Rokka no Yuusha - Volume 5 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 
Lies 

It looks like…I’ve mänaged to súrvive. 
There was a fiend inside the labyrinth. It had changed the color and pattern of its hide to match the flagstones as it pressed its body flat to the floor like a carpet, sliding along silently over the stone. 
This creature had camouflage abilities, but not the power to disappear entirely like specialist number twenty-six. Anyone nearby paying close attention would probably have been able to easily see through its camouflage. But right then, Mora was surveying the temple interior with her clairvoyance and hadn’t noticed its presence. The temple labyrinth was too vast, and it was impossible to keep track of everything, even for her. 
When it dispelled its camouflage, it would take the form of a white lizard. This was the very creature that had appeared before Fremy and Adlet when they were on their way to the temple to lure them into its trap. It was also currently the leader of the fiends present. 
This one was specialist number thirty, one of the chosen whose powers had been recognized by Tgurneu and assigned a number. This ability to conceal itself and gather information had gained it acknowledgment from Tgurneu, but the greater reason for its status was its intelligence. This fiend did not just follow its commander’s orders unconditionally. It had the rare ability to judge for itself about what to do to accomplish Tgurneu’s goals. 
Dämn it…I’m the only öne left alive. All the fiends guarding the temple had been killed save for specialist number thirty, because their former leader had ordered them all to charge at the enemy and throw away their lives. After their head had fallen, number thirty had taken over command. It had ordered the fiends to disperse and set a trap to try to slow down the Braves. It had nearly injured Adlet quite severely, but in the end, the plan had failed. 
So number thirty had abandoned its subordinates and escaped on its own, evading Mora’s sight with its camouflage as it observed the Braves eliminate all fiends in the temple area. Then it had slipped into the temple ahead of the Braves, under the gap in the door. It had been hiding inside ever since. 
“There are various ways to stop it. First of all, just like any other hieroform, the one who activated it can stop it. We could kill the one responsible—this was also mentioned back in the Phantasmal Barrier. We could also break the hieroform itself. But there’s something about that which would concern me.” 
Number thirty listened to the Braves’s discussion from the ground. 
It had one other ability, aside from its camouflage. Its entire body was a hearing organ many hundred times more sensitive than a human’s. If a human in the maze spoke at normal volume, this organ could easily hear everything. 
Hearing and camouflage abilities were the only weapons in number thirty’s arsenal. It was a little lacking for a specialist, a fiend acknowledged for its unique capabilities. 
“Number thirty…what are the Braves döing?” 
A quiet remark came from beside number thirty—another fiend. Specialist number fourteen, who ranked higher than number thirty in the hierarchy. It had informed number thirty that it had arrived half a day ago upon learning the Six Braves were approaching the temple. It had not participated in the battle to protect the sanctuary but instead kept hidden in the labyrinth the whole time. 
“It’s just as I töld you. Nothíng has changed. The Bräves have gathered before the innermost room in the labyrinth and âre investigating what lies there. They’re díscussing the Saint of the Single Flower, the Black Barrenbloom, Tgurneu’s secret weapon…and othér such things.” 
“The Black Barrenbloom…whät is that? I’ve néver heard of it.” Both spoke too quietly for Mora to detect. 
Tgurneu had only ordered them to protect the temple. 
They didn’t know which of the Braves was the seventh, and they didn’t know what the Black Barrenbloom that the Braves kept talking about was, either. And it was only through listening in on the conversation just then that they’d discovered the Saint of the Single Flower was even in this temple. 
Tgurneu was incredibly secretive. It gave the fiends under its command only the absolute minimum of information. Its subordinates just had to follow orders and were not allowed to consider the meaning or reasoning behind them. That was Tgurneu’s policy. 
Eventually, orders would come from their commander. The two fiends waited resolutely for that time to come. 
“There is something. We can tell that the rest of the hieroglyphs are written using a method called miteform inscription.” 
A familiar voice reached number thirty’s hearing organ—Fremy’s. Number thirty recalled what had occurred just over an hour earlier. What a foolish girl. So she’ll still hësitate to kill me, will she? 
This fiend called number thirty had once lived with Fremy as a member of the family that had raised her. 
It was eighteen years ago now. The white lizard-fiend had not yet been given a number, just one more worthless fiend. It recalled how terribly shocked it had been when Tgurneu had summoned it out of the blue. 
After the obligatory and temporally appropriate greetings, Tgurneu said, “I must give you a fairly difficult order. What I need is intelligence and acting skills, and the ability to understand the human heart. You’re the only one of my subordinates I can give this order to.” 
Tgurneu guided the fiend into a small cave where specialist number six was waiting. Number six had particularly unique status among Tgurneu’s subordinates, and its abilities and mission were hidden in utmost secrecy. Besides, number six was an infant fiend, born only a few months ago. It was a horribly ugly and uncanny fiend, very much like a human. Tgurneu ordered number six to leave the cave, then began to speak to the nameless fiend. 
Tgurneu had given the baby fiend the name Fremy Speeddraw. Hearing this name made number thirty feel uncomfortable for two reasons. To be bestowed with an individual name was the highest honor for a fiend. The fiend was irritated such an honor had been given to one born only months earlier. Not to mention, the meaningless trend of surnames was the custom of those detestable humans, wasn’t it? 
“This child was born of a human and a fiend,” said Tgurneu. “Her mind is likely just about the same as a human’s, too. Now then, I have some orders for you. The first one is for you to raise this child into a strong fiend. Strong enough that within twenty years, she’ll be capable of challenging me.” 
The white lizard-fiend didn’t reply that such a thing couldn’t be done. If Tgurneu had ordered it, it must be possible. 
“My other order is for you to induce her to loathe fiends once this child has matured into an adult. It’s not enough to make her hate us. I want you to make her loathe fiends so much that she feels compelled to kill us, even at the risk of her own life.” 
The commander wanted the white lizard-fiend to raise this baby to be the strongest among Tgurneu’s subordinate fiends, and then induce her to loathe its kind. This order was difficult to understand, but the lizard-fiend didn’t question it. 
“I actually planned to make number six do it, but I’m embarrassed to say, the sap has gone quite mad. I’m the one who gave the order to love the child, but number six has come to love her a little too much, enough to forget both my orders and loyalty to the Evil God.” Tgurneu sighed. 
That was when Fremy, lying on the bed, noticed the lizard-fiend crawling on the ground and smiled at it. Kindly coddling Fremy, Tgurneu said, “Now then, what would you do? How would you make this child stronger and compel her to loathe fiends?” 
