Monday, 7:00 a.m.
Near the indoor training hall that had been converted into the Tournament arena.
Ex stood waiting there to meet Darius.
Right on the time they'd agreed upon, Darius and Milia appeared in the distance.
Ex gave Darius the proper greeting due an Imperial Prince, then casually struck up a conversation.
“Your Highness, shouldn't you get some sleep?”
“Hearing that from you suddenly makes me furious.”
“I'm genuinely worried about you.”
“One day, I will have my revenge. Until then, do me the favor of staying alive.”
The skin beneath Darius's golden eyes was completely dark when Ex saw him that morning.
Considering he'd been pulling all-nighters from Friday straight through Monday, that was only natural.
Even so, Darius somehow managed to maintain the dignity expected of an Imperial Prince. It was honestly impressive.
Darius rubbed at his tired eyes as he spoke.
“It was close, but… the ‘screening operation’ is complete.”
“You've worked hard. That couldn't have been easy…”
“There was no other choice. Not if we wanted to uncover as many hidden demons as possible…”
The screening operation was something only Darius, who possessed the strongest intelligence network in the Empire, could accomplish. When it came to both the thoroughness and speed of the work, no one else could imitate him, not even Circe, the Sage.
‘He seriously finished it before Monday… Is this guy even human? He's a walking biological computer…’
Ex knew exactly how absurd an achievement it was, so he could only marvel inwardly.
“Then let's see what kind of results we got.”
“This is the perfect time for it.”
Darius and Ex turned their attention toward the entrances to the Tournament arena.
There were four access points leading into the arena, and a long line stretched out from every single one.
Everyone wanted to get inside and watch the Tournament as quickly as possible, so naturally there were plenty of people irritated by the wait.
But not a single one dared voice their complaints.
“Keep the line orderly! This is an imperial command!”
“If you're caught cutting in line, you'd better be prepared for the consequences!”
“Nobles are no exception! Stay in line!”
The men guarding the entrances were none other than the Imperial Knight Order, backed by Darius's direct authority.
At every entrance, two or three Imperial Knights continuously checked the personal information of everyone trying to enter the arena.
“Name. No issues there… Purpose? Spectating…”
“Spectators use Entrance No. 2.”
“A student, I see. Are you competing? Use Entrance No. 1.”
The knights checked each person's name and purpose, then directed them through the entrance corresponding to their status.
Each access point had three separate entrances, but so far, not a single person had been sent through Entrance No. 3.
“No one's been caught yet.”
“We've only just started. We'll have to give it some time.”
And almost as if Ex's words had summoned it, they immediately got a reaction.
“Name. Balkanic Rolkan… Purpose? Spectating…”
The knight checking the man's information gave the faintest twitch of his eyes.
Standing before him was a spectator with the hood of his robe pulled low over his face.
Without changing his expression, the knight gave a perfectly natural order.
“Lower your hood. I need to confirm your face.”
“…”
The spectator named Balkanic carefully lowered his hood and revealed his face.
The knight studied him closely, added a separate mark to his checklist, then gave his next instruction.
“Use Entrance No. 3.”
The spectator pulled his hood back up and silently headed toward Entrance No. 3.
The moment they saw that, the gazes of Darius and Ex sharpened.
“…We caught one.”
“I checked him separately as well… There's no doubt.”
『Character Information
「Basic Information
Name: Balkanic Rolkan
Race: Demon
Special Traits: Possessing a Human」…』
Ex dismissed the system window and let a faint smile spread across his face.
“This is a good sign right from the start.”
“Let's hope it stays that way.”
The two quietly bumped fists in celebration.
Stage one of the trap operation was a complete success.
And it was all thanks to Darius finishing the screening operation on time.
* * *
Put simply, the ‘screening operation’ involved analyzing the movements and history of Imperial citizens to determine whether they were human or demon.
