The Super High Schoolers Affording to Live in Another World! - Volume 2 - Chapter 1

  Obtaining the Dormundt City  

After the septet of high schoolers with extraordinary abilities all vanished over the ocean, there was a good reason why the desperate search for them didn’t turn up so much as a chunk of fuselage. They hadn’t crashed in the sea. In fact, they’d landed in another world altogether. It was a world where knights and nobles prospered—like medieval Europe but with beastfolk and magic.

After crash-landing in the Freyjagard Empire, the High School Prodigies survived thanks to the help of the people of a village called Elm. Shortly after arriving in that unusual place, they immediately set out looking for a way to get back home. However, their efforts were interrupted.

A local lord, Findolph, kidnapped one of their saviors, a girl named Lyrule, and put the village to the torch. The people of Elm decided to fight back to stand up for their rights, fed up and furious over Findolph’s corrupt governance. The Prodigies decided to lend them a hand. Together, they attacked the castle of the corrupt nobleman, took it over, and rescued Lyrule.

Yet the battle was far from over. How could it be? The empire wasn’t going to forgive a group of commoners for baring their fangs at the ruling caste. It wasn’t unlikely that an army was making its way toward the Findolph domain, ready to slaughter the people of Elm.

The villagers hoped to maintain their dignity—not as livestock to be spared or killed at the nobles’ whims but as people with just as much right to exist as anyone else—after having revolted against the Freyjagard Empire. But was such a thing possible? Perhaps there was a way, though only one.

They had to establish a nation of the people, for the people, where social classes like nobles, commoners, and slaves were abolished and everyone was equal. In other words, a revolution was required. One that could spread the previously foreign values of liberty and equality for all throughout the land.

As it happened, the High School Prodigies were already taking the next step toward making that a reality. As for what that next step was—

“Hiiiiiyaaahh!!!!”

“““Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!”””

The place: Ravale. A rural village in the Findolph domain with roughly a thousand residents. A rousing shout echoed through the air, followed shortly by the screams of a crowd.

The shout emanated from the swordmaster of the seven visitors from another world, Aoi Ichijou. The young woman was wearing a revealing leotard, fishnet stockings, and a bunny-ear headband.

The fear-laden screams, on the other hand, belonged to the people of Freyjagard, who were gathered around her. But why were they screaming?

The cause of the outcry could be found in the rectangular box sitting before the unusually dressed girl with the katana. A brilliant magician known as Prince Akatsuki was lying inside the container, his head sticking out one end and his ankles out the other. The onlookers had just watched in horror as Aoi had taken her katana and sliced through the box and Akatsuki’s torso with it.

“No way! She really cut him in half?!”

“H-ha-ha, there’s no way. If she had, it’d kill him…”

The throng of people was dotted with many pale faces. Master doctor Keine Kanzaki and the long-eared Lyrule, both of whom were wearing bunny outfits just as lascivious as Aoi’s, wheeled each half of the box to the side to demonstrate that Akatsuki had well and truly been bisected. An even bigger cry issued from the crowd.

“Ahhh! Right down the middle?!?!”

“Eeeeek! Sh-she’s a murderer!”

But the biggest surprise was yet to come.

“Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Fret not, fret not! I told you, didn’t I?! I, Prince—or rather, God—Akatsuki, am a deity come down from the heavens in hyuma form! Being cloven in two is hardly enough to slay me!” Even though Akatsuki had been sliced in two and his top and bottom half were supposedly separated, he was still able to talk and wiggle his head and feet.

“““WHAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!”””

The crowd was utterly stunned. Men and women of all ages shrieked, their eyes wide as dinner plates. Some of them even passed out from the shock of it all. Then, after Keine and Lyrule slid the box back together and unfastened the lock, Akatsuki sat up like nothing had happened and hopped from the would-be coffin in one piece.

“B-but how?! He should have been cut into pieces, yet now he’s whole again?!”

“Impossible… What’s going on…?”

The locals had no idea what to make of it.

Back on Earth, sawing a woman in half was a fairly standard magic trick. Everyone knew there was some deception or contrivance behind it. But to the people of this world, who had little time for recreation and certainly hadn’t heard of magic shows, it was downright astonishing.

A hushed whisper began traveling through the assembled onlookers.

“He’s a god.”

In Freyjagard, the emperor was the one and only absolute power. Something like a god simply wasn’t allowed to exist. However, it was precisely because the concept was so harshly outlawed that the idea of an “all-powerful entity” had been passed down through the ages without fail. Could that really be what this blond kid was, though?

“Th-there’s no way… It must just be magic or something…”

“No, that ain’t it. I saw a few mages back when I was doing business in the capital, but I never heard nothin’ about them being able to survive getting chopped in half…!”

“Yeah, that’s right. Mages can talk to spirits, but other than that, their bodies are the same as anyone’s. They can die by the sword like anyone else. And yet…”

“B-but there’s no way he’s really a god, right…?”

Akatsuki gazed out over the crowd from atop the large truck slash open-air stage Ringo Oohoshi, the Prodigies’ own brilliant inventor, had built.

At best, the opinion of the crowd was mixed. That’s why…

“Heh-heh. It sounds like we still have some skeptics in our midst! Very well! In that case…it appears I must show you a greater miracle! Turn that way and behold!”

As he shouted, he pointed toward the mountain resting under the western sky.

“That mountain’s where our village is, but what about it…?”

“What’s he—?”

As a bewildered stir started making its way through the crowd, Akatsuki shouted “Boom!” and set off an explosion to obstruct the view of the great peak.

“Ahhh!”

“Wh-what’s going on?!?!”

“There was an explosion all of a sudden, but…wait, huh? WHAAAAAAT?!?!”

Screams erupted from the people again. It was understandable. After all, when the explosion cleared…the mountain they’d been looking at just a moment ago was gone.

“Th-the mountain vanished?!?!”

“Ahhhhhhh!!!!”

“No, our village! How could he do such a thing?!”

“Worry not! Voilà!”

Akatsuki gave his fingers a loud snap.

The moment he did, a flash of white light appeared out of nowhere and momentarily blinded all who glimpsed it. As eyes adjusted and vision returned…

“You’re kidding…”

“The mountain…the mountain is baaaaack?!?!”

“What? How? How can this be?!?!”

“See? Human magic like controlling wind and fire is but a parlor trick compared to my ability to reshape the very earth! This is the power of a god!” Akatsuki let out a loud laugh. The doubts that had been lingering in the throng’s eyes were gone.

“Th-that’s amazing…”

“He’s the real deal… An actual god incarnate! There’s no way a mere human could pull off something like that!”

Now they all believed the young blond. Every man and woman in that crowd was certain the boy was a god descended from the heavens in hyuma form. As Ringo Oohoshi looked out from behind the stage, she took her finger off the button that had triggered the flash of light.

“Akatsuki is…amazing,” she said to Tsukasa Mikogami, the white-haired high school student slash prime minister beside her. Tsukasa nodded.

“That he is. The boy was made for the limelight. He’s quite reliable in that respect,” the politician whispered with satisfaction.

—Incidentally, what exactly were they all doing? Was this all just some normal magic show? Perish the thought. It had started the night the Prodigies claimed Marquis Findolph’s castle.

That evening, after saving Lyrule and throwing a victory feast with the food they recovered from the lord’s castle larders, the High School Prodigies waited for everyone else to fall asleep, then held a group meeting to plan their future steps.

“Now then, just as we discussed, we’ve successfully captured Lord Findolph and taken his castle. That said, we don’t get to live happily ever after just yet.” After Tsukasa spoke, genius businessman Masato Sanada nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, given where we’re at, I’d say we’re heading straight for happily never after.”

“I concur. Even with us here, a single village has no hope of waging war against an entire nation,” added Aoi.

“Precisely,” Tsukasa affirmed. “So before the empire’s main force arrives, we need to unify the Findolph domain.”

“Didn’t a bunch of soldiers make a run for it, though? Aren’t they just gonna attack us from Dormundt?” Akatsuki’s fears were well-founded.

However, Masato was quick to offer a rebuttal.

“Nah, I doubt it.”

“Why?”

“Dormundt does have triple the soldiers this guy’s castle did, but they’re basically a glorified city watch. They don’t have the training or the equipment to storm a fortified position like this. Plus, we captured their lord, so our opponents’ hands are pretty much tied.”

Tsukasa nodded in agreement. “Even if they did make a move, we’re likely strong enough to fend off Dormundt’s forces as is.”

