Ryo climbed into the carriage and came back out carrying his usual shoulder

bag. Inside were a number of items, including highly efficient potions he’d made as
part of his alchemy practice and store-bought standard potions he’d bought in his
spare time. He made Rodrigo drink a vial of one of his most effective potions. Even
as the old man struggled to swallow the liquid, Ryo poured more potion on the gash
in his abdomen. Rodrigo just barely managed to survive.
He would be able to move a little bit more now. However, he didn’t want to
waste time waiting to recover, so he begged Ryo.
“Master Ryo... His Highness has been taken... Master Ryo... Even though you
drew so many of them away...” he said, “more reinforcements...came after...”
“What?!”
Ryo had been careless. The five in the forest hadn’t been the only group in the
detached force. The others must have been positioned far enough away that even
his Passive Sonar had been unable to detect them...
Frankly, he should have just killed all the villains attacking the couch with Cohn
and the others while protecting Prince Willie. Ryo should have been able to handle
that easily enough. Or, in the most extreme case, they could have entered the
forest with an Ice Wall surrounding the carriage to lure the enemy away. If they’d
done that, then at the very least, His Highness wouldn’t have been kidnapped...
Instead, he’d become obsessed with the five in the forest and separated
himself from the group to take them down... And this was the result. He was filled
with regret. The feeling overwhelmed him and he felt like it still wasn’t enough
punishment.
Enraged by his own stupidity, Ryo bit down on his lip. This was an escort
mission... The dumbest thing he could have done was leave his client unprotected.
And he’d done exactly that...

However, he had more important things to deal with right now. He could wallow
in regret later! First thing was first—save Prince Willie.
“Master Ryo... Please, summon help and rescue His Highness...”
Then Rodrigo fell unconscious. He was breathing. He had a pulse too. He would
be fine.
Ryo surveyed his surroundings. The four bodyguards and six adventures were
all moving. Had the villains prioritized kidnapping Prince Willie instead of dealing the
final blow to the rest of their group? According to Willie’s recounting of the incident
with the previous body double, it hadn’t been a massacre then either...
He rushed over to Cohn, made the man drink a super potion, and then poured
more of the potion on the wounds in his chest and neck.
Cohn groaned softly in pain. “Ngh...”
“Cohn, can you hear me? It’s me, Ryo.”
He was able to just barely open his eyes into the narrowest of slits. He stared at
Ryo. “Ryo... I’m sorry... His Highness...”
“Yes, I heard from Mr. Rodrigo. As far as I can tell, everyone else is still alive. I’m
going to leave potions behind, so please make sure all of them drink. I’m going to
rescue the prince.”
“G-Got it...” Cohn nodded weakly, overwhelmed by Ryo’s menacing attitude. He
didn’t bother asking the questions crowding in his mind.
“If I follow this road, it will lead to Wingston, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll see you later then.”
Ryo took off at a sprint, heading west. Neither Rodrigo nor Cohn knew where
the prince would be taken. But Ryo had an idea—the Sect of Assassins’
headquarters. As a leader of the Sect, Sherfi had told him its location.
“It’s in a small village in the east,” he’d said, “about a day’s walk north of
Wingston, the largest city in the region. The name of the village is Aban and it’s
situated atop a mountain.”
Even if Willie wasn’t there, all Ryo had to do was ask someone. He had charted
his course clearly.
To begin with, His Highness was the eighth son and prince of a small country.
Honestly, he didn’t seem like he held much value as a hostage. But he had already
been attacked twice, including this time...and by the Sect, no less. Was it possible
that, like Tokugawa Ieyasu, some other country had hired the organization to snatch
him? Or was Prince Willie’s body itself somehow valuable, which meant he needed
to be captured alive...?
Whatever the reason, it was obviously a specific one. In that case, it would be
best to assume that Willie would be sent to a fairly high-ranking member of the
Sect. And the only place nearby Ryo could think of where the top brass would
gather was...the headquarters.

The Sect of Assassins’ Headquarters

At the village of Aban, in the Sect of Assassins’ headquarters, two of the

organization’s leaders conversed.
“Siccar, what did the leader say?”
“Hello to you too, Natalia. No word yet...”
These two had led the units responsible for Prince Willie’s abduction.
“We ended up kidnapping an imposter last time and got a blistering tongue-
lashing for it, eh?”
“Don’t remind me,” Natalia snapped at Siccar.
“That’s why this time around we had Bagabis’s squad ambush them and chase
anybody who split from the prince’s entourage. Since we were able to stay behind
to observe, we saw that the real prince had been left behind, just as we’d
expected.”
“You only managed to succeed because of me. Otherwise, you and your people
would never have defeated those bodyguards,” Natalia pointed out aggressively.
“I didn’t doubt you’d rendezvous with us.” Even as Siccar scowled sullenly on
the inside, he infused gratitude into his words.
They had ultimately mobilized over thirty of the Sect’s members in this raid,
which was proof of how vital it was that they secure the prince.
 However, one thing niggled at Siccar. Bagabis and his eleven subordinates still
hadn’t returned from their pursuit of the body double who had raced out of the
carriage. Due to the nature of their work, members of the Sect were only dispatched
when absolutely necessary; as soon as they complete one mission, they’d proceed
directly to the next one. Compared to Siccar and Natalia, Bagabis still ranked low in
the leadership, which meant he was usually deployed wherever he was needed
without having to report back to headquarters. And yet...
Did a monster take them out in the forest? All twelve, including Bagabis?
Impossible...
They were strong enough to be recognized by the organization’s leadership. No
way would they have been done in by monsters. Naturally, it never even occurred to
Siccar that they had lost to the body double.
While he was lost in thought, one of their leader’s attendants approached him
and Natalia.
“Master Siccar, Mistress Natalia, the leader requests your presence at once.”

◆◆◆
“My lord, we are here to answer your summons.”
Both Siccar and Natalia bent the knee in front of their leader. His Highness
Willie lay on the stone pedestal behind the man.
“Indeed. This time, you captured the real prince. Well done, both of you.”
The man stood tall at one hundred and ninety centimeters. In contrast to his
long, white hair and beard, his fiercely blazing black eyes showed no signs of his
advancing years. He was said to be over ninety years old, but his appearance would
allow him to pass for a man in his fifties.
Then there’s the simple fact he’s a monster whom none of us can yet defeat...
Natalia thought idly to herself. She had been a child when she first joined the
Sect and their leader had been an elderly man for as long as she could remember.
He had remained an old man even after she became an adult, then later, one of the
leaders of the group. Despite being an eternal elder, if every single member of the
top brass joined forces and attacked him...they still wouldn’t be able to take him
down. That was the leader who stood before them.
Though she pledged fealty to him on the surface, Natalia was already part of a
faction determined to overthrow him.
It’s well past time for him to retire.
As the founder of the Sect of Assassins, he was an extremely powerful man.
While this was an undeniable truth, reigning over the organization as its boss for
over half a century inevitably meant a few of its people would grow tired of him.
And this powerful man was obsessed with Prince Willie, though he’d never
explained why to any of them.
Siccar, who stood next to Natalia, was second after the leader concerning
knowledge of alchemy. Some time ago, he’d mentioned the prince’s blood was
necessary in an alchemical experiment...
“I will now begin preparations for the ritual. From this moment on, no one is
allowed to enter this hall of elders. Understood?”
“Yes, my lord,” Siccar and Natalia answered in unison, bowed their heads, then
withdrew.
Once the two exited the room, they heard the door being locked from the
inside.
He’s taking this very seriously.
Natalia cursed him in her mind.
I didn’t even know this door had a lock until now.
She stared intently at it again.
“His dearest wish will finally be granted after all these years...” Siccar
murmured, his voice trembling with emotion.
“Tell me, Siccar. What is this ritual he’s about to conduct?”
“Um...” Siccar froze, his expression suddenly uneasy and sheepish. I’ve done it
now, he seemed to be thinking. He’d only just registered what he’d accidentally said
while his emotions were overwhelming him.
“Don’t fret. I won’t tell anyone. Besides, it will be over soon regardless, right?”
Natalia coaxed him to further loosen his lips.
“Th-That’s true... He developed an alchemical formula for immortality, which
he’s executing now.”
“Immortality? You mean eternal life? That sort of immortality?”
For a moment, Natalia couldn’t grasp what Siccar was saying. But when his
words finally registered in her mind, her complexion went deathly pale. However,
Siccar wasn’t looking at her, so he didn’t notice her expression.
“Yes, that immortality. Our leader will, at long last, rule over us for eternity!”

If this is a jest, it’s certainly in poor taste!

After she and Siccar had gone their separate ways, Natalia had screamed
internally over and over again with a bitter look on her face.
Who in their right minds would actually willingly endure that?! Not me, that’s
for certain! What to do... It’s not a decision I can make alone. In which case...I have
no other choice. I was told to limit my use, but if I don’t request instructions now,
what will happen next can’t be undone.
Natalia hurried back to her chambers and activated a special alchemy stone.
Now, no one could eavesdrop in her room. Then she unlocked a specific drawer and
took out a slate the size of a hand mirror. She placed her right hand on it. The
gesture unlocked the slate, allowing the user to communicate with a specific
recipient.
Both the alchemy stone and this slate were originally alchemical devices
invented by the leader. The person on the other end of this slate had given her this
modified version because it enabled the two of them to correspond at long
distances.
“This is Black.”
“Lord Black, this is Natalia. I have urgent news.”
Her correspondence partner was a man known as Black, the Sect’s number two.
He was also the one who had led the raid in Whitnash, a fact the highest leaders of
their organization had already been informed of.
“Speak.”
 “I know why the leader is fixated on the prince from the Monarchy of Joux. He
plans on using the boy’s body to make himself immortal.”
Black’s aura went from impassive to agitated as he listened. The change in him
was obvious even through the transmission device.
“He’s holed himself up in the hall of elders to make ready for the ritual. Please
advise,” Natalia finished with a request for instructions.
This situation was a nightmare for the members of the antileader faction. No
one even knew the true extent of the concept of “immortality.” Was it simply eternal
life? Did it allow him to return to life even after being killed? With so many
unknowns involved, it was no wonder Natalia struggled to make a decision.
However...
“Natalia, do everything in your power to stop that ritual. It’s the sort where
even the preparations are by no means simple. You have twelve hours before he
starts the actual ritual. But the moment the ritual ends, so too does our future. I
give you leave to use every ounce of power at your disposal. Do you hear me? Stop
him at any cost.”
“Yes, Sir. I understand.”
With that, the transmission ended and the slate returned to its normal state.
Lord Black knew about the ritual for immortality... And he told me to stop it no
matter what... Within twelve hours, hm?
Within moments, Natalia fell into deep thought as she tried to come up with a
strategy...

