——When he first heard Old
"You understand,
"I'm the headbrain of this crew, yeah? I'm not dumb enough to whine about that logic, but if you're asking me to sit around in the back or the corner twiddling my thumbs, you can forget it."
"In a major battle, it's entirely normal for the commander to hold steady in one place and wait until the conclusion is decided, but… oh, stop your growling!"
When Old Rom had proposed what was clearly an outrageously frustrating position, Felt had let out an irritated snarl. Old Rom responded by patting his own bald head with a pained expression.
That helpless face was a familiar sight to Felt, and she knew well that when Old Rom made it, he wasn't actually as troubled as he looked. —When Old Rom rubs his head with that helpless look, it's a performance to steer the conversation in the direction he wants.
What Old Rom wanted to discuss here was— "Fine, fine, fine. I'm not gonna tell you to stand in the back or cower in the corner. —Instead, I'm going to have you follow the Helmet Guy's trail, one by one."
"…You want me to tail the Helmet Guy? What's the point of that?"
"I'd like to pin down the positions of the Helmet Guy and his men in the forest as precisely as possible. And if the squad runs into the enemy and gets broken through, I want you to recover any survivors and use them as an ambush from the rear."
Felt understood that Old Rom's proposed strategy was one that cornered the Helmet Guy again and again, sealing off his escape routes and crushing him. She understood why five hundred people would be split into multiple squads, and why the first squad to engage might be a sacrificial pawn.
And she understood that she would be placed in a position where, knowing all of this, she couldn't intervene.
"————"
"Felt, as long as this is a battle…"
"I know. He's not like that idiot Reinhard. This isn't some carefree romp where nobody dies no matter what. I just don't like it—that's all. I can't stand acting with death as the baseline."
Though she was often treated like a child for her appearance, Felt had no interest in drawing childish dreams onto reality with her looks.
That was rooted in the philosophy forged from growing up in the capital's slums, where a human life was never worth much.
Human life is fragile and fleeting, which is exactly why she said it. —Live strong, she told them.
"That's right. I don't like wasting lives either."
"The underworld folks are already risking their lives, and yet they've got their own sense of aesthetics to boot. Complicated bunch—if they didn't, they wouldn't show up in droves just 'cause someone called for them."
The reason the roughnecks had sworn absolute obedience to Old Rom's strategy lay in a code of blood and a philosophy different from the slums, something deeply rooted in the underworld.
The key to getting along with them was not excessively rejecting that difference in worldview, and respecting it.
Even so, since Felt had been entrusted with leading this group, everyone here needed to follow Felt's philosophy.
And so— "I'm doing this. I'm going to win this fight my own way."
Even if that meant winning under conditions different from anyone else's, Felt had made her decision.
△▼△▼△▼△ At the final moment, when Old Rom closed the lid of the 「Dialogue Mirror」 connecting them, Felt's worst premonition proved correct, and she quickened her pace.
"The old man said there'd be one last push…" was what Cambelli said, blood streaming from every hole in his face.
She had plenty to say about his battered state, but Felt seized the 「
Running faster than she ever had in her life, the instant she burst out of the forest, she came upon it.
—Old Rom, alongside the Helmet Guy, orchestrating his own targeting by the 「Divine Dragon.」
"——Are you out of your damn mind?!"
On pure instinct, Felt raised the 「Meteor」—the 「Star Staff」—and took aim at the incoming 「Dragon.」
She knew well how tough the 「Dragon」 was, having witnessed its clash with Reinhard when she and the others had gone to the
It was simply that even when she was furious enough to butt in, she had no option of punching Old Rom.
"——That hurts!!"
The star-infused strike ricocheted off the 「Dragon's」 cheek. A pathetic groan—utterly lacking the dignity expected of a 「Divine Dragon」—rang out as the creature redirected its breath toward the far horizon.
An empty, lifeless wasteland was leveled by force in that direction, but that didn't matter.
She'd probably ruined Old Rom's entire plan, but that was fine.
"If I get a bad feeling, it's always like this! There's a world of difference between being ready to die and being in a hurry to die! You old fool, Old Rom!!"
Fueled by the surge of emotion, Felt let out a fierce shout and clenched her teeth hard.
Old Rom and the Helmet Guy—who for an instant had become hard to see, likely engaged in a battle of wits far beyond anything Felt could imagine—stared at her in utter astonishment.
