Seek mercy in court.

“Damn it, who is that woman!! There was no mention of a tracker!”

A shout from one of the suspicious group who belatedly grasped the situation.

Their appearance was tinged with much more bewilderment than I had expected.

To be so flustered when they were about to cause trouble in the middle of the city. I wonder how confident they were in their plan.

“What are you doing! Quickly eliminate that woman!!”

Shing!

The mercenaries’ swords beside him were drawn and began to emit a sharp light.

Aura blades sharpened to the limit using mana. Along with that, their movements leaving afterimages showed that their footwork was also at a high level.

At least a level sufficient to make a living with the sword.

-Slash!

When I split those blades with a swing of my hand, astonishment began to appear on all their faces.

“W-What!?”

“Impossible, how could she bare-handedly… Ack!!”

I grabbed the collar of the guy who approached and threw him with force towards the other one.

Crash! The two people collided and were flung against the wall.

Seeing their unsightly appearances, a sneer involuntarily burst out.

“My, my, do these days’ folks think they become invincible just by wrapping aura around a sword?”

Originally, infusing aura into a tool is to emphasize the tool’s characteristics.

When used on blades, it enhances sharpness to the limit, but it also puts a great burden on the tool.

Of course, a skilled expert would consider that point and reinforce durability as well, but these guys haven’t reached that level of skill.

Naturally, if you aim for that weakness, weapons wrapped in aura easily break.

“Eek! Reynold!! What are you doing! Quickly, that person…”

“Shut your mouth!!”

But they must have hired even such riffraff at a considerable price.

When those mercenaries couldn’t even put up a fight, the employer’s attention urgently turned to the man in a tuxedo I had knocked down earlier.

Seeing him get up, it seems there was almost no damage from the previous attack, but… looking at how they’re shouting at each other, they don’t seem to be on the same side.

I can guess roughly.

If they’re up to something in this remote place, they’re probably conducting some kind of illegal transaction.

“Was it Reynold Clock?”

That became certain the moment I saw the monocle of the man standing in front of me.

Yes, there was an NPC with such an appearance in the game too.

“…Do you know me?”

“I know you well. Much more than you think.”

The game I played…

In World Wars, it wasn’t just the head of Wesson & Colt who sold weapons as an NPC.

Many other arms dealers went around various battlefields and units supplying weapons.

The Reynold Clock in front of me was one of such figures.

Moreover, he was a hidden NPC that only appeared when the so-called ‘Extinction War’ began, which was greatly intensified at the end of the war, predicting the annihilation of one side.

Of course, being hidden, he dealt with revolutionary items called ‘ancient weapons’.

Each of their performances was so groundbreaking that if you didn’t secure them quickly, defeat against the opponent was inevitable.

But who would have thought I’d encounter him now on the normal route, and after the war had already ended.

“Well, what brings a gentleman who makes a living digging up others’ graves here? Now that the war is over and there’s nowhere left to sell, have you come to serve terrorist organizations?”

“…Petty words.”

Gritting his teeth, Reynold glared at me.

His gaze gradually moved from my face downwards.

“Red Cross unit…”

He seems to have guessed my identity from looking at my necklace…

Yes, we’ve never met each other, but it means we know about each other to some extent.

“…You know?”

“Of course I know, there were no greater thorns in our side of the industry than those guys. A unit aiming only to save people on a battlefield where everyone is killing each other… Considering the Empire started the war, don’t you think it’s not even funny?”

“Hehe, isn’t the current emperor not the madman who started the war, but the revolutionary who cut off that person’s head?”

“It’s the same once he committed revolution and then did the same thing.”

“What do you mean the same thing. Do you think a country is such a simple group that splits into 50 factions overnight just because one leader changes?”

His face immediately crumpled as I answered sarcasm with sarcasm.

But for me, it wasn’t words I thought were wrong at all.

Even if the current emperor rose to power through revolution to correct the hegemony, that’s closer to ‘inheriting’ the existing position.

Even if the purpose is different, once he became emperor, he had to inherit the war started by the madman.

If he unilaterally frames themselves as the perpetrators in such a war, even the people who were caught up in the tyrant’s politics would have to bear that responsibility.

When the choice affects half the continent’s population, is it easy to carry it out with eyes wide shut?

“The war after the revolution was only to find a coordination point where both forces could remain intact. But it’s funny that you curse the emperor now as if you’re the victim, when you stuck in straws wherever you could to make good money and dragged out the war longer.”

“…You’re just blabbering whatever comes out of your mouth.”

“As if you’re any different?”

Kekeke.

I took the cigarette out of my mouth and continued speaking.

“Well, anyway, I can guess roughly from your reaction. In short, you were one of the reasons why the Allied forces frantically pursued our unit, right?”

“That’s right, it was no trouble to deceive those bastards, when weapons were urgently needed, how could they not chase if we said we’d cut off the supply!?”

Reynold rises, burning with emotion.

Intense hatred was drawn in his bloodshot eyes visible through the monocle.

“The Imperial army did such a shitty thing too. After killing so many people, now they form a rescue unit to save mass murderers? Were they so afraid of dying themselves?”

“…Well, if you want to kill someone, you have to dig two graves.”

In reality, the Allied forces didn’t look upon us favorably for such reasons.

If the opponent wasn’t an arms dealer who just sold weapons, I might have sympathized with those words.

“But you know, that includes you too, right?”

“Of course it does!!!”

-Clink!!

But contrary to my expectations, the one confronting me showed aggressiveness.

Amid steam gushing out from vents all over his body revealed by tearing clothes, the front of the torn tuxedo began to distort complexly.

