Nora Code had no allies. Her siblings were all enemies vying for the throne, and the faction nobles were the kind who would switch sides at the slightest opportunity.
Therefore, Nora had created the strongest pawns that would never betray her. The enhanced humans she had poured resources into were unquestionably the strongest beings in the Code, and by appointing them as her Royal Guard, she had warriors capable of repelling even Class 8 interference.
There was a limit to the number of Royal Guards a single royal could appoint. Having assembled soldiers with abilities exceeding those of the Mecha-soldiers and formed a Royal Guard Knights, Nora could undoubtedly be counted as one of the largest factions in the Code.
Currently, the only problem was that detestable brother of hers—Angus Code.
As the eldest son of the current Code King, he had been able to begin preparations earliest, making him Nora Code's greatest enemy.
The fact that the majority of nobles had sided with his faction was also due to his longer preparation period, but she had to reluctantly acknowledge his talent.
The resources available to royals were vast. Making effective use of them was beyond the capability of the incompetent.
Even in the rewriting of the prison rules, Nora had been a step behind. Angus had a day's advantage in his understanding of the system.
For now, the contest appeared to be evenly matched. Nora had focused on soldiers, while Angus had focused on weapons. No matter how powerful the weapons were, they were useless if the soldiers wielding them were of poor quality.
But she didn't believe that man failed to understand this.
Angus had launched a plan to recruit outside migrants, involving the entire Code. He intended to use those migrants—produced by his weapons—as bearers and turn them into pawns, but normally speaking, the kind of people the Code had dealt with before wouldn't surpass the results of Nora's research.
He must have considered recruiting elite warriors to turn into pawns—just as Nora had tried to obtain the "Thunder Emperor" and bring him to her side.
The King's death was not far off. The current Code King had already stopped showing himself to Nora and the others for a long time, and had ceased all contact.
The contest had already begun. There was no shortage of things to consider.
Before that time came, she had to reduce Angus's—and Tony's and the other Class 8 forces'—strength however she could— After seeing off the uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared—a young man calling himself Klye Andrich—Nora let out a deep sigh.
"I'm a little tired. What on earth is that man?"
"...He's only a rating-4 man at the end of the day. Surely it would be fine to leave him be?"
"Lady Nora, there's no need to concern yourself with the likes of him. If you give the order, I can instruct the men to keep him at a distance, so long as it doesn't violate any rules..."
The Royal Guards stationed nearby offered words of concern. Nora waved her hand as if swatting a fly.
"There's no need for unnecessary consideration. That man has a connection to the Thunder Emperor. Driving him away now would not be a wise move."
She didn't know what that man had come to do. He had claimed he was looking for a way to produce outside sweets for the Spare—but it didn't matter either way.
A rating-4 man from outside. In this Code, that was too weak to accomplish anything. Unless there were special circumstances like with the Thunder Emperor, that man would never be an obstacle to Nora.
And there was no reason to get close to the Spare. A sheltered princess whose royal authority had been frozen by the King himself was useless. An incompetent ally was sometimes more troublesome than a capable enemy.
At that moment, the man she had appointed as leader of her Royal Guard—the one she trusted and had given a Level 6 class to—looked up. He had been accessing the nearby system.
"Lady Nora, I've checked, but those people the man mentioned—Kaiser, Saya, and so on—are not registered in the city system."
"So... He seemed quite certain they were here, from the way he spoke..."
She furrowed her brow and murmured to herself.
She had no intention of helping find people, but having been left with such words, it did nag at her.
Klye Andrich had come to rescue the Thunder Emperor, Clahi Andricchi. If that was the case, then why had he claimed to be looking for someone?
The most likely possibility was that this man had companions. Others who had come together to find the Thunder Emperor, and who had become separated within the Code.
Now that she thought about it again, no matter how easygoing a man was, he wouldn't be foolish enough to infiltrate the Code entirely alone. And the companions who had entered with him were likely also companions of the Thunder Emperor.
Moreover, those companions would surely be far stronger than the extras who had been captured alongside the Thunder Emperor.
Everything in this Code was managed by the city system. It was impossible for a citizen's name to not appear in a search. But there were exceptions to everything.
