Pepe gathered the nine finalists in an improvised plaza on the outskirts of the forest. The afternoon sun fell at a low angle, painting the tired faces of the survivors in orange and red.
The wind still carried the smell of turned earth, dried blood, and burnt leaves that the forest had left behind as a reminder.
Razel, Gilbert, Zack, Leila, Fernand, Tonma, Dirk, Alessand, and Paxton formed an irregular semicircle. The losers still wore improvised bandages or visible cuts. Others simply stared at the ground, hands on their knees, too exhausted to pretend dignity. They only felt curiosity about who had made it into the finals.
Leila scratched one ear with a bored expression. Tonma remained silent, arms crossed. The three knights from the ducal houses observed the rest with varying mixtures of evaluation and disdain.
From his small balloon, Pepe amplified his voice with that festive tone that had already become annoying after so many days:
"Congratulations to the nine finalists of the Festival of the Three Heroes!
The final day of the trial will be a tournament. The reward… will be revealed that same day. Prepare your best skills and try not to kill each other beforehand!"
Some murmured. Others didn't even react. Razel paid not the slightest attention to the promise of a reward.
As soon as Pepe finished speaking, he approached Zack and Gilbert and pulled them several meters away from the rest of the group, over to an improvised wall, far enough that their voices wouldn't carry clearly.
"I need to know where the casino is."
Zack raised an eyebrow, still with traces of dried blood on his cheek.
"Why do you want to know that now? We just got out of the forest."
Razel lowered his voice to almost a whisper and told them everything. The fall into the crack. What happened in the cave. The mermaid named Clariana. The underwater fight against the four members of the Phantom Troop.
And, above all, the final moment: the man dressed as an executioner, the bag, and the clear words about taking her back to the casino.
While he spoke, Gilbert's face gradually hardened. Zack, who at first listened with skepticism, ended up clenching his jaw.
"I can't believe it…" Gilbert murmured, running a hand over his face. "A real mermaid. And in this country."
"And they took her right in front of your nose," Zack added, still processing it. "Just when you were crossing the finish line."
Razel nodded once. His eyes showed no doubt.
"I'm going to free her. I just need to know how to get into that place."
Before they could answer him, a nearby crash was heard. The improvised wooden door was yanked open with such force that the hinges screeched and the door ended up almost torn off, hanging to one side. Behind it appeared three figures.
Iris was in front. She wore a practical light-colored travel dress with no unnecessary ornaments, her hair tied up in a high ponytail so it wouldn't get in the way. Beside her was Liddy, with a small suitcase. Behind both of them, a serious-looking boy with rigid posture observed the group. Oz.
"I told you not to stick so close."
Razel blinked, genuinely surprised.
"What are you doing here?"
Iris stepped forward a few paces. Her face showed tiredness, but also relief at seeing him standing.
"I'm the only one who could come see you. The tickets to follow the festival up close cost a fortune. I brought Liddy because she's my maid… and Oz insisted on coming with us."
Oz crossed his arms, visibly uncomfortable at having been mentioned.
"That's not true. I came because I had a strange dream and wanted to warn you."
Razel looked at him more carefully. The boy didn't seem to be lying.
"What exactly did you dream?"
Oz hesitated for a second, as if it still felt ridiculous to say it out loud.
"That you were drowning… and a fish saved you."
Razel fell completely silent. The wind moved his hair.
"When did you dream that?" he asked.
"Two days ago."
The coincidence was too exact. Not long ago he had been drowning in that hole full of salt water, and Clariana had pulled him out. Razel felt a chill that had nothing to do with the afternoon wind.
"Have you dreamed anything else?"
Oz shook his head.
"No. Just that. Now that I've told you, I'm leaving. I don't want to stay involved in this."
Razel took a step and stopped him by gently holding his shoulder.
"Wait. I don't understand how you could see it… but thank you. Really."
Oz looked at him for a moment, nodded awkwardly, and stayed where he was, though he clearly wished he were somewhere else.
Iris cleared her throat, reclaiming the group's attention.
"You want to know about the casino, right?
My father told me about them years ago. I always found their existence curious.
The casino is called Kuromorihime. It's of clandestine origin, but here it operates legally."
Zack let out an ironic snort.
