Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Onward, to the Hero’s Rescue 

Several days had passed since the pool escapade at the Yakagi residence and Suimei’s completion of the magicka circle of returning. He was now en route to Kurant City—home of Duke Hadorious—ahead of Reiji, who was drafted into a triumphant return celebration with Prince Reanat in the imperial capital. 

Originally, Suimei and Reiji’s teams were planning on making the trip together, but since Reiji had been detained, Suimei was going ahead as a vanguard of sorts. The mastermind of this plan was none other than Astel’s princess, Titania Root Astel. As Hadorious was a noble of Astel himself, Titania wanted to proceed as carefully as possible. They were potentially dealing with something very sinister. As such, she’d devised a diversionary tactic. She and her allies would split into two teams, one led by Suimei and one by Reiji, but not in the usual formation. 

Titania was the hero of Astel’s escort, meaning that wherever Reiji went, she was sure to follow. At least ordinarily. She was currently taking advantage of the fact that people would expect that, and had snuck away with Suimei’s vanguard team. Felmenia had been left behind to take part in the celebratory parade in her stead as a body double to throw off any suspicions about the princess’s movements. 

As such, Felmenia, Lefille, Liliana, and Io Kuzami were currently with Reiji, while Titania and Hatsumi—who had also agreed to participate in Elliot’s rescue—were with Suimei. Graziella had stayed behind in the capital to take care of the aftermath of the battle. And in order to avoid drawing attention by moving in too large of a group, Elliot’s attendant Christa and Hatsumi’s aid Selphy stayed behind to mind the Yakagi residence. 

As for the first meeting between Hatsumi and Titania... 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Royal Highness Titania. Though a humble swordswoman like me deserves no such title, I am the hero of the Alliance, Kuchiba Hatsumi.” 

“Please, Hatsumi-sama, there is no need for you to bow your head to me. Please be at ease.” 

“But...” 

“It’s fine. A mere princess like me deserves no such formality from a hero of salvation. Besides, I have asked Reiji-sama and Mizuki to be casual with me as well, so I would love for you to do the same.” 

“Then... Forgive me if I have trouble adjusting, but it really is nice to meet you.” 

Once the introductions were over, their conversation took a turn from pleasantries to something more violent. 

“I’ve heard that you’re quite skilled with a blade, Hatsumi-sama.” 

“Whoever told you that is very kind.” 

“You’re too modest. Along the way, if time permits, I would love to spar with you. Would that be alright?” 

“It would be my pleasure. I’d love to see the skills of the fourth of the Seven Swords.” 

They each had a great interest in the other as fellow swordswomen, and immediately hit it off. All was well between them, but... 

Should cute girls really be getting excited about talking about such violent stuff with smiles on their faces? 

The visual was wonderful, but the audio was questionable. Nevertheless, they all got along well on their trip. Now, fast forward a few days... 

“Well, it’s about time we get to it, huh?” 

It was currently late in the evening, and Suimei and Hatsumi were camped out in the forest that surrounded Kurant City. They were peeking out from the underbrush and observing the soldiers stationed along the city wall. Titania, meanwhile, made a dissatisfied expression as her face twitched. 

“Why must I do something so dastardly like a petty thief?” 

“About that... Wasn’t this your plan? Before we left, you said, ‘We shall have Reiji-sama act as a distraction and secretly infiltrate that man’s mansion. There, we will uncover proof of his nefarious deeds and bring him to justice! Just watch and see!’ You sounded like you were totally on board then.” 

“But to infiltrate in such a sneaky way...” 

“Isn’t that the whole point of infiltrating? What did you have in mind? Surely you didn’t want us to write a letter and let them know we were coming ahead of time, did you?” 

“Certainly not! If we did that, the entire plan would be for naught! I was just expecting something more... tasteful.” 

As Titania yelled back at Suimei, he replied with an exasperated expression. 

“You’re surprisingly stubborn. Is that what it is? You put on that demure mask of yours just in front of Reiji?” 

“Of course not... Before Reiji-sama, I am none other than myself.” 

Looking down and pulling up the oversized collar on her mantle, Titania half hid her face. This matter seemed far more upsetting to her than what she’d just been complaining about. Had she just gotten shy, or had Suimei hit the nail on the head? Considering she was born and raised as royalty, chances of the latter seemed much higher—or so Suimei thought. 

“It’s not really my business, but I gotta say... I don’t believe you for a second.” 

“That’s enough of your impudence. I’ll execute you myself.” 

“Yeesh, women sure are scary.” 

Titania glared daggers at him as the moonlight reflected off of her drawn sword. Suimei grabbed his shoulders and shivered as he rolled his eyes. And while the two of them were having their little exchange, Hatsumi spoke up. 

“So, what will we do? We can’t just stay here forever, right?” 

“I agree. Suimei, you have some sort of plan, do you not? You must take charge from here and lead the way.” 

“Yeah, I have something in mind. We’re going to sneak in from here.” 

“From here?” Hatsumi muttered in disbelief as she looked up at the wall surrounding Kurant City. 

They were currently positioned in the woods just north of the city. But between them and the wall, there was only an open field with no cover. Not a small one, either. There would be no way for them to make it across stealthily, even in the dead of night. The terrain was almost identical to the south as well, so switching positions wouldn’t even help them any. Moreover, there were guards stationed along the top of the wall. Security was pretty tight. Even if they tried to make a mad dash for it, there was no doubt they’d be spotted. That meant... 

“Are you going to camouflage us with your magicka?” 

“I could, but then there’d still be the issue of what we did once we got to the wall. Instead, let’s kill two birds with one stone.” 

“And how would you suggest we do that?” 

“Somehow, I have a really bad feeling about this...” 

As a grim expression rose up on Titania’s face, Suimei began chanting. 

“Leave this to me. You guys ready? Gravitas residito, massa reducito. Via gravitas, fingito.” 

[Abate gravity, reduce mass. Gravity road, take form.] 

“Huh—?” 

“Wha—?” 

As soon as the last word of the incantation left Suimei’s lips, the three of them began expeditiously rising into the air. Almost like they’d gone through a warp, they were up in the clouds in nearly the blink of an eye. 

“Wah, wawawah!” 

“Wh-What— What is this?!” 

Suimei was the only one who’d known what was going to happen, and Hatsumi and Titania’s minds could hardly keep up. They’d never expected to suddenly be flying through the night sky, and fell this way and that, flipping over repeatedly after their equilibriums had been thrown completely out of whack. 

“S-S-S-S-Suimei! Why?! And so suddenly?!” 

“Don’t flail around so much. I’m in control, and I’m not going to let you fall.” 

“It’s not about that! It’s just... It’s too high!” 

Titania’s arms and legs were going everywhere as she screamed and wailed. Seeing her panic so, Suimei felt like teasing her at least a little, but held back. 

“Just hang in there.” 

“Please don’t ask the impossible of me! Aaaugh... The ground is steadily getting further away...” 

“It’s nothing to cry over, right? Like I said, I’m not going to let us fall.” 

“I’m not crying! And that’s not the problem!” 

“She’s right! That’s enough! Just get us back down! And fast! You jerk! Meanie! Numbskull!” 

“You too, Hatsumi...? Don’t make a fuss. Here, I’ll lend you my hand...” 

“Huh? B-But...” 

As Hatsumi started to tear into him, Suimei drew nearer to comfort her. When he took her hand, she immediately calmed down. It was something he used to do frequently for her when they were children. He hadn’t expected it to work as well now, but Hatsumi went completely silent. Granted, Suimei was oblivious as to the actual reason for that. 

“E-Even if you managed to skillfully coax Hatsumi-sama into this, don’t think that you can do same to me! Now take us down at once! Right this instant! I’m begging you! Please take us down!” 

Scared out of her wits, Titania’s tone was all over the place. She went from giving orders to begging and back again. Complying with her requests/demands, Suimei activated the keyword to initiate their descent. 

With his spell, Suimei could stealthily take them all the way to their destination if he wanted. But if Titania had already reached her limits, he had no choice but to cut their flight short. With a sigh, Suimei cast another spell to make sure no one heard Titania’s incessant squawking as they landed atop the city wall. 

“Aaand... touchdown.” 

“The ground... At long last, the precious ground...” 

Mumbling in a trembling voice, the princess weakly sank to the stone floor. Had she really been that scared? As for Hatsumi, when Suimei let go of her hand... 

“Ah...” 

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” 

“I-It’s nothing!” 

There was a brief look of disappointment on her face that gave way to anger. And then, as if agreeing with her, Titania suddenly became enraged. 

“Suimei! How dare you do something so stupid?! If you’re going to use such tactics, then at least inform us in advance!” 

“But if I’d done that, you would have refused, right?” 

“Of course I would have! Had I known of this scheme beforehand, I would’ve had absolutely no part of it!” 

Titania’s wide eyes gleamed with fury, and she even went as far as putting her hands on the hilts of the two swords at her waist. Seeing her so worked up, Suimei’s impishness got the better of him. 

“No, don’t tell me, princess... Did you pee yourself a little?” 

“Line yourself up right here, right now, Suimei. I shall rid your body of your head forthwith.” 

Titania was already sizing him up and taking aim when Hatsumi jumped in. 

“W-Wait! Now’s not the time for that, right?! We landed somewhere we’ll be easy to spot, and if we make a fuss, they’ll find us right away!” 

“Meh. Yeah, I guess so.” 

Suimei sounded completely indifferent, but even now, patrolling guards with lanterns were approaching. Hatsumi and Titania went stiff from the tension, but Suimei immediately took action. 

The guards who’d come to investigate the shadows they’d spotted up on the wall didn’t even have time to call out to them. Suimei sprang forward like he was floating in the air and landed right in front of the guards. Their shoulders slumped lackadaisically, and they then turned around and went right back to their patrol without a word. 

“See?” 

As if saying it was nothing special, Suimei shrugged his shoulders and returned to the girls without further ado. 

“What was that? Magicka again?” 

“Yup. That’s all I’m good for.” 

“Manipulating people is really kinda... villain-esque.” 

“Says you.” 

Hatsumi eyed Suimei dubiously, but he brushed her off with a wave of his hand. Meanwhile, Titania kept her eyes locked on him like a predator and held her swords at the ready. 

“That won’t be the only patrol, Suimei.” 

“And I’ll handle the others the same way. It doesn’t take much effort, after all. If you want, should I just take a lap and clear them out now? We can take a leisurely stroll around Kurant City’s famous landmark—its beautiful city wall.” 

“Why do you sound like some tour guide?” 

