The Quarrel
"So you're heading out to meet the miners' union?"
"The Black Round Table hasn't shown any signs of appearing, so I might as well start with the closest problem. Count Holstead is the crown prince's most loyal supporter, so I should at least help resolve this mess."
"By the way, the guy who calls himself the leader of that miners' union is completely insane."
Airi rarely got angry over someone she'd never even met. She hadn't shown this side of herself much lately... but once a protagonist, always a protagonist? Even in the original story, Airi had been the type to help anyone in trouble—until Werner died, that is.
"You even get worked up over people you've never seen."
"But it's disgusting. Using their position to act so self-righteous, trying to marry someone better than them... people like that."
As Airi spoke, she shot a sideways glance at Glacia. The corner of her mouth curled up ever so slightly. Glacia noticed and drew the Demonic Sword.
"It seems you've grown tired of living now that I've been treating you kindly. I don't particularly mind settling the fight we couldn't finish back then right here and now."
"I just said I hate people like that. Why are you throwing a fit all by yourself? Ah, is this that saying—'the thief's feet are numb'?"
"I've tolerated your rudeness until now, but you really do keep pushing your luck."
"You think we're friends just because we read a few books together recently? How lonely must you have been to mistake that for friendship?"
Wasn't Airi just as friendless right now? There were kids she played with in Bechem, but none she'd actually call friends. Was a woman's enemy another woman... or was an outcast's enemy another outcast?
"Today, I'll teach you arrogant wretch what your limits are."
"Then I'll properly teach a sheltered little miss what a crushing defeat feels like."
The two looked ready to clash for real. Their gazes sparked with tension, threatening to turn the area into a wasteland, when Lorcia finally stepped in.
"You two, that's enough fighting."
""This doesn't concern you.""
Airi and Glacia snapped at Lorcia in unison, and wrinkles formed on her forehead. She was clearly furious.
"Haha... I'm right on the verge of getting angry, so stop it... please. I really don't want to lose my temper. So just end the fight—"
Glacia and Airi ignored Lorcia completely, still glaring at each other. Having been dismissed so thoroughly, Lorcia's last thread of reason snapped.
"Hahaha... I tried to let it slide nicely, but these brats dare to ignore me...?"
An enormous surge of mana began swirling around her. It was a chilling sensation that reached the bone, yet different from the flesh-cutting cold. The mana that touched the skin felt strangely moist... As expected, Lorcia was different. Though her talent was smaller than Werner's, she too was a genius of the century. Even while Werner had been drowning in despair, she had never stopped striving... Of course she was strong. The fact that she had claimed the position of Tower Master at such a young age was proof she was no ordinary talent.
"Spirits of water, imprison these rude and arrogant fools."
Waves gathered around Glacia and Airi, and before long they were trapped inside massive water droplets. Both looked bewildered, unsure what had just happened. Airi tried to break the prison with magic while Glacia swung her sword, but it was useless. The water absorbed the spells, and swinging a blade through water achieved nothing.
"For now, I've only imprisoned you... Should I fill the cage with water and drown you? Or release shark-shaped spirits inside and turn you into shark food...?"
"Lorcia..."
"You think I'm joking because I'm smiling? This is why children are..."
She looked fully prepared to harm Airi and Glacia. Werner spoke up.
"Stop, Lorcia. They've learned their lesson by now. Let them go."
"Hahaha... This is just education. Why, does my teaching method not suit you? This is how we always taught manners in my household."
"That's enough."
"They're the ones who ignored my warning first. So—"
When Lorcia spoke as if there was no problem, Werner answered without thinking, his voice laced with killing intent.
"...I said that's enough."
"What's with that tone? Sounds like you're ready to fight me."
"If necessary, I won't hesitate."
"Why are you always like this with me... Back then... we used to..."
Lorcia couldn't finish her words, choked with resentment, and turned her back. The moment she did, the water prison vanished. Still fuming, she stormed outside.
"Haa, haa..."
Inside the water prison, the two had been crushed under an immense amount of mana. They were breathing heavily. Being subjected to a Tower Master's spell while trapped inside it had clearly taken a heavy toll.
"Airi, when Lorcia returns, you must apologize properly. Lady Glacia, it would be good if you did the same."
"But Master..."
"Lord Werner, I..."
Werner spoke as he followed Lorcia out the door.
"No matter what anyone says, she is a dear friend I have acknowledged. If anyone continues to treat her with disrespect... I will choose my friend and have nothing more to do with that rude person."
At least to Werner, Lorcia was a precious companion. Even if it had been Lorcia in danger instead of Airi, he would have thrown his life away without hesitation. And since Airi and Glacia were fundamentally kind people, he believed they could get along with Lorcia. Though, given their personalities, minor friction was inevitable.
============================================
Once outside, Werner began searching for Lorcia. Yet her figure was nowhere to be seen. Night was fast approaching, and the security in the area wasn't great, which only heightened his worry. On top of that, Lorcia was a stunning beauty—plenty of thugs would try to approach her. Damn it, those delinquents were dangerous.
There was no need to worry about Lorcia herself. She was a Tower Master; she wouldn't suffer any harm no matter where she went. The real concern was that, in her current foul mood, she might kill someone just for speaking to her. The low-level thugs who survived by extorting money without killing might end up dead instead.
"Lorcia! Let's talk, just the two of us!"
No matter how much he shouted, there was no reply. He had followed right after her, yet not even a glimpse of her could be found. It was truly a ghost story. He began running through the entire district, searching every corner. In the process, he bumped shoulders with a group of men. Since it was his fault for rushing, he apologized first.
"I'm sorry. I was in a hurry looking for someone and committed a rudeness."
But when he got a proper look at the man he'd bumped into... Holy shit, were these bandits? How could faces look like that? They resembled a pack of gorillas more than people. The gorilla who seemed to be their leader spoke up.
"You think a simple apology is enough after hitting someone? We're people who make our living with our bodies. If we've been injured, are you going to take responsibility?"
These were annoying bastards. But Werner's business was urgent, so he pulled a gold coin from his pocket and tossed it to them.
"That should be enough, right?"
His expectation was wrong. The gorillas' eyes lit up at the sight of the gold coin, and they blocked his path.
"You think you can brush us off with one coin after hitting someone? Hand over everything you've got. Or call your girlfriend out here to deal with us instead."
These lust-crazed male gorillas...
"If you back off now, I'll let you go. So scram."
"Hohoho, has this gentleman lost his mind? Do you even know who we are?"
"Do you know who I am? If you don't know me, how the hell would I know you, you idiot?"
"I'm someone with a high position in the miners' union. I can make someone like you disappear without a trace, you know?"
Count Holstead had been right. To think such rotten scum had taken over the union... Count Holstead bore a large share of the blame as well. Instead of suppressing these trash, he had approved their demands.
"What are you laughing at? You must really want to die today."
The gorilla bastards began pulling knives from their clothes. Gorillas using tools? These bastards had started evolving.
"Hah... These gorilla bastards are desperate to die."
Charles Darwin had said that inferior species who don't know how to survive are weeded out by nature. He had also said that humanity itself began as ape-like creatures similar to gorillas and evolved into modern humans for the sake of survival. In that case, as a fully evolved human, killing these inferior gorilla bastards was simply the natural order. To prove Charles Darwin's theory, Werner would slaughter them and award them the Darwin Prize.