1. TLed from: https://www.wenku8.net/novel/2/2542/index.htm
2. V6c0: https://pastebin.com/EWw4Wmuy
3. V6c1v2: https://pastebin.pl/view/b38f34af
4. V6c2: https://pastebin.pl/view/ca4a2c68
5.  
6. Chapter 3: Surprise Assassins At The Sleepover!
7.  
8. The knights were already starting to gather evidence as the first rays of sunlight filled the Hope household.
9.  
10. "I see, I see. So Count Oyano Bo, Viscount Shinobi and Marquis Jet plotted to jointly attack the Hope family together..."
11.  
12. Christina and the others were telling Chief Gray of the knights' investigative department about the details of the incident.
13.  
14. And then, the bloodsoaked clown showed up then, Jack the Ripper, was it? He killed all the attackers and then left without doing anything to you... That all sounds very convenient for you."
15.  
16. Gray looked at Christina with eyes full of suspicion.
17.  
18. "Still, that is the truth."
19.  
20. "In that case, considering Jack the Ripper to be an assassin-cum-bodyguard hired by the Hope family would be a natural conclusion to reach."
21.  
22. "That's wrong! We'd never do something so blatant."
23.  
24. "But from another point of view, you might have done something that blatant to avoid the suspicion of others."
25.  
26. "Please rein yourself in. The attack launched by Count Oyano Bo, Viscount Shinobi and Marquis Jet is the issue at hand here. The knights' job should be to investigate the relationship behind them..."
27.  
28. "Ah-- well, about that, this so-called "attack" is merely from the Hope's point of view."
29.  
30. Gray narrowed his eyes and smiled.
31.  
32. "...What are you trying to say?"
33.  
34. "Count Oyano Bo and the others were lured here and framed. We could interpret things that way as well, couldn't we?"
35.  
36. "What?! That's impossible, they were masked AND carrying weapons!"
37.  
38. "After all, they were all cautious and intelligent gentlemen. Perhaps they anticipated they would be attacked and had their masked guards on standby. A wise decision... but ultimately one which ended tragically."
39.  
40. "Count Oyano Bo himself was masked! Also, what proof do you have that the Hopes even lured them here?!"
41.  
42. "We're still investigating that. Besides, I'm just saying this is a possibility. Jack the Ripper is the talk of the capital right now, both his real identity, or what his goals might be... And from the present circumstances, it seems he might belong to the Hope family."
43.  
44. "And so you intend to consider us criminals on the basis of rumors alone?"
45.  
46. "No no no, of course not. Frankly speaking, those are just rumors. However, the feelings of the people can't be overlooked. They're all afraid Jack the Ripper will turn his blade on them next. Right now, the nights in the capital have become very quiet. The shops have taken to closing early and nobody walks the streets. Everyone is so afraid of Jack the Ripper that they don't dare to leave their homes. At this rate, the citizens might become unhappy and conduct a witch-hunt. That's what we fear will happen."
47.  
48. "But how..."
49.  
50. "I won't force you to try to understand us, but believe me when I say we're having a hard time here too. We've had people demanding, "why aren't you investigating the Hopes, why aren't you locking them up" and so on since last night."
51.  
52. After saying that, Gray chuckled, though he sounded resigned to his fate.
53.  
54. "Alright, it's time for me to head back to work. You're Kanade-san and Cid-kun, right? I might end up asking you questions individually later on, so please work with us. There is always only one truth, after all."
55.  
56. Gray struck the trademark pose from "Detective Conyan"and grinned at Kanade and Cid before leaving.
57.  
58. "Christina-san..."
59.  
60. Kanade patted Christina's rounded shoulders.
61.  
62. "At this rate, they're going to treat the Hope family as criminals."
63.  
64. "That would be bad."
65.  
66. Cid Kagenou was happily munching snacks as he said so.
67.  
68. "The Night Swords are going to push the blame to the Hopes. If only there was a way to prove the Hope family was innocent..."
69.  
70. "Speaking of which... Jack the Ripper left a note, didn't he?
71.  
72. "Ah, you mean this?"
73.  
74. Christina produced a note from her pocket. The knights had already confiscated the original card as evidence.
75.  
76. “O shameless Night Swords
77. All bad guys will be slain
78. While I’m just counting up
79. I play around like this sometimes”
80.  
81. She read out the words she had copied.
82.  
83. "There must be some kind of meaning to this if he deliberately left this behind."
84.  
85. "From "O shameless Night Swords", I'm pretty sure he's still going after the Night Swords."
86.  
87. "And he said "All bad guys will be slain", so Jack is definitely going to slaughter them all."
88.  
89. Kanade said smugly.
90.  
91. "I don't know what the two lines in the back mean, though."
92.  
93. "Yeah, what does "While I'm just counting up" even mean? What is he counting?"
94.  
95. "Yeah... Maybe he's counting the number of corpses or something?"
96.  
97. After Cid said that, Christina seemed to have realized something.
98.  
99. "Jack the Ripper counts the number of dead Night Swords by the number on the cards."
100.  
101. "In other words, he usually just uses the numbers on the cards to count the number of bodies and "I play around like this sometimes" is exactly what it says? So leaving this note was just a joke?
102.  
103. "That might be the case."
104.  
105. "What the heck, I thought there was some deeper meaning to it."
106.  
107. Kanade looked disappointed as they sighed.
108.  
109. "I guess not. At the very least, it's clear that Jack the Ripper plans to kill all the Night Swords."
110.  
111. "Lame."
112.  
113. Cid ignored the two of them as they spoke. He seemed to have discovered something.
114.  
115. "Huh, it seems this message can be read horizontally too."
116.  
117. He pointed to the note as he spoke.
118.  
119. "Eh? Can you read it horizontally?"
120.  
121. "Let me see."
122.  
123. The two of them studied the message and then they suddenly realized something."
124.  
125. "White?"
126. (TL Note: The original verse was an acrostic poem whose first lines could be read as "White". Imagine I spent the effort to localize it with faithfulness to the original text instead.)
127.  
128. "Could he be referring to Count Oshock White?"
129.  
130. "Who's that?"
131.  
132. "He's a senior member of the Night Swords. He also owns the "White House" on the outskirts of the capital."
133.  
134. "Hah, so he owns that place..."
135.  
136. "In other words, Jack the Ripper's next target is Count Oshock White. This is an announcement of criminal intent. Well done on spotting it, Cid-kun."
137.  
138. "Aw, I just noticed it by chance,"
139.  
140. "Ahaha, I, I had an idea of it already!"
141.  
142. A mysterious sense of opposition ignites in Kanade.
143.  
144. "That's wonderful. Still, I'm sure there's more to Jack the Ripper's message."
145.  
146. "Eh?! Really?"
147.  
148. "Jack the Ripper hid another message in the card that he chose. If I'm not wrong, it was the 10 of spades. The spades refers to winter, and the number refers to the number of weeks. In other words, the card represents the 10th week of winter. And today just so happens to be the 9th... in the 10th week of winter."
149.  
150. "So tomorrow will be the 10th of the month, on the 10th week of winter. I don't think it's a coincidence that things turned out that way."
151.  
152. "So does that mean Jack will make a move tomorrow?"
153.  
154. "On the 10th, on the 10th week of winter, Jack the Ripper will target Count White at the "White House". Since he provided so much information, we can prepare for it."
155.  
156. "But why would Jack leave a message like that behind?"
157.  
158. This perfectly ordinary question came from Kanade.
159.  
160. "That... is quite a mystery indeed."
161.  
162. "Yeah, maybe he's saying he might fail.
163.  
164. As the two of them think about the matter, Cid clears his throat and interrupts them.
165.  
166. "Koff koff, ahem. Jack the Ripper is a genius that we can't even imagine. I'm pretty sure he's factored in all the possibilities and then selected the best way to do things while standing at a height that is far out of reach for us. I don't think we can guess his aim no matter how hard we think about it..."
167.  
168. Cid hastily added.
169.  
170. "Perhaps Jack the Ripper... might be trying to tell us something."
171.  
172. Christina muttered to herself with a serious expression on her face.
173.  
174. "Tell us what?"
175.  
