Chapter 11

Everyone, in the Name of Justice -from dawn till dusk- 1. The Proper Use of Love and Justice The ceiling in the strategy room was particularly high. The desk placed in its center was rather large, and the chair, likely special ordered to match, had an excessively tall back. It was the result of having everything adjusted for those with the largest physiques, since this was a gathering place for soldiers of many races. At the moment, the absurdly large lizardfolk—one of the largest—sat down in the sturdy chair made specifically for him, his throat rattling loudly with laughter. His expression was unchanging, which made his laughter feel rather creepy. “The omen for Tiat’s maturation as a faerie soldier… Bit early for that, no?” Ithea tilted her head as she sat on the chair, swinging her feet freely. The three of them had already bathed and cleaned themselves of dust and changed into the informal female guard uniform. It was strange how much more mature they seemed just by wearing clothes different from their casual outfits. “I thought the little ones’d have at least two more years until they held a sword.” “You don’t look too happy about that,” Willem commented, his cheeks still red and swollen. “Well, it ain’t completely a good thing to go to the battlefield while they’re young. There’s a huge risk of accidental death, and they might end up weirdly traumatized even if it does go well. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about this.” “But we still have to wish her the best. You know that already, right? She’s always been working her hardest to mature,” Chtholly cut in from beside her. “Well, sure, I know that, but…I just don’t know how I feel!” The wrinkles between Ithea’s eyebrows deepened. “That’s why I’m here. But anyway, tell me what happened in the end. I heard you lost in the battle at Island No. 15. So why is everyone here?” Limeskin’s laughter suddenly stopped, and his polished pebble–like eyes looked straight at Willem. “I sssshall ansswer your query, wounded warrior.” “O-okay…?” Willem found himself flustered, not expecting him to respond to that, of all things. “Firsst, allow me to praissse you. The blade you forged ssshone. It cssertainly crusshed the fangss of the beassst. Victory mosst cssertainly sshould have been oursss. However…opening beyond the sssigns of the augury wasss a trap. The fangss had coupled with a different ssset of fangsss. We sspared ourselvesss the recklessnesssss of facing unknown fangsss, sso we made the decssisssion to let the land fall.” …Uh? “Sorry. I have no idea what you just said.” Even if Willem did, lizardfolk had a palate that was shaped differently from the other races, so their pronunciation was hard to understand. And Limeskin was also probably talking in his habitually roundabout way of speaking, so the difficulty of the conversation leaped up tenfold. “I sssee.” Limeskin’s shoulders dropped, deflated. It was typically an action he would find charming, but it didn’t suit the massive lizard. “Well, to sum it up, Timere’d tripped our tactical sensors, but it didn’t seem like we’d be able to win against the Beast,” Ithea piped up. She glanced at Chtholly before continuing. “This girl here seriously had some kind of power-up that I didn’t really understand, so the initial phases of the battle were going super well. Seriously, what was that? I was honestly thinking at one point that we should just leave it all to her and have everyone else retreat.” “Seniorious, the most ancient of all holy swords, was even able to cut the Visitors. It won’t lose to any other enemy as long as the right user uses it correctly—right?” He touched on the subject, but Chtholly didn’t answer, still turned away in a huff. “She’s a sulky one.” Ithea grinned. Willem interrupted by clearing his throat. “…Anyway. You looked like you were winning, but you couldn’t. What happened?” “There was another that didn’t set off the tactical sensors. Beast Six, Timere, is a monster you have to kill a whole handful of times for it to die in the first place. And on top of that, it gets stronger every time it sheds its shell after being killed. This time it was way bigger than usual, a huge monster that was still perfectly fine after we killed it more than two hundred times, and in the middle phases, it was desperate fight after desperate fight, even after Chtholly pushed beyond her limits. There was a lot of bad stuff already going on by that point… “But it was after the two hundred and seventeenth kill. Two of them came out of that shell.” “Huh?” Out came a boneheaded voice. “One of them was Timere, as it always had been. But the other was something different. “The sensors can pick up all of Six’s invasions, but there’s no way they can detect something hitching a ride. It couldn’t grow rapidly, unlike Timere, so it took time for it to come out. Almost none of the firearms worked against it, so we managed to narrow down which of the Seventeen Beasts it was, but otherwise, we didn’t have a clue. We knew nothing, like what we should do first in order to fight successfully against it, not to mention not knowing if it was even an opponent we could fight and win against anyway. “And so, we sent them both along with the island back down to the ground, then pulled out.” Well, that made sense. None of the Seventeen Beasts had wings, so they attacked via the very ineffective method of coincidentally drifting ashore. In which case, if there was a way to get them to go back to the surface, then it was possible to concentrate on fighting off the threat before them— “—Seriously?” “Seriously.” After losing the surface, all surviving life in the world had nowhere to call home but the floating islands. In essence, the islands could be seen as all that was left of civilization. Losing one of them meant that this small universe grew even smaller. “If we pushed Chtholly, and by that I mean putting her into overdrive, we might have won—lots of the lizard soldiers expressed that opinion. Mr. White Lizard here came to the conclusion that anything we tried in an unexpected battle would be a risk and that we couldn’t discard our greatest strength for poor odds.” Limeskin, the white lizard in question, nodded. “…” For some reason, he glanced once at Chtholly from the corner of his eye. “And sso, we have lossst.” Then, with an unreadable voice—which was normal, actually—he continued. “Ressst easssy—it iss not sssomething for you to fret over. Everything in the ssky will fall one day. Moreover, life asss we know it hass not all come to an end. You being here may alssso be proof of that. We will be bussy from now on. May I leave the tassk of essscorting thossse warriorss home to you?” Limeskin glanced toward the three faeries. “I guess…I don’t mind.” He wanted to know what the soldier meant by, “We will be busy.” They probably wouldn’t be able to recover the island that fell. There was grave meaning to this lost fight, and the responsibilities would be huge as well. There was probably much that he had to do as the commander. But now wasn’t quite the time to ask about the things he wasn’t speaking of himself. So that was the full account of that long and dangerous battle. “You did your best, you three.” He gave his words of appreciation, regretfully thinking how that was all he could do. Ithea giggled, Nephren tilted her head, and— “Chtholly?” —one girl was still looking away in a huff and did not even bother to glance in his direction. “You are in quite the mood.” Ithea shrugged, as though giving up on her. “Are you okay with that?” Nephren asked, trying to catch a peek at her. “…Shaddup.” They were met with the quiet mutter of rejection. When they left the strategy room, someone was waiting there. There was a semifer girl, her sharp, pointed ears flattened in anxiety. “Huh? You’re that…” Before Willem could finish calling out to her, the girl turned her gaze to the one behind him. “Uncle!” She raised her voice in delight. He turned around slowly. Standing there was a giant lizardfolk. “Uncle?” he confirmed. “Mm.” He nodded solemnly. “You were a semifer? Your fur looks a lot like scales for one.” “No.” “Then is this kid actually a lizardfolk? Her scales look a lot like fur for one.” “No. Thissss girl iss the daughter of an old friend of mine. We have been clossse ssince ssshe wass little.” It was a pretty straightforward story, just as he thought might be the case. “—What iss the matter, Phyr? Have I not told you to not sssshow your facssse in thesse partsss?” he reprimanded the girl with a rather strong tone. “I came knowing I would be scolded. There is no one else I can trust besides you, Uncle,” the girl answered in a flat, quiet voice. Limeskin’s eyebrow twitched, or so it looked like. He didn’t have anything like eyebrows, of course. “What happened?” “A letter came. It said if we don’t call off the ceremony, they will…assassinate Father.” Those were not peaceful-sounding words. Willem frowned. “—Hmm.” “Father told me not to worry about it. He said it is just an empty threat and that the more we pay attention to it, the more confident they’ll become. I do not think that is the case, however. Those thugs are not that soft. But not only has my father said as much, I cannot think of anyone else I can trust but you, Uncle.” “And sso hardsship followsss hardsship.” The lizardfolk gazed up at the ceiling. “Phyr. I hate to sssay thiss, but I mussst be going.” “Uncle…” The semifer girl’s expression clouded. There was a brief moment of silence. “Willem. I have sssomething to asssk of you.” “I want to say no,” he responded bluntly. “…I have not sssaid anything yet.” “I can make a few guesses. Sorry, but I’m pretty busy with babysitting already.” He could hear Chtholly’s mood souring behind him. She probably didn’t like being treated like a child, but at the moment, he was going to pretend he didn’t notice. “I made up my mind a long time ago that I was gonna stay away from trouble involving women and