It was essentially the same thing Darius had once done to Ex when Ex got caught in his surveillance network and had every detail of his past exposed, except now it was being carried out on citizens throughout the Empire.
Of course, investigating every single Imperial citizen was impossible.
So Darius focused primarily on people who were especially likely to attend the Tournament.
“If we compare the dates of this year's Tournament preliminaries against the records of spectators from previous years, we can identify a great number of common patterns among those who attend. That drastically narrows the scope of the investigation.
Beyond that, there are nobles, various mercenary companies, knight orders from foreign nations… Famous people come to watch every year hoping to recruit talented students. It's an annual occurrence, so the information is reliable.”
Even after narrowing the field, the number of targets still reached into the thousands.
Yet after mobilizing the Empire's entire administrative apparatus and working through four consecutive nights, Darius had done it.
This wasn't something that could be accomplished through intelligence alone.
Uncovering a person's history was difficult.
Unless there were traces of how that person had lived, documents, records, evidence, there was simply no way to reconstruct it.
Ironically, however, ever since the incident five years ago, Darius had suffered from an extreme paranoia that made him suspicious of practically everyone.
That paranoia had taught him to trust the traces left in records more than the words spoken by people, and for five years, Darius had used the Empire's bureaucracy to hunt for the truth.
As a result, the political situation and broader movements of the Empire over the past several decades were now so deeply engraved in his mind that he could practically visualize them with his eyes closed.
“Everyone leaves traces behind as they live. Records of using gates or checkpoints, records from public facilities, purchases made at inns and shops, regular visits to churches… And those patterns rarely change drastically. Unless, of course, the person suddenly becomes someone else.”
Which meant there were only two things they needed to do.
First, identify as many people as possible who were likely to attend the Tournament.
Second, trace those people's normal patterns of life and search for anything abnormal.
“For example, suppose a devout follower of Deuslute suddenly stops attending church one day for no apparent reason. That's enough to warrant suspicion. Or suppose someone has no particular reason to attend the Tournament, yet their daily records have suddenly become strange as well. That would also be suspicious. We used every possible method available to determine whether someone might be human or demon. I aimed for a margin of error under five percent.”
And if they could distinguish between the two, only one thing remained.
Separate the demons from the humans.
That was stage one of the trap operation.
And it was the Core Objective of the screening operation.
“You really pulled off something ridiculous.”
“For the record, I listed you as the one who proposed this operation. If several hundred Imperial administrators who suffered through four days of sleepless overwork come to assassinate you, simply accept that your time has finally come.”
“…You're joking, right?”
Darius gave no answer.
A chill crawled down Ex's back for absolutely no reason.
The two entered the Tournament arena together with Milia.
With Imperial Prince Darius and Milia, the Sword of the Empire, traveling together, they were essentially given free passage.
After the three passed through Entrance No. 1, the entrance reserved for competitors, they felt a faint field of mana brush across their bodies.
This was where stage two of the trap operation began.
“This is going to work properly too, right?”
“Count Lemercier checked it repeatedly alongside his mage corps. With their skill, there's no reason to doubt it. That said, there's nothing we can do about people with heightened sensitivity to mana reacting badly to it. Fortunately, there aren't many people like that, so it's an acceptable drawback.”
The moment Ex stepped fully into the arena, he immediately understood what Darius meant.
Shiver-
Even Ex, whose Mana Sensitivity was only modest, could feel the dense concentration of mana against his skin.
The mana density inside the arena was so extraordinarily high that it exceeded anything he'd imagined.
“With mana this thick, I wouldn't even be able to tell what kind of magic was being activated around me.”
“If you want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest.”
“Right… Also, about the entrances. If you keep sending only demons through Entrance No. 3, they'll start getting suspicious.”
“I've already taken measures for that. The number assigned to the demon entrance changes periodically. Only the gatekeepers have been informed of the conditions. That part of the operation consumed a rather painful amount of our budget.”
