One Strike, Three Birds (1)
Zeke sank deep into thought in the back alley.
Hmm, how can I dump this annoying crap on them and make them tear into each other.
He was already swamped raising the heroines, with one pesky issue after another stacking up.
Then this sudden major incident cropped up.
With some solid groundwork, he might bundle them all together and settle it in one go.
Three conditions.
First. He had to keep his position as an instructor at Lamieli Academy.
Second. Gain acceptance for Iriel, Serena, and the prince sharing the same class.
Third. Serve up an enemy far bigger than a mere discharged soldier like him, leaving no room to fuss over a nobody.
A few scenarios come to mind...
Then Zeke's thoughts turned to his own body.
The issue is this body's acting chops.
An expressionless, rigid face and blunt speech.
Emotional acting was a tall order for this shell.
But the unchanging face, no matter the words, had the upside of blurring truth from lies.
A dash of flair could amplify the effect.
And whatever this body was before, no tells means low risk of slip-ups.
Zeke pieced together Iriel's attitude toward him, the Yustia family dynamics, and more in his mind.
Iriel and this body were tight. Engagement or convent talk suggests Yustia not behind her death—at least not the 40% chance.
With Hades caught, enemies gunning for him would swarm soon, so he'd rushed a bit.
He regretted not prying more specifics from Iriel.
Can't be helped. Had to hustle to buy time fooling this guy.
Zeke opened his eyes.
Right, improvise. Layer lies over truth.
Zeke eyed Hades.
“Hades.”
The man glared back with blazing eyes.
“What.”
“Why do you think I left the military.”
“The lady used the family seal!!!”
Ah, so that's how I got out. Then don't snatch the discharge fee, you bastards.
He tamped down the rising heat in his head.
“...Right. But you really think that's why I left the army.”
“You seduced the lady!!!”
Oh, usable.
“Yeah, can't deny it.”
Zeke affirmed him.
Hades spat desperately.
“Why! Right before the grand plan—why!!! Betray Yustia for Yohayden or the imperial family!!!”
Zeke shook his head at that.
Then bit his lower lip faintly and bowed his head.
As if it were a truly unavoidable choice.
“Iriel... no, the lady was in danger.”
“What!?”
“I hold Iriel dear. You know that.”
“......”
Hades' eyes wavered.
In truth, he was the one who'd never fully bought the seduction story to snag the seal.
He'd witnessed Zeke's devotion to Iriel longer than anyone.
Without Hella's damning evidence, he'd have trusted Zeke to the end.
Now, he wavered again, feeling the urge to probe that evidence from Zeke's angle.
“Th-then why Yohayden and the royals...”
“At least in the same class, I can secure Iriel's safety. Can't guard her round the clock in the academy...”
Hades' eyes bulged.
“What!? You saying someone's after the lady!”
Zeke narrowed his eyes.
Yeah, Yustia side didn't seem the killers.
More curious about this 'grand plan.' Can't ask outright—Iriel didn't know, so she just yanked me out.
Keep stringing him along.
“Yes, Iriel... the lady is in danger.”
“!”
Zeke hammered it home again.
“The lady dies if she stays like this.”
Not lying. Real 40% shot.
Hades still looked skeptical.
“Anyone dare touch a Yustia duke's daughter...?”
“Yes.”
“No way... I won't buy it. Zeke Clayman. Sly tongue you got.”
“While in the army, I gathered secret intel. Filthy bastards scheming filth. Called Iriel lady a ‘sacrifice’.”
“Then tell me! Why attack me? You knew I'm her personal guard! You handed me off, begging me to look after her!”
Oh, tighter with this guy than expected?
Zeke nodded.
“I... wanted Iriel lady... innocent (idiotic) and bold (brainless) like always, clueless to that crap.”
“......”
“She thought she snuck up on me... If I didn't hit you then, she'd panic. So I staged this to get you alone. Forgive me, Hades.”
Zeke shook his head, as if even he hadn't foreseen Iriel's moves.
Real idiot, huh? Yeah, me too.
“...Then why distance yourself if protecting her? Why latch onto Yohayden trash.”
Zeke tilted his head skyward faintly.
