Chapter 105 - Bastions in Chaos (Part Two)

Pressing his fists to the ground, he stood up by overexerting his shaking knees.

The force of the heavy blows reverberated to his very core and his internal organs screamed as if they had been scrambled.

Lacerations and bruises could be reliably healed by simply sucking up the power of the earth via the soles. However, the unfamiliar techniques used by his opponent overcame such rough protection.

The enemy was one of the strongest in the Empire with an abhorrent attitude and a loathsome nature.

His techniques, perfected through training beyond human knowledge, toyed mercilessly with the foolhardy Garfiel.

However, there was no reason to cower due to lack of experience or age.

Garfiel, who was incapable of anything dexterous, simply required victory. He was unable to choose any other answer, and above all――,

???: [As if I could jus’ stay cowerin’ next to ya.]

Gritting his teeth, Garfiel looked up and let out a guttural groan from his throat.

His gaze remained fixed directly in front of him, while his attention was not on his unquestionable enemy, but the man standing beside him, his personal enemy.

???: [Oh dear. Your unrelenting spirit is a virtue, but isn’t it more reasonable in this situation to direct it at the old man over there, rather than at me?]

Garfiel: [It’s the “shelved Kagricon.” You’re the one blabbin’ nonsense. Ya did it long before I did.]

???: [That was about a year and a half ago now… Except for the things you already know about, and it admittedly doesn’t end there.]

Shrugging his thin shoulders, the man―― Roswaal responded curtly.

Without his makeup and clown costume in order to conceal his true identity, he retained the aura of a proper nobleman.

It was a masterful disguise that did not let show how twisted he was at his core.

It was true that without the advice of the detestable Roswaal, this would be a life-threatening situation.

Because Garfiel was aware of this, a feverish anger rose from the pit of his stomach.

On the other hand――,

???: [――I’m a bit confused about ya sayin’ that you’ve been in a fight with a shinobi before.]

This was muttered by an old man of small stature who could easily have been mistaken for a dwarf.

Waving the sleeve of his right arm that was missing below the wrist, and with an expression that made him look like a good-natured old man, it was completely unfathomable how terrifying this old man actually was.

Garfiel was painfully aware that it was also part of the shinobi’s techniques.

Everything about him, his gestures, words, actions, and even his feeble appearance were tools to bring nothing but death to his opponents―― Shinobi utilized their entire being as a deadly weapon to finish off their targets.

As the chieftain of the shinobi, this old man was staring at Garfiel and the other man―― or rather, at Roswaal. He was not accusing him for rudely intruding into a one-on-one fight, but he was concerned about something else.

――That he had fought a shinobi before, and the boastfulness of his statement.

???: [The basic rule of fightin’ a shinobi is ta lose yer life. In the case of the shinobi gettin’ killed in the attempt, the village gets notified and the next one is dispatched until the opponent dies. So how are ya still alive?]

Roswaal: [It’s a little complicated in that regard. Apparently, the shinobi I encountered also had their own circumstances. I don’t know if that’s the right word, but they were runaways.]

???: [Runaway shinobi…]

Olbart whispered, stroking his long white eyebrows with his fingers.

Garfiel did not understand the words that Roswaal uttered. The existence of shinobi was merely a slightly credible rumor to begin with, but even then the existence of their role was dubious.

Naturally, no one knew the actual reality of it. He had never even heard of the term “Runaway shinobi” before.

Olbart: [Shinobi who’ve escaped from the village, and couldn’t have done so for quite a while?]

However, instead of denying the unfamiliar words, Olbart was nothing but outspoken about their content.

It sounded as if he was aware of the situation concerning the village and those shinobi, as well as everything else probably being true. He grasped what was in his hands, not out of obligation, but as a way of life.

That was the secret of success in the life of the shinobi named Olbart Dunkelkenn――.

Roswaal: [I don’t know how long a while is for you, but it may be outside that range. At any rate, I met those shinobi almost forty years ago.]