children.” “That’s not very convincing,” Ithea muttered. She probably wanted to say that he was very much involved in the problem of the faerie soldiers despite whatever he said, but he was going to pretend he didn’t hear that. “I sssupposse it iss unavoidable… Sso, Chtholly. How iss your condition?” “Huh?” Chtholly yelped wildly at hearing her name suddenly called. “Oh, yes. I am recovering. But I don’t think I can use my weapon very well yet.” “I do not mind. Very well, I ssshall leave thiss girl’sss problem to you.” She blinked. “Uh…um…well…I…” After a moment of exaggerated confusion, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She then opened her eyes again. “B-but I’m a faerie. I don’t know anything about this city, and I’ve never guarded anyone before, and I can’t use my venenum right after such a long battle anyway…” “However, it ssseemss there iss no one elssse to asssk. You will manage.” “That’s… But…” Chtholly threw a brief glance at Willem out of the corner of her eye. It was clear what Limeskin was after. There was no need to ask Willem himself directly. If he forced an important job onto one of the faerie soldiers, then Willem would shoulder that responsibility in her place without a word. That was what he had discerned. And though Willem loathed to admit it, the lizardfolk man was right on the money. “…That’s a low tactic. Where’d your warrior’s pride go?” “A warrior sshould alssso be honessst in victory.” That, too, was a rather loose interpretation of a warrior. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with you. Did I do something to make you hate me?” “You have only given me interessst in you.” “Erm, I would prefer this conversation to stay between my uncle and—” The girl quietly tried to interject, but he interrupted her with a wave of his hand. “No need for worry. While I do not yet know if thiss man can be depended on or trusssted, he will do the job.” “That’s not a compliment.” “That wass not my intention.” Limeskin nodded slightly and began to walk off. “I have left the ressst to you, Chtholly. Follow the ssignss of the wind with thosse who walk alongssside you and complete the misssssion.” “Uh…huh…” In a partial daze, the remaining five watched him walk off. “With those who walk alongside you,” that damned lizard said. Shut up, he thought. You can’t decide for me where I’ll be walking. But he didn’t say that. Had he responded like that, then it would be admitting that was his intention in the first place. He felt like they were way beyond the stage of admitting it or not after showing such disgraceful behavior, but there were still lines he would not cross. “Um…” A hesitant voice called out to him. Willem stopped her with his hand. “Sorry, but I have a prior engagement. We’ll walk and talk.” After the rain, the old city was filled with a different flavor than he’d tasted yesterday. The brick roads and the puddles glinted vividly, scattering the afternoon sunlight. The statues dotting the city were enveloped in a dim, out-of-focus light, and an air that conveyed an essence of holiness was wrapped around them. Haaaah… He let out a big, shameless yawn. The clear, cool air filled his lungs and washed away the sleepiness that clung to the corners of his mind. “There’s a great feel about this town,” Ithea said, stretching. “By the way, you think it’s a good idea for us to just walk around the city like normal? Faeries are banned from wandering freely anywhere beyond Island No. 68, after all.” “You’re on duty right now. The gracious first officer gave you direct orders.” “Well, that was just Chtholly. And strictly speaking, we’re weapons, so while we can get direction on the battlefield, we can’t officially accept missions.” “—Then, for appearances, it might mean you’re under my command. That big lizard’s scenario is probably, ‘The first officer had to leave the site for unavoidable circumstances, so he transferred commanding rights to the second officer, who was on the premises’…or something.” “Huh. That’s a pretty crafty story.” “It sure is. And he calls himself a warrior.” “Well, the second officer read up on his scenario pretty quickly, so I’d say he’s about as good.” “That’s unexpected. To say such a thing about this purehearted, good-natured young man.” “Ughhh, you have no shame.” Ithea cackled. Willem chuckled, too—albeit a bit desperately. His left arm was softly enveloped in a gentle warmth. He looked back to see Nephren, straight-faced, wrapped around it. “Hey, Ren.” “Hmm.” “Can I ask you why you’re clinging to me?” “…Don’t you feel calmer when you’re warmer?” The expression on his face looked as if to say, “Why are you asking such an obvious question?” “Right now, you need body heat, Willem. My body temperature is higher than average, so it is most suitable.” She spoke softly and gently, as though reasoning with a particularly dim child. “I mean, I appreciate you being considerate and all, but…” Even if he did, he wasn’t so sure about the actions that came from it. Thanks to Nephren’s lack of curves, he managed to keep any strange thoughts at bay. He was a grown man, after all, and he was thankful for that. He scratched his cheek with one of his free fingers. “I’m fine, so let go. I don’t think I can stand the stares we’re getting anymore.” He could hear the giggles of the semifer passing them on the street. They probably saw the two featureless, Willem and Nephren, as close family members. “…” Nephren stared hard at Willem. “You’re still putting on a brave front a little. Not yet.” “It’s this situation that’s going to make me cry.” His shoulders drooped. He was serious. “C’mon, Chtholly. Say something—” He craned his head back. Chtholly, who had been slowly trudging along, lifted her downward-cast gaze. She opened her mouth slightly. She searched for words but couldn’t find them. Her face suddenly turned red, and she quickly looked away. “A maiden’s heart is a complicated thing,” Ithea said, her voice troubled. He almost blurted out, “Maidens’ hearts don’t have a monopoly on being complicated!” But in the end, he held his tongue. He couldn’t tell if it was something he’d be made fun of if he said it out loud. And incidentally, it would be quite a while yet before Nephren, who seemed to be worried about him, would let go of his arm. —Their sudden meeting after so long, along with his disgraceful behavior, had blown away so many other things. That was why he still hadn’t said a single word of welcome to the girls, and he hadn’t heard them announce their return. Of course, it didn’t feel like now was the time for that conversation. (…Ooohhhh…) It wasn’t that he wanted a dramatic reunion scene. He wasn’t trying to say that he wasn’t satisfied that he hadn’t been able to greet the three in style. He should just be pleased to confirm that they’d come back safely, and in reality, he wasn’t unhappy with the result. So, well… He had to at least accept he would have a few uncomfortable thoughts. He knew that. He knew. “Does it really look like I’m trying that hard?” he murmured, and Nephren’s eyes wavered slightly. “You really are alike,” Ithea said suggestively and gave a small smile. Her expressions seemed strangely forced today. He looked at her smile—and for some reason, that was what he felt. On the way, the semifer girl told them the story. She called herself Phyracorlybia Dorio. “Huh? Dorio? That means…” “Yes. My father is Collina di Luce’s current mayor.” She responded easily to Ithea’s question. Either due to her parents’ upbringing or her natural disposition, her temperament was incredibly hard to read. There was no way she was calm on the inside, after being rejected by the uncle she wanted to rely on and pushed onto a freakish group of people she didn’t know. And yet, she gave no indication of bewilderment or irritation. “Oh, I thought so.” The story was, the mayor of this town was originally a so-called upstart merchant who rose in the world in his lifetime, and Phyr (who herself asked to be called that, since her name was so long) was his daughter, who was born after he reached old age. The city originally laid out the foundations for an aristocracy. It was only ten years prior that the mayoral system had been introduced. Because of that, there were quite a number of people who were not pleased with the current political system, with former nobles in the heart of it all. To them, having an upstart merchant as a mayor was an enemy of unforgivable appearance. “Huh.” He just brushed aside the explanation with a vague response. “Then what was the letter you talked about earlier?” Chtholly moved the conversation forward. He thought she was being very earnest for someone who’d been named to take care of the whole situation. “…It is a threat from one group to remove my father from his position and place a relative of the old nobility in the seat of mayor. They will do whatever it takes to oust him, as the one who is tarnishing the city’s traditions and history.” “Ohh.” Another vague response. It was a story he’d heard somewhere before—actually, the very one he’d heard just yesterday from that doctor. Judging by those gunshots that didn’t suit such a quiet town, “whatever it takes” had a very broad range of meaning. “At the end of next week, we will hold a ceremony to commemorate finishing construction on the Central Cathedral. My father is planning on speaking about the future this town should be heading toward there. A future that will open the doors to those of every race and will make this city into one of trade that will act as the bridge between islands. Most likely, they will use the Annihilation Knights, their agents, to attack. Then they may prepare to warn all of those who work with my father.” “…That sounds like the name of knights who get carried away by their youth and regret it five years later.” Oh, so Ithea thinks so, too. They were on the same page. “It goes without saying that we plan to employ the minimum amount of security. However, considering the