Simultaneous Incidents (3)
Adolf XIII and the royals emerged from the underground bunker.
The throne room's ceiling had collapsed into ruin, but there was no time to complain.
"What on earth happened? A battle in the capital without the king's knowledge? Summon everyone involved at once."
"But right now we must prioritize stabilizing the situation—"
"Uncle." A flash of anger lit Adolf XIII's eyes.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I am the king. Even in wartime, if the king's authority is not restored, what good is the state?"
It was understandable for a newly crowned man to be anxious, but that only made things worse.
They had all refused.
That they'd ignored a summons despite their high ranks proved they didn't trust Adolf XIII.
Robins, Adolf XIII's younger brother and first in the direct line of succession, spoke.
"Your Majesty, the people already regard you as a great king. When the people follow, politicians fall in line, and the civil servants of each bureau quickly bow their heads."
"Hmm."
It was flattering to hear.
"Also, the Church's army being garrisoned in Bashka is a major opportunity. If we make Tormia the center of this war, other nations will pour enormous funds into us."
The royals nodded in agreement.
"That's right. Especially on the southern continent—we can levy huge sums. Aren't we acting as the shield?"
Adolf XIII inclined his head.
"I agree. Come to think of it… I hear someone from the Ivory Tower is here."
"Arian Shirone, one of the Ivory Tower's Five Greats from the Unified Universe Administration. He's from our country, a leading advocate of universal love, and a central figure in the world war."
"Hmph—universal love…"
Adolf XIII didn't put stock in what he couldn't see.
"In any case, treat him with the utmost respect. Money is no object."
If they secured the Ivory Tower's approval, foreign subsidies would cover the cost.
"Understood. But there's one matter we must settle first."
"Settle?"
Robins narrowed his eyes.
"Direct-line rank 127, Pony."
Ahem.
Anger spread across Adolf XIII's face.
"The Five Great and Pony studied together at the Magic Academy. If she recruits Shirone first—"
A chill thought made one of the royals shout.
"She must be killed! You saw earlier—she cast magic without hesitation. Her yielding the throne was likely to save her own skin. Now that the city has calmed, she'll make her move."
Adolf XIII propped his chin on his hand.
"What can we do? Even recruiting a first-tier resident of the Ivory Tower is difficult—much less one of the Five Greats."
"Who knows—maybe she'll try seduction." The remark attacked royal dignity, but if the target was Pony, it carried weight.
"Hasn't there been talk before? She even entered an international beauty pageant to secure a place in the succession. She knows how extraordinary her looks are. She won't spare any means this time."
At last the possibility of a coup felt real.
"…Can we pull it off? The Mage Association won't aid us, and military command is in the Church's hands. If we don't kill her cleanly, we'll be the ones who suffer."
Robins said.
"I have a plan. Use criminals."
"Prisons? Aren't A-rank and above facilities also managed by the Mage Association?"
"There's a suitable candidate in the western prison, Inferno."
A contingency card he'd kept for the worst eventuality—having to kill a father or brother—was suddenly being played.
"Inferno? Even its worst inmates are only B-rank, aren't they?" a royal asked in surprise.
"That may be, but—"
There was no need to explain the prisoner's charge.
"His ability is guaranteed. He's the son of the world's greatest hitman, Gunjo Vedium. He, too, studied at the Magic Academy like Shirone and Pony."
"Gunjo Vedium—the Black Line?" The name made the royals' skin crawl.
His son imprisoned in Inferno? How did Robins even—
Their faces briefly drained of color, then they recovered.
Of course. Anyone in the top ten of succession could become king and therefore had a card to play.
Don't show it. Removing Pony is the priority.
No danger compared to the crisis that she might recruit Shirone.
Adolf XIII's expression remained unchanged. He was, after all, the king.
"Very well. Robins, I leave the Pony matter to you. But see that it's done decisively."
"Yes. Do not worry, Your Majesty."
As Robins bowed, a voice sounded outside the door.
"The Ivory Tower's Five Great requests an audience."
The voice was urgent; the royals stirred.
That was fast.
From Tormia's perspective it was an opportunity—but trouble often lurks beneath such good fortune.
"Bring him in."
Robins slipped out the back door and the main doors were opened.
Adolf XIII rose and went out to greet Shirone himself.
"Welcome. The newly crowned king greets the Ivory Tower's star."
There was sincerity in his gesture and tone—an indication of how desperate he was.
"Yes. I am Arian Shirone, one of the Ivory Tower's Five Greats."
"I apologize for the squalor. As you can see, we've just suffered a great disturbance and are still unsettled."
Disturbance. Shirone didn't show what he knew about how many might have died and simply took his seat.
Handmaidens hurried in with fine tea.
"Of course we should hold a banquet, but we haven't had time to prepare—"
"That's unnecessary."
Shirone didn't want to waste time.
"I came to hear the vision of Tormia's new king. Humanity is in peril."
"Of course."
As if expecting this, Adolf XIII straightened.
"Tormia has achieved an unprecedented victory in the world war today. We annihilated the demonkin and drove out the giants. The Church and the people of Tormia joined forces to accomplish this."
Shirone let the statement pass.
