"……I'm sorry."
The first thing that happened the moment they returned was being embraced by Rose.
"I knew about the truly dangerous parts of this country's existence, and I also noticed that it didn't mesh well with you.
And despite that, I prioritized your emotional development and left your distortion unchecked. ...My way of raising you was flawed. ...I'm truly sorry."
Rose's one and only confession of remorse.
Magic is a beautiful thing, and seeking its ultimate limits is absolutely the right thing to do.
Ermes received her apology—her admission that she had knowingly left his unconscious assumptions and perceptions unchallenged—
"……No."
Naturally, he harbored no blame toward her.
He returned the embrace lightly and spoke.
"More than that, Master, you gave me so much. I don't think you were wrong, and even if you were, it would be a mistake to blame you for that alone.
So again—...if you'd continue to teach me from here on."
She caught her breath.
And with that, their reconciliation was complete.
The bond between master and disciple had never been so fragile as to waver over something like this.
Besides—frankly, now was not the time for such matters.
Led by Rose after rejoining them, he and Katia arrived at the Church headquarters—the same conference room they had used before.
Inside were Nina, Sara, and Albert. And Lucius, Liliana. The members of the Third Princess's faction had all assembled.
He exchanged a light embrace with Lucius, while Liliana latched onto him with full force. After each had expressed their gratitude for his revival and offered their words of encouragement—
"...Well then, now that El's come back too—"
With Rose taking the lead, moderating the proceedings—
"I'll lay out everything I can. I'll reveal everything I've been hiding, as much as possible. And you—all of you, say everything you need to say too."
"Once that's done... we decide what comes next. Let's begin the strategy meeting of the Third Princess's faction."
Her values torn apart, everything she'd believed in flipped on its head, all of it reduced to rubble.
—And yet, this was why she rose to her feet.
The fight to reclaim it all, once more. The curtain rises on the conference that marks its beginning.
◆
"First thing I want to hear is, as always—"
"—About the 'organization,' right, Rose?"
"That's the one."
Katia asked exactly the question she'd anticipated, and Rose nodded, opening her mouth to speak.
"It goes without saying, but no organization simply springs into existence on its own. No matter how ancient an organization might be, trace it back to the source and you'll find the ideals it was built on—and above all, the person who built it."
"...Indeed."
"On that note... the organization in question is straightforward in that regard. The one who built it was undoubtedly that man, Krono. The ideal it was founded on was 'the destruction of the kingdom.' Not destruction as a means to accomplish something else, nor reluctant destruction to pave the way for something new."
—
Simply
hating something enough
to destroy it.
A pure will of destruction, the embodiment of a death wish. That is why reconciliation is impossible. We all share that understanding, yes?"
Everyone nodded.
After seeing that scene, and Chrono's state, there was probably no one left who could harbor any doubt about it.
"So as for the members, there are quite a few who follow that ideology, whether they know about it or not — mostly among the neutral nobles. And then — three executives who knowingly support that ideology. If we want this country to survive, we absolutely must take them down."
"!"
"Shall we go through them one by one?"
Three people, unexpected... and all of them had personal history with everyone present.
True to her word, Rose began explaining in order from the ones she'd known the longest.
"First, Laplace.
Probably like Chrono's right hand, and the most senior among the executives. From what I've gathered from Katia and the others, he also seems to serve as the organization's brain."
"Yes... Even though his background is unknown, he managed to worm his way into the First Prince's faction. That alone tells you he's quite the smooth operator."
"Probably. And his Bloodline Magic is —
Balefire Curtain of the Evil God.
A barrier magic centered on the primary ability of 'Rejection,' with performance and versatility on a completely different level. And considering he actually managed to land a hit on me... his pure combat strength is probably the highest among all the executives."
Hearing it laid out like that, it was clear these were unmistakably formidable opponents.
The information shared with everyone present made even those who hadn't known much about Laplace before hold their breath.
"Next, Ortensia.
The exact timing of when she became an executive is unclear, but judging from her involvement with the Archbishop's faction, she's probably been at it for a long time."
"Yes... Um, the Sky Witch is—"
"Just Rose is fine, Sarah. I know about you from the footage of the tournament at the Magic Academy."
"Y-yes! Um, Rose... you've known Ortensia for a long time, right? Do you know about her magic and things like that...?"
"......Yeah, I know about her, I guess."
In response to Sarah's question, Rose nodded, though somewhat reluctantly, and opened her mouth once more.
"Her magic is called—
Thunder's Reversal—
By all accounts, it's a lightning Bloodline Magic with no particular quirks beyond being powerful at the cost of slow activation, but..."
So she said.
"Honestly, you'd be better off not trusting this information."
"Huh?"
