Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Second Hero, Elliot 

More so than Suimei expected, Felmenia and Lefille seemed to get along well. As was evidenced by their first meeting, both of them were polite, diligent girls with a strong sense of justice. Both the way they thought and their general dispositions were quite similar, so they had a great deal in common and it didn’t take much time at all for them to open their hearts to one another. 

And since there wasn’t a single spark flying between them, Suimei had absolutely no worry about them living with and being around each other. And fortuitously for Lefille, her new friend was someone who was well versed in the magic of this world. Lefille was somewhat vexed that she couldn’t attend the Magic Institute as she was, so getting lessons from Felmenia was a nice substitute for the time being. 

It was just that, sometimes, it looked like she was restraining Felmenia. Suimei was sure it was just his imagination, so he didn’t pay it any mind. Two days after Felmenia came into town, the three of them visited the local branch of the Adventurer’s Guild known as the Twilight Pavilion. 

Suimei and Lefille hadn’t been by a guild office since they’d repelled Rajas, so they were planning on checking in to report and to apply for activities within the Empire. And after providing the female receptionist with a somewhat sanitized version of what occurred with Rajas and the demons, they were just about finished with putting all the formalities in order. 

“...I understand. Thank you for your work. Even our branch has heard of the matter in Astel. It’s regrettable about the trade corps and the members who were accompanying them...” 

“It certainly is. I’d also like to apologize for providing the report so late.” 

With that, Suimei bowed his head to the receptionist. The matter with Rajas had weighed on him quite heavily. He’d withdrawn from the trade corps commission halfway through, but since all the other members had lost their lives, he felt like the least he could do was make a proper report on the incident. With the situation he’d found himself in, however, he’d been completely waylaid in checking in until now. But with this, a load had finally been taken off his shoulders. 

“That’s not necessary. It doesn’t sound like there’s anything else that could have been done. We’re just glad to see that you’ve arrived here safely. And regarding that, Yakagi-san, our support for you has been rather frugal, so do let us know if you require anything.” 

“Thank you very much.” 

After thanking the Twilight Pavilion receptionist who’d offered to help out with anything he might need hereafter, Suimei returned to the table where Felmenia and Lefille were waiting. Lefille was gulping down some grape juice from a porcelain cup she was holding with both hands, and Felmenia was looking around at the interior of the building in her usual rather composed fashion. Giving them a salute and letting them know that all the formalities had been taken care of, Suimei sat down at the table with them. Felmenia immediately looked at him with a question. 

“Was that alright?” 

“Hmm? What do you mean?” 

Suimei strained his face as if his nose was blocked up and asked for clarification. Lefille explained in Felmenia’s stead. 

“Regarding the report you made just now... We could hear you from here, and you talked about the events in more detail than we thought you would. With that much information, you know it’ll end up reaching this Hadorious or whoever, right? Wouldn’t that be disadvantageous for us?” 

“I wonder... From what I’ve heard, the reason he used me as a decoy in the first place was because it was part of a some grand plan, right? It wasn’t like he was out to kill me off or anything, though he probably didn’t even spare a single thought about my safety,” said Suimei. 

“That is certainly true. If not for the matter with Rajas, I do not think that Duke Hadorious would have resorted to such means. He probably only sees you as a good friend of the hero who possesses absolutely no power,” agreed Felmenia. 

“I see. Still... keeping him in the dark could only benefit us. If our opponent is unaware of us and our whereabouts, then he can’t make a move on us, you see. In short, being overly forthcoming on our part very well may be a misstep,” Lefille explained as she set aside her cup. 

Certainly the position they were in right now was advantageous. Unlike here in the Empire, they had used fake names when visiting Kurant City, so it was likely that Hadorious wasn’t even aware that Suimei was still alive. And if they kept things that way, he couldn’t use them anymore. What Lefille was suggesting, then, was that Suimei had essentially cut his throat with his own tongue by saying too much. Suimei, however, knew the risks and had only acted after considering the potential outcomes on a scale. 

“If this is going to go one way or another, I’d rather he just go ahead and make a move. If he does, then it’s an open invitation for us to bite back, after all. So if he’s gonna mess with me, then I would kindly invite him to come at me already.” 

After making that fearless declaration, he tacked on that they’d be able to get a better read on Hadorious if he came after them, and with that, concluded his point. Lefille then added her own two cents. 

“How unexpected. To think you were that inclined towards conflict...” 

“This Hadorious guy is a noble who’s willing to drag in innocent bystanders and use them as cannon fodder. If he’s shameless enough to even nonchalantly use ‘the good friend of the hero,’ then if things got serious, he would probably use Reiji and the others too. No matter what his true motives were, he’s not someone we can just leave at large for long.” 

“It is fine if we can somehow keep him in check from here, but Duke Hadorious is a difficult opponent to make a move on even for His Majesty...” 

“Well, that’s feudalism for you. What are you gonna do? And besides, I’m not interested in staying indebted to the king, either.” 

Acknowledging what a difficult problem it was, Suimei let out a grand sigh and brought that conversation to a close. He then began consulting the two girls on what to do next. As they were talking, a clear, beautiful voice called out to them. 

“Excuse me, you three... Could I bother you for a moment?” 

“You mean us?” 

“Yeah.” 

Suimei turned around as he replied, and he was met with the very definition of a beautiful boy. Blond hair, blue eyes, delicate skin. He looked like he could be from Northern Europe, but his complexion wasn’t quite pale enough. Nevertheless, he was very sexy. He had a different allure than Reiji, a man who the word “pretty” described quite aptly. This boy appeared to be about Suimei’s age, and his clothes had something of a foreign look to them. They were a bit different from what most of the people in the Empire wore. 

Collecting his thoughts on his first impression of this young man, Suimei suddenly realized that everyone within the building was astir. If he had to guess, he would have wagered it was because this young man was talking to them. 

“Sorry for the sudden intrusion. My name is Elliot Austin. As for my identity... Though it’s a little strange for me to say so myself, if I said I was a hero, would you understand?” 

When the young man introduced himself, everyone at Suimei’s table joined the stir that had come over the guild hall... 

“And over here is the priest from the Church of Salvation who is accompanying me.” 

“I am called Christa.” 

When Elliot introduced her, the young woman who was standing just behind him and to the side took off her hood, gracefully lifted the sides of her skirt, and curtsied politely. She had green braids hanging down over her shoulders, and an unchanging, sullen, stiff expression on her face. She was a young woman who appeared to be quite high strung. Elliot then shifted his gaze to Lefille. And upon realizing she had his attention, she looked quite surprised. 

“By the look on your face, it seems that you have an idea as to what’s going on.” 

“It couldn’t be... Did you also receive an oracle?” 

Trembling in shock, Lefille’s voice faltered as she squeezed those words out. Elliot smiled at her and replied in a refreshing tone. 

“That’s right. I received an oracle from the Goddess Alshuna, you see, so I came to pick you up.” 

He came to pick her up. That’s what Elliot said. Did that meant this young man was the hero summoned in El Meide, the one who was to go on a journey with Lefille? 

“As expected, you match how the oracle described you to the letter. Could you tell me your name?” 

“I-I’m... Lefille Grakis...” 

“Lefille Grakis. Hmm... Lefille-chan, then. It’s nice to meet you.” 

With that, Elliot flashed a smile and his porcelain hand to Lefille. Was it an expression of affection? Or perhaps... 

“Now then, in accordance with the Goddess Alshuna’s oracle, come with us.” 

“Th-That’s...” 

Lefille was bewildered. Elliot was speaking and acting as if it was perfectly expected that she would come along. And since the conversation was moving forward all on its own without him, Suimei leveraged his way into it. 

“Can I say something?” 

“And you are?” 

“I’m her companion, Suimei Yakagi. You suddenly introduced yourself and ran with it, but... Are you really the hero?” 

Christa appeared quite irritated at what Suimei was implying. She stepped forward as if ready to scold him for being suspicious of them, but Elliot swiftly raised an arm to hold her back and spoke in her stead. 

“That sort of suspicion is only natural, I suppose. It is certainly possible for people out there to assume the name of the hero, after all. However, what I say is the truth. Let’s see... In my case, Christa and the people of the Twilight Pavilion can vouch for me.” 

“Even the people here now?” 

“Not long ago, I went with guild members to subjugate some monsters. I do believe that they are well aware of my capabilities.” 

As Elliot made that statement to give a glimpse at his identity, Suimei looked around at the people in the hall. Several of them nodded to confirm what Elliot had said. So the reason the crowd was astir earlier was because they knew of this young man’s identity... Seeing the hero approach a stranger without hesitation must have been an interesting scene indeed. 

However, just what did it mean that Suimei was able to understand the language this boy was speaking with a totally different feel to it? Suimei had a good ear for the tongues of his own world, so even if what he was hearing was a translation, he should have been able hear the particulars of the language itself when he focused. The fact that he couldn’t do that now suggested this young man wasn’t summoned from his world. 

Lefille then made a stern expression and turned to Suimei. 

“Suimei-kun, this young man also matches the description I got from the oracle. It seems quite certain he is indeed the hero summoned in El Meide.” 

“Yes, there is no mistaking that Elliot-sama is the summoned hero of El Meide.” 

Christa quite adamantly vouched for him as well. Elliot then put one hand to his chest and turned to Suimei with a wink. 

“So how about it? With this, I do believe that you can trust who I am now.” 

“That you’re the hero, anyway.” 

