episode_0015

“Seriously! What was with that person!”

In an adventurer’s inn on the surface of the Labyrinth City.

The two men and women symbolizing the Knights Order, Sword Saint Zeruel and Sword Princess Alina.

A wizard with a noticeable bushy beard and a bald, monk-like martial artist ascetic.

In a place that seemed a bit humble for a platinum-ranked party, the pinnacle of adventurers, Alina spoke as she unpacked their luggage.

“Even if Zeruel is an oblivious fool, there’s no need to be that rude!”

“Ahaha. Calm down, Alina. It happens.”

As Zeruel gave his usual awkward laugh, Alina replied with a pouting expression, as if she couldn’t just let it go.

“You’ve always been like this! Such a foolishly kind person, you idiot!”

“Oh, was I?”

“This isn’t something to just laugh off! Why do you always go out of your way to take a loss?”

Alina placed her hands on her hips and began to nag. As if her nagging wasn’t anything new, everyone else besides Zeruel, who was being scolded, was engrossed in their own tasks.

A party of their caliber hadn’t come to the Labyrinth City just to hunt monsters.

They had come here to hunt devils.

“Hmm, well. Why indeed.”

Zeruel replied to Alina’s continuing question. From the soft-looking smile he had just shown, a hidden steadfastness finally emerged.

“There’s someone who needs help, and I happen to have a hand I can extend.”

On his incredibly gentle and harmless-looking face, an unyielding resolve appeared for the first time.

“Because I think it’s incredibly sad to just pass by and do nothing.”

Zeruel spoke. With a face befitting the name of Zeruel, the Sword Saint, leader of the Knights Order. At his expression, Alina gave a bitter smile, as if she couldn’t argue.

“Seriously, you haven’t changed a bit from before.”

It had been like that since their childhood, growing up together as friends in a nameless mountain village.

Chasing after the back of her childhood friend, who recklessly charged towards the righteousness he believed in, she too was eventually called by the alias ‘Sword Princess’.

‘Zeruel…’

Just as that naive boy, who walked the path of a righteous fool, had now gained the back of a man more formidable and reliable than anyone else—.

*

The topmost floor of the Eight Dragon Fortress in the Labyrinth City, also known as the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion.

Officially, this place is a type of lodge that provides accommodation as well as business services such as cargo and finance to the three nations bordering the Labyrinth City.

Beyond that, it is a mysterious place with much veiled in secrecy. Since it was never properly addressed throughout the series in the story, I also didn’t know any more information.

“Well, this is surprising.”

The man who came out to greet us, walking through the corridor of the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion, said.

“To think that a traveler, besides the monarchs of the Three Nations, would willingly request to stay in this Heavenly Realm.”

The Three Nations. This refers to the three powerful nations surrounding the city—the Bretona Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the Germania Principality.

It was an entertainment venue used for secret meetings of high-ranking nobles and politicians from the Three Nations. It was certainly excessively extravagant and luxurious for a mere overnight lodging facility.

“Normally, it is the custom here to refuse unknown travelers whose names aren’t even known, but…”

The man, dressed in a celestial robe, continued speaking with a sly voice.

Behind him, the children followed in silence. While Alice, intrigued by curiosity, focused on the other children her age, everyone else remained eerily silent, gripped by fear.

“To think you’d pay such an exorbitant fee in a single lump sum. I was truly surprised.”

Amidst all this, the man’s incessant chatter showed no sign of ending. Finally, Aria broke her silence and spoke.

“You talk too much.”

Not as the younger sister feigning weakness behind my back, but as the Black Sword who always protected me by my side.

“And the person I serve… does not appreciate much talk.”

A voice as chilling as ice and as sharp as a blade. I didn’t bother to reply, simply putting a cigarette to my lips in silence.

There was no particular reason for it; I just felt like smoking.

“My, my apologies.”

The man’s chatter ended there.

*

That night.

In a private room in the Heavenly Realm, so high and close that you could reach out and touch the stars in the night sky. Even the shower room had night clouds and moonlight seeping through the transparent window, and as soon as I emerged after washing off the fatigue.

I habitually pulled out a new cigarette and put it in my mouth. After putting it in, I thought. No, why am I holding a cigarette in my mouth? Am I really addicted?