Simply put, such an eventuality wasn’t one they needed to concern themselves with at the moment.

“What we should be worried about…is a unified, large-scale punitive incursion from outside the domain.”

Depending on the scope of the army and the speed of their advance, there was a chance the High School Prodigies wouldn’t be able to react in time.

Prodigious journalist Shinobu Sarutobi interjected with her thoughts on the matter.

“Actually, about that, we should be fine for a while.”

“What makes you say that?”

“So between us and our neighbor, the Buchwald domain, there’s this big mountain range called Le Luk, and apparently, it’s real nasty up there. It’s got these crossing wind spirit and water spirit ley lines or something. Basically, it has constant blizzards this time of year, and the temperature’s always way below freezing. It’s not some easy hike. Maybe experienced mountaineers could cross with light gear, but there’s no way you’re getting a full army with heavy armor and equipment and stuff through Le Luk during the winter. You’d end up going so slow that everyone’d just freeze to death.”

“Oh right, now I remember. That fat-ass manager guy said something about going through Le Luk at this time of year being suicidal,” remarked Masato.

“And they can’t hit us by sea for a whole different reason,” Shinobu added.

“Which is?”

“Right now, the Freyjagard Navy’s busy trying to take over the place where Roo was born, the New World. Most of their warships are busy over there. They even sent boats from all the way up here in Findolph, so the southern ports probably look like ghost towns. There’s no way they’ll have the ships to mount a serious nautical offensive on us anytime soon. And if they only send a couple boats…”

“We can merely crush them one by one, that we can.”

“Yeah, what Aoi said.”

All in all, there was little concern that they’d have to face off against a proper army in the near future.

“I see,” Tsukasa murmured after hearing Shinobu’s theories. “You’re right. It seems unlikely they’ll be able to send a major force after us for a while. That should give us enough time to unite the Findolph domain under one banner.”

“But how’re we gonna do that, man?” asked Masato. “Our end goal’s to make a nation where everyone is equal, but if we’re trying to instill a noble cause in the masses, we can’t exactly do that by putting the screws to ’em.”

It was a task that required increasing their influence while simultaneously winning over the hearts and minds of the people. Such daunting prerequisites severely limited the group’s options. When taking over a city like Dormundt, they couldn’t just blast away the walls with a railgun cannon like they had Findolph’s castle. If they invaded a city by force, its inhabitants would fear them, and terror bred hostility.

“…You got some sorta plan, Tsukasa?”

The prime minister gave his reply without hesitating for even a moment. He already knew exactly what would do the trick.

“As far as my plan goes… I think we should employ the power of religion.”

“Religion? Really?”

“What? Why? We already took the castle—isn’t that enough to start up a country? The goal is to set up a democracy, after all…” However, Akatsuki’s question earned a headshake from Tsukasa.

“I’m afraid not. Even with democracy as our end goal, we can’t just suddenly declare sovereignty and expect the people to follow us. The denizens of this world associate the concept of a nation with something that belongs to the privileged class—a concept that doesn’t directly affect them. As far as they’re concerned, it’s none of their business. This creates a problem for us. We need them to want to join this revolution. A People’s Revolution can’t exist unless the common folk themselves believe they can change the world. And that’s where religion comes in. A nation alone isn’t enough to unify the will of a society. However, with a religion that espouses equality, we’ll be able to work our way into their good graces. And thanks to Shinobu’s intel, we know that the concepts of a god and religion have persisted despite the religious persecution here, so the idea should be easy enough for them to grasp.”

“Oh yeah,” Akatsuki remarked. “Now that you mention it, those soldiers did say something about ‘swearing to God’ when they were begging me for their lives…”

In other words, even if it was unclear if anyone actually still worshipped, the concept of a transcendental being was at least strong enough in people’s minds for them to reference it.

“Furthermore, by using religion and introducing ourselves as a god and his attendants, we’ll be able to set ourselves above humanity without having it contradict our message of equality. That represents a significant advantage to the tactic.”

Masato gave Tsukasa’s suggestion a big nod. “Oh yeah, that’s a big one. Any time you form an organization, there’s always gonna be people scrabbling for power within it. As this war heats up, we’re gonna have to start flexing our strength more regularly. When that happens, we can’t risk juggling any bullshit internal conflicts alongside it, but if we pretend not to be human from the get-go, that won’t be as much of a problem.”

“That’s certainly true, but we also have to consider what will happen after all this is over and we return to Earth. If we led them as ‘humans,’ that could very well end up forming the basis of a new aristocracy, which would defeat the whole point. In order to give these people a smooth political transition once we leave, it’s best if they don’t consider us as simple mortals in the first place.” Hearing Tsukasa’s explanation, everyone let out little sighs of amazement.

“How very like you,” remarked Keine. “You’ve already thought this all the way through to the end.” Most of the other high schoolers were grateful that they had such a sagacious, reliable leader. However, Akatsuki still had doubts.

“B-but…there’s no way it’ll go that easily, will it? Getting them to fight the empire with us is one thing, but how in the world are we supposed to convince them that we’re gods?”

Indeed, that was the big question. Between oppressive taxation, a cruel First Night Right system, and unjust laws that allowed nobles to kill commoners freely, the people were veritable powder kegs ready to explode on their rulers. However, unless the Prodigies convinced the masses that the seven of them were gods with the power to defeat the empire, they wouldn’t be able to light the fuse.

Pulling something like that off was no small task. How were they going to convert the commoners into believers? Once again, Tsukasa responded without a moment’s hesitation.

“It’ll be easier said than done, but we have to show them a divine miracle impressive enough to take down the empire. That’s where you come in, Prince Akatsuki…or rather, God Akatsuki!”

“Say what?” Akatsuki let out a baffled yelp at the unfamiliar moniker.

The other Prodigies were far less astonished, murmuring things like, “Oh, I get it” and “Ah, so that’s the plan,” with looks of understanding on their faces. Hearing them made Akatsuki go pale.

“Wait, wait, hold up a minute. I’ve got a really bad feeling about this. You don’t mean…”

“I do indeed. I’m glad you’re so quick on the uptake. Starting tomorrow, you’ll play the part of a living god and win the people over with magic shows.”

“WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!”

“Yo, Prince, pipe down.”

“I—I—I—I—I will do no such thing! I’m a magician, remember?! I’m no god! I can’t perform miracles! All my magic relies on illusion, I’ll have you know…!”

“Though the idol will be false, their faith will be real.”

“What are you, some sort of cult leader?!?!” As Akatsuki loudly protested the role he’d been given, an enthused Shinobu offered her own take.

“Oh, hey! If Akatsuki’s God, does that make us his angels?”

“Something to that effect, yes,” replied Tsukasa. “I don’t know if they’ll be familiar with the concept, but as previously established, we want to avoid referring to ourselves as human.”

Masato agreed. “Hey, I’m down. Religion was a big driver in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and that was the biggest peasant revolt in Chinese history. If Earth history as a whole is anything to go off, war and religion go together quite well.”

“I see no reason to object, either,” added Keine.

“Nor do I,” Aoi said.

“Mmm…” Ringo Oohoshi, genius inventor, nodded in agreement as well.

Everyone turned toward Akatsuki. He shrank back a bit under the weight of their united gaze.

“…I-is this really happening?”

“Akatsuki.” Tsukasa placed his hand on the magician’s shoulder and looked the young man in the eye while he spoke. “This is an important job, and you’re the only one who can do it. Can I count on you?”

“Unh…” As the mismatched red and blue eyes bore into him, Akatsuki let out a weak little groan. Eventually, though, he exhaled a breath he’d been holding and voiced his consent.

“All right, all right, I’ll do it. I mean, it really does sound like I’m the only one who can… There aren’t any large-scale, godlike magic tricks I can pull off on my own, though, so I’ll need some help.”

“Of course,” promised Tsukasa. “I certainly didn’t intend to have you shoulder the task alone.”

Shinobu then suddenly moved to offer a question. “By the way, Tsukes, do you have a name for our religion yet?”

Tsukasa nodded as he gave his reply.

“We’re going to call ourselves the Seven Luminaries.”

The others responded with looks of amazement. It was an almost astoundingly obvious choice. If they operated under that name, there was a chance they could draw people who knew about the original Seven Luminaries out of the woodwork. That way, they’d kill two birds with one stone—organizing their revolt while simultaneously looking for information on how to get back home.