“Unfortunately, there aren’t any stores for me to recommend along the way. But if you’re interested, we can stop at the guardhouse.” 

“No way. I bet it reeks.” 

Suimei wanted to retort about how someone who spent all day in a sweaty dojo had no right to say that, but more pressingly, he realized that Titania had gone quiet. 

“What’s wrong, princess? I’d appreciate it if you lowered your swords already.” 

“...It’s nothing.” 

“That scary look on your face says otherwise.” 

It was somewhat subtle, but Titania was making a grim expression like she was imagining something unpleasant. The first to put two and two together was Hatsumi. 

“After what you did like it was nothing, of course she’d be wary around you, right?” 

“Well, I guess so, yeah.” 

They’d slipped through the city’s defenses with extraordinary ease. Because that was precisely what they’d come here to do, it didn’t bother Hatsumi or Suimei in the slightest. But as someone responsible for the safety of this country, Titania felt differently. It was only natural that she be on guard after seeing such a well-defended city breached like that. 

“Are you not also surprised, Hatsumi-sama?” 

“Not really. I saw him do the same thing back at the palace in Miazen. Besides, to me, he’s an ally.” 

“That’s right. Even if you’re the one here to protect us, I won’t let any harm come to you either.” 

“What are you saying with such a serious face?! You idiot!” 

“Ow! What are you doing?!” 

Suimei meant to be dead serious, but perhaps because the line he used was just a little too cheesy, Hatsumi turned bright red and repeatedly kicked him in the shin. On the other hand, Titania eyed him with a frank gaze. 

“It didn’t look like you did anything all that impressive, however.” 

“I didn’t have to, honestly. Compared to sneaking into a magician’s place, this is child’s play.” 

Suimei shrugged his shoulders. Not only was he used to modern security systems, but he was also used to the magickal defenses that other magicians would use. Hopping the wall of a medieval city was a simply feat to him. There wasn’t even a single trap. 

“...What? You still got something else to say?” 

“No, I was just thinking it would’ve been no laughing matter to make an enemy of you. If we’d kicked you out of the royal castle, I see we would have been in for a world of hurt.” 

“Lucky for you, only one guy ended up in a world of hurt... No, I guess there were two people that did, huh? Heh.” 

“This may be amusing to you, but it was a quite a fuss in the castle. People—mostly the nobles, really—were worried that an incompetent companion like you would negatively affect the esteemed hero. Little did they know, however, that rather than incompetent, you were a dangerous liability...” 

“You’d call me that to my face?” 

Suimei narrowed his eyes at her, but Titania’s only reply was a nonchalant expression. Interrupting himself, however, Suimei suddenly clapped his hands together like he’d just remembered something. 

“Ah, that’s right! There’s something else we need to take care of.” 

“Oh? What something is that?” 

“Something extremely important now that we’ve made it this far.” 

Suimei began nodding repeatedly like he was convincing himself, and started walking away from the two girls. It looked like he was going back towards the patrolling guards. Watching him head off like he hadn’t a care in the world, the girls whispered to each other. 

“I wonder what this ‘something extremely important’ is. Could he be about to raise some kind of ruckus?” 

“That would be a little... Suimei may be careless, but he should certainly know better than that. Despite how he seems, his plans are nothing to sneeze at.” 

“But how can we know for certain? He has a tendency to say the most ridiculous things with a perfectly serious look on his face.” 

“Yeah, he does, doesn’t he? You got me there.” 

Hatsumi and Titania took advantage of the opportunity to talk about Suimei behind his back. They then watched as he walked right up to the guards he’d just encountered and struck up a conversation with them, his eyes shining crimson. 

“Hey, sorry to bug you, but is there an inn you’d recommend around here?” 

“You’re after an inn? If that’s the case, there’s a nice place on the main road aimed at the middle class. They’ve got a big sign up, so you can’t miss it. Breakfast is included in your stay, and it’s worth staying there for.” 

“Thanks a bunch. Keep up the good work on patrol.” 

After somewhat facetiously thanking the guard, Suimei briskly returned to the girls, who were both staring at him in puzzlement. It seemed they’d found his perfectly casual conversation with the guard confoundingly odd. 

“...What’s up?” 

“So, Suimei, that super important thing you were talking about...” 

“Finding somewhere to sleep is super important, you know. Nobody wants to stay at a crappy inn.” 

“No, well... That’s certainly true, but...” 

It was a bit off point, but Hatsumi couldn’t argue with him. While she struggled for a quip, Titania spoke up with an exasperated expression on her face. 

“Hatsumi-sama, resign yourself. There is no meaning in saying anything to this man.” 

“You’re totally right, Titania-san. You’re my only ally here.” 

“You know, you two have been super mean to me for a while now.” 

And thusly Suimei’s vanguard team successfully infiltrated Kurant City. 

A few days after Suimei and his team departed for Kurant City, the victory parade and celebration in the imperial city came to an uneventful close. 

Thanks to her magicka, Felmenia’s Titania disguise was perfect. No one even suspected her. Their biggest worry the entire time was keeping Io Kuzami in check. Other than that, everything had gone perfectly. The only complaints they had were about their sore cheeks and aching arms from all the smiling and waving. Lefille was still the right size, and Liliana had only gotten sleepy on the job a handful of times. They couldn’t have asked for more. 

And now, with all of their business taken care of in the city, Reiji and company were in a carriage bound for Kurant City. Staring out the window, he recalled his conversation with Suimei at the military encampment. 

“Magic... No, magicka, huh?” 

After finding out he was a magician, Suimei had told Reiji lots of things. And even after having some time to think about them, he still found them strange. Just where in their peacefully civilized world of convenience and leisure did something chaotic like magicka fit in? 

Reiji couldn’t figure it out, but that in and of itself proved how artful and resourceful the practitioners of the mysteries were in keeping them disguised—like hiding a candle in the bright neon lights of the city. They had the whole world fooled into thinking magic wasn’t real. 

After everything Suimei had told him and everything he’d seen, Reiji still found it hard to believe himself. He nearly laughed the whole thing off, and that was when Suimei had said to him... 

“The majority of the people in our world were raised by science, after all. But why do you think that is? In truth... In truth, it’s obvious which set of laws makes more sense, right? At the end of the day, ‘laws’ are just things humans arbitrarily thought of and applied to phenomena—nothing more and nothing less. But when you do something ridiculous with magicka and it fails, you can trace that failure back to something unscientific. Yet when you strive for something scientifically and it fails, people just throw their hands up and call it a failure. They say something doesn’t work or it’s not possible or some such. And that’s the difference—nothing’s impossible with magicka. It’s a matter of perspective. When people are raised by science and the laws of the physical, that’s all they believe in. If science is all you understand, then that’s all you can gauge the world with.” 

That was why, Suimei said, that Reiji thought the way he did. Children of science could discover magic for themselves, but if they could never change their perspective, they would never truly understand. Even Reiji, who could use magic himself, still bordered on disbelief. Being born and raised in a world of science had functionally predisposed him against it. 

While watching the flowing scenery swim by, Reiji let his thoughts wander. They eventually returned and settled on his best friend. The very one who’d taught him all this. 

“Um, is Suimei strong?” 

When the question came to mind, Reiji turned to Lefille, who was sitting next to him. In response, she gently pushed up the brim of her large hat to show her face. 

“Suimei-kun is indeed strong. I’m a swordswoman so I can’t really go into too much detail about what makes him that way, but... If Suimei-kun is weak, then I don’t think you could say anyone in this world is strong.” 

Hearing her answer, Reiji looked over to Felmenia and Liliana, who both nodded in agreement. Lastly, Reiji turned to the other person who was looking out the window nostalgically—Io Kuzami. 

“Ah, yes, my rival is quite strong. What, can you not tell that for yourself?” 

“No, see... Even after finding out he was a magician, he just seems the same as ever.” 

Suimei had confessed that he was a magician, but at the end of the day, Suimei was still Suimei to Reiji. He acted like everything was a pain, and was in general a flippant smart aleck—just like always. He’d explained all kinds of things to Reiji, but the thing Reiji was the haziest on was what that actually meant about Suimei. 

“Heh, I see my fiancé’s powers of observation still have a long way to go.” 

“Even if it’s little by little, I feel like I’m getting stronger though.” 

“Is that not just because you’re getting familiar with the Goddess’s blessing?” 

“I wondered about that... Is that all it is?” 

Reiji was aware that he’d made progress, but he was also aware that he was gaining ground at an unnatural speed. It left him wondering sometimes if he himself was actually getting stronger at all, rather than just the power he was given increasing. 

“Reiji... what does it feel like... to receive... the Goddess’s blessing?” 

At Liliana’s sudden question, Reiji clenched and opened his hands like a baby would while replying. 

“Honestly, I don’t really know myself. It kind of feels like, without doing anything, I got stronger... Or something?” 

“That’s your imagination... Or... perhaps not?” 

“Could it be the power of the Sacrament?” 

“No, that’s a different feeling. When I use the Sacrament, I feel like all my abilities have been enhanced. It feels like I could fight forever. Like I’m limitless. Like my mana and stamina would never run out.” 

That was how it felt, at least, but he knew all too well that the power he gained from the Sacrament was only temporary. It made the feeling of using it somewhat uncanny. 

“Compared to before, I feel like you’ve gotten stronger too.” 

“Do you think so, Lady Felmenia?” 

“I believe it is the result of the divine blessing bestowed upon the summoned heroes. I have heard it gradually makes one stronger, so I believe that would be what Reiji-dono is feeling right now.” 

“The Goddess’s blessing is really something, huh?” 

“It’s... unfair.” 

While Lefille and Liliana were both busy being envious, Felmenia raised her hand like she had a question. 

“Um, Reiji-dono, there’s something I’m a little curious about...” 

“Something you’re curious about?” 

Felmenia exchanged a quick glance with Lefille, who nodded at her. It seemed they were on the same page about something. 

“Um, I’ll cut straight to the point,” said Lefille. “Reiji-kun, we were wondering if you’re angry with Suimei-kun.” 

“If I’m angry with Suimei?” 

“Um, this is concerning Suimei-dono keeping the fact that he’s a magician secret from you. We were wondering if that might be bothering you.” 

“Aah...” 

It was there that the lightbulb came on. The girls were worried that this had affected his relationship with Suimei. He looked at them to answer, but his thoughts were called back to the modern world once more. 