methods of the Annihilation Knights, I cannot imagine that would be enough. That is why I wished to ask for my uncle’s—for First Officer Limeskin’s help.” “What do you think?” he turned to his left arm and asked. “No,” Nephren responded bluntly. “In the end, the Winged Guard is an organization meant to fight against invaders from outside Regule Aire. They cannot meddle in the political affairs of every individual city. In the case that there is clearly an individual or a group that is trying to disrupt the peace, nearby Winged Guard soldiers are allowed to act in quelling it; however, that is ultimately for times of exceptional danger. Even if they know beforehand that there will be trouble, they cannot dispatch units ahead of time. That will be seen as interfering with political affairs.” “—What she said. The mayor probably knew that, so he likely didn’t try to ask for help from that lizard himself.” “It can’t be… Justice is clearly on our side! Why must restrictions be imposed on defeating the evil that harms the worlds of others?” “Justice doesn’t make it okay to use military force,” he spat out abruptly. “It’s the opposite. Justice is what’s touted to justify the reasons for using military force. There will always be other reasons for wanting to pummel the enemy. Always. Because you want to take them away. Because you look down on them. Because you scorn them. Because you don’t like them. Because you want them to disappear. Because you want to relieve stress. Or any combination of that.” He waved his hand lightly, and like reciting an ancient poem, he spoke. “But no one wants to recognize any of that. At that point, you may as well beat the crap out of the other guy with no guilty conscience whatsoever. It’s times like those people raise a flag under the name of justice to trick their enemies—and themselves. No one is aware of these things when they do that, so you get two people who wholly believe in their own justice fighting each other, and war starts. That’s how it’s always been.” “That’s…” Phyr fell silent. —What? Willem thought. The value of justice was determined by the persuasiveness to involve others and the strength of the belief of how deeply one could surrender oneself to it. It was meaningful enough if it was justice she could strongly believe in from the bottom of her heart. But she just could not mobilize the Winged Guard under that justice. However, the justice Phyr touted wavered when people she’d just met today told her that, so he was a little disappointed. “Well, you know. Even putting all that aside, the ceremony is next week, so we can’t really keep you company. We have our own deal. Now we’re going to the doctor’s to pick up one of the kids, then in the evening, we’ll get on an airship and fly home.” “Oh… I see.” Phyr drooped her head. “Wait up, wait up, just a second, Officer. I have two questions.” Ithea tugged on his right sleeve. “What?” “What you said earlier, is that all right for the Brave who fought as the guardian of the great emnetwiht? Weren’t you the face of justice at the time?” “You think justice means shit in the struggle to survive? You space out for a second and you get wiped out, so I was just fighting back for my life. The will to survive is only an instinct, and when you start considering instinct and justice to be the same thing, then nothing in the world can ever be a crime.” “…I see. Regardless of the logic, I think I understand how you think, Officer.” Ithea nodded slightly. Nephren, who was still clinging to Willem’s left arm, gripped slightly tighter. “Another question. Why did you ask all that about the situation, only to be so rude to Miss Phyracorlybia? I feel like you’ve said gross things all cool-like, as if you can’t leave a cute girl in distress alone.” “Don’t call it gross.” Precisely because he wasn’t completely unaware of that, it still hurt. “I get it. Is it age? Women your age and older aren’t women anymore or something?” “Why does everything I do have to be so biased?” People had suspected him of that many times in the past, but it wasn’t true. It shouldn’t be. “That’s not it. I just—” “Just?” Just—what? Something he found hard to put into words coiled around the back of his throat. “—Whoever it happens to be, I only want to be convinced of unconvincing things.” “Buh?” Even he thought he’d said something he didn’t quite understand. Sure enough, Ithea raised an eyebrow, making a strange face that was unbecoming of a girl her age. “…” For some reason, Nephren nodded slightly. “Well, putting that aside, looks like we still have time until we need to go to the clinic.” It was hard to decide what to do with such an odd amount of time left. They didn’t have enough time to take a preliminary look around the sights, and yet it would be a waste to spend it walking aimlessly. —A delicious smell tickled his nose. Willem turned his head as though he’d been jerked on a leash. He found a food stand set up on the back of a cart by the roadside. They were selling fried mutton and shredded potatoes wrapped in plentiful large, leafy vegetables. The titillating aroma of spices irresistibly aroused his appetite. His stomach growled. “Hey.” He turned around. “Let’s eat that. I haven’t had breakfast yet.” “Ohhh, we should. All we’ve been eating is simple military provisions, so I’ll welcome anything with strong flavor,” Ithea murmured dully in agreement. Nephren didn’t say anything, so she probably wasn’t against it. And just as Chtholly was about to say something— “—Please wait.” There came a weak yet sharp voice. For a moment, he truly didn’t know who was talking. He slowly turned around, feeling something cold down his spine. There, somewhat unexpectedly but also naturally, was the figure of someone he didn’t expect. Phyracorlybia Dorio. Though he was looking straight at her, his instinct doubted if that was really her. The presence around her was completely different from what it was a few moments ago. He just could not believe it was the same person. “The spices are clearly much too strong, and their certificate of authorization is not posted on the front. That is, without a doubt, a shop that is feeding people shoddy meat that is barely legal.” “O-oh.” Her tone was unusually strong. Willem unwittingly recoiled, overwhelmed. “And it is more expensive than market price. Even locals clearly know it looks off; tourists buy and eat it without knowing and presume it to be normal. If these practices continue, it is clear that the city itself will lose trust. No matter how much my father sues them, those hooligans refuse to disappear.” There was a dangerous light glinting in her eye. Her body wavered like a specter. “Come this way,” she said while starting to walk off. “H-hey!” “Were you to eat there, then that shoddy taste will become your memory of dining in Collina di Luce. As long as I am with you, I cannot allow such a thing. It would be tantamount to shaming my uncle. Come with me. You will see real Collina di Luce–style wrapped lamb.” She took brisk, wide steps and turned onto a back street. “…I’m surprised,” Nephren murmured in a voice contradicting that very statement. “She left. What do we do?” “No matter what, it doesn’t really feel like we have a choice, does it?” “We woke the sleeping dog, so I guess we gotta tag along… Chtholly?” The girl practically jumped when she looked up from her feet at her name suddenly being called. “Uh… Wh-what?” “Are you doing okay? You’ve been silent as a statue this entire time—” “That is pretty quiet,” Ithea interrupted. “If you’re still tired, then you should say something. I don’t feel like pushing you in a place that’s not a battlefield.” “No, that’s not it…” She shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry I worried you.” It seemed like she’d calmed her anger, but she was still acting weird. “If you’re telling me you’ve still got pools of activated venenum in your body, then I could ease it for you, like last time?” he suggested, cracking his knuckles. “Ease—” Chtholly stared absently at Willem’s face, and after a moment, her cheeks suddenly turned bright red. “—No! I don’t! If you did that, then I probably wouldn’t ever be able to stand up!” she said as she flailed both her arms about. “What do you mean by ease?” “Hey! Stop getting curious about this!” “Well, if that’s how you’re going to respond, then it’s pretty much impossible to not be curious, right? Is it like, there’s something you really want to talk about so you’re asking us in a roundabout way to catch up?” “Listen to me! It’s nothing, I swear, and besides, nothing happened!” “You know, I kind of like how you dig your own grave deeper the more you talk. You’ll burrow straight to the bottom of the island at this rate. It’s okay.” “Listen!” The moment Chtholly raised her voice even louder in argument— “Um?” A small voice, chill as a blade, cut in from beside them. They turned around. There stood a lone semifer girl, standing at the entrance to the alleyway, a ghastly air about her. “—Did I not ask you to follow me?” “Apologies! We’re coming now!” They jumped forward into the alley, and all of them followed Phyr. She led them to a cozy butcher shop nestled in the corner of a small plaza. “No stalls?” “Of course, there are many good stalls, but if you’re simply looking for a cheap and delicious wrapped lamb at this time in this neighborhood, then I cannot give any other answer than this. All the locals, even five-year-old children, know of this place.” “You have some smart five-year-olds.” They paid the silent ballman shop owner and received one—wrapped lamb, was it?