176. "I don't know either. I just have the feeling that's what he's trying to do."
177.  
178. "Rather than that, why don't we tell the knights and the Night Swords about it? Once the knights tell the Night Swords, they'll be able to take countermeasures against it. For instance, gathering all their forces to fight Jack... Once Jack the Ripper gets there, it'll clear the suspicion on the Hope family."
179.  
180. Cid said.
181.  
182. "But if we do that, then Jack the Ripper..."
183.  
184. "He'll probably get killed."
185.  
186. "Is Jack the Ripper really the enemy? He might just be a victim of the Night Swords."
187.  
188. "Even so, he's a murderer. We can't protect someone like that!"
189.  
190. Cid's eyes shone with justice as he said so.
191.  
192. "But... Well, that's true. I'll inform them."
193.  
194. Christina headed over to Chief Gray to tell him, a sullen look on her face.
195.  
196. ==============================================
197.  
198. Alexia sipped a cup of fancy coffee in the Hope mansion's guest lounge.
199.  
200. "So that's why the knights were  all of a sudden..."
201.  
202. Saying so, she handed the note left by Jack the Ripper to Christina.
203.  
204. "I guess they're taking part in the operation to capture Jack the Ripper after all, then?"
205.  
206. After Christina asked, Alexia shook her head.
207.  
208. "It seems the knights will be responsible for securing the perimeter of the White estate."
209.  
210. "Huh? They're not going in?"
211.  
212. "Well, the Night Swords have a reputation to preserve. They need to be the ones to capture Jack the Ripper... No, they probably won't stop unless they kill him. Right now, they're desperately trying to gather all their fighting strength. My guess is that by tomorrow, all the publicly-acknowledged top-grade magic swordsmen and the ones in the underworld will be in the White House."
213.  
214. "Looks like things have gotten really bad... Will Jack the Ripper even come?"
215.  
216. "I'm pretty sure no idiot is actually going to go over when there are so many fighters there waiting for him. His message was vague and he might have had another objective in mind. That would make more sense. The knights are acting based on that."
217.  
218. "Still, Jack the Ripper's strength is extraordinary."
219.  
220. Christina muttered.
221.  
222. "According to what you said, Jack the Ripper completely crushed that bugeisha from Wagoku, right? All Wagoku bugeisha who leave their country on warrior pilgrimages are always very strong. Anyone who could destroy someone like that must be very confident in their skills... When you think about that, he might actually show up."
223.  
224. "Really..."
225.  
226. Christina sighed quietly.
227.  
228. "You don't seem too happy, Christina."
229.  
230. "Jack the Ripper is a vicious killer, but is that really all there is to him? Is there some kind of tragic past which led to him becoming someone like that... Well, that's what I was thinking. Perhaps he's trying to tell me something..."
231.  
232. "Alright then, Christina. We'll head over to the White House tomorrow. Granted, we can't actually go inside but we should be able to stand watch outside with the knights."
233.  
234. "Really?"
235.  
236. "I doubt the Night Swords will be too happy about it. However, a princess' power should be enough to push it through. Let's bear witness to the end of this incident together."
237.  
238. "Thank you very much."
239.  
240. Christina smiled.
241.  
242. Meanwhile, Alexia simply sipped from her coffee cup before sighing quietly.
243.  
244. "Ah... You don't seem too happy about this, Alexia-hime."
245.  
246. "Yeah... I've had a lot to think about. And Claire hasn't woken up yet either."
247.  
248. "Claire-san, yes. Is she alright?"
249.  
250. "The doctor said that her life isn't in danger and she'll wake up once she gets better. However, that doctor called Mu seems a little suspicious."
251.  
252. "Apparently Cid-kun said she could be trusted."
253.  
254. "He has no eye for judging people, though."
255.  
256. "Still, I think it must be pretty hard for Cid-kun too. After all, she's his one and only big sister. He actually refused to stay over before because he was worried about Claire-san."
257.  
258. "That guy... I can't believe he was so concerned for her..."
259.  
260. "Yeah, I'm kind of envious of how close they are."
261.  
262. "And here I thought he was a heartless guy. Looks like I'll have to buy him some nice snacks from Mitsugoshi next time."
263.  
264. "I'm sure he'd be very happy with them."
265.  
266. "Of course. How can he NOT be happy with presents from me?"
267.  
268. Alexia's face softens a little, and then she suddenly changes the topic.
269.  
270. "I had a discussion with Father yesterday."
271.  
272. "You mean, with His Majesty?"
273.  
274. "It concerned some things about this incident and others leading up to it... I can't bear all of them by myself, so I hope you can hear me out."
275.  
276. And with that, Alexia began talking about what happened yesterday.
277.  
278. ==============================================
279.  
280. "But why, Father?!"
281.  
282. Alexia asked the King of Midgar in his private chambers.
283.  
284. "What are you talking about, Alexia?"
285.  
286. He responded in a calm tone.
287.  
288. "Why are you tolerating the Night Swords' tyranny?"
289.  
290. "That again?"
291.  
292. The King of Midgar sighed.
293.  
294. "I will not stop until I get an answer from you, Father. And it isn't just the Night Swords either! There's also the people behind the Night Swords!"
295.  
296. "Goodness, what are you talking about?"
297.  
298. "Please do not play dumb, Father. I know everything; both about the Diablos Cult and everything else."
299.  
300. "In that case..."
301.  
302. The King of Midgar sighed again, and this time he closed his eyes, as though he was thinking about something.
303.  
304. "Father...?"
305.  
306. "It seems the tide is turning."
307.  
308. He said as he opened his eyes.
309.  
310. "What tide?"
311.  
312. "I was planning to tell you about the Diablos Cult someday."
313.  
314. "So you DID know about them."
315.  
316. "The Diablos Cult controls the darkness of the world. The nation will pay a heavy price if we choose to oppose them."
317.  
318. "So you choose to take their side, then?"
319.  
320. Alexia's tone grew severe.
321.  
322. "We need to skilfully coexist with them. That is all."
323.  
324. "That's just rhetoric."
325.  
326. "That's how politics is. Some things are more important than good or evil when it comes to protecting the nation."
327.  
328. "...It makes me want to throw up."
329.  
330. "You can't run a nation by punishing evil alone. The country would have perished long ago if that was all we did."
331.  
332. "Even so, allying with the Diablos Cult is too—!"
333.  
334. "We are NOT allied with them."
335.  
336. The King of Midgar's reply was forceful.
337.  
338. "Huh?"
339.  
340. "We are not allied with them, Alexia. The Kingdom of Midgar merely coexists skilfully with the Cult of Diablos. That is all."
341.  
342. "Isn't that the same thing?"
343.  
344. "The Kingdom of Midgar has never once acknowledged the Cult of Diablos. Naturally, we have never supported them either."
345.  
346. "But the Cult of Diablos has done all sorts of evil things in Midgar! Their spies are among the knight orders too, aren't they?"
347.  
348. "Those are simply individuals acting on their own."
349.  
350. "It's the same thing! You're just choosing to ignore it, aren't you?!"
351.  
352. "The Kingdom of Midgar will not offer any help to the Diablos Cult. But neither will it prosecute the actions of the Cult. That is the only way we can survive as a nation."
353.  
354. "So everything is permitted for the Cult, then..."
355.  
356. "The Diablos Cult does not want to come into the light. They need to disguise themselves on the surface, just like we do. They know their limits."
357.  
358. "Have you forgotten what happened at the Midgar Academy? They kidnapped ME! Is that within your limits too?!"
359.  
360. "Their actions until several years ago were sufficiently restrained."
361.  
362. "Until several years ago...?"
363.  
364. "Until Shadow Garden showed up."
365.  
366. "Shadow Garden, you say..."
367.  
368. The King left his seat and walked over to the window. Then, he touched the glass, staring out into the darkness of the night.
369.  
370. "In just a few short years, the world has experienced a tremendous upheaval. On the surface, there is the Mitsugoshi Corporation, and in the shadows we have Shadow Garden, which seeks to overturn society itself. Those people who cannot keep up with the turning of the tides must fight it with all their might. These are the times in which we find ourselves."
371.  
372. "So you mean the Diablos Cult is getting desperate...?"