Good. Even with tears streaming down her face, Felt's expression didn't crumble.
"That idiot Reinhard would mope about it forever."
If you didn't care about how you won, Felt and her people had the power to defeat absolutely anyone.
That was precisely why, even if it drew accusations of arrogance, she insisted on being particular about the way she won. Otherwise, she could never secure a victory that truly mattered.
For that reason, Felt had stuck to her philosophy.
In other words— "Live strong, Old Rom. If you can't do that, then even if we win, we've lost."
△▼△▼△▼△ "——Right now, I lost."
Spoken aloud as a cold, undeniable fact, those words struck Aldebaran with the full weight of defeat.
Varga Cromwell's strategy moments ago had been designed to completely entrap Aldebaran, who wielded a 「Sacred Authority,」 and it had been perfect—even accounting for the 「Divine Dragon's」 return as a time limit.
The 「Aldebaran's」 intimidating breath, meant to end the battle.
When that breath became an inescapable trap, Aldebaran would have been forced to endlessly repeat the 「Death」 matrix—a one-way road with no exit—until his very soul was ground to nothing.
What was truly terrifying was the divine stratagem of Varga Cromwell, the mastermind who had turned the 「Subjugation War」 into a living hell—no, that outcome wasn't solely the result of a stalemate.
"With five hundred people, they carved away all my options."
That was, without question, Aldebaran's cause of defeat.
The ceaseless waves of five hundred attackers—every single one fighting with everything they had, squeezing out every last drop of strength—eroded Aldebaran's mental fortitude piece by piece, degrading his judgment. There were numerous situations he had to restart due to simple mistakes, and they had been brute-forced through sheer repetition—until, at the very end, he miscalculated the closing move.
Having lost his composure through words exchanged with Varga, Aldebaran had misread the matrix's update point.
Or perhaps even that had been part of Varga's trap. He had walked right into it and had nearly had every possibility sealed off.
——No matter the trap, no matter the enemy, he would always prevail in the end.
That arrogance of Aldebaran's, the old and cunning grand strategist had pierced without mercy.
He should have known. His 「Sacred Authority」 might be invincible, but Aldebaran himself was mediocre.
Because he had failed to win when he truly needed to, Aldebaran had betrayed the expectations of countless people and ended up washed ashore here.
Because Aldebaran had been hoarding a treasure beyond his worth, unable to use it properly— "——Priscilla."
The hoarse whisper, at the very precipice of self-punishment, had just about uttered the words "I couldn't save her"—when— "Everyone, don't move!!"
A sharp, high voice cut through the stagnant air that had pressed down upon the battlefield.
The 「Divine Dragon」 had been summoned, the grand strategist's scheme from the 「Subjugation War」 had misfired, and at the very place where all the key players of this battle had gathered, it was the red-haired maid—Yae—who had seized the initiative.
Delayed in supporting Aldebaran after being intercepted by Grassis, the hidden agent, Yae had left that Grassis at the forest entrance and tied up Manfred with steel wire in a corner of the plain, leaving both incapacitated.
And on top of that— "——So this is the thread that tied up Racinus and the others."
Felt, who had dropped the 「Star Staff」 at her feet, clicked her tongue in disgust.
Felt herself had both hands and feet bound together with that same steel wire, completely immobilized.
In other words, the tables had turned.
"I offer my deepest apologies for my gross discourtesy to a person of noble standing, Lady Felt."
"I'm not some noble. …Why are you following the Helmet Guy?"
"Naturally, one serves the most frightening person present, no~?"
Yae stuck out her tongue and responded in her usual manner to the bound-and-immobilized Felt.
Watching this exchange from the sidelines, Aldebaran took a step back to put distance between himself and Varga. Varga, whose scheme had misfired, remained on one knee, unable to move.
His desperate gambit had come up empty. His exhaustion was entirely understandable, but what filled the old giant's eyes at this moment was something more earnest than the feeling of defeat.
"……I don't care what happens to me. Just don't lay a hand on Felt."
"That's what I wanted to hear. I didn't want to see that look on your face, though."
To the plea and expression Varga had painfully wrung out, Aldebaran answered from the bottom of his heart.
Coming from the person who had attacked them first, the request "don't lay a hand on her" was remarkably convenient. But if it meant the pieces were in place to end this battle, relief outweighed irritation.