—a full size bigger than the ones they saw at the stall earlier. He bit into it. “This is delicious.” “Isn’t it?” Phyr sniffed proudly. “The sharp-tasting spices are subdued, and instead there are more acidic herbs mixed in. I see—I could eat all this without trouble with seasoning like this.” “Right? Right?” After bobbing her head up and down several times in a nod, Phyr faced the ballman butcher and gave him a thumbs-up. He, too, gave a thumbs-up right back. (…Hmm?) He felt an uncomfortable prickling on the back of his neck. The faint sensation of malice and animosity. Those rumored Whatever Knights again, huh, he thought. But it was a different breed from what he felt yesterday when they first arrived in town. It was vague then, who that animosity was meant for, but this time— “—Hey, Phyracorlybia.” “I said earlier that you may call me Phyr.” “Right. Hey, Phyr. Do you like this city?” Her eyelids quickly traveled down and up her large eyes. “What is this, all of a sudden?” “Just answer. So?” A short moment passed. “Yes. I think there is no better city.” “Is it because of the four-hundred-year-plus history? Or because it’s the most prominent metropolis? Or because industry is thriving? Or because the food’s good?” “Your queries are quite spiteful, aren’t they?” “I get that a lot.” Willem cackled as he took another bite of the wrapped lamb. “…Everything you mentioned now is, without a doubt, an indispensable part of this city’s charm. They all shine vividly within my heart. However, I do not think any of them have…penetrated its core.” “I see.” It seemed like the vegetable used for the wrapping was also done up in a special way. The flavor changed ever so slightly with every bite. As he was chasing those transitions with his tongue, he suddenly found that there was nothing left in his hands. Even though he’d somehow just managed to put all that away in his stomach, he still wanted another bite. Now that was the real Collina di Luce–style wrapped lamb. He understood well why Phyr had insisted on this place. “…I know of no city besides this one.” The girl in question responded, carefully choosing her words. “This is my precious hometown and the entirety of my world as I know it. That is why I love this city, as though I would love the whole world.” “That’s an embarrassing thing to say.” “And who made me say it?!” Her face flushed (though it was hard to tell over her fur), and she argued. “You are truly a spiteful man. Do you enjoy exposing my most intimate thoughts?!” “Sure. I’m not gonna deny that’s how I feel,” Willem said, licking the grease off his fingers. “I ate good food from this city. I saw the face of someone who likes it here. Now I feel more like doing something for this place, more than when you were blabbering on about justice.” He glanced at her startled expression out of the corner of his eye. “And what on earth is that supposed to mean?” “Exactly what I said… But let’s put that aside for now. I’m here and may as well. If you’re free after this, you think you could do a little thing for me?” “…What is it?” Phyr, unsure of his true intentions, looked at him suspiciously, and Willem grinned back. “Could you show us around town a little later?” “I—I wasn’t scared or hurt or anything, okay!” Those words of insistence were the very first out of Tiat’s mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. “There weren’t any shots or anything, at all!” “I know, I know.” After receiving a light pat on the head, she gave a small hiccup. “She’s perseverant, honest, and straightforward. She’ll be an excellent soldier.” The stern-faced cyclops gave his seal of approval with a gentle smile. Ignoring that first half, Willem thought it was a strange evaluation, unsure if he should be happy or sad about the latter half. “Those behind you… You’re girls who were adjusted here before. I’m glad to see you’re well.” That was meant for Chtholly and the others. “It has been a long time since we last saw you. Thanks to you, we are managing to fight well.” Chtholly alone bowed her head reverently. Ithea just cackled vaguely, and Nephren wore her usual composed expression, not showing any response. The doctor must have noticed something strange about those responses. “Could it be, you—?” “Whoops, let’s not say any more than that, Doc.” Ithea quickly cut off the cyclops doctor as he began to speak. “Oh, so you guys are hiding something.” “Tsk-tsk-tsk, you should not be sticking your neck into girls’ affairs, Officer. Keeping a proper distance is the first step in keeping both parties happy.” “You think so?” Willem gave up on trying to get it out of Ithea, who was clearly trying to deceive him, so he directed his attack at the doctor. But the cyclops just scratched his cheek and responded with a troubled look, “I shouldn’t be the one to tell you,” and didn’t elaborate further. “As for what I do wish of you, well… Keep a careful watch over these children.” As the faerie warehouse manager, it was in Willem Kmetsch’s job description to watch over the faeries anyway. At the very least, that’s what Willem himself thought. So he didn’t need to be told outright; he was planning on doing that from the very beginning. When he gave his response— “Okay.” With a quiet expression, the cyclops nodded. It bothered him a little why Ithea was looking at the cyclops with such a rueful expression. In order to get home to Island No. 68 from here, they would have to take a good number of airship transfers. And there was only a small number that ran every day. To add to that, it was, of course, not a distance where the faeries could easily fly them home. Therefore, until the airship they were aiming for left in the evening, whatever they ended up doing, they couldn’t leave Collina di Luce. “And so, we will use this time to sightsee this city!” Willem proclaimed proudly before the other five—the faeries, who had changed back to regular clothes, and Phyr. “Huh?” Chtholly murmured with a serious expression. “Hmm?” Ithea looked as though she didn’t quite believe what he said. “Oh.” Nephren’s eyes, for once, glimmered with delight. “…” Phyr said nothing, her gaze downward. “Yaaaaaaaaaay!” Tiat clapped her hands as hard as she could. “This is for you, since you can never move around freely outside the island, and you never get opportunities like this. This is right after a well-fought battle; you won’t get in trouble if you cut loose a little.” “Wait, wait. What should we do with our dug weapons?” Ithea lightly waved the large wrapped package—a swathed enchanted longsword—that was strapped to her back. “I really hope you’re not gonna make us walk around with this heavy stuff on our backs.” “Leave it at the clinic. We’ll just pick it up on our way back.” “They’re very expensive and important and precious secret weapons, you know…” “That’s why we leave them with people who know their value. They’re not something those luggage thieves want anyway, so don’t worry.” “I suppose so.” “Mm. I am glad that we will be able to see some things. But…” Nephren peered at Phyr’s face. “Phyr, are you okay with this?” It wasn’t too long ago that they’d coldly refused to do what Phyr had asked of them. She probably wasn’t too delighted to be asked of something so frivolous right afterward. “You have no more reason to come with us.” “I have no choice.” Phyr sighed briefly. “You have already heard of one of the dark sides of the city. If you left as you are now, you may mistake the city as one of violence and schemes. And that is right after I asked such a heedless favor of you.” As she spoke, the force in her voice grew stronger and stronger. She clenched her fist tightly before her chest, and bright flames burned in her large eyes. “Uhhh, hello? Phyr? Miss Phyr?” “I cannot stand such a thing. Therefore, I have no choice but to have you understand the appeal of this city through my actions alone. Starting now, I will work my absolute hardest to show you around this wonderful city today.” Everyone’s gazes gathered on Willem. “…What?” “What did you do to her? What ideas did you put into her when we were eating just now?” “Hey, c’mon, that makes me sound bad. I just gave her appropriate advice and asked a favor.” “Ohhh, so you tricked her with your smooth talk.” And he’d just told Ithea to stop making him sound bad. The city of Collina di Luce was huge. Just moving around to take a look at all the famous sightseeing spots would take more than a day, several days if one decided to add museums and art galleries to their route. Since they had only about half a day to sightsee, it was crucial that they decide which landmarks they could visit and choose the most efficient mode of transport. In both cases, they needed the help of someone who was intimately familiar with the city. And so, they asked Phyr to come along and show them around— At least, that much of the story was true. So, well. They could leave the rest of the story for later. 