Stirrings

Gil sat alone at the counter of a tavern on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.

A fair number of patrons occupied the tables, but none spared a glance at the man in his plain clothes. Gil tilted his cheap tankard and drank his ale, though his face showed no signs of intoxication.

Taverns were gathering places for information. All sorts of people came through, and it wasn't rare for someone to let slip secrets they shouldn't amid the haze of drink. For an information gatherer like Gil, it was ideal.

"So anyway, this big-shot knight…"

"At that brothel, there's this girl named Ketti…"

"Down south, the heavy rains have been going on for days…"

Another bust today.

Gil sighed as he filtered through the information reaching his ears. This tavern kept him well-informed about matters within the Empire, but news from foreign lands—especially the Holy Kingdom—was almost nonexistent.

Guess I'll need to work my connections to get foreign intel. Maybe I should reach out to a merchant acquaintance.

Gil pondered this as he took another sip of his drink.

Gil could hold his liquor; he never let himself drown in it. He hadn't truly been drunk since his homeland fell. Still, his thoughts slowed just a little, the world seeming to move in slow motion. He didn't dislike the feeling.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

When he happened to look up, someone was sitting in the seat next to him—a seat that had been empty just moments ago.

Gil's eyes widened in surprise at the figure.

"Bloom…?"

A girl utterly out of place in a tavern sat perched on the tall stool. She regarded him with her usual sour expression.

"How's the information gathering going?"

"… How'd you know I was here?"

She really is impossible to read. Gil felt a chill run down his spine as he took another drink.

"Barkeep. Same as him."

"No can do, little miss. We're a tolerant establishment, but I couldn't show my face in public if word got out I served liquor to a young girl."

"…"

Bloom had tried to order a drink like it was second nature, only to freeze up when the bartender refused her. True, she carried herself with an air that rivaled any adult, but she clearly didn't look old enough to drink.

Can't tell if she's sharp or just clueless, Gil thought, eyeing her with exasperation.

Having eventually settled for a glass of water, Bloom spoke to him while facing forward.

"You won't find any Holy Kingdom intel here."

"… Yeah, I know. I was just thinking about trying a different approach."

Hearing this, Bloom gave a small nod and pulled a memo from inside her clothes.

"Contact this man."

The memo contained concise information about a merchant—name, occupation, address, and the taverns he frequented.

"A merchant who travels to and from the Holy Kingdom? Appreciate it, but how'd you find out about him?"

"Secret."

The girl's expression didn't change at all.

Still can't read her, Gil thought uneasily.

He knew from their many interactions that she possessed surprisingly human emotions. Yet she would occasionally reveal something unfathomable, and those moments still sent a shiver of dread through him.

"In exchange, if you contact him and get the information, I want you to tell me the location of Arel."

"Huh?"

"Information I need. Please."

For her to make a request like this was genuinely rare. Gil decided to probe a little.

"What do you need the town's location for?"

"There's something I need to do."

Even more tight-lipped than usual. Another secret, no doubt.

Gil sighed and offered some advice.

"I told you before—don't do anything that'll make Fren sad. Though I suppose telling you is pointless…"

"… I understand."

That's unexpected.

When Gil looked at Bloom, her gaze was fixed on something far away. Something must have shifted inside her.

Finding this side of her unusual, Gil downed his drink in one gulp. Tonight's buzz felt more pleasant than usual.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

Finally, I had some time alone to settle down. Rowdy company was fine and all, but I preferred this—easier to relax and get my thoughts in order.

Now then, with Wall—the boss of Volume 1—defeated, let me sort out the events from Volume 2 that are coming up.

The Black Priest who appears in Volume 2… setting aside her personal abilities, I really should intervene in the events she causes.

That arc is one of Sourai's most depressing, infuriating events.

As a devoted OTP shipper who doesn't want to see my favorites' faces clouded with sorrow, I want to crush this event. No—I absolutely will crush it.

Which means I have to go.

To the Holy Kingdom—the Last Boss's home turf, enemy headquarters.

Thanks to Gil's help, I now know the location of my destination: Arel.

All that's left is for me to charge in.

But before that, there's one hurdle I need to overcome.

… Man, this is weighing on me.

But well, Gil did tell me "Don't make Fren cry"…

 

＊　＊　＊

 

"Fren, we need to talk."

I steeled myself and called out to her.

"Yes, what is it?"

Fren responded in her usual cheerful manner.

"I'm thinking of going out for a few days."

Hearing my words, Fren sounded surprised.

"To hear such words from you, Bloom… Where to?"