“Then—” 

“I’ve heard what’s going on from her, and I can accept that much, but having to go along with it is an entirely different story.” 

“Pardon?” 

“The idea that she has to play along with this no matter what... Are the oracles of your dear god that absolute?” 

Suimei presented his doubts quite plainly. He was asking something that may have been considered quite obvious to the people of this world, but he had to say it. And the one to reply was Christa. 

“Of course. It is the will of our esteemed Goddess. As those who have received her blessings, we have an obligation to adhere to her words.” 

The people of this world directly received oracles, or, as Lefille would put it, blessings from the Elements and the Goddess. And since Lefille herself was a descendant of the Goddess’s right hand, she felt especially compelled to honor the Goddess. But even then... 

“What happens if the person in question doesn’t want to do what she was told?” 

“But she must,” Elliot declared bluntly. 

Despite being from a different world, the fact that he was so certain of Alshuna and her will... It wasn’t exactly clear at present, but there was likely a reason he had no doubt about the oracle. But even so, it felt strange for him to ask what he was of Lefille in her present condition. Pondering all this, Suimei posed him a question. 

“You’re going off to subjugate the Demon Lord or whatever, right? And you’re going to bring along someone who can’t fight?” 

“I must admit I also feel awkward in that regard.” 

Presented with such a reasonable objection, such a reply was only natural. 

“Then—” 

“However, the fact that I received an oracle regardless means that there is a reason that she must come with me, right?” 

“That’s reading far too much into it, isn’t it?” 

“But these oracles passed down to us are something so exquisite and extraordinary that our minds cannot possibly comprehend the true meaning behind them. They must simply be taken as divine.” 

“Even if you say it like that while gesturing like you’re in a drama, it doesn’t connect to belief in the Goddess, you know?” 

Suimei shot down Elliot’s grand manner of speaking and gesticulating. Christa was the one who came at him next. 

“From what I’m hearing...” 

“Hmm?” 

“From what I’m hearing, you seem to be making naught but statements denying the oracle. Are you saying that you oppose not just the hero Elliot-sama, but also the will of the great Goddess Alshuna?” 

“Th-That’s...” 

Christa was lording over the group with a sharp gaze. And having that cast upon her, Lefille faltered. Normally, the mere threatening gaze of some girl wouldn’t cause even a fragment of anxiety within Lefille, but with Alshuna added to the mix, it was only natural that she cave. It was there that, to throw Lefille a lifeline, Felmenia challenged Christa with a tense attitude that was quite unusual for her. 

“It is certainly true that the word of Alshuna is important, but are you not ignoring the circumstances too inconsiderately? I do believe it is far too hasty of you to take Lefille along with you right here, right now.” 

“And I do believe everyone is well aware that we are not in a situation where we have any time for leisure. The Kingdom of Noshias was brought to ruin by the demons, and just the other day, the hands of evil dug their fingers into the Kingdom of Astel, as you may know.” 

“And that was prevented.” 

“What of it? The problem at hand is that there are demons invading territories even as we speak.” 

“However, even if Lefille were to go to go with the hero, that doesn’t mean the current situation will change. Rather, there is a considerable possibility that you would just be dragging an innocent bystander into trouble. Would that not damage the hero’s reputation?” 

Felmenia and Christa stared each other down, sparks flying. For a moment, it had seemed that the argument was flowing against Felmenia’s favor, but she managed to counterattack and regain her ground. Christa then tightly sealed her mouth shut in a perfectly straight line, and Felmenia noticed that Elliot was watching her intently. 

“...Is something the matter?” 

“I would like to hear your name.” 

“I am called Fem Ray.” 

When he asked for her name, Felmenia created an alias on the spot. Elliot then drew closer to her, looking at her as though she’d piqued his interest. 

“Fem-san, you also seem to have quite a lot of mana.” 

“Wh-What?!” 

“Currently, we are in the middle of expanding our forces to face the Demon Lord. In other words, we are looking for people like you who possess outstanding skills. Fem-san, would you consider coming with us along with Lefille-chan?” 

“Wha?!” 

“WH-WHAAAAAT?!” 

“No, rather than asking if you would come along, it would be better to decide that you were. If I am not mistaken, the authority to recruit allies is also part of being a hero.” 

Saying that, Elliot turned to Christa for confirmation. 

“...Yes. It is just as you say.” 

Though she affirmed what he said, she hesitated for a moment before doing so. It was likely because she harbored ill feelings towards Felmenia. Despite the little clash they’d just had, she was invited to join their party, so it was certainly understandable that Christa didn’t take kindly to the idea. Elliot, however, seemed to pay it no mind. 

“Then... do you understand?” 

“E-Even so...” 

Before Felmenia’s bewilderment could get any more staggering, Suimei cut in. 

“No matter how you put it, isn’t that far too high-handed?” 

“That may be.” 

Elliot didn’t try to dodge the question. But he did turn a scrutinizing look on Suimei, as if evaluating him. 

“What?” 

“She appears to be strong, but you do not seem to possess the skills to be able to endure our journey.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“In others words, you cannot come with us. Though it is regrettable, give it up here. To you, it may seem like your two female companions are being taken from you, but to the people of this world, the subjugation of the Demon Lord takes precedent over all else. For the sake of the people of this world, I would have you swallow your tears.” 

Suimei’s face twitched a little. Having such contempt poured down on him, Suimei was unable to even feign composure. Despite the fact that they’d just met, he had no restraint and said whatever the hell he wanted. 

“So how about it?” 

“For the sake of the people of this world... Are you saying you can really justify this with that excuse?” 

“Excuse...? Do you mean to slander me in saying that I am trying to get away with taking these girls along?” 

“You would be precisely correct.” 

As Suimei said that, Felmenia limply clung to him and began whining, nearly in tears. 

“Suimei-donooo! What do we doooooo?!” 

Felmenia was excessively perplexed. Just where had that gallant figure that faced off against Christa gone? Glaring at Elliot, Suimei replied to her. 

“In your case, you can just ignore him, can’t you?” 

“Th-That will not do! Just as he implied earlier, if the esteemed hero of salvation requests the accompaniment of someone, they are obliged to follow.” 

Leaning in closer to Felmenia’s ear, Suimei whispered to her. 

“What about the king’s mission?” 

“No! If I were to give my real name, the Holy State would likely send a formal notification to the Kingdom of Astel’s congress. If that came to pass, even if His Majesty were to command otherwise...” 

It wouldn’t do her any good, would it? Thinking about it, Suimei recalled hearing about how the king was opposed to the hero summoning at the world conference. And considering how that had gone, there was no way the uncertain intentions of the king of a single country would be prioritized over the good of the world. But even then, Suimei wasn’t willing to back down. 

“I refuse.” 

“It has nothing to do with you. I have no reason to humor your objections.” 

“Sure you do. These two are my companions. It only stands to reason that I should have a say in the matter.” 

“As I said so before, this is for the sake of the world.” 

As Elliot once more used the circumstances of this world as a shield, Suimei grew irritated. 

“Like I give a shit about that.” 

“Suimei-kun!” 

“Suimei-dono!” 

Even if it was something that he shouldn’t have said in public, he had to say it. And hearing it, Felmenia and Lefille both raised their voices in surprise. The hero Elliot also spoke up in a considerably surprised tone. 

“Are you not a citizen of this world yourself?” 

“Maybe so. However, that’s inconsequential to me.” 

“You...” 

Elliot stared at him in bewilderment, and Suimei returned his gaze with one that showed his iron will. Their staring contest raged on briefly, but one girl quickly put an end to it. It was Christa. 

“Did you all hear this man just now?! Behold! This man opposes the words of our awe-inspiring Goddess and defies her will!” 

Felmenia and Lefille nearly jumped out of their chairs. Turning her back to Suimei and the others, Christa acted like she was giving a dramatic speech to the people inside the Twilight Pavilion from the corner of the hall. So this was a contrived, exaggerated denunciation to drag everyone else into it and try and intimidate them with numbers, was it? 

In response to the loud voice Christa suddenly fired out, various people spoke up. The members of the Twilight Pavilion, who had only been whispering as they looked on at Suimei and the others, were now at full volume. Even the people in line to submit commissions who seemed to be followers of the Church of Salvation were tossing judgmental looks their way. 

Before long, the atmosphere in the guild hall was so tense that it felt like it might detonate. Disparaging words like “scoundrel” and “shameless” were being hurled at Suimei. He couldn’t exactly say they were wrong, but turning unrelated people against them by fanning the flames of their religious devotion pissed Suimei off to no end. 

“Goddess this, Goddess that... Whatever she says goes, huh? Is the will of the person in question just trash to you, then?” 

“That is not the case. However, the problem at hand now is a matter of perspective where such emotions cannot be the only basis for one’s actions.” 

Even so... 

“How idiotic.” 

“What...?” 

Hearing Suimei’s overt decrying of his words, Elliot was seized by confusion for an instant. After giving him a sidelong glance, Suimei turned to Felmenia and Lefille. They were likely in the throes of confusion themselves. The wishes of the Goddess and their own wishes were in direct opposition right now, and they were trembling with anxiety at the dilemma. 

“Just look at them. Some goddess or whatever who makes people who’ve lived proper lives quake in fear like that is completely worthless. Am I wrong?” 

“You would still speak like that...?” 

“Yeah, I just did. What about it? If you’re saying that you’re going to take them anyways... Hmph, go ahead and try.” 