In other words, at certain times Entrance No. 2 would perform the same function as Entrance No. 3, and at other times it would be Entrance No. 1.
That meant the magic placed over the entrances had to be continuously switched around.
There was no question the amount of Mana Crystals being consumed must be staggering.
“How much money did you pour into this? Mana Crystals aren't exactly cheap.”
“We have spent an amount equal to half the Imperial Knight Order's total annual operating budget allocated by the Imperial Treasury. Since this operation was proposed under your name, prepare yourself accordingly if officials from the Imperial Treasury come to assassinate you.”
“Please spare me…”
When it came to holding a grudge, Darius operated on an Imperial scale.
While they were making their way toward the competitors' waiting room, something suddenly occurred to Ex.
“Your Highness, what happened with that whole thing where the Imperial Family arrested me and dragged me away? People aren't really reacting when they see my face.”
“Look in a mirror. Do you honestly think anyone would look at you now and assume you're the same Hero they saw back then? We announced that the Commoner Hero was released after reaching several agreements with the Imperial Family.”
Considering Ex had been dressed from head to toe in extravagant treasures during his speech, people really did seem unable to recognize his face.
Only students from the Academy occasionally flinched when they saw him.
“…I think my face looks pretty decent, actually…”
“Milia, did you hear that? He says his own face isn't half bad.”
“I believe I will refrain from commenting, Your Highness.”
Ex briefly considered glaring at Darius, then thought better of it.
Getting accused of disrespecting royalty over something this stupid would be an astronomical loss.
「I think Sir Ex is…!」
He barely managed to soothe his wounded heart with Beatrice's support.
“And the Chairman put in some effort for that.”
Darius pointed toward the Tournament bracket.
Sixteen groups.
Thirty-two competitors.
Every competitor's name was written on the bracket.
There were plenty of names Ex didn't recognize, but several familiar ones stood out immediately.
“Leon Brave. Of course he entered.”
“Leon was placed in Group 1, so he'll be fighting in the opening match. Everyone matched against him has been arranged to be reasonably strong.”
Ex's gaze traveled all the way down to the bottom of the bracket, Group 16.
The final nameplate had ‘Ex’ written on it.
“My name's all the way at the bottom?”
“That way, if both you and Leon win every match, you'll meet in the finals without any unexpected complications. The competitors on your side are relatively weak, so you can rest easy.”
“A rigged bracket. I like it.”
“You truly have no sense of shame…”
“It's all for the peace and security of the Empire.”
Ex went over the bracket once more, checking for any additional variables.
In the original story, Leon had been the only member of the Hero Party to participate.
Diana and Rosaria rarely got involved in anything unless it interested them personally.
Circe disliked the very idea of turning magic, an academic discipline devoted to the pursuit of truth, into some kind of spectacle.
As for Frey, she would simply pray for Leon and cheer him on from a distance.
‘Circe said she'd stay with Lola, so obviously she wouldn't enter…’
Still, now that the scenario had gone off course, there were bound to be changes.
With that thought in mind, Ex continued scanning the bracket until another familiar name caught his eye.
“So you're competing too, Your Highness…”
Darius had made it all the way to the finals in the original story, so Ex had already expected to see him.
Darius was placed in Group 8.
That put him in position to face Leon in the semifinals.
“It would've been better to put you somewhere below Group 9…”
Darius was going to lose to Leon anyway.
Knowing that made Ex feel strangely bitter.
He didn't particularly want to watch Darius lose to Leon.
If that was going to happen, Ex would almost rather rig the match outright. It would certainly be easier on his conscience.
“Ex. I intend to fight seriously, and I intend to win.”
Darius suddenly spoke in a grave voice.
“It may interfere with the operation, but I have my pride as well. Not as an Imperial Prince, but as a martial artist. I want to be able to stand proudly before my family, my friends, and my brothers.”
「Brother…」
Ex knew Darius meant every word.