2. The Incorrect Use of Love and Justice They saw something called the Perjurer’s Grave. It was apparently the grave of a legendary swindler who had run amok two hundred years ago. The headstone, which was erected through the donations of those he’d tricked in his lifetime, for some reason read, HERE LIES AN HONEST MAN. Just how on earth did that happen? It had brought about various theories and speculation, developed into its own genre called “The Perjurer,” and led to a brief boom in Collina di Luce’s rumor mill. “I favor the legend that he murmured words of true love at the very end. Though I only believe it insofar as I hope that was what actually happened.” “For me it’s gotta be the legend where he exposed the lies of corrupt nobles, showing them all that they were no match for him when it came to lying. That’s just a plain cool story.” “—There’s the tale that said he angered the Poteau gods, who cursed him so all his lies would become truths. That was interesting.” Huh. Looks like there really are lots of theories. Well, in the end, that was what it was like for a past that no one knew the truth of. The truth was fabricated to suit someone’s needs or shaped in a way that was the most interesting or odd, and that tale took the place of the truth. Everyone believed the stories they wanted to believe. That was fine as long as it didn’t cause problems. The world would still keep on spinning smoothly. They saw something called the Lovers’ Staircase. The story behind it was clear. It was a romance between a noble girl, who hated her arranged marriage and ran away from home, and a scoundrel of a young man, who made his living through petty thievery. It was here, where they bumped into each other and rolled down the steps, that they met by chance and became aware of each other. At the top and bottom of the staircase stood a huge sign, spoiling the scenery. On it was the emblem of the city council and a brief warning: NO ROLLING. “No rolling?!” Tiat wailed like it was the end of the world, inviting the soft chuckles of passersby. They likely often heard very similar-sounding whining. He would pretend he never noticed Chtholly’s shoulders silently sagging. “Hey, hey, Officer.” A tug on his sleeve. “I know you’re acting more and more normal, but could you, like, say something a little nicer to Chtholly?” There was the cerulean-haired faerie, avoiding his gaze. “She’s pouting right now, but she was really working hard up till yesterday.” “I know that, but I’ve never been good at dealing with girls in bad moods.” “You really look like you are, but you’re the only one who can fix her mood, Officer.” With a quick motion, he ruffled Ithea’s unruly hair. “Bwuh?!” She jumped with more energy than he thought she would. “Wh-what was that, all of a sudden?!” “Nothing, just thought you were a good kid, and I wanted to praise you. You put your friend first, even though you work hard and feel just as tired yourself.” “Don’t worry about me! We’re talking about Chtholly now!” Unusually for Ithea, her face went red as she swatted away his hand. He understood that she wasn’t used to being complimented, but he thought absently that her reactions were excessive. —There was a slight uncomfortable prickling at the back of his neck. The distance between them and the presence of their pursuer widened slightly, but instead, their numbers grew. “Should be time to fish ’em out soon, huh…?” “Hmm, what’d you say?” Ithea responded to his muttering, and he placed his open palm on her head (and she gave a cry of “Gyaah!”), then called out to Phyr, who walked in front of them. “Can I make a request for the next place? I wanna go somewhere that’s secluded, where tourists rarely ever go.” “Oh, is that a challenge for the tour guide?” Tossing aside the expression of a fragile young lady, Phyr smiled defiantly. “Here is the Wishing Well.” She pointed to a small plaza, the intersection of six small alleyways. In the middle sat a plain-looking well, with nothing in particular to make it stand out. “While it’s not as widely known as the Central Cathedral or Barley Square, where you’ll find ten out of ten people who know about it, it has been used countless times in projections, so those who know it, know it.” Tiat was nodding her head up and down vigorously. “When you say wishing, you mean throw a coin in and make a wish?” Ithea asked, peeking inside the well. “That’s so romantic, like a fairy tale!” “Unfortunately, not everyone’s wishes will come true. There certainly is a spirit that lives in the well, and it actually has the power of Realization, but they say it can only grant the wishes of every thousand or ten thousand people who throw in copper coins.” “Man, when you put it in numbers like that, we lose the fairy-tale feeling pretty fast.” “On the other hand, one person can throw in as many coins as one likes. Since the chances of success go up according to the value of the coins tossed in, some people who earnestly want their wishes to come true bring entire bags of twenty-bradal coins.” “…And now the feeling of romance is gone, too.” “Did you know it was illegal to use this well for a while? It was about fifty years ago, during the gambling prohibition era, because the chances were much too high.” “I don’t need to hear any more. Something inside me feels like it’s about to shatter.” As those two chatted, Tiat grabbed a coin with her small hand, struck a pose, then threw it into the well. She apparently didn’t have any particular wishes she wanted to come true but instead just wanted to copy the scenes she’d always dreamed about from the projection house. Ithea hugged her tightly as she squirmed, saying, “Yes, that’s right! That’s how you seek out romance! Awww, you’re so cute!” Beside them, Nephren quietly threw a coin in with the same pose. It looked like she had her own thoughts about this place. There came the quiet plop of water. Someone was missing. When that crossed his mind, he whirled his head around and found the last person all too quickly. Chtholly Nota Seniorious stood a short distance away from the well, alone. “Aren’t you gonna try it?” He approached her, sitting down on a stack of crates piled next to her. “No. I don’t feel like making any wishes.” Her voice was quiet, her eyes still turned away sullenly. “Really? That’s a surprise. I thought you’d like stuff like this.” “Well, I guess I don’t hate it, and if I had to choose, I’d say I love it…” Her words came out somewhat muddled, and she faltered. “But I really don’t feel like it. “…That stuff is probably for people who haven’t met their goal yet, who do it to reaffirm their resolve inside themselves. It leaves a scar on their wallet, and that scar is a reminder of the price of their resolve. That’s why it doesn’t resonate with people who’ve lost sight of their goal or people who instead feel like they can reach it on their own.” Her intonation was strange—somewhat sad, somewhat kind, somewhat of neither. “Hey. Are you really doing okay? You’re acting kind of weird today.” “I told you—I’m fine. Girls have days they want to soak in ennui for no reason, you know.” Ahh, sounds a little like the usual Chtholly. That’s a relief. That relief pushed him forward, and he felt like putting the things he usually swallowed into words. “…I want to thank you.” “Huh?” Chtholly was honestly surprised by his words. “All I thought about was dying. All I ever wanted was to go to all the people who were waiting for me to come home. Since meeting you guys, I’ve changed a little. Now I think about wanting a place to call home. Since meeting you, I’ve been saved a little. Now I think about how I can wait for someone, too. And even still, since you came home, I’m now, well…a little happier.” “Huh?” She’s seriously weirded out by this. “Wait, don’t back away so much! Don’t make a face like I’m some embarrassing creature! I haven’t even said anything weird.” “All of it was weird. Especially how you said all those embarrassing things with a straight face.” “What, you want me to say them with a big grin on my face?” “That isn’t the question, but…” Chtholly smiled. It was calm, happy, joyous, clear…and somehow empty. For a moment, Willem’s heart skipped a beat. “What you said was embarrassing, but you telling me that does make me happy, yeah. I feel like there is a reason for living as long as I’ve made someone happy. Mm. I suppose I didn’t choose the one I love incorrectly.” …Oh. In a fluster, Willem peeled his gaze from Chtholly’s profile. Oh no. What was that? What was that smile? She’s a kid. At least for now. He repeated that to himself. He shouldn’t take the word love seriously. He couldn’t honestly accept a child’s affection. Even if he did, it would just bring her unhappiness later. Right, he repeated to himself in his mind. There was a mysterious allure to Chtholly’s expression and words that would not leave him in a calm state of mind if he didn’t. (…Right.) This girl is looking straight at me— So Willem realized. That was why her words, at times, moved his heart head-on. He wouldn’t be able to brush it off like it was just a child’s first crush or a momentary trick of the mind anymore. “What’s that response supposed to mean?” Chtholly chuckled softly. Nothing—he somehow managed to swallow that cheap response. “You’re makin’ me blush. That bad?” “Not at all. It’s great.” The girl laughed out loud. For some reason, she seemed like she would burst into tears behind that smile. This was bad. It now felt like a situation he wasn’t good at dealing with. He was now looking at Chtholly, who should have been a child, as a woman. Willem wasn’t good at dealing with women. He had absolutely no clue how he should read them, how he should take every single word, every single action. That was true even for people like Nygglatho, who were the sort of characters who were easy to read. There was absolutely nothing he could say about people like this girl now, who hid things behind smiles. Nevertheless, he couldn’t just stay quiet about it. After all was said and done, he was still dealing with Chtholly, so he should come out firmly and force his way. Just as he took the plunge and opened his mouth— “Sorry to interrupt your fun outing, ladies.” He heard the oddly clammy voice of a man. “Friends?” Tiat looked up to Phyr and asked, but Phyr shook her head. “No. I do not recognize them…” “But of course. This is our first meeting together.” The speaker was a cat semifer who wore a strangely crisp suit (he didn’t wear it too well), and five younger men stood behind him. They were also all semifer, and while their faces and clothes varied, what they had in common was how unrefined they looked, and they all wore copper-colored bandannas wrapped around their wrists. “We’re surrounded.” Nephren murmured to herself quietly while Phyr looked around in a panic. Interesting—at some point, two or three youngsters had appeared out from each of the alleyways that extended from the small plaza and positioned themselves there. They were all semifer, and all wore bandannas around their wrists. And they couldn’t find anyone else in the plaza besides them. It wasn’t a very populous place to begin with, or maybe that was the very reason why. He even got the impression that it was only this corner of town that had been cut away and closed off. “No…” “We don’t want to do this the haaard way. Lady Phyracorlybia. If you want to keep your dirty