Hearing Suimei’s provoking declaration, the crowd in the hall was abuzz again. Whispers of “How could you say that to Hero-sama?” and “Do you think you can win against the hero?” were flying around the room. Unsurprisingly, Elliot and Christa seemed to feel the same way. 

“You against me, a hero?” 

“That’s right.” 

Suimei obstinately reaffirmed that he would not yield. But despite getting a taste of Suimei’s indomitable attitude, Elliot seemed unfazed. He then turned to Lefille and tried to persuade her. 

“You also understand the importance of the Goddess Alshuna’s will, do you not?” 

“I-I’m, um...” 

Lefille fell silent and eventually nodded. As long as she received the Goddess’s blessing, she had no other way to answer. 

“Even she seems to understand full well.” 

“Sure. But even so.” 

Suimei had made a promise. That no matter the cause, he wouldn’t let her go through something unpleasant. He hadn’t made the same promise to Felmenia, but he felt the same way about her. With Suimei denying him again and again, Elliot let out an astonished sigh and shifted his attention back to the unrelenting boy. 

“...Very well. Though I feel sorry for you, I will be taking them by force.” 

So it was decided. And following that, Christa once more made a fuss, extolling their righteousness to the crowd. 

“Did you hear that?! These people have boldly declared their opposition to our dear Goddess!” 

In response to Christa’s loud voice, the people in the hall once more spat insults in Suimei’s direction. They were even louder and more vehement this time around. Felmenia remained as she was with a bitter expression, but Lefille was weak to their rebuke. Her face went pale as if she was standing on a bed of nails. 

“...Every fucking last one of them...” 

Answering the harsh voices that fell on him, Suimei let out his own criticism. These people didn’t care at all about what anyone else was going through. They had no empathy, and were just expressing their blind devotion to a figure they’d never seen or met. They were falling prey to a mob mentality, each trying to be the most devoted. It was like they’d abandoned their ability to think for themselves, and it was a poor statement of their character. 

“Suimei-kun... In the end, if I just give up...” 

Lefille spoke up timidly, and Suimei gently stroked her head. 

“Suimei-dono...” 

Felmenia’s gaze implored him, asking what they should do, what they could do. Suimei looked back to her, signaling for her not to worry. He then turned his uncompromising gaze on the hero and his attendant. 

Even if they’d received an oracle, this was nothing other than high-handed tyranny. What did they know of Lefille and her circumstances, her pain? Did they even know how long Felmenia had waited to be with Suimei? Was it the heroic thing to do to just ignore those feelings? 

Christa was still inciting an uproar. Preparing to have a bout with the hero Elliot, Suimei took his distance. The other people in the crowd lined up and encircled them as if forming an arena. 

The reason Suimei acquired power... Recalling that once more right now, anything and everything that held him back was blown clean away. 

“Alright. Come get some. I don’t care if you’re a hero or whatever, but if you’re gonna stand in my way, I’ll just brush you aside too.” 

“I believe I already said it. That you do not have the talent to stand alongside us. There is no way that you could possibly be a match for me, I’m afraid.” 

“...” 

“Despite what you might think looking at me, even in my own world I was a reasonably well-known master of the sword and magic. And after coming to this world, I received the divine protection of the hero summoning. You should understand full well what sort of significance that holds.” 

“Who cares? I don’t give a damn about any of that.” 

“You do not seem to be the type of person who can be reached with conversation. I—” 

Before Elliot could finish his declaration, Suimei unleashed his mana and his malice for this guy. Rather than burning hot, it was freezing cold. Between that and the pressure he exuded, the atmospheric temperature immediately fell below freezing. Perhaps because the temperature of the room had dropped so suddenly, all of the moisture in the room condensed in an instant, and even the walls of the guild hall broke into a cold sweat. 

Naturally, the color in the face of anyone peeking at Suimei was gone in a flash. Their breath all came out as white mist in the now freezing room. Under the powerful psychic cold that Suimei unleashed, even time itself seemed to have frozen. Scarcely anyone could move. From the tips of their fingers to the tips of their toes, they felt frozen solid. 

“What were you saying about my power again?” 

“You...” 

Even as cold sweat moistened his brow, Elliot persevered. It seemed that his claim of being a well-known master in his own world wasn’t just a bluff. He could still move. Normally this was the point where Suimei would at least offer a word of praise for his opponent, but he had no intent of doing so this time. Instead, he coldly approach his enemy with a composed stride. Nothing more. 

Elliot drew the sword hanging at his waist and brandished it. Unlike the broadsword that Reiji carried, Elliot’s had a long, narrow blade. Mana spread throughout the black blade, making it shine like it was burning red. It was likely made of shining orichalcos. At a glance, it seemed there was no mistaking it. It was supposed to be a material that wasn’t suitable for weapons, but it seemed it was treated differently here in this world. But such details weren’t what was important right now. The so-called hero was stepping forward with the intent of taking the initiative. However, because of the psychic cold, he was unable to move as swiftly as he ordinarily did, and that compromised some of the strength he received from the hero summoning. 

“Elliot-sama... Oh Lightning, thou who art the incarnation of that shining power! Emulate this sharp will of mine, and pierce though in an instant! Blitz Shot!” 

Was Christa trying to get in some support first? Urged by the atmosphere in the air, she incanted a lightning spell. With the crackling war cry of electricity, a shining pale violet light appeared in the air. However... 

“Vanish.” 

With but a single word from Suimei, the manifested power of the mysteries vanished. Christa realized that the magic she wove herself had been utterly dispelled into nothingness. Now sensing just how large the gap in power between them was, she fell to her knees right where she stood. 

And in the middle of that, Elliot came cutting in. Rather, thrusting in. Was it from the blessing of the hero summoning, or was he that good with a sword to begin with? A single thrust with one hand came in like a gale. In a flash, it reached its maximum speed. But when it came to agility, Kuchiba Hatsumi was a step above. The instant before the point of the sword reached him, Suimei rotated his body around Elliot’s dominant hand, and while passing by him, began the chant for his spell. Turning his head around, the hero gave Suimei a sharp look. Just going halfway wouldn’t be enough. 

The chant’s energy was the mudra. The Mantra of Light was replicated by the symbol of five variegated lights. His left hand became a fist like a vajra held at his waist, and he brought his right hand with his five fingers slightly spread apart to his left side. The circle was the enlightened mind. And the magicka he wove was the sweet voice of Kalavinka, which forcefully released an opponent’s mana. 

And then, he chanted with all his might. In other words, a true chant. 

“Buddhi brahma. Buddhi vidya. Asat nada mahayama om karuma. Kalpa devana gara. Kalpa—” 

[Awaken power. Along with great knowledge. That voice that reaches far and wide is high above in the heavens, and with that sweet echo, thou shalt release the original sin. Thou shalt listen to the eternal voice of the lotus. Thou shalt listen—] 

“Please wait right there!” 

“—?!” 

Suddenly, a voice urging restraint called out to Suimei. He suspended his chant for the moment and turned towards it. And he wasn’t the only one. Considering the timing, everyone had their eyes on the owner of that voice. And judging by its high pitch, Suimei could guess it was a woman. When he looked, he saw the therianthrope nun that he and Lefille met at the church they visited. Still kneeling on the floor, Christa asked for her to name herself. 

“A-And you are...?” 

“I am Sister Clarissa from the Church of Salvation! I come bearing a new oracle passed down from our dear Goddess!” 

“Both of you, please put an end to this.” 

As Clarissa rose to the stage of the bout between Elliot and Suimei, she looked at the two of them and implored them to stop. Finally standing up, Christa expressed her reservations on this sudden development. 

“A new oracle? What do you mean by that? More importantly, does this oracle have something to do with us?” 

“Yes. It concerns the hero and the gentleman over there, and it was passed down to me directly from our dear Goddess just now.” 

“Me... and him?” 

“Yes. The two of you must not directly come into conflict over the girl with red hair. Settle this matter by catching the shadow who is causing a disturbance here in the imperial capital, it said.” 

With this most unexpected arbitration, the crowd was astir once more. To think that oracles would be piling on top of oracles like this... It was beyond anybody’s expectations. Suimei addressed the nun next. 

“Sister, what do you mean by shadow who is causing a disturbance here in the imperial capital?” 

“It is likely referring to the culprit behind the coma incidents, I believe. This oracle is saying to use catching that culprit to settle this...” 

“In other words, to use this as a match between us.” 

“Yes. And that being the case, please bring this display to an end. It is futile to fight in such a place, is it not?” 

With the sister advocating that their fight would be useless, Elliot obediently sheathed his sword. 

“Understood. If the oracle says so, then I will withdraw my blade.” 

Seeing that, Suimei also quietly dismissed his mana. If he were to recklessly fight in such a situation, there would be nothing to gain from it. After stowing his sword, Elliot looked towards Suimei. 

“That appears to be the situation, but what will you do?” 

“Hmph. I don’t have any obligation to listen to the words of Alshuna or whoever. But if you’re saying that we can settle this matter without any future troubles this way, then I’m fine with jumping on board.” 

“I cannot stomach your manner of speaking, but... It’s settled, then.” 

With that, Elliot declared his consent and headed towards Christa. 

“Elliot-sama...” 

Christa looked at him with an anxious expression, but Elliot turned back to look at Suimei. 

“If I am not mistaken... Suimei Yakagi, was it? Your name, that is.” 

“Yeah.” 

“I will remember that. Now, let’s go, Christa.” 

Elliot then took Christa and passed through the crowd of onlookers, leaving the guild behind. As Suimei watched him walk off, Clarissa drew closer to him. 