“Ooh, clever. You never miss a beat, do you?”

Tsukasa responded to Shinobu’s praise with a small shrug. “I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I did. Now then…in order to make this Seven Luminaries thing work, I have jobs I’ll need each of you to carry out.”

The prime minister’s eyes scanned the assembled High School Prodigies.

“Akatsuki, you’re up first. Like I just said, you’re going to be traveling around Findolph and using your magic to win the support of the people. Next up, Ringo.”

“…!”

“I want you to build him a means of transportation. I was thinking a large truck that could double as a stage… Can you make it happen?”

With a troubled look on her face, Ringo whispered her answer in his ear.

“I, um, I don’t think we have enough iron and copper…”

“What if you melted down the castle’s fences and extra equipment from its armory?”

“Oh…” The prodigious inventor hadn’t thought of that. The girl was far too reserved for her mind to immediately leap to brazenly taking other people’s property. Thus, Tsukasa’s comment had come as a shock at first, but Ringo quickly changed her tone.

“That should work. I can draw its power from Bearabbit’s battery, so…yeah, I can have it up and running in the next two days.”

“In that case, we should bring the materials over to your workshop in Elm. Now then, Aoi and Keine. I want you two to accompany Akatsuki on the truck, driving off bandits and healing the sick ‘in the name of the Seven Luminaries.’”

“Hee-hee,” Keine giggled. “So you would have us win them over through philanthropy?”

“That’s certainly part of it, but the fact also remains that we toppled the local government when we took over the lord’s castle. Even if he wasn’t doing his job, that doesn’t mean we can slack off, too.”

“Very well, then.”

“You can count on us, that you can!”

After getting Keine’s and Aoi’s approval, Tsukasa turned next toward the resident ninja-journalist.

“As for you, Shinobu, I want you to cross the Le Luk Mountain Range and sneak into the Buchwald domain. From there, you can keep an eye on the empire’s movements.”

“Ooh, spy work.”

“As rough as the mountains are, I doubt they’ll pose much of a problem for you.”

“Sha-sha! Easy-peasy! If I can smuggle myself onto Air Force One, I can get myself across a few mountains.”

“I would ask that you try to avoid causing any international scandals, but…I trust your judgment.”

“Oh, but if I’m gonna try and cover all that ground, I’d like a partner. Ideally someone nimble so they don’t slow me down.”

“What about Elch?” Masato suggested. “The guy’s got a decent head on his shoulders, and his stamina won’t be a problem, either.”

“Oh yeah, El-El sounds perfect.”

“In that case, I’ll go ask him myself. Now, lastly, we have Merchant. I need you to head to Dormundt immediately and start spreading pro–Seven Luminaries propaganda.”

“So all I gotta do is get them to like us? Easy.”

“…Once the soldiers who fled there from the castle tell the mayor what happened here, he’s likely to come down hard on the Elm Trading Company. He might even seal the gates, fearing we’ll attack the city. The situation is dangerous, which is why you’re the only one who can pull this off. What do you say?”

Masato replied with a nod and a loud, unconcerned laugh. “Consider it done. Unlike last time, I’ve got money to burn now. As long as I’ve got capital, I can do anything. When I’m done with ’em, they’ll be begging to have the Seven Luminaries in their lives.”

Masato wasn’t the type to start things he couldn’t finish. Tsukasa had been around him since elementary school, so he knew that full well.

That long relationship was why the prime minister merely replied with “Good” before addressing his fellow Prodigies as a whole.

“Now then, ladies and gentlemen, let’s go make history.”

And thus, having decided to use religion to engender the people’s trust, the High School Prodigies traveled across the Findolph domain. They worked to earn the faith and devotion of its citizenry with Akatsuki’s magic, Keine’s medicine, and Aoi’s contributions to public order. Villages began crowding under the Seven Luminaries’ umbrella one after another.

As more settlements came into the fold, rumors about this new faith spread like wildfire. Even people from other villages started hurrying to nearby communities to catch the magic shows. Altogether, the audience in Ravale swelled to nearly five thousand attendees.

Akatsuki stood before the crowd. “Set your hearts at ease, my good people! We didn’t descend upon this land to subjugate and rule over you! No, we came to reject the unjust nobles who use meaningless things like bloodlines as pretexts to tyrannize and persecute their fellows! We came to build a world where all can live together as equals!” The young magician laid out the Seven Luminaries’ dogma while yanking the sheet off a rectangular object sitting on the corner of the stage.

Beneath the cloth rested a cage. Confined within, bound and gagged, was the man the Prodigies and the people of Elm had captured when they’d stormed the castle the other day—Marquis Findolph.

“Who’s the fatty?”

“Given his physique, maybe a noble?”

Most responded to the sight of their former ruler with a resounding bit of confusion as to his identity. Such a reaction was expected, however. This world didn’t exactly have photography. Most people had never seen Edwart von Findolph before.

There were exceptions, however…the young women.

“Wait, that’s…!”

“I’d recognize him anywhere! That’s Marquis Findolph!”

The moment they saw his face, their expressions flared with rage. All of them were victims of the inhumane First Night Right. None among them would soon forget the nightmare of having a hideous man they didn’t love run his tongue over their bodies during one of the most emotional periods in their lives.

Many of the poor ladies suffered severe mental trauma, and some had even developed such strong aversions to physical intimacy that they ended up breaking off their engagements. Anger quickly spread among the men as well.

“That bastard!”

“So wait, that’s the creep who took my daughter and…!”

Even though they hadn’t suffered any harm personally, the creature in the cage had been the one who’d violated their beloved wives and daughters. The hatred of the crowd knew no bounds. The ferocious bloodlust emanating from the spectators was so intense that the confined Findolph soiled himself.

Seeing the pathetic man forced the mass of onlookers to realize something. The rumors they’d heard about how the Seven Luminaries were occupying the lord’s castle were all true.

As they began to accept that, a thought began creeping through the hearts and minds of the common people. They started to believe that perhaps these extraordinary deities really could build a world with no nobles or commoners, just people living as equals. Some began shouting questions from the crowd.

“So if we follow you, the nobles won’t be able to have their way with us anymore?!”

“Absolutely!”

“We’ll be able to live better lives?”

“Absolutely!”

“And you can even cure my hemorrhoids?!”

“Uh…absolutely!”

Akatsuki answered all their questions in the affirmative, then floated up in the air and addressed them with a loud cry.

“As long as you believe in me and my attendants, then I swear to you here and now that once we see this holy war through, a future awaits you where none will be persecuted for foolish reasons like the circumstances of their birth!

“But never forget! The battle is yours to wage! We aren’t here to just swoop in and save you. That would make us the same as your oppressors! How would that be any different?! If you want change, if you want to make change possible, each of you needs to declare independence and take up the fight yourselves!

“If you can muster the courage to do that, we will surely lead you to victory! Now, let’s take those knights, those nobles, and their emperor, and smash their unjust rules to pieces! It’s time to show the world that the future doesn’t belong to them! It belongs to each and every one of you!”

Hearing such a provocative statement, the crowd took a moment to catch their breath, closed their eyes, and eventually—steeled their resolve.

“Let’s do this! I’m in!”

“Yeah, me too! I never want my daughter to have to go through what I did!”

“He’s right! This is all kinds of messed up! Why should the nobles get to live the good life in the cities while we have to toil in the mud from dawn to dusk?! That shit ain’t right!”

Before long, their roars drowned out all else. Tsukasa gazed out at his friends with a satisfied look on his face. “He may have been reluctant at first, but once he got up on that stage, Akatsuki was a consummate professional. I have to say, he’s a master at working a crowd.”

“That…that makes pretty much all the rural villages now, right…?”

“It does. And we’ve successfully converted them all to following the Seven Luminaries. What remains is how we’re going to deal with Dormundt and the nobles therein, but—”

No sooner had Tsukasa mentioned it than his phone rang. He was getting a call from the guy who’d sneaked into Dormundt and was currently spreading propaganda for their new religion.

“Hello?”

“Yo, man. Been a couple days now.”

“Everything going okay, Merchant?”

“What, are you worried about me or something?”

“We heard word that Dormundt closed all its gates and has been on high alert. You didn’t get attacked or anything, did you?”

“Ha! Compared to getting investigated by the National Tax Agency, things here have been a breeze. I’m just calling to let you know that the iron’s hot right now. People all over town are begging to see the Seven Luminaries.”

