Gwendal makes his way down to the dungeon where the man accused of murdering his majesty in cold blood is being held, deep in thought. He had always known that whoever occupied the throne would be a target for those who hated and feared demons, but he never imagined the day would come when someone would actually breach security and successfully kill his majesty.
As Chief of Military and Head of Castle Security he should have been aware of the assassin's plans to kill his majesty and sent his majesty to Earth where he would be safe until the danger passed. Instead, he failed miserably.
His majesty's death is his fault.
He pauses just outside the prisoners cell and indicates to the soldier standing guard to unlock the door with an angry grunt.
The soldier acknowledges his request with a nod of his head and pulls a key from a breast pocket. He unlocks the door, then resumes his post next to the door. Standing straight, he fixes his gaze on the opposite side of the hall, as if something interesting has caught his attention.
Gwendal pulls open the cell door and steps inside. He takes a few steps, then stops directly in front of the prisoner and stares down at him. The prisoner is barely as tall as Wolfram and his body is slender and frail. He has shaggy white hair that extends down past his ears, along his jawline and under his chin, forming a beard. There's a thin strip of white between his long, narrow nose and plush pink lips, and wrinkles creasing his forehead and the area around his eyes.
He has the appearance of a very old man who doesn't look like he can even get out of the bed in the morning without help, let alone the appearance and the physique of an assassin.
For a brief second, Gwendal wonders if the soldiers might have made a mistake and apprehended this poor, frail looking man instead of the assassin by accident. But then he remembers the clothes the man was wearing and the weapon he was wielding when the soldiers apprehended him. He grimaces and glares daggers at the man.
"Who are you? Why did you kill his majesty?"
The prisoner hears him come in, but waits until he's directly in front of him and begins questioning him before lifting his head and staring up at him with pale blue eyes.
"I know who you are. You're Lord von Voltaire. Chief of Military and Head of State of The Affairs."
Gwendal continues to glare daggers at the man and growls.
"That isn't what I asked."
The prisoner nods in understanding.
"No, it isn't."
The prisoner agrees and sighs.
Gwendal grunts and waits impatiently for the prisoner to continue.
"My name is Fred. I'm from the castle city, from Shin Makoku, but I didn't kill his majesty."
"Liar! My men caught you in the act! You were hovering over his majesty, wielding a sword! You most certainly did kill him!"
But even as the words leave his mouth he still doesn't believe Fred is physically capable of having committed the crime of which he's been accused.
"No. You saw my body acting on its own. I have no recollection of what happened between the time I went to bed last night and when I woke up here."
Gwendal mulls over Fred's words. Considering his own baby brother has been possessed several times in the past, it's possible Fred is telling the truth. If that's the case, the real murderer is still wandering around out there, free.
"Lord von Voltaire."
"Hm?"
"Please, may I go home now? My son needs my help to run the family farm."
Gwendal considers Fred's request for a brief second before turning and walking to the door.
"No."
Fred's eyes widen slightly in shock.
"But, sir!"
Gwendal ignores Fred's shocked outburst and walks out. It isn't that he's the cold-hearted man of which he's been accused of being in the past, but rather it's his hope that with the fall guy in jail the real murderer will feel safe and eventually reveal himself.
He motions to the solider from before and orders him to lock the door, then leaves to see Conrad.
A/N: I didn't expect to have another chapter ready so soon, but the words came to me so I wrote them down while they were still fresh in my head. I really enjoyed this chapter because it turns out the person who murdered his majesty isn't the real murderer! Gwendal and the others were so sure the assassin was the murderer. I wonder what they'll do next?