In a private room inside the hideout, Roxwell and Ex faced each other.
No, to be precise, Ex was the only one glaring.
“Don't look at me like that…”
Roxwell had his face buried in both hands.
Unfortunately for him, that did nothing to hide how red his neck had gotten from embarrassment.
“Master, after the way you left looking so grim and determined…”
“Don't ask me anything. Nothing happened.”
“Sword of the Revolutiooon? Sword of the Revolutioooooon???”
“You little bastard…! Have some mercy on your master's dignity…!”
Ex couldn't help it. A dumbfounded laugh escaped him.
“I thought you were too busy tracking down the Revolutionary Front and beating the hell out of every last one of them. I figured that was why you never answered me. But the Sword of the Revolution? What kind of bullshit is this?”
“There's a reason for it. I can explain.”
“First, I'm checking you.”
Ex immediately blasted divine power straight at Roxwell.
Naturally, Roxwell winced at the glare and jerked his head away.
“What the hell are you doing, blinding me like that!”
“I have to make sure you're not a demon.”
“And what were you planning to do if I really was one?!”
“Well, I already knew you weren't.”
“You…! Haaah…”
Roxwell finally lowered his hands and let out a deep sigh.
Even he had to admit that his current situation was ridiculous.
He had come here to put an end to the revolution, only to somehow become the Sword of the Revolution.
Then, apparently realizing he had something he could mock Ex about too, Roxwell curled one corner of his mouth upward.
“Hah, a Hero? You? A Heeeero? What kind of scam are you trying to pull this time, spreading some ridiculous rumor like that? There's no way a pathetic weakling like you could be a Hero.”
“Sword of the Revolution.”
“I'm sure you were trying to pull some other shady stunt again. You little punk, do you have any idea how long I've known you? I don't know why you came all the way here, but you'd better leave before you embarrass yourself any further.”
“Sword of the Revolution.”
“Ha, ha, is that the only thing you can say? Y-you've got some nerve, trying to talk back to your own master like that. I-it's so funny I can barely breathe. A-are you planning to k-kill your master by making him laugh himself to death?”
“Uh-huh~ Sword of the Revolution~”
“You goddamn little bastard-!!!”
Ex tried desperately to flee from Roxwell, who came charging after him with murderous determination, but unfortunately, Roxwell was a martial artist several levels above him. Getting caught almost immediately was the only possible outcome.
YAAAAANK-!!
“AAAAAAAAAGH-!!!”
Both of Ex's temples were seized, skin and all, then viciously twisted and shaken until it felt as if his very soul were being threshed straight out of his body.
“M-Mercy, Master!!”
“I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THAT NICKNAME!!! WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN THEY STARTED CALLING ME THAT ALL ON THEIR OWN?!!! DO YOU THINK I REACHED 7-STAR JUST SO I COULD GET STUCK WITH SOME STUPID NICKNAME LIKE THAT?!!!”
“My scalp!!! You're ripping it off!!! Not the hair!!! Anything but the hair!!!”
“I HAD TO MEET THE TOP BRASS IF I WANTED TO TAKE THEM ALL DOWN AT ONCE!!! AND I HAD TO ACTUALLY PRODUCE RESULTS IF I WANTED THEM TO MEET WITH ME, SO I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO SHOW SOME OF MY STRENGTH!!! THEN THAT GODDAMN NICKNAME GOT STUCK TO ME!!!”
“GYAAAAAAAAAGH-!!!”
“I'M ALREADY PISSED OFF ENOUGH ABOUT IT, AND NOW MY ONE AND ONLY DISCIPLE THINKS HE CAN MOCK ME FOR IT?!!! TODAY I'M GOING TO BEAT PROPER RESPECT FOR THE MASTER-DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP INTO YOUR WORTHLESS HIDE!!!”
Only after Ex had been thoroughly beaten did Roxwell finally stop the violence.
Ex felt horribly wronged, but he wasn't in any position to complain about it.
Before Roxwell could decide to resort to violence again, Ex quickly changed the subject.
“Y-You reached 7-Star?”
“Yeah. I was fortunate enough to break through. I have you to thank for it.”
“Me? That's coming out of nowhere.”
“It happened when you and I drank together before I left. Until then, I couldn't make sense of my own heart. But because you spoke honestly with me, I was finally able to make up my mind. That gave me the clue I needed to break through, and from there, the realization came.”
Roxwell reached over and roughly ruffled Ex's hair.
His touch was clumsy and coarse, but the sincerity behind it was unmistakable.
“Thank you. Truly. For telling me what you really thought that night.”
“…It was nothing. You would've broken through eventually anyway.”
“I'm saying you were my fortuitous encounter, you little punk.”
Roxwell had just accomplished something extraordinary.
7-Star was the realm where one could wield the Sword Control Art, Control Blade.
It was a supreme stage where one's will could be given form through the sword itself.
From that realm onward, distance and space ceased to hold any real meaning. Anything within one's sight could be made to submit to that will through the sword.
7-Star was not a realm that could be reached through talent and effort alone. It required a profound realization that pierced through the essence of life and the world itself, along with the stroke of fortune needed to grasp it.
That was why those who had reached 7-Star could be counted on one hand even across the entire continent. Including Roxwell, there were only around four people in the Empire who stood at 7-Star or above.
Roxwell, Milia, Lung, and that person.
To show their genuine reverence for those who had reached such a realm, people bestowed upon them the title of ‘Sword Master.’
‘Though right now, he's turned into the Sword of the Revolution.’
“I can feel you thinking something disrespectful, disciple.”
Ex cleared his throat and brushed himself off, trying to erase the evidence of his beating.
“What exactly have you been doing all this time that you couldn't answer me even once? There was something I wanted to discuss with you regarding the plan, but since you never responded, I had no choice but to come all the way here myself.”
“To skip the details and get straight to the point, the Revolutionary Front's Leader has gone into hiding. They've become even more secretive than they were before.”
“Just suddenly?”
“It's not that strange. Beatrice, the one behind them, was exposed as a demon. Things are bound to be chaotic after something like that.”
Roxwell let out another heavy sigh before continuing his explanation.
“The Revolutionary Front's entire operation has been thrown into disarray. The officers who are supposed to issue orders have gone into hiding, so the organization is practically a disorganized mob right now. Still, they don't seem to have abandoned everything. Orders come down every now and then. I'm waiting for an opportunity to make contact with them.”
Roxwell briefly summarized what he had been doing until now.
The work performed by the Revolutionary Front's downtown branch was, for the most part, moderate.
Rescuing captured revolutionaries and recruiting new members.
Providing aid and relief to the poor and homeless.
Monitoring the Imperial Family and the nobility, then relaying information about their movements.
At the very least, this branch wasn't some group that went around committing acts of violence.
“The Revolutionary Front is fundamentally organized into separate cells. Each branch has its own assigned duties, and everyone focuses solely on their own work.”
“Is that why you came to this branch?”
“Well, that's not the only reason.”
Roxwell fell silent, apparently turning something over in his mind.
After a moment, he let out a quiet sigh and spoke almost bitterly.
“These people are just… idiots. Complete fools who don't have even the smallest shred of suspicion in them. I couldn't exactly stand by and watch what happened to them. At the very least, these aren't people who go around ruining other people's lives.”
Ex was privately surprised.
He hadn't expected words like that to come out of Roxwell's mouth.
Roxwell should have hated the Revolutionary Front more than almost anyone.
‘You can't hold every single one of them equally responsible, huh…’
Beatrice's words had certainly made some sense.
When Ex had glanced around earlier, he had even seen children living here.
There hadn't been so much as a shadow of misery on their faces.
“But this is only temporary.”
Ex refused to be optimistic.
“Once the Revolutionary Front begins operating in earnest, every person here will be executed too. We have to prevent that outcome, if nothing else.”
“…I know. That's why we have to strike the leadership.”
“Do you have any way to make contact with them?”
“Not yet. Unless they choose to contact us first…”
That was when it happened.
“Sword of the Revolution! May I come in? It's urgent!”
Someone knocked on the door to the private room.
Judging from the voice, it was Simon.
“Come in.”
As soon as Roxwell gave permission, Simon stepped inside with a single sheet of paper in his hand.
One look at Simon's expression was enough to tell that something serious had happened.
“We've received word from the Leader! It's a ‘Grand Assembly’! Tomorrow night at ten! The meeting point is in front of the Pollon District hideout!”
Grand Assembly.
There was only one thing that could mean.
“Every member of the Revolutionary Front has been ordered to assemble!”
Every revolutionary in the organization would be gathering in one place.
By pure coincidence, it was exactly the opportunity Ex and Roxwell had been waiting for.
—
Dusk settled over Elyon Academy,
and with the Tournament preliminaries over, it was finally time to rest.
With the weekend just around the corner, students had gathered in little groups here and there, each enjoying their break in their own way.
“He ran off somewhere without me. Again.”
Lola, one of those students, was currently in a very bad mood.
She grumbled with a sullen expression, her cheeks practically puffed out in irritation.
“Kidnapped? There's no way. Knowing him, that has to be part of some plan too. He's definitely doing something behind our backs again!”
“Hmm…”
Circe, who was listening beside her, felt a tiny stab of guilt.
It was painfully obvious who Lola was talking about.
“That commoner's been way too cold to me lately! Don't you think so? I don't care how busy he is, he couldn't even contact me once! That's just cruel!”
“Umm…”
Circe, who had actually met Ex recently, had no good response to that.
The entire reason she was sticking close to Lola right now was because Ex had asked her to.
But now that Circe thought about it, she had complaints of her own.
“Come to think of it… Ex really hasn't been paying much attention to any of us lately.”
“Exactly! We're his friends and his companions! Fine, I can accept that he doesn't see me as a woman, even if it seriously pisses me off! But if something happens, shouldn't he at least be able to talk to us about it?!”
“He doesn't see you as a woman?”
Circe could let everything else slide, but for some strange reason, that particular sentence was impossible to ignore.
“I'm telling you, he doesn't! Ugh, now I'm getting mad all over again! He always treats me like some little kid! I'm a full-grown adult now!”
In this world, seventeen was considered adulthood.
Of course, that standard meant absolutely nothing to Ex.
“As a woman, huh.”
Circe slowly looked Lola up and down.
Even with the most generous interpretation imaginable, it was difficult to call her an ‘adult.’
Then Circe glanced down at herself.
If anything, she was fairly similar to Lola. She certainly had no advantage worth mentioning.
“Now I'm suddenly getting angry too.”
“Right, Circe?! What are we supposed to be, decorations he leaves sitting in the corner?!”
“Do you have some sort of plan in mind?”
Lola lowered her voice and whispered with the solemn expression of someone preparing herself for a great battle.
“Let's follow him.”
“How?”
“I'll give orders to the Mage Corps that came here with Father. They're the best trackers in the entire Empire. They're even better than the Imperial pursuit squads. Besides, I'm the Supreme Commander's daughter.”
“If Count Lemercier catches you doing that, I don't think you'll get away with just a scolding. If this goes badly, the whole Academy could be thrown into chaos.”
“At worst, I'll probably get grounded or something. Father's going back to the front once the Grand Festival ends anyway. As soon as he's gone, being grounded won't mean anything. So? What do you think?”
“I certainly can't recommend it. That said…”
Circe also considered Lola's safety her highest priority.
But safety was ultimately just a matter of having enough strength to deal with whatever happened.
And, conveniently enough, Circe had recently acquired equipment on the level of a national treasure.
She also had Paison's Leap, which she'd obtained from the Ancient Ruins.
No matter what happened, Circe was confident she could protect Lola.
Lola herself was a powerful mage, and she had Iris's shield protecting her.
In that case, there was only one possible conclusion.
“As Lady Lola's close friend, I will simply remain by her side. And should any incidents or accidents occur along the way, I will merely assist her in resolving them.”
“…Now that's my friend.”
After saying that, Lola suddenly remembered something, and her expression darkened for a moment.
She recalled the contents of a recent report sent by the Blue Moon Mage Corps.
‘Target located, but suppression failed. Target escaped.’
The emotion she'd felt when she read those words, suppression failed.
Ironically enough, it had been relief.
“Lady Lola?”
Circe looked at her with concern when she saw her expression darken.
Lola immediately shook her head and pushed the thought away.
“Mm, it's nothing. Anyway, let's get ready. I refuse to let that commoner be the only one running around having all the fun.”
“Once we're prepared, let's meet back here.”