“Oh?” replied Tsukasa in surprise. “Well, that was quick. What on earth did you do to those people?”

“Who, me? I just handed out some blessings from God, that’s all.”

“Ahhh! Open the gates, open the gates! Please, I need to go buy mayo from the Seven Luminaries!”

“Oh no, the mayo… It’s all gone… I feel like I’m gonna die…”

“I’ll believe in God! I’ll believe in anything! Just gimme that mayonnaise!”

“…”

“See? And it’s like that everywhere, by the way. Honestly, they’re on the verge of rioting.”

“…I see. I think I have a grasp on the situation now, thank you.”

Historically, people had started wars over pepper and black tea. In other words, rioting over mayonnaise was certainly plausible. Outlandish, maybe, but plausible. Reasonably satisfied, Tsukasa gave Masato his new instructions.

“Nice work. That should be good as far as PR activities go. For now, I need you to lie low until I can set my plan into motion. In fact, let me reiterate: Don’t do anything. Is that clear?”

“So about that, you’re probably gonna wanna act sooner rather than later.”

“Why’s that?”

“A little bird told me the mayor’s been hiring a lot of sailors.”

“…Hmm. That means he’s planning on abandoning the city and fleeing.”

Such a development posed an issue. The position of a mayor meant his opinions had the power to unify all of Dormundt. Without him, the city would descend into chaos. As far as Tsukasa was concerned, the cleanest solution would be to bring the city and its mayor over to his camp in one fell swoop.

Now that seemed difficult. What was the best way to handle this?

“I’ll have to think about that, so I’m going to hang up to preserve battery. I’ll contact you in a bit with more instructions. For now, just hang tight.” With that, Tsukasa ended the call.

Right as he did, Akatsuki hopped down from the stage. Behind it, where the audience couldn’t see him, the magician threw off his cloak and plopped down onto the ground.

“Man, I’m beat. I’ve never had to work back-to-back-to-back like that before.”

Tsukasa handed the blond boy a wooden cup full of tea.

“You did good work up there, Akatsuki. With your efforts, we were able to sink the Seven Luminaries’ roots down all across the domain. Also…I just got a call from Dormundt. It sounds like we’re quite popular over there, too.”

“Wait, already? Man, Masato works fast.”

Akatsuki gulped down the tea, visibly impressed.

“Apparently, he got them all addicted to mayo.”

The blond magician gave a magnificent spit-take.

“Pfft! Gack! A-addicted to mayo?! Can that even happen?!”

“He said he was handing it out as a blessing from God. You know, like manna.”

“How is that like manna?! You owe Christianity and Judaism an apology! Besides, what kind of messed-up God spreads something that sticky from the heavens?! Is that gonna be my divine legacy?!”

“It’s only a difference of a few letters between mayonnaise and manna; don’t worry about it.” Tsukasa responded to Akatsuki’s complaints halfheartedly but quickly offered his sincere gratitude. “In any case, you really did do well. It’s thanks to you that we were able to establish the Seven Luminaries so successfully. It’s good to have you on our side.”

“Aw…” The blond performer scratched his cheek in embarrassment. However, he wasn’t the only one who’d been working hard.

Ringo had built the truck and stage. Lyrule and Aoi had helped with the show. Keine had even used her medicine to win over the people’s hearts in tandem. It had truly been a team effort.

And that being the case, now it’s time for me to pull my weight, thought Tsukasa. He pulled out his phone and sent a text.

We’re heading your way tonight. Let me know how you want to rendezvous.

Dormundt, the largest metropolis in the Findolph domain, had all its gates sealed and was on high alert. Soldiers who’d fled Findolph’s castle spread the word that people from Elm—who were now calling themselves “the Seven Luminaries”—had taken the keep and captured its lord. However, the city’s precautions were quickly proven fruitless.

Immediately after the Prodigies held their strategy meeting, Masato and Roo had taken a horse toward Dormundt, used a set of armor they’d recovered from the battle to impersonate a Bronze Knight and his slave, joined the soldiers fleeing the castle, and infiltrated the city. Once inside, the two started pulling strings and spreading rumors about the Seven Luminaries.

“I heard that a god and his attendants descended from the heavens to spread a message of equality.”

“Someone said they can cure any disease.”

“Word is, that ‘mayonnaise’ stuff Elm Trading Company used to sell was actually a divine blessing from the Seven Luminaries.”

Some folk hated the nobles. Others were grief-stricken over ill family members. More just couldn’t forget that wondrous flavor. Regardless, as the rumors continued making the rounds through the streets, the clamoring for the Seven Luminaries began to grow. Such longing quickly turned to hostility toward the mayor and his guards—the ones keeping the city on lockdown.

The people’s increased anger toward the nobles forged a vicious cycle, and before long, riots broke out across the city. Dormundt had never seen such unrest. Its mayor, Count Heiseraat, had responded to the crisis by taking all the nobles who lived in the High-End Residential District and sheltering them in his mansion.

Dormundt was the only metropolis in the domain. There were all sorts of diversions and amusements that could only be found there. As a result, even the barons and other nobles entrusted with managing smaller cities and collecting taxes called it home most of the year. However, the high concentration of affluent households meant there simply wasn’t enough personnel to protect them all.

When Heiseraat made his decision, the nobles were quick to gather at his estate. They’d heard the people’s cries for equality growing louder by the day. They recognized the danger they faced. Once all the wealthy had taken refuge, they spent their days partying and drinking away their troubles.

“What’s with all this ‘equality’ rubbish?! Those filthy peasants are getting too full of themselves!”

“I really must agree. We’re nobles who serve the emperor, and they’re little more than wild beasts. Calling the two equal is base foolery.”

“Count Heiseraat, you need to put that rabble in its place!”

“Well said! It’s absurd we can’t peacefully venture outside. What does the city watch think they’re doing?!”

Complaints raining on him from all sides, Count Heiseraat sighed. “As per the orders of the captain of the guard, Silver Knight Zest du Bernard, they’re doing the best they can to keep things in check. There just aren’t enough guardsmen to quell with these constant riots. That’s why we haven’t been able to track down the mayonnaise smugglers or Elm personnel, either.”

In other words, things were getting worse, not better, for the nobles. The assembled wealthy, their faces flush from the alcohol, reacted to Heiseraat’s explanation with indignant shouts.

“You’re being too soft on them, Mayor!”

“Baron Clive is right! All you’ve done to the rioters and agitators is detain them! That’s no way to get those ruffians to stay in line!”

“Yeah! You should take the rioters and their families, hoist them on pikes, and line them up in the central plaza for everyone to see! The only way to shut those peasants up is through fear!”

“…I will strongly consider such suggestions.” Audibly drained, the count rose from his seat and turned to leave the banquet hall.

“Yeah, you do that!”

“You know, I’ve been worried about how soft you’ve been for a while now, Count Heiseraat. It was only a matter of time until something like this happened!”

“It really was. Lord Findolph put me in charge of Ravale, and let me tell you, I run a tight ship. When I get back, I’ll force the commoners to prostrate themselves naked on the regular so I can drum those insipid ideas about equality out of their heads.”

“Oh, what a wonderful idea. Words never get through to people like them, after all. In the village my husband runs, he takes the family with the worst harvest each year and burns their children at the stake. Why, it’s simply hilarious how hard they all work now. When it comes to savage beasts, you have to beat the manners into them.”

“Yeah, yeah! After all—”

As Heiseraat passed through the door leading from the banquet hall to the hallway, the voices of the incensed nobles grew distant.

“…What a bunch of carefree fools.” The mayor’s words were harsh. It was an understandable sentiment, however, considering the party in question busied themselves by getting drunk in his banquet hall.

None of them believed. Not one of them had accepted the reality that the lord’s castle had fallen and that they were all alone in the remote north. Instead, they all trusted that they’d be able to keep living the same lavish lifestyles they always had.

But who could blame them?

The Findolph domain was so isolated that it hadn’t seen war since the land was first cultivated. Such peace was why the concept of conflict was so foreign to them. It had blinded them to the ruin they were headed for that was sure to be unlike anything anyone holed up in the manor had ever seen.

In fact, Heiseraat himself hadn’t believed it until he’d sent a scouting party to check what state the castle was in.

Now that I think about it, though, I shouldn’t be surprised that a group who could make something so fine could pull something like that off.

Heiseraat glanced at the gold watch hanging around his wrist.