“Back home—in our world—I stuck my nose into dangerous stuff all the time. I did all kinds of crazy things. Whenever I see someone in trouble, I just can’t help myself. I have to do something. And because of that, I ended up dragging Suimei and Mizuki who were always with me into a lot of trouble... There were plenty of times I ended up saved by some weird phenomenon or unexplainable coincidence. And I’m only realizing now that it was Suimei saving me all that time.” 

Waxing nostalgic, Reiji started to ramble a little bit, but his point was clear. When he thought back on it, there were lots of things he couldn’t explain—lots of things that he now knew had to be magicka. They’d been surrounded by hoodlums once who all collapsed to the ground for no reason. Whenever yakuza shot at them, the bullets always missed. That one swindler just happened to turn himself in. The list went on and on. 

“The fact that he kept it a secret for so long is kind of a bummer, but there are rules about these things in our world, apparently. I understand why he did it. Really, I know I should be thanking him for everything he’s done... After all we went through, I’m surprised he didn’t just up and abandon me.” 

“But didn’t he basically do that at the royal castle?” 

“Accepting a part in the war against the demons was something I did without consulting either him or Mizuki. He had every right to stay behind. Friends don’t let friends fight demon lords, am I right? He tried to stop me for my own good. And besides, it’s not like he wasn’t going to tell us when he found a way back to our world.” 

“That’s rather extreme, though.” 

“That may be, but...” 

In short, Reiji had rushed into the subjugation. High on the idea that he was chosen, he mistakenly believed he could do anything. Suimei had called him out for it, but hadn’t stood in his way. And it went the other way, too. Suimei had things he wanted to do, and Reiji knew that he didn’t have any right to stop him. 

“It’s not like Suimei wasn’t helping. He was just doing things his own way and at his own pace. And when we met again in the imperial capital, he welcomed us with open arms. So... isn’t that enough?” 

“What a good friend...” 

“He’s wasted... on Suimei.” 

Lefille was smiling, but Liliana had no mercy. That in itself was a sign of just how much she’d come to open up. Suimei taught her not to hold back. 

“But what about you, Lefille-san? I heard that you and Suimei fled Astel together, but...” 

“No, that’s not quite right. We didn’t run away together; Suimei-kun saved me.” 

After hearing Lefille’s answer, Reiji casually turned his gaze over to Felmenia. 

“My case is a little peculiar... I picked a fight with Suimei-dono and had the tables completely turned on me.” 

“Wh-What? You mean you fought against Suimei?!” 

“Yes, back at Castle Camellia. Um, I found Suimei-dono’s actions to be suspicious, so I followed him one night unaware that I was actually being lured in.” 

“Wh-When did that happen...?” 

“One, maybe two weeks after you and your friends arrived, Reiji-dono. Is it that surprising?” 

“Honestly, Sensei, you don’t strike me as the type to pick a fight like that.” 

“At that time, I, um... It’s rather embarrassing, but I was arrogant to a fault. I believe you may have seen it for yourself, Reiji-dono.” 

“Aah, now that you mention it...” 

Reiji recalled a certain incident. When Felmenia was chosen to be the hero’s magic instructor, she’d gotten rather high and mighty with a senior court mage. Her speech then was nowhere near as polite as it was now. Reiji personally hadn’t thought much of it, but looking back on it, maybe it was a sign of something. 

“Sebastian took advantage of that arrogance and led me to believe that Suimei-dono was a bad man. But after Suimei-dono defeated me, we worked together to defeat Sebastian.” 

Felmenia sounded rather embarrassed about the first half of that declaration, but rather proud of the second half. It seemed to trigger something in Lefille. 

“I-I also defeated a demon general together with Suimei-kun!” 

“B-But I was the first to team up with him!” 

“Unlike you, Lady Felmenia, I never fought with him!” 

“You’re lying! I heard that you had a little spat!” 

Witnessing their increasingly loud quarrel, Reiji suddenly began laughing. Felmenia and Lefille both stopped bickering and tilted their heads quizzically to the side. 

“I see Suimei is just as popular as ever.” 

“What?” 

“Pardon?” 

Though they’d been shouting in each other’s faces a second ago, their attention completely shifted to Reiji. It only seemed to take a few moments for them to realize the meaning behind his words. 

“Um, based on what you just said, Reiji-dono, it sounded like you meant to imply that Suimei-dono has women who are interested in him even in your world, but...” 

“Just what does this mean, Reiji-kun?” 

“It means what it sounds like. Even back home, Suimei had girls coming to see him all the time. His childhood friend... Actually, you already met Kuchiba-san, but there was also that foreign girl, that other foreign girl, and...” 

Hearing this, Liliana’s lone sleepy-looking eye grew especially narrow at the shadiness of it all. 

“Suimei... is a blockhead.” 

“Good grief, I agree completely. That man needs to get stabbed by someone already. Hmph.” 

Even Io Kuzami chimed in with some bitter words. She was particularly harsh, but even Reiji hesitated to defend Suimei under the circumstances. On the other hand, as for Lefille and Felmenia... 

“Regarding this matter, I believe we should hear it from him in detail.” 

“I agree. Let’s work together to corner him.” 

Despite fighting just earlier, they were now clasping each other’s hands and agreeing to work together. With their alliance, Suimei probably wouldn’t stand a chance. 

“Everyone... we’re almost... at Kurant City.” 

Drawn by Liliana’s announcement, Reiji looked out the window towards their destination. The gates of Kurant City and the line of people waiting to get in were coming into sight. They would be there any minute now. 

“If I remember the plan right, we’re going to enter just like this, right?” 

“Yes. After getting through... we’ll find an opportunity... to meet up with Suimei’s group.” 

Shortly thereafter, the carriage made it to the gate, and because they’d made arrangements beforehand, they were immediately welcomed through. They were officially in the city to pay a visit, and with that excuse as cover, everything proceeded much more smoothly than they’d expected. Once on the other side of the gate, everyone disembarked. After spending so long in the cramped carriage, the wide open plaza and clear sky were especially refreshing. 

“I wonder where Suimei is...” 

Saying that, Reiji began glancing about. Lefille turned a wicked grin his way. 

“Oh my. Is Reiji-kun not worried about Her Highness Titania at all?” 

“Eh? N-No, I’m also worried about Tia!” 

“Hmph, instead of you always worrying about that tomboy princess, I would rather like that you show some concern for me.” 

“No, um...” 

Even Io Kuzami jumped on board with Lefille’s teasing. And in order to keep this increasingly awkward topic from progressing any further, Reiji spoke out in a somewhat loud voice. 

“Th-This also applies to Suimei’s group, but is it really alright to come in contact with them like this?!” 

“Don’t worry. Both Lady Felmenia and I are here.” 

“Now, Reiji-dono, let us go.” 

Felmenia pointed towards an opening between buildings. 

“That way is... An alley?” 

“Reiji-kun, there will be no surveillance on the backstreets. To avoid being seen, we should move quickly.” 

“I see.” 

Seemingly convinced, Reiji nodded and then led them all into the alley. They could already sense two presences following after them. It seemed their suspicions were right and Hadorious already had spies observing their every move. Liliana served as the group’s rearguard and cast a spell behind them once they were well into the alleyway. She was gone a while before coming back. 

“With that... we’re good.” 

“Did you do something?” 

Liliana held up her index and middle fingers in the shape of a V with a self-satisfied look on her face. To save her the words, Felmenia answered Reiji’s question in her stead. 

“Concealment magicka. Even if the observers find us now, they won’t pay us any mind. Suimei-dono said it would be like becoming mere pebbles on the side of the road, though I don’t particularly understand the analogy...” 

“Aah...” 

Hearing her explanation, Reiji recalled a secret item from a certain famous anime that made the wearer unnoticeable to others. Frankly, it was an outrageous stealth weapon, so being able to mimic that power gave Reiji a glimpse into just how ridiculous magicka really was. 

“All that’s left is to find Suimei and the others then, huh? I wonder where they are.” 

With that, Reiji turned to exit the alleyway and start looking when, all of a sudden... 

“Meow.” 

Liliana began imitating a cat. It was as though she was trying to call out for them like one would with birds, or perhaps she’d just broken down into a childish fit of animal noises. Reiji had no idea. And it didn’t stop. 

“Meow, meow, meow.” 

“U-Um, Liliana-chan?” 

“Meeeow.” 

“What...?” 

As Liliana continued meowing, Reiji couldn’t hide his bewilderment. He knew she loved cats, but this was incredible. Was she just bored? Was it some kind of ritual? He gave up on trying to figure it out and turned to Lefille, who was standing next to him. 

“Ummm, Lefille-san, what exactly...” 

“Isn’t it cute?” 

In response to Reiji’s unasked question, Lefille beckoned like she was calling over a cat. She was smiling warmly too, almost like she was watching a small child play. It was there that Io Kuzami joined in. 

“Verily, it is quite cute. As expected of a disciple of mine. She possesses sufficient cuteness and adorability,” she said, nodding repeatedly like she was satisfied. 

If that was all the two of them had to say about it, was Liliana really just playing? Up until now, she’d been acting in perfect accordance with their mission without missing a single step along the way. So not only did this meowing frenzy seem to be completely out of character, it left Reiji completely bewildered. As his expression twisted in puzzlement, Lefille cracked an impish smile. 

“It’s a joke, Reiji-kun. This was probably the plan they decided on beforehand.” 

“This is...?” 

Just what was she going to accomplish by meowing? Reiji still couldn’t get his head around what was happening. But as he started to think about it, this did remind him of something—Suimei’s house in the imperial capital was always surrounded by cats. 

While that was going on, a single black cat appeared from deep within the back alleys. Liliana stopped meowing, and the black cat came closer to her. It looked like it was lost as it stared into Liliana’s eye. They locked gazes for a moment before they began meowing at each other. 

A short while later, Liliana turned back towards the group. 

“Looks like... it’s this way.” 

“Meow.” 

As if confirming what Liliana had said, the cat turned to look down the alley and gingerly raised a front paw. It looked like it was trying to point the way. Liliana happily followed after it, and Felmenia and Lefille after them. Hurrying after the girls in a fluster, Reiji called out to Liliana. 

“You can talk to cats?” 

“Rather than talk... it’s more like... sharing thoughts... with them. It’s all... about feeling.” 

Io Kuzami rubbed her chin and interjected, “Rather than ‘feeling,’ shouldn’t you have said ‘feline’?” 

“Is... Is that supposed to be funny?” 

Io Kuzami looked triumphant, and Reiji exasperated. She laughed it off, but Reiji had to wonder. That kind of humor wasn’t Mizuki’s style, not even in chuuni mode. But he didn’t have long to think about it. The others continued on down the alley without him, and he hurried to catch up. 