Olbart: [Huh?]

With a shrug of his shoulders, the Vicious Old Man, Olbart, questioned Roswaal’s response.

The same question arose in Garfiel. Rather, it was more likely that everything he had said so far was just a casual utterance, and he admired the nerve of the man.

Although he never bothered to ask Roswaal’s age, he was at most around 30 years old―― which was different from Emilia or Beatrice. He was not even born forty years ago.

And with this ridiculous, last minute prank against Olbart――,

Olbart: [――Shasuke and Raizo, right? You’re talking about those runaway shinobi.]

Roswaal: [Oho.]

Olbart: [They left the village 40 or 50 years ago, and the only ones who’re still alive are their brothers. The others have been killed off, so there ain’t any other candidates.]

At Garfiel dismissing his story as a joke, Olbart played along even more tenaciously. Next to Garfiel who was staring bewilderedly, Roswaal closed one eye.

Looking back at Olbart with his eerie yellow eye,

Roswaal: [Well, I assume I’m obligated to answer whether you are right or not?]

Olbart: [Nah. It’s also valid ta hold yer opponent in suspense when a killing match is on a knife’s edge… Ya might have talent as a shinobi.]

Roswaal: [I appreciate the compliment, but I decline. The talent I desire and the path I want to walk have been decided long before forty years ago.]

Olbart: [Kakaka-kka! I see, I see. ――Well then, it can’t be helped.]

Roswaal, shaking his head, ignored Olbart’s praise.

Olbart laughed without paying heed to that, and immediately afterwards his figure became hazy. In the blink of an eye, the distance between the two disappeared. The Vicious Old Man’s foot leaped and struck his target in the neck.

However――,

Garfiel: [Hk!]

With a gentle breeze on his neck, Garfiel held his breath.

A deadly shock scattered at the nape of his neck, barely scraping his skin. Olbart’s kick was unleashed, only to be stopped just in time.

Roswaal: [Following the conversation just now, you aim not for me, but him.]

Olbart: [Diminish yer enemies. Easiest ones first. Pretty textbook, ain’t it?]

With a strength and sharpness one would not expect from such a small stature, even Garfiel’s well-trained neck could not have taken a direct hit from Olbart’s kick unscathed.

What stopped that reckless clash from becoming a reality was a distinctively shaped dagger cutting between Garfiel’s neck and Olbart’s kicking foot―― No, rather than a dagger, it was a weapon with parts to strike with. 

Called the “Sai”, it was an unknown weapon used in the western country of Kararagi, and even Garfiel was now seeing it for the first time. 

It had just saved Garfiel’s life.

The owner of the Sai was Roswaal, with the humiliating fact of adding a second consecutive rescue of Garfiel.

Garfiel: [Ooooooh!]

The moment he was scorched by this humiliation, Garfiel’s right arm launched up, killing the wind.

Naturally, the target was the Vicious Old Man, who remained suspended in mid-air on the axis of his kicking leg. Since he had no way to escape in mid-air, he would smash through his torso and make him unable to fight.

Olbart: [Whoa there.]

However, just before the strong arm struck him, Olbart ducked with an unusually deft body movement and leapt diagonally downward with only his toe hooked in Roswaal’s Sai.

Evading the unleashed fist by diving under it, Olbart pulled out of range in a crawling position. Immediately, Garfiel stepped in for the follow-up―― 

Roswaal: [How about we calm down for a bit?]

Garfiel: [Gah!]

The body that planned to jump in was pulled backward at the waist to take the wind of his sails.

Garfiel noticed Roswaal had hooked the tip of his Sai onto the waist of his clothes. He wondered what he was trying to do, and the moment he tried to snap at him, he figured out his intention.

Because a rotating black blade grazed Garfiel’s nose as it came flying by.

Garfiel: [Hk.]

Roswaal: [The moment you separated, he threw a flying blade at your blind spot with his hands behind his back. Putting the spin on it is just a petty trick, but shinobi have a whole treasure trove of that. Not to mention, our opponent is at the top of their class.]