“It has been a while.” 

“I never thought you would force your way through like that, sister.” 

“I’m equally surprised. I came to the Twilight Pavilion because I had business here, and lo and behold, the gentleman I met the other day at the sermon was stirring up trouble with the hero.” 

It must have been quite unexpected for her. To think that, knowing that his opponent was the hero who would save the world, Suimei would pick a fight regardless... Pondering that, Suimei realized Clarissa’s actions were strange. Based on what she’d said, it didn’t sound like she’d come over to bring them an oracle. 

“Sister, that oracle just now...” 

“The oracle? That was...” She brought her face closer to Suimei’s to whisper to him. Then, with an impish smile, she said, “a lie.” 

“Wha... What?!” 

“If I hadn’t said such a thing, the hero would have had the shit—Ahem! Would have likely been harshly done in by you, after all.” 

With that, the sister began giggling. It was like her goal was to protect the hero. 

“I might have lost, you know?” 

“Oh my, are you saying that I don’t know what I saw?” 

“No, you do have a good eye, it seems.” 

Though she didn’t know how exactly the battle would end, to be able to make such an accurate estimation of the outcome wasn’t exactly clerical of her. Perhaps it was her instincts as a therianthrope. But setting that aside... 

“Even so, is it really okay for you to lie about the oracle? Sister, aren’t you a follower of the Church of Salvation yourself?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then...” 

And as Suimei said that, Clarissa shook her head to the sides repeatedly. 

“Though it may be unbecoming to say as a servant of Alshuna, it’s not like everything our dear Goddess says is right. And to see your unintimidated figure stand up so boldly against what you thought was wrong for the sake of protecting those important to you... I thought it was splendid.” 

“Huh...” 

Hearing such unexpected words, Suimei was seized by bewilderment. Clarissa gently wrapped her hands around his. 

“You possess a good heart. Please do be sure never to forget that part of yourself.” 

And with that, the nun took her leave. 

Under Clarissa’s mediation, Suimei and the others agreed to a match with Elliot and Christa. And after hightailing it from the Twilight Pavilion, they moved to a quiet location fairly near their house. Felmenia had an extremely complicated expression on her face. 

“Hahh... This has become quite the outrageous matter.” 

No one had expected that they would end up competing over who could catch the culprit behind the coma incidents faster. Even if it was thanks to Clarissa’s quick-wittedness, they never dreamed they’d be dragged into something like this. 

“Sorry... Because of my oracle, even Lady Felmenia has gotten involved in all this...” 

“N-No, it is nothing for you to worry about, Lefille! Whatever the origin may be, all we must do is win this match! Right, Suimei-dono?” 

As Felmenia realized that she hadn’t quite phrased that right, she turned to Suimei. Suimei, however, was just standing there with his arms folded and didn’t reply to her at all. All he was doing was staring a hole in the ground. Finding his attitude to be somewhat puzzling, Felmenia called out to him again anxiously. 

“S-Suimei-dono?” 

“...Yeah, you’re right. If we do something about the culprit or whatever behind the coma incidents, well, it’ll temporarily work out one way or the other, huh?” 

Yes, it was just as Suimei had vaguely stated. Even if they won the match, the problem would only be postponed. The match itself was just a ruse made up by Clarissa, and it was possible for the Goddess to pass another oracle down to Lefille. So even if they were successful now, it wasn’t like the fundamental problem was solved. Conflicts of faith like this couldn’t be remedied by ordinary means. 

Thinking that, Suimei was confronting his own thoughts on the matter. And as he was drowning himself in a sea of considerations, Lefille anxiously tugged on his sleeve a couple times. 

“Suimei-kun, what’s wrong?” she asked. 

“Nothing, I’m just thinking about what we should do. About what we should be doing first, that is,” Suimei replied. 

“As I thought... Should we gather information from the locals?” suggested Felmenia. 

“Good idea, Menia. Can I ask you to do that?” 

“Please leave it to me! I came here to be of use to you, after all, Suimei-dono. Ask me anything that you will! Though there may not be that many people who will cooperate with our investigation...” 

“Well, there’s not much we can do about that. Our opponent is the hero, after all.” 

Yes, it was likely that the citizens of the imperial capital would be unhelpful. But that was to be expected. Between the hero who would save the world and the fools who would oppose him, it was obvious who the people would choose to cooperate with. They probably wouldn’t go as far as actively getting in the way, but they certainly wouldn’t be any help. That point was a fairly serious handicap, but... Well, it wasn’t impossible to compensate for that in and of itself. And while Suimei continued ruminating over that, Lefille raised her hand. 

“Then I’ll also gather information.” 

“No, I’d like to ask something else of you, Lefi.” 

“Something else... Could it be to search for the culprit?” 

“No, no, no. I can’t have you doing that kinda thing as you are now.” 

Suimei shook his head in response to Lefille’s question. He wouldn’t dream of asking Lefille to do anything reckless in her tiny state. 

“Then?” 

“I’d like you to go around the imperial capital and bring back as many stray cats as you can.” 

“C-Cats? Why do we need stray cats?” 

“Well, if we can’t solicit cooperation from humans, then I figured we might as well get it from cats.” 

Having said that, Suimei began explaining his plan. 

Having each been allotted their own jobs, Suimei and the others split up for the time being. Unlike Elliot and Christa, they were getting a later start and didn’t yet have any clues, so they were quite a bit behind straight out of the gate. 

And for that reason, Suimei headed straight to where he’d witnessed something himself. On the day that Liliana guided him to the library, when he was returning home, he’d encountered someone wearing a black hood who was chasing a noble within a pseudo-barrier woven by magicka. Suimei guessed that someone was likely the culprit behind the incidents, but... 

“Now that I think of it, they were pretty short...” 

The shadow that he confronted inside the darkness was short and slender. Recalling how they’d moved, too, they seemed to have been quite young. Suimei could guess it was a child. Taking that into consideration, complicated feelings welled in Suimei. 

What’s this about...? 

Attacking citizens, putting them into comas, spreading fear. The military didn’t know what to do, and that culprit was a child. Suimei couldn’t see their motives at all. And while he was letting such thoughts run around his head, he could see a large crowd down the path in front of him. 

“What the...” 

The crowd was astir with chatter. And that noise became gradually louder. Seeing this unusual phenomenon happening in the middle of a street with a lot of pedestrian traffic, Suimei was also called forth by the spirit of curiosity, and jogged over to the end of the street to take a look. As he did, from within the enclosure of people surrounding something, he could sense dense mana swelling up. 

“This is...” 

It was a sensation he was familiar with, a wavelength of mana that he had just sensed the other day. Yes, this was the unmistakable mana of Liliana Zandyke. Suddenly, from behind, he could hear fragments of conversations. “What’s up?” someone asked. “The opponent is a guild mage,” another whispered. And among all the conversations, Suimei heard murmurings of “the human weapon,” Liliana’s nickname. 

While apologizing to the people around him, Suimei pushed through the crowd as he was jostled about. Eventually, as he arrived at the front of the crowd, what came into sight, sure enough, was Liliana Zandyke. He could see her cold left eye, and what it was looking down on... were the mages that picked a fight with Liliana the other day. 

Unlike before, it seemed that they had taken some severe attacks from her. Their robes were burned and torn here and there. At a glance, it looked tragic. It was likely they’d been hit with fire and wind magic that they were unable to defend against. And it looked like their mana was already dried up. 

“If you’ve had enough... stop meddling with me... already.” 

“Shit...” 

The one to curse as he straightened himself up was the man with the curt tone from last time. His eyes still had hostility in them as he glared at Liliana, but she wasn’t willing to tolerate it this time. She once more let loose her dense, powerful mana. The area several dozen meters out from her was swamped in bloodlust. It was so thick that almost anyone could sense it. 

The two mages as well as the curious onlookers likely had goosebumps from this. The mana was prickling their skin like an acid in the air. That was the naked manifestation of malice. 

And in the end, both the rude mage and the polite mage were left unconscious and foaming at the mouth. With no mana left, it wasn’t likely that they would wake up anytime soon. Casting a glance over the two defeated men, Liliana recalled her mana and relaxed her battle posture. 

As she did, Suimei realized that the onlooking crowd was regarding her sharply. She had completely and utterly defeated these two men and beat them down until they could no longer stand. It inspired raw fear in the crowd, if not outright dread and disgust. 

It seemed likely the mages had picked the fight again, and Liliana wasn’t in the wrong. The fact that she was being judged so harshly for legitimate self-defense was somewhat pitiful. Thinking of throwing her a lifeline, Suimei approached. 

“Yo.” 

Hearing his voice, Liliana turned towards him. 

“...You again? You seem to appear before me... quite a lot.” 

“I could say the same to you. So none of that crap about me stalking you, okay? Anyway...” 

Setting that aside quickly, Suimei looked at the pitiful men on the street who’d been utterly trounced. 

“Did those guys come at you again?” 

“That’s right. They incorrigibly came... and challenged me again. Despite being adults... they’re hopeless idiots. Huge idiots.” 

“And you’re pretty unlucky, huh?” 

The gaze Suimei cast over the two fallen men was one filled with astonishment. He thought that if he helped spell out what happened, the people might take a hint. But he has no such luck. The eyes that stared at Liliana were unchanged. 

