Don't You Think It's Strange?
Don't You Think It's Strange?
Near the Republic's border.
The fortress city of Rakedrapol.
"......So this is the place. It seems Supreme Councilor Comrade has shown considerable care."
The intelligence agent Bilof raised his head to look up at the grand mansion surrounded by high walls.
'I knew Supreme Councilor Comrade said he would provide accommodations.......'
He had not expected them to hand over an entire large mansion.
On top of that, trucks loaded with various materials were currently moving back and forth through the mansion's entrance.
He concluded that Serail, the self-styled archmage, might be an even more important figure than anticipated.
Because of that, the burden of the face-to-face meeting had grown, but he did not pay it much mind.
'Because today is the last day I'm in charge of Serail.'
After today, this dim-witted subordinate standing beside him blankly staring up at the mansion would take over full responsibility for Serail.
He felt a pang of pity that the subordinate would be stuck dealing with Serail, who was practically a mad eccentric, but what could he do.
It was not a matter one could refuse — orders came from above, after all.
'I wonder if the senior agent who dumped this job on me felt this way.'
The relieved expression that senior agent had worn upon being freed from the mission was still vividly etched in his memory.
Bilof chuckled softly and lightly patted his subordinate's shoulder.
"What are you staring blankly at? Let's go, quickly."
"Huh? Ah. Understood."
Bilof crossed the entrance with his subordinate and walked toward the mansion.
Since the mansion grounds were quite vast, it seemed it would take some time to reach it on foot.
The subordinate, who had been looking around with curious eyes, suddenly turned to Bilof as if something had just occurred to him.
"Senior Agent. I have a question — may I ask?"
"Hmm? What are you curious about?"
"I heard that your mission ends after today. Then, are you perhaps retiring?"
"Retirement. I wish that were the case, but......."
Bilof let out a soft laugh.
"The higher-ups intend to use me one more time. I received orders to infiltrate the Empire under a forged identity and gather intelligence. You could call it my final mission before retirement."
"I see. Are you perhaps going to the Imperial Capital?"
"No. It's a quiet rural area in the southern Empire. The village of Pianmari in the Betargen Barony, they said. It is also Daniel Steiner's hometown."
Curiosity flickered in the subordinate's eyes.
"Daniel Steiner's hometown? Then what the higher-ups are after is......."
"Yes. I am to approach the monastery where Daniel Steiner spent his childhood and extract his personal information. That would be the orphan Daniel Steiner's only weakness."
It was the monastery's abbot who had personally raised Daniel Steiner, an orphan with no family.
To Daniel Steiner, the abbot was a figure no different from a father, so it was only natural to ascertain what kind of person he was beforehand.
That way, in the worst-case scenario, they could take the abbot hostage to coax him or use him as blackmail.
'I know full well this isn't the right thing to do, but.......'
In times of war, distinguishing between good and evil was an impossible luxury.
Having convinced himself it was for his country, Bilof stood before the mansion's door.
"Let's stop the idle chatter here. As I've said a few times before......."
"You mean I should mind my words and conduct. I understand."
Though not entirely reassuring, Bilof had no choice but to trust and entrust. He nodded.
"Good. Then let's head inside."
Bilof took a deep breath and opened the door — a long corridor stretched out.
At the end of the corridor, there was only a single door.
For Bilof, who had imagined there would be a guest reception hall, it was nothing short of bewildering.
So as he stood there somewhat dazed, a voice came from somewhere.
— What are you doing? Come in.
It was as if the entire mansion resonated.
Swallowing dryly, Bilof stepped inside with his subordinate.
After walking down the long corridor, he grasped the doorknob and opened it — a spacious bedroom revealed itself.
All sorts of magical tools were scattered about, and what appeared to be undergarments lay carelessly on the floor.
Overcome with bewilderment, Bilof spoke cautiously.
"......Archmage?"
A sigh seemed to resonate from the empty air, then the voice came again.
— You should have spoken before opening. Honestly, so stupid. Close the door and open it again.
Bilof did so.
Then what came into view this time was an enormous laboratory situated in what looked like an underground space.
In its center, Serail could be seen crafting a doll while wearing a monocular eyepiece.
Around Serail, more than twenty dolls were arrayed, all with their eyes closed and heads bowed, lending the scene an almost solemn air.
'......Rather than dolls, they seem almost like living people.'
As he admired them silently, Serail halted their work and removed the monocular eyepiece.
Serail's crimson eyes turned toward Bilof.
"Why have our useless pebbles come here, I wonder. What business is it this time?"
"Ah. Supreme Councilor Comrade wishes to confirm whether there are any setbacks to the Archmage's plans."
"Confirmation, hmm. Honestly, that idiot worries far too much."
Calling the Supreme Councilor Comrade an idiot? It was an insult so profane that for anyone else, execution would not have sufficed.
Yet neither Bilof nor even his subordinate pointed this out.
