Volume 7
Chapter 9
The city of Anemomilos, illuminated by the morning sun. This was a city developed as a trading hub leading to Arcazam.
Originally a small
farming village, this city became a relay point for supplies during the
construction of Arcazam, and with a large influx of capital, it quickly became
bustling.
This city, where not
only humans but also demi-humans and various other races come and go, was like
a miniature version of Arcazam.
A convoy of carriages
in formation was passing through the central street that ran through the city.
Luxurious, white-based
carriage bodies. Seeing that knights clad in armor were guarding the front and
back of the carriages, the person riding inside must be of a very high status.
The carriage continued
to race down the highway toward Arcazam, all the while riveting the gazes of
the people passing by.
"My lord, we will
be arriving in Arcazam soon."
The one who spoke thus
inside the carriage was a middle-aged maid dressed in a comfortable-looking
servant's uniform.
Her master was sitting
in the back seat of the carriage, and while nodding at the maid's words, he was
looking at the knight who was on guard duty outside the window.
The cloak and
accessories worn by the nobleman were of the highest quality, recognizable at a
glance.
His well-featured face
was carved with deep lines that told of accumulated years and experience, and
his neatly trimmed golden hair and beard added color to his dignified
appearance.
The nobleman's name
was Victor Barentz Francilt.
He was the current
head of the Francilt family.
"Umu, it has
taken quite some time, but it seems we have made it somehow.
When we arrive in
Arcazam, use this to give the soldiers a sufficient rest. I have pushed them
quite hard."
As he said that, the handsome
nobleman took out a small pouch from his pocket and handed it to the maid in
front of him.
The maid received the
gift from her master with a respectful attitude.
Although small, a
heavy weight was transmitted to the maid's arm. The contents were probably gold
coins.
"It was a forced
march, changing horses many times, so the soldiers will be pleased. Well,
originally, we should have been able to arrive a few days earlier..."
The maid's gaze was
directed at the carriage following behind them.
At the end of her
gaze, the local specialties that her master in front of her had bought up
during their journey here were piled high in the carriage.
And it wasn't just one
or two carriages carrying the luggage. A total of six large, two-horse-drawn
carriages were lined up, fully loaded with goods.
However, even this was
him holding back.
In fact, Mena's master
had been trying to buy twice this amount of goods. Of course, hidden from her.
Her master, usually
fair and just, and renowned as a wise lord, and serving him was Mena's pride,
but he had a bad habit of completely changing his personality when it came to a
very few specific matters.
In fact, that bad habit
would manifest about twice a year, leading to a big commotion.
Fortunately, or
perhaps unfortunately, for the past few years, the cause of it had not been by
her master's side, so that bad habit had not manifested...
"Mena, did you
say something?"
"No, nothing...
However, Jihad-dono is also a problem. To summon my lord so suddenly..."
The handsome nobleman
looked suspiciously at the maid who was muttering while looking away.
However, the maid
called Mena immediately turned back to her master and put on an expression of
utter exasperation.
"According to the
letter sent from Jihad-dono, it was a scandal caused by an academy student. It's
certainly an issue, but to think that it's enough to make my lord come in
person..."
"But he delivered
a letter with such a heavy seal to me directly. Either the recent incident is
that deep-rooted, or some other serious problem has occurred..."
The maid in front of
him did not know the contents of the letter that had been delivered.
Her master had stated
that it was written about the incident that had occurred at the academy, but
the actual contents were not something that could be casually spoken of.
In fact, for that
reason, this nobleman had been moving in various ways in secret, even from his
trusted maid.
While stroking his
beard, so as not to be noticed by Mena, Victor wore a composed smile.
"That old man, to
suddenly appear before my lord and thrust a letter at you... Honestly, that
insolent attitude is too much to bear."
"Well, I was
suspicious at first too, but Jihad-dono's seal was firmly affixed, and the
password and other credentials were also legitimate.
In any case, I was
planning to stop by Arcazam anyway. I also want to see how my daughters are
doing."
He remembered the
white-haired old man who had suddenly appeared at the mansion.
That old man, who had
suddenly appeared in her master's office, had, in front of the two who were
frozen in surprise, put on an unkempt expression and thrust a letter that he
had taken out from his pocket at them.
The letter described
the incident caused by the academy student, the escape of Abyss Grief, and the
details of the recent incident.
Because of that, this
nobleman had hurriedly moved up his visit to Arcazam.
