“You… idiot.  I could have dodged that!”

“…Yeah, probably… haha… but, I jump in anyway…”

The weakness in Roger’s voice stirred a sense of urgency.

Hades looked around upon landing on the ground, but could find no sign of another shot coming.  The shooter was likely wary of having their location discovered.

For now, he shoved Roger’s body into some bushes and checked his wound.  He had been shot around the abdomen, and the bullet seemed to have cleanly gone through, but it was also a bullet that had been infused with magic power.

Roger had probably been able to protect his organs with magical power, but that came at the cost of stamina.  He was also continuing to lose blood.

“Hey, stay with me!  You figured out who I really am, didn’t you!?”
“…Yeah, I did… partway through, it occurred… to me…”
“Then why?  What’s your relationship with Arnolt and Maynard?  You pulled me from the front lines without any explanation!  Quit messing around!”

Hades used Roger’s jacket to stop the bleeding.  His breath was shallow.

“If… Gunter and Maynard… are working together… then they’ll probably… use this momentum to attack Rave…  They probably realized… that you figured it out…”

It was possible.  That sniper had clearly been aiming for Hades.

“…I didn’t tell Maynard… but he must have gotten suspicious anyway… I should have been more thorough…”

Roger gripped Hades’ shoulder while muttering in self-derision.

“Hades… Okay?  Listen carefully.  If Maynard is beyond saving… If it doesn’t look like he can be stopped… then take my head.  It’ll at least serve as evidence for the rebellion.”

Hades, who had been tying the jacket around his wound like a bandage, paused.

“Someone like Elynsia… she’d probably remember me… Vissil and Listeard, ha… haha, who knows… seven years… is a long time…”
“You…”
“…You really grew, Hades.”

Roger smiled at the wide-eyed Hades, then closed his eyes.  Rave grew flustered.

“Hades! Is he alright?”
“His heart is still bearing.  He just passed out… but…”

As Hades bit his lip, the dragons once again few overhead.  They circled around the school building, surveying the area.  They’d likely attack again if they were spotted.

Crushing the rebellion taking place in the Grand Duchy of Laica would be easy.  The research revolving around dragons, however, could not be allowed to spread.

One wrong step and would become research that bends the laws of the world.  If it were to fall into Krato’s hands…

If that happens, what would become of Rave…

He placed a hand against his forehead and took a deep breath to calm himself.

If even the moderate Maynard turns against Rave, it would give the uprising more legitimacy.  Their sacrificing of the academy gives the perfect trigger, too.  In that case, Maynard would likely only show his hand after all the academy students have been eliminated… What should I do?

He couldn’t just abandon Roger.  Damn it, he felt like lashing out.

“I really should’ve just let the students be wiped out…  Jill is always trying to protect everyone but me… being married is so hard…”
“This again?”

Ignoring Rave’s interjection, Hades hoisted the unconscious Roger onto his back and stood up.

Heavy.  Bothersome.  Utterly exhausting.  Razing everything to the ground would be much easier.  Except, if he didn’t carry out the “happy family plan,” his wife would be furious, so there was no helping it.

Hades had already made up his mind.  When it came to his wife, he would bend his knee.

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