After following the cat a ways, the group eventually arrived at an inn on the main road. It had a rather large sign out front and appeared to be plenty busy. There was a good crowd of people coming and going. If someone stopped to ask a local for a recommendation, this was definitely the kind of place that would come up. 

“Um, is this the place?” 

“Looks like it.” 

“To hide somewhere like this...” 

Reiji couldn’t believe it. Some cheap hole in the wall was usually where people went to lie low. That was the standard gig in spy movies and novels, but instead of that, he was staring at a local hotspot. It was the most unhidden place he could think of for someone to try and hide. 

“Perhaps that... was the entire point.” 

“Because nobody would think we would be hiding here, or something like that?” 

“Yes. Though... having said that... knowing Suimei... he’s probably not worried... about anything like that.” 

Despite what it may have sounded like, Liliana’s words were in praise of his abilities. With his power to manipulate people via magicka, he didn’t much need to worry about who saw him and who didn’t. He was exactly the kind of guy you didn’t want as an enemy. 

While Liliana was thanking and petting the cat, everyone else went inside to look for Suimei and the others. And the search didn’t take long. Rather than holed up in their room, they were seated at a table on the second floor that could be spotted from the entrance, enjoying some lovely afternoon refreshments. 

“Yo.” 

As they ascended the stairs and got closer, Suimei looked over and raised a hand in an extremely casual greeting. Reiji couldn’t tell whether they were just resting or discussing their plan, but one thing was clear. Suimei was sitting around drinking rose water with Titania and Hatsumi. It was about as conspicuous as it got. 

“Well, you seem to be enjoying yourself,” Reiji couldn’t help saying with a bit of exasperation. 

“You bet I am. There’s absolutely no reason why we can’t have a little fun while we’re hiding out. As long as our concealment is perfect, then it doesn’t matter what we do.” 

“You call this concealment?” 

“Strictly speaking, we’re blending in. But who cares if no one can tell who we are?” 

There, Suimei drank down some of his rose water as if to refresh his mouth from the bitterness of his own cynicism. Following up after him, Hatsumi turned a smile to Reiji. 

“Good job. Looks like it went well on your side.” 

“Mm. Thanks for babysitting Suimei, Kuchiba-san.” 

“Hey, I’ve been taking things seriously this whole time, so why do you have to go and say that kinda crap?” 

Seeing Hatsumi’s smile, Suimei shot a sour look at Reiji. Really and truly, he couldn’t take a joke. And as he was glowering, Titania spoke up in a harsh tone. 

“It’s because of your habitual behavior, is it not? I’m afraid it’s too late to save face. That’s where your reputation stands—rock bottom.” 

“Hey, are you still holding some damn grudge against me? No one cares that you peed yourself—” 

“I did not! I won’t stand for such lies!” 

Titania turned bright red as she shouted at Suimei, then turned to Reiji to reiterate that Suimei was making up stories about her, trying to make her look bad, et cetera. She was trying to safeguard her image, but Reiji honestly thought it was refreshing to see her so flustered. 

Meanwhile, Hatsumi let out a sigh as she watched all this unfold. Titania eventually calmed down, and when she did, Reiji moved to asking her about the next steps of their plan. 

“So, Tia, what do we do now?” 

“I apologize for putting you to work after you’ve just arrived, but we take action tonight. Allow me to explain...” 

Titania then gave everyone a rundown of the night’s mission. 

A new moon rose quietly on the horizon the evening Reiji’s team arrived in town. That was why Suimei and Hatsumi had requested to bump the plan up a little and take action immediately. Reiji would go knock on Hadorious’s front door while Suimei and the others snuck inside. 

In order to balance out the parties, Liliana joined Suimei’s team for a total of four members, all of which were making their way to the back of the duke’s mansion currently. During their earlier meeting, Hatsumi and Reiji had both raised doubts about using the back entrance because of the dense patrols there. But Suimei had insisted that the simpler the area, the easier it would be to cast magicka. And with no further objections, their route was decided. 

The back of Hadorious’s mansion had a hedge maze staffed by mercenaries who worked as his private guard, but they never saw Suimei’s magicka coming. So far, the infiltration was going off without a hitch. Naturally, there were magical traps and barriers along the way to prevent trespassers, but... 

“Too easy. Way too easy.” 

Suimei had no trouble making his way through them. But rather than destroying them, he decided to tamper with them as he came across them. The creepy laugh he let out while doing so made it clear it wasn’t by necessity, either. It seemed he was just getting some petty revenge against the duke. Upon finally reaching the building, Suimei quietly broke a window and climbed in. Hatsumi, who followed afterward, looked at him skeptically. 

“You kind of look like a burglar.” 

“Shouldn’t you say secret agent? Why do you always pick some shady-ass comparison?” 

“Well, you know...” 

“Let me say it for Hatsumi-sama: it cannot be helped when your actions so resemble that of a scoundrel.” 

Titania shot a reproachful gaze Suimei’s way as she indirectly scolded him. He scoffed. If they really thought this operation was so seedy, they didn’t have to volunteer for the infiltration squad. Really, he knew that breaking and entering didn’t suit a hero and a princess, so he understood why they were resistant to it, but still. 

“Hey, Liliana, say something to these guys. They’re making fun of your specialty, you know?” 

“Liliana-chan is cute, so it’s fine for her.” 

“Drop dead. That’s got absolutely nothing to do with it.” 

As Hatsumi started to puff out her cheeks in a pout, the main topic of their conversation—Liliana—was carefully surveying their surroundings. She seemed to be concerned about something. 

“What’s wrong, Liliana?” 

“No... Let’s go.” 

Liliana shook her head and began walking down the mansion hall. Suimei let it go since he was quite sure she would have mentioned it if it were something important. They continued to move through the first floor, mindful of their surroundings and wary of any guards. 

“Actually, it’s a lot more modest than I thought.” 

Taking stock of the mansion’s interior, Suimei shared his impression of it. He’d expected a duke’s estate to be over-the-top luxurious. Nobles were like that, after all—they were all about pompous, ostentatious displays of their authority and affluence. They were demonstrations of their superiority, as if to say, “Behold my wealth. This is what power looks like.” They were sort of like flaunting peacocks in that sense. 

However, despite being a duke and a personal friend of the king, Hadorious’s estate wasn’t gaudy or flashy at all. At least not in decoration. The mansion itself was three stories, and the front door opened into a sweeping entrance hall. It was obvious just stepping inside that it was no normal house. 

But one way or another, the inside of the mansion was neat and tidy, and the group continued to proceed down the immaculately maintained hallway. There were sconces dotting the white walls between the paintings, and the red carpet underfoot was plush. The dark, sectioned wooden doors lining the hall looked distinctly like chocolate bars, and there were even mana lamps set up here and there for additional lighting. The interior of the mansion may not have been pretentious, but it was still stately. 

When they carefully opened one of the doors, a white table in the shape of a cross came into view. The room was otherwise full of chairs and sofas with soft-looking cushions. The effect was rather classy. Hadorious may have been a bad man, but he at least didn’t have bad tastes. They continued to check out one room after another in much the same fashion, but Hatsumi stopped in front of a particular door. 

“Hatsumi, what’s up?” 

“This room...” 

She was muttering like her attention had been captivated by something. She must have sensed something deeper in the mansion. 

“Hatsumi-sama, is there something with this— Hmm?” 

Seemingly noticing something as well, Titania’s body stiffened for a single instant. In response, Hatsumi smiled. 

“Sorry, I’m the one who noticed first, so I’ll be taking this one.” 

Without another word, Hatsumi approached the door and opened it. Suimei and Titania both called out to her... 

“Hey, Hatsumi!” 

“Hatsumi-sama!” 

“Go on without me. I’ll take care of this myself.” 

But Hatsumi leaped through the door and was gone before they could stop her. 

“What in the world?” 

“It was only a slight presence, but one sharp like a sword.” 

“So what? The first one to sense it gets dibs or something?” 

Titania had also sensed the fighting spirit of a swordsman in the depths of the mansion, and it certainly made sense to go after anyone who may have noticed them. Taking out witnesses was the most basic of stealth basics. So in that sense, Hatsumi had made the right move, but it was highly likely that her real reason for going was because her spirit as a swordswoman had been excited. 

A little before Suimei’s team infiltrated the mansion, Reiji, Felmenia, Lefille, and Io Kuzami were at the front door, face to face with the owner—Lucas de Hadorious. It was crazy to show up at a nobleman’s mansion at such an hour and demand an audience, but it was even crazier for Hadorious to accept and come out without a single escort. 

Duke Hadorious was dressed like a proper noble, including a polished sword artfully hanging at his waist. He was an imposing man with greying hair, a well-groomed beard, and a large scar that ran from his brow to his cheek split his face diagonally. He was nearly two meters tall, and despite his relaxed posture, he had a daunting air about him. 

Hadorious first addressed Felmenia in a somewhat critical and disappointed tone. 

“To call for me at this hour without any notice. How inconsiderate of you, White Flame-dono.” 

“My apologies, Your Grace. I humbly beg that you forgive us for the intrusion.” 

Felmenia put her hand to her chest and bowed deeply, but Hadorious scoffed as if to say that didn’t make him feel any better. 

“Oh? That’s hardly what it sounded like when you arrived on my porch demanding to see me. Is that really the way a young lady of House Stingray should be behaving?” 

“But surely you must understand that the matter is urgent, Your Grace. That is why you accepted and came to speak with us despite the rudeness of our visit, is it not?” 

“Hmph... Now, that is Hero Reiji with you, is it not?” 

Changing subjects, the dissatisfaction that Hadorious had been exuding vanished and the daunting air about him lightened up. He and Felmenia had exchanged greetings in an awfully roundabout manner, but as if to say it was all standard and expected, he acted like it was nothing. It seemed that was simply the way nobles communicated. But after their test of formalities was over, Reiji stepped out in front of Hadorious. 

“It has been a long time since we last spoke, Duke Hadorious.” 

“Hero-dono. I am not unhappy to receive you, but just as I said before, an unexpected visit at this hour is most unorthodox.” 

Hadorious couldn’t openly complain about the hero visiting him, but both his words and tone of voice were pointed. Naturally, since Reiji was quite irritated himself, he was secretly pleased to be an inconvenience to the duke. 

“Your Grace, there was something I must speak with you about no matter what. That is why we’ve come under such circumstances.” 