"That's because it's legally established. Proper papers, taxes paid to the feudal lord… and dirty businesses running under the table. Typical."
Razel didn't take his eyes off the horizon, where the rooftops of the city could be made out.
"I don't care how it's registered. I'm going in and I'm getting her out of there."
Gilbert shook his head, crossing his arms.
"If you really want to do that, you can't go on your own like a madman. You'll have to speak first with the feudal lord of this city. He controls the permits, the guards, and almost everything that moves in Kuromorihime after nightfall."
Razel remained silent for a few seconds. Then he nodded, accepting the reality of the situation.
"Then let's go see him."
◇◇◇
The residence of the feudal lord was a building of light-colored stone, with clean lines and tall windows that let in the light of the setting sun.
Several flags of the kingdom waved on the façade in the afternoon wind. They were led through a silent corridor to a spacious study with high ceilings, full of shelves packed with books and rolled-up maps.
Behind the main desk sat a man with long lavender hair that fell in soft waves to the middle of his back.
He wore an elegant dark-blue coat with golden embroidery on the collar and cuffs, a crimson sash across his chest, and an immaculate white shirt.
His blue eyes, cold and piercing, lifted from the documents he was signing with a fine-tipped quill.
It was Alexei Rapha Barielle. Current prime minister of the kingdom.
Beside him, standing with a perfectly straight back, was Celistia Noah Rosewald. The commander of the knights greeted them with a slight bow of her head.
"You made it to the finals. Congratulations."
Razel stepped forward, wasting no time on formalities.
"I need to ask you a favor."
Alexei calmly set the quill on the inkwell and interlaced his fingers on the desk.
"And why should I do a favor for a complete stranger?"
The question did not sound hostile, but neither was it friendly. It was the voice of a man accustomed to measuring the value of every word and every person who entered his study.
Gilbert intervened before the silence became uncomfortable.
"He is Razel Bartlet."
Alexei studied him for several long seconds. His eyes lingered on the young man's figure, evaluating him. Then he nodded slowly, as if a piece had fallen into place.
"The queen spoke to me about you. She said you would do whatever it took to earn her favor. I must admit I was surprised to hear that you agreed to help them."
He reclined elegantly in the high-backed carved chair.
"Thanks to you we were able to capture Figaro. That man was a traitor. We also still have Baron Olston pending… although things with him seem to be going better than expected."
He made a deliberate pause and fixed his gaze on Razel once more.
"What is it you want from me?" he said with a relaxed smile.
Razel told him:
"Please help us enter the city's casino."
Alexei looked at him for a few moments and spoke in a calm tone.
"Of course, I will help you. But only on one condition."
"Really?"
Razel was surprised that gaining his favor was so easy, but the prime minister had his own personal reasons.
"Eliminate the former prime minister. That is my only request."
Iris, who had remained silent by the door, stepped forward. Her face had turned visibly pale.
Razel turned toward her, surprised by the reaction.
"Why?"
Iris did not understand the reason for it. Her voice came out low, but firm.
"It's personal."
She said that, followed by a pause, then resumed to complete her statement.
"My father's death… was his fault."
Alexei nodded with gravity. For the first time since they had entered, his expression showed something resembling an old wound.
"My father taught me how a politician should be. He was always faithful to those ideals. The former prime minister had him assassinated so that he would not win the elections. I need no additional proof. The smile he wore that day… confirmed everything to me."
He lifted his gaze and swept his eyes across the group.
"I only ask that you kill him. In exchange, I will help you not only enter the casino, but with anything else. And I will provide you with all the information you need to do it.
No one would dare touch him for obvious reasons, and even more so because he is an ally of the king."
Razel did not hesitate for a second.
"I accept.
The operation will have to be carried out tomorrow. Tomorrow there will be a great celebration in the city to bet on the winner of the event. It will be the best possible cover."
Alexei observed him for one more moment. Then he offered a cold, almost imperceptible smile.
"Perfect. Then we have a deal."
◇◇◇
They left the residence when the sun was already beginning to set. The group walked in silence through the cobbled streets of the city.
Razel was the first to speak.
"I didn't expect those words from the prime minister."
Zack shrugged, looking straight ahead.