"Ever since the
matter of the secret pact with the Wajiart family came to light, my lord has
had no time to rest. I believe the young ladies will also be pleased."
"Ah..."
A few months ago,
Victor had received a shock as if struck by lightning when he read a letter
sent from his eldest daughter.
The letter described a
secret pact that the Francilt family of that time had made with the Wajiart
family hundreds of years ago.
The butler of the Wajiart
family who had suddenly appeared on his second daughter's birthday. And the
battle with Rugato, who had been sent to fulfill the contract, and how she had
somehow managed to repel him with the help of her friends.
Victor, who had
learned of this fact, had hurriedly investigated the belongings of the past
heads of the family and had confirmed that the contract was real.
Victor had immediately
sent a secret messenger to the Wajiart family and had negotiated with the head
of the family himself.
He had continued to
negotiate while carrying out his duties as the head of the family, continuing
to write day and night without rest, and the negotiations with the Wajiart
family had just been concluded the other day.
"However,
although she had the help of her friends, it was surprising that the young lady
was able to repel an S-rank powerhouse."
"According to
Irisdina's letter, they seem to be quite capable students. All of them are
worthy of A-rank, and some even have the aptitude to reach S-rank. When I saw
the letter, I was also surprised to learn that so many powerful individuals
were gathered in the 3rd-year."
In the social world
where all sorts of evils run rampant, Victor's daughters had been tempered
since they were young.
In the past, he had
felt sorry for that. They had lost their mother, and he had made them feel
lonely and sad.
But that was precisely
why Victor trusted his daughters' judgment of character. The fact that they
were blessed with such promising friends was as if their discerning eyes had
been proven right.
"My lord.
Regarding my lady's matter, have you still not... to the young ladies?"
"I have not told
them. I can't, can I... My daughters have no responsibility in that matter. I
alone am enough to bear it."
The magic tool that
had been entrusted to the Francilt family at the time of the secret pact with
the Wajiart family. One of them, the "Spirit Flame Furnace," which
had been the cause of the dispute with that family, had been embedded in
Somia's body by her mother, Filana Francilt.
Somia, who had been
born with a frail body. To save her, Filana had offered her own soul to Somia
with the Spirit Flame Furnace that she had kept hidden.
The Spirit Flame
Furnace is a magic tool that grants immense power by offering a soul.
Filana had drawn out
the power of the Spirit Flame Furnace with her own soul as fuel and had
connected her life by fusing that magic tool with Somia's soul.
Magic related to the
soul is extremely difficult magic. The success rate was as small as a grain of
sand.
Still, the formula had
succeeded in exchange for Filana's life. It was as if Filana's strong wish for
her daughter to live no matter what had been embodied.
As a result, his
second daughter was growing up very healthy and strong.
Neither Irisdina nor
Somilliana knew this fact. Victor had thought that if he were to tell them, it
might deeply wound the hearts of his gentle daughters.
"To push their
own mess onto their descendants and die selfishly, our ancestors are also a
problem, but I am no one to talk..."
What he had done to
save his daughter. That had, as a result, caused his daughters to bear
unnecessary hardships.
The nobleman was
sighing with his shoulders slumped, as if to say that things don't always go as
planned.
"...I understand
how you feel."
"Fortunately, the
negotiations with the Wajiart family have also been settled somehow. What was
lost was certainly great, but it is for my daughters. Filana will probably
forgive me as well..."
"My lord..."
While picturing the
gentle smile of his deceased wife, the man looked out of the carriage window.
On the lively street
of Anemomilos, various large and small stalls lined the street.
Furthermore, on the
other side of the road that cut through the lush forest, a cityscape, shining
faintly in the sunlight, could be seen. It was their destination, the academy
city of Arcazam.
"It's about
time..."
A small murmur melted
into the summer wind.
The trees of the
forest that continued to the horizon. Beyond them, the huge outer wall of
Arcazam was coming into view.
***
The Arcazam Council is
composed of council members dispatched from various countries, and although the
intentions of other countries are mixed in, its operation is basically not
hindered.
The new technology and
personnel created by the resources and personnel brought in from various
countries are undoubtedly a profit for each country. Therefore, to stagnate the
operation of this city itself would only produce disadvantages.
However, the number of
pies that can be made is limited. Therefore, they scheme to obtain as many pies
as possible.
The ones who tied such
leopard-like council members together are the chairman, Haibao Foka, and Jihad.
Of course, recently,
due to the influence of that incident, that restraint has been loosening
slightly.