A few hours later.

I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. But I still might be one move short of succeeding...
Natalia rubbed her temples as she paced in her room.
I just need one more person, someone in the top brass who possesses powerful
fighting skills... I can kill the leader while that person fights him... Argh! Damn it!
Why is Sherfi not here when I need him the most?! I could have used him as a
sacrificial pawn.
Natalia was the kind of person who could consider such a horrific option with
total calmness.
My subordinates aren’t even strong enough to buy me time...
Of course, her people were sacrificial pawns too. While she continued thinking
and pacing, someone pounded violently on her door and shouted, “Mistress
Natalia!”
It was one of her subordinates in the corridor outside.
“What do you want? Enter.”
He practically stumbled into the room at her command.
“It’s bad! The village is under attack!”
“What?” she gasped.
She didn’t understand. She knew the meaning of the word attack, but it should
have been an easy matter for their village to ward off any assault. After all, every
last one of its one hundred residents was an assassin.
Even if they faced a force of knights ten times greater, so long as the battle
took place within this village, they could repel the invaders easily. It would have
been a different story if the region were a barren desert or plain, but the
surrounding terrain and structural layout of the village had been carefully designed
with defensive warfare in mind. It was impossible to know when, by whom, or from
where they would be attacked, so it was only natural that they be ready for every
possibility. Never mind the fact that it was impossible from the outset for knights
and any other outsiders to approach the village with ease. After all, this was a
settlement of assassins.
Yet here was her subordinate telling her they were under attack. As in, it was
happening right now as they spoke. How was this possible when it was nearly
impossible to even get near their location?
“Who’s attacking us? How many are there?”
Her subordinate hesitated for a moment at her question, then mustered up his
resolve and answered.
“One individual.”
“One...individual?” Natalia repeated, dumbfounded.
“One water magician. He charged in from the front.”
“That’s absurd! Are you saying we didn’t intercept him?!”
“He froze everyone. It’s him. The water magician that was part of Gekko’s
merchant caravan. The same one who turned Gey to ice. He’s the attacker!”
“Why...is someone like him here...?”

◆◆◆
Ryo had found the sprawling village on the mountain road. He’d known he was
being watched during his ascent, but nothing in particular had happened on his
walk. Regardless of what was inside the village, normal travelers sometimes visited
it as well. Adventurers on jobs stopped by too, whether to collect information or to
ask for directions after getting lost.
If knights or armed groups of people approached, the villagers would probably
be wary. They might even intercept them on the mountain road, but the assassins
who’d been monitoring Ryo’s uphill climb never even considered the possibility that
he was a one-man raid.
When the village came into view, he conjured up an image in his mind: a world
entirely encased in ice. Then he chanted.
“Permafrost.”
It was a freezing spell that affected a wide area. The magic was simple: it
decreased the molecular vibrations of water molecules within the visible range and
caused them to freeze. That was all. That said, there was nothing ordinary about its
range and effects...
If Abel saw the ensuing sight, he would probably say, “Wait, Ryo. Didn’t you
come here to rescue someone? What if you ended up freezing him too?”
Prince Willie was definitely somewhere deep inside the village. Ryo’s Permafrost
spell probably hadn’t hit him... Or so Ryo believed without any basis in fact.
Regardless, plenty of people survived frostbite, so...
Everyone who was outside in the village was frozen.
“Sherfi said all the villagers were assassins, so it’s not like this is a civilian
massacre.”
 As for whether the assassins were combatants or not...Ryo didn’t know the
details. Besides, just because they were frozen didn’t mean they were dead—so,
again, not a massacre...
“Ice Armor. 10-Layer Ice Wall Package.”
The second he finished reciting the spell, five arrows flew at him. They were, of
course, repelled by his Ice Wall.
“Icicle Lance 5.”
He sent five Icicle Lances on a reverse trajectory matching the arrows’.
“Gaaahhh!!!”
“Ngh...”
He heard screams from those he’d struck. Attack magic came flying at him on
the heels of the arrows and he countered immediately with more Icicle Lances. The
collisions created violent explosions.
“Active Sonar.”
Ryo struggled to organize the sheer amount of information Passive Sonar was
transmitting into his head, which is why he activated Active Sonar, a spell he didn’t
use much normally. Unlike Passive Sonar, Ryo could send out a Pulse from himself.
When that Pulse hit an object and the feedback returned to him, he could analyze
the data, which allowed him to grasp his surroundings. It was a powerful spell,
excelling in its ability to detect even immobile objects.
Receiving a more manageable stream of information from Active Sonar, Ryo
boldly stepped through the village entrance and kept walking. By the time he
arrived at the conspicuously large building in the center of the village, all the long-
range attacks aimed at him had completely stopped. Instead, the remaining forces
waited to ambush him in front of the building.
“The last stage is hand-to-hand combat, hm?”
The corner of his mouth curled up just a bit. The thought of a proper battle
clearly delighted Ryo. When he drew near, the hidden assassins threw something at
him at the same time. Once the objects hit the ground, many columns of white
smoke rose.
“Again with those?!”
He’d been expecting them to be a little more original. Needless to say, he was
disappointed. Of course, he wasn’t going to drop his guard because the smoke
might not have been regular smoke. They could have infused it with poison, for
example.
“Squall.”
A thunderous downpour instantly covered the area, slamming the rising smoke
straight back to the ground. At this point, Ryo would normally dash forward to close
the distance between him and the enemy. Then he would incapacitate them while
they were still in shock. This time, however, was different... After Squall cleared out
the smoke, he continued walking forward.
Step by step, he drew closer to the large building.
Ideally, the defenders should scatter and then try another strategy. But the fact
the assassins aren’t doing that means this building is their most important
stronghold...
 He couldn’t detect Prince Willie’s signature even with Active Sonar. Although
Ryo didn’t know where exactly he was, he’d thought the prince might be held inside
the village’s key base. Even if he wasn’t there, someone important would be, and all
he had to do was ask them. That was his backup plan. And the assassins’ actions
had only confirmed his suspicions about the vital importance of the building in front
of him.
“All right. I’m freezing all of you. Ice Casket 13.”
Ultimately, there was no hand-to-hand combat...

Natalia had gone outside the village to observe the attacker. She was
astonished.
What in the world is that monster?!
An invisible wall of ice blocked all the villagers’ attacks. Seconds after, spears
of ice shot back at them from the other side of the wall.
Those two things are enough to make him invincible!
Moreover, he had instantly dispersed the smoke screen the others had used to
challenge him to melee combat... What a nightmare—an awful, hellish nightmare.
“So that’s the water magician who was with Gekko?” Natalia questioned her
subordinate standing next to her. Half of her unit had been sent on the failed attack
against Gekko back then.
“Yes. I only saw him at a distance, but that robed man is definitely him.” He
nodded affirmatively.
Which means Prince Willie and Gekko are connected? Or...Inverey requested
the prince’s rescue and Gekko sent that man to do the job...?
The prince’s entourage had been heading to the Kingdom of Knightley by way
of the Principality of Inverey. She knew the lad had had an audience with the prince
of Inverey during his time there.
“No, this isn’t the time to dwell on that,” Natalie said aloud to remind herself of
the situation at hand. “That water magician intends to take Prince Willie back. So,
his destination will be the hall of elders. We’ll take him down with the traps there!”
“But I thought only our great leader could activate those?”
“I can as well. Half the work is already done. Once I finish the rest of the prep,
you lot had better keep your eyes on him.”
And the leader too, hm?
Natalia decided then and there to finish off the water magician and the leader
in one fell swoop. Both entities would only be nuisances if left alive. The timing of
the opportunity couldn’t be more perfect!

