Declaration of War
The next day after the recital. I boarded the carriage side by side with Irene. Our destination was, as always, Astro Headquarters. Though I had casually called it a date, we were actually heading toward a rather serious matter.
The fox, who had been gazing out the window, spoke as if she had expected this. "Well… I figured as much."
"Were you perhaps looking forward to it? I feel a bit sorry now."
"Who knows."
Irene responded indifferently, her expression strangely unreadable. After all the hardships she had endured recently, she might have been waiting for a day of rest. Since we had business to handle, we were making our way to headquarters instead.
I spoke to her in a soothing tone. "Next time, let's definitely go out and have fun."
"There's no need for that… It's not like I'm upset or anything."
"Still, it would weigh on my conscience."
"Well, if that's the case."
The girl nodded. Though her face remained impassive, the tail behind her swayed gently, betraying her delight. Smiling softly, I reached out and stroked her head. As my hand moved gently, I could clearly feel the texture of her perked ears. I found myself absently playing with those wide ear flaps.
"Eut…"
As expected, a soft moan escaped her. Even as her breathing grew slightly uneven, the fox neither pulled away nor removed my hand. She simply lowered her head and let out a warm breath. A sudden curiosity struck me.
"Miss Irene."
"Mm…?"
"Your ears. Why did you tell me not to touch them in front of others?"
"Ah."
She was referring to what had happened yesterday. I had tried to touch her ears in front of the other children, but her hand had swiftly intercepted mine. Then, with an uncharacteristic flush, she had shaken her head.
—No… Only when we're alone.
—Don't do it outside. In exchange, I'll let you touch them as much as you want in bed.
Clutching my sleeve, Irene had said that. I had no choice but to nod. The memory had resurfaced, prompting my question. As I stared at her with a questioning look, her dark eyes avoided mine and turned toward the window. She was clearly dodging the answer.
"It's… nothing, really."
"Hmm?"
"I was just worried about people watching. I'm still not comfortable around humans."
"If that's the reason, then it can't be helped."
She had a point. It had taken time even for me to grow close to her. Showing such a vulnerable side in front of complete strangers would naturally make her uncomfortable. Especially since Irene's heart was still filled with distrust toward humans. Considering that I was the only one she followed, the prospect of building relationships with others seemed rather bleak.
I decided to tease her a little. "I am human, you know."
"You're fine."
"Why?"
"Because I can trust you… No, because I've decided to trust you."
"What if I betray you?"
"You'll die."
"Pardon?"
"I said you'll die."
Her eyes gazed steadily at me. A faint smile lingered on her lips, yet it carried the lingering bitterness of the past.
"If even you betray me, I don't think I'll have the courage to keep living."
"······."
"So."
Once again, her head leaned against my shoulder. Irene pressed close, her body nestled against mine, and whispered calmly into my ear.
"Don't betray me."
"······."
"Don't abandon me, don't hate me, and don't leave my side. If you keep just that promise, I'll give you everything in return."
"Responsibility… That's what it sounds like."
"Something like that."
Responsibility was a chain that bound both sides. The one who tamed and the beast that was tamed each held the other captive in proportion to the time they had invested. Perhaps it resembled a taut rubber band. The moment one side let go, the relationship would collapse. That was why people lived bearing responsibility for everything.
"······I'll do my best."
I nodded quietly. I couldn't answer with certainty because my words were a mix of hope that the promise would be kept and an evasion born from knowing I might not be able to keep it. Even to the listener, it probably didn't sound very reliable. Yet Irene simply wore a gentle smile, as if that was enough.
We spent the time like that, pressed close together.
Rattle, rattle—
The carriage swayed slightly as it moved. While we talked, it continued on its way. As the fog-covered cityscape gradually came into view outside the window, Irene finally asked with curiosity. It was a question about our current task.
"By the way… What are we going there for this time?"
"Something rather serious has come up."
"Serious?"
"One of our members was attacked."
"What…?"
It had been reported just a few days ago, right after we returned from the school trip. I explained briefly.
"Rather than a full member, they're more of a collaborator. Someone from the Church. We've received quite a bit of help from them."
"You even have connections in the Church? At this point, I shouldn't be surprised anymore…"
"We needed to keep an eye on their situation as well."
"Anyway, so what happened?"
"From what I've heard, an incident occurred at the cathedral where they were staying. All the priests assigned there have gone missing, the interior is covered in bloodstains, and traces of magi were found nearby."
"Magi…?"
"I'll explain the details later."
"Got it. We're almost there anyway."
Irene prepared to stand. I added a few more words.
"Originally, this was something we should have handled on our own, but since you're now part of Astro as well, I thought it would be good for you to come along while we announce your membership."
"I'll do my best… If it's what you want."
"That's a reassuring attitude."
Before we knew it, the carriage had stopped. We headed straight for headquarters. When we opened the hidden door at the end of the stairs, dozens of members waiting in formation came into view. They were all dressed in pure white robes.