Darius genuinely intended to defeat Leon and advance to the finals.
And even if he ended up facing Ex there, he would fight with everything he had.
“Your foresight must already contain the outcome of this Tournament. But I don't care. I will give everything I have, and I will accept whatever result follows. If I don't, I know I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Just this once, I would like you to indulge my selfishness.”
Darius wasn't asking as an Imperial Prince.
He was asking as a martial artist.
If Ex told him no, Darius really would withdraw from the Tournament.
As an Imperial Prince, he was obligated to place the Empire above everything else.
“What could possibly go wrong?”
Ex gave him a faint smile.
“Go smash everyone in your way and make it all the way to the finals. An Imperial Prince and the Commoner Hero meeting in the championship match sounds pretty spectacular, doesn't it? Leon will be watching too, so there shouldn't be any problem.”
At Ex's shameless confidence, Darius allowed a faint smile of his own.
“…Hmph. You'd better not make some stupid mistake and get eliminated before then.”
“Of course not.”
A strange but firm resolve passed between the two of them.
Milia watched the exchange from beside them, privately pleased by how much Darius had grown.
Watching over the growth of the Imperial Prince she had protected since his childhood from the closest possible place was the one privilege reserved for the Captain of the Imperial Guard.
No other knight would ever see Darius wearing such a genuinely masculine smile.
‘You met under the worst circumstances imaginable, yet now you've become irreplaceable friends and brothers. Your Highness. Ex.’
Thinking about it that way, it truly was a strange bond.
“This is merely personal curiosity, but what happened in your foresight? How did the Tournament end? Did Leon ultimately win?”
“What's the point of worrying about something that isn't even going to happen anymore? My foresight has been wrong for a long time now.”
“That, for once, is a fair point.”
Just then, a deafening cheer erupted from the Tournament arena.
The Tournament had begun.
And Leon's match was underway.
There was no need to watch.
Leon won.
* * *
There were many demons secretly operating throughout the Dritania Empire.
Some of them had even possessed the bodies of nobles.
Under normal circumstances, one such demon should have been carrying out a plan to throw the Empire into chaos under orders from a superior demon.
The problem was that the identity of that superior demon had been exposed.
The plan was suspended, and the demon was forced into hiding.
A loyal demon who placed great importance on following orders, he had quietly remained in hiding ever since, simply because he had received no further instructions.
Which was why he had never imagined something like this would happen.
“L-Lady Andras… Why are you doing this to me…?”
Baron Ropatella.
Seris, the 70th-Ranked Demon.
He could not understand the situation he had found himself in.
Andras, the superior demon who had always given him his orders.
She had suddenly appeared and attacked him.
‘How did it come to this…!’
The moment Andras appeared and began her assault, Seris had immediately mobilized every soldier in his territory.
Human soldiers under his command, mercenaries, everyone available.
He ordered them all to subdue Andras.
Andras was not a demon known for overwhelming combat ability.
So he had assumed they would be able to suppress her quickly.
The reality was completely different.
“Why won't a single attack hit her…?!”
Every available soldier in the territory attacked Andras.
Yet none of their attacks so much as grazed her.
Instead, their attacks struck one another.
Combined with Andras's Gravity Magic, it turned into a completely one-sided massacre.
Andras gazed down at Seris crawling beneath her feet and smiled in sheer delight.
“Your ability really is extraordinarily useful, Berith.”
“So you've completely abandoned the respect you're supposed to show a higher-ranking demon.”
A man with jet-black hair and eyes like a bottomless abyss appeared behind Andras.
Berith, the Demon of Lies.
Ting— Ting— Ting-
As always, Berith watched everything with the same profoundly bored expression.
He was apparently so uninterested that he occupied himself by repeatedly flicking a gold coin into the air and catching it.
The coin had the figure of a human stamped onto its surface.
Andras found the sight deeply irritating, but she had no choice but to acknowledge the usefulness of Berith's power.