Even though the curious onlookers in the front row without a doubt heard what Suimei had said, they were talking like they hadn’t. “The human weapon tormented the guild’s mages,” one said. “What a ghastly child...” said another. “Why is that dangerous brat left at large?” said yet another. It went on and on. Suimei was baffled. Who would talk about a victim like that? If anything, they should have been criticizing the adults who’d attacked a small girl. So what was going on? Did they just automatically assume Liliana was in the wrong? As Suimei stood there dumbfounded by the malice around them, Liliana made her move. 

“Step aside... This isn’t a show.” 

Liliana glared at the crowd with her single eye. With that, the stern crowd of gawkers gradually dispersed. As they did... 

“...Monster.” 

Someone couldn’t help getting one last insult in. 

“Hey now...” 

“It’s fine. If you just keep quiet... after a short while... they will all go away...” 

“Go away? That’s not the problem here. They completely misunderstood the situation, didn’t they?” 

“It’s fine.” 

Liliana spoke in a somewhat strong tone as she cast her glance downward. Even her words were somehow irresponsible, and had a sense of resignation to them. 

“...Are you really okay with this?” 

“Yes, it’s the same as always. Users of ominous magic... are detested... in the Empire. I am—No, no matter where it is... I am so reviled.” 

Suimei could hear Liliana’s somehow lonely mutter. She sounded like she was complaining that nothing could be done about it anymore. 

“The department that I belong to... is special. It’s a place that’s easy to hate... to begin with, so having someone like me there... is convenient.” 

It was certainly true that the military had special departments, and there were inevitably ones that the people didn’t like. An especially large military courted both domestic and foreign discontent, but if there was an easy target to criticize, all eyes would just stop there. So was Liliana saying that she was taking on the brunt of that malice herself? 

As Suimei looked around, the receding crowd was still casting glances at the two of them like they were wild animals they wouldn’t dare shake a stick at. People were peeking warily out of shop windows and scowling from the shadows of buildings. All with the same dark, contemptuous light in their eyes. No one should look at a child that way. 

And eventually, just as Liliana said, all the gawkers were gone. Having suffered through their treatment, Liliana was also about to leave, but... 

“Wait a sec.” 

“What is it?” 

“You’re injured.” 

Had she been hit by the mages’ magic? The nape of her neck was slightly reddened. It was likely a burn or something similar. Suimei walked up to her, and held his hand up to the affected area. 

“What are y—” 

“Just keep still for a bit.” 

A light green phosphorescence rose from his hand. It was healing magicka. By Suimei’s healing hands, the inflamed portion of skin quickly returned to its normal, healthy state. As if Liliana was rubbing something mysterious, she then put her hand to the nape of her neck that had been burned. 

“...Why?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Why are you... trying to be kind to me?” 

“No reason. I’m just a whimsical busybody. Does that strike a nerve?” 

“Yes, very much so.” 

What arose in Liliana as she acknowledged that was a sentiment like anger. And seeing her face in such a state, a helpless sense of pity surged out within Suimei. 

“It would be fine... if you also... just did the same as them.” 

“What? Scorn you? Look at you with those eyes?” 

“That’s right.” 

“Do you really want it that way?” 

“That’s...” 

“There’s no way you do, right?” 

“...” 

Liliana hung her head in silence. The strength in her shoulders faded, and they drooped slightly. 

“Can you get back on your own?” 

“D-Do not treat me like a child!” 

“I guess you’ll be fine then. I also have things to do, so I’m going, alright?” 

With that, Suimei walked off in the direction of where he’d had his run-in with the culprit. 

“Have it... your way,” he thought he heard someone mutter behind him. 

“I’m back.” 

After finishing with his investigation of the crime scene, which bore no fruit, Suimei returned to his house. Lost deep in thought, he nearly forgot to take off his shoes and came to a sudden stop at the front door. As he casually looked deeper into the entryway, he spotted Lefille lying in wait under the warm glow of a lamp. 

“Welcome home.” 

“So you got back first, huh, Lefi? What are you doing just standing around there?” 

“I was waiting for you to get back.” 

“Me?” 

As Suimei curiously questioned her, Lefille nodded as she pointed towards the bathroom. And as Suimei came to an understanding, he nodded. She likely wanted him to prepare the bath for her. 

The Empire maintained its own water supply, so its citizens could draw from it at any time. But getting hot water required magic. So getting a hot bath would either require someone in the house to know the right magic, or the summoning of a specialist. Obviously, in this house with two magic experts, there was no need for the latter. In fact, the job of heating the bath was left exclusively to Suimei. 

“But still, is that a reason to just lie in wait like that?” 

“Well, when I brought the cats with me, I got covered in hair, you see.” 

“Sounds awful.” 

As Suimei drew closer, Lefille’s disastrous state became apparent. Her clothes, her exposed skin, and even her shiny red hair illuminated by the orange glow of the lamp were all covered in cat hair. It looked like she’d gotten into a grand scuffle in the back alleys. It was a little pathetic. 

“Is that all?” 

“Pardon...? Would there be something else?” 

Perhaps she was looking for some gratitude? Just as Suimei was wondering that, Lefille began to pout. 

“Oh you... How unreliable... Should I turn you into a walking furball too?” 

“I’m fine as I am, Your Excellency. From here, I’m going to seclude myself in my lab, prepare all sorts of magickal items, and go through the book I got from Menia, you see...” 

“There’s no need to be so modest. Aren’t we companions? Let’s savor this ticklish feeling together, shall we?” 

“Hang on... Just hold your horses there.” 

Suimei objected, but Lefille was in a fairly playful mood. 

“It’s quite refreshing to see you shrink away, Suimei-kun. It’s most amusing.” 

“Hey, don’t mess around with me!” 

“What’s the problem, hmm?” 

Suimei heard Lefille giggle as she threw her arms in the air. She was fully intent on catching him and rubbing up against him. But just then, the front door opened once more. 

“I have returned.” 

“Oh, welcome home, my savior...” 

As Suimei said that to Felmenia, who had just come back after having finishing up gathering information, he put her in front of him and casually darted around behind her. 

“...Is something the matter?” 

Unable to grasp the situation, Felmenia looked at him with a blank expression. It seemed she’d gone all out with her investigation. Her complexion wasn’t great, and he could see the fatigue in her face. 

“Suimei-kun, it’s cowardly to use Lady Felmenia as a shield, you know?” 

“Look who’s talking. You were just about to jump on me.” 

“Oh you...” 

Based on that, Felmenia seemed to deduce what had happened, and turned a reproachful gaze on Suimei. 

“Suimei-dono...” 

“Eeeh, well, all joking aside...” 

With that, Suimei patted both Felmenia’s shoulders. 

“Menia, how about you have Lefi teach you how to fix the bath today? You haven’t done it yet, right?” 

“Huh?! A b-bath? I do not really... Um...” 

In an upset voice, Felmenia began to panic. 

“You’re right. This is a good opportunity. Today I’ll teach you the virtues of a good bath!” 

“Nooo...” 

Felmenia could only whimper in the face of Lefille’s eagerness. Since Astel had no custom of bathing, she seemed to be resistant to the idea. Up until now, she had obstinately refused to be involved with the bath at all. If she would just try it once, her way of thinking about it would change instantly, but she wasn’t even willing to do that. And then, as if trying to get some distance from Suimei and Lefille, who were blocking her escape routes to the front and rear, she stepped to the side. 

“Certainly it doesn’t have to be today, no? There will be any number of other opportunities...” 

“Isn’t that what you said last time?” 

“Lady Felmenia, the same excuse won’t work twice in a row.” 

With both of them boxing her in, Felmenia was losing ground quickly. But then, as if she’d been struck with a great idea, she looked at them both quite seriously. 

“To tell you the truth, House Stingray has a family precept that forbids me from bathing, so...” 

“My, is that so?” 

It looked like Lefille was ready to swallow her plausible excuse after hearing the phrase “family precept,” but not Suimei. 

“How naive, Menia. In our world, we have magicka to see through lies, you know...” 

“That is unfair! The magicka from Suimei-dono’s world is nonsense!” 

“So it really was a lie, wasn’t it?” 

“Ah...” 

Even though things would have worked out in her favor if she just persevered a little longer, Felmenia was an upright person at the very core of her being, and couldn’t keep up the lie. 

“Lady Felmenia, you don’t know when to give up, do you? Just resign yourself and get in the bath with me already.” 

“Then in that case, I’ll leave heating up the bath to you.” 

“No way...” 

Sandwiched between them, Felmenia had no way to escape. After confirming that her fore and aft were both blocked off, she slumped her shoulders in resignation. Crestfallen, she was pulled away by Lefille. 

After a short time, while Suimei was trying to decide where all the cats would go, he happened to walk by the dressing room and could hear the rustling of clothes. It seemed that the bath had been heated up, and all preparations were complete. And just then... 

“What?!” 

“...What is the matter, Lefille?” 

From the dressing room, Suimei could hear the surprise in Lefille’s voice and the confusion in Felmenia’s. He thought something was wrong, but... 

“B-Big...” 

“Huh?” 

“Tch, those may just be more than I had in my original form...” 

Just what was she so shocked to see? Suimei was clueless, but Felmenia seemed to figure it out. 

“I don’t really understand... but is this about my breasts?” 

“That’s right. Exactly what did you eat to grow like that, Lady Felmenia?” 

“Nothing in particular that I am aware of...” 

“Are you trying to keep it a secret? That won’t work!” 

“It’s alright. In time, yours will grow big too, Lefille.” 

Felmenia kindly remonstrated Lefille, but Lefille mustered her competitive spirit. 

“I-If I were to return to my original form... Um, I wouldn’t be... quite as big as you, but...” 

