Arc 9, Part 44: "A Secret Agreement Beneath the Surface"

—God, Buddha, Od Laguna. I swear, for the rest of my life, I will never tell a story of the past.

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"——If you’re a father too, then keep your damn hands off the kid!!"

The words struck the opponent more poignantly than the fist that flew straight into his face. Witnessing the scene, Old Man Rom imagined that was the true source of the pain Heinkel felt.

Relying on his own toughness to employ a "counter-after-the-fact" tactic, Heinkel had attempted to strike back at Flam and Grasis. However, that attempt was brilliantly thwarted by Gaston—or more accurately, by the girl’s management, as she used "Compression" to wedge Gaston into that exact spot at the last moment.

"My, my, quite impressive..."

While confirming the safety of the twin sisters who had escaped the man’s grasp, Rom cast a glance at the profile of the girl sitting on his shoulder—Petra.

"————"

Her large, round eyes narrowed, Petra’s lovely face was tight with resolve, her serious gaze fixed unblinkingly on the two battlefields.

The battle against Roy Alphard of "Gluttony," and the swordsman who had betrayed the Kingdom—"The Sword-Bearer" Heinkel Astrea. Originally, the group also included the mastermind Aldebaran, his shinobi servant, and even the "Divine Dragon" who had been brought to heel.

They had discussed breaking down this dangerous group and creating a situation where they could defeat them individually, but it was no exaggeration to say that Petra held the key to the success or failure of that plan.

The plan had been constructed primarily around the opinions of Clind, who was intimately familiar with the Authority of "Melancholy." Everyone had worked as one to make the plan succeed, but Petra was the greatest contributor.

Without her, this battle couldn't have even begun. —And that remained true even now.

"——ngh."

Petra bit her lip tightly, her nails digging hard into Rom’s shoulder. To Rom, a young girl’s nails were hardly painful, but he could only imagine the state of mind that led her to do so unconsciously.

The burden of holding a Witch Factor—the very thing that turned humans into "Witches" or Sin Archbishops—was something no one but the person themselves could truly understand. Moreover, the role Petra had taken on was one for which Rom’s own name had also been suggested as a candidate.

A position for someone who lacked direct combat power but possessed the quick wit and judgment desirable for the battlefield.

Rom and Petra fit that description perfectly. Ultimately, the difference in their respective camps was the deciding factor, but Petra’s role could very well have been Rom’s.

That was why Rom had decided in his heart: in this battle, recovering Felt was the top priority, but the second was to do everything in his power for Petra. He would give his all to ensure that her burden was lightened, even if only by a little, and that no oversights or failures occurred in their tactical judgment and instructions.

"Three of Flowers, Queen. Two of Lightning, Noble. Five of Flowers, Hunter."

Steadily surveying the battlefield from a bird's-eye view, Rom whispered instructions so Petra could hear them. Every time she exercised the Authority in response, the nail marks on his shoulder grew deeper and more numerous.

Fundamentally, "Compression" was most needed on the battlefield against "Gluttony." Roy seemed to realize that Rom and the others were assisting in the combat coordination, but Ram’s movements were exceptionally skillful. She dexterously kept the opponent's attention on her, preventing him from interfering with those giving the orders.

Even with "Compression" involved, it was a razor-thin, back-and-forth struggle due to the sheer number of moves and "cards" in Gluttony’s hand. In contrast, the other battlefield was defined by an overwhelming lack of moves and cards.

"——Guh."

Even his groans were drowned out by the sound of blows as Heinkel continued to be pummeled.

With Gaston joining the sisters Flam and Grasis, the twins' speed combined with Gaston’s brute strength had turned the fight into a one-sided display of violence that could only be called a lynching or a sanctioned execution. However, as long as the opponent refused to buckle, Flam and the others could not afford to let up.

Both battlefields needed a catalyst to move forward. —It was just as Rom thought this.

"——Old Man Rom," Petra called out, and their eyes met.

"————"

With just that exchange of glances, Rom understood that he and Petra had reached the same conclusion. Without even wasting time to nod, Rom sharpened his gaze for the perfect moment.

And then—

"Five of Sun, Queen——!"

At the command, Petra, her round eyes filled with strength as she gripped Rom’s shoulder, activated "Compression"—and brilliantly, the coordinated attack of Ram and the other two struck Roy with devastating force.

"——Yes!"

Roy’s small frame was caught in the wind, battered by the attacks of the "Pig King" and the two mabeasts, and sent flying. Sprayed with blood as he was launched into the air, Roy had undoubtedly suffered a deep wound.