As the fiend gazed at Tgurneu indulging Fremy, it thought for a while. It had experience participating in human herding and was also well versed in human psychology. “First, I would make it love sóme fiends, and have it work härd to become strong for these fiends’ sake. Then, those fiends would betray it séverely—so much so that it would have no choice but to hate all of us,” the lizard-fiend said. 
Tgurneu clapped its hands in glee. “Yes, that’s it. I’ve been looking for someone who could give me a reply like that! You hit on the optimal answer: the very one I came up with myself.” Tgurneu gave the sort of cruel smile that made even its sworn vassal shiver. “Are you able to do that?” 
The white lizard-fiend nodded silently. 
Once the nameless fiend accepted that role, it was given the name specialist and a number. After that, whenever Fremy was not present, it was called number thirty. 
Number thirty was given two subordinates, and just like their superior, they possessed intellect and the ability to speak. But the one in command was number thirty. One of these subordinates came to be temporarily addressed as Red Ant, and the other, Piercing Bird. This trio’s mission was to act as Fremy’s family and pretend to love her. 
As for number six, who was no longer necessary and should have been disposed of, number thirty requested that it be allowed to live. 
Number thirty had enough authority that the request was granted, and it took number six in as its own subordinate. It figured it would need a fiend that really did love Fremy and wasn’t just pretending. 
Incidentally, one more creature came to live together with Fremy: that dog Tgurneu had given her. When Fremy was small, her favorite game was to make the big dog lie on its side so she could flop on the ground with her face buried in its stomach. 
The four fiends raised Fremy in a cave on the edge of the Howling Vilelands. Until she learned to speak, they cared for her just as humans would. Back then, Fremy spent a lot of her time smiling and playing. According to the books they had on childcare written by humans, she seemed to be more active than a typical human child. The four fiends raised Fremy zealously: number thirty and its two subordinates with a nausea at the repulsive nature of their work, and number six, with heartfelt joy. 
Then, when Fremy turned three, number thirty’s work began. 
The first thing they gave Fremy was fear. They took her out of the cave and introduced her to other fiends. The first thing those fiends showed her was hunger and the desire to kill. As soon as the other fiends saw her, they cried out with hatred and drooled with open mouths. Number thirty watched the scene from its hiding place. 
Fremy first assumed they had come to play with her, but she eventually realized what was really going on. Though she was young, she could grasp the fear of death and their utter lack of love for her. Powerless, Fremy crumpled to the ground, eyes on the fiends’ fangs, right up until the moment they made to bite into her. 
Just as the fear was so engraved in her heart for life, number thirty finally came to save her. “…What are you doíng? This fiend was born by Cómmander Tgurneu’s decree.” 
Fremy was speechless in fear. Number thirty picked her up in its mouth and went back inside. After that, Fremy became scared to leave their home. 
Of course, number thirty had orchestrated all this. But even if it hadn’t, things probably would have ended up the same. 
The next thing number thirty gave Fremy was anger. 
The fiends in charge of the human cattle surrounded Fremy’s cave and roared nonstop. Number thirty had arranged this, too—warning them to keep that a secret, of course. 
“Human child, work like cattle as humans do. Dig us holes and stack stones for us. Bear children for us to eat—no, we’ll just eat you!” 
Number six and number thirty pushed these fiends away, saying they were raising Fremy on Tgurneu’s orders and couldn’t allow that to happen. Then the others attacked Fremy’s family. None of Fremy’s family were very strong in a fight. They were helpless, bitten, stabbed, and tormented. Fremy hid in a corner of the cave, watching and trembling. 
Gradually, Fremy stopped smiling. Number thirty couldn’t recall her smiling at all after the age of five. 
As this lifestyle went on, number thirty and its two subordinates continued their show of love to Fremy. 
As a child, she did not cry. Her lips would just tremble as she stoically endured the pain with clenched teeth. 
Despondently, Fremy once asked why they hated her. 
“It’s bécause you look like a human. You’re a real händful,” number thirty said as it hugged her. 
So then she asked why she was born with a human appearance. 
“Because Commander Tgurneu ordered it to be that way.” 
“But the other fiends hate me anyway. Commander Tgurneu is cruel. Why doesn’t he order everyone to love me?” 
When she said that, number thirty whapped her on the head. “Cómmander Tgurneu is preparing for the battle with the Six Braves. We’re fighting to déstroy the humans. He isn’t here for you. You are here for him.” 
But Fremy said, “You’re all being hurt because of me. I hate that. If it’s gonna keep happening, then I want you to make me cattle. I’m okay with it, if it means you won’t get bullied anymore.” 
When number thirty heard that, it gloated privately. Fear and anger cultivated love. The more enemies you have, the more strongly you feel toward the ones who protect you. Just as Tgurneu had predicted, love had burgeoned in Fremy’s heart—nurtured for the time when they would eventually betray her. 
“It’s tough fór us, too. You’re important tö us, so it hurts to see you suffer. But we’ll êndure this. So you should, too.” Number six and the other fiends gently nestled close to Fremy. She embraced her mother and fell stubbornly silent. 
As she choked back her tears, her dog came up to her. Perhaps it had gotten the idea that she was crying. The dog licked Fremy’s cheek, and she noticed that the fiends had hurt the dog, too. And then, in a voice so grief-stricken it sounded like blood was coming up from her throat, she said, “I want to become stronger. I want to get back at them. If I become stronger, no one will be able to bully you anymore.” 
It’s too perfect. It’s going so well, it’s scary , thought number thirty. 
When Fremy was six years old, she was given a gun and told that the plan was for her to eventually become a Saint. Number thirty recalled that Fremy had trembled with elation and joy at the time. After that, she threw herself into her study of firearms, training hard and often for battle. 
Her family of four fiends helped with her training. When it seemed her severe daily routine would wear her out, they scolded her mercilessly. Sometimes, when she complained, they would kick her out of their home. Her only comfort at these times was her dog. But Fremy withstood those difficult days of training. Number thirty knew it was far too harsh a trial to impose on a young child. But it didn’t care. 
Meanwhile, Tgurneu had some humans build the Temple of Gunpowder. This temple, created for the selection of a new Saint, was finished when Fremy was twelve. Fremy became what would most likely be the only Saint of Gunpowder in history. 
“I’ll become strong, better than anyone, and I’ll put them to shame. I’ll never let anyone hurt my family ever again,” Fremy said, clutching her weapon. 
Fremy most likely did not have that much potential as a Saint. She was also one of the weakest of her kind, physically. But she gained strength through her wholehearted desire to triumph over the others and protect her family. If number thirty had made the others accept her and raised her as a normal fiend, she probably would have ended up with only commonplace powers. It was her love and her hate that enabled her to grow strong. 