Crossing her arms and thinking for a moment, Nora closed her eyes. Without opening them, she issued instructions to the attending Royal Guard.
"...I'll investigate myself. Continue your anti-weapon program. We must be able to respond to anything Angus throws at us—to prove that this Nora Code is worthy of being King."
"As you command."
With her eyes still closed, she accessed the city system.
The things a Class 8 could do with the city system were vast. Sorting through the enormous volume of information flooding into her mind, Nora quickly reviewed the citizen registry, then accessed the Immigration Bureau.
Klye Andrich must have entered as a migrant to rescue the Thunder Emperor. His person of interest was also likely someone who had come from outside.
The citizen registry was enormous. Reviewing every entry in detail would take far too long, but the number of people who had come from outside was comparatively much smaller.
Angus had led the plan to recruit soldiers from outside. Nora had barely been involved. But even if the records had been concealed, she should be able to find some traces.
Searching under the names Kaiser and Saya would yield nothing—that was already known. What she needed to look at were the people who had entered around the same time as that man.
She pulled up the Immigration Bureau footage from that period and called up data on those with high comprehensive ratings. She pulled up the entrance footage, searching for traces of concealment.
Just as she was about to begin her investigation in earnest, a call suddenly came through.
She couldn't help but widen her eyes at the caller's information. Opening the channel, the image of a man materialized before her eyes.
A man seated on an opulent throne—Nora's brother and her greatest rival for the throne, Angus Code. A man she hadn't faced in years.
Her brother, seen for the first time in ages, looked almost unchanged from the last time she'd seen him.
The Code's anti-aging technology was reasonably advanced. Angus would likely maintain his current appearance until close to the end of his natural lifespan.
Angus offered an insolent smile to Nora, who was furrowing her brow.
"It's been a while, Nora. My dear sister."
"Hmph. What do you want, contacting me out of the blue? Do you have nothing better to do?"
For Angus, just as for Nora, this should have been the most critical time. And yet, to reach out to someone he could never coexist with— At Nora's glare, Angus let out a small sigh.
"What are you so irritated about, Nora? The next Code King has personally sent you a surrender demand—"
"A sur... render... demand!?"
His unspeakably arrogant words left Nora speechless. Angus was certainly a formidable opponent, but the gap between them wasn't that wide.
Was he underestimating the enhanced humans Nora had developed? But even if that contemptible brother thought so, he wasn't the type to provoke without purpose.
As Nora considered the true meaning of his words, Angus made an unexpectedly surprised expression.
"What's this? You're even more dull than I imagined, Nora. You don't understand what I'm saying? It seems I've overestimated you. I called to inform you—the two you're looking for are already in my hands."
"...W-what?"
People she was... looking for? Two of them? Could he mean Kaiser and Saya?
Angus, who had been trying to recruit warriors from outside, wielded significant influence over the Immigration Bureau. He must have detected that Nora had pulled up the migrant list and called to confront her.
But this brother of hers had it wrong. It wasn't Nora who was looking for those two. Nora had only grown slightly curious and checked on them—she had no particular business with them.
She had no intention of telling him the truth, but before she could respond, Angus said with supreme confidence: "I'll save you the trouble. You were slow to catch on to my plans, Nora. Even without the mask fully controlling him, Kai can take on ten Mecha-soldiers. Saya destroyed fifty Mecha-soldiers without a scratch. An order of enhanced human knights is nothing to them. These two are Thunder Emperor-class."
"W-what...!?"
That was nearly impossible to believe. The enhanced humans Nora had created possessed combat capabilities rivaling the Mecha-soldiers, but even her masterpiece would struggle to take on ten Mecha-soldiers simultaneously. Destroying fifty without a scratch was absolutely impossible, even using the Code's weapons.
It seemed her speculation had been correct—the two Klye was looking for were companions of the Thunder Emperor.
Thunder Emperor-class—when Nora had witnessed Clahi Andricchi launch an attack on the Code, she had been captivated by his overwhelming power and beauty, but she never imagined his companions were on the same level.