“You wish to speak with me? My apologies, but despite all appearances, I’m a busy man. I’ll have to ask that you keep it short. If it will take much longer than that, you’ll have to come back another day.” 

“No, by all means, I’d like to talk right here, right now.” 

“Incidentally... where is Princess Titania?” 

“Her Royal Highness is currently busy with another matter,” answered Felmenia. “But she is being escorted by a most trustworthy entourage, so you have no need to be concerned for her safety.” 

“I see.” 

Hadorious continued to eye Felmenia like he was watching for some kind of hint. The Felmenia he knew would let her secrets show on her face, but Felmenia as she was now was easily strong enough to maintain her composure even under such pressure. 

“Your Grace, may I ask you something?” Reiji then asked. 

“What is it, I wonder?” 

“Elliot Austin. Do you know anything about his whereabouts, Your Grace?” 

Hadorious’s darkened for a moment before snapping back to normal. 

“The hero of El Meide is having a sojourn in my mansion. We’re doing everything we can to show him Astel’s hospitality.” 

He readily admitted that much, but that was no surprise. It didn’t give away anything more than what Christa had been able to tell them. 

“The magic priest that served as his attendant came to me looking for help. She believes that you have him confined. I’m sure it’s some kind of misunderstanding, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to see him.” 

Reiji drew getting to the point out as long as possible. Primarily, this was all a ruse. They were trying to distract Hadorious while the infiltration team did the real work. 

“I’m afraid I must decline.” 

“Why is that? If he’s simply here on a sojourn, I do not believe he’ll mind the visit. And if he’s already retired for the night, then we can come back tomorrow, or even the day after—” 

“My answer will not change, and I have no need to explain myself to you.” 

As the duke became obstinate, Felmenia raised the stakes. 

“With all due respect, Your Grace, from what you are saying, it seems to me that you are admitting by your own will that you are unjustly confining Elliot-dono as his attendant fears.” 

“If so, what then?” 

Hadorious was flaunting his authority, which left Felmenia at a loss for words. The situation was especially sticky for her, and she didn’t know how to respond to a social superior pulling rank on her like that. In her stead, Reiji didn’t hesitate to scowl at Hadorious. 

“Then I will force my way in.” 

“By force, will you?” 

Parroting Reiji, Hadorious snickered. Reiji had expected the duke to sneer at him for resorting to such savagery, but that unexpected response left him bewildered. And then, the clincher... 

“So be it, Hero-dono. If that’s what you desire, shall I be your opponent?” 

“...Tch!” 

As Hadorious unleashed his intense fighting spirit, Reiji reflexively leaped backward. Felmenia cut in front of him as if to protect him, and Lefille and Io Kuzami who had been hanging back came running over. 

“Your Grace, do you truly intend to turn your sword on Reiji-dono?” 

“Fret not, White Flame-dono. I merely intend to asses the hero’s power.” 

“I do believe that not even Your Grace would escape criticism for this unprecedented rudeness. The hero is not a toy for you to test your strength again.” 

“Are you saying that the hero is too weak to fight me, White Flame-dono?” 

“Surely this cannot be allowed...” 

Though Felmenia was stymied for a moment, she did not yield her position in front of Reiji. Seeing this, Hadorious smiled. 

“As for you, White Flame-dono... Allow me to introduce you to your opponents.” 

The duke snapped his fingers and an armed group of men suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They looked quite similar to the men he’d had with him in the woods before their brush with the demons not far from Kurant City months ago. 

“You’d send your private soldiers to fight me, Your Grace? However...” 

“Yes, I can see that you would be too much for them as you are now, White Flame-dono. But surely you don’t mean to say that you plan to fight against us seriously.” 

“Ugh...” 

As Reiji expected, challenging an influential noble was exceptionally difficult. Felmenia gritted her teeth at his latest roadblock. It was admirable that she’d stood up to him at all considering her position. It was a big deal for two nobles to openly declare hostilities against each other. There were plenty of examples of it happening all throughout history, even between nobles who served the same king and kingdom. 

But there would be certain backlash if a fight actually broke out under such circumstances. They already knew that Elliot was being kept inside the duke’s mansion, but without evidence it was unlawful confinement, they couldn’t say definitively that Hadorious had committed any real wrongdoing. And if Felmenia were to attack a duke without sufficient proof, never mind the headache it would cause her family, it could potentially be seen as treason. Not even Titania would be able to help her if it came to that. As Felmenia hesitated before the mercenary soldiers, someone firmly grasped her shoulder. 

“Lady Felmenia, step back. I will take care of this. There’s no opponent I need to hold back against.” 

“Lefille... I’m sorry.” 

“You... You’re Alshuna’s Shrine Maiden of Spirits, are you not?” 

“That’s right. And I am unbound by the decorum of your country. Moreover, I have a personal grudge against you.” 

Felmenia stepped back as Lefille upbraided Hadorious, who looked at her curiously in return. 

“I don’t recall doing anything to earn your enmity, young lady.” 

“That time you set demons upon a certain trade corps? I just so happened to be there. I’ll have you know you put me through hell.” 

“I see. Certainly, in that case, I can understand your dislike for me. However, as for your opponent...” 

“What?” 

A single shadow appeared from the formation of private soldiers. It was a young girl—a figure Felmenia and Lefille both recognized. 

“That’s...” 

“Thoria’s hero...” 

She wore a white robe and held a sword ready in each hand. And she didn’t respond, no matter who called out to her. It was the same young girl they’d faced off against in the Alliance. 

“As we suspected, Your Grace is connected to the Universal Apostles...” 

“Oh? I don’t know where you heard it, but if you know that name, I suppose that means you know her already... But yes, you’re exactly right. I am one among those who have sided with the Universal Apostles. Among their company, I am known as Crimson Pain.” 

As Hadorious plainly confessed his involvement, Reiji and the others were unable to disguise the tension they felt. 

“Now, I do believe it’s time for you to face me, Hero-dono.” 

Hadorious made that declaration like he was issuing a challenge, and suddenly, Io Kuzami stepped forward next to Reiji. 

“Shall I lend you a hand, fiancé of mine?” 

“No, I will take care of him myself.” 

“You’re certain?” 

“Mm.” 

As Reiji drew his orichalcum blade and took a stance, Hadorious flashed a delighted and fearless smile. 

“So it’s come to this... I’m pleased that you have the backbone to accept a challenge on your own, Hero-dono.” 

And with that, Hadorious thrust his sword into the ground. 

“What...?” 

After declaring they were going to fight, it looked like Hadorious was insulting Reiji by giving up his blade. However, Felmenia, who was still racking her brains over how to handle the private soldiers, called out a warning. 

“Reiji-dono, take heed! That is Duke Hadorious’ dancing sword style!” 

The instant her voice rang through the air, Hadorious stepped forward with graceful footwork. 

Rogue Zandyke was observing his target from the umbra of his own shadow. 

The light of only a few sparse candles dimly illuminated the bare room with no windows and but a single door. It was a dead end within the mansion. And now locked inside of it was the young hero of the Alliance who remained vigilantly on guard, Hatsumi Kuchiba. She had a thin figure that made her look breakable. Truly, she looked to be nothing more than a frail teenage girl. 

But judging her by appearance alone would be a deadly mistake. In spite of how she looked, her very presence was draped in the unmistakable aura of a master swordswoman. Her fighting spirit was so sharp that it alone threatened to cut down anyone who would dare approach her. It was similar to that of the Twilight Beheading Princess, Titania Root Astel, but calm rather than bloodthirsty. 

As an extension of their very person, a swordsman’s aura was like a window into their inner self. If a swordsman was looking for a fight, for example, their killing intent would be readily discernible. Or, at least, it should be. Something was clearly different with Hatsumi. Despite the fact that it was obvious she was on guard and ready for a fight, her aura betrayed nothing. 

She carried herself like a pristine mirror or a perfectly still body of water. Despite radiating fighting spirit, there wasn’t a single stain of bloodthirst in it. In fact, Rogue couldn’t perceive the slightest ripple of emotion at all. Fighting her like this would make her very difficult to read. 

She wore clothes from her world, decorated here and there with ruffles and frills. But in stark contrast, she carried an elegant katana she’d commissioned from the dwarves. With her long, golden hair flowing behind her, she was quite a sight to behold. 

But there wasn’t a single opening to behold in her stance. Like a pristine mirror, she would reflect her opponent unerringly without betraying herself. Like a still body of water, she was perfectly serene. It would be whoever approached her that created ripples—not her. 

Considering her apparent level of skill, Rogue was still working out how to keep her confined as he observed her. The master of the mansion had requested that Rogue personally asses the abilities of any heroes that infiltrated the mansion, but... 

To think they snuck their way in here so easily... 

Security in the duke’s estate was tight and thorough. He had a small army of private soldiers—each and every one of which was a highly-trained mercenary—stationed throughout the mansion. Not even a cat would get past them. Rogue was quite sure that it would be no small feat for even he himself to breach the mansion as it was. Yet nevertheless, these children had seemingly gotten in with ease. 

That told him, first and foremost, that he wouldn’t be able to confine them as he’d imagined. Guarding the mansion wasn’t actually Rogue’s job, so the lapse of vigilance in the duke’s private soldiers wasn’t of particular concern to him. That is, it wouldn’t have been were it not for the girl standing in the room with him now. Rogue’s mission was specifically this: in the event another hero infiltrated the mansion in an attempt to rescue Elliot, he was to detain the hero and their companions while getting an idea of their power. 

But for this group to have infiltrated the duke’s mansion so effortlessly, Rogue knew that Suimei Yakagi must be among them. He knew firsthand that Suimei, who waded in an abyss of magic unknown to this world, was virtually immune to all forms of material security. His skills, by Rogue’s assessment, were extremely valuable. 

As I thought, it was right to entrust that child to him... 

And if Suimei was here, that meant a certain someone else was as well—Liliana. A smart, diligent girl like her would make an excellent accomplice on a stealthy mission like this. Rogue had caught a glimpse of her already. He wasn’t surprised to see her face, but he was surprised to see that life and hope had returned to it. She was a different girl from when he’d seen her last. From what he could tell, she’d also stopped using dark magic. Moreover, he couldn’t sense any trace of the dark power that had held such a firm grasp over her in the past. From what he could see of the skin around her eyepatch, even the dreaded brand that marked all petitioners of the dark arts had completely vanished. It seemed she’d been freed of that curse. 