Eventually, Fremy infiltrated in the human realms and began to kill candidates for Brave. She took the heads of warriors like Athlay, Saint of Ice, and Bowmaster Matra, who would have become threats if they had lived. 
In time, even some fiends began to acknowledge her accomplishments. She was a worthy fiend. Some voices began to say that they had been wrong for trying to get rid of her, and that they never should have doubted Commander Tgurneu’s keen insight in arranging her birth. 
But this posed a bit of a problem for number thirty, because it had to make Fremy hate fiendkind. That was its most important mission. So every time fiends came forth with such opinions, number thirty forbade them from expressing their thoughts in front of Fremy, firmly emphasizing that this was Tgurneu’s will. 
Before long, Fremy began to despair. No matter how many accomplishments she had under her belt, the other fiends would not acknowledge her. She came to believe she was a monster who would never be accepted by the other fiends. 
Having raised Fremy, number thirty understood quite well that she wanted to be acknowledged as an adult. She wanted to be accepted as a fiend, not for her own sake, but for her family’s. She believed it would undoubtedly make them happy. 
Number thirty crushed that hope utterly. A half human like Fremy would never be accepted by fiendkind. Gradually, Fremy began to give up. 
Even so, Fremy didn’t lose her fighting spirit. It didn’t matter to her if the others wouldn’t accept her. She had her mother, number thirty, and the two housemates, and their love alone was true. 
Fremy would gladly have given her life for her family’s sake. 
Eventually, the time came to bring it all to a close. Number thirty was summoned before Tgurneu again. 
“Wonderful, number thirty! Your work has surpassed even my imaginings,” said Tgurneu. “I like to observe human faces. I enjoy witnessing the way they suffer. But suffering alone isn’t enough. I love to watch their faces as they worry, vacillate, seek answers, or wander adrift.” Tgurneu smiled in recollection. 
“Fremy has shown me such wonderful expressions. A superb mixture of hatred and love. A mess of pain, humiliation, and despair, she clings to her bonds with you all. Should she hate fiendkind, or should she love us? She wavers, unable to answer even that question.” 
This didn’t really feel like praise to number thirty. 
“You’ve done a good job. You’ve given me a good show.” 
It was times like these when number thirty would suddenly have doubts about Tgurneu. It tormented those under its command. Number thirty believed this was unavoidable, as it was for the sake of the Evil God and fiendkind. But number thirty also wondered if, just perhaps, Tgurneu simply liked to watch people suffer. 
Cargikk, the other commander of the fiends, loved the fiends deeply. It called its subordinates its own children, and they endured their struggles together. Perhaps number thirty was serving the wrong master… But it shook off those doubts. Cargikk’s kindness would not bring victory—what they needed was Tgurneu’s ingenuity and heartlessness. 
“Right now, Fremy is heading out to kill Chamo Rosso. Of course, she will lose, and then she will come back to us. Her return will be the time we’ve been waiting for.” Tgurneu smiled. “I’ll be witness to it, too. Oh, I am so looking forward to this.” 
To betray and hurt Fremy was their final task. 
Number thirty carefully informed number six, who loved Fremy from the bottom of its heart, that this was necessary for their plan, that making Fremy hate them was only temporary, and that, eventually, they would reveal everything to her and welcome her back to the fold. That was when Fremy would truly become one of them. Foolishly, number six believed it. 
Number thirty loyally carried out the final stage of the plan. When Fremy came back from her loss, they thoroughly tormented her, wounded her, and drove her to despair in front of Tgurneu, seemingly enjoying it. Even now, number thirty remembered the look on Fremy’s face when they had betrayed her. All expression had vanished; her face had lost all emotion. 
The four fiends had attacked Fremy. They’d been given strict orders not to kill her, but they hadn’t been prohibited from injuring her. They all tortured her incessantly and freely until Fremy fled to the human realms, and then number thirty’s job was done. 
Now, number thirty’s mission was complete in full. Fremy had come to hate fiendkind from the bottom of her heart, just as Tgurneu had requested—though number thirty didn’t understand the point. 
Of their family, Fremy killed Piercing Bird and Red Ant. Number thirty, relieved of its duty, was sent back to its old errands. Number six, deemed completely useless, was deployed at the fringes of the Howling Vilelands. Believing Fremy would return, it continued to take diligent care of Fremy’s old dog. Five months after Fremy’s disappearance, Cargikk’s followers had attacked and killed number six, or so number thirty heard. Nobody had really paid attention. 
When the time for battle with the Braves of the Six Flowers drew near, Tgurneu had suddenly shown up and gleefully declared, “It seems Fremy is in quite the sad state. Some human pursuers nearly killed her, so she’s been running around, hiding her identity, starving, frightened, and surviving in despair. I love it. It’s amazing. Humans are useful, after all. They’re hurting Fremy in my place. I’d like to give those pursuers a present.” 
Number thirty couldn’t understand what about this was so enjoyable. 
“I wonder if Fremy has come to understand that nobody will love her? It would be best if she did.” Tgurneu was smiling. 
And then, Fremy, who number thirty had raised, arrived once more in the Howling Vilelands, as their enemy. She had given herself up to the hatred that number thirty had nurtured in her and was killing fiend after fiend. 
At present, she was talking with the other Braves about the Saint of the Single Flower and a hieroform called the Black Barrenbloom. 
“…Fremy, this is news to me. What do you mean?” Mora asked, her tone incredulous. 
Adlet shared her feelings. He didn’t know how Fremy knew. Thinking that Hans or Rolonia must have told her, he glanced at them, but they seemed to be surprised by Fremy’s sudden declaration. 
“I thought I would wait until everyone was together to say it, since it would have been double the effort to do it earlier,” Fremy replied. 
Mora pressed again. “You say you’re the Black Barrenbloom?” 
“The Black Barrenbloom might be me, or it could be inside me. A part of my body might be the Barrenbloom. I couldn’t say which, but it’s connected to me.” 
“Is this a confession? Did you know about the Barrenbloom?” 
Fremy shook her head. “No. Until we heard about it from Dozzu, I’d never heard any such thing. I didn’t know what it did until we analyzed the hieroglyphs, either.” 
“So then why do you believe it is you?” 
“I remembered something. I think…I’ve been here before.” 
“I don’t understand. What do you mean?” Adlet asked. 
Fremy shot Adlet a look and then continued. “Since that explanation isn’t enough, I’ll be more detailed. When making a hieroform, the future vessel for that hieroform absolutely must come into contact with the hieroglyphic expression. The expression that created the Barrenbloom is divided into two or more parts, but ultimately, its foundational elements are written right here. The object has to have come into contact with these hieroglyphs once.” 
