"...I... see."
They'd heard the broad strokes of First Prince Helck's current situation.
There were parts they could accept and parts they couldn't, parts they could sympathize with and parts they couldn't.
It probably wasn't the right time to draw any easy conclusions. Much of what the Royal Guard members had said was speculation, and there were many details they'd only learn by hearing it directly from the source—so for now, it was best to set the matter aside.
Having made that judgment, the Third Princess faction moved on to the next—and probably most critical—agenda item.
"Then... about this being called Karuma. How do we defeat him?"
Liliana's words silenced the entire room—naturally enough.
It couldn't be helped. As an individual combatant, Karuma was beyond all measure—and on top of that, his true nature was unknown, not to mention that mentality. Compared to any opponent they'd faced so far, he was different in every conceivable way.
Even the Royal Guard members who had dealt with him firsthand fell silent, unable to find a breakthrough.
Among them, the one most visibly shaken was probably—
"...El, are you okay?"
Katia asked.
Yes, the one most affected was undoubtedly Ermes.
His ability to "reproduce an opponent's magic and make it his own"—something that had been, in a sense, his exclusive privilege until now. And on top of that trait itself, the speed of reproduction, the accuracy, the power—along with his fundamental magical capabilities.
In every way, Karuma could be called a superior version of Ermes. Even someone as capable as El was bound to take serious mental damage from this.
That was why she'd asked—yet...
"..."
"...El?"
"Hm? Oh... sorry. You were asking about our strategy against that Monster, right?"
Unusually, Ermes showed no sign of noticing Katya's words.
After being asked again, he finally reacted, speaking in a quiet tone.
"That's right. ...To be honest, it's shaken me more than I expected."
"!"
"Honestly, I never thought having someone steal my thunder would sting this much. Until now, I've been reproducing other people's magic without a second thought... but now I have some idea of how they must have felt. —Yes, frankly, it's frustrating."
A faint surprise enveloped them all.
But immediately after, with a brief pause: "That's why—"
"...That's why I've been thinking about it this whole time."
"Hm?"
"Before I forget the information I gained from observing and confronting Karma at that time. How their magic power changed when they copied our magic. What differs between their magical reproduction and ours, how deeply they understand magic to reproduce it, how it transforms, what mechanism they use, what they extract from magic, and how they combine which elements to carry out the reproduction. The differences and discrepancies between us, what I can mimic and what I can't..."
"!"
"I've determined that I probably won't get any core information from the members of your direct unit, or from His Highness Helck.
Then
...
I
must
analyze
it
myself.
I'll compile all the intelligence I gathered from that battle, form several hypotheses, and test them as thoroughly as I can. As things stand, I've narrowed it down to around a dozen possibilities, but if I refine the hypotheses further, I should be able to narrow it down more, more systematically... That's why."
As he wove his words together, his thoughts must have taken shape as well.
Ermes raised his face and declared in one breath.
"——
I will absolutely—
,
find a way to beat this.
I will find it.
Just sitting here getting beaten over and over... frankly, I can't stand it."
Hearing those words and seeing his somehow piercing expression as he said them...
Those who knew him were once again uniformly taken aback.
Until now, he had seemed to find some thrill in the act of fighting itself, but he had never seemed to care much about winning or losing.
He appeared to value what could be gained through the process and the act of pursuing answers to their conclusion over the outcome itself... if anything, it had seemed like he had no interest beyond that.
But now. If one were to dare put his current state into plain terms...
——He was burning with the desire for revenge.
With a different kind of passion than before, with an unwavering will to see it through.
Behind that aloof expression lurked a tremendous intensity, his brilliant mind spinning at full capacity.
...He was incomparably dependable.
Sure enough, he too had shown definite change after that incident. And if that was the case, then what they needed to do was already decided.
"I'm sorry, but if it's possible..."
"Yes. I know, El."
Fully expecting the offer Ermes was about to make, Katia spoke quietly.
"You focus on the Karma countermeasures as planned. Everything else, we'll handle on our end. That all right with you, Lady Lily?"
"Yes, I think that's for the best. At the end of the day, the one most qualified to work out magical countermeasures is Master, since she confronted it directly. So…"
Switching gears now that the situation was understood—all that remained was divvying up tasks.
