“Hmph...that was something of a blunder. The ‘eyes’ I sent to infiltrate there have unfortunately been destroyed.” A voice rang out in the darkness—an elderly man’s voice, croaky and difficult to hear properly. The old man wore a hood over his head, so he appeared as one with the darkness surrounding him. Peeking out of a gap in the hood was a protruding bull’s horn. Besides that, the only thing visible was a crimson eye.
A number of the same flashing red eyes hovered in the surrounding darkness. None of those gathered here needed a light to see.
“Grr...so there was someone with sharp wits there. The ‘eyes’ I went to the trouble of sending there may be of no use either.” One of the red eyes floating in the darkness belonged to the Titan chieftain Lycaon, who growled.
“I’m terribly sorry...”
“I’m not blaming you. So, have you any details?”
The old man’s voice answered. “Yes. The woman who crushed my ‘eyes’ wore a chain mail cloak. She was most likely Spear of the Halberd Brigade. I have some memory of her distinctive weapon...although, I didn’t think she warranted too much attention just because of that spear. In addition, she used a power resembling the Skills of the Reincarnators...”
Lycaon sneered. “That heresy is popular these days. Even the priests of Phoebus have meddled with it. More than that, I’d like to know about the state of the city.”
“Using a trick left over from the Reincarnators, Halberd gave a speech to the city. He spoke as he was certain of an alliance with you, my lord...”
“I don’t recall making such a firm commitment as that. That sly old dog...does he think he’s removed any obstacles to our alliance? Well, fine. Now, what about Aegisthus?”
“He has already departed. The young lady...Princess Chimera is also with him.”
“Hmm.” For the first time, Lycaon grunted cheerfully. The darkness shifted. Lycaon changed his stance. “Did you hear that? Rejoice. You’ll get to meet your big sister.”
The red eye Lycaon spoke to was positioned near the ground. The light of the eye could barely be seen underneath many tattered blankets. It was laughing.
“Geh geh geh...” Though it was low and hoarse, it was unmistakably a young girl’s voice. “Not...my sister. My mom. She’s...my mom. Geh geh...gah!”
“It doesn’t really matter... What are you doing? Are you playing?”
There was a rasping sound, as of the ground at their feet being scraped at. The hand extending from the pile of blankets was writing something on the ground with a wooden rod. “Name. My name.”
“Kirisaki...who?” Lycaon strained his eyes in the darkness. He had asked the question because he couldn’t see, after all.
The girl’s hoarse voice answered proudly, “It’s Nui. Nui Kirisaki. Written to mean a damp cloth, it’s Nui! Geh geh...I have a good head for names.”
“...You’re a curious one. Well, call yourself what you like. However, your true name is Chimera. Chimera the undying of the Twelve Titan Generals. Don’t forget that.”
“Geh geh...” Was this an affirmation or an objection? The hoarse voice’s true intent was unknown. No one delivered any further messages in the darkness. One by one, all signs of Lycaon’s brethren vanished.
They were a whimsical lot. Lycaon’s lips curled up in an ironic smile. Finally, a Satyr boy lit a fire in the grotto before departing, so quickly it was more like fleeing. His triangular beast-like ears, which merged with the hair on his head, drooped idly, and the red eye with which he looked at his father was full of fear. The light illuminated a number of armaments displayed in the grotto—relics left by their brethren, slain by Dill, Apollonius, and the other warriors of Terea.
The pupil of Lycaon’s red eye narrowed into a vertical slit. He bared his sharp canines and spat, “Hated Aegisthus, emperor of populism. Do you really have no choice but to walk into this obvious trap? The Twelve Generals you killed have restored their number to what it was five years ago. Reincarnators and Tereans...the time is nigh when the invaders will all be left in ruin, and the dominion of this world will be put back in the hands of the Titan gods.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“An alliance with the Titans of the south, with whom you were locked in mortal combat until five years ago...? Is this really a good idea? At the very least, it seems they have reached an agreement through letters with Halberd, I suppose.” In a horse-drawn carriage, ascending the slope of the crater around Vulcan, Cirulia sat with her legs swinging as she questioned Dill—a girlish mannerism despite her age.