"If I were in his position… I would do exactly the same thing."
Razel glanced at him sideways.
"Why?"
Zack remained silent for several seconds. Then he spoke in a low voice, almost as if he didn't want the wind to carry the words away.
"When I was a child I had a childhood friend. She was the one who convinced me to become a knight. She died in an accident."
Gilbert frowned.
"And you want to kill the one who caused it?"
"Yes. But I can't."
"Why?"
Zack let out a bitter laugh.
"Because it was me."
The silence grew heavy.
"She wanted to run to her piano recital. She tripped on the stairs… and I was right behind her. I didn't make it in time to catch her."
Gilbert lowered his gaze.
"I'm sorry."
Razel, after a moment, asked in a lighter tone:
"Do you know how to play the piano?"
Zack laughed, this time for real, though without joy.
"I stopped that day."
Razel nodded, understanding more than what was said.
"I don't have a story that sad. Just that my mother left my father because… he couldn't get it up."
The silence that followed was so uncomfortable that even Leila stopped moving her tail when they reached her.
Razel raised both hands.
"Since Zack felt uncomfortable telling his past, I told mine. Now the discomfort is mine. Discomfort builds strength."
Gilbert didn't fully understand the logic, but he accepted the change of topic because he didn't want Zack to sink any further.
He stayed quiet for a while, looking at the houses they passed. Finally he spoke:
"I also have something to say."
Gilbert, feeling it was a good moment, decided to share a little about himself.
"My mother was a victim of the Night Cannibal. A man-eater who attacked at random. I found her lying on the ground… without her heart."
Zack clicked his tongue.
"He's most likely already dead. It was twenty years ago. According to the information gathered at the time, it was a man of about fifty. He should be in a bed, about to die of old age."
Gilbert slowly shook his head.
"That's how it should be. But I don't believe it. That day I discovered two things. My mother was going to meet someone she knew… and the door wasn't forced. She was expecting that person. I had gone out with friends and wasn't planning to return until night."
Razel glanced at him sideways.
"If you want, I can help you look for clues when all this is over."
Gilbert refused firmly.
"No. Right now we need to focus on tomorrow."
◇◇◇
In a narrow, foul-smelling alley in the lower part of the city, a manhole cover was carefully lifted.
Jackpot came out first, still with remnants of mud and water on his clothes. Behind him waited Skull, with his skull mask perfectly in place.
"How is it possible that you failed to kill him again?" Skull asked in a cold voice.
Jackpot shook the water from his cape.
"I didn't expect someone to help him from the water."
Freaks poked his head out of the manhole, still smiling.
"It was a fish. A mermaid, to be exact."
Skull looked at both of them as if they were idiots.
"A mermaid. Of course."
He turned toward Jackpot.
"You lost the chance at the tournament. But we still have Jaeger. He's right behind you."
Jackpot clenched his teeth, but did not answer.
"I'll go secure our trump card," Skull continued. "Freaks, come with me."
Both of them walked away down the alley. Jackpot was left alone for a few seconds, until a mocking voice sounded behind him.
"Pathetic. You lost to a single man."
Jackpot turned. Behind him stood the mysterious man called Jaeger.
"You're nobody to talk," Jackpot spat. "You were playing with that dog girl."
The light of a flickering streetlamp suddenly brightened, revealing Jaeger's face. It was Tonma, looking at him without interest.
Tonma—Jaeger looked at him with pity.
"I wasn't playing. I was working."
He took a step closer.
"Just like Eraser… move your ass and stop playing around."
With that said, he turned and withdrew in silence, leaving Jackpot alone with his wounded pride.
◇◇◇
On the rooftop of a two-story building, far from the bustle of the center, a man and a woman observed the city illuminated by torches and magical lanterns.
The woman had her hair tied in a high ponytail. The man, like her, wore similar clothes to blend into the shadows. Both spoke in low voices.
"Do you care about tomorrow's job?" she asked.
"No," he answered with complete indifference. "All that matters is that we survive. Even if we have to do dirty jobs like this."
They looked at each other for a second. Then, at the same time, they took out from under their cloaks two white fox masks with red markings. They put them on with practical, almost routine movements.
_________________
Once again the fanservice is for Clariana.
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/11945206