"Master. We've been waiting."
Standing before the lined-up members was Neria. Her long silver hair and clear eyes were unmistakable. I had heard she was on a dispatch mission until a few days ago, but it seemed Lena had urgently brought her back upon receiving the news. The girl bowed respectfully.
"The members are ready. We've selected only the elites, forming a group of thirty."
"Let's depart immediately."
"Understood."
Signaling to Lena, who stood nearby, she began creating a portal to our destination. The dimension twisted gradually. A gate leading to another space opened, and the robes draped over our shoulders fluttered in the swirling mana. We stepped through toward our destination.
The Great Subjugation. Five years ago, it was the war that drove out the black mages who had run rampant throughout the empire. Having finally achieved peace, the empire established an organization in every city to stand against cultists, ensuring such dangers would never repeat. Their name was Licht. In the ancient tongue, it meant 'Light.' They were gatherings of priests who protected each city, preparing for potential threats and safeguarding their districts. As guardians, only veteran priests were assigned to these positions.
In short, they were a spear forged solely to keep cultists in check. A shield that covered the city with holy words. If someone had directly attacked a Licht branch, it could only mean one thing.
"A declaration of war."
"As expected, it seems related to them."
Neria nodded in agreement. Slowing her pace, she calmly began her briefing.
"The only place attacked was the cathedral. The nearby city suffered no damage at all. It seems they were openly expressing their hostility toward the Church."
"A plausible theory."
After all, during the Great Subjugation, the Church had been second only to the 'Crimson Sword Saint' in activity. The world did not know that Kyle was still alive. That was why they had targeted the Church. By attacking Licht, the symbol of peace after the Great Subjugation, they were declaring that they had returned.
"It looks like they're preparing to move in earnest."
"They must have judged that they've recovered sufficiently over the past five years. Still, they're being cautious. The branch they attacked this time was one of the smaller ones within Licht."
"Indeed, targeting the larger branches in the capital would be burdensome even for them."
"Anyway… The problem is that one of our collaborators was stationed at that branch."
"Miss Medro, then."
"Correct. The one who went missing in this attack is Medro Gardnier. She held the position of Chief Deputy and was in charge of overseeing the branch. We have completely lost contact with her."
"She was such a devoted priest… I hope she's safe."
I lit the area with the candle I was holding. A cluster of light pushed back the darkness. In the flickering glow, the interior of the cathedral came into view. Upon arriving in the city, we had infiltrated the branch and were now slowly examining the scene. We had knocked out the guards who had been watching the area.
"······What a mess."
Irene muttered quietly. Just as she said, the cathedral was in complete disarray. Bloodstains were splattered everywhere, though their origin was unclear. Nothing was broken or destroyed, but that very fact made a chill run down my spine. It was a scene that defied common sense.
"There's this much blood, yet no bodies were found inside the cathedral?"
"That's right. That's why it's being treated as a disappearance rather than a death."
"This is quite the troublesome problem."
"The guards seem to have concluded that the priests were kidnapped. Most of their forces are concentrated on the city rather than the cathedral."
"Thanks to that, infiltration was easy. At least that part is convenient."
We walked through the pitch-black surroundings. The members continued their thorough search. Finally, we finished checking the basement. Lena shook her head. It meant they had found nothing.
"We searched every corner, but there was nothing unusual. Perhaps they were taken elsewhere, just as the guards suspected."
"Hmm…"
I let out a deep sigh. Just as I was considering starting an external search, a small gap caught my eye.
"That is…?"
A hairline crack, so fine it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, was etched into the wall. I covered my pupils with a small Lie. Only then did I see the traces hidden beyond it. I let out a dry laugh.
"Hah."
No wonder the guards couldn't find it. Layers upon layers of black magic remnants coated the wall like a barrier, as if trying to conceal something. I gathered output at my fingertips. Then I formed a single bullet and aimed it at the heart of the barrier entangled with magi. Without hesitation, I chanted the incantation, and the bullet shot forth.
"Shatter."
Crash—!
The wall shattered like a mirror. Amid the scattering fragments, the space hidden behind the barrier was revealed. A long corridor stretched ahead.
"Such petty tricks won't work on me."
Wearing an ominous smile, I took a step forward. Thud, thud—
Countless footsteps followed behind me. Flapping our pure white robes, we moved toward the scene where the missing awaited. From somewhere, it sounded as if music was playing.
***
Meanwhile, there was a girl watching the snake. Hidden on the stairs leading underground, she couldn't hide her surprise as she saw them step into the mysterious space. It was because she recognized a familiar face among them.
"Yuda Snakers…?"
Her blue eyes blinked. Through the deeply pulled robe, strands of platinum hair peeked out. The girl's identity was none other than Charlotte. The First Princess of the Empire, and one of the main heroines of the original game.