Volume 2 – The World Sneered
After finishing dealing with Hierophant in a hidden spot outside town, Mary and her friends returned to their car which they had parked in front of the factory.
Perhaps having held back until now, Mary finally could not help but speak up.
“I’m so relieved that you’re all alive, everyone!
She spoke with tears in her eyes as her voice shook, and the other three immediately smiled.
“I didn’t want to let you see me fail. Thanks, Mary.”
“No, it’s thanks to you that the enemy couldn’t flee!”
“I really thought it was over for us this time.”
“I knew that you would save us, sis!”
“Miss. Cutie, Ami, I couldn’t have won without the information you provided.”
Mary spoke about how she handled things on the way here.
Mary had not used arcana powers even once during this fight.
She had no choice, but she now knew first hand that sometimes, you had to think out of the box.
“Seriously…… I was so, so scared that you all wouldn’t go back to normal……”
Mary’s voice was still shaking, and Calaria softly put her hand on Mary’s cheek.
Ami tightly crossed her arms, as if she opposed this.
Cutie could not help but laugh after looking at these three.
“Hehe…… turning into stone really was scarier than just dying normally, y’know.”
“And the enemy used us in whatever way he wanted. If I am to die, I want to die properly as a human being.”
“So does everyone. I don’t think anyone wants to die as a monster.”
“Yeah, I wonder if Platy felt that way too?”
Cutie seemed sad after she remembered the fight that took place a few days ago.
The conversion reached a halt, and the four headed for the factory.
They did not have so much time that they could slowly look around, but Cutie wanted to see the faces of her employees.
The people who were transformed into disciples had now turned back to normal.
The factory manager was holding his head while looking at the burnt up equipment, but he seemed to relax after hearing Cutie’s words: “It’s not your fault.”
After that, the employees recommended the group to stay over in the factory, but Mary and the others politely refused.
The arcana user was gone, but the enemy still knew the group’s position.
They did not want to spend the night in this place.
◇◇◇
Mary and her group bought some food in town and left Feedam.
After around an hour, they parked the car in a remote location.
There was a stone structure on the other side of a guardrail.
It was probably the ruins of something.
“Let’s spend the night around here today.”
“Inside the car?”
“Yeah. Me and Calaria will recline our seats in the front and sleep. I think the back seats can be reclined too, so you can handle things there.”
“Then I’ll sleep while hugging sis!”
“Okay, I’ll use you as a body pillow while I sleep, then.”
“……I wish I was in the back seat too.”
“C’mon Calaria, that would be difficult with how tall you are.”
Mary and Ami could fit in the back seat precisely because they were small.
But hearing the truth still saddened Calaria.
“Still, I have a bad feeling. Our location was exposed.”
“It’s General Ox, he must have noticed that I lied.”
“Disgusting! Oh, by the way, you were talking about sending in Majoram’s employees into other towns before we went to Feedam, right? What happened?”
“I don’t want to think that he predicted me, but…… If he did not talk to Philias, there is a zero chance that information was leaked out from somewhere.”
“Just to be safe, let’s take a detour next, using a route that no one would expect us to.”
“And if he still predicts that, what then……?”
Cutie easily replied to Calaria’s question.
“We’ll have to be prepared to see arcana users anywhere we go.”
“Ugh, I want to stay over in a hotel again.”
“We’re only sleeping in the car for today. This isn’t going to be very restful for me either. Don’t you agree, Mary? I’m sure you’re used to nice and soft beds.”
“I’ve been sleeping better recently.”
“Training solves everything.”
“You’re an exception, Calaria.”
“I think she can even sleep on the battlefields!”
It was cramped inside the car, but the noise caused by the group’s chatter made it feel less so.
It would be annoying if they had to do this every day, but a night like this was not that bad once in a while.
◇◇◇
Philicia was relaxing in her room in the royal castle.
She was supposed to plan their next moves with Edward, but he had unexpected business.
She looked over a seemingly boring novel.
Then, the communication device on her desk rang.
“Ugh, it’s from the princess again.”
Saying that, she put her hand on the device without seeming that surprised.
“Hello, how are you?”
“Good evening, Miss. Philias.”
“I didn’t expect a call like this, can I take this to mean that you trust me?”
“More than General Ox, yes.”
“It sounds like he already tried to do something, am I right?”
Mary told Philicia about what happened today.
“Hmmh…… So he has teamed up with the king, huh?”
She did not believe it to be a lie.
But Philicia still had doubts about some things.
“Don’t you think that’s strange? Why would he team up with the person who killed Princess Francis?”
“I think that’s strange too, but the arcana user he teamed up with is definitely in a close position to World.”
“I see. Okay, I’ll keep in mind that Ox is in a position where he can give orders to arcana users, then.”
“Also, I want to ask, have you heard any strange rumors inside the royal castle about Queen Catherine?”
“Like what?”
“Like being in contact with suspicious people, or using strange powers.”
“Oh…… Yeah, I’ve heard rumors like that.”