Just before the decisive blow landed, Roy had tried to use the Authority of "Gluttony" on Ram, but it had failed, creating a fatal opening. Rom marveled once again at the sheer guts Ram displayed in setting that trap and the ingenuity of Petra’s idea to propose it.

——Ram, now known as Ram Leyte.

A forced adoption that exploited the legal system—a bizarre strategy applied to all members of the frontline group who were potential targets for "Gluttony," designed to betray the Sin Archbishop's expectations.

"But with this..."

The situation had shifted. Having achieved the single move needed to break the deadlock, Rom clenched his large fist.

Driven by that momentum, he turned his eyes toward the other battlefield to move that situation forward as well—

"...Nobody move. Not if you value this child's... this person's life."

——There, too, a change had occurred. He encountered the worst possible crisis: Heinkel, holding Felt in a chokehold with a sword pressed against her.

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—God, Buddha, Od Laguna. I swear, for the rest of my life, I will never tell my favorite stories.

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"I'm sorry for everything. In every sense, I put too much of a burden on you, Pops."

Aldebaran had offered this apology after he had ruthlessly knocked Heinkel unconscious when the latter had almost acted prematurely while speaking with Felt.

To be honest, Heinkel was self-aware enough to know he had almost done something irreversible, and he felt he had no right to complain about being punched. He had no choice but to accept the apology.

However, the fact that Felt had caught on to—that specific matter—was something he absolutely could not leave alone.

Heinkel’s wife, Louanna Astrea, who continued to sleep.

The fact that the cause of his most beloved woman’s slumber lay with their son, Reinhard.

"Well, wait. I won't ask for details about what happened between you and the kid, Pops. But I said it, right? I'm sorry for putting all the burden on you."

"...I don't follow. You apologize, and then what?"

"Of course, I'm not saying 'I apologized, so keep enduring it.' For now, I'll handle the matter of Lady Felt on this end."

"Handle her? You mean..."

"I won't do anything violent. Though it might be a bit rough."

As Aldebaran shrugged, Heinkel’s expression hardened.

He was a man whose true thoughts were hard to grasp, someone fundamentally mysterious. Even so, Heinkel understood that Al’s motivation for turning the world into his enemy was the grief of losing Priscilla.

The affection for that intense "Sun Princess" was certainly at the core of Aldebaran.

However, Al still possessed a sliver of common sense that prevented him from saying he would sacrifice anything for that goal. ——Heinkel felt as though that restraint had finally snapped, as if the shackles had been cast off.

"What... what are you planning to do?"

"I won't do anything that'll hurt you, Pops. But there's just one thing I want to confirm."

Unconsciously, Heinkel’s throat tightened with a dry swallow. He felt a strong thirst. It was a premonition known only to cowards—the feeling of wanting to hear the rest of the words while simultaneously dreading them.

Ignoring Heinkel’s inner turmoil, Aldebaran voiced his question.

It was—

"Fifteen years ago, the name of the royal family member who was kidnapped from the castle was——"

To speak that name was, for Heinkel—no, it had become something of a forbidden phrase within the Kingdom of Lugnica.

The daughter of the King’s brother, kidnapped from Lugnica’s royal castle fifteen years ago, whose whereabouts had remained unknown ever since.

In the long history of the Kingdom, it wasn't that there were no royals who lived unfortunate lives. However, she was the only one who, despite being born with blessings, had neither her growth nor her end spoken of.

"——Philore Lugnica."

The daughter of Faurde Lugnica, the younger brother of the 41st King, Randhal Lugnica. She was the royal Heinkel had been suspected of kidnapping fifteen years ago.

Though the suspicion of kidnapping had been a false accusation—in the end, through a series of events, Heinkel had committed an irreversible act of disrespect toward the royal family he was supposed to serve, and toward Faurde, to whom he owed a great debt.

It was a betrayal of the royal house and their friendship, far more explicit than a mere betrayal of the Kingdom.

"——Itadakimasu."

Before his eyes, a sinful and hideous ritual was performed.

From Aldebaran’s question, Heinkel had sensed it, and perhaps he had even hoped for it. Even knowing that this ritual had been the trigger for many tragedies, he still hoped.

Because if it succeeded, Heinkel wouldn't have to kill her.

"Thank you for the meal!"

Heinkel snapped back to reality at the sight of Roy’s small back as he pressed his hands together, signaling the end of the ritual. Because he wanted to look away so badly, he had literally missed the act before him by losing himself in thought.

As he piled up acts unbecoming of a knight, Heinkel found his own heart—which still creaked with guilt—to be pathetic. He stepped forward as Roy, who was laughing joyfully, stepped back.