373.  
374. "They would never have been so reckless in the past. But now, Shadow Garden has forced them into a corner, and they have reacted... poorly."
375.  
376. "So my kidnapping was a poor reaction on their part, then?"
377.  
378. Alexia glared angrily at her father as she said that.
379.  
380. "Correct."
381.  
382. The King of Midgar replied without any hesitation.
383.  
384. "Which means I'll just have to bear it, then?"
385.  
386. "All I can do is apologize to you in my capacity as your father, Alexia. That is all."
387.  
388. He lowered his head as he spoke.
389.  
390. "Father..."
391.  
392. "However, as a king, I have done nothing that warrants an apology. And I am a king before I am a father."
393.  
394. "...Father!"
395.  
396. "This country does not have the strength to fight the Diablos Cult. Among the Cult are the members of the Knights of the Round Table, some of whom have lived for over a thousand years, as well as the organization of fighters called the Children, who have augmented their strength with ancient knowledge. As you well know, wars are decided by the quality and quantity of one's magic swordsmen. Small fry and the like do not even qualify to serve as cannon fodder in the face of such people."
397.  
398. "I know that, but..."
399.  
400. War was essentially a clash between magic swordsmen.
401.  
402. However, that did not mean ordinary soldiers were useless.
403.  
404. Ten soldiers equipped with anti-magic armor could at least hold back a single magic swordsman. Skilled soldiers could even take advantage of their opponent running out of mana. This was basic knowledge in warfare.
405.  
406. However, that was under the presumption that the magic swordsman was an ordinary one.
407.  
408. Magic swordsmen who defied this norm could slaughter ten men in a single blow. Their years of training and their expensive anti-magic armor would be gone in an instant.
409.  
410. And the Cult's magic swordsmen could easily meet that standard.
411.  
412. "The Cult has prided itself on the quality of its magic swordsmen and nobody could resist them. At least, not until recently."
413.  
414. "Until recently?"
415.  
416. "The appearance of Shadow Garden has changed this fact. There have always been people who have opposed the Cult, including the knight orders from this country. However, all of them were crushed in short order."
417.  
418. "The country's knight orders..."
419.  
420. A man appeared in Alexia's memories. He was the Head Librarian who once wielded a pair of gigantic natas, a man who once belonged to the knight orders but whose eyes were filled with despair.
421.  
422. "Everyone thought Shadow Garden would be quickly eliminated. The Cult did too... But that did not happen. Not only were they not removed, they even weakened the Cult's strength, completely unlike how things were in the past. The name of Shadow Garden spread quickly throughout the underworld. Everyone watched them, their hearts full of hope..."
423.  
424. "Hope, you say?"
425.  
426. "The hope that this world ruled by the Cult would soon come to an end. Shadow Garden's leader is a being with enough power to make one imagine such things."
427.  
428. "Shadow, huh..."
429.  
430. The memory of the beautiful, violet light Shadow had released in the capital was still fresh in Alexia's memories.
431.  
432. That was not admiration.
433.  
434. She would reach that peak herself someday. That was the light that represented the pledge in her heart.
435.  
436. "In addition to Shadow, the people under him were also very powerful. As an organization, they have the strength to fight the Cult. Defeating the Cult was no longer just a dream, but even as we held that hope in our hearts, we had to be cautious."
437.  
438. "Cautious, you say."
439.  
440. "...Shadow Garden might end up ruling this world after the Cult of Diablos. After all, once the Cult falls, nobody will be able to stand against Shadow Garden."
441.  
442. "That's..."
443.  
444. Those were the words the Head Librarian told her before he died.
445.  
446. "If that happens, then nothing will change. Therefore, I must see the true nature of Shadow Garden for myself. That is why I am hesitating about which side to take..."
447.  
448. "What do you have in mind?"
449.  
450. "Now then. At this rate, allowing the Diablos Cult to keep fighting Shadow Garden might end up being the ideal situation for us."
451.  
452. "Father!"
453.  
454. "That was just a joke. Frankly speaking, I do not wish to take a side. However, when the lines are being drawn for a battle that decides the course of history, anyone who does not pick a side will be destroyed. This is without regard for my own feelings on the matter. The time will come when we must choose. Even if both choices lead to a future of destruction, we must still choose from among them. I believe that is what they call the flow of ages."
455.  
456. "The flow of ages, you say..."
457.  
458. "The Cult is desperate. Their recent actions are a sign of their anxiety and a form of pressure they are applying on us to take their side. While I believe Shadow Garden will eventually make contact with us.."
459.  
460. "You mean, they haven't contacted us yet?"
461.  
462. "Yes. And even if we tried to make the first move to contact them, we wouldn't know where to begin. Perhaps the Kingdom of Midgar is not essential for Shadow Garden. In that case, we have only one route left to us."
463.  
464. The King smiled tiredly.
465.  
466. "I wonder what will happen to the Kingdom of Oriana? They have chosen to stand against the Cult."
467.  
468. "I'm sure they'll be destroyed soon enough. After Rose Oriana announced her opposition to the Cult, the Holy Church declared her to be a heretic. Trade has also been severely curtailed. That little country with nothing to its name besides the arts will surely wither away and die."
469.  
470. "I knew it would end up that way. Is there no way to help her..."
471.  
472. Alexia had wished Rose all the best after learning she had become queen.
473.  
474. After all, they had once sworn to fight side by side. Though circumstances had forced them to part ways, seeing that she had not yet lost her will to fight the Cult made her very happy.
475.  
476. However, a thorny road lay ahead of her.
477.  
478. "Everything depends on Shadow Garden's next move."
479.  
480. "So they've intervened, then?"
481.  
482. The King nodded.
483.  
484. "Where do you think Rose Oriana hid after killing her father? Oriana, Midgar and even the Cult were searching for her with all their might, but they didn't manage to find her in the end."
485.  
486. "So you're saying Shadow Garden hid her, then?"
487.  
488. "It seems more natural that way. Perhaps the entire process of Rose Oriana becoming queen was fully orchestrated by Shadow Garden... or should I say, Shadow. He has always appeared behind her whenever she made her move."
489.  
490. "Come to think of it, during the Bushin Festival..."
491.  
492. Shadow had helped Rose escape.
493.  
494. "While we have not confirmed it yet, we have testimony that Shadow appeared when the "Black Rose" was activated."
495.  
496. "So Rose-sempai... no, Rose Oriana has allied with Shadow Garden, then?"
497.  
498. "Indeed. Although the Oriana Kingdom is under a trade embargo, they are still amply supplied with food. Things would make sense if you consider that Shadow Garden was supplying them."
499.  
500. "That would mean the Oriana Kingdom is saved, then?"
501.  
502. "Not yet. We can't be sure."
503.  
504. "Huh?"
505.  
506. "The Cult has made their move too. They're planning to have the Holy Church declare a holy war on them. They're also secretly pressuring the Kingdom of Midgar to dispatch troops against them."
507.  
508. "But how!"
509.  
510. "The Vegaltan Empire will be moving out soon. That country invaded Oriana many times in the past, but they always retreated for unnatural reasons each time."
511.  
512. "...Unnatural reasons?"
513.  
514. "It seems the Cult intervened. The presence of the Cult kept a balance between Oriana and Vegalta. But this time, the Cult has chosen to stand by the Empire. With just cause from the Holy Church, this is a golden opportunity for the Vegaltan Empire."
515.  
516. "Father, what do you... No, what does the Kingdom of Midgar intend to do?"
517.  
518. That was her question in her capacity as a princess.
519.  
520. "Well now..."
521.  
522. The King took a deep breath and then fell silent.
523.  
524. The snow continued falling outside the window.
525.  
526. "Don't tell me you're going to support the Cult?"
527.  
528. "...The war will begin once the snow melts."
529.  
530. "Will we be attacking the Kingdom of Oriana?"
531.  
532. "Oh, Alexia. The Cult is testing us. They want to know where we stand, between Shadow Garden and the Cult. This choice will decide the future of the Kingdom of Midgar."
533.  
534. "If you end up attacking Oriana, then I'll..."
535.  
536. "I will give my answer before the spring thaw. I will only choose a path that leads to the survival of the Kingdom of Midgar. Alexia, you may do as you please."