Olbart: [If ya think something so pompous as being on top of a narrow space, people’ll point and laugh at ya. Being at the top of the shinobi ain’t something ta brag about.]

Unconcerned with missing the attack, Olbart closed one eye and looked at them vigilantly. 

Garfiel once again bit his teeth in humiliation at this exchange he was left out of. Roswaal had saved his life not once, nor twice, but three times already. 

In the fight against Kafma, there was a response to overcome a singular wall.

In spite of that, he could not do a single thing against these guys who were making a mockery of his fight with Kafma. This was a disgrace to Garfiel himself and to Kafma who had lost to him, but――.

Roswaal: [――Garfiel, do not misjudge his type of strength.]

Garfiel: [Huh…?]

Roswaal: [You are strong. So, your opponent tries to avoid fighting within your arena. Once you see through his wiles, most of the weakness you harbor should disappear.]

Roswaal pulled out another Sai as he said this to Garfiel, who was clenching his fist.

With short-strike weapons in both hands, Roswaal was no longer the Head Magician of the Court that Garfiel knew, but rather he was trying to maintain the appearance of a mere warrior.

There was a moment of confusion, but after a pause Garfiel understood his intention.

Roswaal had to abide by the restriction of not being able to use magic in this situation.

If Roswaal were to use magic, his true identity could be revealed. If that happened, this civil war within the Empire could unfold into a war between the Kingdom and the Empire.

Thus――,

Roswaal: [All I can do is provide cover… You are the key to this battle against this Imperial General First-Class, Garfiel.]

Garfiel: [――――]

Roswaal: [It’s true that we have bad chemistry. You are straightforward and honest, after all. That being the case, I will find a workaround for the deficiency that creates. So, I have…]

Garfiel: [――A nasty personality.]

Roswaal smiled wryly at Garfiel, receiving these twisted words out of Garfiel’s mouth.

Roswaal: [Yes, I have a nasty personality. Quite reliable, isn’t it?]

Garfiel: [Pah! Quit talkin’!]

With this response to the winking Roswaal, Garfiel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

He wiped the blood off that was still flowing from the earlier beatings and exhaled deeply. From the rumbling sky came the feeling of scorching heat and extreme cold, each no less threatening than the other.

Just the thought of these tingling sensations being directed at my comrades is enough to numb my entire body.

However――,

Garfiel: [Only for now.]

If I don’t focus on the enemy in front of me, there won’t be a next time or one after that.

Olbart: [Now that it’s two against one, it’s gettin’ annoying.]

Garfiel took a deep breath, and Olbart sighed at the situation. And at the old man’s words, Garfiel frowned with an “Oh?”,

What’s so strange about it? It may be annoying, but it’s been two against one since Roswaal showed up.

Garfiel: [You just have two opponents, so there’s no point in complaining about it being two against one.]

In response to Garfiel’s suspicion, Olbart bent his neck.

The Vicious Old Man grabbed his long white eyebrows,

Olbart: [It’s only two against one if two people are cooperatin’… What was just a couple of cheeky young’uns until now has started being annoyin’.]

Garfiel: [Then, how about you surrender, since you’re at a disadvantage?]

Olbart: [Kakaka-kka! Both fleeing from the enemy and abandoning the battle are the worst kind of disgrace, worse than a dog’s death. In addition, well…]

Garfiel: [In addition?]

Olbart flicked a plucked white eyebrow with his finger and bared his teeth.

Contrary to his smile, the small old man overflowed with a tremendous amount of fighting spirit,

Olbart: [――Pitting two against one ain’t a reason ta give up, for me.]

Instantly, the old man’s smile faded and his figure disappeared from view again.

Not only left and right, but in the case of the Vicious Old Man, the sky and underground were also options. Garfiel’s nerves were on edge at the prospect of those possibilities.

Roswaal: [――The inseam.]

At the prompting of an audible voice, Garfiel pulled back halfway.