◆◆◆
It was deathly quiet inside the building. The structure had seemed enormous
when Ryo saw it from the outside and his impression didn’t change at all when he
entered. The corridors were wide and its ceiling incredibly high, making it feel less
like a village hall and more like a monastery, if Ryo were to describe it in Earth
terms.
“Usually, the space farthest back is the most important in places like these.”
 It looked like the building’s fundamental design principle was based on religious
concepts. An order of assassins lived here after all, so it wasn’t all that strange.
He walked down the corridor for a bit longer before reaching a massive set of
double doors.
“I’ll definitely find something inside that room,” Ryo speculated baselessly. Still,
considering the design and construction of the imposing doors, it did seem more
unlikely that he’d find nothing on the other side.
“Icicle Lance.”
He created a spear of ice more than a meter in diameter. This particular Icicle
Lance was so thick that it no longer even resembled an icicle. He used it to batter
down the doors.
As soon as he slipped inside, he surveyed the interior. A stone slab occupied
the space at the back of the room with a person lying on top of it.
His Highness! Ice Wall.
Ryo generated an Ice Wall to protect Prince Willie...or at least he tried to, but
found he couldn’t. His magic was active, which meant magical nullification wasn’t
affecting him. His spells weren’t being nullified after he cast them either, so he
wasn’t being stripped of his magical control like he had been when fighting the sea
monsters.
The magic worked, but as soon as his Ice Wall was created, it disappeared.
“To think an intruder would appear at this point in time. Intriguing. Very
intriguing. I know you are here to rescue the young lordling, but as you can see,
your magic cannot protect him.”
A man with long, white hair and a long, white beard spoke to Ryo. He seemed
to be working on something a short distance away from the stone slab.
“Would you be so kind as to tell me why I can’t?” Ryo asked politely.
“No,” the man replied bluntly.
“I see. Ice Wall Package.”
Ryo created a barrier of ice around the man to restrict his movements.
“Jamming,” the man said, mixing sand into the forming Ice Wall. It failed to take
shape and vanished just like that.
“Obstructing your opponent’s magical creation by mixing your own magic into
it... The idea never would have even occurred to me.”
Ryo was genuinely impressed. At the same time, fear shivered down his spine
as he realized the only way to execute such a technique successfully was by
generating magic at a frighteningly fast speed.
It took Ryo less than a tenth of a second to chant his spell and generate his Ice
Wall, yet his opponent had evaluated Ryo’s magic and, on top of that, mixed in his
own... There was nothing ordinary about his speed.
“It is not as if I hold the patent to the concept, so feel free to utilize it as well.”
The man spread his arms wide in invitation.
Ryo found himself stuck on the word patent. Of course such a thing existed on
Phi. Previously, Ryo had simply assumed the concept didn’t exist in this world. Now,
he was forced to confront his assumption. Clearly he had much more to learn about
this world.
“Patent...” Ryo muttered unthinkingly.
 “Ah, forgive me. There is no need for you to know what that means as you will
meet your death soon. Stone Lance.”
Instantly, six stone spears erupted around the man and launched themselves
toward Ryo.
“10-Layer Ice Wall.”
This time, there was no interference with his spell, so a barrier of ice formed
around him and repelled the six stone spears.
“Oh ho. Quite a solid wall of ice, that is.”
The moment after the man said those words, a humongous cuboid stone
rushed toward Ryo from above. A bystander might have thought the ceiling itself
was crashing down.
The ensuing thunderous roar was followed by an explosive cloud of dust.
10-Layer Ice Wall.
Before the cloud dissipated, this time Ryo created a wall of ice parallel to the
ground above the man and let it free-fall. Another thunderous roar. Another
explosive cloud of dust.
...and then the sound of ice shattering into tiny pieces.
When the haze covering the room cleared, the two men stood there like nothing
had happened.
One of them had used Abrasive Jet to slice the falling slab of stone and stood
now looking completely unfazed. The other had created a super hard cone made of
stone around him, which had through the falling wall of ice, shattering it.
“I have to say, I’m shocked your stone broke my ice.”
“This is the first time water has been able to cut through my stone.”
They smirked at one another.
“I’d just like to make sure that you are the head of the Sect of Assassins, yes?”
“Indeed.” The man nodded. “They call me the leader.”
And then their fight entered the next stage.
“I shall start by crushing you face-to-face. Stone Spear Fang Blitz.”
“Laminated 10-layer Ice Wall.”
Stone spears fired in rapid succession from both of the leader’s palms—but
they were not the only attacks. Numerous magic circles appeared around the man,
which shot more stone spears at Ryo. It looked just like a magic battle you would
see in an anime or video game.
Even as Ryo blocked the racing stone spears with a stream of continuous Ice
Walls through his “lamination” technique, he was somewhat impressed by the
leader’s magical fighting style.
Neither the Inferno Magician nor Leonore the akuma created these magic
circles... Not that I’m complaining, because this is super, duper cool!
 In all things, coolness was incredibly important.
“I commend your ability to generate those successive ice walls so quickly. Not
many can do that. Even my Jamming is not fast enough to hinder you. I trust you
are not running out of mana?”
“Not at all. More importantly, attacking me with those flying magic circles is so
cool!”
From the casualness of their conversations, you’d hardly know at all that they
were trying to take each other’s lives.
“Oh ho! So you understand the marvel of this magic, mm? Excellent! None of
my disciples do. Lamentable... I have struck upon a fantastic idea. What say you to
being my disciple? I have a feeling you will be able to carry on my techniques,
including this one.”
“Um, I’m not too keen on joining an order of assassins...”
For whatever reason, the Sect’s leader was trying to recruit Ryo, who wasn’t
willing to become an assassin just to chase after the cool factor.
“Well... That is unfortunate...”
The leader looked truly disappointed...
“All right, my turn next. Water Jet 256.”
Two hundred and fifty-six Water Jets formed, their points of origin orbiting the
man, each jet capable of cutting up everything in its path.
“Floating Stone Wall, activate.”
Countless palm-sized stones appeared around the leader, moving around with
frightening speed and crashing into Ryo’s Water Jets. The collision of water and
stone sparked the process of annihilation, and both disappeared with brilliant
flashes of light. Within a few seconds, all two hundred and fifty-six Water Jets were
destroyed by the stones’ suicide bomb attacks. Unhurt, the leader remained
standing.
“That’s definitely a defensive measure I never would have thought of...”
Ryo was kind of impressed. Two hundred and fifty-six Water Jets swirling in
random trajectories. Honestly, even he hadn’t come up with a way to block his own
attack. Nevertheless, the leather had been able to. Just as Ryo had intercepted the
Fire Javelins with Icicle Lances to make them disappear, the old man had negated
his Water Jets with small stone walls. It may well have been the most effective way
of dealing with such an attack.
“Heh heh heh. Magnificent, is it not? I must say, it was quite difficult to ensure
the stones did not crash into each other. With this countermeasure, I can even
defend against saturation attacks, as you just saw. Once you master a technique,
you will never lose it. Time may wear down your body, but it cannot take your
experience,” the leader explained proudly.
“A wise saying. I suspect you’re leaving out the fact that such precise magical
control required a great deal of training...”
“I did indeed devote myself single-mindedly to my training once upon a time.
However, it is not so difficult now, as I employ alchemy to aid me, you see. A
combination of earth magic and alchemy, to be more exact. Is that not the case for
your water?”
“That’s alchemy...? Mine is genuinely just water magic. Gosh, alchemy really is
fascinating, huh?”
“Such control over magic alone...” the leader murmured, half awed by Ryo’s
response. “I find you infinitely more curious. I must ask you once more. Will you
reconsider becoming my disciple? If your acceptance means I must return that
prince unharmed, I shall. Though I needed him to extend my life, I suddenly find
mortality much more appealing if it means I can have you under my tutelage in the
end. What say you?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t want to be an assassin.”
A very small part of Ryo wanted this man’s alchemical techniques. However,
that thought flashed through Ryo’s mind for only a moment. He had no intention of
becoming an assassin.
“I see. Regrettable. Then I will engage you in earnest now.”
The leader closed his eyes for a second and chanted.
“Meteor.”
But nothing happened.
Did he fail? No, wait, what did he say? “Meteor”...? Meteor is a famous spell in
games that causes meteorites to rain down... No way!
Ryo looked up and cast his spell.
“Abrasive Jet 128.”
He tore through the building’s ceiling.
“Active Sonar.”
Ryo detected four objects heading straight for him. Four meteorites.
“A pure, mass attack now?!” Ryo shouted.
“I am not surprised you realized.”
The second he heard the voice from behind him, Ryo reflexively jumped
forward, rolled safely, then immediately sprung upright again. Simultaneously, he
unsheathed Murasame from his waist and generated its ice blade as he whipped
around.
He’d been stabbed the moment he heard the leader’s voice, but his Ice Armor
and the Fairy King’s robe saved him from sustaining a fatal wound. Even so, he felt
the pain of a bruise forming on his back, which he ignored for now.
The leader stood now where Ryo had been. His head tilted thoughtfully, he held
a thin, curved, single-edged sword.
“So you defended yourself, eh... My sword is infused with the ability to use an
elemental attack, but your robe blocked it... Perhaps I should have used a normal
sword... Fascinating.”
“Then the meteorite mass attack was just a diversion from your true aim, which
was melee combat...”
“Yes, indeed. Naturally, I have no qualms using Meteor on armies and to
destroy cities as it is quite effective. However, dropping it here risks harming the
prince, which will simply not do. Thus, I sought to engage you in physical combat.
Alas, you are too clever for your own good. I should have known better than to
assume a magician like you was not versed in physical combat as well.” The leader
cackled merrily.
“I guess that applies to you too given you’re the leader of a group of
assassins?” Ryo said, pointing Murasame at his opponent. He never once dropped
his guard.
“Of course. I am the one who trained them, after all. Now, shall we commence
round two?”
 The leader brandished his sword dramatically and struck at Ryo, who parried
the blow firmly with Murasame. But then...
“Ngh!”
A sharp pain shot down his back. He immediately pushed away the leader’s
sword, jumped to the side, and did a somersault like a volleyball player executing a
spinning receive before standing up again. He’d spotted the source of his pain
during this maneuver...
“A floating magic circle...”
It looked just like the ones the leader had used during his Stone Spear Fang
Blitz. Ryo didn’t even know when the man had put it there, but a stone spear had
probably emerged from it to attack him from behind...
“And here I thought I had you skewered... It is not just the robe, eh? Your armor
of ice is also quite hard...” the leader commented, intrigued.
Yup, the back part of Ryo’s Ice Armor. Although Ice Armor wasn’t as durable as
Ice Wall, it was the unsung hero that had nevertheless saved his life on numerous
occasions. While it could be easily torn apart by master swordsmen, it held its own
very well against magic.
But Ryo had something else entirely on his mind...
“Are you telling me,” he said, “that you can manipulate those magic circles
however you want...?”
“Yes,” the leader replied, demonstratively moving the floating magic circle left
and right before making it somersault before his eyes.
“No way...” Ryo was stunned. Wasn’t this just like in some anime where a
character used brainwaves to control a guidance weapon? If he fought with a few, or
a dozen, of those in the air...
“That’s insanely out of this world cool...” he said, his eyes flashing.
The leader understood the greed in his gaze and chuckled ruefully. “I agree, but
need I remind you I am trying to end your life with this technique?”
“Well, I definitely can’t let that happen. Clearly, I haven’t trained enough given
how close you were to succeeding. Alas, it’s my own fault rather than those
fantastic weapons’!”
“I-I see...” The leader seemed a bit overwhelmed by Ryo’s passionate
insistence.
Regardless of his zeal, Ryo understood that he faced a real problem that
needed to be solved.
The leader’s swings are strong. And his blade is shockingly heavy... Since
Murasame is the one parrying, its ice blade probably won’t break, but...if possible, I
want to block his swings early, before he can gather too much power. Except his
attacks are so quick, so that’s going to be difficult. In other words, it’s impossible to
create an advantage in a sword fight. Then there’s the magic circle attacking from
behind... Yes, that’s definitely cheating.
Ryo sighed inwardly, shaking his head. He had to create a situation where he
didn’t need to be aware of the attacks from the magic circle.
Neither defensive body movements nor my sword will help me achieve that...
Which means, I’ll have to figure something out with magic. It’s my only option at
this point.
 Ice Wall was essentially based on Ice Shield, a spell that created a tennis
racket-sized ice shield to intercept enemy attacks. Lately, he’d been using Ice Wall a
lot, so Ice Shield hadn’t come into play much... But who knew what it was capable of
and where.
I’ll be fine... I think. Let me try it out and take it from there. Before that, I need
to reconstruct the things he broke. Ice Armor.
He repaired the part of Ice Armor covering his back by chanting the spell in his
mind.
“Hm... I could not use Jamming because...I cannot see your back,” the leader
admitted, grinning.
“I suspected as much.” Ryo grinned back smugly, his smile saying, ‘Ha! Tricked
you!’
At this level of combat, strategizing starts right from the spell-casting phase.
And once more, from a position of almost no advantage, the leader swung his sword
down. Once again, Ryo parried it solidly, just like last time...
“Gah!”
A stone spear shot out again from a magic circle behind him and shattered the
back of his Ice Armor. The Revamped Ice Shield, his magical countermeasure, had
failed. However, compared to the previous surprise attack, his back suffered
significantly less damage.
Was it too weak? Then I just have to increase the output and number! There’s
no need for it to be ice at all, so I can leave it in a vapor state in the air... Okay,
Revamped Ice Shield No. 2 is complete!
“Something the matter?” the leader asked, tilting his head in theatrical
confusion. He was clearly enjoying himself. “The back of your armor is broken again,
is it not?”
“No, I just miscalculated. It won’t happen again. Because I won’t even need the
back of my armor!”
“Oh ho, such confidence.”
Ice Armor.
He cast the spell in his mind and reconstructed the back of his Ice Armor.
“You just said you do not need it, yes? Or did my ears deceive me?”
“Of course, I lied! A great man of eld once said, ‘All warfare is based on
deception.’”
“I-I see...”
The leader shook his head a little and regained his composure. And for the third
time, from a position of almost no advantage, the leader swung his sword, his
strongest swing yet. Ryo parried for a third time.
Ryo knew the light of annihilation was emitting behind him. When two magic
spells of roughly equal power collided, the spells annihilated one another. This was
called annihilation, just like in physics... Although Ryo didn’t know who’d coined the
term here on Phi. Annihilation emitted light, which meant...
“Mwa ha ha. Revamped Ice Shield No. 2 is a success.”
“Well done. Though I cannot say the same about your coinage... Tell me, what
exactly did you do? I could not see behind you, so... Ah, then let us attempt this
from the front.”
 The leader took a huge leap backward and chanted.
“Seal.”
A magic circle appeared on his right side and launched a stone spear, which
flew right at Ryo. It disappeared after the light of annihilation appeared fifty
centimeters in front of him.
“Invisible? No...you are using water vapor?” the leader asked, looking genuinely
surprised.
“Correct! You figured it out in a flash, huh!” Ryo answered proudly.
For a few moments, the old man seemed utterly dumbfounded, then he started
laughing.
“Heh heh heh heh heh. Aha ha ha ha ha!”
Ryo stared at him suspiciously because he didn’t know why the man was
laughing.
After his laughter finally subsided, the leader spoke again. “You truly are an
interesting one. Your adaptability and learning rate indeed intrigue me. It is clear to
me you have a talent for magic. Hm, let us see how you fare with the sword—”
In an instant, he closed the distance between them and struck. Ryo parried
cleanly. There was no longer any need to worry about the attacking magic circle. As
long as his Revamped Ice Shield No. 2 was functioning, he could concentrate on the
sword fight in front of him.
And the leader’s strikes forced him to focus. He struck rapidly, again and again.
Each swing was so ferocious!
His style was fast and heavy, making it perfect for rapid-fire attacks. If you
thought about it, it was normally difficult for a swordsman to combine these
qualities, especially when swords leveraged the wielder’s entire body. But the
leader’s sword managed to combine the two.
It’s his stance that’s giving him both speed and strength. His knees are bent
and his hips are lowered, allowing him to smoothly shift his center of his gravity.
That means he doesn’t just have to rely on the strength of his arms or the weight of
his sword.
Yes, the most fundamental of the fundamentals: keep your center of gravity
low. The leader’s knees, bent at ninety-degree angles, did just that! It was similar to
how defenders on a basketball team would stay low to guard other players. While it
didn’t make you any faster, it did allow you to change direction much more quickly.
It also allowed you to shift your center of gravity to the left and right so you could
reach up to fifty centimeters farther without moving a single step. Shifting your
center of gravity was one of the most important aspects of swordplay. In a fight
where just one more step could bring you within striking distance, footwork was
paramount. In such close quarters, you couldn’t execute wide, attacking swings...
Instead, you had to compact your arms and hips and shift your center of gravity into
your strike... This was how you fought with swords at such a distance.
Thus, it was the leader’s ability to swiftly change the center of his gravity that
gave his sword T both speed and heft. It wasn’t just the weight of the sword and the
swing of the arm that made each strike heavy, but the weight of his body too.
Sera’s sword style is fast and heavy too, but that’s because she has incredible
control over her air magic. But the leader’s sword combines both speed and weight
through the principles of swordsmanship. Amazing...
Ryo was deeply astonished. He realized that the leader’s understanding of
“swinging a sword” completely eclipsed his own. But...
But that’s exactly why I can’t lose...
He continued parrying the man’s sword. One blow at a time.
Defense was the essence of Ryo’s style. In the Forest of Rondo, the Dullahan
defeated him every night... In the city of Lune, every day he lost mock battles to
Sera... It was something he had acquired because he was constantly forced into a
disadvantageous position. There were things in this world to be learned from losing
so often. Ryo was so strong at defense that even the Dullahan and Sera couldn’t
break through his guard easily. Yes, his defense was surprisingly tough.
“You...are a monster,” the leader muttered.
“Sheesh, where’d that come from?” Ryo protested. He thought anyone would if
someone suddenly called them a “monster.”
“It is, of course, a compliment.”
“A-Are you sure about that...?”
Although he didn’t feel quite convinced by the leader’s words, he was still
happy to be praised. Especially when it came from a man who wielded such a
powerful sword...