He’d received it as a gift from Masato of the Elm Trading Company in exchange for a license to do business in the city. The little accessory’s construction was so delicate, it seemed nigh otherworldly. The fact that people with the scientific prowess to build its like could also blow up a castle wall was simply a matter of course. Considering this, the count realized something else, as well.

We’re only alive because our enemy allows it.

If the Seven Luminaries were so inclined, they could engulf Dormundt in flames before lunch. There was no guarantee that he and the other nobles would still be alive this time tomorrow.

Using the manner in which the empire treated the people it subjugated as a benchmark, they’d be lucky to be forced into slavery. Heiseraat couldn’t bear to suffer such a thing. He needed to take the nobles and flee Dormundt as quickly as possible.

I already have a ship ready in the port…

It was a small sailboat designed for fishing.

He was going to load it up with as many riches as it could hold, then leave Dormundt before daybreak.

And in order to do that, I’ll need to turn in early!

The count mulled over his plan again and again as he opened the door to his bedchambers. Inside, he found a maid in the middle of making his bed. As the mayor was retiring unusually early, she hadn’t finished her job in time. Heiseraat clicked his tongue and entered the chamber.

“Whatever, it’s fine as it is! Just get out already! I have an early start tomorrow!” Shouting at the maid, he headed across the room and snuffed out its candle.

There came the sound of a door clicking shut. The maid must have left. However, when Heiseraat turned around to head toward the bed…he saw the maid standing before the closed door.

“What do you think you’re doing? I told you to—”

“You’ve got an early start tomorrow? Going somewhere, are we?”

“Wha…?!”

A pair of eyes, one frigid blue and the other burning red, glinted at the startled nobleman through the darkness. The voice was clearly youthful, but it had an unmistakable gravity nonetheless. Heiseraat realized immediately this wasn’t his maid.

“Damn you!”

“Don’t move.”

“Wh—!”

His intuition had been on the mark.

The maid—or rather, Tsukasa Mikogami wearing a maid uniform—withdrew a pistol from his apron and leveled its barrel at the count.

That shape, that’s a—

“You’re an erudite man, Count Heiseraat, so I’m sure you know what this is.”

“…A gun. And one small enough to hide in a pocket! You have access to the imperial workshops’ finest technology?!”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page. Now have a seat in that chair there. Once you do, I’ll lower my weapon.”

“…”

“All the way down, if you don’t mind.”

“A-all right, all right…”

Heiseraat had been perched on the edge of the chair but did as instructed, sinking backward. When he complied, Tsukasa finally lowered his gun.

“I apologize for my crude behavior. I wanted to have a conversation with you without anyone else butting in, you see.” Then, with a slight bow, the young man with the gun politely introduced himself.

“I’m one of the angels who serves Akatsuki, the God of the Seven Luminaries. I go by the name Tsukasa Mikogami.”

“And you’re here to kill me?” Fear resonated in Heiseraat’s voice, but Tsukasa shook his head.

“Not in the slightest. I came as a representative to clear up some misconceptions you seem to have.”

“Misconceptions…?”

“Precisely. You sealed all the gates, cowering from us as if we were invading barbarians, and you were even prepared to sacrifice the city to escape. But none of that was necessary. We of the Seven Luminaries aim to correct inequality, but that doesn’t mean persecuting the nobility.

“We’ll obviously have to reprimand any nobles who committed acts of cruelty against the people, but…we certainly have no intention of seizing your lives or your property. In fact, I had hoped you all might cooperate with us.”

“How so…?” asked the count.

“Intelligentsia are scarce in this world. There are things only you can do. We would have you continue in your duties.

“You will, of course, be compensated. If you flee, you’d spend the rest of your life in a foreign land, eating through the paltry riches you manage to take with you while constantly having to keep one eye out for the empire while watching for us with the other. But if you stay, I can guarantee you’ll at least be comfortable. So…”

Tsukasa punctuated his words with a brief silence before going in for the finish.

“…as mayor of Dormundt, will you pledge allegiance to us?”

He was promising to treat Heiseraat fairly. Yet, even so, the count refused to let his guard down. “…You’re the traitors who overthrew our ruling lord. Why should I trust you?”

Tsukasa tilted his head to the side, not quite following.

“Why should you not? Think about it for a moment. We blew through the castle’s fortified walls. We can make mountains vanish. We can appear undetected in your bedchamber. With one squeeze of my finger, I could end your life right here and now. So why haven’t I? The answer is simple. We don’t seek needless bloodshed.”

“And…if I still refuse?”

“If you’re that determined to shackle your fate to that of a doomed empire, I won’t stop you. The blood of you and your ilk will serve to wash away the old era. This is a war, after all.”

“…!” Deep in Heiseraat’s heart, he trembled. It was that eye.

The moment Tsukasa answered Heiseraat’s question, his blue eye’s glint had felt like a cold knife against the mayor’s throat. That quiet power of Tsukasa’s had demonstrated something to the count. If push came to shove, the young man before him wouldn’t hesitate to kill.

After all, Tsukasa understood. He understood what it meant to reshape the times. The only thing that could wash away the old era was the blood of those who’d benefited from it.

He has me…utterly beat.

In fact, their defeat had been sealed the moment the castle had been seized. Still sitting, Heiseraat hung his head and acquiesced. “All right, you win. Dormundt hereby pledges loyalty to the Seven Luminaries.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.”

“But know this—the empire is formidable. Especially the Warden of the North, the one they call the Fastidious Duke, Oslo el Gustav. Unlike me, that man won’t submit to words alone. He’ll fight you to the bitter end, even if every ally he has falls.

“Do you still think you can prevail?” Heiseraat asked. Perhaps it was his final act of obstinacy as a noble. However, Tsukasa immediately replied with a faint smile playing at his lips.

“I see. Well, when that happens, we’ll be sure to call on you and your friends for help.”

“…” When he saw the amiable look in Tsukasa’s eyes, the mayor found himself speechless for a moment. It really did seem like this young man was planning on relying on the nobles for aid at some point. That was when the count realized just how serious this Tsukasa was.

Instead of just wiping out the wealthy, he really was asking for their help building a world with no nobles or commoners. He wasn’t using sophistry to manipulate the common folk. He was speaking from the heart.

Was such a thing even possible? Heiseraat had no idea; the man couldn’t even begin to imagine it. However, he could tell this white-haired youth saw such a future with perfect clarity. That, if nothing else, the mayor was certain of. Knowing that sparked his curiosity far more than even the wristwatch had.

“Heh-heh, ah-ha-ha-ha! Very well then, Mr. Tsukasa! I look forward to seeing this world you envision!”

So it was that Mayor Heiseraat swore allegiance to the Seven Luminaries. Tsukasa and the others had gained complete control over the Findolph domain.

The next day, Count Heiseraat opened the gates and personally announced to the people that he was handing sovereignty of the city over to the Seven Luminaries.

Thanks to the groundwork Masato had laid, the vast majority of the populace reacted to the news favorably, and on that day, there was a festival all throughout Dormundt. The Seven Luminaries even provided high-grade meat, fruit, and alcohol taken from the stores of Findolph’s castle. Though the sun was high in the sky, everyone in the city was drinking, eating, and dancing.

Noise and excitement filled the air. A short distance from the bulk of the crowd, the High School Prodigies were gathered, laughing about something.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! Check out how great it looks on him!”

“Right?! It’s almost unsettling how well it suits him!”

They had all crowded around to see the picture Masato was displaying on his smartphone. On the screen was a picture of Tsukasa in his maid uniform from when he’d stolen into the mayor’s mansion the day before.

“I’m telling you, back when I bribed the actual maid and had him change into her uniform, I was stifling so much laughter, I thought my head was gonna burst!” chuckled Masato.

“Oh? But he looks ever so adorable. Doesn’t he just, Aoi?” asked Keine.

“Wh-why yes, that he does. And besides, wearing women’s clothing was necessary for him to perform his mission, so it hardly seems polite to laugh at him for—”

“I got a low-angle shot, too.”

“Snrk!” Unable to hold it in any longer, Aoi let out a giggle.

“Hwah!” For some reason, blood began gushing from Ringo’s nose.

“Whoa, Ringo, you okay?!” Worried, Masato offered her a handkerchief, but instead, she grabbed his arm.

“Uh, um, I—can I…!” The inventor’s face went bright red as she desperately tried to ask him for something. Seeing the desire in her eyes, Masato gave her a devilish grin.

