Winning conditions of the Participant:
*Gather the broken fragments of the constellations, and bring the Circle of Animals to present to the throne.
*Following the proper procedure and using the Circle of Animals that have been restored to the throne as a guide, strike the heart of the revolutionist who is bounded in chains.
“Do you get it?”
“……”
No I don’t. Yō silently answered in her heart but she did not dare to say those words.
The howl of the dragon outside the Citadel intermingled with the peal of thunder and the combined noise shook the entire Ancient Citadel. Although it’s said to be restrained by Leticia, the dragon would still descend to the lands below soon enough. And it was crucial to find the answer quickly, even if it were just a minute or second earlier. Garol’s sturdy arms gripped Yō’s shoulders to encourage her.
“Don’t worry, calm down and you will eventually solve the riddle. Ojou-chan has the talent to understand the workings of this Game. I can swear that it’s true. So don’t give up now!”
“Uu……”
Yō was clenching her teeth so hard that a layer of enamel would have been almost worn off by the force. For if this were to continue, she would be causing harm to her friends on the ground.
And that fear, pressure and responsibility were weighing upon her.
By the time that she regained her control, Yō noticed that her hands were sweaty and starting to tremble.
---I don’t get it……!
Where did I go wrong? The reasoning of ‘The Circle of Animals’, ‘the broken fragments of the constellations’ and regarding the ‘present to the throne’.
“Could it be that up till there everything was right? Or was it a small part that was wrong? But if a small portion is wrong, it would mean that all the connected thoughts would crumble and in other words, if everything was right there’s still something more and what could that something be? If I can’t find it quickly, everyone would be in danger and……!”
“Calm down, Kasukabe Yō! You being like this…… Can you still be called Kasukabe Koumei’s daughter?!”
“--- ……eh?”
In that moment.
Yō’s brain momentarily blanked out.
The interpretation of the Game, the current situation, the dragon and everything had been tossed to the back of her mind and her brain was completely a blank sheet of white.
“……Garol-san?”
“Yes, I did know your father quite well and I’m not the only one here who knows him well….. am I right, Leticia?”
Garol turned his head to regard Leticia keenly.
On the contrary, her expression was that of having received a blow from the news.
“Kou…Koumei….? You mean that Kasukabe [Shaomei]…that Koumei?”
“……Is that so? Leticia only knows of the name that he used while he was a sculptor?”
Garol looked a little sad as he stared at Yō’s eyes as he supported her by the shoulders while chiding:
“Yō Ojou-chan. Your father was an amazing person. I’ve already lost count on the number of times that he has saved me. And it’s not only me for the person who rescued [Underwood] from the Demon Lord ten years ago is none other than your father.”
“…..Uso. You must be lying……”
“I’m not lying! Okay if you have any doubts about my words, you can come to my house to see the portrait of him that hangs in my hall! Your father is a wandering sculptor who likes to wear tattered clothes, laconic and clumsy. When meeting an awkward situation, he would talk in a whisper and is a person who has a perfect and envious stature and appearance of a really handsome man……!”
Garol described his friend fondly with mixed feelings.
“And most importantly…… he’s a man who uses his power for his comrades!”
---“Yō must also treasure her friends”. Her father’s words flashed in her mind.
“As his daughter, Ojou-chan should not be unable to clear this sort of low standard Game! You will be able to clear this game and save everyone! Kasukabe, find your confidence and bring it out!”
Garol shook Yō’s shoulders while shouting for her to get a grip of herself. And as his words got through to Yō, she took a deep breath.
---That was the first. The first time that someone had ever described her father in such a fond way for no one in her former world had ever done so before. And hence she had many questions that sprung to mind for Garol.
About her father, she wanted to ask for more details on him, wanted to talk and be proud of him.
But if she wanted to boast of her father----if she wanted to help her comrades, this wasn’t the time for that sort of conversation.
Lifting her head to look at the skies, she looked to the Geass Roll once more.