“Something tells me it won’t be so easy.” Dill, underneath the same canopy, bounced Nue on his knee. “The commander of the south, Lycaon, is cunning. There must be a reason behind his demand for Nue and me to come as delegates to broker this alliance.”
“So you mean to tell me that you’re leaping straight into the jaws of the enemy on purpose? What am I then, a side order of salad for them?”
“I’m Nue, the main course! A Hamburg steak!”
“We won’t make things easy for him either,” Dill said.
“I’ll make you the dessert!” As Nue rolled her head around, pressing it against Dill, he calmed her down by patting her on the head. Nue seemed pleased by the attention.
“Our general took the initiative by announcing this alliance, making it fait accompli as far as our side was concerned. If Lycaon betrays our expectations, the Boreans will be incensed, and we will no longer be able to form an alliance. Militarily, it’s impossible for the south to fight the Reincarnators alone. This alliance is vital to both sides.”
Nue clambered atop Dill’s head, and for a moment, Dill’s words were interrupted. “Someone as calculating as Lycaon will not kill us based on mere emotion. I am at least prepared for some harassment, though—for his amusement.” Although Dill didn’t put it into words, he had left Orestes in Vulcan on the off chance that this “harassment” exceeded his expectations. This decision had been made with the agreement of Halberd and Hathaway.
“In that case, I’ll protect Dill! Nue is very popular over there, you know?! Oh, I can’t stand it...!”
As if to brush away Dill’s pessimistic thoughts, Nue climbed on top of his shoulders and threw him a smile. At times, Dill himself was amazed by the way the children, this girl in particular, had saved him.
“Yeah. I’m counting on you, Princess.”
“Ah heh heh! Praise me more! I’m a beauty! I’m Nue!” Dropping down from above his head, Nue once again curled up in front of Dill.
“Please excuse me for interrupting at such an enjoyable moment.” The canopy of the carriage was opened. It was Mace, acting as the coachman, who stuck his head in. “We’ve reached the checkpoint. You can jump to the south at once through the long-range gate, but are you all ready?”
“Yeah, we’re fine. Let’s head straight on through...” There was a tug on Dill’s sleeve. Nue looked up at him with her mouth half open and her eyebrows raised. Her smile was boundless.
“Since we’re all here, let’s go in together—the three of us.” They were now in front of the Project’s respawn base, built on the gentler side of the slope of the crater around Vulcan. The withdrawal of the Project had left it abandoned, and it had been discovered once Foghorn’s stealth was undone. The fixed long-range teleportation gate was still functioning and, though it only permitted travel in one direction, it would dramatically reduce the length of their journey.
“...To be honest, I’m a little nervous. Once we pass through this, we may suddenly find ourselves surrounded by enemies.” Cirulia stooped slightly before the teleportation gate, which sparkled with the hues of a starry sky, outlined by its iron frame.
“Of course, we’ve already sent a few people through and have confirmed that it’s safe on the other side.”
“Even so...”
“Cirulia always worried about Dill just like this, right?” Nue, holding Cirulia’s hand, looked up at her. The three of them now stood together in a row, holding hands with Nue in the center. “It’s okay. Today, we’re together.”
“Yep. I suppose we are...” Nue’s hand was warm. Cirulia smiled, and then she exchanged a glance with Dill before they nodded to each other.
“Ready?”
“Yep.”
“Yay, yay!”
“Let’s go on the count of three!”
“Do we go on ‘three’? Or after we’ve finished saying ‘three’?!”
“Isn’t that an acceptable margin for error? If you’re so concerned, then you do the counting, Nue.” Cirulia gave Dill a glance, struggling not to laugh.
Nue flared her nostrils with enthusiasm. “Ready—on Captain Nue’s mark. One, two...”
“Three!” Dill and Cirulia said in unison with Nue, and they stepped forward at the same time. Nue, holding both their hands in the middle, was pulled forward and jumped into the gate after them.
There was a momentary sensation of weightlessness. The scenery changed, along with the weather. The humidity of the tropics washed over them. The south—the land where they had lost Iris. The land where they had met Nue.
“Y-You two tricked me?!”
The two adults let out peals of laughter. Nue soon laughed as well.
“Let’s go. This is the first step toward taking back Redguard.”