Published: January 24, 2026
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“It has begun…”
Gazing out the office window at the magic circle drawn in the night sky, I—Vince Briars, leader of the silver rabbits of the night sky—muttered casually.
Lowering my eyes to my hands, I saw two resignation letters come into view.
I was already informed of what Orun intended to do next.
Even the distant loud explosion didn’t cause much disturbance.
Though I had only known him for about a year, that was more than enough time to understand that he was a kind-hearted person.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Orun is stirring up this commotion to protect the silver rabbits of the night sky, especially the members belonging to it.
I recalled the words Orun declared in front of the other executives when he joined.
—‘I have no intention of dedicating myself entirely to the clan. However, as a member of the silver rabbits of the night sky, I will do my utmost to protect my comrades no matter what the circumstances.’
Because we lacked enough strength, Orun resorted to such measures.
If we were stronger, perhaps there could have been another way.
“…There’s no use whining about it now. If we have no power, we must do everything we can with what we have.”
What he asked of us was to conquer the Great Southern Labyrinth.
No matter what, we must achieve it.
That will be our way to repay him, who is trying to protect us.
The die has been cast.
I, too, shall do my duty.
Very soon, Marquis Forgus will announce to the public that Orun is the culprit behind this incident.
At the same time, Orun will be declared a wanted man.
That will be my cue.
I will immediately declare the expulsion of both Orun and Luna from the silver rabbits of the night sky.
To loudly proclaim that Orun and the silver rabbits of the night sky have parted ways.
Having reaffirmed what I must do, I discreetly burned the two resignation letters before anyone could see.
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“My lord, we have received a report about the recent explosion. The detention center is half destroyed, and some nearby buildings have collapsed as well.”
A soldier who came to my office began his report.
Since Orun had already informed me beforehand, I was not greatly surprised.
Fortunately, because patrols around the detention center had been strengthened in advance, all the criminals who tried to escape, except for Oliver and his group, were captured.
The fire that broke out immediately after the explosion has also already been extinguished.
“Any casualties among the residents?”
“At this point, no injuries have been confirmed. Given the scale of the explosion, it’s nothing short of a miracle.”
It seems Orun kept his promise.
I can’t imagine anyone else pulling off such a feat.
As expected.
“Understood. So, is this incident connected to the empire?”
Though I knew the truth, I had to pretend to be in the dark publicly.
When I feigned ignorance and asked, the soldier shook his head.
“No, it appears unrelated to the empire.”
“What is the basis for that conclusion?”
“Well… um…”
“What are you hiding? Speak up quickly.”
“Y-Yes! At the scene, many soldiers claimed that Orun Dura was the culprit…”
“Orun is the culprit?”
“Before the explosion, he reportedly told the soldiers stationed at the detention center that his goal was to free Oliver Cardiff. When we resisted, and he was surrounded by many soldiers, it seems he recklessly triggered the explosion.”
From what I heard, he acted quite flamboyantly. There are too many witnesses to deny it.
‘Frame him as a criminal,’ huh.
I doubt I’ll ever be asked to do something like this again.
“…Understood. Declare Orun a wanted criminal. Announce it throughout the territory immediately. I will handle the report to the royal family.”
“Yes, sir! We will arrange that right away!”
The soldier left the room after receiving my orders.
Once the room was empty, I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling.
I had sacrificed the young man who brought many blessings to Tsutolairu over the past year to secure the safety of the other residents.