“So this is the power of ‘lies’… If you can't see through it, then of course you'll be helpless even with your eyes wide open.”
“I didn't lend you my power so you could stand there admiring it. Do what you came here to do, Andras.”
The reason every attack aimed at Andras missed was entirely due to Berith's ability.
If Berith desired it, he could make any attack completely incapable of reaching its intended target.
He could even redirect those attacks back at their originators, causing them to destroy themselves.
Seris's defeat had been inevitable from the beginning.
“Why are you doing this, Lady Andras…?! If you wanted the plan carried out, you only had to give me the order…! So why?!”
Seris demanded to know why Andras had betrayed him.
Andras looked down at him as if he were nothing more than an insect.
“Because you're weak and useless. Look at you. Every soldier under your command attacked me, and not one of them managed to leave so much as a scratch. Why would I ever entrust a plan to creatures this pathetic?”
“You damned traitor…!!!!”
“Go to hell, Seris.”
Splat-!
Andras dragged one finger downward, and her Gravity Magic crushed Seris's head until it burst.
For a demon who had been preparing a plan capable of plunging the entire Empire into danger, his end was astonishingly pathetic.
Leaving the corpse behind, Andras walked toward the object Seris had been guarding with his life.
At the end of a staircase descending into a hidden underground chamber.
There lay the object Andras had come for.
“So this is the corrupted holy relic.”
A holy relic enshrined in a sanctuary of Deuslute.
The cross of ‘Johannes,’ the Saintess from a hundred years ago.
There was only one problem.
The bust of Deuslute had been hideously twisted into the shape of a demon, and the Cross of Johannes, once a sacred relic, now radiated wickedness instead of holiness.
“I see… Corrupting a holy relic and infusing it with a powerful curse. The idea and the craftsmanship are both rather impressive.”
The instant Andras, a demon, took hold of the corrupted holy relic, her demonic power grew even stronger.
If an ordinary human were to hold this relic, they would most likely become a demon almost instantly.
Of course, Andras hadn't come here simply because she wanted to become stronger.
Berith watched her from behind, still flicking the coin from his finger and catching it as he spoke.
“Only one task remains now, Andras. We don't have much time. This isn't the moment to take things slowly.”
“If you're in such a hurry, do it yourself. What a disgraceful demon for someone carrying the title of 28th rank.”
“Regrettably, I have no direct combat ability. When a task requires force, it's far more efficient to leave it to people with more than enough strength to spare.”
“…If you weren't my collaborator, I'd kill you right now.”
“You're welcome to try whenever you'd like. With your power, I'm sure you could kill me.”
What an absurd lie.
Andras made no move to attack Berith.
Berith was a demon who had climbed all the way to 28th rank without possessing any direct combat ability whatsoever.
The moment she attacked him, there was no doubt that same attack would somehow come right back at her.
For now, she would use Berith's power to complete the plan.
Once everything was over, she would betray him first and kill him.
“That's everything. We've gathered everything we need.”
Andras's burning gaze turned toward the Academy within the Empire.
Only one thing remained to be done.
“I'll open a Hellgate in this Empire.”
First, she would turn the Empire itself into hell.
And for that purpose, she had secured the Cross of Johannes, which would serve as both the key and the medium for the Hellgate.
“I can't trust anyone anymore.”
After being betrayed again and again, Andras could no longer trust anyone.
She had even killed one of her own loyal subordinates with her own hands.
From now on, she intended to do everything herself.
Andras turned away and began walking toward some unknown destination.
Berith glanced after her and muttered under his breath.
“What a fool. She doesn't even know what she has in her own hands. No wonder she keeps getting betrayed.”
Berith tossed the coin he'd been playing with into the corrupted sanctuary and followed after Andras.
At some point, the gold coin had already turned into a worthless scrap of base metal.
Stamped into its surface was the figure of a demon.
–TL Notes–
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