Naturally, the adjustment of the ruined plan had made Aldebaran's seven-day deadline far more punishing.
Even so, for now, the emotion of finally being able to end his battle against the first opponent besides the 「
Honestly, it felt a bit brazen of the thing after nearly ruining everything with a misfire, but it had fulfilled its role of drawing the Kingdom's eyes away for half a day before being called back. On the matter of inadequacy, they were even—so Aldebaran chose to turn a blind eye for now.
——'So? Looks like you ended up clashing with Lady Felt and her crew. What was all that about just now?' "A trap designed to make my other self shoot me. I felt like I was on a shatranji board with every piece locked down. …In reality, that's exactly what was about to happen."
——'Man, that brings back bad memories of getting beaten black and blue by the Teacher.' Hearing the 「Aldebaran's」 words—shared through the 「Book of the Dead」—Aldebaran was reminded of the time the 「Witch」 who had granted him all his knowledge had mercilessly demolished him at shatranji, and his mood soured.
That said, there was a fundamental difference between a casual board game and a battlefield where Aldebaran was wielding his full 「Sacred Authority.」 Varga truly was a terrifying enemy.
"No, what was scary was Lady Felt's charisma for having you under her command."
"……We're not following Felt, you know."
——'Huh. I guess that's true.' Even among the Royal Selection candidates, Felt and Priscilla shone differently.
The glare of the sun you looked up at determined the degree to which your eyes burned. There was no question of which was right—only a difference in which light one chose to stand under.
And the one who had chosen to stand under Felt was Varga— "——All of you are like that, aren't you."
When Aldebaran turned his gaze, there they were—the roughnecks emerging from the forest. Five hundred men, wounded in battle, supporting one another shoulder to shoulder, their fighting spirit unbroken.
"————"
As Varga had threatened, as long as these lives were not taken, they would rise again and again, no matter how injured, and challenge Aldebaran to battle.
Seeing those faces filled with such resolve, Aldebaran was reminded once more—of the consequences of the path he had chosen, the path that would never again be affirmed by anyone in the world.
"But the situation's changed from before. You don't have a chance anymore. Same as the 「Sword Saint」 and the 「Jealous Witch.」 —The 「Divine Dragon」 flips the game on its head."
The 「Divine Dragon」 was an absurdity—equivalent to punching your opponent directly across a shatranji board without using pieces. In this world, there existed a certain number of beings who operated 「outside the framework.」
He had sealed one, pinned one, used one, and turned one to his side. —Aldebaran did not hesitate to deploy every ounce of that strength.
Therefore— "Sorry, but I'm forcing a game set right here. I'll make sure you can't chase after us from this point on—"
"——Lady Felt, please don't move, will you?"
"——?"
Without warning, Yae's quiet voice cut through Aldebaran's declaration of surrender.
Glancing over, Aldebaran saw Yae standing behind the steel-wire-bound Felt, gazing at her profile with keen, calculating eyes as she issued her warning.
But Felt prefaced her response with "I ain't moving," and then— "——Look at me."
She spoke those words softly.
"————"
At Felt's single utterance, Aldebaran, Yae, and even Varga all furrowed their brows.
An unintelligible statement—Aldebaran suspected some kind of strategy that activated upon being perceived, but Felt herself was Yae's prisoner, literally unable to lift a finger.
There should have been nothing she could do from such a state. —And yet, the iron will burning in those crimson eyes refused to let anyone believe that.
And then— ——'Ah, we've got a bit of a problem here, me.' It was the 「Aldebaran」—the one rubbing its cheek with a forepaw where the 「Star Staff's」 blow had landed.
The target of that confusing address was Aldebaran himself, the one with whom it shared memories and personality—yet the 「Aldebaran」 that had spoken wasn't even looking at him.
This wasn't about poor manners. Those 「Dragon」 eyes were fixed on Felt.
——As if it simply couldn't look away from Felt, with an almost magnetic intensity.
Before Aldebaran could fully analyze what that meant, the 「Aldebaran」—instead of rubbing its cheek—reached with its free forepaw to toy with the empty helmet clasps it wasn't wearing, missing as it did so— ——'I really, really don't want to refuse Farseil's… Lady Felt's request, you know.' And with that, it had made the problem crystal clear.