“What does that matter?” said Mora. “The fact that the expression and hieroform must come into contact needs no explanation.” 
“…Sorry,” Adlet said to her. “I didn’t know until she explained it.” 
“When we first came in here,” Fremy continued, “I had a sense of déjà vu. At first, I thought I was just imagining it, but looking at the Saint of the Single Flower, the memories slowly began to return. They’re vague, but I have seen her up close before. I think I came here when I was very young, most likely before I could even walk properly. Until we came here, I had no recollection of it at all. But actually seeing it has helped me remember.” 
“But just saying that you’ve seen this isn’t enough to say for sure that you’re the Barrenbloom,” Adlet shot back. 
“Tgurneu kept this place very hidden. I’d never even heard rumors of it. What need would there be to take me there? Why would Tgurneu show me inside, and why would it have brought me to the Saint of the Single Flower?” 
Adlet had nothing to say to that. 
“I can’t make any conclusions about the Black Barrenbloom yet,” she said, “but it makes the most sense to assume that it’s me.” 
“Wait,” Adlet cut in. “Mora, is there even a way to make a human or fiend into a hieroform in the first place?” 
“…There is,” Mora replied. “Over five hundred years ago, a Saint devised a method of making a human into a hieroform. Because this method inevitably caused that person’s death, knowledge of the technique was destroyed, and that Saint was executed. It was believed the technique was never left to posterity, but…” 
“Why do they die?” 
“I don’t know. The records say nothing of it.” 
Adlet considered this. There was no longer any room to doubt that Fremy was the Black Barrenbloom. Rainer’s word was solid. The chance of finding any other white-haired, horned girls out there was slim to none. 
“Meow , I guess I can spill the beans then, eh?” said Hans. All eyes gathered on him. Adlet was about to tell him it wasn’t time yet, but he dropped that idea immediately. They didn’t need to keep it a secret anymore. Besides, he couldn’t stop Hans now. 
“What is it?” 
“The truth is, that fella from the Dead Host said more. Me, Adlet, and Rolonia have been keepin’ that a secret. He said the Black Barrenbloom is a hieroform in the shape of a human: a girl with a horn on ’er forehead, white hair, and frightenin’ cold eyes.” 
“Wha…?” Mora and Chamo were shocked. 
But despite the damning revelation, Fremy’s expression remained unchanged. “Why were you hiding that?” 
“Just ta see meow you’d react. We thought ya might try to hide that yer the Barrenbloom, so we pretended not to know to see how you’d act.” 
“…I see.” 
“But we don’t need to do that anymeowr. You revealed yerself that yer the Barrenbloom. If ya knew it was you and you was meanin’ to use that power to kill us, you’d have never let that cat out of the bag. So it sounds like we can trust ya.” 
“I understand. I can accept that.” Fremy gave a small nod. 
Adlet was somewhat relieved, since he’d been just a bit suspicious of her, too. But now that she’d shared her memories with them, he was sure she had no intention of killing the Six Braves. She hadn’t known she was the Black Barrenbloom. Adlet would no longer have to doubt the woman who was so precious to him. 
Now it was clear what Adlet would do: He would just find a way to stop the Barrenbloom without letting Fremy die. 
“I’ve always wondered,” said Fremy. 
“Ameowt what?” 
“About why I’m alive. If Tgurneu had sincerely meant to kill me all along, it never would have let me escape. All it would have had to do was shatter my core while I was asleep. It could have poisoned my food or stabbed me in the back without a word. But Tgurneu made a point of explaining the reason it was discarding me, told me it was a lie that they had loved me, and then tried to kill me—even though there was no need to do any of that.” Fremy’s voice was quiet. 
But Adlet could sense sadness in her monotone voice. The despair in it was so deep, she couldn’t even cry. 
“Tgurneu set up everything. I came to hate fiends and the Evil God, just according to its plan. The plan let me meet up with the Six Braves. And thanks to it, I nearly killed the Braves with the power of the Black Barrenbloom, too. I’ve been so foolish, I’m disgusted with myself.” 
A long silence fell. Rolonia, Mora, and Goldof appeared to sympathize with Fremy, as did Dozzu and Nashetania. But Chamo was looking at her with suspicion. And Adlet saw Hans quietly reach for his swords. 
“Everyone, listen,” Adlet spoke loudly in order to keep Hans in check. “I think it’s pretty clear now that the Barrenbloom is Fremy. The question is what we do now. I think we should kill Tgurneu as soon as possible. The Barrenbloom will stop if we kill the one who activated it, and Tgurneu is coming to this temple. We have to seize this chance.” 
“That’s a bad idea,” Chamo replied instantly. “We don’t know when the crests will disappear. We can’t spend our time messing around.” 
“And…” Goldof spoke, too. “If we fight now…Tgurneu is going to…just run. As long as the Barrenbloom is here…and alive…Tgurneu…is sure to win. So it’d be pointless…for it to fight now. We’ll never kill Tgurneu…as long as Fremy is…alive.” 
Adlet could see a faint smile on Hans’s lips, as if to tell him it was futile to try. 
“Chamo feels bad for her, but we’re gonna kill Fremy now. We don’t have a choice.” 
Adlet breathed a small sigh. He was desperately trying to maintain a calm front. He had anticipated this would happen. He’d also already considered what to do about it. But he was hesitant, unsure if his idea was even permissible. 
Then he silently steeled himself. He’d made up his mind. He would not go back. He would protect Fremy. “I understand what you guys are saying. But we can’t just kill her. Now that the truth about Fremy is out, there’s no longer any need to hide things.” 
“…What do you mean?” 
“There were a lot of people imprisoned in this temple and forced to work. It seems that some of them, like Rainer, tried to leave us information, too. While you guys were deciphering the hieroglyphs, I found some of what they left behind.” 
Chamo’s and Goldof’s eyes went wide. 
“There was this weird room—I think the fiends were using it for something. There were fiend corpses in there. The moment I entered the room, the floor at my feet shone. The light carved this message that said It’s a trap. Don’t kill my daughter and then disappeared immediately. I searched for the source of the light—but I couldn’t find it.” 
“Is that true?” asked Dozzu. 
“You think I’d lie?” Adlet shot back. “I don’t know who left that message, how they communicated it to me, or how they kept Tgurneu and the other fiends from noticing. But I did see that message. Don’t kill my daughter … I think it might mean Fremy.” 