A moment later, his eyes met those of the Vicious Old Man who rose up from under the earth,

Garfiel: [Oh, aaaahh!!]

A full-body blow was swung down while Olbart jumped up to his knees.

Garfiel’s fist slammed into the old man’s knees, which were like withered branches.

Shockwaves rippled through the ground, causing it to crack and spread terrific destruction.

With that first direct hit, a deadly battle in the truest sense with the shinobi had begun.

△▼△▼△▼△

――The hero arriving late.

Although there was something fateful about it, Subaru did not like that.

Strictly speaking, it was correct to say that he had been transported to another world, and in the process of experiencing various events in this world, he came to think, “Don’t screw with me.”

Subaru: [If this were a game, a manga, or within a story, it might be fine.]

Events in a fictional world needed such developments to liven things up.

However, for Subaru, who actually lived within this turbulent world, the sooner a hero, heroic figure, or person with abilities beyond human understanding appeared on the scene to resolve the conflict, the better.

It is best to have the hero show up as quickly as possible, and swiftly pull out the root of the problem.

If people said that it was not interesting from a narrative point of view because it was not about the story, that would be fine. One could discuss whether this was fun or not, only when they had the presence of mind to do so.

Subaru: [And yet it’s pathetic that we’re the last to arrive!]

Swaying on the back of a vivid cherry Galewind Horse, Subaru looked to the front in regret.

This battle all around the Imperial Capital would decide the fate of the Empire. It was hard to say who to complain to, but for now, Subaru burned with rage at his own block-headedness.

Even though he thought about how much he hated it, he ended up the same as a hero who arrived late.

After all――,

Subaru: [Isn’t this exactly like those heroes with a tendency for being late, being the ones most eager to achieve the best possible outcome in a fight!?]

The reason why late-arriving heroes put in so much work was surely because the heroes themselves were extremely regretful for being late.

The hero was painfully aware that his friends, the people he had to protect, or someone he did not want to lose, had been through hard and painful times in the meanwhile. That was why.

For the first time, Subaru learned the basis for the heroes’ struggles that followed from not being able to make it to the battlefield in time from the beginning. ――That they had blamed themselves, too.

Subaru: [Let’s do this, Beatrice!]

Beatrice: [El Shamak!]

With this understanding, the shadow magic of the little girl clinging onto Subaru’s chest was unleashed―― black clouds appeared out of thin air, one after another, and shrouded the heads of the lined up Imperial Soldiers.

Depriving people of their vision to diminish their fighting strength―― was not the case here. The soldiers with these shrouded heads were not being robbed of their sight, but rather, of their fighting strength itself.

Pleiades Battalion: [OOOHH, RAAAH――!!]

The line of Imperial Soldiers with shrouded heads being frozen in place had been crushed by the first attack of the Pleiades Battalion, which came rushing in with their outlandish fighting style.

Rendering them powerless in order to take away their weapons and armor, as well as break any of their limbs to leave them behind, had been the general tactic of the battalion, reflecting the fighting style and intentions of their boss, Subaru.

It was not like he was hell-bent on not killing anyone.

Still, he chose a method that would result in as few human deaths as possible. Doing so was best for Natsuki Subaru’s peace of mind, and at the same time――,

Subaru: [――I hate the Vollachian Empire.]

It was his revenge; against the Empire that forced people to fight and kill each other, just in order to be a warrior.

???: [Schwartz, we are approaching the city walls. We need to decide whether to continue into the Imperial City or to head to the other bastions to provide support.]

Shaking the ground, Gustav Morello rampaged with his extraordinarily huge visage.

Appointed as the governor of the Gladiator Island and the indispensable brain of the Pleiades Battalion, he wielded his four thick, strong arms and displayed tremendous combat power, keeping the approaching Imperial Soldiers at bay.

While Gustav’s powerful arm struck soldiers and effortlessly sent them flying over his head, Subaru saw the walls approaching―― the fourth bastion of the star-shaped wall that surrounded the city.