537.  
538. "...Can I, really?"
539.  
540. "Iris is approaching the Cult."
541.  
542. "Onee-sama is actually...!"
543.  
544. "That was what she wanted."
545.  
546. "No, she's just been misled by them!"
547.  
548. The King shook his head.
549.  
550. "Alexia, if you can approach Shadow Garden, then no matter what happens in the end, the bloodline of the Kingdom of Midgar will survive."
551.  
552. "...Is that so? But I might not necessarily approach Shadow Garden, you know."
553.  
554. Alexia clenched her fists tightly.
555.  
556. "You may do as you please."
557.  
558. And with that, the King turned away.
559.  
560. ==============================================
561.  
562.  
563. Alexia recounted the events of last night.
564.  
565. "...So that's what happened."
566.  
567. After hearing her story, Christina sipped on her coffee and sighed.
568.  
569. "Just so. In other words, Father has said he will not provide any assistance or hindrance for this incident."
570.  
571. "So we have a free hand in acting, then."
572.  
573. "Eh... Well, regardless of what Father thinks, I will carry out my convictions to the very end."
574.  
575. "You're amazing."
576.  
577. "Please don't tell anyone about what I said today."
578.  
579. "But of course."
580.  
581. "Also, let's change the subject..."
582.  
583. Alexia suddenly seemed uneasy in her seat.
584.  
585. "What's wrong?"
586.  
587. "Ah, we'll be going to the White House tomorrow, right?"
588.  
589. "So we are."
590.  
591. "Ah, I feel like we have a lot of things to discuss. Like, cooperation and collaboration and all that."
592.  
593. "Huh? Huh, that might be true."
594.  
595. "Is that so... I'll spend the night here, then."
596.  
597. Alexia puffed up her chest as she said so.
598.  
599. "Hah?"
600.  
601. "I, I mean, we have lots of stuff to discuss, right? So I should stay over!"
602.  
603. "But it's still so early..."
604.  
605. Christina looked at the Mitsugoshi-made clock.
606.  
607. "It was nighttime before I realized it. It would be terrible if something happened on the way back!"
608.  
609. "I have a carriage with escorts ready, and besides, all you need to do is to contact the palace..."
610.  
611. "That might be enough under normal circumstances, but it's really dangerous to go out at night thanks to Jack The Ripper!"
612.  
613. "That's... perfectly sensible, actually. In that case, I'll have a room prepared for you at once, Alexia-hime."
614.  
615. "No need to go to that trouble. After all, I'm the one who suddenly imposed on you."
616.  
617. "No, but... "
618.  
619. "Come to think of it, aren't Poochie... I mean, Cid Kagenou and Kanade-san staying here too?"
620.  
621. "Huh? Yes, that's right."
622.  
623. "Then we'll just share a room! After all, I'm the one who suddenly imposed on you!"
624.  
625. Alexia's forceful tone sounded like she was nagging Christina.
626.  
627. "You want to share a room with them? Isn't that a little impolite..."
628.  
629. "Not at all! After all, I'm the one who suddenly imposed on you!"
630.  
631. "B-But..."
632.  
633. "it'll be fine! Father already gave me permission, after all!"
634.  
635. Isn't getting His Majesty's permission another matter, Christina thought. However, Alexia soon pulled her up by the arms.
636.  
637. "Come now, please, show me the way to your bedroom!"
638.  
639. ==============================================
640.  
641.  
642. "What are YOU doing here?"
643.  
644. Those were the first words from Cid Kagenou when he ran into Alexia inside the bedroom.
645.  
646. "Well, that's a very complicated question. Why am I here -- it's got a philosophical bent to it. I think, therefore I am; that's a prize-winning quote from Natsume Kafka. She's an aggravating woman, but the truth in those words never changes."
647.  
648. "I think, therefore I am..."
649.  
650. Cid frowned in annoyance as he muttered those words from the famed writer Natsume.
651.  
652. "Ara, did those words move you too? That's from when Natsume Kafka spoke at Laugus' biggest academic conference. It's quite popular among those scholars and it seems to be the hottest topic this year among their universities' schools of philosophy."
653.  
654. "Uh huh."
655.  
656. Cid pinches his forehead, as though he has given up on something.
657.  
658. "Well, I wasn't planning to ask about something that philosophical. Rather, what puzzles me is why Princess Alexia, someone high above the clouds, would bother all the way to a dump like this. Truly a mystery.
659.  
660. "A, a dump like this..."
661.  
662. Behind Alexia, Christina's face starts to twitch.
663.  
664. "Ara ara, it seems you finally understand your position. To you, I am a lofty being of the heavens, it seems. Still, while that might be true, I feel the need to occasionally grace the world beneath to see how things are going."
665.  
666. "That's not the answer I was looking for."
667.  
668. "What I'm saying is that you don't need to concern yourself with the view above the clouds. Now scooch aside, I'm using your bed tonight."
669.  
670. "Hah? You're staying over?! Then where am I supposed to sleep?"
671.  
672. "There's a perfectly good floor right here, no?"
673.  
674. Alexia smiled smugly as she tossed Cid's things to the ground.
675.  
676. "Sorry, Cid-kun. Please use this blanket and bear with it for a bit."
677.  
678. Christina handed a blanket over.
679.  
680. Cid accepted it with a blank look on his face.
681.  
682. "Can I go back?"
683.  
684. "The Night Swords will attack you."
685.  
686. "I keep thinking that even if I do get attacked, I'll survive it by some miraculous stroke of luck."
687.  
688. "Please don't do that. Seriously."
689.  
690. Alexia replied in a serious tone of voice.
691.  
692. "...Okay, fine."
693.  
694. Cid sighed and accepted the blanket.
695.  
696. Meanwhile, Alexia sat on the bed and looked around the room.
697.  
698. "You guys must have had a hard time too. Were you attacked in this room? Just look at this bloodstain."
699.  
700. Alexia's gaze turned keen, as though she was looking for traces of the attackers.
701.  
702. "No, that was next door."
703.  
704. "By the way, that stain was from Kanade getting excited and spilling her coffee."
705.  
706. "Ehhh."
707.  
708. The voice came from Kanade, who was terrified by Alexia's appearance and had hidden herself in the corner of the room while striving to erase her presence.
709.  
710. "A-ah, I see, well, Kanade-san must have felt uneasy about what happened yesterday."
711.  
712. Alexia's face turned slightly pink as she said this.
713.  
714. "Ah, yeah, I was so uneasy that I didn't manage to sleep--"
715.  
716. "Kanade slept like a log last night. She's surprisingly insensitive, there's no need to worry about her."
717.  
718. "Do you have to keep butting in? Do you know how rare it is for me to worry about you guys?"
719.  
720. "Maybe if you didn't keep getting things wrong I wouldn't have to keep correcting you."
721.  
722. Alexia and Cid glared at each other.
723.  
724. "Ahem. Alright, alright, you two."
725.  
726. Christina thrust herself between the two of them.
727.  
728. "In any case, we ought to review what happened last night and Jack the Ripper's actions. We might have missed something out!"
729.  
730. As Alexia said this, she looked around at Cid and the others.
731.  
732. "Good point."
733.  
734. "No objections here.
735.  
736. "So, did anyone discover anything? Anything at all, whether it's about last night or before that."
737.  
738. "Well, Jack the Ripper isn't our enemy, like I thought. If he really was an enemy, he could have just left us alone."
739.  
740. "That's true, his timing was just too good."
741.  
742. "Yeah, my guess is that Jack the Ripper was tracking the Night Swords all this time. Therefore, when he saw we were under attack, he stepped in to help."
743.  
744. "--Do you really think so?"
745.  
746. Cid piped up in opposition to Christina's statement.
747.  
748. "Wasn't it simply because it was more efficient that way? I think Jack the Ripper felt that it would be easier to fight all the Night Swords at once with Christina-san and the others, rather than hunting them down individually."
749.  
750. "I don't think that is the case."
751.  
752. Christina immediately rejected the idea.
753.  
754. "Cid-kun, you weren't here so you probably don't know, but Jack the Ripper's strength is nothing like that of a regular person. He wiped out all the enemies by himself. We were completely useless."