Their sword fight continued even as they chatted. It followed a basic pattern:
the leader attacked and Ryo defended. Of course, Ryo wasn’t always on the
defensive. He sometimes matched the old man’s attacks with counters of his own.
That said...
My attacks aren’t landing at all...
The gulf between them felt insurmountable—even larger than the gap he felt
between he and the Dullahan or he and Sera. It was so bad he knew his attacks
wouldn’t hit before he even started them. While the leader described his defense as
monstrous, from Ryo’s perspective, the man was no less monstrous himself...
But there was a chink in the leader’s proverbial armor: stamina. If the sword
fight dragged on like this, Ryo could outlast the old man. If all that mattered to him
was winning, that was all well and good—but...
That’s not what I want.
Despite the fact that his life was on the line, Ryo couldn’t help the thought
flashing through his mind. It was proof of how badly he wanted to surpass this man
through his power or his skill. It was an unnecessary thought. One he shouldn’t
have. However, at some point, Ryo had started enjoying himself, which led to him
wanting to be better than the man in front of him.
He didn’t just want to win. He wanted to beat him. The two feelings were
similar but different, but such differences had no place in life-and-death situations.
Ryo knew all this in his head. He understood what was at stake. And yet...he
couldn’t lie to himself.
These were pure, unadulterated instincts. In the end, he couldn’t think of
anything else... Everything that was Ryo converged into one need—to beat the man
in front of him.
“Hm...”
 He no longer heard the leader’s murmurs. All he took in was the information
necessary to beat him and processed it unconsciously. Ryo just swung his sword.
Faster. More powerfully. More accurately.
“A mist...?”
At first, it looked like Ryo’s sword, his arms...his entire body were beginning to
emit a fine mist. But the leader soon realized that this was not the case. No, it was
Ryo’s sword that was emitting the mist after each swing.
 “The jets of water are making his sword faster... Unbelievable...”
The moment Ryo himself realized, he noted that the heaviness of his sword had
increased too.
 If anyone had been watching the swordplay from a distance, they might have
found it beautiful: light poured in from the broken ceiling, reflecting off the tiny
water particles.
Sera utilized her Wind Robe technique to exert precise magical control of air
magic in her swordsmanship... And what Ryo was trying to achieve could be
considered the water magic equivalent.
However, the vectors were opposite. Her Wind Robe accelerated her attacks by
pushing her sword with air magic while Ryo’s Water Robe propelled the sword with
water magic.
If Wind Robe was like using the wind to push a yacht with sails forward, Water
Robe moved the yacht by using the thrust generated by jets or propellers... Was
that really the difference?
Of course, Ryo had achieved this unconsciously. He’d simply wanted to surpass
the man in front of him... This was the result of mobilizing everything he had.
With each flash of his sword, he eliminated any superfluous motions. Stripped
away any unnecessary movements in his body. He accelerated each strike, each
movement with water magic.
Then, finally, everything came together.
Swoosh.
Ryo’s horizontal slash sliced a gash into the leader’s left side.
“Ngh...!” the leader grunted, then jumped far back, putting some distance
between them.
Of course, there was no opening to exploit. Ryo had intended to close the gap
immediately, but lost his timing simply because the leader’s speed didn’t allow for
any openings to be created. And from where Ryo stood, he could see the boss
gritted his teeth as he leaped back.
When he landed, the wound in his side, which should have been gaping, was
already beginning to heal. It was as if he had drunk a high-grade potion.
“Did you put a potion capsule into your molars?”
The leader smirked at Ryo’s surprise. “Correct. To think I would actually have
the chance to use it... Heh heh heh. Life is fun, eh? Even in my old age, it never fails
to excite. That said, it was wholly unexpected that you would begin to surpass me in
such a short period of time. You are a monster on all fronts, not just defense.”
“I suppose I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Despite Ryo’s acceptance of the leader’s praise, he didn’t drop his guard. He
kept Murasame pointed steadily at the old man in the seigan stance, which was his
most basic but most familiar stance.
“You know, there is one thing I have been most curious about... Your stance
and...that black hair remind me of the people of my native land... Not to mention
that ice blade. It is curved, yes?”
“We’re finally discussing the elephant in the room, hm? Yes, just like you, I too
came from another world. It seems like you’re Japanese as well... I wasn’t sure
about that last part until now though.”
The leader’s eyes widened in genuine shock at Ryo’s words.