And upon realizing that, Rogue came to appreciate the bullet he’d dodged. His job was to detain the hero and her companions. Dealing with them all at once would have been both difficult and dangerous. It also would have made it significantly harder to get an accurate read on their individual abilities—particularly the hero’s. Working together, they may have even eluded him. However, fortunately for Rogue, Hatsumi had come at him alone. 

To think she would charge in like this of her own accord... 

Rogue couldn’t stop smiling at this unexpected turn of events. It wasn’t a sinister, ridiculing smile, either. It was a joyous, lofty one. Hatsumi had come alone because she’d sensed the fighting spirit of another swordsman. Rogue was thrilled. It was the highest compliment he could receive. 

But he was also keenly aware that the hero’s abilities couldn’t be underestimated. Judging just by Elliot Austin of El Meide, the heroes summoned this time around far surpassed the norm. And Hatsumi appeared to be no exception. Normally, heroes were largely recognized as vessels of the Goddess’s power. And looking back at the heroes summoned in the past, that was mostly all they’d ever been. 

But something was different about this generation—or at least these two. They had their own powers and were already making great strides in the fight against the demons. Hatsumi knew sword techniques so powerful they defied reason, while Elliot had a special knack for both the blade and magic. Considering their inherent power, the one to bear the brunt of the Goddess’s favor had been the hero of Astel, Reiji, but... 

“I can’t see him...” 

The hero’s murmuring shook Rogue from his idle thoughts. Standing in the dead center of the room, she appeared to be perplexed at finding herself ostensibly alone. Her words just now indicated she knew quite well that she wasn’t the only person in the room. She’d undoubtedly sensed the fighting spirit Rogue was emitting—that was why she’d come in the first place, and why she had unleashed her own keen fighting spirit. It was a force to be reckoned with, and even the minimal furnishings in the room began creaking as she slowly pushed it outward. It was like she was inviting Rogue to make his move anytime—if he didn’t, she would find him soon enough at this rate. 

This is certainly quite intense. 

The situation piqued Rogue’s interest. Perhaps this was his destiny as a man who walked the path of the blade... 

My inner swordsman wants to fight. 

But it seemed to be bad timing for that thought to pass through his mind. Sensing the hero’s killing intent suddenly swelling, Rogue swiftly darted from one shadow to another to get away. 

“There!” 

“...!” 

Not a moment later, Hatsumi’s katana came down where Rogue had just been. It seemed she’d felt the subtle shift in his emotions and subsequently his fighting spirit, which gave his location away. And now that she’d clearly identified the source of the fighting spirit that had eluded her so far, Hatsumi corrected her stance and spoke out boldly. 

“I don’t know who you are, but you’re rather good at hiding your spirit, aren’t you? It’s quite commendable.” 

“...It’s an honor to receive such praise from a hero of salvation.” 

Judging that there was no longer any reason to completely conceal himself, Rogue spoke up from the shadows. After he honestly accepted her praise, Hatsumi stood up straight as if to show her opponent respect. 

“Then you must already know who I am... But allow me to introduce myself to you as a swordswoman. My name is Kuchiba Hatsumi. If you have no objections, I would like to hear your name as well.” 

Hatsumi introduced herself in keeping with good swordfighting etiquette, but though it pained him, Rogue couldn’t return the gesture. His silence told Hatsumi what she needed to know, and she then spoke up again in a somewhat disappointed tone. 

“...So you won’t do me the honor, huh?” 

“If this were any normal match, I would be happy to. But the circumstances being what they are, I must refrain. I am duty-bound not to reveal myself.” 

“In that case...” 

Hatsumi sullenly lowered her head. It appeared she was rather let down over this development, but her seemingly low spirits suddenly exploded into a burst of fighting spirit. 

“Then there’s no reason to be reserved, right?!” 

The moment she yelled out, Hatsumi swung her katana from where she was standing. Rogue was well outside the range of her naked blade, but unexpectedly, he sensed imminent danger from it. He ducked low in the shadows and heard something strike the wall just behind him. 

“—!” 

Hatsumi was still standing in place, her eyes closed, as if she was some living monument to the attack she’d just unleashed. Daring to look away for a moment, Rogue glanced over his shoulder. There was a clean cut in the wall like sharp blade had sliced right through it. 

“This is...” 

It was a perfect demonstration of Hatsumi’s rumored skill with a blade. It was said that the entire Alliance army was in awe of her slashes that were unrestricted by the physical length of her sword. She used a technique that judged everything before her and punished it by the justice of her blade. It was... 

“Yes, this is the definition of a secret killing art.” 

It sounded as though Rogue was returning Hatsumi’s praise from earlier, but she took no pride in it. Instead, she shook her head with a humble smile. 

“Not even close. If you think that’s a secret killing art, you’d fall right over if you saw someone like my dad in action.” 

Rogue could sense that her humility wasn’t in jest. And if what she was saying was true, then the hero’s father had surpassed even her tremendous ability. At that thought, Rogue could feel his blood run cold. It was just like the chill a skilled warrior would feel run down their spine upon sensing danger. 

“If that’s not a bluff... then he must be quite a terrifying man.” 

“He is; you don’t have to take my word for it. He’s not like a certain someone I know, but he’s long surpassed human limits. More importantly...” There, Hatsumi paused and began looking around the room as if she was searching for something. “This technique of yours that renders you invisible is a little insane, but... doesn’t that kind of thing normally wear down gradually once your presence is discovered? How are you keeping it up?” 

“I apologize, but I can’t reveal the secret, you see...” 

“Of course not.” 

Hatsumi could understand that much, and didn’t pry any further. She knew asking someone to reveal a secret technique was a tall order. If she truly wanted to know, she would have to ask with her sword and unravel the answer as the two of them clashed. Rogue, however, didn’t seem to think it would be that easy. He was excellent at keeping secrets, and had no intention of giving away one he’d cultivated personally. He hadn’t earned the title “Sword Master of the Lonely Shadow” for nothing. 

But he couldn’t say for sure that he wouldn’t have the tables turned on him. He was up against a hero, after all. As for Hatsumi, her strange clothes and golden hair fluttered this way and that as she vigorously whipped about, scanning the room. She was in constant motion scouring the place for her opponent, and her movements were liquid smooth as she turned one way and then the next. 

This may yet be a back-breaking job... 

As that thought crossed his mind, Rogue couldn’t help the smile that crossed his lips. 

Behind closed doors in the duke’s mansion, Hatsumi held her katana ready at eye level, vigilant of an opponent she couldn’t yet see. 

She was a proud student of the Kuchiba school of the Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani. Even in such a situation, she wouldn’t let her guard down. And she wouldn’t let her emotions get in her way, either. Right now, her heart was concentrating on one thing and one thing alone—her sword. 

As Hatsumi continued to scour the room for her opponent, her shadow danced around her, mirroring her movements. She knew he was likely hiding somewhere within the darkness, but because she hadn’t the powers of a magician, she couldn’t identify where. There were sconces on each of the four walls of the room, casting multiple shadows in every direction. She knew any one of them might be hiding her opponent. Such a technique was extremely mysterious to her, but perhaps this was normal for those who manipulated the mysteries. She continued to turn in circles, the dim candlelight glinting off of her long mithril blade. 

The reason Hatsumi had charged in here on her own in the first place was because she’d sensed the presence of another swordsman. It was but a flash, like an invitation for someone to come find it, which had stoked her interest. She’d responded as a swordswoman and come alone for a fight, but upon arriving in the room, her opponent was mysteriously absent. He appeared to be nowhere and cloaked his presence, which made it seem like he wasn’t after a fair fight after all. 

As a swordswoman, Hatsumi was somewhat dissatisfied, but she didn’t think this was a worst case scenario. From their brief conversation, she could tell that her opponent was indeed a proud swordsman, so even if they weren’t having a proper fight, she didn’t think he would do anything that strayed from that path. That also meant that, even if he was fairly defeated, he wouldn’t have any regrets or hold any grudges over it. And to have encountered an opponent like that, Hatsumi was grateful. 

That voice... Must be some sour old man, huh? 

From what she’d heard of his voice, she estimated that her invisible opponent was somewhere around her father’s age. Of course, it wasn’t really fair to compare anyone to her unusually spry father who always managed to seem youthful despite his years, but this man’s serious and composed tone was not unlike her father’s. True strength wasn’t measured by physical strength alone. No matter how much fighting spirit Hatsumi unleashed, this man stayed perfectly poised and hidden, not making a single ripple that would betray his location. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of fear in his voice when he spoke to her. 

She’d made a bold play with an opening attack to try and drive him out of the shadows, but he’d kept his cool and his cover even then. She still had no idea where he was hiding, but it wasn’t as if she had no way of dealing with techniques like this. They were quite something extraordinary in this world, but in the world she hailed from, there was a certain sword style that was similarly based on making things seem invisible. 

“The Soundless Sword of the Quiet Bower... At least this is better than having those silent shots coming at me, huh?” 

Just like the Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani, the Soundless Sword of the Quiet Bower was one of the sword styles counted among Japan’s Five Great Hidden Kings of the Sword. 

To escape the prohibition imposed on martial arts training in postwar Japan by the SCAP, the Five Great Hidden Kings were unusual schools of sword styles that secreted themselves away from the general populace and had remained that way even to the present day. From what Hatsumi understood, they were the Severe Acala of the Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani School; the Soundless Sword of the Quiet Bower School; the Flying Swallow of the Soaring Ceremonial Law School; the Quick Flaming Swords of the Illusory Fire Twin-Sword Style; and the Icy Skies of the Inugami School. 

And one of those in particular came to mind now, for the Soundless Sword of the Quiet Bower involved a family of techniques similar to what her current opponent was using. 

“The Soundless Sword is a completely silent style—in more ways than one. Its strikes, seemingly without form, shape, sound, or even bloodlust, come flying out of nowhere as if fired from a deadeye’s bow.” 

The Soundless Sword was, in a sense, a sniping sword style. At each and every turning point of history throughout the ages, it was an assassin’s sword that consigned the villains of the world to the shadows of oblivion. That was the power of the Soundless Sword. Hatsumi had been told that, at its most extreme, it was a sword that truly seemed to fly through the air as it severed the head or pierced the heart of its target in a single unerring strike. 

There was no such flying terror coming at her right now. But with the boundary between light and shadow wavering with every flicker of the candles on the walls, sword slashes were coming at her from seemingly anywhere. The fact that she couldn’t see the sword producing them made it almost as dangerous as the Soundless Sword. 

Whereas the Soundless Sword drives the senses mad by cloaking a user’s intent, this man has actually hidden himself... As I suspected, he must be using magic too... 

