Cid - Accidentally thwarts evil plan

“That would have been better, yes. You made the right call, though. That ring was the key.”

“So, the Cult’s really after the Black Rose?”

“It certainly looks that way,” Epsilon replies.

“In that case, we need to get the ring back quickly.”

“We have to play it smart. If we corner them, they’re liable to use the key, and if the legends are true, that would mean the Oriana Kingdom will—”

“Is the Black Rose really that dangerous?”

“There’s an old story about how Oriana was on the verge of destruction. That is, until they used the Black Rose to kill the hundred thousand Velgaltan soldiers besieging its capital in a single night. That tale is no mere children’s story.”

“The power that would require…”

***

He retrieves a small box from his pocket. He’s been careful not to let it leave his person for even a moment because of the ring inside.

It’s no mere wedding ring, of course. It’s the Ring of Succession.

Confident of his victory, he smiles as he opens the box.

“…Huh?”

His smile vanishes in the blink of an eye.

The box is empty.

The ring is nowhere to be seen.

“Wait, what? No, no, no.”

He checks under the lid, then his pockets, then the floor. The color drains from his face.

“It’s gone…”

***

Volume 4, Chapter 2-3