755.  
756. "I see. Well, it makes sense, since Cid Kagenou ran off halfway."
757.  
758. Alexia didn't miss the opportunity to take a shot at Cid.
759.  
760. "Yup yup, it only makes sense that dirty traitors who ran off halfway wouldn't know what went down."
761.  
762. Kanade vigorously agreed with her.
763.  
764. "W-Well, it was thanks to Cid-kun drawing the enemy off that we managed to hold out until Jack the Ripper showed up. We can think of it that way, right?"
765.  
766. Christina tried to help smooth things over.
767.  
768. "There's no way he was thinking of that. He only ran off to save his life."
769.  
770. "I will never forget that moment, the sight of that dirty traitor's fleeing back."
771.  
772. "You guys are going too far."
773.  
774. Cid replied with a tired look on his face.
775.  
776. "Speaking of which, there's something I find hard to believe about the report from just now."
777.  
778. Christina had a thoughtful look on her face as she spoke.
779.  
780. "What happened?"
781.  
782. "One of the vases in the household was stolen. It was there in the afternoon, so I think it must have been taken during the incident."
783.  
784. "Huh, now that sounds interesting. What kind of vase was it?"
785.  
786. "You guys should have heard of the potter called "Da Binci" from 300 years ago, right?"
787.  
788. "Ueh, was it that 200 million zenny vase? It got stolen?!"
789.  
790. "Yes, unfortunately..."
791.  
792. "Wait a minute, isn't that vase a natural treasure? Surely nobody would use it to decorate a hallway, right?
793.  
794. Alexia seemed a little stunned as she said that.
795.  
796. "Ah, the one that was stolen was a replica of Da Binci's vase."
797.  
798. "Huh? It was a replica?"
799.  
800. Cid replied.
801.  
802. "Yes. There's no way we'd put the real thing there, which is why I found it strange. Why did the culprit go out of his way to steal that replica..."
803.  
804. "Yeah, that IS a little hard to understand. A mere replica wouldn't be worth stealing, right?"
805.  
806. "Well, it IS a well-made replica. I suppose you could sell it for several thousand zennies."
807.  
808. "If they wanted money, it would have made more sense to steal something else."
809.  
810. "Yeah, there were so many vases out there which were worth millions of zennies as art pieces. Why would the thief go for a replica that was worth the least of them all?"
811.  
812. "Given the circumstances, it's more likely that it was Jack the Ripper or one of the Night Swords' people who did it."
813.  
814. "Could it be that they couldn't tell it was a replica?"
815.  
816. "I don't think so, right? However well-made it was, you ought to be able to tell at a glance that it's a replica. Anyone who couldn't even do that is probably some kind of born pauper with no education or upbringing."
817.  
818. "True, that."
819.  
820. As Alexia and Christina spoke to each other, Kanade and Cid's eyes met by coincidence.
821.  
822. "No education..."
823.  
824. "Born pauper..."
825.  
826. The two of them rounded their shoulders in dejection.
827.  
828. "That really is hard to understand. Perhaps Jack the Ripper hid a message in there somewhere."
829.  
830. "Well, we can't deny that. It's worth giving it a look.
831.  
832. "I doubt we'll find anything."
833.  
834. "Shut up, Poochie. Take me there, Christina! We're going to use the smallest clues to solve this mystery!
835.  
836. "Like I said, it's a waste of time."
837.  
838. "We're off, Poochie."
839.  
840. That day, Alexia and the others searched the crime scene until very late at night, but they didn't manage to find anything.
841.  
842. ==============================================
843.  
844. "The "White House" is just up ahead."
845.  
846. "Yay~"
847.  
848. Christina-san led us to the capital's high-end residential district.
849.  
850. Around us were high-class homes that were easily worth 1 billion zennies each. While Christina-san's home was larger than them, this street as a whole radiated a sense of classiness that left Kanade and myself tongue-tied.
851.  
852. "That's strange. Jack the Ripper should have left us a clue. Maybe there was a code that could only be read in the reflection of the sunlight in the mirror in the hallways..."
853.  
854. Behind us was Alexia with big black eye rings, muttering about pointless deductions.
855.  
856. "Is it me or are we not supposed to be here?"
857.  
858. Kanade was acting really suspiciously as she looked at me.
859.  
860. "You could have stayed at home."
861.  
862. "It's safer with everyone else!"
863.  
864. "That's true."
865.  
866. "...I'll definitely survive if I use Alexia-hime as a shield."
867.  
868. Kanade uttered this somewhat disrespectful line in a very small voice, but my ears picked everything up.
869.  
870. That said, I led a fairly disrespectful life myself, so I gave her my silent blessing.
871.  
872. “You might end up making history, Kanade.”
873.  
874. In a bad sense, of course.
875.  
876. “Ueh? Really? Aw, now I’m embarrassed.”
877.  
878. Kanade smiled in a somewhat disgusting way.
879.  
880. “Hm?”
881.  
882. I sense presences by force of habit, and just then, I picked up an overwhelmingly powerful mana signature approaching at startling speed.
883.  
884. What the hell is she doing, it’s dangerous.
885.  
886. Just as I thought that, Delta showed up.
887.  
888. “...This might be bad.”
889.  
890. “Huh? Did something happen?”
891.  
892. “No, but, well…”
893.  
894. If she turned up now, my mob act was going to draw a lot of unnecessary action.
895.  
896. “I need to go take a dump…”
897.  
898. After dropping off that totally natural and smooth excuse, I was about to leave when…
899.  
900. “BOSS–!”
901.  
902. The beastgirl rushed toward me at top speed.
903.  
904. “Delta, wait!”
905.  
906. “Hm? Delta sucks at waiting!”
907.  
908. Delta instantly slowed down, but only for an instant.
909.  
910. However, an instant was enough for me.
911.  
912. After backing off at the maximum speed achievable for a mob. I cast another spell on Delta.
913.  
914. “Wait!”
915.  
916. “Uu?”
917.  
918. Delta instantly slammed on the brakes.
919.  
920. But then she immediately sped up again.
921.  
922. “Wait! Wait!”
923.  
924. “Uuu?! Uuu?!”
925.  
926. “Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!!”
927.  
928. And so, she slowly reached me while moving in decelerating freeze-frame.
929.  
930. “Uuuuuuuu…”
931.  
932. Delta was starting to get annoyed by the continuous waiting, while Alexia and company were startled by the mysterious beastgirl that had appeared out of nowhere.
933.  
934. How am I going to explain this, I thought as I reflexively grabbed my head.
935.  
936. “Ah, Poochie, is she a friend of yours? Her mana feels really powerful.”
937.  
938. Alexia backed off from Delta due to the strength of her mana. The repeated waits just now had caused Delta’s mana to swell almost to the point of bursting.
939.  
940. “Er, I guess you can call her my pet… There there, good girl.”
941.  
942. I patted Delta’s head to keep her mana from surging. Letting her erupt in a place like this would be a tragedy in the making.
943.  
944. “That’s one dangerous pet you’re raising. Also, beastman slaves are illegal, aren’t they?”
945.  
946. Alexia looked at me tensely while saying this.
947.  
948. “Ah, this is bad.”
949.  
950. By the time I noticed, it was too late.
951.  
952. “Oi, don’t talk to the Boss, you small fry.”
953.  
954. Delta picked up on Alexia’s hostile look and accepted it.
955.  
956. “Be good, be good, come on, be good!”
957.  
958. I patted Delta’s head with all of my might.
959.  
960. Meanwhile, Delta’s expression gradually softened.
961.  
962. “You’re calling me small fry? I can’t pretend I didn’t hear that now.”
963.  
964. Alexia proceeded to put out her flames with gasoline.
965.  
966. “Oi, you brainlet, stop that–”
967.  
968. Alexia was talking mad shit for someone whose head would disintegrate in a single hit from Delta.
969.  
970. “Fuaahhh~ Grrrrrrrr…”
971.  
972. Delta growled at Alexia even as her mind was slowly melted by the headpattings.
973.  
974. I put Delta in a headlock and then dragged her off.
975.  
976. “Oh dear, my pet’s being a little rowdy, sorry about that.”