△▼△▼△▼△ ——'Farseil, even I, and everyone else, are exhausted by your recklessness.' Those were the words the 「Divine Dragon」 had spoken to Felt when she had set out with
It seemed the 「Dragon,」
That fierce battle—enough to think half the sand dune had been obliterated—was undoubtedly the flashiest and largest-scale fight of Felt's life.
In the end, no resolution came from the battle between Reinhard and Volcanica. Upon catching sight of Felt, Volcanica had lost heart, and the fight had fizzled out.
The 「Dragon's」 words at the conclusion of that unresolved battle were the ones quoted at the start.
"Who the hell is Farseil? Don't mess with me."
Felt had been furious at the 「Divine Dragon's」 rude case of mistaken identity.
But even as she seethed, the name Farseil spoken from Volcanica's mouth was no mystery even to her. In the
In other words, Volcanica had mistaken Felt for the last 「Lion King.」
Farseil Lugunica had been unquestionably a male king, so being mistaken for him was irritating. Over the year and a half since the Royal Selection had begun—thanks to the dramatic improvement in her nutrition since the slum days—Felt's physical growth had been remarkable.
Her figure, too, had developed beyond the gaunt, gender-indeterminate frame of her youth.
Having that pride wounded, her only contact with the 「Divine Dragon」—a being almost no one in the Dragon Kingdom had ever met face-to-face—had become deeply unpleasant.
However, that encounter didn't end as merely an unpleasant experience.
Volcanica had clearly been on very intimate terms with Farseil, because the 「Dragon」 had become extraordinarily friendly toward Felt—outlandishly so, to put it bluntly. It had latched onto her with almost senile eagerness.
Even though its mind was nearly as blank as a senile old man's, it still tried to obey Felt's words quickly and without hesitation.
"The promise between the Lugunica royal family and Volcanica, huh…"
Without specific records, it was impossible to know exactly what kind of relationship the 「Lion King」 and the 「Divine Dragon」 had shared, what words they had exchanged, or what form their promise had taken.
Still, Felt understood clearly that something had existed between them—something beyond mere servitude or simple friendship and affection.
And having recognized that, Felt was not so heartless as to feel nothing about Volcanica's earnest attempt to honor the old covenant, mistaking Felt for Farseil.
Moreover, Felt suspected that Volcanica hadn't mistaken her for Farseil based on hair and eye color alone.
She had a tentative conclusion about what that meant, but with Reinhard absent at this point, she had no intention of putting it into words.
What mattered was that Felt could serve as Farseil's substitute in Volcanica's eyes.
In other words— "——Look at me."
The instant those words left her lips, the reactions of the bewildered Helmet Guy, the kunoichi maid, and the Volcanica who had whipped around in response were clearly different from one another.
The 「Divine Dragon's」 reaction was undeniably proof that Felt's words carried a force—some compulsive quality, a sensation impossible to ignore—that no other person present had felt.
And it was also the sole, irreplaceable countermeasure to the ace up the Helmet Guy's sleeve—the 「Divine Dragon's」 summoning to the battlefield—something Old Rom had prepared in advance.
Having confirmed in that instant that it worked, Felt shouted.
"Everyone, support the wounded and pull back! This fight is over!"
"Wha—"
"The 「Divine Dragon」 can't ignore me! This is the breaking point!"
The Helmet Guy was speechless at Felt's declaration, which had leapt beyond even his own head. Felt merely found his stunned reaction satisfying as she looked past him to where Old Rom stood.
Old Rom's face was rigid, the creases in his lined face growing deeper as he said— "Felt, I…"
"I told you this would happen, Old Rom. 'When the 「Divine Dragon」 comes back, I'll do this.' You just went ahead and did your own thing. My initiative, which I properly discussed with you first, is the one that's justified here."
"Ngh…!"
Faced head-on by Felt's words, Old Rom had no rebuttal and fell silent.
Both Felt and Old Rom had considered what to do if the 「Divine Dragon」 returned. The only difference was their respective plans for that scenario.
As she had said, Felt's approach—which she had properly discussed first—was the more legitimate one.
"Hey, was that for real?"
Alongside this exchange between Felt and Old Rom, the Helmet Guy—who had recovered from his shock—called up to the 「Divine Dragon's」 face high above.
