woman, Alicia, smiled and gestured at the chair in front of her.
I sat down and leaned against the chair. I still felt dizzy from the backlash... But [Eternal Bliss] had activated just after I woke up from my sleep the 2nd time, so the pain was nothing more than a bit of numbness in my joints.
"So... What did you want to talk about?"
I asked, going straight to the point. Hearing my words, Alicia sighed and then calmly spoke out her next words.
"Don't trust the Imperial Family."
"..."
I looked at Grey standing behind her. Her words were almost akin to treason, yet Grey took no move to stop her.
It was as if he was agreeing with her.
"... Can you explain?"
Annoyed at his lack of involvement, I asked Alicia to explain her words.
"What I said. The Imperial Family... They might support you on the surface, but they'll take away something much more important in return sooner or later. They are like the devil, asking for your soul."
Alicia spat out the words. Unlike her previous gentle and somewhat mischievous attitude, her words were full of hatred.
"Don't you work for A.R.M.A.?"
I asked, confused. I half-expected her to deny it, but she nodded to my words.
"Yes, I do. What about it?"
"Then... Don't your words go against your very code?"
Hearing my words, Alicia shook her head and explained further.
"You seem to be misunderstanding something, Arnold. A.R.M.A. works for the Alpha Empire, not the Imperial Family. We don't answer to them, nor do we fear them."
"Isn't the Imperial Family the core of the empire, though?"
"No, not really. The citizens are the core of the empire, while the Imperial Family is like a program running the core. The core itself can not be changed, but the program can be."
I narrowed my eyes at those words.
"Are you planning a rebellion?"
Hearing my accusation, Alicia sighed.
"It's good to be direct, but don't ask such questions in public. You might just get executed."
"... Sorry."
I realized my blunder... Due to Grey's attitude towards me and the others, I had started thinking that the A.R.M.A. was my ally... But they were just the soldiers guarding me... Nothing more, nothing less.
"It's fine."
Seeing the complicated expression on my face, Alicia laughed and waved my blunder off.
"Anyhow, as I was saying... Don't trust the Imperial Family much. That includes one of your squadmates, Felicia."
"I understand... But again, why are you telling me this? This is just a rewarding ceremony, right?"
"Are you forgetting that you are the only SSS-rank in the empire, or maybe in the whole world?"
Finally, Grey joined the conversation. His grim words made me frown.
"No, not necessarily. But as you guys told me to hide my rank in the academy, I assumed that most nobles don't know about my rank."
"That's true in one sense. But then again, 'most nobles' don't know your identity, but some do. And those few people are the problems."
Grey replied to my assumption quietly.
"And who exactly are these people?"
I asked, turning towards Alicia.
"I'll tell you... But before that, do you know about the noble ranks of the empire?"
"... Somewhat. I had read about them in the past."
I replied while thinking back to my days in the local school I studied in.
"Explain the ranks then."
Alicia urged me, and I named the ranks one by one.
The divine emperor, the one on the top.
The Imperial Family.
The three major nobles.
Earl Houses.
Marquis Houses.
Count Houses.
And finally, Baron Houses.
As I read those ranks aloud from my memory, Alicia nodded.
"Correct. We also have Knight Houses and Baronet Houses, but those titles can't be inherited by the next generation, so they are nobles in name only. Anyhow, as you already know the ranks, this will be easier to explain."
She leaned back against her chair before continuing.
"Basically, every noble from the Marquis Houses and above know about your true rank. The ones below the Marquis rank know that you are a highly distinguished Technician, approved by all three of the major houses. While they don't know your true rank, they can somewhat guess it. At the least, they know that you are not an A-rank."
"... That hardly explains anything. I don't know about the Marquis houses, you know."
"... We figured as such. But fear not, both the Valentina House and Rubiat Household will attend. And Raymond Winchester will help you get acquainted with the nobles."
"That's... Good."
I was glad that I could see some familiar faces there... But wouldn't it cause issues if I am seen together with both Roxy and Anastasia?
As they were now, they wouldn't leave me alone with one another. Then again, both of them are considerate of me, so perhaps they would. Who knew? Only time would tell.
"Anyhow, the three major houses will help you... But... Again, don't trust anything that the emperor says to you. Take everything with a grain of salt."
"You guys seem to be okay with the major houses, but not the Imperial Family. Why?"
I asked while noting down the warning.
"... Just like us, the three major houses work for the good of the empire itself, not the Imperial Family. While they do protect the emperor, they can also go against him if the need arises, so you can depend on them."
"I understand... But..."
I was hesitant to ask the question. Seeing that, Alicia nodded and gestured me to ask.
"... What if you guys are the ones lying, and the emperor is the one saying the truth?"
"Well, you'll just have to trust our words."
Alicia shrugged, which made me frown.
"And what if I don't?"
"You can listen to the Imperial Family then. Don't worry, we won't retaliate or something. We'll even remove the surveillance module inside your brain... But know that if you do that... You might lose everything."
"... Everything?"
I muttered, gulping.
"Yes... Everything. Your friends, your family, your freedom... It will cost you everything. Now tell me, Arnold Tilgen..."
Alicia leaned forward and looked at me in the eyes. It felt like she was staring into my soul, unveiling my deepest fears.
"... Are you prepared to take that risk?"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone