The demons’ conversation had left behind plenty of clues.
‘They said Andras wasn’t there.’
The demons in the Revolutionary Front hadn’t been able to meet Andras.
Considering they addressed Andras with that much respect, there was no question they were subordinates.
‘The Grand Assembly was a trap meant for Roxwell from the very beginning.’
A trap designed to kill a 7-Star martial artist was nothing to scoff at. They had undoubtedly prepared something powerful enough to match him.
‘They said Demonization hasn’t taken place at the downtown branch.’
Which, conversely, meant Demonization had already taken place at the other branches. Ex still needed to figure out exactly what that meant.
‘The problem is, I still don’t know what kind of trap it is…’
Ex lay on the bed, lost in thought.
Thanks to the Revolutionary Front treating him like a hero, he had been given a room all to himself. At least that allowed him to think in peace.
‘They couldn’t carry out Demonization at the downtown branch? What does that mean?’
Ex’s thoughts naturally returned to the word Demonization.
There was only one thing Demonization could mean.
‘They turned the members… all of them into demons?’
It was a possibility he didn’t even want to consider.
The Revolutionary Front numbered at least a thousand people in total.
There was no way every last one of them had become a demon.
‘…Even if it wasn’t Demonization, they did something.’
There was also what he’d seen in Darius’s documents.
And the situation Simon had described, along with all the clues he’d given him.
It was an utterly horrifying possibility, but…
‘I still need to prepare for it…’
There was still time.
He could take care of the rest after things started moving. It wouldn’t be too late then.
With that, Ex surrendered his consciousness to the drowsiness quietly creeping over him.
—
“How does it look, Diana?”
“I can’t see much, Rosaria.”
Every city had at least one tall spire.
And at the very tip of one such spire, two women were performing the absurd feat of balancing on their toes.
Rosaria had her eyes closed, listening intently, while Diana narrowed her eyes and scanned their surroundings.
“Doesn’t look like I’m going to pick up anything useful by sound.”
Rosaria gave up concentrating and let out a faint sigh.
For the moment, there were no clues to be found through sound.
Instead, she turned her attention to analyzing the traces they had discovered so far.
“The tracks from that magic-powered car Ex was riding in were insane. Scratches everywhere, things smashed apart all over the place… Those were definitely signs of a fight, right?”
“No question. There were aura traces and sword marks. It was a pretty vicious fight, too. I’d say at least two 7-Star martial artists were involved.”
“Are there any other 7-Stars in the Empire besides Milia?”
“Who knows? There are plenty of monsters hiding their strength. What we do know is that another 7-Star powerhouse rescued Ex.”
“Then should we go back to the scene first?”
The two leaped lightly from the top of the spire.
As they skimmed across the rooftops, one moved like a cat while the other seemed almost like a bird.
With bodies that light and agile, it took them no time at all to reach the scene.
“So this is where the first clash happened.”
It was the spot where the magic-powered car had lost control and started hurtling through the streets.
“And this is where the two 7-Star martial artists fought.”
It was where Milia had smashed through the car door and leaped outside.
“And this is where somebody else jumped into the fight.”
Diana spoke while pointing to a set of footprints on the ground.
“This is the part that doesn’t make sense. The footprints suddenly get much deeper here. Almost like this person abruptly got heavier.”
“Could that mean they picked something up and started running?”
“Probably. And that something was… most likely Ex.”
It was where Simon had rescued Ex and hoisted him onto his back.
Simon’s footprints continued toward the city alleyways.
Anyone could tell they were the suspicious traces of someone fleeing the scene.
“Great, let’s follow them!”
“Yaaawn… I’m so sleepy I could die.”
Tracking someone was easy for the two of them.
It didn’t matter how cleverly their target twisted and doubled back, changed the shape of his footprints, or even ran along walls from time to time.
Once these two started tracking someone, there was no escaping them.
And just before they reached the end of the trail.
Shudderrrrr…!
“Diana, stop…!”
Rosaria’s entire body broke out in goosebumps, and she immediately stopped Diana.
Diana knew exactly why.
“…There’s something there.”
“Someone insanely strong. Probably 7-Star… They’ve spread their senses all around the area. If we get even a little closer, they’ll notice us immediately.”
Rosaria’s danger-sensing instincts had been honed to the absolute limit.
That was what kept the two of them from entering Roxwell’s sensory range.
They backed away and moved somewhere safer, where Rosaria broke into a mischievous grin.
“…That settles it. That bastard’s definitely here. Which means it won’t be long before we get to mess with Circe! Hehehe!”
“Haa… Just find us somewhere to sleep. I’ll go get the sleeping bags.”
“Grab mine toooo~”
And so, the two of them settled down not far from the Revolutionary Front’s downtown branch hideout.
—
— Ex…
‘…A dream?’
He could hear someone calling his name.
It was a woman’s voice.
— Ex… careful… trap…
The small, faint voice was trying to warn him about something.
‘A trap…? Is she talking about the Grand Assembly?’
— Demon… Be… tourna… identity…
No.
This was something completely different.
Even when he tried piecing together the fragments he could hear, they made no sense.
More importantly, he had absolutely no idea who this woman was.
‘Who are you?’
It wasn’t a question he actually expected an answer to.
Yet, to his surprise, the other party responded.
— My name is…
Just as the presence was about to answer.
「Do not interfere.」
Someone cut her off.
At the exact same moment, Ex heard another sound.
Snap-!
It was unmistakably the sound of someone snapping their fingers.
—
「Mmmnya… Sir Ex… I’m first… hehe…」
“…What a stupid dream.”
When Ex woke up, he could hear Beatrice talking in her sleep.
Apparently the woman’s voice in his dream had been Beatrice.
He had the vague feeling someone else had spoken after that, but he couldn’t remember what they had said.
‘That’s dreams for you…’
He checked the time.
Five in the morning.
Thanks to Roxwell’s training, waking up at exactly the same time every day had become a habit. It was practically a cursed biological clock.
Bang-
“Ex, how long are you planning to lie around sleeping? It’s time to train.”
Sure enough, Roxwell opened the door and appeared.
What came out of his mouth immediately made Ex recoil in horror.
“Master, do we seriously have to train even in a situation like this? Lady Beatrice is still sleeping too…”
“What’s the point of living if a martial artist doesn’t train? Quit whining and get ready. You can take off that ring with the Imperial Princess’s soul in it for a while.”
“If she finds out I took the ring off, she’ll cry her eyes out and make a huge scene…”
“That sounds like your problem. Nothing to do with me.”
And so began the day of the Grand Assembly.
With no other choice, Ex removed the ring and endured two hours of Roxwell’s hellish training for the first time in quite a while.
The moment he returned and put the ring back on, Beatrice started wailing as though the world were ending, forcing him to spend about an hour calming her down.
It was only around eight that the other members began waking up one by one and going about their day.
“Morning roll call!”
At Simon’s shout, everyone gathered for roll call at nine.
“All 51 members present. No issues…”
Once roll call ended, everyone scattered to handle their assigned duties.
Ex called Simon into his private room.
There was something he needed to discuss before the Grand Assembly.
Naturally, Roxwell was there as well.
“What is it, Hero?”
“We need to discuss the Grand Assembly.”
Ex told Simon the conclusion he had reached after spending nearly the entire previous day thinking it over.
“I’m going to choose the people who attend the Grand Assembly separately.”
“What?!”
The decision left Simon stunned.
“Why? Everyone is supposed to participate in the Grand Assembly. More importantly, ignoring the Leader’s orders would be a little…”
“I know. I understand that puts you in a difficult position.”
But this wasn’t something Ex could compromise on either.
Most of the people at this branch were children or ordinary civilians.
There was no way he could fight properly while protecting all of them from whatever trap awaited them at the Grand Assembly.
“I don’t believe the situation is nearly as favorable as it looks. I’m currently a fugitive after attempting to rebel against the Empire. The imperial pursuit forces must be searching for me with everything they have.”
“Ah, don’t tell me…”
“Yes. If something as large as the Grand Assembly takes place, there’s a good chance the Empire’s surveillance network will notice. We’re very likely to run into the Imperial Guard or the Imperial Knight Order.”
The Imperial Guard and the Imperial Knight Order would definitely come.
Because Ex had already passed the situation along to Milia.
She would undoubtedly arrive with everything she could muster, fully prepared for battle.
Which meant all Ex needed were enough capable fighters to hold out against the demons’ attack until Milia arrived.
“There’ll still be time for everyone else to join us after we know it’s safe. So I only intend to take a small number of people who can actually fight. That way, if something goes wrong, we can retreat immediately.”
“…The others are going to object strongly. They’ve all been waiting for the day the revolution finally begins, and now they’ll be told they can’t be there for it.”
“I’ll accept that. The revolution matters, but your lives and safety matter more. You only get one life.”
Simon fell into deep thought.
The Grand Assembly was the day of revolution every member of the Front had been waiting for.
But just as Ex had said, they couldn’t simply ignore the danger.
There was only one conclusion Simon could reach.
“Understood. Then I’ll select people who can at least protect themselves. There’ll be objections, but if it comes from you, Hero, they’ll probably accept it.”
“Thank you for understanding, Simon. Oh, and make sure Barile is included. We’re definitely going to need her abilities.”
Simon left the room looking disappointed, yet somehow relieved at the same time. Apparently, he had been worried about this too.
Once only Ex and Roxwell remained, Roxwell spoke.
“No matter how I look at it, you’re a sucker.”
As naturally as breathing, Roxwell stabbed Ex exactly where it hurt.
Ex hid how deeply the comment struck and grumbled back.
“I made a rational decision. It’s better than trying to fight while protecting a bunch of people. You were thinking the same thing anyway, Master.”
“Listen to you making excuses. You just don’t want to watch people get hurt. You think I can’t tell? You stupidly softhearted sucker.”
“What’s wrong with taking precautions so nobody gets hurt…”
“I’m telling you not to make that decision for them.”
Roxwell sighed and sat down across from Ex.
“Listen carefully, disciple. Everyone has their own way of living. Their own life. And each person has to take responsibility for that life themselves. Their pain, their sorrow, their failures, all of it belongs to them. If you take those things away in the name of protecting them, that isn’t protection anymore. It’s overprotection.”
“…There are some kinds of pain people can’t handle. I think it’s only natural for someone who’s already been through it to stop others from suffering the same thing.”
“And how do you know they can’t handle it? You’re not a god. You’re just a nasty-looking student who happens to know a little about the future. There isn’t a single reason in the world for you to carry that kind of guilt.”
Roxwell’s words sank deep into Ex’s heart.
No.
More accurately, they touched something that had already been buried there.
“Take this.”
Roxwell tossed something to him.
“If your head’s a mess, drink this instead. You looked a hell of a lot better stumbling around drunk as a dog than you do right now.”
It was the same hard liquor they had drunk together before.
“I’m a lightweight, you know…”
Roxwell’s words naturally brought someone to mind.
Lola.
The girl Ex had been unconsciously keeping at a distance ever since his conversation with Count Lemercier.
He hadn’t told Lola anything about what was currently happening because he knew how dangerous things were about to become.
There was only one reason.
At some point, Ex had started seeing his daughter in Lola.
The thought of watching Lola get hurt had become terrifying. So terrifying that if he lost someone again, he felt like his entire sense of self might collapse.
And so he had started keeping his distance, subtly pushing her away.
Without ever asking what Lola herself wanted.
‘No. That’s not true. I already know.’
Lola had already told him.
No matter what happened while she acted alongside him, it would be the result of her own decision, and she would take responsibility for the choice she made.
Ex had simply pretended not to hear her.
All because of the selfish thought that he didn’t want to lose her.
‘So Leon wasn’t the only person I owed an apology.’
Pop-
One sip.
Today was important, so he couldn’t afford to get completely drunk.
He would take just one sip for that burning kick of hard liquor.
Gulp, gulp.
The liquor punched him in the throat and went berserk in his stomach.
It felt as though it were pounding on his organs from the inside, telling him to get his head straight.
“Ugh… That really is strong. What’s the alcohol content on this stuff?”
“About forty percent, I think.”
‘That’s just vodka.’
Still, it did clear his head.
Clack-
Ex set the bottle back down on the table.
“I’ll drink the rest when I get back.”
He also needed to settle things properly with Lola’s father, Count Lemercier.
Convincing that hopelessly doting father wouldn’t be easy, but Ex couldn’t just ignore the issue and move on.
“Until then, I’ll just have to survive no matter what.”
For his own sake.
And for Lola’s.
—
“Where did they say this place was again? Ugh, seriously. Is this some kind of maze…?”
“Lady Lola, could I see the map again?”
Circe and Lola walked through the maze of alleyways in the middle of the city.
Around evening, they had received the Blue Moon Mage Corps’ report on the results of their pursuit.
Afterward, Lola had set out with Circe to follow Ex’s trail.
Since they were doing this behind the back of Count Lemercier, the Supreme Commander, they obviously couldn’t bring the Mage Corps along with them.
“It’s almost nine already… Are we sure he’s somewhere around here?”
“According to the map, we are heading in the right direction. It seems the streets around here don’t match the map perfectly, though. There are quite a few small differences.”
City alleyways were strange places.
A passage that had been open yesterday could suddenly be blocked by a mountain of crates today. It was practically a maze that rearranged itself.
If Circe hadn’t been with her, Lola would have gotten hopelessly lost ages ago.
“Why am I going through all this trouble because of that commoner?! Once I find him, I’m blasting him in the face with an explosion spell!”
“Hmm. I should probably start thinking about what I’m going to hit him with too.”
“Oh, right. Circe. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but you can just talk normally around me. It feels really weird hearing you speak so formally to me.”
“Should I? Then I’ll only speak formally when we’re in an official setting, Lola.”
“Wow. You adjusted fast…”
As they continued talking.
“Circe, look over there…”
No matter how badly she got lost or how unfamiliar the streets were, Lola had been born with absolute, godlike luck.
When Lola wanted something, the world itself seemed infinitely generous toward her, placing exactly what she desired right before her eyes.
Ironically, the only reason that luck had failed to show itself until now was because she had spent so much time beside the profoundly unlucky Ex.
And now that her luck finally had room to work, the world’s generosity granted Lola exactly what she wanted.
“…Those are the people we’re looking for, right?”
Lola pointed at something.
In the distance, a group of about ten people wearing red robes with their hoods pulled low were walking down the street.
“Hide…!”
The instant Circe saw them, she pulled Lola into hiding. At the same time, she cast a spell that completely suppressed their presence and any sound they made.
She had only caught a glimpse of it for an instant, but Circe had seen a certain emblem.
The symbol of a red flag.
“It’s the Revolutionary Front. And that person in front…”
“Found you, you damn commoner…!”
At the very front of the group was Ex.
–TL Notes–
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