"The Holy Kingdom."

"… Could it be that you're planning to investigate the Vanguard Church on your own?"

Fren's eyes sharpened. More worried than angry, from the looks of it.

"I don't intend to engage directly with the Church this time."

If my calculations are correct, this should wrap up with virtually zero combat.

I'm just going to kidnap someone, that's all.

"I'm not entirely sure I can believe that…"

Fren still didn't seem to trust my words. Just what would it take to earn her trust…?

I nearly clutched my head in frustration, but apparently she had no intention of pressing further.

"But very well. Since you've gone to the trouble of telling me beforehand, I won't try to stop you… Just please try to avoid danger, alright?"

"I'll try."

Hearing my response, Fren fixed me with a suspicious look that clearly said "Really now?"

Where does this lack of trust come from…?

 

＊　＊　＊

 

"Report your mission progress, Black Priest 'Criminal.'"

In the basement of the great cathedral, Milady—Archbishop and the last surviving vampire—addressed the crystal ball before her. The ancient magical artifact enabled communication across vast distances.

That said, Milady despised humans, so there were very few she would deign to speak with directly. She had never once conversed with the Black Priest Wall, whom she had recently dispatched on a mission, right up until his very end. Any devout believer would see through the fact that Milady, the Archbishop, held no actual faith—and they would see through it instantly.

"Yeah, yeah. I've spotted the targets you specified, Your Excellency. But this ain't gonna be easy. That Gil guy is crazy cautious. Getting close from the front or from behind both look tough."

The woman speaking through the crystal ball hardly looked like a priestess.

Her black clerical robes hung disheveled. A large tongue piercing glinted. Gaudy chain bracelets in poor taste adorned her wrists.

Her hair appeared to be dyed—other colors peeked through the red.

"What a pathetic report. The notorious Criminal's reputation weeps. Using every means necessary to achieve your objective is supposed to be your forte, is it not?"

"Sure, if you don't care whether they're alive or dead, I've got plenty of ways to get it done. But you're the one who slapped on that annoying 'capture them alive' condition, Your Excellency."

Even having faced Rio and the others—who had previously repelled Wall—Criminal didn't believe for a second that she would lose.

Criminal held the rank of Third among the Black Priests, rated lower than Wall. Certainly, in a straight fight, she would be defeated easily. However, killing humans wasn't particularly difficult if you weren't picky about methods.

Criminal was a specialist in dirty work.

"Bringing back 'Time Reversal,' the 'Awakened One,' and 'White Fog Death' alive? That's asking the impossible—I told you that from the start, didn't I? C'mon, can't I just kill at least one of 'em?"

"As I said, just capture any one of them alive and bring them into the Holy Kingdom. The others will follow on their own."

Criminal complained freely to Milady, the supreme authority of the Holy Kingdom. Yet Milady responded with mere exasperation, showing no trace of anger.

"Nah, see, that kinda plan usually ends with accidentally killing the hostage during the grab. You gotta either change the premise or gimme more people to work with."

"Hmm."

Milady placed a hand on her chin and began to think. If Criminal said it was impossible after her analysis, then probably no one could accomplish it.

"Besides, why don't you just do it yourself, Your Excellency? You're the strongest in the world, aren't ya?"

Criminal spoke half-jokingly.

To her, Milady's Soullight—capable of wielding such diverse abilities—appeared to be the strongest in the world.

The power that had made Criminal, once at the pinnacle of the underworld, prostrate herself before Milady in an instant.

Criminal didn't know that the true nature of that power was Seizure.

Regardless, Milady was lost in thought and didn't register Criminal's joke.

"Very well. I shall devise a plan. Wait until the next full moon. Until then, continue monitoring 'Time Reversal.'"

"Ooh! As expected of the Archbishop! So, what about my reward?"

"I know, I know. Ten healthy women, yes? I shall send them to the 'Serpent of Depravity.'"

"Make sure they're virgins! Those guys won't be satisfied unless it's their first time. I keep telling 'em it doesn't matter since they're gonna kill 'em after anyway, but nope."

"I am well aware. Spare me your lot's petty fixations."

Having confirmed everything, Milady ended the call.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

Three days later, on the night of the full moon, Milady opened the door to the "Storage" in the basement.

Inside the Storage stood several containers, each roughly one meter to a side. Without exception, they were filled with a pale purple liquid, and inside each floated a human with severed limbs.

Arms and legs had been cleanly severed at the base, yet there was no bleeding—as if the bodies had always been this way.