And then—

"——Lady Philore."

Dropping to one knee, Heinkel called out to her.

What kind of response had he been expecting? If she replied that it was her own name, it would mean the ritual had failed. If she replied that she didn't know what he was talking about, Heinkel would have agonized over that as well.

The answer given to Heinkel, who didn't even have an answer himself, was—

"Who might that be? No, more importantly..."

"————"

"——Who am I?"

That response, signifying the success of the ritual, ultimately wounded Heinkel and caused him to agonize.

"Philore... so that is my name. It doesn't quite feel right."

The attitude of Philore, whose "Memories" had been eaten, was like that of a completely different person.

As if the coarseness and lack of upbringing she had displayed in her gestures, movements, and speech were all a lie, she now possessed a grace and softness befitting a royal, greatly surprising Heinkel.

Had it not been for the tragedy fifteen years ago, she likely would have been a member of the royal family loved by all.

"Instead, she might've died from the same disease as the rest of the royal lot, though."

Aldebaran spoke those heartless words to Heinkel, who was lost in such sentimentality.

But it was a fact. That mysterious epidemic that seemed to target the royal family specifically—if Philore had been in the castle, she likely wouldn't have escaped it. ——Heinkel almost realized what that implied, but he closed his eyes and refused to look at it directly.

Heinkel was already at his limit, both in body and mind. Even with the fulfillment of his long-held wish right in front of him, his heart couldn't withstand the shocking facts being added one after another.

"Are you perhaps worried about something?"

The one who asked this was Philore, as Heinkel instinctively covered his face with his hands.

Despite having no memories and likely being in a far more anxious position herself, her concern for others made Heinkel truly see the blood of the Lugnica royal family in her.

At the same time, he became certain of the cruel truth—the fact that the Authority of "Gluttony" had activated was proof that she was, without a doubt, Philore Lugnica.

Therefore—

"...With this, the Royal Selection is over."

"Why's that, Pops?"

"What do you mean 'why'? The reason for the Royal Selection is to find the 'next' person fit for the throne. To put it bluntly, it’s a backup plan because the royal line was cut off... If people find out it wasn't cut off, they'll all flip their positions in a heartbeat."

Ironically, this truth had come to light because Priscilla died, a rampaging Aldebaran broke "Gluttony" out of prison, and the girl—before losing her memories—had gouged into Heinkel’s weak point.

It was almost as if the world itself had arranged things to put Philore on the throne.

Of course, Heinkel wasn't insensitive enough to say that even Priscilla’s death happened for that purpose. Ultimately, if Philore took the throne, that was what he wanted.

To wake Louanna. If only that were achieved, Heinkel’s wish was for everything to settle back into its proper place.

So, the "Witch of Envy" retreats, and Philore takes the throne. That was fine by him.

"Orta, this is the way everything settles most peacefully. Any complaints?"

[...You managed to avoid hurting the girl at the very last second where I could compromise. I think it's a brilliant solution, Origin. However—]

"However?"

[Is this a plan you thought of by yourself, Origin? I thought it seemed unlike you.]

"————"

While Heinkel was convincing himself, Aldebaran and the "Divine Dragon" were bickering over the treatment of Philore. Regardless, at the very least, the problems Heinkel had been carrying were shelved. Though, it was also certain that a new problem had arisen: traveling with a Philore who had no memories—

"If that's the case, it won't be a problem at all~. Right, Al-sama?"

Heinkel gasped as Yae peeked her head out from right beside him.

As if seeing through Heinkel’s inner anxiety, she gave him a mocking sidelong glance and then prompted Aldebaran as if acting spoiled.

There was nothing strange about Yae’s mocking attitude. What was strange was Aldebaran’s attitude toward her.

"...Yeah. I made a promise to Pops, after all."

"Huh? A promise?"

"I told him I'd handle the matter of Felt... no, Lady Philore, on this end."

Saying this, Aldebaran went ahead with that "handling" with a detached, almost blatantly cold attitude, leaving the bewildered Heinkel aside.

Heinkel was flustered by that decisive—no, for better or worse, completely unhinged—attitude.

The change in the relationship between Aldebaran and Yae, the "Divine Dragon's" feelings toward Philore, the expansion of the range of movement allowed to "Gluttony," and the revealed truth about Philore. ——Though they were hardly a cohesive group, Heinkel felt the distortions and misalignments growing larger.

In the midst of all this, Heinkel resolved to at least keep his own sanity.

No matter how suffocating the predicament, Heinkel was the one who would be most troubled if this group collapsed before his goal was achieved.

