God Behind Bars

Ifrin, Al Ross, and Rose, the inspector affiliated with Yuren, descended into the cave within the volcano. The three of them alternated glances between Deculein and the criminal beside him.

"Hmm... looks like it matches, right?"

Rose muttered while comparing Montagu's face to a wanted poster.

Al Ross nodded without even glancing at the poster.

"It's a match. It's the doll I made."

"That's a doll?"

Ifrin’s eyes widened in shock.

It doesn't look like a doll at all!

Al Ross chuckled softly.

"Dolls made by industry experts are different. Not like those experimental mannequins from the Magic Tower."

"And it probably used a lot of illegal materials too."

As Deculein approached with those words, Al Ross cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Ahem. I was blackmailed into it."

"More importantly, Professor. What are you doing here?"

Before Ifrin could finish, Deculein asked first.

"Ifrin. What of the mana stone?"

"Huh? Oh, that?"

She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a single mana stone, placing it in his hand.

"Here. It's incomplete, but this one... it reacted."

Deculein nodded. Then he flung it behind him with a flick. It sank in with a thud—into a bed somewhere.

"It's a possibility, Kalra."

At Deculein's words, a figure lying on the bed at the cave's end stirred.

"Ka-Kalra?!"

"Did he just say Kalra?"

That ominous name indeed. Ifrin and Rose's pupils dilated.

Deculein turned to Kalra and added,

"With that, we can make your heart."

"...Think so. *Cough*."

Kalra coughed, clutching the mana stone.

Then the person beside him addressed Deculein.

"Deculein. You truly have the makings of a heretic. Defying the natural order... just like our old Altar followers."

"I take no compliment in that."

The red-haired man. Or woman? Man or woman?

Anyway, gazing at that strikingly handsome and beautiful figure, Ifrin blinked.

"Um. Who are you?"

"...Me?"

At the question, Ifrin nodded innocently.

"Yes."

"We've met before, you know."

"Huh? Who are you?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Back then, I called myself 'God', but you said I wasn't one."

Ifrin's eyes filled with shock in an instant. Her hair stood on end as she frantically pointed.

"No way! You're that guy from before!"

"Haha. Yes. Thanks to you, I learned something. And because of you, I decided to descend to this continent. I know so little about your world."

"...Huh?"

Those strangely kind, gentle words left Ifrin flustered for no reason. Her dramatic pointing finger felt embarrassing now.

"Ahem. I see?"

"Yes."

Pretending to clear her throat, she slyly lowered her finger.

"So, what's your name?"

"...Name?"

"Yes. Your name."

"Well. I'd still prefer to be called God."

"Aha~"

Ifrin nodded as if it made sense, her face innocently bright as she asked,

"So your name is 'God'? A one-syllable name?"

"......"

Even the god fell silent at that moment. He fiddled with his hair awkwardly before answering.

"Call me Quey."

"Quey? That's an unusual name."

Rumble—!

Suddenly, the magma roared fiercely. A noxious smell of 'demonic sulfur' filled the cave.

Ifrin retched involuntarily. Veins bulged briefly on Deculein's face.

The Yukline temper flared instinctively.

"Urgh—! What the hell is this smell? Professor, is this place okay?"

"It is not. The space itself is foul and wretched. However, this volcano will erupt soon."

Deculein stated firmly. Rose furrowed her brow, and Al Ross shrugged.

Ifrin asked,

"Erupt?"

"Indeed. It will engulf the Ashes Heap. A more severe eruption could swallow part of Yuren too, bringing a catastrophe of sulfur rain."

Deculein used Telekinesis to neatly arrange the scattered materials around them.

Demon claws, Memullen hearts, dark troll blood, desert Lotteo scorpion venom, and more... quite a lot.

"Deculein, did you sweep them all up?!"

"In any case, with these, I intend to minimize the damage with my magic."

Using the purchased items from the Ashes Heap as materials to partially realize Dikailen's Art Magic. Creating a 'barrier' to seal the volcano's vent.

"However, even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my magic cannot fully prevent the eruption's damage. The Ashes Heap will become, quite literally, a heap of ashes."

With ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that, Deculein nodded in satisfaction.

"A fitting end for the vermin who eke out loathsome lives in this Ashes Heap."