featureless friends safe, then I hope you would be so kind as to take us up on our invitaaation.” There was a rather sticky quality to his voice. He was trying to speak theatrically—and failing. Though it was obviously his best attempt at acting smug, it was clearly not his strong suit, leaving only unnatural buffoonery. That about sums it up. Not that I care. “Tell me who you are!” Phyr was trying to act brave, but her voice shook. “Heh-heh, it’s not something we hiiide, but since you bothered to aaask, I think we will take the liberty to—” “The Annihilation Knights, right?” Every pair of eyes turned to Willem. Their gazes still trained on him, Willem reached down to his feet and collected a few pebbles. One by one, he lightly tossed them into the air and caught them with the same hand. As he played with them, he called out, “Hey, Phyr.” “Uh, ah, yes? What is it?” “I bet you haven’t been outside your home alone very much lately, have you?” “Huh? Y-yes. Father told me I shouldn’t go out for a while.” “But you just had to ask a favor from that big white lizard, so today you left the house in secret. That right?” “Yes… But why do you…?” “To sum it up, these Knights were after the mayor’s daughter to use as a bargaining chip in negotiations with him. To be more precise, they plan to negotiate with their sponsor by offering him that bargaining chip.” Anxiety rippled through the group of semifer. “You were just lucky that they didn’t find you in the time between when you left the house and when you found us. And so that probably means that they’re unlucky they found you with us.” Tiat stared wide-eyed, Nephren wore a blank expression, Ithea murmured “Ohhh” in understanding, and Chtholly’s face read, “Here we go again.” “They’ve been watching us intently ever since we ate. It felt like they were in a big hurry to gather support, so after walking awhile in obvious places, I decided to move somewhere without anyone else around. And just as I predicted, these punks decided to show their faces.” “W-wait a moment. I have no idea what you’re talking about. The way you speak almost sounds like—” “Yup. Used you as bait. I wanted to have a little chat with these guys.” At a loss for words, Phyr stood there frozen in shock. “Chaaat?” the suited semifer interjected, his tone suspicious. “You seem pretty proud of how fast your brain and mouth move, frieeend. We didn’t exactly come here to have a chaat—” “Ithea.” Interrupting his statement, Willem called out to the girl standing next to Phyr. “What is it?” “I heard the great leaders of these Knights don’t have any understanding of Sight. Show ’em a bit of what fully activated venenum looks like.” “Hmm—you want me to go all out?” “No. Don’t do anything more than show.” “Understood, Officer Scoundrel.” There was a bright flash of light. She lifted her head, as though looking up to the sky, her eyes closed, and sprouting from her back, huge wings the color of wheat unfurled. They were purely phantasm wings, made just from light. But because they were nothing but a phantasm, they could easily break the chains of the land, even without fluttering and stirring the wind. “Wow…” Phyr had likely heard that Ithea and the others were nothing but Guard personnel, so a voice of admiration and surprise slipped absentmindedly from her lips. “…So you can use venenum. Not every day you see someone with the power to make wings. This means you can easily escape from a crowd this big, riiight?” The suited semifer narrowed his eyes. Judging by how his eyes darted around, he probably had a plan for dealing with an opponent who tried to escape via the skies. In all likelihood, it was probably a gunpowder weapon. But in a situation like this, where a personal firearm had relatively poor handling, low accuracy, and a short range, their opponent would have a hard time suppressing them. Not only that, but a misfire that hurt Phyr would not mean good news for these thugs. “Guess that makes things easier for us.” Willem surmised that they wouldn’t be doing anything reckless anymore. And that didn’t seem like a mistake. “If what you said earlier is true, that means you inviting us here means you prepared all this. Then you should be ready for that much. Howeeever, what is it you want to talk about after all this?” “Hmm, well, it’s not that important,” he started with a little disclaimer. “Do you all like this city?” he asked. —The wind blew through the plaza. Clumped scraps of paper rustled and rolled along the brick road. There came the faint sound of an animal howling from far away. Tiat’s eyes glazed over, no longer able to understand the situation. Nephren, surprisingly, put her hand to her mouth, smiling slightly. Ithea, still floating in the air, shook her head in exasperation. Chtholly, still looking away in a huff, muttered, “I suppose I did choose the one I love incorrectly,” which he couldn’t just ignore—actually, he should be happy about it. Phyr’s round eyes rounded even more, and all the remaining semifer stayed quiet, unsure how to respond. “…What is this, all of a sudden?” After a little while, the suited semifer, acting as representative for their questions, asked. “Just answer. Well?” A short beat. “Of cooourse, the answer is ooobvious.” “Hmm. Is it because of the four-hundred-year-plus history? Or because it’s the most prominent metropolis? Or because industry is thriving? Or because the food’s good?” “What a stupid question. What sort of answer is possible, besides all that which is right? Collina di Luce is the very jewel box of the heavens. It is the capital of our pride, polished over the ages, and holds all the virtues any city could possibly have—” “—And are those the words of your sponsor?” His statement suddenly stopped. “How much do you really know?” “Nah, that was just a leading question. But thanks to that, you confirmed some things for me.” He sighed a long sigh. “Your actions are way too inconsistent. To start, threatening to assassinate the mayor at the ceremony is incredibly stupid. If your goal is to have your demands met, then you shouldn’t rely on assassination. If your goal is the assassination itself, you shouldn’t send a threat. Even if you wanted to scare the mayor’s supporters by announcing it before killing him, then you shouldn’t have specified the ceremony. With overwhelming finances and executive skills, succeeding in the assassination even after forcing past tight security at the ceremony would have serious appeal. But then the mayor and his faction would be thoroughly prepared to fight back. “So why did you send the letter? I’m guessing something like childish vanity, typical of gaudy nobles.” Well, if that was all, then that was already made clear by how they seriously called themselves the Annihilation Knights. He stopped talking for a moment, but no one said anything. They were waiting for Willem’s next words. “On the other hand, your skills shouldn’t be that bad, considering how fast you gathered this many people after finding us. And kidnapping the mayor’s daughter is realistic. You’d discover after a little investigation that she’s kind of ignorant and a naive woman. Plus, the person who thought of the kidnapping and the person who sent the threat are two different people. No matter how you think about it, doing it the other way around would have been way more successful. Not doing that means you never had the option. You were probably forced to carry out an unreasonable assassination, making you panic, then planned an almost arbitrary kidnapping. Well, that’s how I see it; I didn’t do anything but ask some leading questions and check my answers against yours. For now, I’m just glad I was right.” He said it all in one go, then nodded a few times to himself. “…What do you want?” The suited semifer’s tone of voice changed. “Hmm?” “There’s no reason for you to blab about your tricks here if you were just going to beat us up. You’ve shown your hand, which means now you plan to negotiate?” “Great. I like it when people make things easy for me.” Willem clapped his knee and stood from the crate. “Let me get straight to the point. Sell out your sponsor. The way I see it, you don’t care about the mayor or whatever. You’re just foot soldiers, acting on the ideas of your employer. Not only that, but you’re fed up with your airheaded boss forcing you to do unnecessary work. I’m sure there are some of you who think it’s about time to just give up.” Several of the semifer men visibly reeled. One of them reached into his pocket. When he pulled out his hand, he was gripping a gun. He was about to aim it at Willem with dexterous speed, but he gave a cry and dropped his crucial weapon. The small pebble that had struck the back of his hand dropped to the ground and rolled away. “By the way, your bodies themselves will be collateral for this deal. Whether or not you’ll get out of this unharmed depends on your attitude.” Willem informed them in a low voice, keeping his stance from throwing the pebble. He hadn’t used any magic or anything. He’d simply tossed the piece of gravel but, in doing so, caught everyone off guard. It was like a little magic trick that wouldn’t work on people who knew about it, but for that reason alone, it made those who didn’t know the trick feel like a spell had been cast on them. “Well?” It was all pretty quick after that. The semifer swallowed Willem’s idea easily, and they gave the name of the former noble who was their client. On top of that, they said they would also sell out proof that he ordered quite a few antisocial actions, so they said they would bring that directly to negotiations with the mayor. The entirety of the Annihilation Knights most likely weren’t all gathered there in that alley, but they probably wouldn’t be acting out as much as they had been before, now that they were down a leader and a dozen members. At the very least, they probably didn’t have to worry about any assassination taking place at that ceremony. And so, Limeskin’s