977.  
978. “Wait, I’m not finished.”
979.  
980. “Yes yes yes, you can finish up later.”
981.  
982. After putting Delta into a more secure headlock, I fled Alexia and the others.
983.  
984. “Gaoo, that hurt.”
985.  
986. “Ah, I’m sorry.”
987.  
988. I let Delta go after we reached the shadows of a fancy home.
989.  
990. “You’re so strong, Boss. And you weren’t even using mana!”
991.  
992. “Well, I DID train myself properly. More importantly, didn’t I tell you NOT to approach me when I was with people from the surface?”
993.  
994. “Hm?”
995.  
996. “Ugh– Look. These are the rules– when I’m with people from the surface world, don’t…”
997.  
998. “Hmmm?”
999.  
1000. After seeing Delta tilt her head and look at me with an expression of absolute cluelessness, I decided to give up.
1001.  
1002. “No, it’s nothing. I’m not going to waste my effort.”
1003.  
1004. “Delta’s not going to waste her effort either!”
1005.  
1006. “Yup, thought so. Speaking of which, what are you doing here, Delta?”
1007.  
1008. “I wanted to see you, Boss!”
1009.  
1010. “So you’re here just to see me?”
1011.  
1012. “Nope! Boss, can I beat the crap out of that bitch from just now? Delta will show her her place!”
1013.  
1014. “No, you may not beat her up. She might not look it, but she’s a princess of this country and beating her up will be troublesome. So, what are you here for, Delta?”
1015.  
1016. “It’s okay! Delta will beat the crap out of her and make her shake her ass in front of you, Boss!”
1017.  
1018. “NO. What are you doing here, Delta? Also, I forbid you to beat Alexia up. No means no.”
1019.  
1020. “No means no?”
1021.  
1022. “No means no.”
1023.  
1024. “But she acts so cocky despite being so weak.”
1025.  
1026. “She IS weak, but no.”
1027.  
1028. “Uuu~ Okay, fine.”
1029.  
1030. “So, what are you doing here, Delta?”
1031.  
1032. “Ah, Delta is…”
1033.  
1034. Delta tilted her head and blinked, like she was trying to recall something.
1035.  
1036. “Right! Delta is looking for the molly!”
1037.  
1038. “What happened to the mol… I mean, Zeta?”
1039.  
1040. “Alpha-sama said to find her! Ah, her report? Too many blanks? Um– I’m not too sure, but everything will be OK as long as I beat up the molly and drag her back!”
1041.  
1042. “Ah, I see.”
1043.  
1044. Well, when it came to finding people, Delta’s nose was the best choice. Although, I doubted that Zeta would obediently follow Delta’s commands, even if she did find her.
1045.  
1046. “Sniff sniff, you smell a little like that molly, Boss. Just a little, though.”
1047.  
1048. Delta sniffed me up and down as her nose twitched.
1049.  
1050. “We haven’t met in a while. The last time was probably during the previous incident.”
1051.  
1052. “This country smells of the molly, but only a bit. She must have gone somewhere else.”
1053.  
1054. Delta’s expression slowly grew serious as she sought the scent. This was how she looked when hunting.
1055.  
1056. Just then, I sensed a faint presence and turned around.”
1057.  
1058. “Wait for me~ Delta-samaaaa~”
1059.  
1060. A panting beastgirl appeared. She was pretty and had blue eyes and her ears and tail were a black and white color, kind of like a Siberian husky.
1061.  
1062. “Huh? Delta-sama, could this be…”
1063.  
1064. “Ehe, Boss is Delta’s boss!”
1065.  
1066. Delta puffed up her chest as she introduced me in a way that didn’t even count as an introduction.
1067.  
1068. “Ah, hi. I’m Cid Kagenou. Are you a friend of Delta’s?”
1069.  
1070. “Eh? Ehhhhhhhh?! Is it actually~?!”
1071.  
1072. Miss Siberian Husky’s eyes went wide.
1073.  
1074. “Er, Delta, who is she?”
1075.  
1076. “She’s Delta’s lackey!”
1077.  
1078. Delta had a smug look on her face.
1079.  
1080. Even Delta had subordinates now? Heaven help us all.
1081.  
1082. “So she’s your lackey. What’s she called?”
1083.  
1084. “She’s called Pi!
1085.  
1086. “Pi-chan, I see.”
1087.  
1088. Since it was a Greek letter, she must be linked to Mitsugoshi.
1089.  
1090. “I’m Pi-chan~ Nice to meet you~!”
1091.  
1092. After Pi said that, she immediately rolled onto her back.
1093.  
1094. “Er…”
1095.  
1096. “That’s the pose of submission!”
1097.  
1098. Delta nodded in satisfaction.
1099.  
1100. “Ah, I see.”
1101.  
1102. For some reason, I felt that commenting further would be troublesome, so I casually nodded.
1103.  
1104. “Uuu~ He’s looking down on me~ He’s looking at me like a cockroach~”
1105.  
1106. “No, I’m not.”
1107.  
1108. Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered that most beastpeople were like this. Yukime and Zeta were exceptions.
1109.  
1110. “But whyyyy~ Did Pi do something wrong~ If Master hates Pi then Pi can’t live on in this pack.”
1111.  
1112. “Boss! Does Pi fit into the pack? She’s a dummy, but she’s a good girl, you know!”
1113.  
1114. “She kind of fits in, right?”
1115.  
1116. Hell if I knew.
1117.  
1118. “Woohoo! Boss accepted Pi!”
1119.  
1120. “It’s true~ Pi will work hard for Master.”
1121.  
1122. Pi sprang up and wagged her tail happily.
1123.  
1124. “Sniff sniff.”
1125.  
1126. And then, she began sniffing me while her nose twitched.
1127.  
1128. “Pi has remembered the Master's scent!”
1129.  
1130. “Boss, Pi’s amazing! She might be dumb but her nose might be better than Delta’s!”
1131.  
1132. “Huh~ That’s amazing.”
1133.  
1134. I had to say, being dumber than Delta is an amazing feat.
1135.  
1136. “Also,  also, Pi is super strong!”
1137.  
1138. “I know that.”
1139.  
1140. The presence concealment technique she had used when appearing was something else.
1141.  
1142. “Ehehe~”
1143.  
1144. She giggled with a dorky look on her face, but she seemed pretty okay besides her intelligence.
1145.  
1146. “Master, when are you going to take over the world~”
1147.  
1148. “No, I’m not going to do that.”
1149.  
1150. “It isn’t time yet~ In order to create the strongest pack, Pi is working with Delta-sama every night on a plan to take over the world.”
1151.  
1152. What the hell is with that ominous-sounding plan?
1153.  
1154. “Not yet, Pi! Right now, we’re only at the step where we give birth to 10000 of Boss’ kids!”
1155.  
1156. There’s a rare look of panic on Delta’s face as she tries to stop Pi from speaking.
1157.  
1158. The two of them whisper to each other while looking at me.
1159.  
1160. “Eh~ So we can’t take over the world with just 10000 people~”
1161.  
1162. “Alpha-sama said it wouldn’t work! So if we have more, like, a million or more, Alpha-sama will say yes!”
1163.  
1164. “Eh~ So many~”
1165.  
1166. Delta waggled her hands by way of emphasis, which startled Pi.
1167.  
1168. “Which is why I said it’s too early to tell Boss about “Pi and Delta’s Totally Awesome World Domination Plan” right now!”
1169.  
1170. Yeah, that’s one scary-sounding plan. We can only pray it will never come to fruition.
1171.  
1172. “Then let’s make a new plan~”
1173.  
1174. “No! We’re supposed to be chasing that molly!”
1175.  
1176. “Ah~ I see. But Pi is allergic to cats.”
1177.  
1178. Just then, I sensed Alexia’s presence approaching me.
1179.  
1180. “I say, just how long do you expect us to wait?!”
1181.  
1182. “Ah, sorry, I’m coming over right now.”
1183.  
1184. I gave Pi and Delta a look, and they instantly vanished into the distance.
1185.  
1186. While their IQ scores might be depressing, their instincts and coordination was top-notch. Maybe it was because they were canine-types?