To his question, the 「Divine Dragon」 exhaled a deep, resonant breath and replied: ——'Dead serious. Super duper dead serious. You should be praising me for having the willpower not to flip sides right here! If it were anyone but me, they'd have betrayed you in a heartbeat.' "That joke's in bad taste, man…"
The Helmet Guy's shoulders slumped as he toyed with the clasps on his helmet.
Watching the two of them converse, Felt felt an unease—something clearly different about the 「Divine Dragon's」 demeanor compared to before—but now was not the time to raise it.
What she needed to push through right now was to use the fortunate circumstance of her own existence serving as a countermeasure against the 「Divine Dragon」 to ensure a safe retreat for Old Rom and his defeated forces— "——You're quite persistent, Lady Felt."
"————"
The instant she felt a whisper at her ear, a thin pressure tightened around her neck. Looking down, a wire so fine it would be invisible without close scrutiny was biting into her skin, drawing a thin line of blood.
Of course, the one who had done this was the kunoichi maid who had bound Felt with wire.
"Yae, stop! My orders—"
"I'm prepared to be punished for this, Lord Al. Lady Felt should be eliminated here. Even I could tell that her consultation with the 「Divine Dragon」 just now was heading in a bad direction."
"That's—"
——'Don't do it, Yae. If you do, I won't forgive you.' Cutting off the Helmet Guy's stammering, the 「Divine Dragon」—which had lowered its head slightly—threatened the kunoichi maid.
A mere glare from the 「Divine Dragon」 was enough to make one feel their skin searing with phantom pain. Yet Yae, even under that burning gaze, coolly glared right back.
"I'm sorry to say, but the person I fear is Lord Al, not the 「Divine Dragon.」 Your glare doesn't frighten me in the slightest."
"Yae…!"
"Both of you, cut it out! Don't let things escalate—we'll be exploited!"
The Helmet Guy inserted himself between Yae and the 「Divine Dragon's」 stare-down, keeping a wary eye on Felt and Old Rom.
In truth, Felt was completely helpless, but Old Rom hadn't stopped casting calculating glances around, looking for any opening to pull something.
Aware of this, both Yae and the 「Divine Dragon」 reluctantly withdrew their hostile atmosphere.
"But the problem isn't solved. The fact remains that Lady Felt is dangerous."
"I know. …Can I really do nothing about this?"
——'Yeah, sorry. It's not that I'm bound by compulsion or some contract or oath. It's just that I really, really can't bring myself to do it. It's like my sense of self is about to split in two.' Despite Yae's pointed objection, the Helmet Guy and the 「Divine Dragon」 remained at an impasse.
The Helmet Guy had his own logic he wanted to push through, and Yae and the 「Divine Dragon」 were in positions to follow him, but at the root, they were not entirely unified in will.
As things stood, the situation could tip either way.
Then— "Let's call this a draw. Your side lets my people go. In exchange, we'll let you all go too."
"……That's way too convenient for you. You only won because luck was on your side. We broke every strategy you and Lady Felt had. So why should it be a draw?"
"Even without being told, you know why. Our fight had a time limit on both sides—until the 「Divine Dragon」 came back. But if the 「Divine Dragon」 isn't going to take either side, that constraint disappears. And if it disappears, all we have to do is fight again with five hundred men."
"————"
As she spoke, Felt studied the Helmet Guy's concealed expression with meticulous care.
Because his face was hidden, she had to piece together his inner state from every scrap of information available—his breathing, his subtle gestures, every little detail—and interpret it with everything she had.
There was, even to Felt herself, an obvious hole in her argument. —The entire situation up to this point existed only because the Helmet Guy had happened to choose not to kill anyone.
If he broke that precedent on a whim, Felt and her people were finished.
Even if the 「Divine Dragon's」 movements were restricted, just as the wire was around Felt's neck, her five hundred companions would be strangled one after another until all were annihilated.
The Helmet Guy couldn't possibly be unaware of this. And so Felt chose her words with every ounce of her being, polishing them and letting them resonate with her soul, pouring everything into making the Helmet Guy hesitate.
—To make him feel that continuing this fight here wasn't worth it.
"Just so you know, my and Old Rom's plans go way beyond this. If the fight drags on, we'll just come up with the next trick."
"……That's a scary thought. But wouldn't it be the same if I let you go now? Calling it a draw and having you come at us again would just be cat-and-mouse."
"Exactly. So here's what I'll do. —I'll become your hostage."
"——!"
