He hated the purebreds with a vengeance.
Mira couldn’t deny that the queen could be in Salinger’s sights.
“Now, Your Majesty, I have a proposal to make.”
The head of the Hydra produced a handkerchief. He wiped away the water he had spilled on the table.
“Allow each of the royal families to guard you with members of our personal forces until the capture of Salinger. You are the leader of the Zoa, after all. I am sure you believe Lou and Hydra guards to be unnecessary, but that may place you in danger.”
“Are you suggesting this in case Salinger has compromised the Zoa guards?”
“Indeed. He may hypnotize people or send a puppet into the guards. He has a command over many astral powers, so we should assume that he has one or two capable of such a feat.”
The queen would be left open to attack if she relied on the Zoa guards alone. The argument was sound for having the Lou and Hydra guards protect her as well.
Mira couldn’t get a word in. She couldn’t help but fixate on the fact that Arken’s proposal seemed a bit too well prepared.
“So, Your Majesty, we recommend Francoise from the House of Hydra.”
“Y-yes…!”
The doors of the meeting room opened.
A small, black-haired girl timidly gave a rushed bow in front of the roundtable.
Francoise Alek Hydra.
She had been adopted into the Hydra family. If Mira’s memory was correct, the girl had a special astral power called “Silhouette.”
“P-please leave it to me, Your Majesty! I will protect you with my life if I must!”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. Francoise may be somewhat shy, but her skills are undeniable.”
The head of the Hydra gave a smile that showed his confidence in her.
“And she knows how to act as an attendant as well. She will be able to serve you as a guard and as a servant as you bathe.”
“Very well…” The queen reluctantly acquiesced. It seemed she was still hesitant to accept the proposal. “I will put out the order for Salinger’s arrest. And we will increase security measures in the central state posthaste. We’ll place a bounty on Salinger’s head and solicit witness reports.”
“Yes, right away!”
The head of the military police saluted.
Now there was no place more dangerous for Salinger to be than the central state. The moment Mira realized this, her legs began to move on their own.
She couldn’t stop the flow now. Not even as a princess.
“Schwartz, I leave the rest of the meeting to you.”
“M-my lady?!”
The meeting had not ended yet. Though everyone stared at her, she abandoned the table and left the room. She didn’t have a moment to spare.
“……Salinger.”
She balled her hands into fists.
She was impatient. She was feeling sick. If she had stayed for longer, she likely would have pulled out her knives and started a scene.
……They’re all after Salinger.
……They’re trying to steal the only person who knows how to entertain me!
She couldn’t let them.
Especially if they were falsely accusing him of crimes someone else had committed. She refused to give him up to anyone in the palace.
“……Salinger, you are my enemy and mine alone.”
Don’t go to the palace.
Leave the central state right away. Go to the deepest reaches of the Sovereignty.
Even the woods or mountains would do. If he lay low for a few months, even the queen would forget a criminal like him.
……He doesn’t need to be in the central state. I’ll go to him.
……No matter where in the Sovereignty you are, I’ll go to fight you!
So don’t come now.
If he stayed in the central state, he would be captured in the blink of an eye.
“This is no joke.”
She pulled a notebook from her pocket and tore out a blank sheet.
✦ ✦ ✦
Central state, city outskirts.
The sound of insects shook the air of the countryside. The red light entering from the curtains informed him it was sunset.
“…………”
In his small cabin he had refashioned into his base, Salinger stared at his comm while sitting on the edge of his bed.
✦ ✦ ✦
Seventh Queen, Mirabella, On, Logias, Growley, Shaklek, Kospital…Schwartz, Harley, Gauch.
✦ ✦ ✦
It had all only happened the day before.
Shaklek of the Lou’s Astral Guard had been attacked. Members of the Zoa and Lou were being attacked one after the other and put into comas.
……The Hydra are behind this.
……But they can pretend to be victims by pinning everything on me.
The Hydra were likely celebrating the fact that Salinger had attacked one of their own. Now that a precedent had been established, the truth that only the Zoa and Lou were being targeted would be observed.
Or…
What if they had lured him into this situation?
Had the Hydra intentionally allowed him to attack one of their own, knowing they could use him as a scapegoat?
……And there’s not enough information on the chip.
……If I release the data, it won’t be conclusive evidence of the Hydra’s secret activities.
The Hydra had been waiting for the most suitable scapegoat to enter the stage.
“There’s only so much you can do to disrespect me, Hydra! You think you can bring me into your game as a sacrifice?!”
He stood up.
Based on the red light that entered the gap in the curtains, the sun would be disappearing soon.
……Come to think of it.
……It’s evening. What happened to Mira’s plans for our next fight?
They hadn’t made arrangements for a battle. If this kept up for a few months, they would both grow antsy. He knew that, but…
“How irritating…”
…he did not feel like fighting.
This was the first time he was not looking forward to one of their battles.
……Mira was on the Hydra’s list.
……So she’s also being targeted.
A foreboding feeling took hold of him and dampened his enthusiasm.
Though he knew that Mira would be able to handle any would-be assassins, he couldn’t help but fixate on what the Hydra were doing—it seemed too unnatural.
And what was the “subject” at the end of their list?
He had started to walk, unable to come up with an answer.
“Mira?”
Just then, the countryside air swirled around him. However, he didn’t find the girl who would always appear in her raincoat when this happened. Instead…
“A message…?”
He found a scrap of notebook paper held down by a rock in the middle of the road.
A single sentence had been scrawled on the piece of paper.
✦ ✦ ✦
Leave the central state. Whatever you do, steer clear of the palace.
✦ ✦ ✦
What a joke.
Though the person who had written the note should have at least signed it with their initials, he didn’t see any signature. And yet he knew that it was from her.
……It has to be from you.
……After all, you’re the only one in the entire world who gives me commands, Mira.
She had the arrogance to boss him around.
He couldn’t tell it was her based on the handwriting, but the content of the note was pure Mira.
……She wants me to stay away from the palace.
……Just as planned, then. The Hydra are trying to capture me and make me into a scapegoat.
Mira was trying to help him get away.
However…
This wasn’t right.
“The Hydra aren’t actually after me. They’re after you, Mira.”
Mira was the favorite to win in the conclave. She was the one the Hydra were after.
“But how do you Hydra scum plan on targeting her?”
She was the most powerful queen candidate in all of history. Unless they sent several purebreds after her, Mira would be able to turn the tables on almost any assassin.
……The Hydra won’t attack her directly.
……It’ll be poison. Or they’ll strike while she’s asleep or in the bath. Or they might use a special hypnotic type of astral power.
He could not determine how they would do it.
No matter how much he thought about it, Salinger couldn’t come up with an answer. The moment he realized that, his legs began moving as though they had a mind of their own.
If he could not find the answer, he could simply ask someone who knew.