Episode 28

Those who moved in the shadows in Spirito, the royal capital, after nightfall.

In a back alley sunk in darkness, several suspicious silhouettes lurked.

“Mhm, mhm—looks like no one followed us.”

“That voice… you’re the insolent wretch from back then.”

Two figures who seemed to be men, wrapped in black hoods—and a presence that looked like a child. They were meeting in secret for a certain deal.

“Even just from the voice, I could tell… you’re a child.”

“Only the appearance is childlike. Brother, it’s just…”

Not normal. They could tell the moment they faced it—an eerie atmosphere. The two felt that its very nature as a living being was different.

“How you judge is up to you. But if you don’t mean it, I’ll look elsewhere.”

“Wait… We’ll take the offer. But it’s true, right?”

“Of course. You can eliminate that hated third son, and make the world you want… eventually, in the end.”

The child walked out of the shadows toward them. Eyes lit by moonlight carried a fantastical air. The two were drawn in without thinking.

“But for that, you’ll need steps.”

“The ancient relic he supposedly has. We take it.”

“Exactly!” It snapped its fingers.

“But, you two probably already know—your little brother is pretty capable…”

The two clenched their teeth and fists. Their resentment leaked out plainly.

“So I’ll give you this!”

“…What is this?”

A small bottle was handed to them. Inside was a mysterious liquid they had never seen before.

“Using it is easy. When you face your brother, smash it on the ground and break it. Shout, ‘Defeat him!’ Then it’ll show you the existence with the strongest soul.”

It giggled as it explained: aim for the moment he’s weakened at the end.

“Wouldn’t it be faster if we just used our own power?”

“I want to save that until it’s necessary. But if there’s no other way, I’ll leave it to you.”

The way it kept chuckling was unsettling beyond words.

“But only one of you will do that job. The other moves separately. I have other things to take care of.”

“…I’ll handle Aaron. Got it?”

“Fine. Then when do we do it?”

“The moment you strike the target. Then you’ll come to the place I tell you, exactly as instructed.”

The three finalized their plan quickly.

—The story was about to start moving in a big way.

Warm sunlight illuminated an ornate, luxuriously decorated room. The owner of the room preferred simple furniture, but due to her position as royalty, she accepted it.

“It’s soon…”

A woman sat before a mirror, combing her hair. Silver hair—the proof of royalty—mingled with golden hair inherited from her parents. The glossy hair that reached her waist resembled a canal of stars.

Arnica von Diabalet.

Born of the royal family, she strove to fulfill her duties as royalty—as one with a high claim in the line of succession.

A royal-family social gathering held several times a year. A meeting centered on the royal children appointed by the reigning king, inviting nobles, senior figures, and those who had greatly contributed to the nation’s prosperity. This time, Arnica had been entrusted with that role by the king.

To those invited, it was a great honor—recognition by the royal family—and a clear staircase leading to glory. The ambitious used this gathering as a stepping-stone to aim even higher.

For the invitees, it would be no exaggeration to say it shaped their future. But for the royals who hosted it, it was an important event too. The key point was that this gathering was held several times a year.

Even a king and royal family cannot expect unconditional obedience from nobles, great merchants, and other powerful supporters, including vassals and lords. A nation exists and politics turns because of broad support. In other words, backers and patrons strengthen a country.

Those with power understood that. A royal social gathering was also a place to judge the future king—who they would align themselves with in the years ahead.

For princes and princesses, it was a battleground of succession. By holding it several times a year, the reigning king could assess the next successor. For those who held succession rights, it was a crucial affair.

(I understand it’s an important occasion… but right now, there should be other things to worry about.)

A trace of melancholy lingered on Arnica’s face. She looked sorrowful, weighed down by thought.

She had no intention of making irresponsible claims like “I have no interest in the throne.” Since she was born a princess, she intended to fulfill her responsibilities until the next monarch was chosen. Whatever the outcome, she was prepared to accept it. —But not now. The environment surrounding the country was changing rapidly.

(Judging from the intelligence agency and the Astera Ducal House’s report, there can be no mistake. The owners of the ‘keys’ have been found.)

Three keys that opened the gate to another world. Their long-inherited existence had been identified, and incidents targeting them had occurred. It couldn’t be dismissed as coincidence. The enemy knew the truth of this world.

(I never imagined a key could be inherited by someone with royal blood. Looking back, perhaps even this was fate.)

A girl in whom the proof of royalty manifested more strongly than anyone. Ciel—her age, someone who had given up on everything—awakening a key and becoming a top-class user of sacred arts… she never would have believed it.

(I did wrong by that girl as well. But what changed her so much…?)

She doubted Ciel truly understood that she was a key-holder, or what it meant. There had to be something else. It bothered her, but something else mattered more…

(If the gate to the other world opens, this country—no, the world itself—will be changed.)

The roots of the Kingdom of Diabalet, hidden by the royal family for countless years.

It had begun with changing the world in order to protect the world.

Diabalet, Lagias, and great figures of the past had ended one world in the name of peace. Now, only the royal family and royalty likely recognized that truth correctly. Watching the House of Lagias’s behavior made it clear that history had not been passed down accurately.

(The heirs chosen by our ancestors… each of them ended up bearing a burden.)

Roles passed down among those who lived in the Kingdom of Diabalet.

The three “keys” that opened the gate to another world.

The “Guide” who showed the path to that gate.

The Lagias “Gatekeeper,” bound by contract with the royal family to stand in their way.

And the “Wishbearer (Diabalet),” who watched over things until the world truly became peaceful again.

(Diabalet knows everything, yet remains silent. Is that truly right?)

If the truth of this world came to light, the people of the world, the heirs, and Lagias—would not forgive Diabalet.