orders had been executed successfully, but— Willem’s cheeks burned. He thought absently about how hard this day had been on his cheeks. “I really do hate you.” Phyr lamented, holding her red and swollen palm to her chest, her eyes brimming with tears. “I understand that you did this for me. However, I cannot accept that you chose such a manner to accomplish it—” He thought so. This young lady was straightforward, meek, hardworking, honest, and much too principled. And probably the type to ask the same of the person in front of her. Foul play was a term that didn’t have a space in her mind, and she would probably fall into a panic if she was set up, never mind if she needed to set up a trap herself. “Y-you even touched my stomach when we first met…” “Huh?” “Do not tell me you don’t know! To show one’s stomach is to devote oneself completely to lycanthropes! One does not even expose it to close family members!” How the hell was I supposed to know that rule? Are you actual dogs or what?! …But she probably wouldn’t believe him if he yelled that. “U-uh-huh.” He made a boneheaded noise and looked away. That made sense; now he understood the context of the “blade” that she’d mentioned then. He learned something new. Next time he would have to be more careful. “Well, see. I’m sorry for a lot of things. I won’t ask you to forgive me, but at least let me apologize.” Phyr groaned. “It was exactly as Uncle said. Expectations and hope aside, I cannot depend on or trust you.” “Rgh.” He faltered. He hated how he had nothing to say back. “—Now, I feel slightly relieved. I will accept your words of apology. But do not take it the wrong way, since I still loathe you.” “Yeah. Of course, that’s fine.” Willem nodded and whirled around to face what was behind him. “Okay, guys, it’s almost time to go…back…home…” His voice grew quieter, and he was almost inaudible by the end. Frigid stares were pointed mercilessly at Willem. “Sure. Let’s go.” Chtholly was looking at him with narrowed eyes and a clammy gaze. “I thought I knew you were this kind of person, Officer, but now I don’t know…” Ithea still beamed brightly, but her mouth was drawn taut. “Let’s hurry. They will stop selling airship tickets soon.” Nephren spoke lightly as usual, but her voice was somehow cold. “But I wanted to see more!!” And then there was Tiat, who was upset about something else entirely. While all four of them were different, there was no mistake that they were all mad about something. “Why did you choose such a dangerous way to do it?” The group made their way back to the clinic to pick up their dug weapons. It was Chtholly who asked that on the way. “Hmm?” So she was talking to him. She was probably in a better mood now. “There were so many other safer options than purposefully luring them into a deserted place, weren’t there? Is it because you wanted to show off or for some other stupid reason like that?” “Oh, no. I just wasn’t very confident. I was talking like I’d inferred everything then, but all that was assumptions based on experience. I recalled past cases where people acted in a similar pattern to these guys, then thought about what had been going on behind the scenes in those times. Then I just filled in the details as I watched their reactions. That’s why it was ideal to make it a situation where it seemed like we were feeling out each other’s intentions.” “Based on experience…? What kind of life teaches you how to do that?” “Well, it was a dangerous time. Working as a Quasi Brave meant I got wrapped up in some sort of power struggle at least once a month. Thanks to that, by the end, I could dodge a knife in my sleep, detect poisoned food on instincts alone. Pros use poison that has no smell or taste, so you can’t rely on your nose or tongue.” He cackled cheerfully. “…Is that supposed to be funny?” “It’s because I’m alive somehow. I wouldn’t be able to laugh if I were dead.” Chtholly frowned. He’d been somewhat confident with that joke, but it looked like it was a complete misfire. “All right, I’ll admit it wasn’t a great way to do it. But I figured you’d activate your venenum the moment you noticed something was wrong, and that’s exactly what happened. But you guys just finished a long battle. I shouldn’t have gone along with a plan that made you use your venenum. Tiat and Phyr were with us, too—” He was cut off before he could continue. Chtholly stood still. Willem stopped, too, two paces ahead of her, and turned the upper half of his body back to look at her. “You know that’s not it.” Her cool voice criticized him. “When I said a dangerous way, I wasn’t talking about us. We were in no danger at all. You were ready to fight the second you sat down on the crate.” Oops. “No, I wasn’t. I was totally relaxed.” “Three seconds.” … “What was?” “First you would take down the sheep behind you on the right. After the pebble feint, you would stick the sole of your shoe into his chest, then in the recoil leap, move a half step before the two deer to the right, then lob off their heads to take them out. Those two had knives, so you would pick one up, throw it, and take out two more. That would all be a little less than one second. To render them all powerless like that would be three seconds. Right?” (Man, I can’t believe this…) She’d seen through most of it. She was watching his gaze more carefully than he thought. No doubt she was watching everything, down to the subtlest changes in his posture. It had crossed his mind that she was being oddly quiet, but he couldn’t believe she had been thinking about this. “You’re overthinking things. There’s no way I could fight so recklessly, taking out five guys in one second or ten guys in three seconds like you.” “Don’t say you can’t. I’m probably the one person in the world right now who knows best how strong you are. Did you forget already? You’re the one who taught me how I fight now.” “…Right. You’re way too adept a student. I forgot.” Though she said taught, it had only been for a few days. And most of that time was spent drilling into her head how to use the Carillon properly. Even the physical techniques were not much more than paired move sets. He showed her all the named special moves themselves but never taught her the actual names. Would anyone have predicted that her powers of observation would grow so quickly after just that? “I’m sure the reason you mentioned for luring those guys out was partially true, but I think it was partially a lie. You could have found a safer way to do it. I don’t know why, but—” Her sharp gaze pierced him. “You wanted to fight, didn’t you?” Ah, yeah. He finally realized that possibility when she mentioned it. Maybe, unconsciously, he wanted to fight. Maybe he wanted to get violent. Maybe he wanted to take the risk pushing his wounded body. Maybe he wanted to thrust his feelings of distress from sending the faerie soldiers into battle while he stayed behind in safety onto a place that didn’t matter, onto people who had nothing to do with him. “I don’t know what you’re up to. But stop. You don’t have to fight anymore. I… We shoulder your battles now.” “—I have nothing to say to that. You really are watching me closely.” “Because I’m in love.” She spoke calmly. “C’mon, you’re slow!” Way ahead of them, Tiat waved her hands around angrily. He waved back lightly, and the two picked up the pace. 3. The Road Home, Still So Far Away “Phew! Finally on our way back!” As they neared the aire-port, Ithea cried out for joy. “I’m gonna sleep forever when we get back. I’ll be snoring like a man!” No one bothered to gently remind her of her gender. They all stood side by side, walking silently. Even without putting it into words now, they were all tired. It went without saying for Chtholly and the others, who hadn’t had a proper rest after two weeks straight of fighting, but Tiat, too, after leaving the island for the first time and running about—and being adjusted as a soldier—was just as exhausted. (…I have so much to do when we get back.) Activating venenum put a strain on the body’s blood flow. Blood circulation could go awry or stagnate after using it to fight a long battle, which could worsen the body’s condition. Tired muscles would get better after a bit of rest, but venenum poisoning was different. It could get better after a normal daily routine, but conversely, it could also easily become a chronic condition if repeated over and over in a short time period. (It doesn’t look like it’s clotting enough in weird places to cause fevers, but should I make them take a massage, just in case?) He looked down at his palm and lightly cracked his fingers. Though he had lost many of the things he held dear in the past, some of the techniques he’d mastered were, luckily, still useful in this world. Dealing with venenum poisoning was one of them. It was one of his specialties that his former companions (especially the older ones) generally appreciated. …Well, it wasn’t very popular among the younger girls. If he said it was related to their life span—or, to put it unpleasantly, “service life as a weapon,” then they probably wouldn’t run away. Probably. “I wanted to look around a little more…” Tiat glanced back reluctantly. “You’ll have the chance to visit again soon.” When he put his hand on her head, she swatted it away. “I told you not to treat me like a child!” As he pulled his hand back with a bitter smile— “Second Enchantments Officer Willem Kmetsch?” A voice without a single hint of affability called his name. When he turned around, there stood an unfamiliar man. His body was thin and wiry. He wore black sunglasses. His facial features were surprisingly like that of an emnetwiht for a semifer, except for his long white hair and his long, thin ears of the same color. A rabbitfolk. It was a semifer race, but unlike lycanthropes, their numbers were few. Willem knew that they existed, but it was his first time seeing one in real life. “…Who are you?” Willem narrowed his eyes, studying