Liliana shifted her expression to that of a commander and looked over the group.
"First, Lady Rose, I'd like you to support Master. When it comes to magical theory, you're the only one who can keep up with her, I think."
"Roger that. I've been curious about that ridiculous magic-replication ability of hers too, so you won't hear me complain."
"I'll head out with Lady Lily to reorganize the troops. There's no guarantee he won't launch another attack, and I can serve as an escort as well."
"Yeah, those two have the most authority and the most firepower, so they're the right pick. …Then I'll head to the outskirts to coordinate intelligence with Albert and the others. Between all of us, I'm probably the least conspicuous, so it makes sense."
"Hmm. So what should I do, then?"
"Lord Lucius, I'd like you to come with us to the troop-formation site. We could use your expertise on countering 'ordinary Monsters'—not Karma. You probably have the most experience fighting Monsters out of anyone here."
"I see. If that's the case, then I'll lend a hand. The circumstances are different from before, but a Monster hunt is a Monster hunt. I'll do everything I can to hold my own."
Deciding their next moves as smoothly as flowing water, each person gaining a perfect understanding of what they needed to do.
And so, the Third Princess's camp mobilized to meet this unprecedented crisis head-on.
"…………Huh."
Then.
The royal guard unit could only watch it all in stunned silence.
A single thought had formed in every one of their minds, uniformly and without exception.
——
What the hell
Those
children are—
——Something else entirely.
Every one of the main players was around fifteen years old, and Princess Liliana was only eleven.
Rose and Lucius and the other adults were present, yes, but from what could be heard, the two of them were actually the ones receiving orders rather than giving them.
Everything else—the strategic decisions, the division of roles, the sharing of intent, the coordination of the plan—every last bit of it was being handled by the children alone.
This was, without question, an unprecedented crisis and predicament. The reality was that even they, who answered directly to the King, could barely maintain the status quo—unable to devise any effective countermeasure and reduced to nothing but panic. Yet the children showed not the slightest hesitation. Every one of them understood what needed to be done, and having gone through a proper 'strategy meeting' in the truest sense of the word, they were acting with precision.
No matter how you looked at it, this was not something children this age should have been capable of.
Something like this……
"Are you starting to think they're some kind of different breed from you?"
Right at that moment, Rose's voice cut through again.
Every member of the unit froze.
"Sure, you lot probably think you're a cut above the other nobles out there. But from where I'm standing, the moment that thought crosses your mind, there's no difference at all."
It seemed that even Rose could be blunt when dealing with someone with whom she shared a painful past.
Cruelly—yet with perfect precision, she drove the words home.
"There's no difference born into you. The only reason those children have that kind of courage and adaptability is because they've been placed in far harsher circumstances than you ever were, fighting on the razor's edge every single time and surviving through sheer will. What's an unprecedented crisis to you is just another trial they've already overcome countless times—and one they'll keep overcoming. ……Want me to spell it out even more?"
And then, a pause that seemed to tear at the heart.
"You—"
"are—"
"disappointing."
because
that's how
it had to be
You know
"
That was it.
It probably cut deeper into their hearts than anything before.
"If you understand that, then quietly follow along with those kids. You'll be of more use than a stray cat. That's your... and probably all of ours, atonement."
With those as her final words—
Rose didn't so much as glance their way again, and followed Ermes as Liliana instructed. Before long, the entire Third Princess faction departed from the spot.
...They couldn't say a single thing back.
No. The fact that they didn't talk back or fly into a rage... that they could accept what she said and reflect on themselves—maybe that made them slightly better than others, at least relative to their own self-assessment.
And besides.
It was true that Rose was right... even if their own inadequacy was the reason things had turned out this way.
Still, it was equally true that they had found hope in those people—those who might yet turn this situation around.
If that was the case, then perhaps entrusting everything to them and lending whatever strength they could was the right answer after all.
Humiliation. Anger at themselves. And yet... expectation, and hope.
While carrying all those swirling emotions, the members of the direct squad set into motion alongside them, ready to do what they had to do.
A regiment to fight Monsters, and to confront the mysterious Monster Karma.
The real battle was finally about to begin.
Starting next time, we'll get into each of their countermeasures.
I'm hoping to also show their growth and developments related to the First Prince, so I'd really appreciate it if you continue reading from next time onward!