Conquering each bastion was the condition for gaining the upper hand in this siege.

Subaru: [What do you think Gustav-san!? How are we supposed to attack!?]

Gustav: [I am in no position to decide that. I shall just present the possible advantages and disadvantages. ――If we enter the Imperial City and reach the Crystal Palace, we can accelerate the conclusion of the battle. If we go to the other bastions to provide support, we can reduce the casualties on both sides with the help of our main force. That is all.]

Subaru: [How troubling! How troubling, but…]

While Gustav was dependable in keeping his cool even in the midst of a fight, Subaru hated his personality, since it never helped him make decisions in these situations.

Yet, presenting the possibilities never forced one to choose.

As Gustav continued to maintain the line, the Pleiades Battalion remained united without falling apart.

If there was one more reason for Gustav’s attitude, and the unity of the squadron――,

Subaru: [Gustav-san! Take Hiain and half of the flag bearers to support the other battles! Weitz! Take the other half and hold this position! I’ll leave it to you!]

As Subaru had been entrusted with making the decisions on the spot, he had to exercise it properly.

Gustav: [――I acknowledge my position.]

Hiain: [I’m on it, bro! We’re are all in this boat together!]

Weitz: [Of course we’re in the same boat, lizard…! Since it’s your request, I’m gonna listen…]

Hearing Subaru’s decision, everyone who had been called upon replied, one after the other.

He had made the extravagant decision to take both of the options presented by Gustav. Even so, that would have to be done by dividing the forces to each battlefield but――,

Subaru: [――If it’s us then we can do it!]

One could easily see how the enthusiasm of the members of the squadron heightened further at Subaru’s declaration.

And that was precisely why they were comrades who he fought together with from that hellish island, before making their way over here.

Idra: [Schwartz, what should we do!?]

Subaru: [It’s a no-brainer! We’re going to make a grand entry across the wall!]

Idra questioned him, as he held the reins of the Galewind Horse, galloping along with Subaru.

Subaru answered the obvious question cheerfully, as he pointed to the ramparts in front of him. Then, with his eyes fixed on the imposing wall, he opened his mouth and said,

Subaru: [Destroy it, Tanza! I’m counting on you!]

???: [――Schwartz-sama sure is slick.]

Receiving Subaru’s shout of encouragement, a small shadow agilely jumped out directly from his side.

Lifting the hem of her kimono, and kicking off the ground in a dash as she headed to the ramparts, came Tanza. She was an indispensable member of the Pleiades Squadron, having come to work with Subaru through a strange quirk of fate.

Simply being―― she was the strongest attacker in the Pleiades squadron.

Tanza: [――Haa!!]

Flying like a bullet, Tanza spun in mid-air, followed by the geta she wore on her feet piercing the ramparts.

One beat later, the robust rampart was shattered and Tanza’s figure penetrated beyond it. The shockwave created a crack in the fourth bastion of the rampart, and the crack spread across its entirety.

Subaru: [Go go go go gooo――!!]

Everyone: [Ooooo――!!]

Then, with Subaru’s order, the momentum of the Pleiades Squadron crashed directly into the spot where Tanza had struck the first blow.

It was no longer an attack by an individual squadron member, but a blow from a single living entity, the Pleiades squadron, in which even the walls of the Imperial City of Lupugana, that had prided itself on its strength, were not able to hold back.

Subaru: [――――]

There was a thunderous roar and a terrible cloud of dust, and then, the ramparts were opened by force.

Seeing this overwhelming spectacle, Subaru took up a triumphant pose, while Beatrice in his arms opened her round eyes wide.

Beatrice: [For that wall to be so easily… that’s too absurd, I suppose…]

Tanza: [――That’s the Pleiades Squadron for you.]

Tanza descended from the dust in answer to Beatrice’s horrified muttering.

Dusting off her kimono, she was the sort of girl whose facial expression barely stirred, however, on this occasion she seemed to be just a little proud of herself.

