Deep Darkness

“As expected of you, Lady Mythia.”

The one who entered the room was the male venue staff member who had been handing jasmine tea to the nobles.

I knew who he really was, even though today was the first time I had met him in that guise.

“No. It was all thanks to you, Vincent. Thank you.”

The man removed his custom-made disguise mask.

Vincent’s face appeared from beneath it.

The two of us bound the nobles so they could not move, then transferred them to the waiting room.

The reason we had put the Third Assembly nobles to sleep was to restrain them in the venue and seal off their movements.

While that was happening, Ciel and the former rioters slipped into their estates by impersonating them.

They collected the confidential documents we had already suspected would serve as leverage.

“We got every last one of the hidden evidence files.”

A few hours later, Ciel and I slapped our hands together over the many confidential documents everyone had gathered.

“Then let’s take control of the Third Assembly.”

Using one of the rooms at the venue, I held private meetings one by one with the nobles who had deep ties to Count Schönheite.

“To resort to such dirty tricks… But I am one of the proud nobility. I will never submit to the likes of you—”

“These are the evidence files of the proud bribery you have been carrying out. At this scale, I believe you would need to spend ten years in a magic prison. I am kind, though, so if you listen to what I say, I do not mind keeping quiet about it.”

“…I will follow your instructions. You may tell me anything you wish.”

The proud nobles all shared one common trait: their own lives mattered most to them.

Using the evidence files everyone had gathered to strike at their weaknesses, I skillfully brought the nobles under my sway.

After giving Count Alonso and the chairman, who had treated me badly, more than enough payback, I finally faced Count Schönheite, who held all the keys.

“You never dirtied your own hands, using your subordinates and close aides to corner me. It was truly splendid work, just what one would expect from the most capable man in the Third Assembly. But this time, you chose the wrong opponent. These are the evidence files of the tax evasion you have been committing for twenty years. Even for someone like you, with an absolute power base in the eastern region, surely turning the royal family into an enemy would be troublesome. I am kind, so if you listen to what I say from now on, I do not mind keeping quiet about it.”

“I have lost.”

Count Schönheite said.

“It was masterful. I will admit that you are a monster far beyond anything I imagined. But you have misjudged one thing.”

“Misjudged?”

“The darkness covering this country is deeper than you think.”

I could instinctively tell that those words were not mere sour grapes from a loser.

“How much chance do you think I have of winning?”

“No one can know the future. But there is no doubt it would be an extremely difficult battle. It may even be fair to call it reckless.”

“Good. A high wall is more worth climbing.”

“If you truly mean to accomplish that, then the first person you will need to defeat is him.”

“Him?”

“The person who presently finds your existence most troublesome.”

“My father, then.”

I let out a deep breath and said,

“From the sound of it, he was working behind the scenes on your end as well.”

“You would do well to begin acting as quickly as possible. Once Count Lumiore realizes that the Third Assembly has failed, he will move in earnest to erase you. He will choose no means. There will likely be many victims among the territory’s people and those who serve you as well.”

If I did nothing, I believed things would unfold exactly as Count Schönheite predicted.

That man did not consider people without magical aptitude to be human.

That was why he could take lives so easily, without the slightest guilt.

“I will not allow it. I will crush Father before that happens.”

“You have good eyes.”

Count Schönheite said with the corners of his mouth raised.

“If you can survive this battle, I promise I will support you.”

“The moment I have information about your tax evasion, that was already decided.”

“You are impossible to beat.”

Count Schönheite laughed and shook his head.

“Do your best. Do not let yourself be swallowed by the depth of the darkness.”

The sound of shattering rang out like a scream.

Purple liquid running down the wall and a shattered wineglass.

The report he had been given about his own daughter.

The fierce rage burning in his chest.

“Useless fools… To think they could not even crush one defective daughter…”

The situation was becoming severe for Ravel Lumiore, who sought further advancement within the Council of Three Hundred.

The failure of the biological weapon experiment in Lineage that he had led.

In addition, rumors about Mythia Lumiore were steadily spreading through noble society.

A strange daughter who did not follow precedent or the common sense of noble society, and who treated inferior beings without magical aptitude as human.

To nobles who believed in eugenic superiority, her existence could only look like betrayal.

More and more often, cold eyes were turned toward him.

People around him recognized that he had a problem on his hands.

He was being looked down on.

That fact was intolerable to the proud Ravel.

“Lord Ravel. You have a visitor.”

In the midst of this, the one who came to the house was Alexis Loewegrin, head of House Loewegrin, one of the Three Great Houses.

Rushing out to greet him, Ravel lowered his head deeply.

“My deepest apologies. There have been many unexpected developments, and matters have taken a little time.”

“What do you have to apologize for? I hold you in very high regard.”

Alexis said, seeming surprised.

“It was splendid work. You moved the nobles of the Third Assembly and opened an inquest to crush Mythia Lumiore in a natural way. On top of that, by having her force them into submission, you gave tangible proof of her excellence. I can only call it magnificent work. Among us, the value of Mythia Lumiore has risen even further. It is thanks to your efforts.”

Then he smiled and narrowed his eyes as he continued.

“It is all right. I understand perfectly. Because if it was not intentional, then you would simply be a hopeless fool who seriously tried to crush his ten-year-old daughter and was outmaneuvered. There is no way someone as capable as you would ever do something like that. Is that not right?”

“…”

“What a relief. It would be a serious problem if one of the top executives turned out to be that incompetent. We would have to remove him as soon as possible.”

Alexis patted Ravel on the shoulder.

He brought his mouth close to Ravel’s ear and said,

“This is your last chance. If you do not hurry, everyone will realize you are incompetent.”

Even after Alexis left, Ravel remained seated in the reception room, unable to move.

There was no longer any time to spare.

He had to erase that daughter from this world no matter what it took.

“Gather assassins with money. Kill that girl.”

At Ravel’s words, the old butler said with a pale face,

“However… I have heard that Lady Mythia is deeply beloved by the local residents. If she were to be assassinated, they may once again turn into a mob as they did before.”

“Then send soldiers and suppress them by slaughtering them all. They are people who had no value in living to begin with.”

“But if the matter comes to light, it could become a question of responsibility—”

“If the other side is an inferior breed, it can easily be covered up. If it is not exposed, it is the same as if nothing happened.”

Ravel Lumiore said with emotionless eyes.

“It does not matter if those who interfere are killed. Kill that girl, no matter what means it takes.”