“Original form... you say? You’ve been speaking of such a thing for quite a while now, but just what do you mean by that?” 

“As a matter of fact, this childish form I inhabit right now isn’t my true form. In truth, I’m both older and taller than you.” 

“U-Umm...” 

Felmenia expressed perplexed hesitation at this declaration, at which Lefille grew somewhat angry. 

“Are you saying that you don’t believe me?!” 

“What? No, that is not the case. I believe what you’re saying. Given time, you will grow, after all.” 

“You don’t believe me at all, do you?!” 

In the end, until she actually returned to her original form, it seemed like no one was ever going to believe her. 

“Grrr...” 

Just based on the dissatisfied tone in her voice, Suimei could picture Lefille’s pouting cheeks, but... 

“...Eavesdropping is in pretty bad taste.” 

Suimei had unintentionally gotten engrossed with their conversation, and though somewhat late, he realized that listening wasn’t something he should be doing. And then, just as Suimei was going to walk away... 

“Lady Felmenia, sorry, but just bear with me.” 

“What is—What?!” 

“Ugh, this elasticity is devastating...” 

“Wh-What exactly are you doing?! Please don’t grab me like that!” 

“This is just a little examination... Hmm?” 

“Wh-What is the matter—Eek!” 

“Lady Felmenia, you have a little bit of flab that can be grabbed around your hips, you know? Isn’t this quite bad?” 

“I-I don’t need to be told that! Wait, I’m telling you not to grab me!” 

“Sorry, that was rude of me.” 

Suimei realized they were both naked behind that door. 

“Two, three, five, seven, eleven...” 

Listing off prime numbers, Suimei turned bright red and retreated. 

They were there, lurking in the darkness. Their dark robes made them indistinguishable from the darkness around them at first glance. A short shadow and a tall shadow. Moving across the sleeping city like they were flying, they darted hither and thither as if sewing the darkness together. Keenly suppressing their presence as they searched for their prey, they were surely hunters. 

Suddenly, the short shadow stopped. As if directly opposing Newton’s laws, it stopped cold as it leaped through the air, and landed on top of the laid out bricks on the ground without breaking their silence. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“No, it’s... nothing.” 

Following that, the tall shadow landed beside it. The answer the short shadow had given may have just been a lie. The reason the short shadow stopped was because they found fault with a living creature on top of a wall. No, the reason they stopped may have been because the creature had found fault with them. 

Sitting atop the wall much higher than anything else around, both of its eyes were open as wide as they could be. Its pupils shined with a glare as it stared right at the short shadow. It was a cat. A stray cat that lived in the imperial capital, which had caught the short shadow within the two yellow lights of its eyes. 

“Prrrrr...” 

It began purring. Just what was that supposed to signify? The cat stood up on its fuzzy legs and left without a sound. The tall shadow then placed its hand on the shoulder of the short one. 

“Let’s go.” 

“...Yes.” 

Demonstrating their agreement, the tall shadow followed the short one as they began moving again. Of course, they were moving towards accomplishing their goal. The target this time around was said to be passing through the outskirts of the high class district. The source of that information was the taller shadow in the rear. Yes, the tall shadow always brought dreadfully accurate information. The short shadow was accomplishing their goal by using that. It was likely that the tall shadow possessed an information network that even surpassed the Empire’s intelligence department. The target this time around was someone who’d gotten away before because an unrelated party had gotten in the way. 

“It’s in this area. Set the net.” 

Hearing those words, the short shadow nodded without any opposition. And just as asked, the short shadow wove together the spell quickly. And just as they were about to begin the chant... 

“Meow.” 

“—?!” 

Hearing a cat’s meow at such an unexpected time, the back of the short shadow trembled slightly with surprise. Quickly turning around, they could spot a cat sitting behind them. Had it crept up on them without a sound? It was snuggled up against the wall of a building, and just like the other cat before, it was staring dead at the short shadow. Completely fixated. As if it was carefully monitoring their every movement. A dark cloth was wrapped around its arm, so was this one somebody’s pet? 

Stopping the use of their magic for a moment, the short shadow took a single step towards the cat. However, the cat was unperturbed. It only kept its dilated pupils completed fixated on them. They took a step forward, and the second cat finally seemed to sense danger. It stretched out with what appeared to be a yawn, then it turned its back to them and left.

Just what was that? They didn’t understand what the cat’s expectation was, but pulling themself together, the short shadow invoked dark magic. Obscuring the light in their surroundings, it was a spell that weakened one’s sense of vision. With this, discounting any coincidence, their target would no longer be able to escape. 

And before long, said target appeared. Had he had his fill of spirits and wine? His footsteps were unsteady, and he didn’t even notice that he entered their darkness. The job this time around would be easy. All the short shadow had to do was cast magic on a drunk, a trivial matter. Just as they’d done with the others, they would cast dark magic on this man. 

And when their dark business was concluded, all that was left was the detestable noble unconsciously sprawled out on the laid brickwork. 

With that, one more sprout of anxiety had been plucked away. Just a little more... If they repeated this just a little more, all obstacles that blocked that person’s path would be gone. 

The short shadow unwittingly let out a sigh of relief, and just as they turned around... 

“As expected, the second player is a step behind, huh?” 

That voice came to them. 

Having their senses lured by that voice, the short shadow turned around and spotted a young man who appeared to be in his late teens. He was of a medium build, and at a glance, seemed to be extraordinarily common. But still... there was something about his look that was truly extraordinary. Just a step behind, the tall shadow also turned towards him. 

Why...? 

Why was he here? That thought dominated the short shadow’s mind and threw it into chaos. Why... Why was that man right here right now? 

They’d met before. This was the man who bewildered them in the streets of the imperial capital. Suimei Yakagi. 

It was as if coming here was his goal, and he grimaced as if he’d arrived late. It made it look like he’d come precisely to stop them from achieving their goal. And he wasn’t alone. There were others who appeared together with him in the darkness. Behind him was a small figure the small shadow recognized, and a woman with silver hair that they didn’t. 

These were unexpected intruders. The short shadow didn’t know the reason for their appearance, but there was no mistaking that these intruders came to capture them. However, since their work had already been completed, the shadows had no business with the intruders. It wasn’t a good idea to leave them be, however, after they’d been spotted. 

“...I’ll leave the rest to you. You can manage on your own, right?” 

“Yes.” 

A single word of agreement was returned to the tall shadow, who implied getting rid of the intruders. 

“Ah—Wait!” 

Realizing one of the shadows was taking flight, the silver-haired woman raised her voice and immediately exchanged looks with Suimei Yakagi. However, after seeing the tall shadow assimilate into the darkness with a sidelong glance, Suimei seemed unconcerned and prioritized the unconscious noble. 

“It’s fine. Don’t give chase. I’ll leave that geezer to you two.” 

“R-Right.” 

After she acknowledged his request, she rushed over to the man together with Suimei Yakagi’s other companion, the red-haired girl. 

“So, is it safe to assume that you’re the culprit behind the incidents?” 

“...” 

“If you keep silent, then I’ll just assume you are.” 

The shadow had no intention of answering. They had met and exchanged words with Suimei Yakagi before. Even if they used magic to change the tone of their voice, when they had to activate their magic, their voice would reveal their identity. It would be a different story if they used the language of the soul like when using the mysteries which dwelt within them as if chanting the spell from within, but right now, they would not commit such a folly. 

Then Suimei Yakagi slowly raised his arm and took a posture like he was about to snap his fingers. That was the technique that had destroyed the magic staff of the mage from the Mage’s Guild. They did not understand how it worked, but the moment he snapped his fingers, magic of the wind attribute would activate, causing the air to explode. It was advanced magic that appeared simple. The lack of a chant and keyword was one thing, but the time from the spell’s construction to the activation was extremely short. A dreadful combination that was quite useful in combat. 

The reason he raised his arm so slowly was to throw off their sense of anticipation. Since this was a world where everything could be over in the blink of an eye, not knowing when an attack would come meant relying entirely on one’s senses to dodge or defend. 

Snap! 

“...Urgh!” 

As the shadow tried evading by jumping to the side, the space to their side burst at almost the same time. However, it seemed that there was a direct connection between Suimei’s gaze and his fingers, which formed a straight line to where the effect would occur. If they hadn’t seen it before, they wouldn’t have caught on, and likely would have been blown away immediately. 

But now was no time to dwell on such thoughts. Anticipating they would be thrown off balance, Suimei Yakagi was already running towards them. He was fast. He wasn’t using some sort of special magic to reinforce himself, but the speed he was running at was still significant. 

“Permutato, coagulato, lotum artificium existito.” 

[Transform, coagulate, become fine craftsmanship.] 

The shadow could hear Suimei mutter a few more words as he ran. 

“Arma Argentum Vivum.” 

[Mercurial Arms.] 

With that, the liquid in the reagent vial in his hand divided into two points and transformed into a metal staff. When he then twirled the staff made of silver metal, a whistling sound like the wind being cut by a whip rang through the air. The tip of the staff was unerringly headed straight for the shadow, and the speed that he was running at did not slow down in the least. Despite being a mage, he had frightening combat experience. In response, the shadow wove dark magic. 

“Oh Darkness. Tear down the curtain which covers heaven and fall. Then grind, beat, strike, and crush my enemy, bringing them down to earth. Darkness Punisher.” 

A darkness of a completely different nature than the black of the night sky spread out overhead. Then the blackout curtain that seemed to stretch out over them came crashing down like it would flatten everything below. Just as it was about to reach the young man blessed by a favorable wind, he took decisive action, jumped to the side, and slipped out from beneath it by a slim margin. 