Neither of them said a word for several long minutes. The leader broke the
silence first.
“I wish to know something first. Is your objective to kill me?” he asked.
“No, it’s to take the prince back,” Ryo answered.
“Do you desire to continue fighting me? I must admit, even I am reaching my
physical limits.”
Ryo considered. “No, securing Prince Willie comes first.”
Keeping your priorities straight was essential in every situation. If you got
careless, whatever happened after couldn’t be undone.
Of course, sometimes a water wizard came along who cast all of these notions
aside, putting the pursuit of victory on the back burner to instead strive to beat the
man in front of him...
The leader nodded and sheathed his sword.
“Then we shall not fight. You may take the prince with you.”
“Huh?”
Ryo was surprised by this turn of events. He’d thought some degree of
negotiation would be necessary after gaining the upper hand. However, he hadn’t
expected the battle to end so quickly...
“I was told another reincarnate, a man, preceded me into this world before my
own rebirth here.”
While Ryo tried to decide whether to head over to Prince Willie, the leader
began telling him his tale.
“The one who told me was named Fake Michael, an angel.”
“Michael! How’s he doing? Well, I hope!”
“I highly doubt a being like him is prone to illness.” The leader laughed. “Yes,
he is well. He said he introduced himself as Fake Michael to me because that is what
the man before me called him... I take it that was you?”
“Uhhh... I meeean... I did call him that but...not out loud. Only in my head. So,
yes, I guess it’s my fault since that is technically how I referred to him. Privately
though.”
Although Ryo was still somewhat confused, he was a little happy to learn that
Michael himself had liked the nickname.
“I was reincarnated on the western edge of this continent... And before I knew
it, I set down roots in the Central Provinces. In my life before this one, I realized I
was a reincarnation of Hasan-i Sabbah...the one who created the Order of
Assassins.”
“The Old Man of the Mountain...”
The leader smiled when Ryo used Hasan-i Sabbah’s alias.
“Yes. A certain irony in that considering I am an earth magician in this life. I
trained myself in the magic and after having the good fortune to meet a respected
alchemist, I trained in alchemy too. Oh, which reminds me...were you reincarnated
as an elf or some other race?”
Ryo was confused by the sudden change in topic.
“No, I should be human...”
“I see. Yet you look quite young. It has been seventy-five years since my rebirth
here. Considering you arrived before me, you must have aged a great deal more.”
“What?”
 What was this man talking about? Only twenty years or so should have passed
since Ryo’s reincarnation... At least that was the amount of time he thought he
spent in the Forest of Rondo... Probably... Maybe... He had never actually recorded
the days, so he didn’t know for sure... Even so, there was no way over seventy-five
years had passed... After all, his appearance had hardly changed, so how...?
Then again, he had wondered why he wasn’t aging here. Who wouldn’t notice
that, right? He’d thought it didn’t seem normal and that was expected too, right?
But over seventy-five years? Didn’t that seem like a lot of time?
“Ah, yes, I just remembered. Michael said that the timeline changes.”
“Timeline...?”
The leader’s words dragged Ryo back from his confused thoughts.
“Some people who go to that white world later end up reincarnated in an earlier
time in this world.”
“What do you mean?”
“I arrived in Michael’s world later than you did, but I was likely reincarnated in
an earlier time than you were.”
Then that means I haven’t been here for over seventy-five years, right...?
Thank goodness. But I wouldn’t mind being a hundred or two hundred at all. After
all, Sera is two hundred years old...
Even as those idle thoughts flashed through Ryo’s mind, the leader continued
talking.
“In other words, people from our time period could have been reincarnated
hundreds of years ago in this world.”
The first thing that popped into Ryo’s head then was the coffee set in Café de
Chocolat. The next thing he thought of was the culture of bowing here on Phi.
Perhaps it was spread by someone reincarnated in an even earlier era... A world
where many people bowed as if it were modern-day Japan. He could sense the
influence of a reincarnate! Was this the spark of a light novel-like mindset?
“Mayhap that is the meaning of timelines changing. Who can say?” The leader
arrived at his own conclusion before continuing. “I was twenty-five years old when I
was reborn from Earth, which makes me one hundred. And let me tell you, I most
certainly cannot move my body like I was once able to. Nobody can win against
advancing age, eh? And...I understood that every day I grew closer to death. That is
why I needed the prince’s blood.”
Ryo shook in fear then. At his current level, considering his sword skill, he
considered himself weak... He ended up asking a different question instead.
“What in the world does Prince Willie’s blood have to do with your lifespan?”
To Ryo, that was the most important question needing an answer.
“Right, well, to be precise, it does not need to be him. Any direct descendant of
Joux’s royal family will do. Using that house’s royal blood as one of the ingredients,
you can create an elixir that will grant you immortality.”
“Immortality? You mean you won’t die?”
“Indeed. Moreover, even should you suffer grievous wounds, so long as you
rest, you will heal without dying. An extraordinary effect, yes?”
“I mean, yes, it is extraordinary, but...you would kill for that reason?”
“I would.” The leader chuckled a bit then.
 Something suddenly felt off to Ryo. Not with the leader but—the wall behind
him?! Ryo cast a spell before knowing what it was.
“Water Jet 1024.”
The propulsive force of water spurted from the entire back of his body, from the
top of his head to his heels. He’d never pulled off the high-speed maneuver
successfully—until now. Ryo reached Prince Willie in an instant.
The strange feeling Ryo had sensed spread throughout the room in an instant,
and at the same time arrows, fire spears, stone spears, and invisible air spears fired
from every wall. Hundreds of attack magic spells cut through the entire room.
Normally, with abilities like his and the leader’s, they wouldn’t suffer a
modicum of damage even in the face of hundreds or thousands of projectiles. But
then Ryo realized what exactly that initial sense of wrongness had been...
Magical nullification...
He’d first experienced it with the one-eyed assassin hawk then again with
BeheBehe the behemoth while escorting Abel. It was the same strange feeling.
And sure enough, Ryo couldn’t use magic. He cut down all the arrows and
attack spells that came his way with Murasame. Luckily, nothing came flying from
the wall directly in front of the room, which was the wall behind the platform where
Prince Willie lay. Even Ryo wasn’t confident that he could handle that many of them
attacking from all sides. Moreover, it would have been impossible to protect the
sleeping prince’s body at the same time.
However, he could manage a three-sided assault. The fact that he’d destroyed
the ceiling with Abrasive Jet might have been a big factor. If the attack spells had
rained down from the ceiling too, the situation would have been hopeless.
Nevertheless, it was still tricky.
This...would be a challenge even for him...
But the leader withstood it. Since he couldn’t use magic, he staved off the
shower of projectiles with only his body and sword.
“Amazing...” Ryo exclaimed unthinkingly.
The human body, when mastered, could display such incredible abilities. Ryo
was truly impressed. But surviving was the same as being nailed to the spot. After
all, the leader was a hundred years old, and had just finished a fierce battle with
Ryo... He must be on the verge of exhaustion.
The attack magic grew even more concentrated, at a fast clip too. The moment
Ryo turned to block an attack on himself and Prince Willie, a thin, incredibly thin
stone spear, different from any of the others, pierced the leader’s chest.
“Ngah!”
This created an opening in the leader’s defense, allowing an invisible air
offensive spell to pierce him. Once the high-density attack ended, the ensuing
silence felt unreal. Ryo noticed the strange feeling was gone too.
“10-Layer Ice Wall Package. 10-Layer Ice Wall Package.”
After confirming he could use magic again, Ryo surrounded His Highness Willie
with an Ice Wall, then encircled the entire room with another Ice Wall. They were
completely safe now. After this, he rushed over to the man.
“Hey, get a hold of yourself.”
A thin stone spear pierced through his heart, but it disappeared as soon as Ryo
arrived, leaving behind a wound from which blood spurted profusely. Ryo pressed a
hand to the man’s chest and created a film of water over the hole in his heart.
Similarly, he sealed the other wounds and damaged blood vessels.
Even if it stopped the bleeding by plugging the holes, it wasn’t healing magic.
Not to mention he wasn’t carrying any potions. He’d left all his things in Cohn’s
safekeeping. Plus, the leader had already used the potion he’d hidden in his tooth...
Even if he did have a potion, the damage inflicted in the leader’s heart by the
stone spear was too complex to heal without Extra Heal... The fact that he’d already
lost so much blood only made things worse.
“What a blunder on my part... To be killed by my own subordinate... It seems I
too have grown old.”
“The bleeding stopped, but...”
“Haaa. I know my own body well and I have no doubt this injury is fatal. No
potion can heal it.”
His flesh was turning purple where the stone spear had penetrated. Ryo didn’t
know why. Poison on the spear? Some kind of alchemy? But the leader seemed
certain that this wound wouldn’t heal.
“It is fine. I have killed so many people until now, so this...is hardly enough
punishment. But to have my subordinate use my own trap against me... Truly
pathetic of me.” The leader laughed derisively at himself.
“Trap?”
“Yes. Over twenty years ago, I set it in this hall to round up all enemies in one
fell swoop. I maintained it all this time, so it worked beautifully, as you can see.”
The old man laughed raspily.
“But the stone spear that hit you seemed...different from all the others?”
“Ah, yes, that is Natalia’s magic. She must have been seduced and used by
Black.”
To Ryo, the leader’s scorn seemed directed at himself rather than Natalia.
“Let me ask one boon of you before the end.” The leader looked straight into
his eyes. “Will you carry on my alchemy?”
“What? How?” Ryo cocked his head in confusion.
“Well, to be clear, you cannot inherit it like a skill in the manner you might see
in anime and manga back on Earth. I wish to entrust all the documents and
techniques I developed on alchemy to you. Will you not accept my dying request?”
“Why me though?”
“Is it not obvious? Did you yourself not remark on how ‘cool’ my attacking
magic circles were? So it is only natural I would want someone who shares my
sensibilities to continue my legacy.”
“And that’s...alchemy?”
“Indeed. Which you can use as well... Of course, it is no easy task to learn it.
While it may be stained in blood because of my deeds, the art itself is innocent.”
The leader struggled to catch his breath. In light of his fatal injury, no wonder
he was in pain.
Ryo might soon be able to use that cool magic!
Sure, it’s an assassin’s alchemy. As he said, though, the art itself is sinless.
That convenient justification was enough to rouse his excitement.
 “By the way, how adept are you currently at alchemy?”
“Oh, um... I’m good enough to make advanced potions and magic potions...”
“What? You have only reached that level? Still a novice, eh... Which means the
path you will tread is a long, long one.”
“Awww... Please tell me you’re joking.”
He was disappointed to hear his fantasies of cool magical battles wouldn’t be
happening anytime soon. As a self-taught alchemist who’d learned in the city, he
thought he should have been well above average. However, the leader’s much more
advanced perspective showed him he was apparently still a beginner.
“Eh, it is what it is. You will find out how far you can go while you are alive...
Speaking of, how long did it take you before you were able to make an advanced
potion?”
“Uhhh...” Ryo considered. “I’d say a little over six months.”
“Six months! A true novice, yet, at that pace, I expect you will improve by leaps
and bounds. Do not shirk your education and you will be successful.”
The leader tried to sit up then.
“No,” Ryo exclaimed, rushing to support him. “You shouldn’t move with that
wound.”
“It matters not, for I am already at death’s door. I must hand over the materials
to you. Now, help me to the wall in front of the platform where the prince is lying.”
With Ryo supporting him, the leader walked to the designated wall, the only
one where no traps had appeared. He chanted something in front of it, and a gaping
hole measuring two meters square appeared. From there, they descended twenty
steps to a room that looked like a study-cum-library. The leader sat in a chair in front
of his desk and took out three black notebooks from a desk drawer.
“Your notes?”
“These two hold the fundamentals. And this one with the gilt edges holds the
secret techniques.”
The first two he mentioned were as thick as three college textbooks on Earth.
The last one was roughly three times thicker than the first two.
“However, with your current abilities, I would wager the first two are still
beyond you... Just try your best and take your time.”
Accepting those words, Ryo opened one of the books on the basics to the first
page. Most of the content was incomprehensible to him in the same way the
Millennium Prize Problems would be to a liberal arts student... Clearly, the content
would take a very long time to understand.
“Here, put them all in that bag over there. It was a gift from His Majesty...”
By now, the leader’s face was deathly pale. Moreover, his eyes were barely
open...
“Back then, he said, ‘Well done, Hasan.’ Ah, to be praised by my lord...”
The old man smiled faintly. He was speaking to himself as if he were Hasan-i
Sabbah now, so perhaps his mind had started growing cloudy. He may have
despised the dynasty itself so much that he wanted to stab the entire lineage with a
sword...but ultimately, he also may have admired Alp Arslan, whom he had served
in that life.
After a while, however, his expression twisted, and bitter words spilled from his
lips.
“He...he is the only one I will never forgive. I will not die until I kill him with my
own hands!”
The leader’s body shook with rage and his eyes widened. But he seemed to be
looking at something that wasn’t here.
“I cannot die yet... Not until...I kill...him...”
Ryo knew the man’s final hour was at hand. He leaned down and spoke into his
ear.
“Hasan, don’t you remember? You successfully assassinated Nizam al-Mulk.”
His words struck the leader like a lightning bolt. Then his expression
transformed suddenly to a calm one.
“Ah, yes... I succeeded...”
The man’s voice trailed off...and with a look of satisfaction on his face, he
breathed his last.

