After opening the box, Satanás calls out into it. Benjamine and I watch on in silence, when suddenly, a low groan comes from inside. What was that...? It sounded like a demon; Benjamine seems to have had the same thought as we exchange glances, blinking in surprise. Wait, was that Prince Zenon’s voice...?
Benjamine looks at the box once more.
“I believe I’ve told you never to use this again.”
From the bottom of the box comes a very displeased voice conveying equally displeased words. It really is the prince.
The prince sure has some happy-go-lucky friends. As far as I’m familiar with his circle, Prince Zenon actually considers Satanás one of his best buddies, despite how he may act. They’re kind of like brothers who fight all the time. Rockmann’s relationship with Satanás, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of the one they both have with the prince. They’re like partners in crime—they just bring out the worst in each other, you could say.
Judging by the prince’s tone, he’s contemplating his retaliation for this disturbance. I should help him get his revenge if I get the chance. Still, we’re talking about Prince Zenon—he must be completely used to the rolling garbage fire that is Satanás, so I can just imagine him forgiving the man despite his anger. Good for you, Satanás, that the prince is so merciful.
“Look, it’s an emergency, okay?”
“Emergency, you say?”
“We’ve found that doll.”
“Are you serious?” asks the prince after a pause.
“A woman used it to go into the past, and she might make contact with us there. Would you mind helping us out before the order seizes this thing?”
“I’m in the middle of a military exercise.”
Turns out, the prince is in fact busy with a mock battle at the moment. Sorry to have bothered you at such an important time, Your Highness.
“Dude, our future is more important than some training drill!”
Satanás explains everything from the start. I’m sure the prince is confused to hear all this out of the blue, and it’s not like he’s not busy. I didn’t exactly understand everything right away either, and the prince isn’t even here, so I imagine he’ll have even more trouble than I did.
Despite the fact that the prince can’t see him, Satanás gesticulates wildly as he relays the situation in detail.
“Man, long explanations always wear me out,” he says at the end as he wipes his forehead, out of breath.
“I understand. If I am able to gain permission from the commander, I will head there with Alois.”
“Great. We’ll be waiting.”
Satanás moves his face away from the box and gives me a thumbs-up, as if to say we’ll be ready now. It’s a bit late to say this, but he probably shows far more initiative than anyone else in my circle of friends, including me. And though he doesn’t go showing it off, his magic is above average too. He should be able to advance from the rank of expert to that of master at Harré soon. As I look at Benjamine gazing at Satanás with a smile on her face, I sense that her falling in love with him probably has something to do with aspects of him most people can’t see from the outside.
“Alois!” comes the prince’s loud voice from the box.
The three of us turn our attention to it again.
“What’s going on, Noir?” calls out Satanás after a brief moment.
“Alois collapsed.”
“What?”
“He seems to be feeling a sharp pain in his brain...? Hey, healers, over here!”
The three of us don’t doubt what happened. It’s not like any of us speak out. We don’t discuss it at all. But each of us recalls what the gnomish old man said: “It will depend on how much that woman does to the man she’s after.”
Benjamine knits her brows as she looks at us.