“Perfect! The Freemasons' secret society is officially in action!”
‘Freemasons' secret society?’
Circe had questions, but decided not to think too hard about it.
Whatever Lola called it, Circe had no intention of simply leaving Ex to whatever he was doing.
—
At the exact same time, in the Academy dormitory. Rosaria's room.
“They say he got kidnapped.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
Rosaria was rolling lazily around on the dorm room bed when Diana, who was sitting on the floor inspecting her arrows, gave a curt reply.
Irritated by how indifferent she sounded, Rosaria suddenly shrieked.
“I SAID HE GOT KIDNAPPED!!!”
SNAP-!
“Hey! You made me snap an arrow! Why the hell are you screaming like that!!”
“Ah, sorry. Hehehe.”
“Seriously… So what? If he got kidnapped, then he got kidnapped.”
“Do you really think he was actually kidnapped?”
“Don't know. Don't care.”
That was what Diana said, but the truth was that it bothered her too.
If Ex truly was a Hero, then there was no way he could be completely unrelated to them, the reincarnators.
No matter how she looked at it, there was a very high chance he was simply impersonating a Hero.
And yet the possibility of ‘what if’ refused to leave her mind.
“We are technically the senior Hero Party, after all.”
Rosaria, in particular, was overwhelmingly curious by nature.
She hadn't become a legendary thief for nothing.
“I'm seriously curious. My solar plexus still hurts where that bastard hit me, but I'm even more curious than I am pissed. What the hell is he hiding? And why is Circe cooperating with him?”
“…From what I've heard, he has some pretty deep ties to the Imperial Family too.”
“But this time, Lady Milia dragged Ex away, remember? Going, ‘How dare you repay the Imperial Family's grace like this~’ and everything.”
“That was probably an act. Think about it. Why would Lady Milia just happen to show up at exactly the right moment? And doesn't it seem strange that they arrested a supposed Hero with so few people? I don't care if she's the Sword of the Empire, they show up with a tiny group to arrest him, and then he gets kidnapped? That's…”
Diana abruptly froze mid-sentence and snapped her mouth shut.
Rosaria saw that and smiled like a cat who had just cornered a mouse.
“So you are curious.”
“…”
“Oh, look at you pretending you're not~ Pretending you don't care~”
“Fine! I'm curious too! Happy now?!”
Diana still hadn't forgotten what Ex had said to her in the Ancient Ruins.
‘Have you forgotten every rule of the Tressian Mountain Rangers?’
‘Arrows are supposed to fly at monsters, not people.’
‘If you broke the Rangers' rules, you should've cut your own bowstring.’
Of course it bothered her.
“That's exactly what I'm saying.”
Rosaria hopped off the bed and sat down across from Diana. Then she leaned forward with the gleeful smile of a little troublemaker.
“There's definitely something going on with Ex. Something big enough to make Circe cooperate with him. Well… honestly, I can't blame Circe for getting sick of Leon. What Leon did back then really wasn't okay.”
“I agree with you there… But what exactly are you suggesting?”
“With you and me, finding one person anywhere in the Empire is nothing. I'm the ears, and you're the eyes. Let's secretly track him down and figure out exactly what he's hiding. Then we can brag about it to Circe and tease her. We can go, ‘We know something you don't~’ I want to tell the Reincarnated Sage, ‘Some sage you are, you don't know anything~’ just once in my life.”
“And what are you going to do if Leon and Frey find out…?”
“When has getting into trouble ever stopped us before?”
“Like that's something to brag about… But, well…”
Diana gathered all the arrows she'd finished maintaining, slid them into her quiver, then slung both the quiver and her personal weapon, her bow, across her back.
“This is genuinely insane.”
Rosaria quickly equipped her own dedicated gear as well. It was a thief's set perfectly suited for moving through the darkness.
“Let's do it right now.”
Ex had overlooked one important fact.
He hadn't taken into account just how many eyes were already fixed on him.
He still thought of himself as nothing more than an Extra.
But he had long since passed the point where anyone could reasonably call him one.
Ex had already been swept into the middle of a vast current.
Lola, Circe, Rosaria, Diana, and others besides them…
He had become important enough to drive all of them into taking unexpected action.
–TL Notes–
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