Al Ross's face twisted, Ifrin's expression turned ambiguous, and Rose was more vehement.

"Loathsome lives?"

"......"

Deculein ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stared at Rose silently. His gaze was as sharp and intimidating as ever, but Rose didn't flinch.

"Loathsome? That's not right!"

"Inspector Rose. Do you then consider your own life equal to these wretched criminals?"

"They committed crimes, yes. So I'd arrest them. I'd condemn them. That's obvious. But I can't condemn their entire lives as loathsome."

Deculein stared at her, then twisted his lips.

"Most of them deserve to die."

"No human deserves to die."

"That is merely your idealism. A strange idealism. Humans who deserve death clearly exist."

"Ha."

Rose let out a hollow laugh, slinging her arm over her shoulder in disbelief.

"You can say that because you're nobility. Acting all high and mighty—"

"You too."

Deculein cut her off.

"Can say such things because you are nobility."

"......"

"If you were common-born, do you think you could converse with me now...?"

He paused briefly, then peered into Rose's eyes with incredulity.

"Such thoughts are possible only because you are nobility. If common-born, those words would be seditious treason, your head already severed."

Rose ground her teeth. Deculein shook his head slowly.

"Of course, Yuren nobles must harbor inferiority complexes. Their bloodlines are far inferior to the Empire's."

Turning, he addressed Quey, who had watched with intrigued eyes.

"The eruption is still a week away. The exposition is before then, so you can view it sufficiently."

"Oh? You'll really let me sightsee?"

"In exchange, make that red hair less conspicuous."

Quey smiled brightly and tapped his temple.

His fiery long hair instantly became a black two-block cut. Moments ago womanly, now utterly manly.

"Whoa. Amazing."

Ifrin murmured, while Rose approached with seething eyes, as if swallowing her anger, and cuffed Quey.

"This is official duty. You are under arrest for stealing approximately twenty-seven items from Yuren mansions, auction houses, and courtrooms. You have the right to an explanation, to refuse self-incriminating statements, and to request a habeas corpus review in court..."

Maho, princess of Yuren, processed reports from officials in the palace, sighing heavily.

"Hoo... Phew..."

"Sounds like a train whistle."

Her guard knight, Sharlot, chuckled at her sighs to ease the tension.

Yet Maho still guiltily buried her face in the reports.

"What to do... The transformation formula... If it's really worth 10 billion elne, if it is... We're broke from the new business, you know, you know..."

The issue was Deculein's transformation formula. Stolen aboard a flight to Yuren, of all places...

"At least if it happened outside Yuren airspace, there's room for excuses, but brazenly claiming it was Empire airspace won't fly... And it happened inside Yuren, waaah..."

Maho pretended to cry while scheming to garner Deculein's sympathy and mitigate the damage.

"Hmm... Huh? What?"

Then Sharlot touched her earpiece, receiving a report.

"Ah! Good news."

"What! What what what!"

Maho jerked her head up eagerly.

"Did they find the formula? Find it?!"

"No, not that. But they caught the master thief."

"The master thief... Oh~ The one who stole nearly 50 million elne in a week?"

"Yes. Inspector Rose of the Sion family caught the big one. She's already arrived and heading to the palace."

Maho's eyes widened too.

Rose. A key talent she's been eyeing for the 'republic launch'.

"As expected, big things are done by those from noble houses."

"...Not because of her house."

Sharlot cleared her throat awkwardly at Maho's reaction.

Then cautiously asked,

"But... is that plan still on?"

"Yes."

Maho's response was firm this time. No trace of tears.

Maho desired a perfect republic.

A nation built on citizens' support, not bloodlines or houses. A democracy where majority vote decides leaders.

Stripping 'Duchy' from Yuren Duchy to found a new republic.

"It'll be dangerous. In the current climate."

"It has to be now. The Empire's emperor is hot-tempered. If the Empire grows stronger, Yuren can't stand against it. They'd swallow Yuren whole."

Yuren Duchy's political standing and legitimacy were sorely lacking. Originating from 'remnants of a vanished kingdom'.

Thus, Maho wanted Yuren to shed that shadow and start anew as a republic.

"Deculein, an Empire heavyweight, is here now. He's intellectually brilliant. He'll see through it instantly, and if so... big trouble."