The shadow manipulated the blackout curtain and twined it around. As if he was grabbed and pulled by some invisible giant’s hand, the young man made an evasive maneuver in the air that appeared to defy all logic. Suimei Yakagi landed safely, but the look on his face was a puzzled one. 

“Hey, what’s with that technique?” 

There was no way the shadow would reply to that question, but the silver-haired woman behind him made known the true identity of the magic that had just been used. 

“Suimei-dono! That is magic of the darkness attribute! Not only that, but it’s considerably powerful!” 

“Darkness attribute...?” 

It seemed that the man before the shadow’s eyes, Suimei Yakagi, had never seen dark magic before this. He seemed skeptical at what he was even hearing. It was clear he didn’t know the darkness attribute well, so this was a good opportunity. But just as the shadow was thinking that, the young man’s mouth began to move. 

“Mea acies est facta invisibilis, sed est instar adamantinum acre, et demergit meus inimicum in sanguis.” 

[My blade is invisibly made, however with sharpness like steel, it drowns my enemy in a pool of blood.] 

At the same time a magic circle took form at his feet, a sound like something was being cut reached the shadow’s eardrums. It was a different sound than the metal staff whistling through the wind. No, the sound that slipped into the darkness was like the sharp ring of a blade as it coldly cut through the stillness of the night. This was some sort of sword in empty space. However, no matter how much the shadow strained their eyes, they couldn’t see it, which meant it hadn’t just slipped into the shades of the evening. If it couldn’t be seen in the first place, the only option was to feel it. 

Immediately sharpening their senses, strengthening them, and casting them like a net of threads into their surroundings, they dodged. They were not movements to dodge a sword, but movements to evade incoming arrows. As the first one passed by the shadow, the ground behind them was scarred by a slash. And this repeated multiple times. However, while they were in the middle of an extremely nimble dance, the young man began chanting once more. 

“O flammae, legito. Pro venefici doloris clamore.” 

[Oh flames, assemble. Like the cry of the magician’s resentment.] 

The spell that he was weaving was, as expected, something the shadow had never heard before. In that case, they would respond in kind. 

“Oh Darkness. Ye who deludes all and drives them mad, give form to temptation. Guide all those far and wide who take hold of the blackened snake to ruin. Hand of Frenzy.” 

The spell they wove was a specially made magic. An original which used the darkness attribute. By using its special characteristic, it would destabilize an opponent’s spell and cause the phenomenon they were bringing about to become uncertain. Magic that was made uncertain either wouldn’t activate, would bring forth a different phenomenon, or would turn on its user. And from any of those outcomes, if the opponent were to anticipate it and make adjustments to try and correct it, the spell would harm them directly. Or it was supposed to... 

“Tch—Resonato! Repercussum qui flagitat discordia, convertit in fluctuationem et in ventum dispareto!” 

[Resonate! Take the echo which calls forth discord and disturbs the peace, convert it to instability and vanish in the rumbling wind!] 

Suimei Yakagi interrupted his original chant and cut in with an entirely different one. 

“Harmonies Aeolia!” 

[Tuning wind!] 

And as those words rode the wind, a change certainly occurred. 

“Wha...?!” 

The moment the darkness imitating a snake coiled around the magic circle rose into the air, both the snake of darkness and the magic circle turned into light and shattered to pieces. What was illuminated as the piece of light scattered like confetti was the figure of the young man standing there like nothing had happened. 

He was safe, which meant he managed to defend against the dark spell completely. But that was impossible. The thing known as magic, once activated, was something the Elements themselves took control of. That meant that there was a certain part of every spell that not even its caster could control. The spell the shadow had used made use of that and used it against their opponent... So if it didn’t work, did that mean the Elements weren’t involved? Even if that was the case for argument’s sake, that meant this man precisely controlled everything about the magic he used... In other words, it was magic that didn’t require the Elements. 

While the shadow was taken by surprise, Suimei Yakagi swung his empty right hand to the side as if flinging away the surplus mana that was left on his arm. 

“Phenomenon Mixer.” 

“...?” 

“It’s the magickal law that you used just now. Though it’s true that you didn’t use it perfectly... Good grief, despite not even knowing basic fucking magicka theory, you sure got some nerve to do that crap...” 

The way he was informing them of such like he was spitting out abuse was likely his way of showing admiration. And following that, a chill dominated the area. Did he now completely recognize the shadow as his enemy? His eyes were sharp, and the pressure in the area grew. The shadow had thought this back when he defeated the members of the Mage’s Guild, but as expected, Suimei Yakagi was a considerable master. 

He could activate high-level magic in a short amount of time, and even steal the magic his opponent cast and had control of to use it as is own. His true strength likely rivaled that of even the Elite Twelve. He may have even surpassed them. 

“Primum et secundum moenia, expansio localis.” 

“—?!” 

A golden magic circle rose up into the empty air as if it were a shield to protect him. Suimei Yakagi then began moving. The shadow reacted to his bold step forward and tried to retreat. But having read that move, he accelerated at an impossible rate from his initial velocity and closed the distance between them. 

Close combat wasn’t the shadow’s specialty, so they wove a chant together rapidly. Suimei Yakagi was about to snap his fingers, but perhaps realizing something was up, he abruptly escaped from where he was. 

His reaction was fast. While still in the construction stages of the spell, he was able to devote himself to evasive action without any hesitation. Just what kind of senses did he have to be able to do such a thing? That sort of reaction was practically foresight. 

And even as the shadow was thinking such things, they could see that he was already taking countermeasures, too. A magic circle once more floated into the air. However, it was not just one... or even of one variety. 

A double chant? No, this was... 

“Illustre carmen. Ad viginti transcribito. Invocato Augoeides!” 

[Illustrious spell. Transcribe up until number twenty. Invoke Augoeides!] 

“Ugh!” 

Spears of light that were not of the light attribute came rushing in like a sudden shower. Having allocated dense mana to the spell, did he then change it into a means of attack? Not only that, he had prepared multiples of the same thing, and then activated them all at once... Was he a monster? The shadow just barely dodged the slanting rain of light. They dodged, and had to counterattack. 

Yes, they had to defeat these people in their way. For the sake of that person. That’s why they felt nothing for their own safety. Even though they judged that plunging in would be far too risky an act, once the shadow saw that the cloud of dust kicked up from the shattered brick was clearing away, they ran towards the young man as if to slip past him. However, he saw through even that. Suimei Yakagi was right in front of them, his metal staff transformed into the shape of a sword, before the shadow knew it. 

Charging in just as they were nevertheless, the shadow was planning on striking the tip of their ebony staff against the inside of the sword. Since the shadow always watched that person’s sword techniques, they had confidence they could handle this young man. There was not a single person in the Empire who surpassed that person in swordplay, after all. However, Suimei Yakagi’s sword was no ordinary sword. 

As the staff struck and repelled the sword, unexpectedly, it didn’t leave its owner’s control. As if drifting, it fluently drew out its trajectory. Using the energy of the points of the two staffs the shadow pulled out to strike, the sword in his hand performed one revolution as its sharp point drew a shining circle in the air. 

A magic circle. The light of the mana which rose up was a shining red. A flame spell. 

By the time the shadow realized it, the magic circle was complete, and the blade pointed towards them reflected in their eyes. They could tell it was aimed at their collarbone, and so managed to evade the thrust. But the magic was a different story. In such a situation, there was no means of defending against it. What could they do? The shadow could feel heat coming from the magic circle. It was magic of the fire attribute. Right behind light, it worked well against darkness, an attribute that boasted of strong destructive power. 

“Urgh!” 

While bracing for the heat and pain to assault their body, the shadow clenched their teeth and threw their body down on the brick sidewalk. Using that momentum, they rolled across the ground without any regard for their safety. But thanks to that, the flame only licked their robe, and they had taken practically no damage. 

The level of the impromptu magic was several levels below the one from before, and though it was infantile, the shadow was saved by its light body that could carry out a tight turn. The silver-haired woman then called out to Suimei Yakagi. 

“I shall cover you.” 

“It’s fine. More importantly, I’m leaving that geezer and Lefi to you. Be careful of changes in mana and phenomena in the surroundings. Stretch out your domain to the sides so that it doesn’t stand out.” 

“This is...” 

The silver-haired woman looked around. And shortly thereafter, after a quick blink, both her eyes shot wide open all of a sudden. What they had perceived was surely none other than the black of a different nature than the darkness brought by the night. 

So Suimei Yakagi had noticed it? The black haze concealed by the shades of the evening. As one would expect... Even though the shadow was trying to sink them into the darkness while they were unaware, he was mindful of it. But even though he was capable of stealing another’s magic, it didn’t seem that he could interfere with magic of an unfamiliar attribute. Dyed in the haze made by the dark magic, the moon could be mistaken for a flawless black pearl. And the moment that the silver-haired woman returned a nod to Suimei Yakagi, the shadow began weaving their spell. 

“Oh Darkness. Thou shalt now creep out of the chaos from whence thou hide. For the sake of demonstrating thine power. I will seek no retribution. Nor shall I show anger. And thus—” 

And what was added on to the chant there were the forbidden words to enhance dark magic. 

“Olgo, Lucuila, Ragua, Secunto, Labielalu, Baybaron... Hateful Red Retaliation.” 

“Ex primo ad quartum, omnis regio aegis!” 