“Ugh. Alice, I’m hungry.”

Alice grumbled as usual, starving.

“That thing earlier looked incredibly delicious.”

I didn’t know what looked so delicious, but hearing her words, I was dumbfounded and replied.

“Don’t just pick up and eat anything.”

There was no end to the things she’d crave.

I had simply spoken to warn her as usual, but at my words, Alice defiantly shook her head and replied.

“No! That wasn’t ‘just anything’! It was really delicious! It wasn’t raised casually!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Those children!”

Alice replied cheerfully, as if recalling a grand feast.

Upon hearing her words, I was truly glad I had already put a cigarette in my mouth. I kept the cigarette in my mouth and lit the end without hesitation.

“Still, don’t eat them.”

“Okay, I understand!”

After lighting it, I warned her again to be sure. To my surprise, Alice nodded obediently.

“You’re not supposed to just take other people’s food! Alice knows that too!”

Other people’s food?

Even after hearing Alice’s subsequent answer, I couldn’t understand its meaning for a moment. I shouldn’t have understood.

Plop.

At that moment, the cigarette in my mouth fell to the floor.

To keep my action from appearing flustered, I calmly took out the next one from my pocket. This is why I can’t quit chain-smoking.

“Edible slaves, raised as the price for a luxurious life in the Heavenly Realm—.”

Aria replied as if the fact was nothing new.

“The vile tastes of the celestials have been famous since ancient times.”

In a voice that suggested it was too famous to even be surprised by. As if she had known from the beginning.

“Then as now, it is truly a nauseating sight.”

“—.”

A nauseatingly vile taste. Other people’s food. Something very delicious.

Those children. I couldn’t help but imagine why those children had been so plump, even though I didn’t want to.

‘Then as now, the nauseating scenery here never changes.’

I recalled Aria’s words when I first came to this city. The true meaning behind them.

Even after realizing that fact, I wasn’t flustered. I couldn’t be.

I was merely desperately feigning composure, as if nothing were wrong.

Because the fact that they knew meant that Rain Grey also knew from the beginning.

And so, as a result—I would be keeping silent even knowing that fact.

Nothing would change.

Because it was wrong to unnecessarily act ‘unbecoming of the Commander’ and invite suspicion.

“……”

I silently looked up.

The entire ceiling, which should have covered us, was like transparent glass, reflecting the endlessly spreading stars and moon of the night sky.

It was truly a magnificent sight, befitting the name Heavenly Realm.

Looking at the endlessly stretching horizon of darkness, I endured. Then, as I endured, I inadvertently realized.

What exactly am I enduring? Whose disapproval am I trying so hard to avoid?

After asking myself, I burst into a hollow laugh.

“Even with such a nauseating sight before me…”

After laughing, I asked them.

“What reason is there to suppress my feelings and endure?”

“Because the Commander—”

The answer was already decided from the beginning.

“—does not wish it.”

There was only my will. There were two puppets moving according to my will.

There were two loyal and devoted subordinates, waiting only for the Commander’s orders.

With blood already on my hands, it could even be called hypocrisy. As long as I desired it, debating right or wrong, justice or morality was meaningless.

I would simply do what I desired.

There was nothing to endure. There was no reason to endure. There was only what I desired.

At the same time, I realized.

That was the Black Serpent.

*

At that time.

“Everyone, are you ready?”

As the deep darkness of the pre-dawn night descended. The leader of the Knights Order said, looking up at the towering Eight Dragon Fortress.

“Fool.”

The Sword Princess chuckled at his appearance.

“Are you going to turn back now because you’re not ready?”

The answer was determined from the start.

Above in that sky, devils in human skin resided.

A kingdom in the sky, hidden within a blessed fortress, protected by the three powerful nations blinded by the profits surrounding the Abyss.

But as long as there were those who desired help there.

As long as there were two hands here ready to be extended to them.

There was no reason not to take those hands.

Tonight, the kingdom in the sky would fall.

Because that was the mission of their party, who had received a special commission from the Continental Adventurer’s Association to uncover the evil of this Labyrinth City.

“We would understand if the leader got scared and ran away alone.”

The bald-headed martial artist monk and the mustachioed wizard there also steeled their resolve and laughed together.

A party of heroes, filled with unwavering justice and ideals, as if painted in a picture.