“Oh, I get it. Don’t worry, I gotcha. I’ll send you the pictures later.”

“Thank…you…!”

“…If you’re enjoying yourselves that much, then I suppose it was all worth it.” Tsukasa sighed as he watched the others getting ecstatic over the images. “We really do need to get to business, though. I didn’t ask our friends from Elm to clear the area just so we could sit around and gossip.”

“Y-yeah, yeah, I know,” said Akatsuki. “Still, you gotta admit it was pretty funny.”

“Oh, for sure,” added Masato. “And you’re up next, Prince!”

“Wait, why me?!”

“It’s kinda your thing, isn’t it? If you’re not careful, Tsukasa’s gonna steal your shtick right out from under you!”

“If that’s my shtick, he can have it!”

Keine cut them off. “All right, you two, that’s quite enough of that… So, Tsukasa, what exactly would you have us do next? It would appear that our initial objective—unifying Findolph—is more or less complete.”

“Take the initiative and strike the other domains, is it?”

Tsukasa shook his head at Aoi’s question. “We need to learn more about our opponents before we engage in any major military action. If nothing else, I want to wait until we hear back from Shinobu once she and Elch infiltrate Buchwald. For now, we should prioritize domestic affairs and solidify our foothold here.

“We’ll need to overhaul the tax system, sort out the chain of command, and put together a legal code. Our end goal is to establish a nation, and doing so will require mountains of work. That said, most of that will fall on my shoulders. As for the rest of you…”

Tsukasa turned to Akatsuki and Keine.

“You two should go back to Elm and take the week off. You’ve been working nonstop for the past couple days.”

“Nice! I’m gonna be honest, man, I’m pooped.” Akatsuki clapped his hands in excitement, but…

“Tsukasa, if I may.” Keine raised her hand slightly. “I’ll be quite fine, even without rest. I have no doubts about my endurance. However, while my body will hold out, my supplies won’t. I’ve used up just about everything I brought with me. Ideally, I’d like a facility to produce antibiotics. Can we spare the labor and funds?”

“Access to medical treatment’s going to be indispensable going forward, so I’m more than prepared to get you whatever resources you need, but…are you sure you’ll be okay without a break?”

“I’m certain of it. Compared to the battlefields I’m used to, being in this world is downright relaxing.” At the genius doctor’s smile, Tsukasa was content to take her at her word.

“Very well. In that case, send me a list of everything you need.”

“You have my thanks.”

“Now, Aoi, you’ve been working just as hard these last few days, so I’d like to let you take a breather over in Elm, too, but… I apologize for asking, but could you stay by Akatsuki’s side the whole time you’re there?”

“As his bodyguard, you mean?”

“Exactly. Akatsuki’s the object of worship for the Seven Luminaries’ faithful, so we absolutely can’t let anything happen to him.”

“Very well. In that case, he shall never leave my sight. I shall eat alongside him, sleep alongside him, and bathe alongside him.”

“Hey, you can at least let me take my baths alone!”

“No, she can’t. Aoi, make sure you stick with him even when he bathes.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!!?!”

The little magician went scarlet and started voicing his vehement objections, but Tsukasa seemed content to ignore them and move on.

“Next… Ringo.”

“!” Hearing her name, the scientist twitched and looked up from her phone. Her cheeks were bright red, and her expression was oddly soft. She’d been admiring the pictures Masato had sent her of Tsukasa in a maid outfit.

The young prime minister didn’t quite understand what she found so persistently amusing about them, but he gave the girl her instructions nonetheless.

“I want you to start building a power plant here in Dormundt.”

Ever since the Prodigies had come to this world, the seven had been getting the power for their phones and other devices from the pocket nuclear fission reactor. However, its output was gradually decreasing. Before long, that was going to pose a major problem.

Ringo’s inventions and the High School Prodigies’ access to long-range communications were two of their greatest assets. However, if they weren’t careful, they were likely to lose both. Recognizing how pressing their need for a reliable power source was, Tsukasa had decided to build a power plant off the coast near Dormundt.

“Having access to electricity is going to be crucial for our war efforts, even more so than getting the gold from the lord’s treasury back into the marketplace. I’m not expecting you to power the whole city, so it’s okay if the plant is relatively small. I’m more than happy to allocate whatever manpower and funds you need. Can you do it?”

Ringo gave the matter a little thought, then tottered over to Tsukasa and quietly whispered in his ear. “Um, if you’re okay…with a coal-powered thermal power generator…I can have it ready soon. I could also…make it hydrogen-powered…but then we’d need equipment to harvest and refine the hydrogen gas…so coal-powered…is probably easier.”

“In that case, please compile a list of what you’ll need and send it to me, like Keine. I’ll handle getting everything ready. Merchant, your job’s to assemble the raw materials.”

“You got it, boss. If you can find it in the domain, my employees know where, so this’ll be a cinch.”

“Glad to hear it.”

As soon as the prime minister finished giving his directions and the conversation came to a natural close, a voice called out.

“Teacher!!”

The blond Lyrule and the young cat-eared Roo were rushing over to the Prodigies with meat skewers in hand.

“Hey, if it ain’t Roo and Lyrule. Looks like you two got your paws on something nice,” remarked Masato.

“Roo grilled them herself! Have some!”

“Ooh, thanks. Don’t mind if I do.”

“I want one, too!” added Akatsuki. “They put mayonnaise on everything here, even the fruit. I’m sick of it!”

“Thanks to God Akatsuki’s generous blessings, the whole town has fallen in love with mayo.”

“And whose fault do you think that is?!”

Still squabbling, the merchant and magician took the juicy-looking kebabs from Roo and sank their teeth into them. The moment they did, their mouths were filled with a fatty, salty succulence. Fruit sauce topping the meat helped to really accentuate the flavor.

“Damn, this is taaasty. That lord really was hoarding the good stuff.”

“You said it. The salt’s kick works perfectly with the sauce. That’s what really takes it to the next level.”

“And they’re only twenty rook apiece! Cheap, huh?”

““You’re charging us?!””

Tsukasa grinned wryly. For better or for worse, Roo had grown quite bold. Lyrule offered the white-haired boy a kebab of his own.

“Would you like one, Tsukasa? It’s free, of course.” She giggled playfully.

However…

“…I’ll pass.” Tsukasa raised the palm of his hand to turn down the proffered food.

“Forgive me, but I have someone I need to go see. Please don’t stop enjoying things on my account, though.”

“O-oh.”

“Who is it you’re meeting?”

Tsukasa stood up and answered Keine’s question. “Dormundt’s captain of the guard.”

…I’m pathetic, aren’t I?

Tsukasa split off from the rest of the Prodigies, sighing as he made his way through the festive streets. Armed with the description he’d gotten from Heiseraat beforehand, he used eyewitness sightings from other soldiers to guide him toward his target.

Dormundt’s captain of the guard, Silver Knight Zest du Bernard. There was a reason Tsukasa had taken an interest in the man. Before the Seven Luminaries came to the city, Zest had issued a firm order to all his men.

“Even if riots break out, don’t you dare kill a single citizen.”

Had it been a decree born of compassion? Not in the slightest. It was merely that Zest understood. As representatives of the government, if they laid a hand on the people at a time like that, it would spark a full-fledged uprising. If the captain hadn’t given that order, Dormundt would undoubtably have fallen into abject chaos. Even with his back against the wall, he’d been coolheaded enough to avoid the worst-case scenario.

After a bit of digging, Tsukasa discovered that Zest was also valorous in combat and well respected by the knights and soldiers who served under him. In short, he seemed capable and reliable—the kind of person the white-haired young man wanted to meet face-to-face as soon as possible.

That was why Tsukasa strode through the throngs of people. The young prime minister was searching for the captain. He waded through the many guardsmen who were relaxing after having been freed from the long shifts they’d endured the past few days and the citizens rejoicing at the prospect of tax overhauls increasing their income. Eventually, Tsukasa found himself in the central plaza.

Off to the side, he spotted a group of what looked to be Bronze Knights enjoying a drink. With them was a byuma who perfectly fit the mayor’s description of the one Tsukasa sought.

“Might you be Silver Knight Zest du Bernard?” The man had a large build, and his face was adorned with a beard and an eye patch. Hearing his name, the man’s droopy dog ears twitched as he slowly turned toward Tsukasa.