"Based on the magic power I felt in that hidden sanctum, I'm certain.
Her magic has somehow—'mutated.'"
Those words, spoken with a deeply unsettling ring.
"...Mu-mutated...?"
"Yeah. Going by the feel of her magic power, it's become something far more sinister and dangerous than the version I know.
I've never heard of anyone being able to do something like that to a Bloodline Magic, but... at the very least, you'd better be prepared for anything, no matter who you send against her."
...Come to think of it.
As they were leaving that hidden sanctum, Laplace had said this about Ortensia.
—The trump card against the Sky Witch.
...Either way.
They'd better choose carefully who to send.
"So, the third one.
"—Yurugen von Trakia."
"!"
Following that was... the name of the most shocking executive of all, and everyone's expressions stiffened—especially Katya's.
"Bloodline Magic:
Netherworld of Salvation
. She commands souls... in particular, she excels in aggressive combat, summoning vengeful spirits and evil ghosts.
She probably only became an executive recently, but that doesn't change the fact that she's a traitor. The one who should face her is—"
"Leave her to me. Please, Rose."
Before Rose could finish her sentence.
Katya made her plea, her face set with firm resolve and unwavering determination.
"...Yeah. So that's how it was decided, huh? If your mind's made up, there's nothing more to say."
Rose nodded too. The others... while they wore worried looks, it was undeniable that both in terms of magic and personal history, no one but Katya could stand against this opponent. If she herself wished it, there was nothing more to say, and the assignment was naturally settled.
And then.
"Finally... the leader of the organization—Chrono von Fehrblood."
Reference was made to the most enigmatic figure of all.
"The supposed heir of House Fehrblood... that's a lie to disguise his immortality. In truth, he is a monster who has reigned for decades in this very ducal household—the seat of the endlessly mysterious House Fehrblood, and the stronghold of the organization threatening the nation."
"Immortality..."
"He possesses two Bloodline Magic abilities. The first is '
Mandate of the White Night
.'... Truth is, I don't know much about this one myself. Whether it's a magic that manifested through sudden mutation, or an ancient lost Bloodline Magic that resurfaced through atavistic inheritance—"
"You didn't know about it either, Master?"
That was surprising too, in its own way.
But right now, it didn't matter. Because... what everyone in this room was probably most concerned about was coming up next.
"And then, there's the other magic. Just like my third Bloodline Magic, it begins with an 'inaudible' Chant, and regarding that—"
And at last, the moment arrived.
The magic that likely lay at the very core of the mystery surrounding both Chrono and the "Organization."
Rose opened her mouth.
"—I can't tell you."
That's what she said.
"...Eh?"
It wasn't that she didn't know. It wasn't that she didn't understand.
She said she *couldn't tell*.
"Yeah, I can't tell you. At the very least, for now, I just want you to understand one thing: 'I am unable to speak about it.'"
"!? Wait, but... why...?"
An answer far beyond anything they'd anticipated.
Katia turned to her with a look of disbelief and pressed for an explanation. In response to that entirely natural question, Rose chose her words carefully... with an expression so cautious, so extraordinarily, astonishingly careful.
And then, solemnly, she said:
"We might
be being listened to."
"
Terribly.
With an overwhelmingly eerie ring.
"We're being listened to...? Right now... at this very moment?"
"Yes."
"Wh-who... no. Lady Rose... by what?"
"By beings whose whereabouts and methods of hiding are unknown.
They're normally harmless. Because 'their' only goal is 'that magic.' But once they catch wind of it, they'll hunt it down to the very ends of the earth to steal it.
And if that happens... we're not just dealing with an entire organization. At worst, if even a single one of 'them' engages us directly—everyone except me and El dies. No, even El and I would be in danger."
"Wh-—"
An unbelievable string of revelations.
Facing the speechless group, Rose continued calmly.
"That's why we never clearly speak the name of that magic.
Even my own magic—I call it '
□□□□□
'—that's because, as things stand, it's the only way I can pronounce it... but it's also to prevent directly pronouncing it and letting them overhear."
You must not
even call it
by name
.
A being who listened with such intensity, from some unknown source.
Perhaps—no, without question... something that surpassed the bounds of humanity.
Put another way.
What Ermes and the others now had to face was... magic on that level.
"Of course, since we absolutely must oppose it, I'll go into detail eventually.
But discussing it now and letting it spread carelessly would be far too risky in itself. So for now—just remember: this is magic on a completely different level from anything we've encountered before."
They were made to truly grasp, once more, the enormity of the enemy they had to defeat—and the overwhelming power of its magic.
—And yet, steeling themselves as though there were no path left but to stand and fight.
The group once more strained their ears toward Rose's next words.
Next time, the meeting continues. Will that person make a return appearance? Stay tuned!