episode_0029

As I exited the Reich Chancellery of the Grand Duchy of Germania, where the Führer’s office was located, the rain was pouring down once again.

Just as I realized I had no umbrella in the relentlessly pouring rain, a familiar shadow under the eaves caught my eye.

“Oppa, you forgot your umbrella.”

“……”

My blind younger sister, Aria, skillfully held an umbrella over me and smiled. Her face, partly hidden by the umbrella, was still covered by a black bandage over her eyes.

“Because the rain suddenly poured down, I, well, I was worried you might catch a cold, Oppa…”

Catch a cold? Swallowing a hollow laugh that threatened to escape at her words, I remained silent.

If it was merely to dispel the gazes of those around us—Aria, the younger sister who worried about her Oppa, was overly excessive.

In the first place, with an umbrella held over us in the pouring rain, the conversation we were having inside couldn’t possibly be heard by others.

Nevertheless, Aria, who treated me as if she were a true younger sister, wore a more serious expression than ever. Just as she always had.

The second in command of the Black Serpent, a Swordsman with the title of Black Sword, and Rain Grey’s right hand, who had protected him from the very beginning.

“Um, did I perhaps… do something pointless?”

I didn’t answer and maintained my silence. Before my silence, Aria cautiously asked in a timid and scared voice.

“No.”

I quietly shook my head.

“You came at just the right time.”

“…Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease.”

After shaking my head, I, too, chuckled with a slightly softer, more relaxed voice. At that, Aria also smiled as if relieved. After smiling, she linked her arm through mine and pressed close to me, within the single umbrella we shared.

“Let’s go back together, Rain Oppa.”

Aria said, smiling shyly.

Linking arms and sharing an umbrella, like any ordinary, affectionate siblings.

*

There were several reasons why I didn’t bring Aria and Alice along to the meeting with the Führer.

As it turned out, my prediction was, to some extent, correct.

The information I obtained from the Führer today: the Mausoleum of Heroes, the tombs of heroes, and the existence of a map leading to them.

Even that there wasn’t just one map.

For me, it was completely unexpected and a surprising piece of information that could even be called shocking, but at the same time, I was certain of one thing.

From the perspective of the real ‘Rain Grey,’ this was probably not at all out of place.

He must have known from the beginning.

The whereabouts of the lost heroes. A clue to reach that place.

It could be said that this is connected not only to Rain Grey but also, furthermore, to the very purpose of the organization, the Black Serpent.

After all, Aria, too, looked at the Grimoire of Necromancy and seemed to know the identity of what was hidden within it.

─So I decided to conduct a test.

“Ergo.”

The mansion, which was effectively the Golden Mirror’s workshop. I called the name of the automaton.

At first, it had been closer to an unknown gender, almost neutral. But at some point, someone had dressed it in a Gothic-style dress with fluttering frills, much like Alice.

Putting aside why it had to be a girl’s dress.

A ribbon was tied to its wide-brimmed hat, and as it took on the appearance of a lady, the neutral balance finally tipped.

Its appearance was that of someone around twenty years old. Seen like this, it resembled a dignified and valiant young lady from a wealthy family.

Moreover, Ergo’s expressionless face, unlike Aria’s coldness, was closer to one born purely from the absence of emotion. At least, that’s how it felt to me.

“Do you recognize me?”

“…Yes, Captain-nim.”

As I called to her, or perhaps him, the Golden Mirror, who stood by, stiffened his expression.

I paid no mind and approached Ergo, taking out what I had.

Showing the legendary-grade grimoire, the Grimoire of Necromancy, and the ‘map’ that hid something more than just that.

“There is something hidden in this book. Something we must find.”

“Something hidden, you say?”

“Can you find it?”

After speaking, I handed over the grimoire as a test. Ergo took the book and immediately began a regular examination, flipping through pages and scanning them up and down.

“Lord Rain, that, surely…”

The Golden Mirror watched the scene, his words trailing off. I didn’t reply.

Aria and Alice were also there.

“Prove it. That you can be of help to me.”

“…Understood.”

Soon, the fluctuating magical power from Ergo’s fingertips transformed into a certain waveform and covered the Grimoire of Necromancy. This wave of magic enveloped the grimoire several times.

As if projecting a hologram image into the air, a projection made of magical particles unfolded there.