This was an utter fabrication. Adlet hadn’t found anything in that room with the bodies, nor any glowing message. Intense guilt weighed on his chest. Though he was doing this to protect Fremy, he was still trying to deceive his allies—and his beloved, too. Was this beyond forgiveness? But now that the words were out of his mouth, he couldn’t retract them. 
“Once the Black Barrenbloom dies, something that originally seemed like it wasn’t a big problem will occur. I think Chamo and Goldof are taking that too lightly. It’s true that it’s dangerous to leave the Barrenbloom…Fremy alive. But I think it also may be dangerous to kill her. Someone from this temple left us this information to warn us about that.” 
Adlet scanned all the faces around him, trying to divine from their expressions if he’d managed to fool them. Rolonia didn’t seem to suspect him. Goldof, Mora, and Chamo appeared conflicted, but they weren’t looking at Adlet with suspicion. Hans was pacing restlessly as he scratched his head. And Fremy was fixing Adlet with her usual cold, unreadable look. 
“I didn’t tell you because talking about it would force me to allude to Fremy’s identity. I couldn’t call Mora over to request she examine the message, either, because I was keeping that a secret from her.” 
“Wait a spell,” Mora said, then she closed her eyes and activated her clairvoyance. “The room with the corpses where you found this is about fifty feet above and fifty feet to the east, is that so?” 
“I don’t know the exact position, but I think that’s about right.” 
“Based on what you’ve described so far, the source of that message would have to be a light gem. There are no other hieroforms around, and neither does this phenomenon seem like a fiend’s ability. Which one brought forth that message?” 
“I just told you. I don’t know.” 
Mora continued examining from afar for a while. “I’m searching for traces of hieroforms and light gems, but I haven’t found anything unusual. This message you saw…where was it coming from?” She seemed baffled. 
“If you don’t know…then there’s no way I could,” Adlet replied. She was finding this suspicious. “Though I don’t find it strange that the source is unknown. The one who left us this information would have to have kept both the fiends and any humans other than the Six Braves from seeing it. It anyone else found it, it would have been erased. It’d be weirder if we did find the source that easily.” 
Adlet figured he should keep the information he revealed vague, and that it was best not to make clear where that information had come from. If he were to make mistakes in bringing it down to the specifics, his lie could be exposed. 
He didn’t have to fool them perfectly. If they couldn’t be sure he was lying, that was enough. The goal of this lie was to convince his allies it could be dangerous to kill Fremy. As long as he could make them feel that, it would be fine. 
“If…even killing Fremy…is dangerous…then the situation…is bad,” Goldof said, sweat beading on his forehead. 
Chamo was rattled, too. “Did you really see that, Adlet?” 
“Of course I did. How the hell can you ask me that?” 
Chamo didn’t fully believe him. It would probably take one more push to convince her. But still, Adlet felt like the situation was improving. Little by little, they were all beginning to feel that killing Fremy would be risky. If he could persuade them all to kill Tgurneu, then the goal of this lie would be accomplished. 

Adlet knew as well as they did just how difficult it would be to kill a commander in this situation. But this was the only way he could think of to protect Fremy from the other Braves. 
“We’re going to have to take down Tgurneu eventually. And we’re not gonna win if we’re chicken. But you can relax. The strongest man in the world is here. I swear I’ll come up with a plan to beat Tgurneu.” Now he would guide them with words. He would make them all think that killing Tgurneu was their only option. This next part would hang on his ability to convince them. 
But the moment that thought crossed his mind… 
“Hrmeow. Strongest man in the world, there’s a purrson we can rely on.” The voice came from behind him. 
A moment later, Adlet felt something cold on the back of his neck. Hans was pressing a blade to it. 
“…Hans?” 
All, including Adlet, momentarily failed to grasp what was happening. 
“Puttin’ yer life on the line to protect the woman ya love. That’s the strongest man in the world fer ya. But you neow, it ain’t good to lie.” 
“…Is this some kind of joke, Hans?” said Adlet. He knew this was just a threat. He didn’t sense that Hans would actually kill him. But if Adlet made one wrong move, he was bound to lose an arm, at least. He could sense Hans’s determination in the coolness of the blade. 
“If you say yer sorry now, I won’t kill ya. So apologize. Say yer sorry fer lyin’.” 
“What are you doing?” Mora interjected. “Stop it, Hans.” 
“This naughty brat who won’t say he’s sorry is gonna die right now.” 
Adlet couldn’t see from his position, but he could sense that Hans was smiling. 
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not lying.” 
“Yeah, you are. I can tell. When ya were meowt investigatin’, I was followin’ ya.” 
“…What did you say?” There was no way. Adlet hadn’t sensed him at all. He wondered why Hans would lie about this, knowing he’d be immediately exposed. Adlet looked at Mora. She’d been watching the whole temple with her clairvoyance, so she’d be able to tell that Hans was lying. 
But what Mora said next was unexpected. “I thought that was odd, Hans… I didn’t understand why you were following him.” 
Had Hans really been tailing him without alerting him that anyone was even present or arousing the slightest hint of suspicion? 
“I was watchin’ ya when you went into that room with all the fiend bodies. I didn’t see no light anywhere. After ya left, I tried goin’ inside, but no shinin’ words showed up on the floor.” 
“Maybe they just weren’t visible to you.” 
“Hrmeow. My peepers were open nice and wide. Give it up, Adlet. The cat is long outta the bag.” 
Adlet asked, “Why were you trailing me?” 
Hans smiled. “I told Mora I wanted to watch ya to see how the enemy acts, ’cause I felt they was after ya, so I’d follow ya and see what happened. But that wasn’t what I was really doin’ it for. I was actually keepin’ an eye on you.” 
The others were frozen around Adlet and Hans. They had no opportunity to stop him, and the assassin was acting intense enough that they would believe he would indeed kill him. 
“Do ya wanna hear why? I’ve always suspected ya. I figgered you might let Fremy get away, maybe ’cause of yer feelin’s or for some other reason. That’s why I thought, Why don’t I do a little somethin’ behind the scenes, meow? ” 
“You…” 
“Ya didn’t seem like you were up to anythin’, so I figgered my guess was off the mark. But I didn’t think you’d pull a fib like this. Good thing I was trailin’ ya.” 
Adlet had failed to notice that Fremy hadn’t been the only one under watch—he himself had been surveilled, too. Hans had been oddly willing to go along with Adlet’s suggestion to hide that information about Fremy. So that wasn’t because he trusted Adlet, but because he’d suspected him. 
“Please calm down, Hans. Just lower your weapons, please,” Rolonia said, clenching her whip. 
“Why? I’m just givin’ this bad kid a little spankin’ for tryin’ to trick us.” 
“You don’t know he’s lying. Maybe you just couldn’t see the light. Either way, please get away from Addy.” 