In hindsight, she should have found it strange. Normally, Hunters formed Parties with those of equal caliber, so how could the Thunder Emperor's companions be that weak— But at the point when Clahi had been captured, there had been no way to predict such a thing.
The Thunder Emperor's assault itself should have been beyond Angus's expectations. The two companions who had stormed in (Klye included, technically) were simply a stroke of luck.
The only reason Angus had been able to secure them was that his influence over the Immigration Bureau had allowed him to notice and capture them before Nora. That was all.
Becoming King through luck. That was what the current Code King despised most. As someone vying to be the next Code King, such behavior was absolutely unacceptable.
Losing two Thunder Emperor-class fighters stung, but once she knew that the enemy had powerful warriors in their ranks, Nora had moves she could make.
If only she could avoid using her trump card.
Nora glared at Angus, who was seated on his tasteless throne, and spoke with a dignified smile: "Is that all you had to say, Angus? Trying to make me submit with such flimsy reasoning—it's not just laughable, it's absurd. Once I claim the throne, I'll use that chair as a footstool."
"...You've thought of something, haven't you, Nora? Don't tell me it's—that thing sealed in the deepest part of the prison?"
Guh...
As expected of a sharp man. To deduce that from such a brief conversation alone.
A perfectionist who probed into every minute detail. That was Angus Code. He scratched his head and let out a sigh.
"Don't bother. That thing is the worst of the worst, even among the sealed items. It defies even this Code's system—utterly irrational. Even I wouldn't dare use it. Unlike the Thunder Emperor, that thing harbors hatred toward us. With a King's power, one might be able to control it, but... even though it was a client, I've regretted taking on the job."
Indeed, that thing was dangerous. In perfect condition, it would have surpassed even the Thunder Emperor—a monster that even the Code's system couldn't contain.
Unlike the Thunder Emperor, who bore the Code's weakness of lightning, it was a fundamentally different kind of nemesis. Sealed in an even deeper chamber than the Thunder Emperor's cell, it was a kind of untouchable that defied even the city system's evaluation.
But for that very reason, its existence wasn't something Angus could easily overlook, either. When it came to the prison's systems, Nora had the advantage—she had accessed the prison numerous times in the course of creating her enhanced humans.
Nora still had a mask that she hadn't used on the Thunder Emperor. The uncertainty of whether it would work on that thing was the sticking point— Angus spoke in a tone almost like a lecture: "Don't disappoint me any further, sister. Like Morris and Zachary. Using uncontrollable or incompetent people is most unbefitting for a King."
"...I never knew you were so nurturing, brother. Just be careful not to get so caught up in trivial matters that you lose your footing."
"...Indeed. As expected, the enemy must be utterly crushed and forced to submit."
With a deep smile and a final condescending remark, the call cut off. He was as disagreeable as ever.
Well, she couldn't entirely fault his feelings. Angus was the eldest son of the current Code King, and depending on the King's policy, it wouldn't be strange for him to inherit the throne directly.
But the Code King had produced five additional children as candidates for the next Code King, desired their competition, and established a system for it. That every royal except the Spare had eventually formed their own faction was no coincidence.
The day Nora became King, Angus would have to die. That man knew the city's system inside and out. Leaving him alive with open hostility was far too dangerous.
And Angus was surely thinking the same thing.
While the throne's system meant there was never a path to cooperation from the start, what a fruitless situation it was. She couldn't help but sigh—when Angus's image appeared before her once again.
It seemed he had forgotten to close the channel. Was there something else?
To Nora's displeased expression, Angus made a grimace and spoke: "Now that I mention it... there was one thing I forgot to confirm. Nora, what did you talk to that Spare's Royal Guard about?"
"...I can talk about whatever I want. What business is it of yours?"
As expected of a meticulous man... He had even been monitoring Klye's movements.
Nora couldn't use surveillance in her own domain—there was no way to eavesdrop on a private conversation between Nora and Klye. He must have been watching Klye approach Nora's location.
Angus had undoubtedly used Klye to steal the Thunder Emperor from Nora. The man himself didn't seem aware he'd been used—but well, she had already accepted that.