◆◆◆
When Ryo and Prince Willie arrived at the site of the attack, almost nothing
remained. It seemed someone had collected the people and things. The two decided
to head to Wingston, which was both the largest city in the eastern part of the
Kingdom and closest to them.
Hopefully, they would be able to rendezvous with Rodrigo, Cohn, and the
others. If not, at worst, they could hire a carriage to take the two of them to the
royal capital, where they could contact the others.
“No,” His Highness promptly said, shaking his head. “We have to find them no
matter what. I don’t mind if my arrival in the capital is delayed.”
“Understood. Let’s do that, then.” An employer’s wishes always come first.
Besides, it impressed Ryo to see how much Willie cared for his staff.
The first place they went after arriving in Wingston was the adventurers’ guild.
Cohn, who had led the adventurers escorting Willie’s entourage, was a C-rank
adventurer from the Principality of Inverey. He knew that Ryo was an adventurer
from the Kingdom, so Cohn might have used the guild as a way to contact him.
Unless they intended to hide their identity, adventurers made good use of the
guilds.
“Yes, we have a letter addressed to D-rank adventurer Ryo from C-rank
adventurer Cohn of the Principality of Inverey,” the receptionist informed Ryo after
confirming his identity with his guild card. Then she went to a back room and
returned with a letter. In it was the name and location of the inn the group was
staying in. And that was how, for the first time in days, Ryo and Willie finally
reunited with Cohn, Rodrigo, the other bodyguards, and adventurers.

A few days later, Willie and his entourage left Wingston.

While everything appeared the same, a few changes had taken place...
All letters of credit issued by the Monarchy of Joux had been lost during the
attack, meaning Prince Willie and Master Rodrigo could no longer freely withdraw
money. The state-issued documents would have enabled them to procure local
currency from the merchants’ guilds in each country...
 Therefore, Ryo was currently advancing the necessary expenses for the two
men.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience, Master Ryo,” Prince Willie said for the
umpteenth time.
“Please, Your Highness,” Ryo said with an air of magnanimity. “Don’t worry
about it. Once we reach the capital, you’ll be able to withdraw funds from Joux’s
embassy there, right? So we’ll be fine. Because as of now, money isn’t an issue for
me.”
Indeed, now that he was in the Kingdom, where he had access to the account
holding the funds from selling the magic stones, the world was his oyster! In
Aberdeen, the capital of Inverey, he’d been a prisoner of despair due to his lack of
funds. But that man was nowhere to be found. In his stead stood a Ryo who
brimmed with confidence...

◆◆◆
Markdorf, the capital of the Debuhi Empire. That afternoon, Count Hans
Kirchhoff, premier of the country, made his report to His Imperial Majesty, Rupert VI.
“Your Majesty, as reported yesterday, it has been confirmed that members of
the Sect of Assassins were responsible for the incident in Whitnash.”
“I thought as much.” Rupert nodded. “But you paid them to carry out the plan
we discussed, didn’t you?”
“Regarding the eastern part of the Kingdom? Yes, I did. It seems they accepted
the Whitnash job for another client. Well, they’re the kind of people who will do
anything so long as you pay them... They’ve taken money from the Federation as
well. In short...they’re working for both us and them.”
“Busy bastarding bees, aren’t they? In that case, I can’t rightly rake them over
the coals like they deserve, eh? I’m angry about the Whitnash incident, but I still
need them to continue their work in the eastern part of the Kingdom for us.” Rupert
took a sip of his black tea.
“It is as you say. That is why, as I suggested yesterday, I sent someone to their
base in the village of Aban to confer directly with the Old Man of the Mountain.”
“Yes, you did. One way or another, we shall drag the truth out of him. They
must have been surprised we knew their headquarters’s location, eh?”
Hans hesitated for some reason, which was extremely unusual.
“What is it?” the emperor prompted him.
“Well,” Hans answered, looking determined. “It’s about the village. It was
completely frozen.”
“What?!”
“All of Aban was frozen.”
Rupert said nothing for five very long seconds. Then, after finishing the rest of
his tea, he spoke in a slow, measured tone:
“It must have been a natural disaster or the work of some unknown monster...
If neither of those, then it’s possible a magician who may as well be a monster is
responsible... Ah. Didn’t Oscar suffer defeat at the hands of one such magician?”
Hans flinched in shock. “Surely you don’t mean to say this magician is capable
of freezing an entire village...?”
 “Hmph. Were he to fly into a rage, even Oscar is capable of razing a town or
two to the ground with his hellfire. What happened in Aban is merely the ice
version. Even so...I’m surprised this magician is so powerful. I should have listened
more seriously to Oscar’s report. I suppose that’s my mistake,” Rupert said, trailing
off into a mutter so quiet Hans barely caught his words.
“Hans, investigate that water magician at once. Inform the Imperial Magic
Division of what you’ve learned thus far and ask Oscar everything he knows about
the man. You have your orders, now carry them out.”
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”

Epilogue

Today in the white realm, Fake Michael was in charge of managing several
worlds. He held the usual stone tablet in his hands.
“Goodness gracious... So many entanglements with such unmanageable
people. Though you’ve survived until now, will you be all right, Dominus Ryo
Mihara? As for your friend, Abel...the threads of fate that bind him...can’t be
untangled... Fascinating. Then there’s the whole ‘Red Demon Lord’ appellation...
You’re a water magician, but instead of blue, people have given you the color red,
like water stained by blood. For your sake though, I hope neither of those things
come to pass.”
Fake Michael uttered such disturbing words with a cheerful smile... Perhaps
because his existence was so far removed from most humans?
“Oh, right, you’re on your way to the royal capital, hm? Your close friend Abel is
there too. And what do we have here? The Hero of the West...makes his way there
as well. All these forces in the royal capital... Ah...! I sense trouble on the horizon.
Haaa, through no fault of your own, your path will always lead you to such
situations, Dominus Ryo Mihara... I encounter such individuals occasionally, but I
didn’t expect you to be one of them. Good luck. You’ll need it...”

The Fire Magician III: Marchioness Kulkova

A year had passed since Oscar and the party Shooting Spree defeated the
emperor tiger. Though the Kingdom emerged triumphant in the Great War, it, along
with the Federation, didn’t come out unscathed. The conflict had left both sides
deeply scarred. Conversely, the Empire experienced a wave of prosperity because it
had supplied goods to both nations.
In that time, Oscar turned fifteen years old and moved his base of operations
from the dukedom of Moorgrund in the Empire’s southeast to the imperial capital of
Markdorf.
“A mission to escort a marchioness...” Oscar murmured.
The guild master of the Markdorf adventurers’ guild sat across from him in his
office. Over seventy years old, the man was a former healer.
Worship of the Goddess of Light represented the only remaining religion in the
Central Provinces, and the main religious organization dedicated to her, the Temple
of the Goddess of Light, held a great deal of power everywhere. Except the Empire,
where, unusually enough, it didn’t have much power due to the existence of the
healer profession.
Whether adventurer or civilian, clerics from branches of the Temple outside the
Empire healed injuries and illnesses. This inevitably meant the organization
garnered a great deal of respect and held tremendous power behind the scenes.
However, the Empire cultivated people known as healers, who mended wounds and
cured illnesses. As a result, the Temple’s hold on this part of the Central Provinces
was weak.
Of course, priests and priestesses existed in the Empire and among
adventuring parties, but they weren’t ubiquitous, so healers like Moritz were in
charge of healing during adventuring activities.
“You remember that hunt a while back in the marquessate of Kulkova? The one
where you took down that herd of greater boars? Apparently, she took a liking to
you then.”
“Ah...”
The marchioness herself had fired arrows on horseback during the hunt. An
incredibly active woman, she had sung Oscar’s praises concerning his physical and
magical skills. Even he knew how favorably she thought of him.
The marquessate of Kulkova was known as one of the wealthiest territories in
the Empire, with many industries under development there. It was also home to the
only scholarly city in the Empire. Rumors abounded of a great deal of highly
classified research officially approved by the imperial family being conducted there.
Marchioness Kulkova was a well-educated, beautiful woman whose husband,
the marquess, had passed away. They’d had no children. In many ways, she was
considered a well-known member of the imperial elite.
“The marchioness herself requested you by name, so you can expect that both
the reward and evaluation will be top-tier. Most importantly, you’ll be in a position
that will make it easy for you to gather the information you seek.”
“A salon, huh?”
Generally speaking, a salon was a gathering hosted by a woman of high social
status where erudite individuals could discuss all sorts of topics. On Earth, salons
began in France in the early 1600s, a so-called “world of high society separate from
the royal court.” The social exchange—who was invited to whose salon, who was no
longer receiving invitations, and so on—became such a powerful mainstay of
aristocratic life that it became a position of great social status to preside over an
influential salon.
However, salons still weren’t common in the Central Provinces. Marchioness
Kulkova invited not only the aristocrats to her salons, but also scholars, artists,
wealthy merchants, and folks from all sorts of professional and personal
backgrounds. In short, myriad people came together and mingled at her gatherings.
On the other hand, her events weren’t well received by some of the great
houses, who valued prestige above all else. In fact, none of them were ever invited
to her salons.
“You’re trying to find a lead, aren’t you? On that scarred man—Boskona, yes?”
After Moritz, curious about the boy who’d become a C-rank adventurer by
fifteen, had asked him what drove him, Oscar revealed everything. He told him
about his pursuit of Boskona, who had killed his mother and father as well as the
elder he’d come to love as a parent. He hadn’t said these things to gain sympathy,
but to make it easier to acquire information. Yet both sadness and compassion had
filled Moritz’s expression at the time.
Because to the guild master, the fifteen-year-old boy was like a grandson to
him. To see someone so young who had a future be so utterly consumed by revenge
was disheartening from the perspective of an old man who had experienced life.
Even worse, Moritz was helpless to do anything about it.
“Give up on revenge,” he might have said. Or, “You’ll gain nothing, even if you
succeed, by exacting revenge.” Or even, “Do you think your family would be proud
knowing you’re on this vengeful path?” Moritz knew, however, that any of these
thoughts were pointless to someone so hellbent on revenge. Such words wouldn’t
free hearts so embroiled in emotion. Only an experience that made them forget all
thoughts of vengeance or the moment they successfully fulfilled their obsession
could truly liberate them. Moritz knew this truth well.
Nonetheless, ever since settling in the imperial capital, Oscar had grown more
expressive. The full range of human emotion had returned to his face. At least to a
larger extent than before. Compared to other boys and girls his age, his facial
expressions were still limited. Still, there were times when it seemed like he’d
recovered his spirit, such as when he interacted with the members of Shooting
Spree.
“The marchioness has most definitely distanced herself from national politics.
She doesn’t have any children nor does she intend to adopt any, by her own
assertion. She’s even declared that after her death, the imperial family will be
entrusted with the future of the marquess’s family line. However...her determination
to stay away from politics is precisely why so much information winds up on her
proverbial doorstep.”
Moritz paused meaningfully then before continuing.
“The marchioness likes to spend half the year in the capital and the other half
in the marquessate. You helped her with the greater boar hunt when she was in
residence at her estate in the latter. She arrived in the capital a few days ago and
would like you to be her escort for the duration of her stay here. In other words, yes,
she will be hosting a salon or two. What do you say?”
Oscar considered his proposal for a moment. “Understood. I accept the job.”
With all sorts of thoughts running through his mind, Oscar agreed.