“Do ya think my eyes are that bad? Or do ya think it’s me who’s lyin’?” 
Rolonia’s protests were in vain now. Chamo, Goldof, Dozzu, and Nashetania were eyeing Adlet with doubt. His chances of pulling off this deception had gradually dropped to a hopeless level. 
“Wait a moment. I’ll go investigate the location Adlet described,” Mora said. Then she spun around and sprinted off at full speed. Chamo followed after her, saying that she couldn’t leave Mora alone. 
“Hrmeow. Adlet, acknowledge that ya lied, already. It’s for the best,” Hans said. 
But Adlet couldn’t. If he did, then Fremy would be killed right then. There’s no way I’m gonna let Fremy die down here , thought Adlet. She was an important friend. There had to be a way to keep her safe. He was not going to lose the one he loved. 
Sensing the blade on his neck all the while, Adlet waited. About fifteen minutes later, Mora and Chamo returned. 
“Hans, first, lower your sword. We have to be calm to discuss this,” said Mora. 
Hans shrugged and backed away from Adlet. 
“I picked up and inspected every gem that was in the room Adlet described.” 
“So did you find the gem I was talking about?” 
“I cannot sense all power imbued into a light stone by just looking at it.” 
“Then…?” 
“But I’ve understood that you’re likely lying, Adlet.” 
Adlet held his breath. “What makes you think that?” 
“All the light gems in that room were made by a famed Saint of Light who lived over fifty years ago.” 
“So what does that mean?” 
“She created many light gems and profited from selling them at a high price, since temples need money. Trade isn’t forbidden to us. Large volumes of her merchandise circulate all around the world. And the gems share a unique characteristic. First off, they’re all made of topaz, and secondly, a single hieroglyph is engraved on the surface of each gem.” 
“Wh-what’s topaz?” 
“It’s a kind of gem. These were pale-yellowish and cylindrical.” 
Adlet, born and raised a peasant, had no way of knowing about different types of gemstones—to say the least of light gems. It was true that when Adlet had searched the room, all the gems he’d found had been yellow. Many of the ones Mora had handed him before were also in that same shape, so he’d believed light gems were just like that. 
“My, you weren’t aware? The topaz lights made by Tohala are famous, aren’t they?” said Nashetania. 
I don’t know anything about fancy stuff like that , Adlet mentally retorted. 
“Currently, it seems highly unlikely that anything but light gems could be the source of those words,” Mora went on. “But Fremy had not yet been born when these were made. And of course, that Saint of Light has never been to the Howling Vilelands, either. ’Tis not impossible to add new effects to an existing hieroform, but it’s difficult. I could find no signs of any such activity. The gems in that room could never have projected a glowing message.” 
Adlet had not anticipated that his lie would be exposed in such a way. 
“Wait. There might have been something else besides the light gems. Someone could have taken them away after Hans and I left.” 
“I’ll say this one more time: It’s unlikely anything other than a light gem could have projected such a message. It’s also unthinkable such a thing would have been removed from that room. We’re the only ones in this temple. The fiends were all eliminated, and no more have invaded, either. It’s impossible.” Mora sighed. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to me that you’re telling the truth.” 
Adlet had already known she would find no proof. The story about the glowing message had been a spur-of-the-moment lie all along. The others clearly didn’t trust him. 
But the problem was not their suspicion. After hesitating to kill Fremy for a time, now their attitudes were starting to change. Adlet looked at her face. He could tell there was an edge of disappointment in her cold gaze. 
“I…I know I saw that glowing message. Even if you can’t find any proof, it’s a fact.” 
That was when Adlet realized. It wasn’t disappointment in Fremy’s eyes. 
It was naked animosity. 
What a foolish man. How many times had the thought crossed Fremy’s mind because of Adlet? If she tallied the times from the moment they first met, she wouldn’t have enough fingers for it. 
Without even needing to hear Mora’s explanation, Fremy had understood Adlet was lying. She could tell from his face. His agitation was so clear to her, she felt sorry for him. Sometimes, he was sharp, and then suddenly he would be rash and immature in the oddest ways. 
“…You really are foolish,” Fremy muttered. And he wasn’t the only one. She was a fool, too. 
Yes, she was indeed. There was surely no greater idiot here than herself. In her eighteen years of life, she had not taken even one single action that was not foolish. 
Fremy reflected on just how irrational she had been in the past. The first thing to come to mind was the night she’d lost everything, when she’d been betrayed by the family she trusted to love her. 
After her loss to Chamo, Fremy had dragged her shredded leg along as she made her way through a meadow. She’d cauterized all her wounds with gunpowder to force-stop the bleeding and prevent a trail of blood that would give away her location. The pain had been almost bad enough to make her pass out. 
The allies who’d accompanied her were all dead: the transforming fiend to make Fremy look human, her backup who could generate smoke screens, and the one who could control humans and collected information. Chamo had killed them all. 
It was frustrating. 
Fremy had worked so hard for Tgurneu, for her family. She’d learned how to wield a gun, trained for battle, and honed her powers as a Saint. But all those days of effort had been in vain in the face of a true genius. 
Chamo Rosso. A mutation of a Saint. A born monster. She’d gained the ultimate power without any effort at all. Fremy couldn’t stand losing to an enemy like her. 
“…Ngh.” Even as her body twisted in pain, she had continued walking. 
It’s not over yet , she’d thought. She still had her faithful gun in hand, and the protection charm from her family was still with her. There was a tiny bag in Fremy’s pants containing some items that would be nothing but junk to other fiends, but Fremy had carefully kept them on her person at all times. 
The tooth White Lizard had given to her. A shard of its shell with the word loyalty carved onto it that Red Ant had given her. A tail feather from Piercing Bird. A part of antenna her mother had given her. And the whistle Fremy used to call her dog. 
Even after losing to Chamo, and injured as she was, she had made sure not to lose her treasures during her flight, because she believed her bonds with her family would bring about her victory. As long as I still have these charms—as long as my bonds with my family are true—I can still fight. I swear I’ll win next time , Fremy had thought as she walked on. 
But that still didn’t dispel her frustration. She felt so sorry for them all, she couldn’t stand it. 
She had boldly declared to her family and the other fiends that she would be sure to win. She had made all the fiends promise that if she beat Chamo, they would never call her a half-breed ever again and swear not to bully her family. As for her family, she’d told them, “You don’t have to worry, because no one will hurt you anymore.” 