“Hmm? Well, if it isn’t one of the angels! Apologies for not sending my regards sooner.” He clearly had a good amount of drink in him already. After staggering to his feet, the knight offered Tsukasa a handshake, a loose grin on his face.

“That is what they call me. Ah, but the du is just a thing they stick there for imperial knights, so I guess it’s had its run.”

“Bernard, then. I’m Tsukasa Mikogami, but you can call me Tsukasa.”

Zest gave the young man an unsteady bow, and Tsukasa returned with a handshake as he introduced himself.

“Then so I shall. What business do you have with me, Mr. Tsukasa?”

“I heard you were the one who made sure none of the city guard killed any rioters. I was curious what you’d be like. And you’re exactly the kind of man I imagined.”

Zest’s palms were so rough and firm, it was like shaking hands with a boulder. His tirelessly tempered body told Tsukasa just how diligent a man he was. The fact that he was feigning drunkenness yet still keeping an eagle eye on Tsukasa’s every move revealed the wary nature of the knight.

What’s more, the looks Tsukasa had seen on the other soldiers’ faces when talking about Zest spoke to the trust the byuma instilled. Each aspect helped paint a picture of the man.

“You give off a very different impression than the Silver Knight I met over at the lord’s castle.”

“No shit!”

“Yeah, ’cause Captain Bernard isn’t a jackass!”

“It’s rude even comparing him to that snake!”

The nearby Bronze Knights all roared in agreement. Zest quieted them down with an exasperated wave of his hand, then thanked Tsukasa.

“Well, it’s an honor to hear you say that.”

“…Now I know I can rest easy entrusting you with this.”

“With what?” Zest tilted his head to the side.

“Ah, that’s right,” Tsukasa started. The reason he’d come in search of the captain of the guard was—

“Bernard, I want you to serve as the commander of our army, the Order of the Seven Luminaries.”

They were no longer the ragtag band they’d been when they’d attacked the lord’s castle. Prisoner knights and soldiers were in their custody now. Plus, those warriors who’d initially fled but surrendered upon realizing that no one else was likely to pay them were under the Prodigies’ control, too. Most recently, they’d acquired Dormundt’s city guards.

Having a strong leader was going to be crucial if the Prodigies wanted to unite them into a single, cohesive army and entrust them with carrying out the will of the Seven Luminaries. As this new nation grew, so, too, would its army, making the matter all the more essential. Tsukasa felt that Zest was the man for such a job.

“The Dormundt city guard you led comprises more than half our newly assembled force anyway, so I can’t imagine anyone more qualified than you. What do you say?”

“…I—” Upon receiving such an appointment from Tsukasa, Zest began mumbling evasively. Before he could say much, though, the two found themselves interrupted.

“Papa!” A young, female voice caught their ears. Zest was the first to react to it. The knight raised his head, and when he saw the young byuma girl dashing over to him, his face lit up.

“Airi! What’s going on? I thought you were playing with your friends.”

“I came looking for you with Coco!”

“My apologies, sir. You were clearly in the middle of a conversation, so I tried to stop her, but…”

A middle-aged woman with skin the same color as Roo’s came running after the girl. She bowed apologetically. Zest waved her down, unconcerned, then gave Airi a big hug.

“Why were you looking for me, sweetie?”

“I found something yummy!” The girl, Airi, presented Zest with the small apple pie she was holding. Such confections were one of the many things being offered during the festival.

“You brought this just for me?”

“Yup! Say ‘aah’!”

“Aah… Wow, you’re right. That is tasty. Thanks, sweetie!”

“Hee-hee-hee. You smell like beer, Papa.” Airi nuzzled Zest’s beard happily.

Having suddenly found himself thrust into a domestic sitcom, Tsukasa tried to clarify the situation. “I take it this lovely young lady is your daughter?”

“Yup! Airi is Papa’s Airi!”

“…She’s my little treasure and the only thing I have left of my wife after she passed in the epidemic.” Zest kissed his daughter on the cheek, then gave her back to Coco.

Not finished with his business, the knight urged the two of them to go on without him.

Coco took Airi by the hand, and the girl obediently followed, having finished what she’d set out to do. With a farewell wave to her father, Airi and her caretaker vanished into the crowd.

Zest watched them go, then turned back to Tsukasa and gave his response to the earlier proposition. “Imperial knight has a nice ring to it, but even if we Bronze and Silver Knights are technically nobles, we’re really no different from the rest of the common soldiers.

“We serve a lord in exchange for coin, same as them. Amount’s different, maybe, but not much else. And without those wages, we’ll starve just as quick as anyone. So if a new master comes around, I’d do anything from leading their army to cleaning their toilets. Got a daughter I need to protect, after all.

“But the thing is…this whole ‘knight’ gig’s just a means to that end. What I’m sayin’ is, putting her in harm’s way just ain’t an option for me. Even if the emperor himself ordered me to, I could never abandon my family.

“So as you can see, my loyalty doesn’t amount to much. You don’t want a guy that pathetic commanding your army, do you?”

In short, Zest’s apologetic declaration meant the man was willing to lead if Tsukasa ordered him to. However, the byuma’s loyalty wasn’t such that he’d be willing to sacrifice his family in the line of duty.

Basically, it was an indirect refusal. As Zest saw it, he’d be better suited to remain as Dormundt’s captain of the guard so as to keep protecting his daughter’s home. The knight lacked the loyalty required for a higher post—especially the commander of an entire nation’s forces.

“You fight for the sake of your family. There’s nothing pathetic about being a devoted father.” Tsukasa answered the rebuttal with a rejection of its very premise. Surprise crossed Zest’s face as the white-haired young man continued.

“There exist people who brainwash others into thinking that strangers like kings and abstract concepts like nations are more important than anything, even their own families. They even use violence and force to coerce people into dying for them. As far as I’m concerned, though, that’s nothing more than state-sponsored homicide. And it’s utterly unforgivable.

“The government’s role shouldn’t be to brainwash its soldiers into easy-to-manipulate pawns or to enact cruel laws to prevent people from challenging it. A politician’s job should be to work hard making a country that other people feel is worth putting their lives on the line for.”

Tsukasa had never been interested in seizing Zest’s loyalty through coercion and tyranny. He was searching for a collaborator who wanted to live alongside the rest of the people in the new world the Seven Luminaries were building.

“Zest Bernard, all I ask is that you keep fighting for your daughter’s sake, as you already are. The onus is on me to convince you that leaving this nation for your daughter is a deed worth risking your life for. And I swear to you that’s a task I intend to put my heart and soul into.”

The drunken haziness had vanished completely from Zest’s eyes. Tsukasa wasn’t forcing the Silver Knight to pledge his allegiance or trying to extort loyalty from the byuma with a promise of punitive violence. It was the first time anyone had ever put so much trust in the man.

When Zest saw how earnestly Tsukasa was treating him, he finally realized he’d been laboring under a misconception—that he’d simply be working for a new master. That’s how he’d regarded the Seven Luminaries, but that was wrong.

The nation this upstart new group was hoping to build wasn’t going to have hierarchies like that anymore. Every person who lived in that new society would be their own master. Truly, that was the kind of country this strange group was working toward. A world where everyone had the freedom to choose their own path.

Ahh, that’d be…that’d be a wonderful place to live indeed. The thought crossed Zest’s mind reflexively.

As someone with the power to fight, it was his duty as a parent to throw himself into the fray to help build that world for the sake of his daughter’s future. Kneeling to bow before Tsukasa, the Silver Knight swore an oath.

“I accept this great responsibility with all that I am.”

“Glad to hear it. I’m counting on you.”

After securing Zest’s assistance, Tsukasa elected not to return to the other Prodigies but to instead look around the city for himself.

He’d heard that Count Heiseraat had governed relatively well, but the citizens still seemed overjoyed at the succession of the Seven Luminaries. Good mayor or not, having a feudal lord who collected outrageous taxes had put a considerable strain on the livelihoods of the citizens. If nothing else, the fact that the High School Prodigies had ousted the lord and promised to revise the tax code alone made them heroes among the people.

However, everything the commoners gained came with corresponding losses to the nobility.

“…”

Quite suddenly, Tsukasa felt piercing, hostile looks bearing down on him from a side street. When he turned, the white-haired boy caught the angry glares of several men. Their classy outfits made their identities immediately evident—nobles who lived in Dormundt’s High-End Residential District.