the rabbitfolk’s clothes. He wore a crisp officer’s uniform for the Guard. The badge of rank on his shoulder was that of a first officer. The design of his branch of services emblem that showed where he belonged was a shield and scythe—the military police. “It is as you can see. I am a first officer with the military police.” The airship was already beginning preparations to set sail. A crew member made his six hands into a megaphone and shouted in a shrill voice, “Please hurry aboard!” If they didn’t hurry, then they wouldn’t make it in time, and there were no more ships until tomorrow. “I learned of you through First Armored Forces Officer Limeskin.” “Okay. I don’t know what he wrote, but I don’t think I’ve done anything to get the military police’s attention.” At least, nothing that big lizard knows, he added to himself. “Certainly. The first officer wrote, ‘possibly interested in young girls’ in his report, but that itself does not warrant a reprimand. Personal tastes and interests are not enough to deserve that.” Okay, next time I see that big lizard, I’ll start off with a Nightingale Sweep and give him a good, swift kick. “And even if you did have some sort of predilection that involved the items under your management, it is none of our concern as long as it does not cause any malfunction on the battlefield.” All right, I’m going to pummel this bunny to shut him up right now. “All lies. It’s exactly because he doesn’t have any of those interests that I have to work so hard.” Wait, Chtholly, don’t insult me like that out loud! It hurts my feelings. “Then what do you want? You’ll need to reschedule if this’ll be long, because as you can see, we’re in a hurry.” “There is someone who needs to meet with you. Come with me.” “No,” he refused flatly. “How many times do I have to say it? I’m in a hurry. You probably know, since you read the report or whatever, right? I’m their director. Taking these guys back to the barracks…I mean, the warehouse, is one of my duties. I don’t know how important a first officer is, but I’m not gonna let you get in my way with a simple Oh, I see, sir.” “I cannot have you refuse. I am not here to run useless errands.” “Okay, looks like we’re parallel lines here. So how about we make like parallel lines and never cross, and part here?” As he responded lightly, he tried to slip past the officer. Then— “The Great Sage, Suowong Kandel.” The man murmured a name. Willem stopped in place. “According to the first officer’s report, you can adjust dug weapons. And of all things, you hold the position of second enchantments officer. What has been lost has been brought back. In this world, where we have lost the magnificent earth and all the people cling to small pebbles to survive, what that means is immense. Unbelievably so. That is why we cannot leave you alone. You must borrow the Great Sage’s wisdom regarding yourself and that technology. Should you resist, then I regret that I would have no choice but to mobilize the military police—” The man waved his hand lightly. Accompanied by the quiet shuffle of footsteps, a number of guardsmen appeared from the distance. Though their hands were nowhere near the hilts of their swords, it was unlikely that the long, curved blades slung onto their waists were meant for ceremonial purposes. “Now, this ain’t very diplomatic…” “Stop, Ithea. Don’t use your magic. This isn’t like the situation from earlier. If you make a fuss here, we’ll be the only ones at a disadvantage. These guys are the type of people who’ve already considered all that.” “…Understood.” Ithea gave a slight sigh of frustration and calmed her magic. “But then what are we going to do? We won’t be able to get home like this.” “I know.” As he answered, a single name ruminated in Willem’s mind. The Great Sage, Suowong Kandel. He knew that name. One name he could never forget. “I guess I do have to go see him,” he uttered. “Willem?” Nephren peered up into his eyes, wondering what was wrong with him. It was unusual for her steel mask to let slip such an easy-to-read expression, but she was just that unsettled. “First Officer.” “Yes.” “If I go with you, then will your guys take these kids back to Island No. 68?” All the faeries stirred restlessly. “On my badge, I will accept your request.” The rabbitfolk nodded. “Hold on.” A tug on his sleeve. “What do you mean, you’ll go with him? When will you be back?” “Well… About that, I can only really say once business is finished.” He shrugged. A tinge of anger swirled in Chtholly’s eyes. “Don’t go.” “Well, I can’t do that, either.” “I’ll be mad if you do.” “That’s pretty selfish.” “Shut up. You have treated me like a child this entire time, so you should at least humor this much selfishness. Or will you only treat me like an adult when it’s convenient for you?” She had hit him where it hurt. He was used to dealing with children, but he’d always had trouble dealing with girls who weren’t children. He didn’t know what she was thinking. He didn’t know what he should believe. He didn’t know what to say to make her happy. And more importantly—he didn’t know what to do to make her stop crying. “Don’t cry.” He reached out with his finger to wipe at her eyes. But his hand was violently smacked away. “I hate how you’re only nice now, of all times.” She was right. He thought so, too. But he didn’t know what else to do. He was always like this. Especially now. And he would probably always be this way. “Sorry.” He spoke selfishly and pulled his arm back. Chtholly’s fingers let go of Willem’s sleeve, grasped at the air, and with nothing to hold on to, simply balled into a fist. “…Stupid.” Chtholly muttered, hugging her hand to her chest. He couldn’t stay facing this girl alone any more than this. Willem lifted his head. “It gets cold on the ship at night, so wrap yourselves in a blanket from head to toe and get to sleep early. If you become cold, then it’ll be harder to smooth out your agitated venenum.” “Uh…huh, very well,” Ithea responded flatly. “…” Nephren gave no answer. “Um, ah, hmm.” Tiat busily looked back and forth between Chtholly and Willem, flustered, and it didn’t seem like she heard him. “Bye.” He pushed Chtholly away gently. He hadn’t been very forceful, but she took several unsteady steps forward. After somehow managing to fix her posture, her shoulders shivered. “Idiot!” That was all she said, and then she ran off without looking back. She practically threw her ticket at the crew member and dashed into the commuter loop airship. The crew member, caught off guard by her force, turned around and shouted a belated warning in her direction. “No running on the ramp, please!” “I’ve got nothing to say to that…” Her harsh words seeped into his bones. “Come on, you guys need to go, too.” “Well, we’ll go if you say so, Officer.” As Ithea tilted her head with a dissatisfied look on her face, a cart with sacks piled dangerously high rushed by her. “Whoops! Look out there, little lady,” the driver cautioned, which was a little too after the fact, but this was an aire-port, after all. A place where people and cargo were constantly coming and going, and they couldn’t stay standing and chatting, even if they were at the edge of traffic. “Are you okay with this?” —Ah, Nephren. Now it’s your turn. “Okay with what?” “You haven’t said what you need to yet. I will be mad, too, if you feign too much ignorance.” That was new coming from her. Nephren mad at him? No, he didn’t want that. There was no weirdness in her voice. It was the same as always, or at worst, smoother than usual. That was why he somehow understood that she was being serious. “I don’t wanna make promises I can’t keep anymore.” “You don’t feel like keeping them?” “I do feel like keeping them. But in this world, there are things I can and can’t do.” “It was you yourself who made Chtholly give such a promise.” He had nothing to say to that, either. You have to come back. That’s what he had said. He forced her to return safely, which would never have been allowed for a disposable warrior, even ignoring her own wishes, for the only unreasonable reason that he just wasn’t convinced. “You don’t have the right to say what you can and can’t do.” “Okay, okay. I get it. I can’t win.” He made a show of violently tossing about his own hair and peeled his gaze away from the faeries. To be honest, he didn’t know what kind of face he was making. He couldn’t even grasp the basics, if he was smiling or crying or scowling in anger. That was why he didn’t want to show anyone his cryptic expression. “I’ll finish my work here then head straight back,” he announced over his shoulder. “So go on home.” “Mm, understood.” He was sure Nephren was nodding in a place he couldn’t see. “…I’m not really happy with this, but oh well. Out of respect for the promise, we will back off for today. C’mon, pip-squeak, let’s go.” “Oh, uh, okay… But…” “No buts. Let’s go.” “Uhhhkay! J-just let me go!” As Ithea and Tiat clamored, the three faeries’ petite footsteps rushed off into the distance. There was the sound of a loud steam whistle that made something deep in his chest clench together tightly. There came a warning from the commuter airship crew member meant for rude customers. “Please refrain from running up the ramp!” “We could have prepared a ship for them,” the rabbitfolk muttered, watching them off. “They probably don’t want you to look out for them.” “I suppose they don’t like us very much… Come on now, some of you get going. Escort them to Island No. 68.” Three secret policemen obeyed his orders and ran after the faeries into the ship. The crewman yelled. The ramp lifted. The propellers made a piercing sound. The stabilizing arms released. Then the airship finally departed from Island No. 11. Along with the four faeries on board. —Leaving Willem, his back to them, behind. “At any rate, you have a very unique way of crying.” The rabbitfolk rudely went to take a peek at his face, and Willem threw a somewhat serious punch at him.