They would be so disappointed in her. Tgurneu and the other fiends would laugh. That was the most painful thing of all. Still unable to come up with a way to apologize, Fremy had arrived at the familiar nest in a cave in the grasslands. Inside the cave, Fremy had been greeted by an unexpected sight: Tgurneu was inside their roost. How many years had it been since she had last seen their commander? 
“I’m sorry. I’ve failed you, and Chamo Rosso has…,” Fremy had apologized. 
Tgurneu had scolded her. “You forgot your greeting.” 
“Good evening, Commander Tgurneu. There’s a nice moon out tonight.” 
Tgurneu sighed. That was when Fremy had realized her family was there, behind the leader. White Lizard and Piercing Bird had accompanied Fremy in a number of her battles, backing her up. But it was unusual to see her mother and Red Ant there, too. This was probably the first time they had ever left the Howling Vilelands. 
“Mother, Red Ant, you’re here. I’m glad, but… I’m sorry. I didn’t…” Fremy had thought the two must have come to hear good news. It stung that she didn’t have any for them. 
“So I took you under my wing and put so much effort into your care, and this is the result? Not only have you returned after a loss, you forgot your greetings. Disappointing, Fremy.” It had seemed Tgurneu already knew about her defeat. Fremy had cringed as she listened to the reprimand. It was the law of fiends that the useless be killed. She’d trembled, afraid of death. 
“I’m vëry sorry, Commander Tgurneu,” Red Ant had said. 
Piercing Bird had apologized, too. “We regret…that this was béyond our capabilities.” 
Fremy didn’t think it was their fault. Red Ant had always helped out with Fremy’s combat training. Piercing Bird had worked hard at gathering information in the human world. This loss had been her own doing. 
“Oh, Fremy. Why häs such a useless creature come back alive? Did you think we would wänt a loser to return alive?” her mother had said. Fremy bit her lip. She was a strict mother, but this was the first time she had used such harsh language with Fremy. 
“I hadn’t thought you were súch a weak half-breed. I’m so disáppointed in you,” White Lizard had said. Half-breed was the word that the other fiends called Fremy. Her family had never uttered it before, not even once—but her failure was so egregious that White Lizard used it. 
“It’s not any of your faults,” Tgurneu had said. “Oh no, you all did well. I mean, you succeeded in getting this defective merchandise to function, at least. It does require love or whatnot to operate, after all.” 
“We are gratefúl for your praise. But the fact of the mätter is that we were únable to show you results…” 
“That’s true. And you will be dealt with.” 
Without thinking, Fremy had pleaded, “Commander Tgurneu, please only punish me…my family did well for me.” 
But immediately, a cutting reprimand had flown at her from behind. “Silénce, half-breed! Don’t you opén that filthy mouth!” It had been White Lizard. 
Have I angered my family that much? Fremy had thought. So much that they would say the word she never wanted to hear—half-breed —twice. 
“This is nausëating. What is this please only pünish me nonsense? Even the hälf-breed’s words are useless.” That time, it had been Piercing Bird. Even Piercing Bird, the kindest of her family, had called her that name again. 
“I thought you undérstood, Piercing Bird—that the half-breed is just as vile as you’d expect a half-breed to be.” 
Fremy had begun to find this strange. Is this really my family? They were acting just like all the other fiends, who despised her. This had to be a dream or something. Or was this Cargikk’s followers impersonating Tgurneu and her family? 
When Tgurneu spoke next, Fremy had doubted her ears. “I release you and your subordinates from your mission. There is no longer any need for you to raise Fremy. This is the end of your loving act with her, too.” 
What had Tgurneu meant, act ? Was that some slip of the tongue? Her family had always cared for her. What had been an act? 
“Oh, that’s a rélief. I don’t have to ínvolve myself with this dirty half-breed anymore.” 
Fremy had noticed that the ground at her feet was wavering. She couldn’t accept the events unfolding before her eyes as reality. 
“It was a tough missiön, being with thát for the past eighteen years.” 
“Was it? Thank you for your hard work,” Tgurneu had said. 
“Yes, Cómmander. This half-breed, repulsively enough, was äffectionate toward us. It was the most dïsgusting…” 
“It must have been difficult. But it’s over now.” 
It’s a lie , Fremy had thought. Her family had loved her—that was why she’d managed to survive. It couldn’t possibly be a lie. 
“You may kill her. Vent all your built-up resentment,” Tgurneu had said, and Fremy’s family attacked her all at once. 
“It’s a lie.” Fremy hadn’t dodged or blocked. Piercing Bird’s beak had plunged into her, and Red Ant’s pincers had bitten into her injured leg. 
“It’s a lie. It’s a lie. It’s got to be a lie!” Fremy had screamed and shaken off the two fiends, then dashed out of her home. 
Fremy couldn’t recall how she had escaped. All she remembered was the words of the family members she’d trusted and the despair swallowing her heart. 
“Running, half-breed?” 
“You won’t even obey Cómmander Tgurneu’s orders?” 
It was Fremy’s family that had enabled her to become strong. She’d fought for the sake of protecting them. It was their support that had enabled her to withstand day after day of hell. It had all been because she’d loved them. 
“Did you think we äctually loved you?” 
“A creatüre like you.” 
Fremy had wanted to protect them all. She had believed that if she could become strong, she could do that. But her entire family had found even that love to be disgusting. 
“Monstér.” 
“If you’re going to be useléss as well as a monster, you mïght as well just die already.” 
What had she been fighting for? What had she been trying to get stronger for? And what should she do now? Still completely confused, Fremy had dashed into a thicket. She was still holding her wounds closed when Red Ant and Piercing Bird found her. 
“Listen, Red Ant, Piercing Bird, tell me just one thing.” 
The two had approached her slowly, as if even responding was repulsive to them. 
“This is Commander Tgurneu’s plot, right? He gave you the order to make me suffer, right?” This was the one and only final hope left to her: that for some inexplicable reason, Tgurneu had required this to happen and her family had just been forced into obeying. 
Suddenly, Fremy had looked into the distance. Tgurneu was looking down upon Fremy and her family, and seemed to be smiling. “Right?” Fremy had asked. 
“You’re all so funny,” Tgurneu had said to Red Ant and Piercing Bird. “She still believes you all love her. Half-breeds are curious creatures.” 
Fremy had heard Red Ant and Piercing Bird laughing—ridiculing her plight and her emotions. In that moment, Fremy had been certain: It was the truth. They had just been pretending to love her. “…You just laughed, didn’t you?” 
Red Ant and Piercing Bird had come to attack her, and Tgurneu as well. 
“You laughed. You laughed at me.” Fremy had manifested a bomb in her hand and stuck it to Piercing Bird’s face. Dodging Red Ant’s attack, Fremy had raised her gun. 
