So they were companions of those who attacked the Code.
Having just taken a brief tour of this city and truly grasped how incredible it was, these words were nearly impossible to believe. You didn't even need to enter to understand the Code's terror — just looking at its exterior was enough.
To attack this massive city... they had to be seriously unhinged.
But then again, that was all there was to it. She'd attacked the Code, but she hadn't committed crimes like the bikers. Well, attacking a city in the outside world would make you a criminal, but the Code was probably an exception.
Hmm, what should I do? If this were the usual me, the idea of making reckless city-attacking maniacs into royal guard companions would be unthinkable. But the thing was — she looked just like Elisa.
I'm not a monster. Finding someone who resembles my companion, someone I could release but choosing not to... that would be absolutely, utterly... And the name was practically the same, too.
While I was deliberating, the staff member spoke up.
"It seems you're interested. Her companions are also imprisoned. Would you like to confirm?"
"Might as well take a look."
Elise Peck's companions. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about what kind of people they were. I only wanted to free Elise, but it wasn't like I could just do that and ignore the rest.
The staff member guided me along without a single complaint.
And upon seeing the criminals at the end of the path, I was truly rendered speechless.
The mage — her eyes were bright red from crying, tears still streaming down her face, hair unwound and a tangled mess. She'd clearly been at it for a long time.
The alchemist lay on her side with a sour expression. The thief was flat on her back, belly exposed, in a hilariously obvious fake death pose.
And then there was the red-haired young man with glasses — the instant he spotted me, he lunged at the glass, only to be bounced off and sent flying into the wall.
The mage, Rusha Andrich.
The alchemist, Kutory Smiyat of "Lowest Mountain Range," and the thief — whom her companions apparently called "Zulii" — Elizabeth Smiyat of "Superb Scenery."
And the swordsman — or not a swordsman, I wasn't entirely sure — but either way a cerebral, cool, and absolutely top-notch "Foresight" named Cool Saiko.
Standing there were... the party members of Klahi Andrich, whom I'd first met at the Martial Emperor Festival: the Wailing Evil Spirits.
Rusha, the one who resembled Lucia, stared wide-eyed at me for a split second, then immediately broke into tears with absolutely no regard for shame or appearances.
Kutory fixed me with a startled gaze. Zulii remained playing dead, completely oblivious to my presence.
And Cool Saiko was trembling like a dying caterpillar, his whole body convulsing as he stared at me.
...Long time no see.
Which meant... the leader imprisoned on the lowest level was Klahi.
I had no idea what circumstances led to this, but he certainly had the kind of presence that made attacking the Code seem plausible. Someone give that man Level 9.
As I nodded thoughtfully at this unexpected development, the staff member asked with a hint of irritation.
"So, what will you do? Their overall ratings fall between roughly 25 and 70 — essentially useless in any capacity. But the leader is an incredibly dangerous man. A low rating means there's no particular reason to make use of them. Even if you want to release them, I'd recommend converting them to regular criminals first."
"Before that, there's something I'm curious about. Just to be sure — I'd like to confirm one thing."
"Oh? What might that be?"
Pointing at Klahi's companions, who were directing all manner of emotions at me, I asked the staff member.
"Is this everyone? There isn't one more person besides the leader, is there?"
Where was Anthem's lookalike?
--- When I expressed my desire to release them, the staff member — who'd just spent the whole time warning me against it — promptly set the process in motion.
Though there had clearly been something off about how Cool and the others reacted upon seeing me, he raised no questions or doubts whatsoever.
As if picking up on my conflicted mood, the staff member spoke while operating the terminal.
"Releasing criminals is a right of recognized citizens under the city system. We have no authority to prevent it. If we were to stop you, that would constitute a staff member violating city regulations, and we'd be punished for it. Of course, if there had been a slightly larger gap in our social standing, forcing you to comply would have been possible."
"Cold."
"Outsiders often remark that the Code's system feels different from what they expect. It's something those of us born in this city can't quite grasp. That said, even I have certain freedoms outside the scope of rules. That warning earlier fell into that category."
The glass of the room where Cool and the others had been held changed color, blocking the view inside. They might have been preparing to leave.
I see. So despite appearing completely governed by the system, there was a reasonable degree of freedom after all.
This staff member seemed fairly impartial. Or maybe... they were just bored. The system probably handled all the actual work anyway.
I decided to take a shot.
"How would I go about releasing the leader held in the lowest level?"
"You can submit a release request with Class 6 or higher authority. Even if you meet the requirement, I wouldn't recommend it, but—"
Jan-san and Olivia-san had been Class 5. Rescuing Klahi apparently wouldn't be easy.
Well, someone who attacked the city from the outside and actually caused damage wouldn't get released without a fight.
"He appears to be a mage who specializes in lightning. Within the Code, magic is almost entirely suppressed, but they've never taken in a lightning mage of that caliber before. His magic could potentially damage the Code's system. A special containment room was built in this prison specifically for him. Additionally, the tools the Code creates for imposing behavioral restrictions may have no effect on him."
"That's dangerous."
