Facing Gagaran's challenge, Lakyus stiffened her neck and shot back:
"Precisely because the enemy is powerful and mysterious, we can't back down!"
"If even we're too afraid to move forward, then who's left to stand up?"
"Are we supposed to just watch the kingdom fall and the people suffer? Is that what it means to be adamantite-rank adventurers?!"
"Having responsibility doesn't mean throwing our lives away for nothing."
Evileye's cool voice cut in.
Her tone was still clear and crisp, but now carried a biting chill that made both the agitated Lakyus and the angry Gagaran fall silent for a moment.
Everyone's eyes turned to the team's sharpest mind.
Evileye slowly walked between the two of them.
Her small body seemed to hold a surprising amount of weight and presence at that moment.
She lifted her head, and through the mask her gaze locked onto Lakyus.
"Lakyus, your sense of justice is Blue Rose's greatest treasure—but sometimes, it blinds your judgment."
Her voice was calm, without a ripple, but every word hit home.
"Think carefully about how Princess Renner was acting just now."
"Her grief, her fear, it all looked real… but don't you think it was a little too textbook? Like something carefully rehearsed?"
Lakyus frowned.
"Evileye, what are you trying to say?"
"Her Highness just went through something horrific—"
"Exactly because she went through something that horrific, her condition is worth doubting even more."
Evileye cut in again, her tone growing heavier.
"What I felt from her mind… under the grief and fear, there was an abnormal steadiness, even excitement."
"That is not the mental state of someone who's just lost everything and is trapped in the enemy's stronghold."
"And when she mentioned the invaders, especially their leader, the flash in her eyes wasn't simple fear. It looked more like awe—maybe even… infatuation."
"Infatuation?!"
Lakyus blurted out, her face full of disbelief.
"That's impossible…!"
"Evileye, you must have misread something, right?"
"I trust Evileye's judgment."
The usually quiet Tina finally spoke.
As a ninja, she was used to noticing small details.
"The princess's appearance is too immaculate. You can hardly find a single wrinkle or stain on her dress."
"After a bloody coup in the palace, does that seem normal to you?"
"And when she was trying to persuade us, there was something off about her tone. It felt… wrong."
The older twin, Tia, added, "And those guards outside—their presence is terrifying."
"I… I can't feel any trace of life from them. Only pure death and obedience."
"Something that can command an undead army of that level is probably far beyond anything we've ever faced."
Her younger sister, Tina, whispered in agreement.
"Y-yeah, they feel way stronger than any undead we've ever fought before."
"See, Lakyus?"
Gagaran crossed her arms, her voice heavy.
"It's not just me. Princess Renner herself is suspicious as hell."
"She could be under someone's control. She could be being coerced. She might not even be the same person she used to be."
"If we rush in and agree to help, we might not be saving the princess at all—we might just be walking into a carefully laid trap."
Lakyus looked at the four teammates in front of her.
Their faces were all marked with clear opposition and deep concern.
A wave of powerless anger and frustration surged through her.
She couldn't accept that her teammates were judging the princess with such malice.
She couldn't accept what felt like cowardice in the face of evil.
"How… how can you all think like this?!"
Lakyus's voice trembled slightly.
"Just because of some vague suspicions, we're going to throw away a chance that might save the kingdom? We're going to ignore the princess's plea for help?"
"Is that Blue Rose's creed now?"
"To cling to life and shy away from risk?"
"This isn't about clinging to life, Lakyus!"
Evileye's voice suddenly rose, with a sharp edge to it.
"This is about reading the situation—and about you, as captain, taking responsibility for everyone's lives."
"Our duty isn't only to the kingdom's justice. It's also to each other's survival."
"You're willing to put Gagaran, Tia, Tina, and me into a pit we can never crawl out of… for a request that's full of red flags?!"
"You'd let the name of Blue Rose vanish from history because of one reckless charge?"
Her words were like a hammer, slamming into Lakyus' heart.
"…"
Lakyus opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't find anything stronger to say.
She looked around.
Gagaran's eyes were full of worry.
Tina and the twin sisters were all nodding, clearly agreeing with Evileye.
An overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over her.
"…But… but are we really just going to do nothing?"
Lakyus' voice dropped, tinged with frustration and confusion.
"Are we just going to walk out of the palace and pretend none of this happened?"
"Of course not."
Evileye's tone softened a little, but stayed firm.
"We need more information."
"We need to figure out who the invaders really are, what they want, and how strong they actually are."
"We also need to confirm Princess Renner's true situation."
"Until then, any rash action would be incredibly dangerous."
"We can try investigating through other channels—like contacting nobles who might have escaped, or using the information network we've built up through the Adventurer's Guild."
"But directly agreeing to join the princess in 'resisting' them is absolutely unwise right now."
Gagaran patted Lakyus on the shoulder, her own tone softening.
"Lakyus, we know you're doing this for justice."
"But justice needs a little wisdom to guide it."
"Charging in blind just makes your friends grieve… and your enemies laugh."
"…"
Lakyus fell silent.
She might be impulsive, but she wasn't completely unreasonable.
Her teammates' words were like buckets of cold water, dousing the flames of blind righteousness blazing in her heart—
But they also left her feeling heavier than ever.
She stared at the tightly closed door, as if she could see through it to the kingdom outside, already turned upside down.
The side chamber sank into a brief silence after the heated argument.
The five adamantite-rank adventurers, shaken by sudden upheaval and clashing ideals, were standing at a crossroads unlike any they'd faced before.
And none of them knew that this life-and-death debate of theirs was being listened to, word for word, by Rei Ao—who was enjoying it immensely.