Exuding noble devotion to Iriel.
He murmured.
“I... wanted to guard her from the shadows, unknown to her. Too close, she'd witness horrors. Tried keeping distance, but wasted effort...”
“Idiot... Why always chase pipe dreams...”
“Yohayden's bait. Lure them into sloppiness, expose themselves.”
Hades bit his lip hard.
“Even so, inform Yustia the second you had intel! You had other duties!”
“...Hades. Is Yustia clean.”
“......”
He shut his mouth at Zeke's question.
“Enemies inside Yustia. Spill it, they accelerate. Lady's in danger, Hades.”
Zeke's face hardened, voice low.
The hoary cliché of internal foes worked anywhere, anytime.
Doubly so for shady Yustia.
Vague enough to justify bolting the army.
Hades felt the jigsaw snap into place.
Zeke Clayman prioritizing over Yustia? Obviously Iriel Yustia.
Reason to betray orders and desert? Her peril.
If truly dire...
Plausible he'd bolt.
Even devising honorable discharge was commendable.
Cozying to Yohayden? Smart for her safety.
You... exploit even mortal foes for the lady...
But heartstrings alone wouldn't seal it.
“Evidence... Need evidence.”
Zeke nodded, fished an orb from his pocket, and handed it over.
“Th-this!”
Hades' eyes nearly popped.
“Yeah, recording orb. Barely snagged tailing them. Value speaks for itself.”
“......”
“Listened, but don't get it. Yours now.”
Zeke gripped Hades' jaw firmly.
“Hades, deliver straight to the top? Can't trust others.”
“...More on them. Zeke Clayman.”
“Real dangerous. Not just lady—Yustia too. She's just the start!”
His usual gruff tone, laced with bark, sold it.
“Group name.”
“They call themselves ‘Lost Hope’.”
Lost Hope.
The black magic cult from the dark fantasy world, worshiping an evil god in the shadows.
Cockroaches with doctrines of sacrifice, corpse desecration, cannibalism, rape—every depraved tenet imaginable.
Drop the name now; doesn't exist here yet.
“Black mage cabal. No one else. Trusted you with Iriel lady before—trust you again.”
Hades' face set, nodded.
Twisted in foolish-man pity.
“But you'll be handled. Zeke Clayman.”
Zeke shook his head.
“...We'll see. Gotta stay in academy, guard Iriel lady.”
“Think you choose? Yustia assassin captain en route.”
“Yeah, knew he'd come. Not today, though.”
Zeke cracked a faint smile.
“Solo too tough for capital black mages—been waiting for him.”
“!”
Zeke Clayman had already scoped Iriel's capital stalkers.
Baited himself to summon Yustia assassins.
Betrayal from Yustia view... utterly moronic fool...
How stop a man stubbornly shielding the lady?
Hades swallowed a surging sigh.
Blocking him ain't my job...
“Hades, tag along?”
Zeke asked.
Hades shook his head.
“Heading out now—deliver orb to Lady Hella. And... even so... doubt you survive. Judgment foolish... but you. Zeke Clayman.”
Aha, Hella's the Yustia boss.
Doubt nearly gone from Hades' eyes.
Lingering questions? Assassins inbound—mission over.
Zeke untied the ropes on his hands.
Hades gave a heavy look, slight bow, then turned and headed out.
Tch, lucky prick. Was gonna take an arm...
Zeke watched him vanish fully, then turned.
Alright, time to visit the loan sharks.
Unlike earlier skulking in shadows, he strode openly, presence screaming.
Sensing tails soon enough.
Good, keep up. Assassin captain's got a starring role—taste Lost Hope power, report back.
Three men make a tiger.
One orb wouldn't fully redirect Yustia's wariness from him.
Hence the event.
Guys tormenting my heroine? Soy Spoon berserks 'em.
Berserker mode planned for Soy's training.
He'd watched her emotion-baking deep; hand tattoo ready.
Loan sharks get a reason-numbing high.
Then boom—smash into assassin captain. Black mage limbs everywhere, goons critically wounded, captain barely scrapes by. What then?
Regretted no popcorn.
Baguette'll do.