1187.  
1188. After that, I met up with Alexia and the others and apologized to them with a suitable excuse.
1189.  
1190. ==============================================
1191.  
1192. “Count White. Princess Alexia has been sighted at the outer gate.”
1193.  
1194. Count White looked up after the White House’s butler delivered his report.
1195.  
1196. “What is Alexia-hime doing here?”
1197.  
1198. “She said she wanted to be present when Jack the Ripper attacked.”
1199.  
1200. “What a pain…”
1201.  
1202. Count White sighed.
1203.  
1204. “I won’t let them into the premises. If they’re willing to stay outside with the knights, then I’ll allow it.”
1205.  
1206. “Is that alright? This is Alexia-hime here.”
1207.  
1208. “She’s a powerless princess. Once we deal with Jack the Ripper, we’ll invite her to  a dinner party to soothe her feelings.”
1209.  
1210. “We shall proceed as you wish, then.”
1211.  
1212. The butler bowed and then left the room.
1213.  
1214. “Honestly, why did she have to come at a busy time like this…”
1215.  
1216. As Count White muttered anxiously to himself, he took a seat at a round table.
1217.  
1218. Six of the Night Swords were here, including himself.
1219.  
1220. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Thank you all for providing your support.”
1221.  
1222. Count White dipped his head to them.
1223.  
1224. “Don’t worry about it. After all, this is a problem which affects the “Thirteen Night Swords” as a whole.”
1225.  
1226. “Count Oyano Bo, Viscount Shinobi and even Marquis Jet were killed by that guy. The only remaining members of the Night Swords are the six of us here and Marquis Darkaigan.”
1227.  
1228. “The Night Swords becoming weak was inevitable. We’ll need five… No, probably 10 years to raise suitable successors.”
1229.  
1230. “That’s a matter for later. Right now, our top priority should be killing Jack the Ripper.”
1231.  
1232. “Surely that won’t be a problem, right? The senior members of the Night Swords present have gathered all their fighting strength, with nothing held back. A single clown fooling around is no threat to us.”
1233.  
1234. The Night Swords unanimously agreed.
1235.  
1236. “So where is Darkaigan-sama?”
1237.  
1238. Count White looked around for the last, absent Night Sword.
1239.  
1240. “I think he’s negotiating with that organization. We can’t rely on the Fenrir Faction any more. Right now, talks are in progress with the people in power from the Loki Faction.”
1241.  
1242. “If the talks succeed, they’ll be able to send strong helpers.”
1243.  
1244. “Our opponent is just one man. Don’t you think this is a little excessive?
1245.  
1246. “This is the greatest crisis the Night Swords have faced since their founding. It’s better to err on the side of caution. After all, we know nothing about Jack the Ripper.
1247.  
1248. “Ah, that ridiculous clown assassin. Do we really have no leads on him?”
1249.  
1250. The members shifted the topic to Jack the Ripper.
1251.  
1252. “We believed he was a hired killer from the Hope family, but the odds of that seem very low now. There’s no way the Hopes could hire an assassin like that.”
1253.  
1254. Count White folded his arms. There was a complex look on his face.
1255.  
1256. “Hm, then it must be another organization. Could it be that Shadow Garden from before?”
1257.  
1258. “If it were Shadow Garden, they wouldn’t have to work in such a roundabout way. They wouldn’t do things like dress up as clowns, use playing cards and leave messages behind.”
1259.  
1260. “It’s clear that this Jack the Ripper enjoys killing. He’s probably not affiliated with any organization, just a lone killer. But does he kill for pleasure, or for hatred…”
1261.  
1262. “So he’s just acting alone then… it seems he’s really looking down on the Thirteen Night Swords.”
1263.  
1264. “Shall we inform him, then? Inform him… of the consequences of looking down on us.”
1265.  
1266. After that, the Night Swords left their places.
1267.  
1268. “The magic swordsmen are ready. Now, I shall show you the way to the place which will become Jack the Ripper’s grave tonight, inside the Underground Colosseum.”
1269.  
1270. The butler lit the fireplace in the room after Count White said that.
1271.  
1272. The flames sparkled with blue light, tracing magical characters in the air. And then, it transformed into a staircase leading downward.
1273.  
1274. “It always looks so beautiful no matter how many times I look at it. Is this an artifact from the ancient elven empire?”
1275.  
1276. “Indeed. Be it elven artifacts, elven tomes, elven weapons or elven slaves, anything to do with the elves is worth a large sum.”
1277.  
1278. Count White led the way forward and the group descended the stairs.
1279.  
1280. The stairway was very wide and all manner of disturbing items were displayed on both sides of it.
1281.  
1282. “Oh, that sword came from that rabbit beastman who lost several days ago…”
1283.  
1284. “Well, that was an exciting match. Beastmen who have their family members held hostage can be very scary.”
1285.  
1286. “Supposedly, rabbit beastmen’s love for their kin runs exceptionally deep. Oh my, their wish to save their family members brings a tear to my eye.”
1287.  
1288. The Night Sword said this as he pointed at the broken, bloodstained sword and the battered suit of armor.
1289.  
1290. “They’re still taxidermying his body. Once it’s done, I intend to exhibit him here with this sword.
1291.  
1292. “Please tell me when you do. Speaking of which, what happened to his family?”
1293.  
1294. “I’m planning to taxidermy them and display them here too. That beastman would like that, right?”
1295.  
1296. “So you’ll recall the thrill of that battle every time you pass through here, then… Marvellous.”
1297.  
1298. They progressed down the stairs as they spoke, flanked by bloodstained arms and preserved specimens.
1299.  
1300. And then, the door to the colosseum opened.
1301.  
1302. Before it was a dark, dome-shaped area.
1303.  
1304. The light of the torches ringed the circular arena, and the walls were covered in blackened stains and signs of battle.
1305.  
1306. This place was not a grand venue like the Bushin Festival. The only things here were bloodstained memories of death in the dark.
1307.  
1308. “This is it.”
1309.  
1310. The butler nodded and Count White led them to the special audience seats.
1311.  
1312. “This place is protected by a powerful artifact forcefield. Even if Jack the Ripper shows up, he will not be able to lay a single finger on you gentlemen.”
1313.  
1314. The Night Swords took their seats and looked down on the arena.
1315.  
1316. “Meanwhile, the colosseum’s depths are filled with skilled magic swordsmen from around the world. Here’s a list of them.”
1317.  
1318. Saying so, the butler handed out a list of magic swordsmen and their details to the Night Swords.
1319.  
1320. “Thank you for your hard work. This truly is… Well, I have to hand it to you for being able to gather so many magic swordsmen.”
1321.  
1322. Count White held his breath as he read through the list.
1323.  
1324. “Hahaha, well, it’s simply the result of us Night Swords opening our purses and not holding anything back. Such an outcome is only to be expected, no?”
1325.  
1326. “The blademasters of Vegalta, the demons of the City-States, and the legends of the Lawless City… One can hardly help calling this level of fighting strength excessive.”
1327.  
1328. “Jack the Ripper is just one man. I’m pretty sure he’d be reduced to dust if they all made their move at once.”
1329.  
1330. “That’s when Count White comes in. You’ll entertain us, won’t you?”
1331.  
1332. The Night Swords seemed at ease after looking at the list of first-class swordsmen.
1333.  
1334. “But of course. The arrangements I’ve made are ready.”
1335.  
1336. Count White pointed to the colosseum entrance.
1337.  
1338. “That’s the only entrance to the underground colosseum. All other places have been sealed off, so if Jack the Ripper wants to come after us, he’ll have to come in through there. Once he does, the forcefield will activate.
1339.  
1340. Count White waved his hand and the entire arena shone. The dome-shaped forcefield sprang into being.
1341.  
1342. “Just so. If Jack the Ripper wants to leave the forcefield, he’ll have to wipe out all the magic swordsmen we’ve gathered.”
1343.  
1344. “Surely he can’t wipe them all out, right?”
1345.  
1346. “Of course, so we’ll pick his opponents based on his stamina. We’ll start by sending them in one at a time, and then slowly increase the numbers based on the situation. This ought to be a spectacular show.”
1347.  