The Helmet Guy's sharp intake of breath was perceptible even from his subtle movement. Sensing that opening, Felt didn't grab for it—she carefully, deliberately drew the possibility toward her.
"If I'm with you, my people can't make a move. That was the winning angle you were originally aiming for, right?"
"That's out of the question. Why would we drag around a volatile element like that? If you escaped, Lady Felt, the whole thing would be—"
"Then keep this wire on me. Your 「Divine Dragon」 over there—if I break my word and try to run and die, that's my own problem. No need to get angry."
——'Hey, hey, hey, that's not okay, Farseil.' "I'm not Farseil."
Yae had interjected. The 「Divine Dragon,」 which had been about to refuse, pondered Felt's words.
While they deliberated, Felt fixed her gaze on the Helmet Guy—who, like herself, held the decisive authority in this situation.
"What's it gonna be? Whether we keep going or not is up to you."
"……I don't want to carry extra baggage."
"————"
"But it's also true this isn't the time to be feuding with my own people. I'm willing to go along with Lady Felt's hostage proposal. However—"
Speaking slowly, deeply in thought, the Helmet Guy wove his words with care. At the end of his sentence, deliberately leaving a pregnant pause— "Ooooooh—!!"
Breaking through the cadence of the conversation, Old Rom roared and lunged, both arms outstretched, grabbing the Helmet Guy from behind.
Those thick arms clamped around the Helmet Guy's neck and waist from the rear. Just as Yae had bound Felt, the situation of both leaders being seized in alternating captures was complete— "——Donaa!"
In that instant, a stone left arm conjured by the Helmet Guy's chant punched clean through Old Rom's jaw.
The Helmet Guy's unexpected single blow—growing a prosthetic stone arm from his one remaining limb—shook Old Rom's brain violently, and his massive body crashed onto the plain with a tremendous sound.
Felt nearly rushed forward, but the memory of the wire around her neck made her hold back. The Helmet Guy, who had felled Old Rom with that punch, let out a sigh and said— "But you get one free pass for that hit on the old man."
Adding the ceasefire condition retroactively, he accepted Felt's proposal.
△▼△▼△▼△ ——The unconscious Varga was hoisted onto the shoulders of Grassis and
Aldebaran watched their poorly balanced formation with a critical eye, remaining vigilant to the last as he saw off the five hundred roughnecks—no, the formidable enemies—as they withdrew.
He made sure the strong fighters had retreated all the way to the horizon, and had the 「Aldebaran」 thoroughly check for anyone attempting to secretly follow.
——'Nobody. They've all pulled out.' "Is that true? I can trust that, right? You're not gonna betray me?"
——'In manga, the version of yourself betraying yourself is a classic trope, but relax. Right now, my siding with you and my siding with Lady Felt are pretty much fifty-fifty.' "That's still squarely in the danger zone…"
There was something terrifying about the 「Aldebaran's」 statements—you never quite knew how seriously to take them.
He had always known this, but the 「Aldebaran」 was ultimately 「Aldebaran」—even sharing memories and personality, it could never truly be Aldebaran himself.
It was an invaluable ally in accomplishing Aldebaran's objectives, but it was also true that it could never be more than an ally.
"——Lord Al~! I've finished Lady Felt's search~!"
As Aldebaran pondered these thoughts, Yae returned, waving her hand cheerfully.
He had ordered her to conduct a thorough body search of Felt—Varga Cromwell might have given her something to carry.
Judging from Yae's demeanor, however, nothing had turned up.
"How'd it go?"
"Well~ she had the 「Dialogue Mirror」 so I broke it."
"She had one! Hey, Lady Felt!"
"Shut up, I told you about it myself. I wasn't hiding anything, so what's the big deal?"
Felt poked her head out from behind the 「Aldebaran」 and snapped back irritably. The body search had taken place on the far side of the massive 「Aldebaran」—there was no shade to be found in the vast, open plain.
In any case, when Aldebaran glared at Yae over Felt's answer, she stuck out her tongue and said: "That was just Yae's little joke~"
"You…"
"Don't take it so seriously, Lord Al~ You never listen to me anyway, do you?"
"……My bad."
"I can't hear you, so I won't forgive you."
"I said my bad!"
He shouted his apology loudly, but Yae ostentatiously covered her ears with both hands, dismissing it.