The one who could be
called the spearhead of that was the beautiful woman who was currently giving a
speech on the podium.
"Well now,
everyone. The flaws in Arcazam's security system that were revealed in the
recent incident cannot be overlooked."
An alluring voice
echoed through the solemn council chamber.
"That is so.
Indeed, the academy's recent responses have been far too slow."
"Has even the
hero-dono gone senile? If that is the case, we must also reconsider
Jihad-dono's position..."
Following Mekuria's
statement, the council members who agreed with her raised their voices in
denunciation one after another.
The council members
who were following Mekuria with triumphant faces were trying to once again
pursue the responsibility of Jihad and the others.
However, their voices
were interrupted by the words of the other council members who were waiting
next to them.
"However, if we
carelessly remove Jihad-dono, a further gap in the academy's security will be
created due to his successor and other matters.
And a suitable
punishment has already been handed down to the academy staff, including
Jihad-dono and the others. The matter of Jihad-dono and the others'
responsibility should have ended with that."
"That's right.
Rewards and punishments are essential for an organization, but there is no
point in being too caught up in them."
"The cause of the
damage in this incident spreading was the spies who had infiltrated Starlight.
As you all know, many people with connections to various countries have
infiltrated this city."
"Dealing with
that should be the priority."
The council members
who did not follow Mekuria admonished the ones who were trying to pursue
Jihad's responsibility.
"And we must also
do something about the demonic beast that was sealed in the lowest level of the
Gloaurum Institute."
"Currently, the Gloaurum
Institute is concentrating on the sealing and research of the Solminati Academy
student who was parasitized by Abyss Grief, but..."
"A demonic beast
that has been shrouded in mystery until now. Its importance, including its
connection to the great invasion, is outstanding. As for Jihad-dono and the others'
responsibility, let's leave it at that for now, and it will not be too late to
decide on their position after seeing their future work."
In fact, from the time
they had obtained a sample of Abyss Grief before, the importance of this city
had skyrocketed more than ever.
Furthermore, this
time, with Abyss Grief parasitizing a person and their ability to secure that
person, a new nature of this demonic beast was revealed. The various countries
have also promised more aid than ever before.
"No! First, the
responsibility for the recent incident should be made clearer! To that end,
first..."
But those who were
loudly shouting for the denunciation of Jihad and the others would not back
down at all.
They were spitting at
the council members who were trying to put the luggage they had just taken down
from the shelf back, as much as they could.
But their vigor was
interrupted in an unexpected way.
"Excuse me."
The door to the
council chamber was suddenly thrown open. The one who had interrupted the
heated discussion was Jihad, who had just been the topic of conversation.
The sudden appearance
of the person in question. A tense air leaked from the chalk-white armor he was
wearing and instantly filled the council chamber.
The council members
fell silent at the breathtaking tension.
In that silence, the
chairman, Haibao, questioned Jihad.
"Jihad-dono. To
suddenly enter the council chamber during a meeting, what in the world is the
matter?"
"I apologize for
barging in so suddenly, Mr. Chairman. Actually, there is a matter that I must
bring to everyone's attention immediately..."
Perhaps because they
had just been discussing the calamitous demonic beast, the council members
associated Jihad's following words with bad news, and their expressions
suddenly became stern.
"Don't tell me
that beast has appeared again?"
"No, no, this
time it is good news. Actually, the other day, we conducted an investigation of
those who were conducting espionage activities in this Arcazam and have
detained a number of them."
At the words of Jihad,
who had suddenly relaxed his tense expression, the council members showed
surprised faces.
As they had just been
talking about, the intelligence agents of various countries who had infiltrated
Arcazam were a headache of a problem.
"Hohou, so how
many rats have you caught?"
"Well, it
wouldn't do for them to bite the hand that feeds them, let alone the leftovers
in the kitchen. It would be a good opportunity for the rats to learn about
risk."
The council member who,
until just a moment ago, was trying to further pursue Jihad's responsibility,
was now looking down at him with a smirk.
Even after all his
shouting a moment ago, the man's brazen attitude as he puffed out his chest in
front of Jihad made some of the other council members frowned.
On the other hand, the
council members who were being glared at were snorting as if it were a gentle
breeze.
"So, Jihad-dono.
How many have you caught?"
"Yes. About 250
people."
"Wha!"
"!"
For a moment, everyone
present widened their eyes and was swallowed by a shock of astonishment.
Too many, far too
many.