[From the first to the fourth, all area defense!] 

Suimei Yakagi folded up the same type of golden magic circles as before into a semi-sphere that expanded them around him. Darkness and light collided. The rotating magic circles scattered shrill noise and luminescence, and managed to defend against several of the bands of darkness, but... 

“Ugh—” 

From Suimei Yakagi’s mouth, a slight groan of anguish leaked out. The darkness that seeped through his goldish shield swarmed around his left arm. And as the most definitive proof his safety was finally threatened, the shadow could spot a bead of cold sweat slipping down the bridge of his nose. The spell was a success. It was the first time one of their attacks had actually reached him. 

However, even after a while, Suimei Yakagi did not collapse. Against a dark magic spell of such destructive force, the sharp pain and the physical weariness that crept across the affected region like crawling bugs and the despair that violated one’s very nerves should have made any opponent twist their face in anguished screams. Suimei Yakagi remained, however, with his two feet planted firmly on the ground and was staring at the shadow intently. 

“Are you...” 

Were there words of hatred for his enemy to come? No, what came next was... 

“Are you manipulating this kinda thing... like you are...” 

Anger and pity were mixed in awkwardly with his misgivings. 

Was there a reason to ask such a thing after all this time? The shadow was a master of dark magic. They used magic that ate away at their own body like worms, and with that power, they would bring down all who would impede that person. It was obvious. To the shadow, this was completely natural. Something they had to do. Yes, everything, absolutely everything was for the sake of protecting that person... 

For the sake of protecting that person, did I wound him with my own hands? 

“—?!” 

And just then, the shadow realized something. Yes, the line that they should never have crossed. Who was this? This man wasn’t one of the nobles who threatened that person, was he? So why... why would he not just settle down and do as he was told? Suimei Yakagi was a man who’d called out to the shadow with a gentle voice. A man who’d tried to make sure they weren’t alone. And here he was, that same man... After everything he’d done, had the shadow really fired off dangerous dark magic that could have easily taken his life? 

“Hey, wait—!” 

By the time they realized that, the shadow was running away from him. 

It was unexpected that Suimei was struck by his opponent’s magic. Immediately after the short shadow retreated into the darkness, Felmenia and Lefille came running over to him. 

“Suimei-dono!” 

“Suimei-kun!” 

Even as they approached him, Suimei continued to intently watch the black haze tenaciously coiling around his left arm. And seeing him like that, Felmenia called out to him again. 

“A-Are you alright? It appeared that you were struck by that dark magic just now, but...” 

“Yeah, I ate it. It fucking penetrated the rampart.” 

Saying that, Suimei showed his left arm to Felmenia. Where his glove and cuff were, there wasn’t anything unusual, but the portions of his arm that the black haze coiled around were blackened and looked like they had lost moisture. 

“Th-This is...” 

“They got me good. Seems that attack is probably classified as a particularly strong destructive force, even among other astral attacks. And it’s not just effective against the astral body. There’s a large fucking influence showing on the physical body too.” 

As Suimei said that, his face became grim. Lefille then stood on her tiptoes and took a look for herself. 

“Will this be alright?” 

“If I leave it as it is, it’ll rot and crumble.” 

“Wh-What?!” 

“I-I-I-I-Is that not a serious problem?! Qu-Quickly, restoration magic! No, is that even something that can be fixed by restoration magic?! Ummm, what to do, what to do, what to—?!” 

After hearing Suimei’s grave prediction, Lefille raised a surprised voice, and Felmenia lost her composure altogether as she fell into a frenzy. 

“Hey, calm down, Menia.” 

“Is this something you can even be calm about?! Rather, how are you able to remain so composed, Suimei-dono?!” 

“That’s right, Suimei-kun! Necrosis is not a trivial matter, you know?!” 

“It’s fine, I’m telling you. Since my astral body was done in, it just means that even if I use healing magicka, it won’t go back to normal right away is all.” 

“Is that so?” 

After Suimei nodded back to Lefille, Felmenia let out a grand sigh of relief. His arm was wrinkling up and looked pretty bad, but in reality, the condition—Well, he still couldn’t say that it wasn’t bad. Just based on the fact that his astral body had been damaged, it could be said this was a serious affair. Since it wasn’t just a normal wound, it would require a considerable amount of time to heal properly. He wouldn’t be able to use his left hand for a while, it seemed. And as Suimei once more lowered his gaze to his left arm, a patrol whistle rang out. 

“...The military police, right?” 

It was a little after the military police came running over well past the eleventh hour and demanded to know what had happened. While they questioned Suimei and the others about why they were present at the scene, the military police seemed to have indirectly heard about the situation Suimei and the others were in, and they were able to get through the questioning without any problems. 

After giving the police a summary of everything that seemed necessary and just leaving the rest out, the military police went about investigating the scene. But even that seemed like they were just pretending to look around. 

As Suimei casually watched them, he could see they were restlessly moving around, but obviously not making any progress with their investigation. In the end, it seemed that they did not have a good understanding of dark magic either. Even the consultant who eventually arrived from the Mage’s Guild could only just shake their head. 

And while that was going on, the blockade formed by the military police at the back of the scene had become quite noisy. Before long, the crowd of military policemen split, and a single man wearing a military uniform came through. 

“What a coincidence. I had heard that there was someone who challenged the hero, but to think it was you.” 

It was a familiar voice. Suimei and Lefille recognized this man. He was the one they’d seen at the church, and the same man Suimei had seen take Liliana away by the library. 

“If I’m not mistaken... We met the other day, did we not? You appear to be someone from the imperial army, but why are you here?” 

And as Suimei asked him that, the man closed his eyes without a single change in his expression. 

“I have no need to give you an answer to that. There is only one thing you need to do now, and that’s to tell me what happened here. Nothing more, Suimei Yakagi.” 

Had he heard Suimei’s name from Liliana? He spoke to Suimei in a tone that almost sounded like a command. Suimei fixed the disheveled portions of his clothes and returned an answer. 

“My apologies, but would it be alright for me to ask your name?” 

“I am a colonel affiliated with the imperial army, Rogue Zandyke.” 

It seemed she’d heard that name before, and Lefille knit her brow in surprise. She then muttered what seemed to be a title. 

“One of the Seven Swords...” 

With a bitter orange backdrop emitted by the mana lamps that felt like it could burn one’s eyes, many shadows were restlessly moving about. It was the site of a coma incident. Suimei and the others who happened to be present were sent back home, and in front of Rogue, who was watching the military police continue their investigation, a small shadow wearing a military uniform appeared. 

“Where have you been, Liliana?” 

Rogue called out to her without even turning to look at her, and Liliana replied in a stiff manner. 

“I was just... feeling the night breeze... a little...” 

“I do believe I told you explicitly not to go outside needlessly.” 

“My... apologies...” 

Hearing Rogue’s reprimand, Liliana shrank back, seeming even smaller than normal. Seeing Liliana contract like that—like it was an illusion of her physically shrinking—Rogue spoke again without changing his expression at all. 

“Fine. Have you heard of the situation?” 

“I have heard... most of the details... from the military police. I have a grasp of it.” 

“I see. From the state of the military police, how does it look to you?” 

“It is... the same as always. The target of the culprit... was another noble with a bad reputation... and without doing any serious investigation... they punch in their time day and night... and seem to just be betting on whether... the hero will do something about it.” 

“A bad reputation... you say?” 

As Rogue repeated her words in a way that was unusual for him, Liliana nodded back. The military police were the same as always. They had no motivation whatsoever with regards to this case. But that was expected. The upper echelons of the Empire and the Church of Salvation made their move first, so the military police had no real gusto to attack this job. 

Even the hero who was added to the investigation recently was unable to make any proper use of the military police. The second player was only just falling behind. To her, the hero and the nobles posed no threat whatsoever. Yes, after innocently returning to the scene of the crime, that’s what she thought, but...

“It may be convenient to me, but because of this, recently those around me have been noisy.” 

“Colonel...” 

Was that grumbling because he was racking his brains on the adverse effects the incident had brought about? Yes. The noble that she defeated today, as well as all the nobles that she had defeated up until now, were all a bunch that thought lowly of Rogue, who’d risen through the ranks as a commoner. If they just looked down on him, it would be one thing, but they were even maneuvering to bring Rogue down and finish him off. If those types of people were all dragged into the incidents one after the other, people were bound to get suspicious one way or another. 

That was trouble. But if she were to fear that and be negligent with them, one day Rogue would be crushed by the jealousy and envy of those damned nobles. That’s why, no matter what happened to her, for the Colonel... Yes, for the adoptive father who picked her up and raised her... 

With that, Liliana hardened her resolve and apologized to Rogue in her heart. 

“Liliana.” 

“Y-Yes.” 

While she was immersed in thought, Rogue suddenly called to her and exposed her failure to pay attention. However, without reprimanding her for it, he spoke as if staring into the darkness at someone who’d vanished. 

“About the one from before, Suimei Yakagi...” 

“Is there something... about that man?” 

“I want information about him. Make contact and investigate him.” 

Hearing that unexpected order from her adoptive father and superior, Liliana returned a puzzled question. 

“With... Suimei Yakagi?” 

“Correct. It seems that he came in contact with the culprit of the incident. He said that he ran into them coincidentally while investigating.” 

“Colonel, do you think... he is the culprit?” 

“I do not believe he is. I am just curious.” 

“...Fully understood, Colonel.” 

Acknowledging Rogue’s order, Liliana followed after him as he barged into the investigation of the military police.