Though her behavior was childishly petulant, it wasn't unreasonable. Aldebaran was forcing her to work far beyond even half her capabilities, driven by his own ego. And yet he was rewarding none of her wishes and ruling her through fear—an彻底 domestic abuser with no room for excuses.
"Dammit, I get that searching me is fair game, but there's no need to strip me outside in the open, is there?"
Felt grumbled as she emerged from behind the 「Aldebaran.」 When Aldebaran glanced at Yae over this, she was still covering both ears, with no intention of being questioned for a search that hadn't actually required disrobing.
"……Well, take it as the usual待遇 for the losing side. Honestly, I'm way more scared of that old man than you think, Lady Felt."
"Oh, is that so? Well, my Old Rom is pretty damn scary. …But I'll never forgive you for trying to outmaneuver me."
——'And that part seems pretty deep-rooted too. A draw really is what it looks like, huh.' At Aldebaran's praise for Varga and the resulting mood swings of Felt, the 「Aldebaran」 gave a wry laugh. Felt looked up at the laughing dragon's face and said: "Come to think of it, I wanted to ask—aren't you Volcanica?"
How much to share was tricky, but the suspicion Felt harbored about the 「Aldebaran」 was only natural if you knew the 「Divine Dragon」 before the 「Book of the Dead」 had been installed. If she ignored it and kept clamoring, the hardships of the road ahead would only multiply— "——The guy from
"……Apparently that kind of thing doesn't sell, so the agency says my character's currently in flux. Also, drop the Helmet Guy act. I'm Aldebaran."
"Aldebaran? Wasn't it something shorter?"
"That one was also judged by the agency as too short to sell, so…"
He answered casually, putting off a detailed explanation for Felt until later.
Either way, if they were going to keep Felt with them, the 「Aldebaran」 would eventually tell her the story whether Aldebaran did or not—of how the historically legendary 「Divine Dragon」 had become a frivolous, unserious clown.
"For now, we revise the plan. And we've only got about five days left."
Squeezing in the fight against Felt and her group had forced major adjustments to the plan.
That said, having the 「Aldebaran」 present—when it was supposed to have joined up later—could be a significant advantage in shortening their travel time. There was also the worry that the Kingdom forces, which were supposed to have rallied in the north, hadn't been fully drawn away by the diversion.
"By the way, there's no option of tying Lady Felt up and dragging her along, right?"
——'If you hadn't told me to "look at me," maybe.' "There's no compulsion, is there?"
——'None. I just have this overwhelming desire to do whatever she asks of me.' At that seriously troubling answer, Aldebaran wanted to clutch his head.
To have the 「Sword Saint」 Reinhardt, the 「Grand Strategist」 Varga Cromwell, and even the 「Divine Dragon」 Volcanica all on her side—just how many guardian stars shone above Felt?
"I could never lose to someone backed by all those stars."
Though he couldn't deny the feelings of a pyrrhic victory, a draw, and a dud bomb, it was also a fact that Aldebaran had clawed his way through this situation with every ounce of his will.
Now, he would not forget that fact, and he would use it as both a warning and a guidepost for what lay ahead.
"So? Where are you headed, and what do you plan to do from here?"
"————"
"Can't tell me that either? If you don't feed the fish you've caught, you might be the ones who end up starving, Aldebaran."
Felt called him by name, flashing her fangs in a grin.
Around her neck, the steel wire Yae had attached was still wound tight—she was in the very hostage state she had proposed. And yet the girl's eyes showed not a trace of surrendering her fighting spirit. Aldebaran suppressed a measure of his hesitation and spoke.
To Felt's question—in other words, Aldebaran's destination— "——The Mogrode Caldera, right in the center of
"……You went through all of this just for that?"
"Yeah. It's necessary. —For me to be me."
Aldebaran had no intention of helping Felt imagine the meaning behind those actions, and he conveyed that through the weight of his words.
Receiving this, Felt narrowed her crimson eyes and started to say something, then stopped. —She had probably realized that whatever she'd started to say was about someone who no longer existed anywhere.
"——Whoa! Wh-What the—!? What happened!? Hey! Aldebaran! Maid! What's going on—Damn it! My back hurts!"
At last, Heinkel's awakening—hearing him loudly and ungracefully shatter the solemn atmosphere—gave Aldebaran the sense that the battle had truly ended.
It was almost certainly a profoundly reluctant gratitude on Heinkel's part, but still.