The council members
had thought that Jihad had caught a few people this time, at most a dozen or
so, so it took everyone a few seconds to understand Jihad's words.
"250 people...
you say?"
"Yes. And with
this, the sweep of almost all the external forces active in this city has been
completed.
From now on, it can be
said that there is almost no need to worry about behind-the-scenes maneuvering
from the outside like in the recent incident. Of course, we must continue to be
more vigilant than ever..."
Ignoring the dazed
council members, Jihad began to report the details of the matter.
The intelligence
agents of other countries who had been active behind the scenes in the recent
incident. The betrayal within Starlight that had been caused by that.
It was by no means
something that could be overlooked, and they had planned and executed a
simultaneous sweep of the intelligence agents who had infiltrated Arcazam at
the same time as they had thoroughly re-investigated the identities of all
Solminati Academy staff, including Starlight.
The result was the
number that Jihad had just stated.
This number almost
matched the number of intelligence agents that had been estimated to be lurking
in Arcazam. In other words, in just a single operation, Jihad and his team and Starlight
had almost completely eliminated the external threats that had been lurking
within Arcazam.
At this fact, even
Mekuria, who had been smiling faintly, had a slight twitch in her eye.
Although the council
members did not know, behind this result was the detailed information on the
intelligence agents of each country that Zonne had brought to Jihad.
This information was
also one of the prices that Jihad had requested from Zonne for his cooperation
regarding Nozomu.
"I-I see...
you've done well. Jihad-dono."
"Y-Yes. Once
again, I thank you."
The council members
who had just been loudly trying to denounce Jihad began to save face while
sweating profusely.
On the other hand, the
other council members were completely exasperated beyond disappointment and
seemed to be able to do nothing but sigh.
Jihad lightly brushed
off the fearful gazes directed at him and gave a bow. Of course, everyone
present understood that it was merely a formality.
"Thank you.
Actually, there is still another pending issue... For that reason, I would like
to have a certain person attend this council meeting, and I am here to request
permission for that."
Who could it be? While
the council members were tilting their heads, the chairman quickly said,
"Permission granted," and approved Jihad's request for the guest to
attend the council meeting.
A military police
officer, prompted by Jihad, respectfully opened the heavy door, and a single
nobleman slowly entered the council chamber.
"Excuse me."
"Y-You
are...!"
Prompted by Jihad, the
one who had stepped into the council chamber was the handsome nobleman, Victor,
the current head of the Francilt family.
At the sudden appearance
of the high-ranking nobleman, all the council members present widened their
eyes.
Victor glanced at
those sitting in the council seats and gave a gentle smile.
10 years ago. He was one
of the people who had promptly taken measures at the time of that great
invasion and had worked hard to dispatch his country's army.
That swift response
had been the forerunner in stopping the invasion of the demonic beasts, and as
a result, the influence of the country of Forsina had greatly increased on this
continent.
He was also a person
who could be called a benefactor to the various countries, and like Jihad, he
was a well-known figure on the continent.
In the face of a true
nobleman, the vulgar council members could only be overwhelmed.
"Oh, it has been
a while, Lord Taldo. How is your daughter, who was enrolled at the academy,
doing?"
"W-Well. She is
doing well. Ha, hahaha..."
The council members
who had been vigorously denouncing Jihad and the others until just before were
now as quiet as a mouse.
To the surrounding
council members, Victor gave a deep bow.
"Mr. Chairman.
And members of the council. I have come today, having been granted a word from
my king.
I would like to convey
it to you all here, if I may?"
A word from the King
of Forsina. Everyone present held their breath.
To Victor, who was
making his suggestion in a polite manner that respected the council, the
chairman also granted permission to speak.
"Well then,
'Regarding the matter of Abyss Grief this time, your efforts are much
appreciated.
I am deeply saddened
by the victims of the recent incident, and my heart aches.
However, we cannot be
dragged down by sadness and give up everything here. I believe that the
chairman, the members of the council, and all the academy staff, including
Jihad-dono, will unite as one and overcome this situation.'"
After finishing
reading all the words from his lord, Victor walked over to the chairman's seat
and respectfully handed the official letter to the chairman. He then gave a bow
and returned to Jihad's side.
The council chamber
was completely silent.
"Those were the
word from my lord."
Even the council
members who had been denouncing Jihad until just before were at a loss for
words.
Especially the council
members from the countries that had been exposed to the invasion of the demonic
beasts were looking at Victor with respect, trust, and gratitude.