It resembled the sight of humans displaying formaldehyde-preserved animals on exhibit.

"The 'Fortune Teller' is… this one. He has probably lost much of his flavor compared to fifty years ago."

Milady removed one container from the Storage and carried it outside.

Inside was a human male. His limbs had been severed, and some incomprehensible device was attached to his mouth.

—Yet he was alive. The light had long since left his eyes, and he lacked the muscle to move his body. His sanity had crumbled ages ago.

Being kept alive was more accurate than living.

He had been kept alive solely for this moment—for Milady to drink his lifeblood.

Milady bared her fangs and sank them into his pallid neck.

The man who had hovered near death for fifty years perished the instant his blood was drained.

Then Milady's red eyes began to glow brilliantly.

Proof that her Soullight—Seizure—had activated.

The power to wield the Soullight of those she killed by drinking their blood.

She slowly extended her hand and activated the Fortune Teller's Soullight.

"… O moon, reveal unto me the future."

A power that allowed her to temporarily glimpse the future, but only on full moon nights.

Milady's vision shifted for just an instant.

A full moon night. A fog-shrouded town. A figure within.

A delicate frame that might vanish if you looked away. Silver hair that could blend into the white fog. A massive scythe utterly mismatched to her small body.

At the vision of the future, Milady couldn't help but smile.

"Kaka. Like a moth to the flame, as they say. How amusing. —With this, I may be able to add 'White Fog Death' to my Storage."

 

＊　＊　＊

 

"Laura. What do you think about your parents?"

Before setting out on my expedition to the Holy Kingdom, I posed this question to Laura.

Honestly, it was a rather insensitive thing to ask.

Laura had nearly been offered as a sacrifice by her own parents and had fled her hometown. She'd essentially been abandoned.

Asking such a question to a girl in that situation, wearing a poker face all the while, was cruel.

Sure enough, Laura's expression grew complicated when she heard my words.

Still, considering what lay ahead, she needed to face this question.

Ugh, my chest hurts…

After thinking for a while, Laura answered.

"Mom and Dad… I probably won't ever see them again, but they're precious to me."

"Do you want to see them?"

"It's not that I don't want to… but since I can't live with them anymore, maybe I don't want to…"

Laura murmured sadly.

"—If your parents were about to be killed, would you want to save them?"

"Eh…? Of course I would."

Though confused, she nodded firmly.

It was the answer I'd expected, but I was glad to hear it from her own lips. Now I could steel my own resolve.

"Sorry for the strange questions. Thanks for answering."

"No, it's fine. If you're the one asking, Bloom, I'm sure it must be important. You know so many things I don't, after all."

I simply gave a small nod without saying anything.

Seeing my expression, Laura asked hesitantly.

"… Hey, did something happen to my mom and dad? Do you know something?"

"No. It's just a 'what if.' Don't worry about it."

That's right, there was nothing to worry about.

The future I knew would never come to pass.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

My objective this time: kidnap Laura's parents.

… No, it's not like I'm so obsessed with my favorite character that I want to get my hands on her family or anything.

The next Black Priest—Criminal—is going to take Laura's parents hostage.

She'll make despicable threats like "Come to the Archbishop if you don't want them killed."

When Laura refuses to comply, Criminal will cut off her mother's fingers one by one, right before her eyes.

With Laura screaming "Please, stop!" beside them, Rio and the others will have to fight this contemptible enemy.

In the original manga, Laura's expression of despair at that moment was drawn with exceptional care…

That's why I'll kidnap them first.

There should still be some time before that event triggers. I can still make it.

After I grab them… I'll just dump them somewhere far from the Holy Kingdom.

As a reader, I don't have much affection for Laura's parents.

They swallowed the Vanguard Church priests' words hook, line, and sinker, and tried to offer Laura as a sacrifice.

Then they chased after Rio—the one who saved Laura—and tried to kill him.

It was probably perfectly normal behavior within the Holy Kingdom. The Church's word was absolute there. Complete obedience to the clergy was simply common sense.

It wasn't that they didn't love their daughter.

Even so, I couldn't wipe away my disgust for them.

Incidentally, there was no need to worry about Rio's parents, who had been in a similar situation.

The two of them had been beaten to death by the townspeople for producing a heretic like Riogren.

Laura, who had been chosen for the sacred role of sacrifice, and Rio, who had spirited her away—their standings couldn't have been more different.

The Holy Kingdom's public order might be a lost cause.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

Well, talking with Laura helped me make up my mind.

Time for a bit of a holy land pilgrimage.