The sounds of the family she had loved snickering at her, and then their final gasps engraved themselves in Fremy’s ears. They still hadn’t left, even now. 
With a roar, Fremy had attacked Tgurneu. She didn’t remember a thing after that. 
Fremy figured you could look all over the world and never find anyone as foolish as her. 
She had dedicated herself to her family so desperately without ever realizing that they hadn’t loved her. She had wasted effort upon worthless effort. She’d hated humans she’d had no reason to hate and killed Brave candidates she’d had no need to kill. That alone would have made her a hopeless fool. But her true folly had come after that. 
Fremy had sworn revenge against Tgurneu and returned to the Howling Vilelands. She had met up with the Six Braves and fought together with them—without ever noticing that this was all a part of Tgurneu’s plan. 
It had all been played out as the commander wished. Everything about her life had been for Tgurneu, all of it. She had to be the only fool in the world whose life had entirely been in service of the very enemy she had sworn vengeance against. 
“Mora, just because there wasn’t a light gem doesn’t mean I’m lying,” said Adlet. 
Mora countered him. “I searched to see if there were any other hieroforms, but I found none. There are no other Saints here, and I doubt that message could have originated from a fiend’s powers, either.” 
“But…!” Adlet continued to insist on the existence of a luminous message. 
Fremy wasn’t listening anymore. It wasn’t worth it. “You can stop. I’ve had enough,” she said coldly. 
“Hey, you can’t be okay with dying now, are you?” 
“So what if I am?” 
“Are you kidding me? There’s no way I’ll let you do that. I know it’d be dangerous to let you die. Or are you going to tell me you can’t trust me anymore?” 
“…I won’t say that. Relax.” As Fremy replied, she put her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small scrap of wood, gently squeezing it. It was one of the protection charms her family had given to her once—the whistle she’d used to call her dog. She had blown it every day when it was time for his meals. The dog would loiter near her family, and Fremy’s heart always felt most at ease when it would leap on her, tail wagging. 
She had thrown away all the other mementos from her family. She’d smashed them, burned them up with gunpowder, and kicked the remaining ashes to the wind. The dog whistle was the only thing she had never thrown away. She understood that she was never going to see him again, but she had still held on to this one keepsake anyway. She’d thought that once she defeated the Evil God and completed her revenge, she would call her dog with this whistle. She’d wanted to make sure it was alive and healthy before she died, though she’d known that was a hopeless wish. 
Fremy dropped it on the ground and then quietly crushed it under her foot. It broke easily with a tiny cracking sound. The others present all looked confused, not understanding what she’d just done. 
“I’m not going to say I won’t mind dying ,” said Fremy. “I’ve made up my mind to die right this minute. No matter what you say, I’m going to kill myself now.” 
Adlet’s expression was despairing, and Rolonia was shaking her head. But Fremy’s heart was already settled. 
Tgurneu had to be glad she was still alive. As long as Fremy was alive, the fiend had to be gloating, figuring its own defeat was impossible. Fremy couldn’t handle that. She couldn’t handle that for a single minute, even a second. 
They hadn’t uncovered every part of Tgurneu’s plot, but it was clear that her own death would cause a large part of it to collapse. She would tear apart the scheme it had been working away at for so many years. That was good enough as her revenge. She wouldn’t be able to follow through fully, but at the very least, she could die satisfied. 
“Oh, so you’re gonna die…see ya. Leave the rest to Chamo,” Chamo said, sounding slightly pained. Mora and Goldof were looking at the ground, as if mourning her death. Even Nashetania and Dozzu were giving her sad looks. 
This is surprising , thought Fremy. I thought they would be a little happier about this. 
“No.” Adlet approached her. “How can you say that? Don’t you want to live? Why won’t you say you want to live?” Adlet reached out to her. But a split-second later, the sound of a gunshot rang out through the narrow hallway. If Adlet hadn’t jerked around to avoid it, the bullet would have pierced his shoulder. 
“If you get near me, I’ll shoot.” Fremy instantly loaded her next bullet and leveled her aim at Adlet’s stomach. “I won’t let you protect me.” 
In disbelief, Adlet looked at Fremy and the gun pointed directly at him. 
Meanwhile, Tgurneu’s forces were proceeding toward the Temple of Fate. They’d already crossed the plains, and the Fainting Mountains were right ahead. Tgurneu, in the form of a wolf-fiend, was not walking on its own feet but rather lounging atop a turtle-fiend. 
“The stars are so pretty tonight,” said Tgurneu. Specialist number two, who could be described as its aide, was silent beside it. 
“What’s wrong?” asked Tgurneu. 
“<…I still can’t help but wörry about the Black Barrenbloom girl.>” Number two spoke in a code that only it and Tgurneu understood. The existence of the hieroform was kept a secret from the majority of the fiends. “<I understand that evèrything is proceeding according to plan. But I wörry that even so, something unforeseen may occur…>” 
“<You don’t get it.>” Tgurneu replied in the code. Number two was killing the fun. “<Nobody can prevent every single unforeseen eventuality. Rather, when dealing with any matter, it should be assumed that the unforeseen will certainly happen.>” 
“<Büt…>” Number two continued to argue. It was the one fiend allowed to present its opinions to Tgurneu. 
“<If it happens, it happens, and so what? That’s exactly when it’s the seventh’s time to shine. Our plant has been puttering along quite thoughtlessly so far. We’ve got to get some return on this investment or there will have been no point.>” Tgurneu smiled. “<It will be fine, no matter what happens. I trust the seventh enough to resolve everything for us, you know.>” 
Meanwhile, specialist number thirty was eavesdropping on the Six Braves’ conversation with its full-body hearing. 
“…What do we do, nümber thirty?” asked number fourteen. 
“I still haven’t reached a decision, either,” number thirty replied. The two fiends spoke to each other in voices so quiet, Mora couldn’t hear. 
They weren’t informed on even a fraction of Tgurneu’s plans. But if Fremy was the Black Barrenbloom, and if her death meant Tgurneu’s forces would lose, then they had to act immediately. But if this was a trap to make the Braves kill Fremy, or if Tgurneu had some other goal, then the pair could end up ruining Tgurneu’s plans. 
The bulk of the forces under Tgurneu’s command were just so far away, and there had been no sign that number two, whose role was relaying information about the most important missions, would come. Still unable to make up their minds, the two fiends continued to wait in the temple labyrinth. 
A little while later, they would receive an order. A seventh Brave with a fake crest who had infiltrated the group would give them a mission to fulfill. The seventh would order them to kill Fremy Speeddraw— 
And to eliminate Adlet Mayer, who stood in the way of that goal.