For them, Victor, who
had been the first to dispatch his army, and the current King of Forsina, were
irreplaceable benefactors.
An air that warmed the
heart with relief filled the council chamber. Naturally, there was no one who
could denounce Jihad and the others in such an atmosphere.
Even Mekuria, who had
been inciting the other council members, could not say anything.
Mekuria's lord was
also a subject of the King of Foschia. There was, of course, no way she could
interrupt a word from such a person.
The content of the
official letter was not something that threatened the independence of Arcazam,
but was extremely polite. And it only stated, "Please continue to
cooperate with each other in this matter."
It was not an order,
nor a request. Not even a demand. It was just a greeting.
However, if those
words were from the king of a country on the continent, and the person who
brought those words was the current head of the Francilt family, who had run
around to the various countries during the great invasion, then even if it were
just a greeting, it could not be ignored.
Perhaps judging that
it was impossible to incite things further, Mekuria gave a deep bow to the official
letter and closed her mouth.
With Mekuria closing
her mouth, the denunciation faction completely lost its momentum.
After that, no angry
roars flew through the council chamber, and the proceedings continued solemnly
and came to an end.
***
After the council
members had left, Jihad invited Haibao and Victor to his office.
"Victor-dono,
thank you so much for this time."
"No, my lord, and
I, do not wish for this academy to become unstable.
Although various
problems have surfaced in this incident and you have been denounced, let's just
say that we have found room for improvement. What is important is from now
on."
Haibao also gave a
small nod at Victor's words.
In fact, the King of
Forsina had also been concerned about the recent incident. With Abyss Grief
having appeared, to carelessly throw Arcazam into confusion would only produce
disadvantages.
That's why the King of
Forsina had written a letter in his own name.
Thanking Victor and
his lord, Jihad and Haibao once again bowed their heads deeply.
The important thing
was not to leave the problems as they were.
Although the various
council members had been continuing to denounce Jihad, things would not improve
at that rate.
It has been 10 years
since Solminati Academy was founded. This academy, which was created out of
fear of the demonic beasts, is still far from mature. Rather, various problems
will probably be discovered from now on.
That is precisely why
personnel who can sincerely accept those problems and change them are
necessary.
In that sense, Jihad
could be called a good person. He had the self-awareness of a knight and would
not turn away from the mistakes he had made. At the very least, he was much
better than the council members who had been shouting in the council earlier.
It was also
commendable that he took the defection of one of his own ranks seriously,
swiftly solidified his footing, and had captured the intelligence agents of
various countries who had been lurking in Arcazam.
He was still expected
to do great things from now on. As for Victor, he could not afford to have
Jihad and the others lose their positions here.
And Victor still had
something he had to confirm.
"So, Jihad-dono.
That's enough about the recent incident, but the letter you gave me said there
was someone else you wanted me to see..."
Actually, the letter
that Jihad had sent to Victor through Zonne had stated that there was a person
he wanted him to meet directly.
That person was an
extremely skilled user of swordsmanship and a promising student, but it seemed
he had some special circumstances.
And above all, he was
a male student with whom his daughter was on good terms.
No other detailed
information was written in the letter, and Victor tilted his head.
But similar content
was written in a letter from his daughter, and at the same time, his interest
was piqued.
"A user of
swordsmanship, which means the student who crossed blades with you in the
Martial Arts Garden before. Indeed, I was impressed by that outstanding
swordsmanship, but is there something else about him?"
Following Victor,
Haibao showed interest.
Perhaps reading the
intentions of the two, Jihad gave a small nod and quickly ran his gaze around.
After confirming that
there was no one around and no presence, Jihad brought his face close to
Victor.
"Yes, I believe I
can show you about that in the evening. Could you two come to this office
without telling anyone about this?"
Jihad, who was using
his and Victor's bodies as a shadow, was being careful to make his lip
movements as invisible as possible from the surroundings.
At that almost
pathological caution, Victor and Haibao frowned.
"...You can't
talk about it here and now, huh?"
Jihad affirmed
Victor's muttered words.
At this time, the two gained
the conviction that the matter was more pressing than they had thought.
"Very well. Then,
I will come to this office at that time."
After gaining
conviction, Victor's and Haibao's actions were swift.
The two concisely
conveyed their answer to Jihad and quickly left the place.
It was not clear what it
was. But from Jihad's appearance, it was easy to imagine that it was an
extremely confidential matter.
While thinking that he
might need to disguise himself, Victor headed for Mena, who was waiting in front
of the academy's main gate.