◆◆◆
“Ah, Oscar, you’re here.”
“My lady, thank you for your patronage on this...”
“No, no formalities. It isn’t as if we’re strangers. Right then, our first order of
business for the day is the dining hall.”
“As you wish...?”
 She hadn’t even given him the chance to finish greeting her before inviting him
straightaway to the dining room.
The fifteen-year-old boy was now one hundred and seventy centimeters tall, an
acceptable height for someone his age. As far as his build—well, you could say it
was average. Though he seemed thin on the surface, touching him would reveal a
solid, muscular frame.
Yet the marchioness was taller than him. Not by much, but tall enough for her
to be considered tall for a woman. She was in her late twenties with a, shall we say,
particularly attractive figure sure to draw men’s eyes, her trim waist set off by the
exceptionally voluptuous proportions of the rest of her body.
Having said that, Oscar had yet to show an interest in such matters, so he
wasn’t the least bit tempted by her. As for the marchioness herself, she didn’t see
him as a man either. Depending on the circumstances, she either thought of him as
a much younger brother or a son. After all, they’d had many opportunities to get to
know each other during his time on the marquessate.
Both of them sat down when they arrived in the dining hall. Without a
moment’s delay, the staff served them cake and coffee.
“My lady, this is...”
He was just an adventurer, one who had accepted her employment request to
act as her escort. For a commoner like him to sit at the same table as his employer
and take part in a light repast to boot was... Well, Oscar couldn’t help but voice his
concerns out loud.
“It’s fine. I’ll allow it.”
Well, when someone of the marchioness’s station said so, he couldn’t refuse,
could he?
Resigned, he decided to enjoy the cake and coffee. She did too, of course.
While she ate, she observed his mannerism closely. Then, with a nod, she spoke.
“You do indeed carry yourself with such polish, Oscar. I’d thought as much back
on the estate, but your table manners in particular are perfect. The fact that your
style of etiquette is old-fashioned makes it even better, in my opinion. Without
getting caught up in modern trends, your mastery of the fundamentals shines
through in your refined carriage.”
“You honor me with your praise.”
Oscar bowed his head in both thanks and embarrassment at the marchioness’s
raving compliments. It was, of course, all thanks to the education the elder had
drilled in him from the age of six to ten. He didn’t know if the man had ever
considered the possibility of Oscar dining with nobility, but he had said, “Should you
find yourself sharing a table with the emperor, you must always behave in such a
way that others can’t find fault with you.”
The elder had never reprimanded them harshly. Nevertheless, he had been
exacting in his instruction of both Oscar and his childhood friend, Cohn. The baron
had been determined to instill in them the proper way to act without embarrassing
themselves, whether they were in front of aristocrats or if they managed to achieve
the status of nobility themselves. He had understood the importance of educating
others starting at a young age.
It was a given that people could learn later in their life, and that included things
like table manners. But the effort required was vastly different. A child could learn
something new in twenty seconds while the same topic could take an adult two
years to grasp... Sometimes, the gulf could be this wide. Regardless of whether it
was due to the flexibility of the human brain or the rigidity that sets in as we
accumulate knowledge—or even if something else entirely, such as an
overabundance of experience—one thing was certain: learning new things was
much easier when you were young. Everyone knew this.
The marchioness nodded. “Your comportment is one of the reasons I specifically
wanted you for the escort job, Oscar. My knights are well-versed in the ways of war,
wisdom, and culture because I refuse to accept it any other way. And yet...no one
can call a single one of those men handsome.”
It went without saying that all of her knights were ruggedly built men.
“That means I can’t have them in attendance during my salons, never mind
having them escort me when I visit other nobles in their homes. It’s all well and
good for them to escort me in my coach, but good grief do they stand out like a sore
thumb in any other setting.”
The marchioness sighed softly then. Clearly, such an experience had posed
quite the challenge for her until now.
“If only I had women among my knights... Alas, you know what they say about
wishes and coin.”
Yes, that existed only in fairy tales.
“But if I take you along, Oscar, you wouldn’t stand out, at least not in a bad
way. Norbert actually suggested this idea.”
“Your knight commander did?”
This was unexpected news for Oscar. Certainly, the late marquess’s knights
were all fine people, as one would expect from such a group employed by the
aristocracy. But a knight was still a knight and, as such, he must believe that his
supreme role is to protect his master with his own life...which is exactly why he’d
never let another usurp it from him. Or so Oscar had assumed.
So to learn that a knight commander himself had recommended Oscar was
surprising to say the least...
“Norbert comes from a long line of knights who’ve served the marquess’s
family for generations. This means he’s quite strict when it comes to
deportment...and he highly commended yours, Oscar.”
“I... I’m grateful for his consideration.”
“He’s always coming up with new ways to correct his subordinates’
impoliteness, which is why he suggested hiring you while we’re in the imperial
capital. By showing them how you carry yourself, Oscar, he’s hoping to train them
even more in the art of etiquette.” The marchioness smiled faintly.
Meanwhile, Oscar exhaled quietly. Of all the things in the world, he definitely
hadn’t imagined he would ever end up as an example of manners for knights to
model themselves after... But...
“Wherever he is, I’m sure the elder who taught you all of that would be
delighted to see his teachings carried on like this.”
It made Oscar genuinely happy to hear her say that.
 Oscar moved into the marchioness’s capital residence immediately. She also
had new clothes tailored for him since his duties involved accompanying her
whenever she left the grounds. He always ate his meals with her and attended on
her during her salons.
Whenever she was on the grounds, he could do as he pleased. However, since
he didn’t know if she would suddenly leave on business, he spent his time within
her home itself. This became Oscar’s life for the time being.
The marchioness promised to prioritize gathering information on the “scarred
man” he sought in exchange for forcing these various inconveniences on him. She
also gave him free rein over the on-site smithy.
“The smithy...?” he asked.
“Indeed. We had a blacksmith on staff until two years ago, one who had served
the marquess’s household for a long time. Sadly, old age took him... No one has
used it since.”
It sounded familiar to him...just like at the elder’s estate...
I wonder if it’s normal for nobles to hire blacksmiths?
Despite the question lingering in his mind, Oscar had been smithing
occasionally over the past few years, refreshing the skills he learned long ago under
the supervision of local blacksmiths in the present. He had started up again in
Hemleben and continued after moving to the imperial capital.
Naturally, the reason the marchioness even brought up the subject was
because she knew about his past, including his skill at the forge. Oscar now had
time to be alone and face only the hammer and iron. And he certainly didn’t hate
those hours.

Only the most cultured were invited to the marchioness’s salons. Since
attendance was by invitation only, there were no hostiles. At each occasion, around
twenty people in total gathered and conversed like they were enjoying a tea party,
including a few nobles (both men and women), two merchants, three artists and
three alchemists. She never set a specific theme or anything of the sort. The
rotation of various artists and alchemists meant conversations often revolved
around their specialties. Put in other words, the nobles and merchants invited to her
salons were well-educated enough to join discussions on such a wide array of topics.
Oscar didn’t know much about the arts or alchemy. Though he had been under
the elder’s tutelage, his curriculum was strictly the practical kind related to the
aristocracy. While his carriage was extremely refined even among nobles, his level
of education was not on par with theirs.
He usually sat there quietly and listened during her salons. Simply nodding in
response could make others uncomfortable. They may wonder if you’re actually
listening. Using certain remarks—such as “Fascinating, fascinating,” “Ah, I see,” and
“Then, might I presume to draw the following conclusion”?—can ease the other
person’s worries and keep them happily talking. Remember, the important thing is
to nod and comment appropriately throughout a conversation.
By doing this, Oscar made a positive impression on the salon’s attendees and
found his own intellectual horizons expanded through his contact with a variety of
knowledge in a variety of fields. After all, the marchioness’s salons were, without a
doubt, a gathering of the Empire’s first-rate minds.