Because they knew Serail was someone who could get away with it.
"Tell them there are no setbacks. And just as you people want, I will end up fighting Daniel Steiner. The stars have whispered it to me."
Serail raised their head.
Even though the ceiling blocked the way, Serail was acting as if they could see the stars.
"Lucy Emilia. That lovely child's fate touches upon mine. We will meet soon. Which means Daniel Steiner will also end up coming here."
Wearing a faint smile, Serail closed their eyes and slowly lowered their head.
"Aren't you truly curious?"
Tak! As Serail snapped their fingers, the dolls all around simultaneously opened their eyes.
Last of all, Serail opened their eyes and parted their lips.
— About how Daniel Steiner's fate and mine will intersect.
The voice came not from Serail but from all the dolls.
A multitude of different voices, bound to Serail's will, spoke the exact same words without a single margin of error.
Overwhelmed by that grotesque phenomenon, Bilof stood frozen, and Serail laughed, snapping their fingers.
Then all the dolls simultaneously closed their eyes and bowed their heads.
Having concluded the puppet show, Serail gazed at Bilof with a strange look.
"Today is your last day, isn't it. Right?"
Only then coming to his senses, Bilof nodded.
"That is correct."
"Good. Normally I don't provide this sort of service, but since you were one of the more perceptive ones among the pebbles, I'll let you know."
Gazing at Bilof as if seeing right through him, Serail quietly continued.
"Be careful."
Bilof wanted to ask what he was supposed to be careful about and how, but he could not.
Because Serail waved their hand as if to say they were annoyed and he should get lost now.
*
After the tea time commotion ended, Ref returned straight to her homeland.
It was because she felt she might lose her life if she remained in the Empire.
Daniel saw Ref off to the port city (she desperately begged him not to, but he did it anyway), then spent his time in the Imperial Capital assisting the Chief of the General Staff.
Lucy, Frien, and Selvia, as Daniel had wished, did not unsheathe their claws at each other as they mulled over how to efficiently "handle" Ref — the new rival in love.
And so, several weeks passed, and when the world had entered late autumn, Daniel applied for leave.
He would soon be heading to the Filoena Highlands, the very front line, and before that, he had wanted to visit his hometown.
He was curious how much the monastery children had grown, and he wanted to see the abbot again and talk with him.
Thus, at present.
Daniel was in the restaurant car of the Royal Express, a luxury train.
Quite a bit of time remained until he arrived at his hometown, so he had stopped by to have a meal at least.
Daniel, having exchanged greetings with those who recognized him, was scanning for an empty table when he suddenly stopped short.
It was because he spotted a familiar face at a table in a corner.
'That's.......'
The figure cutting steak while dressed in a fine suit looked quite gentlemanly.
'This works out. I had something to ask, you see.'
Daniel, who had been intently observing the dark-skinned man, slowly approached in that direction.
As if he had heard the footsteps, Hamtal stopped cutting his steak and raised his head.
Spotting Daniel, Hamtal offered a greeting with a nod.
"Brigadier General Daniel Steiner...... no, it is Major General now. To run into you in a place like this — what a coincidence."
"Indeed. What an incredibly stunning coincidence, no less."
Exchanging pleasantries, Daniel pointed to the empty seat at the table.
"If it is all right with you, may I join you?"
"Of course. It would be my honor to share a meal with the hero of the Empire."
Having received Hamtal's permission, Daniel pulled out a chair and sat down.
Seeing that, Hamtal smiled naturally.
"More to the point, running into each other on a train like this makes it twice now. Where are you headed?"
"Ah. I am on my way down to my hometown. Staying in the Imperial Capital felt rather stifling, you see. Strange rumors have been circulating, so I've been walking on eggshells for no good reason."
"Strange rumors, you say......."
As Hamtal trailed off, Daniel shrugged.
"The rumor that I did harm to His Highness the Prince, I mean. Besides that, there is also talk that I am trying to seize the Empire under His Majesty the Emperor's patronage."
"That must be...... quite troublesome for you. Being slandered cannot be pleasant."
"Even if I say it is not true, they will not believe me, so I have no choice but to endure it, do I?"
Daniel laughed it off and raised a hand — a waiter approached.
As the waiter came near, Daniel suddenly snapped his fingers as if something had just occurred to him.
"Ah! Now that I think of it, there is one more rumor people murmur about when they see me. It is so utterly preposterous — would you care to hear it?"
"What sort of rumor might you be referring to?"
"Truly, it is so absurd that......."
Daniel slowly adjusted his sleeves as he turned his gaze toward Hamtal.
Outwardly he appeared composed, but the emotion contained within his eyes was sharp-edged.
"People apparently insist that I am leading a private organization."
A light laugh laced the end of his words.
But it was a laugh far removed from sincerity.
In the tense atmosphere, Daniel spoke without hiding the suspicion in his gaze.
"From where you stand, what do you think it looks like?"