A plan that would spell disaster if Deculein heard. He'd obstruct, refute, report to the emperor.

Maho knew full well.

"The Empire won't tolerate a republic or its votes. Citizens as a nation's owners? I still can't grasp it."

"Simple. What if only imperial royals remain in the Empire?"

Maho continued gravely.

"Rulers are inevitably shaped by the ruled. Thus, a nation's true owners are..."

Knock knock—

A knock interrupted. Maho and Sharlot jumped like cats, staring at the office door.

"Yes yes! Come in~"

—Inspector Rose of the Sion family.

"Yes~ Come in. I want to hear about the arrest too too~"

The door opened, and Rose, face tense, bowed to Maho.

"Skip the formalities, come in~"

"Yes. Thank you. Also, I have urgent news. Professor Deculein regarding the volcano..."

In Yuren palace's detention cell, Ifrin watched Quey behind bars.

"Even for experience, I dislike cages."

Quey tapped the bars with a sullen face.

"Getting caged isn't common experience? All experience is good, right?"

"I've had it before. Long ago."

"What? Criminal background?"

As Ifrin narrowed her eyes, Quey smiled silently.

"Anyway. Why steal all this?"

The list of stolen items provided by the inspector.

Quey had taken quite a haul. Gems, books—everything into his pockets.

"Curious, so I took a look. Planned to return them later."

"That's still stealing."

"Haha. True."

Ifrin glared piercingly before sitting on a nearby chair and unfolding her paper.

Fortunately, the detention wasn't bad. Clean, quiet like a library.

"Ifrin, was it? Aren't you leaving?"

"Professor told me to watch Quey."

"Ah... But what's that?"

Quey eyed the paper curiously. Ifrin smirked.

"Paper my dad and professor co-authored... Studying it. Barely understand 30% yet. Urgent. Need to master up to my ideas within a week."

"Why urgent? You're young. Even mortals live to old age."

Ifrin pulled out a pen, jotting notes on magic paper.

"Volcano's erupting. To block it first. This elemental property seems perfect for stopping eruptions."

"Isn't that Deculein's job?"

"Professor won't protect the Ashes Heap."

"......"

Quey's eyes tinted with curiosity.

"I'll learn this, add to professor's magic, and protect the Heap too."

"...Defying your master?"

"No? Anyway."

Ifrin paused writing to glare at Quey.

"What exactly are you planning down here? What's your scheme? Becoming a god, right?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Quey gazed at her.

How to become god. How to purify this continent stained with filth after endless ages.

She asked so simply, yet it wasn't irritating.

"First, I'll halt it. The world, time, space. Melt everything into something new, recreate it."

"......"

Ifrin gaped, snorting in disbelief.

Quey said,

"Of course, I'll spare the worthy. Including you."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Pass."

"Why?"

"No god gets caged."

"Ah~"

Quey smiled brightly, stepping forward.

"Now then."

He asked Ifrin from outside the bars.

"Mommy!"

"Ifrin. More importantly, what is Deculein doing?"

"How did you get out..."

No cuffs either. Truly curious.

Ifrin eyed Quey suspiciously, then shrugged—god-wannabe or whatever—and pointed outside.

"Wanna see professor?"

"...?"

"He's out there."

"Why?"

Ifrin chuckled.

"He's your lawyer. Professor Deculein."

"...Defending me?"

"Yeah. You wanna see the expo, right? Gotta get out legally."

Quey pondered, then closed his eyes, gazing somewhere.

"...No. The defense seems long over."

"Really? You see it?"

"I see. He's now..."

What Deculein was doing.

As Quey moved to speak, his expression hardened.

"What? Doing what?"

"...Writing letters."

"Letters? What kind?"

Ifrin was frustrated, unable to see.

"Letters from the Holy Era. Divine Language. He's..."

Quey opened his eyes, laughing incredulously.

"Grasped the language structure from mere glimpses? What does he intend?"

Ifrin shrugged.

"Dunno. Proper chat with you, maybe? Anyway—"

Then the detention door burst open.

"Quey. You're temporarily released... No! How—did you escape?!"

The guards beyond gawked at Quey, uncuffed and outside the bars.

"Hands up! Hands up! Ms. Ifrin, you too, come out!"

They thrust handcuffs and revolvers at their backs...