"We will announce this historic moment to the world. With Tormia as the hub, humanity will rise again. Ivory Tower star, entrust that role to me."
Adolf XIII—full name Adolf Tenar, age forty-four.
Through Omega, Shirone knew his record up to age twenty-two.
Ambitious from childhood; his problem-solving was generally swift, secretive, and brutal.
Tormia will do everything it can, Adolf said casually. We will wholeheartedly support the Five Great.
Blatant flattery, but Shirone recalled what Geohn had told him: listen to everyone's stories.
"Understood."
Adolf XIII exhaled.
What's this? Ivory Tower people talk like eccentrics, but they're actually suckers.
He hid his true thought and spoke up.
"If there is anything you need, please tell us. Anything at all."
"No. I heard your vision and will be on my way. But where is Pony? I don't see her here."
The royals' expressions tightened for a moment; Shirone did not miss that micro-change.
"Could you call her? I have something personal to say."
"Of course. Pony is a very brave royal. She's probably outside, attending to matters. She'll come as soon as she returns… uh!"
The moment the man looked at Shirone, a chill ran down his spine.
It felt like being pierced by a gaze.
What is this all of a sudden?
Having played poker in political and social circles, he was hardened to poker faces—but he'd never felt so thoroughly observed.
Shirone said, "What are you hiding?" Adolf XIII, wearing a perfect smile, opened his mouth.
"Hiding? How could I lie before an Ivory Tower star?"
Shirone let out a short laugh. "You still haven't broken that habit."
"Yes?"
"The tell you show when you lie—the forced smile and that single blink. From when you cried a lie and got a hard smack from an elder, remember?"
Silence filled the room as Adolf XIII swallowed.
How does he know that?
No one besides his father and himself knew.
Would my father even remember that?
It wasn't something he thought about anymore—so how could Shirone possibly know?
"I know you trained painfully to make your smile perfect. But there's one thing you couldn't practice. Then again…"
Shirone pointed.
"How many people could ever give the prince of Tormia such a smack?"
The fist resting on Adolf XIII's knee trembled.
Is the Unified Universe Administration's Five Great some kind of ghost?
This wasn't mere insight or analysis.
It's too trivial. Even a mental-type mage would have to search my depths for a month to find it.
It felt as if his soul had been stripped bare.
"I'll give you one last chance. What are you hiding?"
Adolf chose to gamble.
"Heh. I don't know what you mean."
Cold sweat beaded on his brow as Adolf XIII smiled and blinked again.
West prison of Bashka—Inferno.
Pony arrived after an urgent summons and handed the warden paperwork stamped with the royal seal.
"This way."
There is no people under the heavens a king cannot govern, and every monarch has the power to issue pardons.
What an unpleasant task to be given.
Pony had been preparing to leave Bashka when she received the sudden order: dispatch personnel vital to the nation's restoration by releasing a prisoner from Inferno.
Knowing they were short-staffed, she complied, but her disappointment in those in power left her skeptical.
"You'll go this way."
The deepest part of Inferno—E Building's dank underground facility—greeted her.
This was where special criminals were held—each one vicious.
What sort of talent would you find here? she thought. Once this was done, I'll return to Alpheas School of Magic without regret.
She walked down the long corridor. From the room at the very end came a woman's moan.
She knew cohabitation was impossible, yet amid the woman's sultry voice she could hear a man's breath.
What kind of bastard is this?
Being called a talent suggested the prisoner received special treatment. Pony's disgust made her cold.
"Prisoner number 3824. Designated as a special protected observation subject. Come out."
The moaning stopped abruptly.
Special protection?
It was one of the five keywords she had promised Prince Robins—its meaning: kill anyone who comes looking for you.
The time has come.
A guard's voice echoed from the ceiling.
"I will disable Building E's magic suppression for thirty seconds. While the siren wails, anyone acting suspiciously will be executed immediately by royal edict."
A siren blared and she felt the magic suppression switch off.
"Brother, who's outside?"
At the sultry voice from the cell, Pony could no longer hold back.
"Come out, you bastard."
She turned the key she'd been given as if to snap it and opened the door.
Ugh!
A hand shot out from the darkness and seized Pony by the throat.
She couldn't resist as she was slammed against the prison wall with a thud.
Guh! You bastard—!
The moment she tried to cast, an electric shock shot through her body.
Ugh!
"Shh."
A familiar, disheveled man brought his face close and pressed a finger to his lips.
Pony's eyes flew wide.
"Who are you?"
Lycan, the Electric Monster.
"Oh?"
Lycan, amused, curled his mouth like a man on drugs.
"Pony? Long time, huh?"
"You—you bastard! Let go!"
The half-naked woman lashed out at Lycan without covering herself.
"Brother! Who is this woman? Did you call someone else besides me? You always—ugh!"
As Lycan swung his hand, there was a sickening pop and the woman's face exploded.
A massive discharge of electricity.
"That said, you're a royal too. Pathetic. Take pride—you've become enough of a threat to be worth worrying about."
Lycan bared his rotten teeth and laughed.
"Die."
As electricity coiled around the hand choking her, Pony's eyes widened.
What is that?
Behind Lycan, a familiar figure glowed in golden light.
Shirone?