His destination was
the Francilt mansion built in this Arcazam.
There were many things
to do. He had to make various preparations there until the promised time.
"Good grief, I
want to see my daughters' faces soon..."
Even though he had
come all the way to Arcazam, he still couldn't meet his daughters.
With his dignified
face twisted in disappointment, Victor let out a disappointed sigh.
***
Mekuria, who had
returned to her own room, was looking out the window with a stern expression.
The report that had
been brought from Jihad just now. It was true that she had been unable to
contact the intelligence agents under her command for the past few days, and
she had thought it might be the case, but...
"So, what was the
situation?"
As if in answer to
Mekuria's question, a single man appeared from the darkness of the room.
This man was
originally one of the spies that Mekuria had sent to infiltrate this city, and
he was the leader.
He bowed his head with
a fearful look and began to recount the situation at the time of the attack,
his voice trembling.
"I-I am terribly
sorry. We were suddenly attacked in our hideout, and we were helpless..."
Mekuria's sharp gaze
pierced the reporting man.
Was his voice
trembling because he remembered the fear of being attacked, or was he
overwhelmed by the anger of his master in front of him now?
On the other hand,
Mekuria had been directing a sharp gaze at that subordinate for only a few
seconds, but she soon began to be lost in thought with her arms crossed, as if
she had lost interest.
"So they got
us... To think they could crush our forces so quickly... I underestimated them
a little too much..."
"...What shall we
do?"
The subordinate spoke
to Mekuria with a fearful look.
Mekuria shrugged her
shoulders as if to say it couldn't be helped and let out a deep breath as if to
change her mood.
"Originally, I
didn't think we could weaken Jihad-dono's position any further with the recent
incident.
However, at present,
we are also in a state where our hands and feet have been torn off while we are
in front of the enemy. It seems we have no choice but to bide our time for
now."
As for Mekuria, she
hadn't thought that she could completely break down Jihad's camp with this
level of instigation.
All she had to do was
preserve her own forces and chip away at the enemy's forces as much as
possible.
However, the price she
had paid this time had become considerable.
She had lost almost
all her own pieces and had had all the forces she was supposed to have
preserved crushed.
It was clear that she
had suffered greater damage, and to be honest, she was in a state where she
could not move at all.
However, even if she
were to try to interfere from the inside as in the recent incident, Jihad's
camp had also completely solidified its shaky footing. It was almost impossible
to break it from the inside.
"However, I have
no intention of just sitting back and doing nothing."
While talking to
herself, Mekuria tossed the documents she had spread out on her desk to the
subordinate in front of her.
"This is..."
The subordinate, while
looking suspicious, picked up the documents that had spread out on the floor.
Was it an excerpt from
a roster? On it, the basic information of the students belonging to Solminati
Academy, such as their grade, name, and grades, was written.
"These are the
documents of the students who were active in the recent incident. I've looked
into it, and they seem to be quite an interesting group of children."
"..."
The subordinate silently
ran his eyes over the documents that had been thrown to him.
Name, appearance,
grades, origin, etc. The subordinate quickly stored all of it in his head in
less than ten seconds.
"You will gather
information about these students. They are all promising students. You will
reveal everything about them to me. Is that clear?"
"...As you
wish."
The subordinate, after
hearing his master's order, quickly disappeared from shadow to shadow.
"...That one
won't be usable for long either. Just in case, shall I take out some
insurance?"
In her own room, where
the presence of people had completely disappeared, Mekuria's soliloquy echoed
softly.
She went to the window
of her own room and gently raised her right hand.
She clenched her hand
into a small fist and opened it.
The next moment, along
with a loud flapping of wings, black feathers scattered in the area.
What had appeared in
her hand was a small bird dyed a single black color.
Contrary to its cute
appearance, its inorganic, ore-like crimson eyes gave the impression of a doll
to the viewer.
Mekuria took out a
small piece of paper from her pocket, rolled it up, and tied it to the small
bird's leg.
"Please deliver
this to the 'Corpse Crow.' I'm counting on you."
After conveying that
to the small bird perched on her hand, Mekuria opened the window and released
the black bird into the sky.
The black bird flapped
its small wings and disappeared into the clear blue sky.
"An existence
that can destroy that demonic beast... I must confirm it, no matter
what..."
After seeing off the
small bird that had flown away, Mekuria returned to her dimly lit room.
On her lips, a
chillingly bewitching smile was floating.
-----
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