Therefore—

"——At least I will remain decent."

Yes, Heinkel swore this as he received the "handled" Philore—now sealed within a black sphere about the size of a juggling ball.

He had sworn it.

"If you don't want Lady Philore to be hurt, back off...!"

——And yet.

Fallen into a predicament, Heinkel’s resolve had flipped. He held the grown Philore in a chokehold, pressing his sword against her slender neck.

"Felt...!"

At Heinkel’s atrocity, the large-framed man called out to Philore by a different name with regret.

Flam and Grasis, who had been attacking relentlessly, also stopped their movements. Their gazes were a mixture of anger, contempt, and a great deal of worry and confusion as they faced Heinkel.

From their perspective, the shock must have been twofold.

Just like them, who had been appearing and disappearing repeatedly, Philore had suddenly appeared in Heinkel’s hands, and then Heinkel had called her by a different name.

It was a situation where anxiety and confusion were bound to show strongly in their eyes.

"I apologize, but I do not wish to be rough. You will cooperate."

As he spoke to the Philore he held captive, Heinkel loathed his own hypocrisy.

He had tried. He had made every effort to ensure Philore wouldn't be dragged into this battle that had suddenly begun. But he had given up. As usual, his efforts bore no fruit.

So, he had crushed the black sphere Aldebaran had entrusted to him, releasing the sealed Philore. Using her as a hostage, he threatened the enemies who had appeared.

"Don't move. You wouldn't want this person to be hurt."

The fact that he still showed a hypocritical courtesy to Philore while staining his hands with such a low act was proof that a sliver of common sense still remained within Heinkel.

As long as he wasn't certain she was Philore, he could ignore her beautiful golden hair and red eyes—the marks of royalty—as mere coincidence. But now that he was certain she was Philore, Heinkel could no longer treat her the same way as before.

If one were to say he changed his attitude depending on the person, that was exactly right. ——Heinkel had been raised by his parents to be loyal to the members of the Lugnica royal family.

"——ngh."

The throat of Philore, his late-played trump card, made a thin sound as her face was forced up.

Having just been released from that black sphere, Philore seemed to have a hazy consciousness, or perhaps she was bewildered by the sudden change in situation; she remained passive in Heinkel’s grasp.

It was frustrating, but the threat was working, and the opponents' movements were sluggish. Taking advantage of this, Heinkel worried about the vanished Aldebaran and the others while thinking he should first secure safety for himself and Roy, who was also caught in a trap on the same battlefield—

"——Felt!!"

Unlike the previous squeezed-out voice from the large man, this voice was full of power.

The joy of reuniting with someone precious, a faint anger that was the flip side of affection, the worry for her safety, and the resolve to bring her back—a call that mixed all these emotions echoed loudly across the battlefield.

"————"

At that voice, Philore stirred in Heinkel’s arms.

Even in a state without "Memories," in a position where she didn't know friend from foe, perhaps a strong emotion directed at her could still be felt. Slowly, she blinked her red eyes—the proof of her royalty—and met the gaze of the old giant who had shouted to her from afar.

Her lips parted, and she wove words. They were—

"——Old Man Rom! Get Gaston and the others back! That thing is coming!!"

It was a voice that cast aside the royal grace she had shown until a moment ago—a rough yet powerful shout. It was the gallant, dignified cry of the "Golden Lion," as if the lost "Memories" had been forcibly reclaimed by the call of someone precious.

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—God, Buddha, Od Laguna. I swear, for the rest of my life, I will never call people by nicknames.

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——Of course, the fact that Felt was able to appeal to her comrades in their predicament was not due to some miracle of emotion, as Heinkel had thought, or some convenient storybook reason.

The ruthlessness of "Gluttony's" Authority had been amply demonstrated by the tragedies of not only Felt, but all the victims and those around them. There was no way such a hotbed of tragedy could be resolved by a mere matter of Felt’s feelings.

The reason Felt was able to return from "Philore" to "Felt" here was simple and clear——to begin with, Felt’s "Memories" had never been eaten by Roy.

"After this, it seems we have to eat Felt-chan's 'Memories.' ——Felt-chan, won't you cooperate with us?"

Roy had said this immediately after Aldebaran decided to "handle" Felt, who had become a nuisance capable of noticing unnecessary things and causing a rift in the group.

It seemed the plan was to have Roy eat her "Memories," including the inconvenient facts she had noticed, and in the process, dispose of Felt’s cheeky, argumentative personality.

As long as her life isn't taken—if you asked Felt, the moment her memories were gone and she was no longer herself, she might as well have been killed. She didn't like Aldebaran’s way of doing things.