While dodging her opponent’s attacks, Hatsumi tried to unravel his techniques in her head. Any swordsman worth their salt could conceal their presence at least to a certain degree. But the way this man made himself completely invisible was unnatural, even for a master swordsman. It had to be magical. On top of that, taking into consideration the sharpness of his strikes and their timing... 

My opponent is quite skilled. Does this mean he’s about on par with me after receiving the divine blessing of the hero summoning? What’s with that? This is totally unfair. Like, cheatsville unfair. 

Hatsumi began griping internally. If anything, however, when looking at the bigger picture here, she was the one who was “cheating” considering she had a secondary source of power. That being said, such grumbling discontent upon clashing with a surprisingly strong opponent was only normal. What really didn’t sit well with her in this situation was... 

Like I thought, he’s holding back. There’s no genuine bloodthirst in these strikes. This is probably the sensation of a wooden sword... 

Even though it was supposed to be a real fight, her opponent was radiating a fighting spirit that indicated no thirst for blood. On top of that, the slashes she was blocking didn’t have the heft of a metal blade behind them. It felt more like she was having a practice fight in the dojo than the real thing. Everything being thrown at her was nothing but a test. 

It was possible this man was simply stalling her, keeping her from rescuing Elliot. But because he was only confronting her and not the entire group, she couldn’t be sure. 

“If you’re not taking me seriously, I’ll just have to make sure you get serious.” 

“I was hoping you might overlook that. If you and I both got serious, Hero-dono, this would not end quietly.” 

“My, my... Even though your opponent is a hero that the people of this world seem to be pinning their hopes on?” 

“Of course.” 

“That just makes me want to make you get serious even more.” 

Hatsumi shifted from a defensive stance to an offensive one. Waiting for the next slash that came at her from the threshold between shadow and light, she struck out at its origin. The same as her first attack, she couldn’t it feel it connect with anything, but... 

“Wha—?” 

She was at least able to surprise her intended target. He was likely confused that the blade he thought he’d be clashing with was suddenly somewhere else. There was no mistaking it; the moment his sword should have struck Hatsumi’s, he saw a hazy illusion of rust as it vanished. That was the Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani’s Visions of Rust—a technique that used Hatsumi’s fighting spirit to create an illusion of her blade, causing her opponent to lose sight of the real thing. And the sharper a user’s senses were, the more eye-catching the illusion. 

“That’s... This blade is...” 

The swordsman in the shadows was unable to see through the technique and unwittingly muttered to himself in bewilderment. 

Visions of Rust created an illusion similar to the patina of copper—the jade green tarnish that coats many a ten yen coin and large Buddha statue. The illusion the technique produced would mimic the glint of steel—or, in Hatsumi’s case, mithril—to catch an opponent’s eye, then crumble away like the tarnish of copper or the rust of iron would. That was where it had gotten its name. 

“You’ve got an invisible sword. I’ve got an unseeable strike. Now then, I wonder which is stronger?” 

“Heh...” 

Hatsumi heard what sounded like satisfaction and amusement from her opponent. It seemed her curious technique had further piqued his interest as a swordsman. The path of those who pursued martial arts naturally led them to compete with and test one another. “Just how well have I cultivated my own skills? Will this work against my opponent?” The mind of a swordsman was always alive with such thoughts. 

And Hatsumi’s opponent had just taken a keen interest in her blade. The moment she realized that... 

“My heart is the phantom of my sword’s blade, and becomes the technique to break the three kleshas that poison the heart of man. Cast my body aside like a rock, and give my life to the steadfast Kurikara...” 

Calming her heart for a moment, she recited the dharani. It was a mantra originally used to hail Acala, but the words she just chanted had no mystical powers. Yet because Acala was a wrathful deity, he naturally inhabited swords. And because he was a Wisdom King, it was said that any blade he possessed held the mysticism of truth. 

Hatsumi’s heart was then perfectly settled. Seeing her silence as an opportunity, her opponent moved from the flickering shadows. 

The moment she sensed him coming, she raised her blade and the sound of metal crashing against metal assaulted her ears. It took both arms to stop the invisible weight assaulting her. To keep it from pushing her back, she made use of the Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani’s Dripping Snow. 

In the same fashion a tree branch would spring back up when accumulated snow began to fall off it, Hatsumi momentarily relaxed her strength and allowed her opponent’s blade to slip down hers. And then, focusing all her strength into her core, she unleashed a grand roar. 

“HAAAAAH!” 

As his blade slipped, Hatsumi released all the power she had been accumulating. Twisting her arm, she magnificently twirled around his sword and struck where she estimated his right shoulder should be. However, as expected, without being able to grasp her opponent’s position, her strike missed its target. She was quite sure she’d hit where a normal person would have been, but her blade only caught shadow. 

Because she’d missed, she left herself open in the follow-through of her swing, but the candlelight didn’t flicker. Her opponent wasn’t going to carelessly leap out at her. Because she was starting to catch on to his ways, he had to be more careful now. 

He’d seen her blade coming—it cut a red line through the air as it reflected the candlelight. But he’d remained cautious and dodged it rather than blocking it. The way he danced around the dimly lit room was just like a one-man martial arts demonstration, and Hatsumi had yet to catch him. 

All she could do now was continue to swing her sword until she drew blood. She knew if she put her mind to it, she could slice even a drop of water or a pebble in two. As for the technique she’d need to do it... 

“If I can’t catch you, then I’ll just have to cleave the whole room, huh?” 

With a bold voice, Hatsumi channeled a bit of Acala herself. 

“HAAAAAAAAH!” 

The Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani’s Summit of Zen, the Long Sword of Enlightenment. A slash that could reach even eternity cut through the room until it was no longer recognizable. 

While Suimei’s team was searching the mansion, Hatsumi had parted ways with them seemingly in pursuit of her own mission. She’d entered a particular room, but when Suimei and the others tried to follow her, she was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she’d found her way deeper into the mansion, but it was like she’d vanished into thin air. With their resources, it likely wouldn’t take too much work to find her, but... 

“Well, that would be a little boorish, huh?” 

Hatsumi had intentionally left on her own. That could only be because she believed that she alone would be sufficient to handle whatever it was that she was getting into. If Suimei came after her anyway, that would be like saying he didn’t believe in her. But he had faith in his childhood friend, and so quickly relinquished the idea. Titania, however, had a pronounced wrinkle in her brow. 

“What do you think, Suimei?” 

“Not a whole lot. Let’s go.” 

“Go, as in... leave her?” 

“We came here for a reason, right? To rescue Elliot.” 

“But if we leave, then Hatsumi-sama will...” 

Titania was forcing the issue out of concern for Hatsumi, but Suimei replied as if that was wholly unnecessary. 

“Hatsumi will be just fine. She bisected a demon general in the Alliance—good luck to anyone trying to take her out. Besides, she ran off on her own.” 

It was true that Hatsumi had rushed headlong into whatever fight lay ahead of her of her own free will. Titania was surprised to learn she had an aggressive side. She always seemed to be so calm and docile, but hot blood ran in her family. The moment she set her sights on a strong opponent, she wanted to fight them. She was just like her father, Kiyoshiro, in that regard; they both believed that the only way to attain strength was to actively pursue it. But none of this would bring Titania any comfort. 

“Even so, wouldn’t it be better for us to find Hatsumi-sama first?” 

“If her opponent was really that dangerous, she would end up cutting the whole mansion down. Besides, it would probably be a giant waste of time. She may come running back before we ever find her, you know?” 

“The whole mansion, you say...?” 

“I totally believe that she would and could... Though, yeah, the thought is terrifying.” 

Suimei stuck out his tongue, grabbed his shoulders, and trembled in an exaggerated fashion. He looked like he was joking, but what he said was the truth. 

With a single swing of her katana, Hatsumi could cleave the entire three-story mansion. Anybody in their right mind would likely say such a feat was impossible, but that was simply the unreasonable level of power that true sword masters held. Hatsumi was the heir of a man who could split a skyscraper vertically with but a single blow. A mere mansion would be child’s play for her. 

And that being the case, it would be better for everyone else to prioritize looking for Elliot. If they spent their time looking for Hatsumi instead, they’d never accomplish what they’d come here to do. Moreover... 

“If Hatsumi finishes what she’s doing and we still haven’t found blondie by the time she gets back, who knows what she’d do to us...” 

“Well, if you insist, then I shall object no further...” 

Unable to hide her astonishment, Titania adjusted her high-collared mantle and proceeded down the hall. Suimei followed after her, but quickly realized Liliana hadn’t budged. As though she was worried as well, she was still staring at the door Hatsumi had disappeared though. 

“Liliana, what’s wrong?” 

“It’s... nothing.” 

“I hear you saying that, but you sure don’t look like it’s nothing.” 

Liliana then tottered forward, opened the door, and took a good look into the empty room. After confirming that there really was no one inside, she quietly closed the door again and explained. 

“Somewhere in the mansion... I sense a presence... much like the colonel’s magic.” 

“Rogue-san’s?” 

“Yes. It’s sort of like... it has the same feel to it... or...” 

Liliana was being uncharacteristically imprecise. She was practically fumbling for words, which gave Suimei a sense of the profound loneliness inside her. Her longing for her foster father made her especially keen to his presence, but it seemed she couldn’t bring herself to admit it was him. 

“So what do you want to do? Go take a look?” 

“No... Let’s prioritize... the search for the hero.” 

“All right.” 

And so, with their mission agreed upon, all talk of Hatsumi’s disappearance came to an end and the three of them began moving down the hallway again. They proceeded cautiously, vigilant of their surroundings. And eventually, Suimei called out to Titania, who was leading the group. 

“Tia, do you know much about this mansion?” 

“I have visited it once before, but the interior has changed quite a lot since then. It is likely that it was arbitrarily modified without the permission of the royal family, but... in general...” 

She did know a bit about it. As a princess, she knew all manner of things about the more important nobles. It seemed their residences were all designed according to some standard, so they didn’t deviate all that much from one another in their construction. However... 

“Suimei, I have no way of identifying hidden rooms. Might that be something you can do?” 

“I’ve been checking since we first entered, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Actually, I feel like it’s weird that I haven’t found any yet. I’d expect a bad guy to have more than just a wine cellar and basement.” 

“Is that so? Then—” 

The moment she was about to say something, Suimei’s magickal surveillance net detected something. 

“Stop.” 

“?!” 

“...” 