“I found it. The hidden thing. The thing that must be found.”

Ergo said.

“Something that can be of help to Captain-nim.”

In a calm voice, devoid of any hint of joy or emotion.

“What was hidden?”

I looked at Ergo and asked again, my voice sounding as if I were testing the other party.

“A map.”

“Elaborate.”

“Yes, this is… both a key to open the Mausoleum of Heroes and a map.”

Even with these ensuing words, no one was flustered or questioned the meaning. I could intuit it by looking at my subordinates.

As expected, the existence of the Mausoleum of Heroes and the map itself was not something unfamiliar to Rain Grey or the Black Serpent.

This meant that I, who was supposed to lead them, had been ignorant of a fact that all my subordinates already knew.

Furthermore, this asymmetry of information – what I didn’t know and they did – was likely not the full extent of it.

Just like the image of a younger sister Aria displayed in front of others.

Therefore, I had to learn things one by one. Not for anyone else, but for myself.

“Where does that map currently point?”

I wasn’t asking because I didn’t know. At least, that’s how it would appear to my subordinates.

“What this map points to is, the map of the map—”

Ergo replied. In the automaton’s expressionless, utterly indifferent voice, devoid of emotion.

By then, the projection, appearing like a hologram made of magical particles, shone between us.

“It points to the capital of the Bretonna Empire, and a holy relic being distributed to the Crystal Palace for an exhibition.”

“Oh, the Crystal Palace! That’s the Crystal Palace, right?! Alice, I know! It’s that super huge and beautifully shining one!”

Only then did Alice break her silence and interject with those words.

“One last question.”

I ignored her bouncing around like a child and continued speaking.

“What do you know about me?”

“The Enemy of the World.”

“─.”

“My father referred to Lord Rain as such.”

Ergo replied without hesitation. That was all, nothing more, nothing less. Before that answer, the Golden Mirror maintained a quiet silence.

“And I, according to my father’s will, have decided to become an ally of the Enemy of the World.”

“……”

I didn’t answer immediately, simply because I didn’t know what to say.

“Knowing that fact, what is your reason for pledging loyalty before me?”

I asked again after a moment of silence.

“Because that is my raison d’être, the reason I was born and exist.”

I had intended to ask only Ergo, who was there.

“─Even if it means turning this world into an enemy.”

However, the answer was no longer solely the automaton’s.

“Because I have a duty to protect Captain-nim’s side.”

By then, Aria, her eyes covered by a black bandage, smiled faintly with eyes that could not see.

“So that no one can block Captain-nim’s will, and no one can obstruct your intentions. Even if it’s the world—”

“Yeah, that’s right! We’ll never let that happen!”

By then, Alice chimed in, laughing.

“Just as Captain fought for Alice, from now on, Captain’s enemies are Alice’s enemies!”

Those were memories of Rain Grey that I didn’t possess, and also the image of ‘Rain Grey’ that they remembered.

“Lord Rain’s enemies are also the enemies of all of us in the Black Serpent.”

Even the Golden Mirror was no exception.

Therefore, I couldn’t say anything. I simply remained silent, thinking as I looked at the holographic projection hovering there.

It was not something I could understand right now. Nor did I need to understand it immediately.

What I could do now was simply to not miss the clue in front of me and move forward.

I looked toward the next destination I could advance to.

What the Grimoire of Necromancy pointed to was the map of the map.

Moreover, the ‘map’ that map pointed to was currently being distributed to the Crystal Palace in the Bretonna Empire’s capital.

As a holy relic being transported to the Crystal Palace for an exhibition.

That meant only one thing.

The upcoming Great Exhibition in Londinium, to be held at the Crystal Palace.

A venue where the major powers of the continent would participate and display their strength, and where, in addition to those nations, various other countries across the continent would gather for political purposes to avoid being left behind in the turbulent international situation—a place of display.

Furthermore, the strong in this world were by no means limited to ‘nations.’

When considering all of them, the danger involved would be incomparable to anything faced so far.

“Indeed, it won’t be easy.”

Aria nodded calmly, as if unsurprised.

“However, as long as Captain-nim desires it, nothing will change.”

What is desired will be obtained.

“Only your will exists.”

By any means necessary—. Nothing would change.

“…Assemble the members.”