The instant Tsukasa’s eyes met theirs, the men turned and made their way back toward their homes via the alley. Even though it had only been a moment, it was enough for Tsukasa to see just how strong their seething dissent was.

Such was to be expected, though. Vested interests always pushed back against reform. Over time, their opposition would only grow fiercer.

Tsukasa had hoped to fill out the government with nobles, the educated members of the former society, but…only those suited to the task. The young prime minister had no intention whatsoever of offering them money and status merely to pacify them. Furthermore, he fully intended to punish those who had levied exorbitant taxes and committed inhuman acts against the peasantry during Marquis Findolph’s reign.

That was likely to earn even more backlash from the wealthier folk. A fundamental problem was that the nobility considered commoners to be no better than worms. They didn’t think of them as fellow human beings. It was a mindset etched into them since early childhood.

In other words, the kinds of morals and ethics that served as deterrents back in Japan didn’t apply here. The rich could truly do anything.

When such people sought to vent their hatred and frustration…

…there was no telling what acts of cruelty they were capable of.

There are still ripples spreading across Findolph’s surface. I hope nothing serious happens, but…

In any case, Tsukasa knew that he needed to keep an eye on the nobles’ movements.

At the same time, in a different place.

Squeezed between the Findolph domain and its neighboring territory sat a sea and the Le Luk Mountain Range. Shinobu Sarutobi, accompanied by Elch, had sneaked through Le Luk and infiltrated the neighbor in question—the Buchwald domain.

“Golly gee, they’re saying there was a revolt over in Findolph and the lord got strung up. Is that true?!”

“Yeah. I heard it from some soldiers who fled from there, so you know they’re telling the truth.”

“It makes sense, honestly. Up there in the sticks, they’ve got the mountains protecting them, so no war’s ever gotten that far north. Their soldiers ain’t got shit for training or equipment.” At the moment, the kunoichi -journalist was in a tavern in Elmer, an inn town at the base of the Le Luk chain.

Disguised as a waitress and working under the pseudonym “Mimi,” she was pumping a group of Buchwald soldiers for information.

“Oh heavens. But what if those big, scary rebels attack us next…?” The girl clutched her shoulders and feigned terror. The men grinned wide at her seemingly meek demeanor, and the act helped loosen their tongues.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, Mimi. That’s what we’re here for.”

“Yeah, and it’s not just us. Once winter passes, Buchwald’s main forces are gonna join up with a big army from our neighbors, Archride. Then, when spring rolls around, we’re gonna march on the rebels and pound them into dust.”

“The Fastidious Duke wants to go crush them right away, though.”

“Yeah, but that shit ain’t happening. Trying to cross Le Luk at this time of year is suicide, and the Dragon Knights can’t even fly when it’s this cold out.”

“The Fastidious Duke’s a city slicker. He has no idea how brutal the mountains are in winter.”

“But anyway, Mimi, there you have it. We ain’t gonna let nothin’ happen to you!”

“Oh, well, shucks. I feel safer already!”

“Hey, no fair!”

“I’m telling your wife about this when we get back!”

One of the soldiers leaned over and wrapped his arm around Shinobu, an act that earned a few angry shouts from his colleagues. However, the one member of the group nursing his beer said something in a low voice.

“…Yeah, but even if we didn’t invade, you’d still probably end up fine.”

“How do you mean, mister?”

“I heard this all from a soldier who came seeking refuge three days ago, but apparently, these rebels…they’re with some church called the Seven Luminaries. It’s trying to push equality and close the gap between commoners and nobles. The rich see them as enemies, but the poor see them as allies. Word is they’re doing a decent job of getting rid of the shitty, biased tax system, and they’ve even raised wages for guardsmen… Honestly, I’m a little jealous.”

“Hey, man, pipe down.” The faces of the other men at the table grew stern. If their superior heard them, the man was likely to get decapitated. However, the soldier seemed unconcerned.

“It’s fine. When Old Man Kendra drinks, his hearing’s the first thing that goes.” The man who spoke of treason gestured with his thumb at the table behind them.

Their superior, an aged Bronze Knight, was sitting there, but his bright red face broadcast that he was wasted. The old man was too busy trying to grope his waitress’s butt to pay their conversation any heed.

“And besides, just ’cause I’m jealous doesn’t mean I’m gonna betray the empire over some silly pipe dream… Once the Fastidious Duke makes his move, it’ll be over for those guys.”

“Yeah, you can say that again.”

“This ‘Fastidious Duke’ you all keep mentioning… That’s the lord of the Gustav domain, right?”

“Yup. You know, Mimi, you really know your stuff. Good on you!”

“Tee-hee… So what kind of person is Lord Gustav?”

The answers the disguised Shinobu got made the man sound like some sort of legendary historical figure.

“Oh, he’s incredible. Oslo el Gustav is a martial genius and a master mage, and in the war against the Yamato Empire, he stood on the front lines himself and slaughtered wave after wave of enemies. In recognition for his valor, he was the first knight in the empire’s history ever to be made a duke and given authority over an entire region. Now he’s the Warden of the North. The man’s fiercely loyal to the emperor and demands that others show the same degree of fealty. Because he’s such a perfectionist, folks call him the Fastidious Duke, and he never shows a shred of mercy to any who go against the emperor… That’s the sort of guy who holds the office of the Warden of the North. In the four northern domains, rebels aren’t safe anywhere.”

At around nine that night, Shinobu finished cleaning up the tavern, ate dinner, and headed back to her inn. When she opened the door, she sensed someone inside. It was someone she knew—specifically, Elch, who’d tagged along to aid her intel-gathering mission.

“Oh, El-El, you’re back. Heya.”

The only light in the room came from the fireplace. Now that Elch realized Shinobu was back, he tried to sit up from where he was sprawled out on the bed.

“Mm, yeah… I just got… !!” Halfway through his sentence, though, he let out a silent scream. The young byuma man had spent the last few days riding around on horseback, using a map of dubious quality to navigate from village to village in search of information. As a consequence, his crotch was chafed raw.

“Don’t force yourself. You can just stay on your back.”

“I might just take you up on that…” Elch flopped back down.

When she looked closer, she saw that his tail was twitching. He must have been in a lot of pain. What better time to find out what fruits his labor had borne?

“So you hear any juicy stories?”

“Nah, just the same rumors about an army mobilizing once winter ends.”

“Anything about the Seven Heroes or the real Seven Luminaries?”

“Nothing. Most people didn’t even know that’s what we’ve started calling ourselves.”

“Hmm. Well, I guess that’s what you get in an era with no mass media.”

However, between what Elch had heard and the information Shinobu herself had gathered in the tavern over the past few days, they could be more or less certain that the army was waiting until the snow melted before beginning their march.

“Anyway, good work. I’m gonna go let Tsukes know what’s up. Once they know for sure they don’t hafta worry about the army till spring, it should give them some breathing room.”

Shinobu reached down to pull out her smartphone. Before they left, she’d gotten its battery and signal both strengthened. As the girl was about to grab it, however, Elch suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, that’s right. I’ve got something else, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with us.”

“Oh? Well, don’t keep a girl waiting!”

“Apparently, the Buchwald’s had an uptick in commoners trying to flee from the Gustav domain. The ones who don’t make it are killed and left for the crows in front of the checkpoints… It’s pretty nasty. Gustav’s supposed to be the most beautiful domain in the empire, but all those corpses must make it look like a den of demons.”

“Huh. That’s all news to me.”

Elch was right: None of that information was important to their situation. And yet—

Oslo el Gustav, the Fastidious Duke, huh…

—given what the soldiers had said, it would seem he was the one putting the army together.

Gustav was unflinchingly loyal to the empire and refused to abide any who opposed it. The man’s brutality and devotion were all too apparent from the way he’d treated the peasants who’d tried to escape his rule.

Equality. There was a good chance a man like Gustav was fundamentally incompatible with the notion… At some point, they were going to have to face off against him.

And one side’s not making it out alive…

Furthermore, not only was he in charge of the region, he was also a powerful Prime Mage. That was going to be a problem, too. Magic didn’t exist on Earth, so it was difficult to estimate how effective it would be in war. If they went in against him blind, they were liable to suffer unexpected losses. That was something Shinobu wanted to avoid. To do so, the journalist member of the Prodigies was going to need to get to work.

“Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, they say. That settles it!”

“Settles what?” Elch cocked his head quizzically. Shinobu gave him a wink.

“I’m gonna go meet this Fastidious Duke for myself, duh!”