(Perhaps… we must accept everything.)

Zeke (Hiroto) returned to the royal capital, his base of operations. Preparing for the next operation was one reason, but his true purpose now was different.

He visited the Adventurers Association Headquarters in the royal capital.

“Hey… where’s that deranged freak?”

“Lord Zeke. Thank you as always for your assistance to our Association. …We have heard of the matter.”

A female receptionist bowed politely.

Even when facing Lagias, she didn’t change her attitude—professionalism, perhaps. Hiroto felt sorry for her. Working adults had it rough.

Nearly five years had passed since he began working as an adventurer. At first, his main goals were to gain strength to resist the scenario, and to gather funds.

In this world, power was necessary no matter what he did, and as Lagias he couldn’t expect allies. In a crisis, the only things he could rely on were his own strength and money—that was Hiroto’s view.

By steadily clearing requests, he had gained both strength and wealth. Now he was among the nation’s top adventurers and possessed a fortune at the level of a major asset-holder.

—He still held a grudge against Aktor for “promoting him” to A-rank without permission.

“The underground training hall has been reserved. If it is your request, Lord Zeke, our Association cannot disregard it.”

“Are you stupid? Why would I ever request something like that?”

His abundant funds were meant for future living expenses and escape money.

If the scenario ended safely and Zeke survived, he wanted nothing more.

Once the story ended, the House of Lagias would certainly be stripped of status, and depending on circumstances, he might even be held responsible. Hiroto had no intention of obediently accepting that. At this point, he had no attachment to the Kingdom of Diabalet. When everything was over, he planned to flee abroad openly. No matter how strong he was, taking on an entire country alone was unrealistic.

“It’s a famous story at the royal-capital branch. In the training hall, Lord Zeke thoroughly punished ruffians who pretended to be adventurers.”

“Don’t fabricate my past. That was your Adventurers Association’s screw-up.”

“Yes. We will never forget Lord Zeke’s many achievements.”

“…”

At Adventurers Association Headquarters in the royal capital, the reception area was large and staffed by many employees. Naturally so—the number of adventurers was on a completely different scale compared to other branches. Where there were many requests, adventurers gathered, and people were needed to process them.

Zeke visited the Association to accept requests and report completions. The headquarters had many counters, so he always just chose whichever was open—yet for some reason he often ended up with the same staff member. Hiroto idly wondered if this nameless receptionist was an elite complaint-handler.

“You said underground training hall. …You’ve wasted my time.”

“Not at all. Whether it’s one minute, ten minutes, or even an hour, I will accompany you.”

“Get lost. I have no business with you.”

Zeke moved on, ignoring the staff member who was chirping about dinner after this. He had no interest in obvious flattery. More important was dealing with the suspicious person said to be in the underground training hall.

A letter had arrived while he was resting at Lagias Manor. Its contents were a challenge.

“My friend and worthy rival. It seems the time has come to settle our long struggle. This too is destiny. I will wait at the place of our first contact. A duel. —Your soulmate, Aaron.”

It was a bizarre letter.

Hiroto had assumed it was the usual nonsense and left it alone—until a “complaint” came in from the Adventurers Association. Aaron had been showing up daily, searching for Zeke. No matter how many times the staff explained Zeke was absent, Aaron would squat in the training hall. Unable to handle it, they contacted Zeke as intermediaries.

Hiroto didn’t want to get involved, but if someone reported it to the knight order, it might be blamed on him as Lagias. So he came—reluctantly.

He descended the stairs underground, opened the large door, and entered.

The wide training hall he’d seen two years ago came into view. And at its center stood Aaron, his back turned.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, my friend.”

“Do you have nothing better to do?”

You’re the one who was waiting, Hiroto retorted inwardly.

Aaron belonged to the Royal Guard Corps and also had the “behind-the-scenes” face of the intelligence service. There was no way he was truly idle. Yet according to the Association, he’d been behaving abnormally day after day.

“Nostalgic, isn’t it? This was the land where we began.”

Zeke thought, What are you talking about now?—but it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Under Aktor’s orders, Aaron had tested Zeke’s strength. To do so, he had riled up adventurers and picked a fight under the name of a mock battle. Zeke remembered how it had escalated into a one-on-one with Aaron in the end.

“Unlike back then, there’s no audience… but we don’t need one.”

“If you’re satisfied, disappear already. You really are an idiot.”

A fighting style combining lightning magic and a rapier. He had never expected a character absent from the original story to be this strong.

“Since then, I’ve thought about it again and again. What is the true essence of your strength?”

Aaron turned to face him. His expression wasn’t that of his usual eccentric self—it was sharp, composed.

“I wondered what I lacked… and at last, I found an answer.”

No trace of joking remained. A warrior stood there.

“Resolve. That is the difference between you and me. Your strength’s secret is that absolute self-sovereignty—unobstructed by anyone.”

Aaron drew his rapier. Lightning crackled along it. The air grew taut.

“As one man, Aaron Izosaar challenges you to battle. I know full well it’s selfish. But this is something I must do.”

Hiroto didn’t understand what he was saying. The sudden turn startled him inside. —Even so, he could feel Aaron’s seriousness.

For some reason, at that moment, Hiroto found himself wanting to accept the duel.

“Hmph. Fine. I’ll crush you so thoroughly you’ll never dare act so flippant again.”

Zeke immediately kneaded mana and entered combat stance. Cold flooded through the training hall at once.

“!? As expected… Now then, shall we begin? Our holy war!”

Lightning tore at the ground as it rushed toward Zeke. Zeke blocked it completely with a wall of ice.

Their rematch from two years ago was about to begin.