Even though she did not show much camaraderie, she was conscious that she was a member of the Pleiades Squadron. Otherwise, she would not have been affected by the “Power of Unity”.

However, Beatrice did not seem to like Tanza’s attitude.

Beatrice: [You have a cocky expression in fact…!]

Tanza: [Call me cocky, but I was born with this face.]

Beatrice: [Facial expressions are different, I suppose! They can be changed, in fact.]

Louis: [U–! A–,U–!]

Looking down at the clearly aloof Tanza, Beatrice, who was on horseback, went flush in the face. Then, as if taking Beatrice’s side, Louis, who had been clinging to Subaru’s back, also began to make a fuss.

Subaru shouted, “Wait, wait, wait, calm down!” to the frenzied girls.

Subaru: [Don’t fight! We are a team! Comrades! One Unit!]

Beatrice: [Un…?]

Tanza: [Understood, Schwartz sama.]

Beatrice: [Grrrrr, I suppose.]

Beatrice cocked her head in confusion at the unfamiliar echo while Tanza bowed at it with familiarity.

Knowledge of Gladiator Island was the difference between those reactions, but Subaru’s lips curved as the atmosphere seemed to become more and more like a spark for Beatrice’s anger.

However, rather than Subaru moving to mediate there――,

???: [Damn you, prepare yourself――!]

Subaru: [Gwe?]

A lone Imperial Soldier, creeping up amidst the dust created by the collapsed walls, raised his sword and aimed it at Subaru on horseback.

Even if it was hard to believe, Subaru was clearly the leader of this group to this enemy soldier facing him. It was the style of the Empire to not underestimate children, even if they did not know any better.

Therefore, the soldier’s sword was indifferently aimed towards Subaru――、

Louis: [Uau!]

Instantly, the force holding Subaru from behind became stronger, and his vision changed in a flash.

What happened was plain and simple: in the blink of an eye, the Galewind Horse moved―― No, it teleported away from the spot it had been standing just before.

Idra: [Wh-What…? Uurf.]

The sudden teleportation astonished Idra, who held the reins, and then he involuntarily vomited as his internal organs were stirred up. Subaru also remembered the sensation of this unusual power Louis possessed.

Then――,

Beatrice: [Shamak.]

Imperial Soldier: [Wha-!? Ku… Kua!?]

The short chanting of Beatrice clouded the senses of the Imperial Soldier, and Tanza’s fluid kick splendidly mowed down the legs of the stunned Imperial Soldier, knocking them out flat to the ground.

After this momentary display of teamwork, the two who achieved it exchanged glances from on and off the horse.

Tanza: [Excellent work.]

Beatrice: [You too, your movement wasn’t bad, in fact.]

Thus, the tense atmosphere that had prevailed earlier completely changed, as they acknowledged each other.

Subaru: [Well, it’s good to see little girls warming up to each other… By the way, Louis! Don’t do that so suddenly, you’ve turned Idra’s stomach inside out! Even though it helped a lot!]

Louis: [Ah, uh!]

Subaru: [Hmmm, good answer! Idra, take a deep breath! This might be the first and last time that happens.]

Idra: [I, I’ll try my best…]

With the power of Louis’s teleport, at least one unforeseen accident had been averted.

If push came to shove, Subaru would not hesitate to make use of it, no matter how much Idra was about to throw up.

Subaru: [Not like I could handle two or three in a row to begin with… Gustav-san! Hiain! Weitz!]

At the call of the reinvigorated Subaru, the faces in front of the collapsed wall looked back at him. One by one, they looked into the eyes of that familiar face with a firm gaze.

Subaru: [I’m counting on all of you!]

Gustav: [My job is to fulfill my duties. You should do the same.]

Weitz: [Let’s get it! Time for the triumphant return of the Pleiades Squadron in its full and imposing force!]

Hiain: [Schwartz, we’ll defend this place to the last… Go take that throne…!]