"So dangerous that even with his combat capability, no release request has ever gone through. Even Princess Nora, who took one look and immediately declared she wanted him as a royal guard, hasn't managed it. She's visited countless times and tried to convince him personally, but without success. Ah, and that's actually the second reason I wouldn't recommend filing the request. If you did succeed, you'd earn Princess Nora's enmity."
...Another princess? Wasn't there talk about a princess being imprisoned by nobles? Was this one of her people?
But I could understand wanting Klahi. He was strong, handsome, and had the capacity for Level 8. If you swapped his role with mine, things would probably work out quite nicely.
If there was a weakness... it was probably his complete lack of a sense of danger.
As I sighed, the staff member spoke up.
"Preparations for release are complete. They can be released in order. The prisoners have already been briefed inside, but I should emphasize: this release does not constitute a pardon for their crimes. If a released criminal takes actions that violate city regulations, the system may attack them without warning. Also, as you may already be aware — if a released criminal commits another crime, the responsibility falls on you, the person who filed the release request."
"...Okey-dokey. File it."
The fact that responsibility fell on the filer was probably why Jan and the others hadn't chosen their royal guards from among the criminals.
Well, the people who came from the outside world were plenty dangerous in their own right.
The door slid open silently. The first one out was Kutory.
Her outfit had changed from plain clothes to the robes alchemists typically wore, and she was carrying a tattered leather bag on her back.
Scratching her head as she emerged, she looked at me and said bluntly.
"Oh, the welcoming committee. Took you long enough."
"Wow, you sure seem used to this."
"I'm used to getting caught... ...I'm the lowest, after all, huh?"
So this was "Lowest Mountain Range." It was our first time talking, and I couldn't tell if this was an act or just who she really was.
Next, the door opened for her sister — or was she really his sister? I'd never been sure — Zulii Smiyat.
Now dressed in thief's garb, Zulii kept blinking rapidly when she saw me.
"...Good work on the fake death."
"Your condition is monitored at all times, so playing dead doesn't work."
"Nn—"
At the staff member's remark, Zulii's face went crimson, and without a word, she scurried behind Kutory.
But her demeanor reeked of confusion. She clearly didn't understand what was going on at all.
The third room to open was Cool Saiko's.
The door slid open. Cool was wrapped in bandages everywhere — probably from when he'd tried to lunge at the glass and gotten bounced back.
He steadied his breathing, stepped out, adjusted his glasses with a push, and spoke to me coolly.
"Cough... my apologies for earlier. This is our first meeting. Thank you for releasing my companions. I'll be in your care from now on."
I see — so he was pretending we'd never met. More thoughtful than Luke, that one. Those glasses weren't just for show.
Alright, for this mission — until I regrouped with Kaiser and the others — I'd borrow his brain.
"Mm-hm, sounds good. Oh, by the way... where's Anthem?"
"!? ...Recruitment has been terminated. We've, well... reformed."
Cool leaned in close and answered in a whisper. An Elisa copy — and then some!
On top of that, they'd actually stormed the Code. It seemed plenty had happened to them after we'd parted ways.
Next, Rusha's door slid silently downward. When I didn't see her immediately, it turned out she was sitting flat on the floor.
Her hair, which had been a tangled mess, was now back in the twin tails I remembered. Her bloodshot, dark-circled eyes locked onto me.
Then tears welled up in those eyes, and she burst into crying as if a fire had been lit.
"Waaaaahhhhh! Onii-chan! You came to save us?! I'm so happy! I'm so, so happy! Sniff, sniff..."
"!?! Hey, Rusha! Cut the waterworks — don't you even understand what's going on, you idiot?!"
Kutory rushed over to Rusha, grabbed her arm, and hauled her to her feet. Given that she'd pretended not to even recognize Cool earlier, she really was the immature one.
The staff member maintained an utterly impassive expression despite hearing Rusha's rather suspicious words. A true professional.
That left only Elise.
The door opened. Elise stepped out slowly, with a somewhat heavy gait.
She'd changed into white armor. Not just any armor — full plate that covered both arms, both legs, her torso, and every joint.
A large shield and sword were slung across her back. She wasn't wearing a helmet, but even so, it was the kind of outfit you'd rarely see even if the armor was real. Elisa prioritized mobility, after all.
Elise studied me intently, then glanced at Cool and gave a small nod. Wow... somehow she really was alike.
Watching Elise standing quietly nearby, I turned to Cool.
"Cool, I'd like you to make an introduction."
"...She is, well... Elise Peck. She recently joined the Party. That's her actual name. No, I hadn't planned on taking on any more members — the Martial Emperor Festival taught me my lesson. But when someone like this turns up, you have no choice but to accept them. I've never met her in person, so all I know is her name."
Cool introduced her with obvious reluctance.
Her real name? Seriously? And sure, he said he only knew her name, but there was quite a bit more than just the name that was similar.
Feeling a slight buzz of excitement, I pressed for more.
"Does she have an epithet?"
"...She doesn't, officially. But if you had to describe her in those terms... it would be 'Surrender.' Elise of 'Surrender'... that is — she said this would be the last time, and she was sorry."
She's apologizing... You people really are the best.