"But that doesn't mean I'm gonna start liking you. First off, what do you want me to do by 'cooperating' with someone like you?"

"Haha, that attitude is electrifying. But no need to worry, Felt-chan. Detailed tactical planning or perfect schemes aren't really our style. What I want from Felt-chan is, quite simply, to pretend your 'Memories' were eaten."

"...Go on."

Closing one eye, Felt found Roy’s story worth listening to. At that reaction, Roy laughed with genuine delight, "That's the spirit!"

"It's not bad sticking with the Helmet-Uncle and the others like this, but if we don't do anything, we'll just be used and thrown away at the best moment... See, we've got these curse marks carved into us, so we're in a pretty bad spot. So, y'know."

"So?"

"Felt-chan, you pretend to have lost your memories while vigilantly looking for a way to strike back, just like always. We'll try to see if we can escape our position as captive Sin Archbishops by riding on whatever opportunity you might create."

"——. What if I just tell the Helmet-Guy and the others about this? I could cause a rift between you and get rid of you easily, y'know?"

"Yes, yes, that's the kind of thing! Go ahead and do that as much as you want!"

Watching Roy clap his hands in delight, Felt tried to probe his true intentions but quickly gave up. She didn't think she could see through him if he was hiding his true heart, and to Felt’s eyes, it seemed Roy was being sincere.

And in fact, from Felt’s perspective, it was a proposal she couldn't ask more for. ——As things stood, she was in a position where her "Memories" would be taken without her being able to do a thing.

"But I heard you need my name to eat me. Because you didn't know it, your brother ended up gagging and puking."

"Well, yeah, that's true. But Felt-chan, don't you know somewhere in your heart? That your real name is the same as that princess famous for the Kingdom's tragedy?"

"————"

"Ah, or do you want to confirm it? If the 'Eclipse' succeeds with that name, we'll end up taking your 'Memories,' but it'll serve as proof. How about it?"

"Hah, what a cheap provocation. ——I'll take you up on it."

Felt snorted at Roy, who stuck out his long tongue and peered into her face.

Who exactly was she? ——Such a stupid question was nothing more than a triviality to Felt. She knew there were more than a few people who thought it wasn't trivial, but it was the same logic as before: if her "Memories" were taken, she was as good as dead.

Felt had already built a life as a human being named "Felt." Sorry, but no matter how it started, any life that wasn't "Felt" had ended before it began.

She didn't need it. That was why she would go along with the plan of this disgusting "Gluttony."

"I'm the only one who's gonna win."

"Kuku, ahaha! I knew you'd say that! I believed in you! But, we're gonna take out as much insurance as possible so Felt-chan can't be the only winner, okay?"

"Insurance? Don't say such pathetic things. Bet it all on a single shot."

"That bravery is cool and all, but pride isn't what's important to us. ——It's just eat or be eaten."

Saying this, Roy gnashed his teeth as if to celebrate the formation of their secret pact.

And after that, as promised, Roy pretended to eat her "Memories" and left Felt as she was. Felt, too, kept her end of the secret pact with the Roy she only half-trusted, pretending to have no memories—acting the part of the royal she didn't even know, Philore Lugnica.

"Sorry, but the only person I could think of to mimic was Big Sis Crusch."

As a victim whose "Memories" had been eaten by "Gluttony," Crusch was the first person Felt thought of. The Philore she based on Crusch—whose attitude and speech had changed drastically—seemed to have pleased Aldebaran and the others, especially Heinkel.

Fortunately, the opportunities to play Philore weren't many or long, and Felt was soon sealed in a strange black sphere by Aldebaran’s magic. The sensation inside that sphere was extremely suffocating and unpleasant, but—it had also been a help.

Because the time spent acting as Philore was reduced, she didn't end up slipping up. If Felt accidentally showed her true self, Roy’s "insurance" would activate. She had been threatened with that.

Even if Felt hadn't accepted the proposal, it was a "literal insurance" prepared to make her accept it, and to prevent betrayal after she did.

It was——

"——It's coming out of my shadow!!"

She shouted while being held in a chokehold by Heinkel, a sword pressed to her neck.

The trump card that the Sin Archbishop of "Gluttony," Roy Alphard, had prepared to deceive Aldebaran and the others and escape their grasp—the last of the Three Great Mabeasts, ranking alongside the "White Whale" and the "Great Rabbit"——

"——It's the Black Serpent!!"

——The "Black Serpent," the mabeast of pestilence that had killed more living things than any other since its birth, was summoned to the battlefield of the all-out war between both factions, reacting to the violation of the established secret pact.