“Really!?”
Despite asking the question, Mary was still surprised.
Philicia was confused by Mary’s reaction.
“Why are you the one getting surprised?”
“Because General Ox is the one who told me about it. So he really was telling the truth in order to get me to trust him……”
“I’m sure he always intended on betraying you, though. But it’s all rumors, and no one has actually witnessed any of it.”
“They say there’s no smoke if there’s no fire, so.”
“Okay, I’ll check it out. Well, I think this is just perfect.”
“What happened?”
“Prince Edward was just summoned by Queen Catherine.”
She turned around in her chair after saying that and looked at her room’s door.
◇◇◇
Edward, who was summoned by Catherine, entered the room with a nervous expression.
“You called for me, mother.”
“Oh, welcome, Edward. Come, sit.”
Edward’s mother kindly smiled after seeing the face of his son, and offered him some sweets.
“It’s been a long time since we spoke mother and son like this.”
“You’ve been very busy lately, mother.”
“You’re the one who is busy, are you not? I know that you’ve been getting closer with that imperial knight Philias.”
Edward was not particularly trying to hide that, but he still awkwardly averted his eyes, ‘Ugh’.
When she saw this, Catherine laughed as her shoulders shook.
“I think she would make a fine princess in the future.”
“Haha, it’s not like that.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. Henry is old enough to think about abdication soon. You have to find a wife fast if you are to become the next king.”
“My father is still healthy, is he not?”
“Even so, he will still move aside if he has to.”
Catherine slightly lowered her voice.
This shift in her attitude gave Edward the chills.
She then stood up, went behind Edward, and hugged him.
“Edward. I’m so proud of you, my son. I can’t wait for the day when you will be king.”
“Mother……”
“Do you remember? Those days we spent in that tiny room. Our destitute past, like commoners.”
“How can I forget? Those days are a part of who I am.”
“I brought you out from the depths of that hell. Just a little longer…… everyone standing in our way will soon be gone.”
She lowered her voice again.
She sounded dark and oppressed.
“I promise that you will be king, Edward. No matter what happens, no matter who stands in the way.”
Catherine had repeated these words over and over again to Edward.
She had climbed up to the position of wife from the position of a simple mistress, and was going to make her son the king.
It was an impressive play that anyone would envy.
She had dreamed about it all her life.
Catherine hugged Edward tight, then her communication device suddenly started ringing.
“……Oh, I’m sorry. It looks like something important, so could you leave?”
“Okay…… mother.”
Edward left the room with quick steps, almost as if he was fleeing.
Catherine did not pay attention to him, and answered the call.
◇◇◇
“Hello, this is Digi.”
Inside a dark warehouse in the Kingdom.
The masked girl, and General Ox.
Digi was speaking cheerfully, while the man glared at her as he sat down on a box.
“Looks like the fighting in Feedam ended in a disappointing way.”
“Indeed. We were almost there, but…… well, our enemy is Mary.”
“She is tough, indeed. But she has to be.”
“Ahaha, yeah. She doesn’t even know that dying would be the best thing for her.”
Digi spoke in her usual tone of voice.
Hierophant was dead, but she did not seem disturbed by this.
“What should we do next? Should we send in Lover?”
“I don’t think we have to force a fight, Digi. It might be fun to let Mary enjoy a moment of happiness.”
“Why did you change your mind? I thought you wanted to kill her.”
“Stories are fluid and changing. She survived. This is her prize.”
“Haha, you’re nasty…… but you don’t mind if I kill her anyway, right?”
“If that is what you want to do, then do it. In exchange……”
“I know. You’ll use the homunculi, yes? I have enough cards in my hand.”
“Good, then. Also, it seems that Mary and her group are taking a detour and heading for Luvana.”
“Thanks, but who told you that? Where’s the leak?”
Both Ox and Digi wanted to know that.
They were wondering how she could know such things.
Of course, Digi did not expect her to answer.
“My cute pet told me.”
Digi knew she would not answer.
Then, the call ended.
Digi turned towards Ox, and spoke.
“Mary and her friends are taking a detour and heading for Luvana next. Send Lover in.”
“How does she know where they’re going?”
“Don’t ask me.”
“So she does not want to tell you…… Hmh, I suppose that’s enough for a puppet of the king.”
“Indeed, we are not allies. Our interests have only aligned temporarily. All I want is to kill Mary. I don’t care if she turns against King Henry after that.”
Digi left the warehouse after saying that.
“I want that girl dead, but it doesn’t matter if she survives either. Everything will be destroyed anyhow. The results will be the same, no matter what happens.”
Perhaps feeling sentimental during the night, Digi started muttering to herself.
“……Come to think of it, I think Mary and the others should be near those ruins.”
She stopped walking and suddenly remembered.
Even clowns had memories.
Her eyes ached under the mask every time she recalled a memory.
“Let’s go and see what happens. I think it’s about time Mary and I come face to face.”
She clenched her cane, and disappeared, as if melting into the darkness.