Upon hearing Suimei’s suddenly chilled voice, Titania stopped dead in her tracks. Liliana, on the other hand, knew exactly what that tone in his voice meant and quietly slid a small, compact staff out of her sleeve. The hall ended in a wall straight ahead of them before turning left. 

“Is there... someone ahead?” 

“Around the corner. They don’t seem to be moving, though. Maybe they’re lying in wait.” 

“What... should we do?” 

“Well, all we can do is move ahead. We’ll figure it out as we go.” 

If there was someone lying in wait, that meant their little stealth operation had been found out. There was a certain apprehension to proceeding under the circumstances, but as long as they didn’t know who lay ahead, they couldn’t just blindly attack. And without confirming Elliot’s condition, it wasn’t even like they had good cause for trespassing yet. There was also no telling who else might be in the mansion. 

In the worst case scenario, if they preemptively attacked, the duke could claim they’d broken into his estate with nefarious intentions. That would just make things hairier. Of course, there was also the possibility they might be attacked as soon as they rounded the corner, but Suimei took defensive measures to try and shield them from any possible danger. 

And just as Suimei had said, there was someone waiting for them when they turned the corner—a single maid with a taciturn expression. Seeing her, Suimei started to approach her with an air of relief, but for some reason, Titania held him back. After a long moment of silence, the maid addressed them sternly. 

“This is the mansion of Duke Lucas de Hadorious. To enter here without an invitation from His Grace and skulk around so... Who might you be? Burglars and petty thieves?” 

“I am the first royal princess of the Kingdom of Astel, Titania Root Astel,” Titania replied in an equally stern tone. “Should you doubt my identity, then I shall have no choice but to prove it with these two swords. Is that understood?” 

Titania flew her fighting spirit high like a flag as she introduced herself. The princess was known to be a member of the Seven Swords, after all. And it seemed to work. The maid acknowledged her royal display of spirit and kneeled down on the spot. 

“My deepest apologies, Your Royal Highness. I am but a simple servant in the employ of this mansion. I humbly beg your forgiveness for the crude insult of even suggesting that you might be a burglar.” 

“I have come because I heard that the hero Elliot Austin was staying in this mansion. Is he here?” 

Titania questioned the maid without relenting in the slightest. It sounded as though she meant her tone to convey she wouldn’t humor anything less than a full answer. She wasn’t actually expecting the maid to cooperate, but... 

“Regarding that matter, I have already been given orders by the master. Please come this way.” 

“Oh?” 

It wasn’t actually an answer at all, but it might turn out to be even more helpful than that. Suimei and Liliana were equally perplexed at this development, but Titania kept her cool as she encouraged the maid to lead the way. She then turned to her two companions. 

“Suimei, let us proceed.” 

“If you think this is fine, then it’s fine, but...” 

Suimei was unable to shake his doubts about the present situation, but for the time being, he decided to trust Titania and followed her. He then turned his questions to the maid. 

“So, miss, what did you mean when you said that you’ve already been given orders?” 

“In the event that Her Royal Highness Titania were to appear in the mansion, His Grace told me that I should hide nothing from her.” 

So she was simply doing as she was told. Suimei tossed a casual glance Titania’s way and saw her eyes narrow in displeasure. He knew good and well that she didn’t care for the duke, but rather than them being on bad terms, it was starting to seem like the hostility was mostly one-sided. 

“Does this mean the duke anticipated my arrival?” 

“I was merely instructed how to handle the situation should it arise. I must say, I was quite surprised to find that you actually came, Your Highness.” 

Despite what she said, the maid’s taciturn expression didn’t betray the slightest hint of surprise. As the domestic of a noble, she was likely trained to keep her composure. 

“I see. That at least means he anticipated that we would infiltrate the mansion.” 

The duke had Elliot detained, so it was only reasonable to assume someone may come to try and save him. Titania was Reiji’s escort, so it was public knowledge she had a connection to the heroes. In that sense, it was also perfectly reasonable to assume she may personally show up one way or another. 

However, it was still strange to think that the duke would relinquish Elliot so readily. Still unsure of exactly what was going on, Suimei turned to Liliana, but she simply shook her head. 

“I don’t really get it,” he said to her quietly. “They lured Hatsumi away, but they’re taking us to Elliot? It doesn’t really feel like a trap, though...” 

“I also cannot get... a read on the situation.” 

“The fact that there’s no consistency between his purpose and his actions is consistent, at least...” 

Suimei continued to ponder this hazy development in an already hazy situation, and eventually the maid stopped in front of a certain door that appeared to be their destination. The maid knocked, and the voice of a young man answered from the other side. It was a familiar voice, and judging by the sound of it, the speaker appeared to be fine. The maid then opened the door. 

Inside—casually sitting on a sofa and sipping on a cup of tea—was their target, Elliot. Upon realizing who had come to visit him, he put on his usual nihilistic smile and greeted them. 

“My, I didn’t think you would be the ones to come—particularly you,” he said, eying Suimei. 

“And I didn’t think you would be so chipper and healthy...” 

“Ah, yes. Well, as you can see, I have been treated hospitably.” 

There, Elliot brushed his golden locks out of his face in a pompous manner and waved his arm to the side in an exaggerated gesture. He meant to demonstrate that he was indeed perfectly fine, but that only made things more confounding. As Elliot returned his cup to the saucer in a haughty manner, he checked his attitude and courteously turned to Titania. 

“Allow me to apologize for causing you any undue worry, Princess Titania.” 

“No, I’m glad to see you well, Elliot-dono.” 

After their short exchange, Suimei cut back in to the conversation. 

“So? What are you just sitting in here for?” 

“I have nothing else to do, you see. I cannot get out of here.” 

“You can’t get out? Why don’t you just leave? You don’t look like you’re being restrained, and it shouldn’t be all that hard for someone like you to force your way out of the building, right?” 

“Certainly, if I put my mind to it, I could do just that. However, if I do, he threatened to bring harm to Christa.” 

“I see. That’s why you haven’t done anything.” 

As long as the two of them were separated, the duke could use them against each other. And as long as Elliot wanted to protect Christa, his hands were tied. But hearing this, a vein protruded from Titania’s forehead as she laid bare her indignation. 

“He’s damned if he thinks he can use a priest of the Church of Salvation as a hostage.” 

“He doesn’t seem to be a truly noble noble, much less a man of faith.” 

“So?” 

“I was told I only had to wait here for a time. It is annoying, I admit, but I had no choice other than to comply.” 

“Why does he want you here?” 

“Who knows? When they caught me, I was wondering just what they were going to do with me, but since then, the duke has been nothing other than an exemplary host. Just what is he thinking, I wonder? I tried asking, but was politely declined.” 

Elliot groaned a little as he shook his head from side to side. Not even he knew the reason he was being held. 

Was his goal only to detain him? No... Just what could he accomplish by doing that? 

The obvious answer was that the duke was attempting to restrict Elliot’s actions, but that didn’t fully make sense to Suimei. It would imply that he meant to keep Elliot from doing something, and based on the timing... 

“The clash with the demons in the Empire?” 

It seemed as though the duke had wanted to keep Elliot from participating in the battle. 

“Now that I think of it, Hatsumi also said that she was stalled on the way there, didn’t she?” 

“But Hero Reiji... was there... without issue.” 

“Does that mean they wanted Reiji-sama to defeat the demons?” 

What Titania was suggesting was possible. Reiji very well may have been able to defeat the demons on his own, but... 

“No, that can’t be it. In the end, they just made it look like he won. Those guys from the Universal Apostles showed up to help and everything. And not even that makes sense...” 

“It sounds like you’ve learned all sorts of things.” 

“We’ll explain it all later.” 

In the end, things just weren’t adding up for Suimei. The Universal Apostles had made it clear their intention was to kidnap the heroes, not help them. 

Did the plan change somewhere along the line? Maybe they don’t need to kidnap them anymore? But the timing is just too... 

As Suimei drew deeper and deeper into thought, mumbling unintelligibly to himself, Elliot turned to the maid. 

“May I leave now?” 

“Yes, you may do as you please.” 

“You’re releasing Elliot-dono?” 

“Those were His Grace’s orders. He said that if Your Highness wished for his release, we were not to object.” 

“So he still maintains his obedience to the royal family, does he?” 

As Titania let out a sigh, Suimei addressed the maid. 

“Just what’s going on here? What are you guys thinking?” 

“I confess I know nothing in regard to His Grace’s ambitions.” 

“This isn’t because of some grudge against Astel, is it?” 

“That would be impossible, sir.” 

“Of course,” Titania agreed. “The likes of that man would never lose control of himself like that.” 

As Titania spoke in a somewhat sullen manner, Suimei turned a skeptical gaze her way. 

“So despite all this incomprehensible nonsense, you still have some faith in him, huh?” 

“I would rather you say that I am a reasonable judge of character. Even if it is someone that I despise, I am capable of evaluating them objectively.” 

“This doesn’t sound like the same princess who was gloating about uncovering his nefarious deeds and shoving them in his face.” 

“My, did I ever say anything like that?” 

“Mmhmm, it must be awfully convenient to have a brain that forgets things like that.” 

Suimei shrugged as he poked fun at Titania. With this, they had fulfilled their objective. They could afford to goof around a little. However... 

“Tia, take care of Elliot. I’m going outside.” 

“What are you going to do outside?” 

“I have a personal score to settle. I thought I’d go clock him one and ask a few questions. It seems the fight has already started out there.” 

“Has it? But I don’t sense...” 

“It seems like they’re concealing it on purpose... I suspect it’s the work of the guy Hatsumi chased down.” 

Suimei could tell something was afoot. Since a large number of people were on the move, it likely meant that Hadorious’s private army had been put into action. But as Suimei turned to go join the fun, Titania called out to him. 

“In that case, please give the duke my regards as well and clock him twice.” 

“You got it. Take it easy until I get back. I’ll leave the rest to you, Liliana.” 

“Understood.” 

Suimei then turned to go again, but Titania called out to him once more. 

“Suimei, allow me to warn you beforehand... If you plan on confronting the duke with a sword, do be careful.” 

“What, is Mr. Big-Shot Noble strong?” 

“Lucas de Hadorious is the first of the Seven Swords. He is the strongest swordsman in this world.” 

“...Wha?” 

While making a rather idiotic expression, Suimei looked to Liliana for confirmation. She nodded. 

“Duke Lucas de Hadorious stands... at the apex of the Seven Swords... That makes him... at least the strongest man... in the northern continent.” 

“Y-You guys! You gotta tell me this kinda crap sooner!” 

As he yelled, Suimei ran at full speed towards where Hadorious and Reiji were fighting.