◆◆◆
There were nobles in the Empire who loathed Marchioness Kulkova. No matter
how wonderful a person she was, or how many people admired her, none of it made
a difference to them. The extent of her wealth roused both jealousy and envy...and
the desire to take it away from her. Human nature was a terrifying thing.
“Then you think it likely they’ll grant permission to open a new mine? Truly?”
“Yes. The information came directly from a bureaucrat in the Department of
Development, Father.”
They spoke in the capital residence of Count Latimore.
“That’s not good. Do they have any idea how much money I spent ensuring
that iron mine was recognized as our property...?! It will all go to waste now!”
“According to the bureaucrat, if things continue as they are, the applications
submitted by Marchioness Kulkova for the ownership certificate and development
permit will definitely be approved within the next month.”
“Hrrrm...”
Count Latimore found himself panicking at this information. His son had just
told him of the discovery of a new iron deposit in the marquessate of Kulkova, which
bordered his own dominion... Although most of the ore was situated within Kulkova’s
marquessate, it was certainly possible that the deposits extended into Latimore’s
county. Therefore, he should be the rightful owner—or so the count thought.
Iron ore, a vital part of the iron supply chain, was in high demand throughout
the Empire and the rest of the Central Provinces. Of course, gold and silver mines
were valuable as well, but those production volumes were low to begin with.
Moreover, when those resources were discovered within the Empire, they
automatically became the property of the imperial family...
In contrast, iron was plentiful, so deposits almost always became the property
of the noble whose territory they were found in. Unforeseen circumstances
notwithstanding, this was especially true if the noble in question was a marquess or
count... However, resources in territorial borders presented a problem, as it did in
this case. All things considered, it wasn’t completely unreasonable for the count to
claim mining rights...
“Evidently, the approval this time depends on the emperor himself.”
“Hm... Again with this farce...”
His Imperial Majesty, Rupert VI, had crushed many noble houses since his
accession to the throne. While the discord between aristocrats and previous
emperors had always run deep, the loss of status and confiscation of property under
Rupert’s reign was exponentially harsher. Of course, nobles had notions of rebellion
—but those remained mere notions. None could take action. Why? Because of the
emperor’s overwhelming military might.
Ultimately, whether or not one’s demands are met depended on whether or not
one had the thing called “power.” It could be military power, economic power, or
even diplomatic strategy. The negotiating table was nothing more than a flat
surface on which to sign the final agreement; nothing was ever truly decided
through “discussion.” True negotiations, where both sides vehemently argue for
their own, were extremely rare and occurred only when “power” was equal.
And the emperor had enormous military power. On top of that, he had access to
economic power in the form of enormous wealth. He even had an organization
called the Shadow Regiment to carry out various schemes on his behalf...
So who would dare to defy such an entity...?
“The marchioness has distanced herself from politics and shown her clear
support for the emperor. From his standpoint, if the matter of ownership is between
us and the Kulkova line, then...”
“Indeed, he’ll award jurisdiction to her.” Count Latimore acknowledged this
possibility with a bitter look on his face.
“However, the marchioness is a widow with no children.”
“Hm?”
The count found himself unable to follow his son’s sudden train of thought.
After all, everyone knew the marquess had passed away without any heirs.
“According to imperial law, if the head of a family dies without a designated
successor, he or she is to relinquish rights to any property of disputed ownership.”
“In other words...if the marchioness dies... Ahem, if something were to happen
to her, the property rights to the mine in question wouldn’t go to the marquessate
of Kulkova.”
“Correct. Needless to say, ownership would then come to us, the house of
Latimore.”
The count smirked then. “It’s only natural for a marchioness to bedeck herself
in jewels and such... Ergo, it’s only natural that bandits might target her. Wouldn’t
you agree, my boy?”
“Of course, my lord. Even in the imperial capital, you never know what will
happen at night, regardless of what might happen during the day.”
Father and son cackled derisively.

In any era and in any world, there were people beyond salvation. Whatever
happened to them, they got what they deserved. But it was a terrible thing for those
caught in the middle.
And Oscar wound up being one of those unfortunate bystanders.

◆◆◆
“It’s grown so late,” the marchioness grumbled inside the carriage.
She had gone to visit an ailing friend of hers, a viscountess, and they were now
on the way home. She and Oscar were inside the vehicle while four of her knights
escorted it from outside on horseback. The usual formation for any trips she took
within the imperial capital.
“I’m surprised by how well the viscountess looked, considering what we heard
of her condition before your visit.”
“Agreed. I suppose her illness mustn’t have been all that serious given her
quick recovery.”
The marchioness had been told the viscountess had less than a month to live.
Prepared for the worst, she’d been shocked by the woman’s relatively healthy
complexion. It was almost anticlimactic. Otherwise, the marchioness would never
have left her estate in the evening.
“Not many people around this time of night even in the capital, hm?”
It must have been pure coincidence that her words preceded what happened
next...
Whoosh. Neeeigh. Arrows suddenly flew out of nowhere and hit the knights’
horses. The knights tumbled to the ground. The marchioness and Oscar heard the
sounds even from inside the coach.
“What in bloody hell?!” she shouted.
Oscar looked out the window and spotted a man standing on a roof holding a
bow.
“Piercing Fire.”
The flame arrow, burning white and thinner than ever, pierced the man’s
forehead. It drilled through his skull without any resistance, flew out the back of his
head, and disappeared. The man slipped from the roof and crashed to the ground.
“There’s one more. Piercing Fire.”
A second man stood on another roof and he met the same fate as the first.
“Shit! Take them down!”
The leader of the villains obviously hadn’t anticipated his archers being
defeated so easily because there was a hint of panic in his voice as he ordered a
direct assault on the carriage. Five bandits rushed out from the side of the road and
began attacking the vehicle. There were more of them than the marchioness’s
knights...but...
“Norbert, don’t kill them all. Leave two alive as captives.”
Her calm, quiet voice pierced through the night. The four elite knights were led
by Norbert himself, the commander of her order. She gave the order knowing that
they wouldn’t be outmaneuvered by the five outlaws.
As for Oscar, he had already pulled back. With his full attention focused on
detecting other archers or long-range magical attacks, he kept himself ready to
protect the marchioness inside the carriage.

The fight was a short but violent one. After it ended, the bandit leader who had
given the signal earlier and one other were rendered unconscious and captured.
“Hm...the best way I can describe what I’m feeling now is...unfulfilled,” the
marchioness muttered, her expression dissatisfied.
Oscar said nothing. Privately, he agreed with her, but he was just glad they’d
managed to foil the ambush.
“Oh, right, Oscar.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“That. That right there, the ‘my lady’ business.”
“I’m sorry?”
She pointed her right index finger up and continued.
“You may call me Maria.”
“I’m...sorry?”
“Well, well, congratulations, Oscar,” said Knight Commander Norbert.
“Um... I don’t...understand...”
Oscar was completely baffled.
 “My knights, my household staff, even my vassals all call me Maria, since that
is my given name. But I was sorely remiss in telling you to do the same, Oscar,
which is why you always address me so formally as ‘my lady’ and such, yes?”
“That’s correct.”
“Henceforth, then, I’d like for you to call me Maria. It may be difficult for you in
official settings, but feel free to use my name in all others, including the salons.”
“U-Understood... Lady Maria.”
Marchioness Kulkova nodded in satisfaction at his response. Norbert, who’d
been watching the byplay, also nodded, happily at that, because now Oscar was
one of them now both in name and substance.
“Norbert, take the two prisoners back and interrogate them.”
“Will do.”
That was how the two bandits ended up being interrogated in one of the
annexes in her capital estate.

The next morning.

“Lady Maria, I’m here to report regarding last night’s incident with the outlaws.”
“Very good. Speak,” the marchioness replied to Knight Commander Norbert
while sipping on her after-breakfast coffee.
“It didn’t take them long to spill their guts. Count Latimore was apparently the
one who paid them.”
“I suspected as much... What bothers me is how easily they revealed their
employer’s identity. Too easily,” Maria said with a small shake of her head.
It was normal for a request for an attack on a noble to go through a number of
intermediaries, so that not only third parties but also those who accepted the job
didn’t know who made the request. Yet their attackers knew who had hired them...
“Perhaps they secretly followed the trail back to the original employer...?”
“Hmmm... I suppose that is one way to discover the truth...”
Then Maria started kneading her temples. She might have been suffering from
a headache induced by the knowledge of the ill-planned raid and its equally ill-
prepared client.
“If I recall, any commotions in the imperial capital are to be reported
somewhere, right?”
“Yes, to the city garrison.” Norbert answered her question.
Any sort of dispute or disturbance was to be reported to any of the garrison’s
stations located throughout the city. This was the law for everyone, noble and
commoner alike. Afterward, depending on the nobles involved in the incident, the
House of Peers, the Privy Council, or the imperial court itself might come into play.
“Norbert, can I ask you to report to them by noon as my proxy? Take the two
you captured with you.”
“Understood.”

◆◆◆
Somewhere in the imperial capital.
“Well, that went poorly.”
“Is that all Count Latimore is capable of? What a disappointment...”
 “Bloody hell, he should have been able to do more. He’s not normally
so...incompetent.” The duke’s words went beyond anger and bitterness, leaving
behind only a sense of deep dismay. “He could have had her injured or locked up
somewhere... There were so many methods at his disposal. For example, hire the
Sect to poison her... Useless fool.”
The duke’s aide smiled ruefully at his master’s complaints before remarking,
“There’s nothing more we can do about this since Count Latimore was unaware of
our designs on her, Your Grace.”
“Bloody right he wasn’t. The most frightening thing is an incompetent ally. If
we’d aligned ourselves with that imbecile, all our plans, no matter how perfect,
would have failed.”
The duke sighed heavily and continued.
“We have no choice now except to execute that plan, eh...”
His mutter was so quiet not even his aide, standing right next to him, heard it.

The Fire Magician III: Ambush

“A celebration to unveil Marquess Meusel’s newly constructed villa?”

Marchioness Maria Kulkova tilted her head thoughtfully after reading through
the letter sent to her. Her steward and head of staff, Eckhart, nodded politely in
response. “Indeed.”

Lord Meusel was one of the five most powerful people in the Empire and
descended from a great noble house. He was neither a supporter nor an opponent
of the emperor. His high rank and neutral stance allowed him to maintain the
perfect distance from politics and build relationships with many other aristocrats.
Frankly speaking though, his connection to the Kulkova line was weak at best.
Due to her own desire to avoid deep connections with imperial aristocrats,
particularly the great houses, Maria wasn’t particularly close to Meusel. Of course,
she greeted him perfunctorily at official functions held by the imperial family.
However...put in other words, that was all her relationship with the marquess
amounted to.
So in light of all this, why would the man invite her to his party?
“Everyone knows about the grand villa Marquess Meusel has been building in
the capital’s suburbs.”
“Hm, including me.”
“Rumor has it that he’ll be dedicating the structure to the imperial family and I
heard His Imperial Majesty himself will be in attendance at the unveiling.”
“Interesting... I begin to see why he invited one like me whom he wouldn’t
interact with under normal circumstances. He wants to show off the emperor to as
many nobles as possible.”
Maria chuckled in amusement. It wasn’t as if she hated the lord in question.
She simply didn’t wish to deal with the powerful nobles at the center of the Empire’s
politics, and that included the marquess of Meusel. Never mind that the bloodline of
Kulkova was also one of the most eminent in the Empire in terms of wealth and
rank...

That afternoon, she hosted a smaller-than-usual salon at her manse in the

capital. Normally, there were at least fifteen people in attendance, give or take a
few. But today, only two noblewomen had been invited. It was less a salon and more
an intimate get-together.
After the three of them chatted for some time, Maria broached the topic on her
mind.
“I heard His Majesty will be gracing Lord Meusel’s party for the unveiling of his
villa?”
“Always the first to hear what’s going through the grapevine. Why am I not
surprised, Maria?” answered Lady Berta Ilkner, wife of the Viscount Schondra.
Though young and lively, she was nevertheless quite educated and Maria counted
the affable woman as one of her close friends.