Regardless of the circumstances, Klye had the right—priority over Nora—to rescue the Thunder Emperor. Until the moment he reached the Thunder Emperor's cell, Nora had never even imagined she would yield the Thunder Emperor, but—having witnessed Klye risk his life, even using a false identity, to enter the Code and save a friend, how could Nora, who couldn't even trust her own siblings, possibly stand in his way?
Seeing two people bound by such a bond, Nora had felt wretched about how she had tried to use a mask to claim the Thunder Emperor and even make him a piece in her throne struggle.
Until now, Nora had reigned as a royal by following her own emotions. In that moment, too, she had simply followed her emotions. That was all.
But it was undoubtedly unpleasant. After all, the outcome had turned out exactly as Angus had planned.
To Nora, who was glaring at him while waiting for words, Angus said something unexpected: "It's got nothing to do with me. Nothing at all, but... one thing, I'll say out of pure goodwill—stop getting involved with that man. Idiocy is contagious."
"...?"
At those words, Nora fell silent.
She had noticed the man was a bit off. If he weren't, he wouldn't have come to Nora—his enemy—asking for help making chocolate.
Considering he had infiltrated the Code to rescue the Thunder Emperor, he seemed remarkably simple at the very least.
"That man is... simply, foolish. He thinks about nothing. He just does incomprehensible things... Watching him is a waste. It gives me a headache. I don't understand what earned him a rating of 4, honestly—but setting the Spare aside, I can sympathize with him becoming a Royal Guard. Well, on the other hand, even with the Thunder Emperor, he probably can't do anything, so it works in our favor... There's nothing more useless than an incompetent ally. No, that man is certainly not an ally by any stretch—"
Nora blinked at his unusually uncomposed words. She largely agreed with the content—but had that man done something to Angus as well?
The call from Angus cut off without further words.
Nora pondered the meaning of his words for a while, but couldn't quite figure it out, so she decided to pull up the situation at Alicia Code's base.
The tower the King had built to imprison Alicia Code. The scene in the room on the top floor appeared vividly before Nora's eyes.
And at the sight that unfolded before her, Nora's mouth fell open involuntarily.
What appeared was a small room with almost no furniture. There, sitting on the floor with her head bowed deeply, was Princess Alicia.
Wh... what on earth was she doing?
Nora knew the circumstances behind the Spare's creation. While the Spare didn't have the right to leave her room, she should have received city-system-based education to ensure she could live a sufficiently healthy life in case of emergency.
She should have been aware that she was royalty. For royalty to bow their head—it was unbelievable.
And into Nora's frozen ears came the voice of the man who had come to her earlier with that incomprehensible request.
"That's no good! Prostrating at that low of a level won't do, Your Highness! Your posture is too relaxed—like that, the Code King will never make chocolate for you! Press your palms firmly against the floor! I showed you the example, didn't I! We finally got good information from Miss Nora, and now—besides, this all happened because you lied about eating all the chocolate bars, Your Highness!"
The Spare looked up. Emerald eyes that resembled none of her siblings. Those eyes glanced briefly toward Nora, then turned back to Klye, who was standing like a statue in front of the door, and she answered in a small voice: "I-I didn't say I ate them. I only said I didn't have any. There just weren't enough to send..."
"...That's what they call an excuse. Honestly. Well, since Miss Nora said to ask the King, I suppose it's fine."
"Wh—! I never said anything of the sort!"
And at those words, she was horrified.
Was this man actually planning to ask the Code King directly to produce chocolate? Unbelievable.
It was something Nora would never dare do—a truly god-defying act. This went beyond merely being peace-struck. What on earth did this man think of the absolute King of the Code?
The meaning of Angus's final words finally dawned on her. This man was an absolute mess.
She must not get involved. Idiocy is contagious. There was even the possibility that she might catch stray fire and incur the Code King's wrath herself. If that happened, Nora was finished.
Nora turned off the display and realized with horror that she was breaking into a cold sweat—something even Angus himself wouldn't have feared.
She needed to prepare countermeasures against Angus as well, but something had just taken priority.
That man had been blabbering about how Nora had told him to ask the King. She hadn't contacted the King in ages, but leaving this unaddressed would be a problem. She had to somehow explain herself—