-Clink clink clink!

No, it’s not distorted. From the start, the inside was coated with countless mechanical parts.

That structure is far more intricate than the clock tower stretching above… where we are standing now.

“It’s a life where I could only watch everything being lost without knowing anything. A life where I had to give up even this body to survive! In such a situation, who are they to arbitrarily end what we’ve continued until now!!!”

Hehe, that’s quite an unfair circumstance you have there.

Well, even trash might have one plausible story.

I might have shown some respect if it wasn’t causing trouble for others.

-Whoosh!

I passed by the side of the guy who charged at me, unwrapped the bandage wound around my hand and wrapped it around his arm.

And in that state, I manipulated magical power.

-Crack crack!

At that moment, joints twisted and parts fell downwards.

The arm, with screws and gears fallen out, instantly lost strength and drooped down.

“Wh-What…!”

“What’s strange? If it’s made imitating a human body, whether it’s a machine or whatever, you just need to break it like you would a human body.”

Originally, the more intricate and expensive the machine, the more vulnerable it is to shock therapy.

Moreover, this side was a doctor specializing in surgery, more knowledgeable about the human body than anyone.

I had already figured out how to attack things modeled after the human body without needing an exploratory battle.

“Besides, not everything old is good. Respecting tradition is fine, but what era is this? How long are you going to use outdated things, old man?”

“Y-You bastard!!!”

Reynold grits his teeth while trying to fix his arm that has now become almost scrap metal.

His eyes, full of madness, soon turned towards his subordinates who were watching blankly.

“What are you doing! Quickly kill this woman!!”

Along with the shout, a ‘clink’ sound echoed from bodies hidden under black hoods.

Ah, right, I had forgotten because I hadn’t seen it on the battlefield.

World Wars is a game that adopts not only fantasy but also steampunk backgrounds.

Depending on which technology route you choose, you can see things like that.

“Now, you sons of bitches. I’m going to give you just one warning from now on.”

But that’s just one of the routes.

The fact that a rare technology not common in this world doesn’t necessarily mean it unconditionally overwhelms the opponent.

“Since my job is primarily saving people, I try to at least spare lives even for trash that can’t be recycled, you know?”

Moreover, if those handling it are trash, they’re just targets for eradication all the same.

But since both justice and crime are ultimately discussed by the living, punishment for criminals should be entirely for the living.

“Conversely, it means I’ll do anything within the limit of just maintaining breathing, so from now on, don’t think about asking me for forgiveness…”

-Whoosh.

The moment the heat from the cigarette in my mouth tempered my hand blade.

As I lowered that flame, I murmured towards the enemies sweating in front of me.

“Seek mercy in court. You bastards.”

---

And.

On the playground as the sunset was fading.

“Kuhahaha!! As expected, you’re amazing, Student Council President!”

After a long battle, the troublemaker Sean Goldroff, driven into a disadvantage, looked at Maya in front of him while panting.

The wounds all over his body showed that he was completely overwhelmed in the fight.

On the contrary, there wasn’t even a light scratch on Maya’s body.

“To think you could do this much with just school supplies… As expected, I don’t stand a chance in a head-on fight.”

“…Then why don’t you surrender quietly at this point?”

From the start, Sean Goldroff himself would know well that he’s no match in a fight.

But ironically, the one feeling impatient was not Sean who was at a disadvantage, but Maya.

‘What happened to Ludger? Was he caught? Or is he still on the run, evading the pursuit of others?’

The reason for engaging in this battle was because Sean’s existence was deemed dangerous.

But the immediate danger was caused not by Sean, but by Ludger.

She had entrusted his pursuit to others, not herself, but even that wasn’t done while maintaining proper communication.

‘Damn it, if time gets dragged out here…’

In fact, wasn’t it Sean Goldroff, not herself, who was keeping her pinned down here?

As she felt such impatience, Sean, who had stood up with his body full of wounds, maintained his casual attitude and continued speaking.

“Step back, you say? How can I do that? It’s not like I have many chances to play directly with the President while staying in this academy.”

“Play… Do you think this is a game right now!?”

“Khuhuhu, a game, you say. I sincerely want to compete with the President, you know.”

Giggling, Sean suddenly turned his gaze towards something at his feet where he had been pushed back.

A tool he had prepared for the ‘game’ he was aiming for before recognizing the President’s presence.

“But if I stay like this, it’s obvious I’ll lose, so I need to use a little trick.”

“Nonsense!!”

Maya shouted and immediately threw the school supplies in her hand.

As that attack was about to hit, Sean kicked up what was at his feet to block in front of him.

-Thud thud!

The school supplies imbued with aura bounced off from it.

Maya’s face turned pale as she saw her attack fall powerlessly.

“Wh-What…”

“Woohoo, this is amazing indeed. I had my doubts, but to think it could even block the President’s attack.”

Giggling, Sean soon proudly held it out in front and said.

“How about it, President? Isn’t this worth a try now?”

“……”

“…President? Why is your expression like that?”

“You. Are you in your right mind right now?”

“I’m always serious, though?”

“A serious person wouldn’t do something like this!

Maya replied with a crumpled expression.

Though her mind was sleep-deprived, Maya couldn’t help but be shocked at the current situation.

And for good reason.

What was gripped in his hand now was, in some sense, even more nonsensical than producing gunpowder.

“What kind of student in their right mind would go around carrying an entire window torn off from the academy!?”

A window manufactured through special methods.

Reacting to the water veins located underground in Maris, it absorbs power and can become sturdier than anything else within this academy.

But why is that, which should be fitted in the window frame, gripped in that man’s hand?

Why on earth?