Gustav’s group headed off to another battlefield, Weitz’s group stopped to defend the collapsed walls, while Subaru left his dependable men to their respective posts as he poked Idra in the chest with the back of his head.

As he got headbutted, Idra looked like he was holding Subaru in his arms as he rode the Galewind Horse,

Idra: [Well, we got in. Looks like we’re the first ones.]

Laughing bravely, Idra rode his galloping horse over the wreckage of the city walls into the inner city. While swinging around on the same horse, Subaru had also entered the Imperial City of Lupugana.

The cityscape of the Imperial Capital hidden within the high walls could not be seen in its entirety from the outside, but it was a methodical, orderly, and disciplined arrangement of buildings.

Subaru: [The city’s representative must be a nervous wreck to build it like this.]

If the person in question had been listening, they might have argued how impossible it was for them to be responsible for adding on to a city that was built hundreds of years ago. 

So, having stated this one-sided impression, the Pleiades squadron surged into the Imperial Capital.

Their goal was――,

Beatrice: [Subaru! What should we do, I suppose!?]

Tanza: [Schwartz-sama, what shall we do?]

Louis: [Uau! Au, aa, u–!?]

Subaru: [Of course, it’s obvious! Head straight to the Crystal Palace of the Imperial City! Let’s rub this warm welcome straight into the pompous face of his Excellency the Emperor!]

Subaru, having been asked this question by all the girls at once, responded to them collectively.

Beatrice, Tanza, and Louis nodded in reply to Subaru’s answer, but only Idra, who was forced to be close to all of them, muttered quietly.

Idra: [With four children on the battlefield… I guess I didn’t have the talent of a warrior after all.]

Yes, that was a fitting thought for a miller.

△▼△▼△▼△

――At the same time that the Pleiades Battalion led by Natsuki Subaru breached the city walls and were the first to finally enter the Imperial Capital of Lupugana.

???: [Surely, no one expected them to be so persistent.]

At the Crystal Palace, the very place that all the rebels, who were laying siege to the Imperial Capital in their plans to overthrow the very foundations of the Empire, had set their sights on and were burning their lives to get there.

The throne room was located in the most elevated, most prestigious room in the castle. With the national banner of a wolf being pierced by a sword hoisted on the wall behind it, and a blood-red carpet laid out before it, there was the throne aggregating all the authority of this Empire, and the Emperor sitting on it.

Young, intelligent, and as ruthlessly beautiful as a finely sharpened blade, the Emperor did not change his complexion even as the masses came flocking in with their swords pointed at his throat.

Despite what he himself had said, the situation nevertheless surpassed his expectations.

Even though――,

???: [Out of the countless threads you have laid out, up to which layer were you referring by that?]

???: [――――]

As this was the throne room, those words were too irreverent to be uttered to the Emperor who was seated on his throne.

However, there was neither a loyal retainer to condemn nor any soldiers to behead that insolent man, and the room echoed with the sound of the intruder’s presumptuous footsteps on the carpet.

There was also another inscrutable thing missing from the throne room.

If there were others in the room, they would have frowned upon this fact. ――Or perhaps they could not even have frowned.

Because in order to recognize that fact, one would need to have sufficient reason to break through the impeded recognition.

A gift had once been presented to an ancient Emperor from a tribe he shared a friendship with.

A mask that took after the Oni Clan, a clan created for the sake of killing the most terrifying existences in the world, making those gazing upon it to avert their eyes in fear of what laid on the other side of the mask.

Therefore, it was not easy to recognize that the tone of voice of the person wearing the Oni mask was exactly the same as that of the Emperor.

Then, a presence appeared before the Emperor Vincent Vollachia, with the same tone of voice as the Emperor, and walked proudly and fearlessly through the throne room as if it were his own.

It was――,

Vincent: [Unsurprisingly, you are emotionless to the very core. ――Even when you look up from below at the throne you were ousted from like this.]

It was the triumphant return of the rightful Emperor, who had had no recourse but to abandon his throne before.