1348. Count White said smugly.
1349.  
1350. “Can we pick them? THis sounds interesting.”
1351.  
1352. “Oh, an audience participation show, then. I heard Mitsugoshi liked doing this recently.”
1353.  
1354. “Damn Mitsugoshi. How dare they infringe on our interests…”
1355.  
1356. “We could stand to learn a lot from how they do business. Right now, we should be choosing coexistence rather than hostility. Now then, who will be the first up? How about the legend from the Lawless City?”
1357.  
1358. “That’s a bit too strong, right? It would be a shame if everything ended with the first battle.”
1359.  
1360. The Night Swords picked magic swordsmen with delight on their faces.
1361.  
1362. And then, after the Night Swords had finished their selection, Count White muttered to himself.
1363.  
1364. “It seems the sun has set up above. Now then, will Jack the Ripper come?”
1365.  
1366. “If he actually does come to a place with all these magic swordsmen in wait, then he is clearly just a fool… But if he doesn’t, it’ll be boring for us.”
1367.  
1368. “That’s alright. If he doesn’t come, it means he fled in fear of us. All we’ll have to do is spread the news, and our reputation will be preserved.”
1369.  
1370. “Rather, he’s the one who’ll be disgraced. He’ll be the laughingstock of the capital for announcing his intentions and then running off instead.”
1371.  
1372. “Either way, we won’t lose out.”
1373.  
1374. “Not so– our coffers have certainly lost much from hiring all those magic swordsmen.”
1375.  
1376. Gahaha, their crass laughter filled the colosseum.
1377.  
1378.  
1379. ==============================================
1380.  
1381. “Is this really alright, Alexia-hime?”
1382.  
1383. Alexia, Christina and Kanade were making their way down a dimly-lit passage.
1384.  
1385. “It’ll be fine. I know the Royal Capital’s underground pretty well.”
1386.  
1387. Alexia was in the lead, full of confidence.
1388.  
1389. “Still, the White House having a secret basement is just a rumor, right?”
1390.  
1391. “It might not be just a rumor.”
1392.  
1393. “Then do you have anything to back it up?”
1394.  
1395. “Bad guys always have secret underground lairs below their houses and so on.”
1396.  
1397. “...Hah.”
1398.  
1399. Christina replied vaguely, and then she looked back at Kanade, who was in the rear.
1400.  
1401. “I’ll be fine as long as ALexia=sama is nearby...I'll just use her as a shield if anything happens...."
1402.  
1403. She seemed to be muttering something to herself in abject terror.
1404.  
1405. "Will Cid-kun be alright? I know we left him with the knights, but…”
1406.  
1407. “Honestly, Poochie’s such a coward at critical moments like this. Meh, his swordsmanship is average at best, so it can’t be helped. Though he doesn’t seem to be a target of the Night Swords right now, so he should be fine.”
1408.  
1409. “After all, the Night Swords only care about Jack the Ripper right now. They even seem to have stopped monitoring Kanade.”
1410.  
1411. “Eh? Really?”
1412.  
1413. Kanade’s eyes lit up.
1414.  
1415. “Yup. The Night Swords consider Jack the Ripper to be that much of a threat. THey’ll probably focus all their fighting strength on him until the incident is over.”
1416.  
1417. “Then I hope the incident never gets resolved.”
1418.  
1419. An evil grin crosses Kanade’s face.
1420.  
1421. “Relax, I’ve got a plan for this… While the Night Swords are in chaos because of Jack the Ripper’s attack, we’ll sneak into the White House from below and gather evidence of their crimes. As long as it works, everything will be easily settled.”
1422.  
1423. Alexia proudly stated.
1424.  
1425. “Ah, you must have come up with it on the spot after Cid-kun found that sewer entrance by chance, right?”
1426.  
1427. “Being flexible and taking advantage of opportunities is very important in battle.”
1428.  
1429. “Cid-kun… What kind of a person IS he, anyway…”
1430.  
1431. Christina paused briefly before saying so.
1432.  
1433. “What kind of person is he? Poochie is Poochie.”
1434.  
1435. “He was the one who found the tunnel, and he was the one who deciphered Jack the Ripper’s message. Normally, people who encounter these things would be too frightened to care about those details.”
1436.  
1437. “Well, well that… That actually makes sense. And here I thought Poochie just had a keen nose.”
1438.  
1439. Alexia also seemed to be waxing thoughtful.
1440.  
1441. “Cid-kun’s ability to pick up useful information from small details is quite remarkable.”
1442.  
1443. “I, I could have deciphered it too…”
1444.  
1445. Kanade mumbled.
1446.  
1447. “Also, he seems kind of familiar. He’s got an air of mystery around him… Could it be that Cid-kun is…”
1448.  
1449. “A-Are you saying Poochie is a…”
1450.  
1451. Alexia said uneasily.
1452.  
1453. “He might be a great detective.”
1454.  
1455. “Hah? A great detective?”
1456.  
1457. “Yup. He’s actually a veteran great detective. He was probably drugged by an evil organization, like Great Detective Conyan from Natsume Kafka-sensei’s stories, and he became a kid. Then he snuck into the magic swordsman academy while pretending to be a student…”
1458.  
1459. “Yeah, right, there’s no way Poochie could be a detective or anything. He’s a totally ordinary guy. Ah, see, it’s the White family crest. Just as I planned.”
1460.  
1461. The wall where Alexia was pointing did have the White family crest on it.
1462.  
1463. “No way, don’t tell me Cid-kun even deduced all this…”
1464.  
1465. “See, see~ It’s just as I said it would be, right?”
1466.  
1467. Alexia smugly began inspecting the wall.
1468.  
1469. “So what do you plan to do next?”
1470.  
1471. “Usually there are hidden doors in places like these.”
1472.  
1473. “While I don’t really think we’ll find something like that so easily…”
1474.  
1475. “Got it!”
1476.  
1477. “Ehhhhhh?!”
1478.  
1479. Alexia did something to the crest, and then there was a click, followed by the door sliding open.
1480.  
1481. “It’s just like the secret doors in the royal palace. The ruling class fundamentally all think the same way.”
1482.  
1483. Alexia entered the dark and narrow passage, feeling proud of herself.”
1484.  
1485. “Ahhh, spiderwebs are such a pain. Looks like nobody’s used this passage in a long time.”
1486.  
1487. “Alexia-same, it’s too dangerous here. Maybe we should be more cautious…”
1488.  
1489. “I AM being cautious. Compared to Claire, that is.”
1490.  
1491. “Does that even mean anything?”
1492.  
1493. Christina and Kanade followed behind Alexia.
1494.  
1495. Shortly after walking through the dark passage, Alexia suddenly came to a halt.
1496.  
1497. “...We’ve reached the end.”
1498.  
1499. Alexia touched the wall as she said this.
1500.  
1501. “This wall looks solid, but I can sense the movement of air on the other side.”
1502.  
1503. “Huh, there’s light leaking out at the base of the wall.”
1504.  
1505. Just as Kanade indicated, there were faint rays of light visible through faint gaps in the wall.
1506.  
1507. “This is the only place in the wall made of different material… If we do this…”
1508.  
1509. After pushing and prodding the wall here and there, it lifted up slightly, forming a small gap big enough for people to pass through.
1510.  
1511. “Alright, here we go.”
1512.  
1513. Alexia crouched down and crawled forward.
1514.  
1515. “Please be more careful, Alexia-hime.”
1516.  
1517. “At times like these, the second person is the safest… The third person usually gets squashed by a falling wall or their legs get eaten by monsters…”
1518.  
1519. “It’s dangerous, so please stay behind me, Kanade.”
1520.  
1521. “Ehhh?!”
1522.  
1523. Kanade stared dumbly at Christina as she crawled in, and then she looked back in a panic.
1524.  
1525. “I, I’m not sensing any monsters, or pursuers either…”
1526.  
1527. After verifying that the wall was safe, she finally crawled in behind Christina.
1528.  
1529. “Kyaa? Hang on, Kanade!My skirt!”
1530.  
1531. “I can’t do this I can’t do this I can’t do this.”
1532.  
1533. “Christina?! However charming my butt might be, please don’t rub it.”
1534.  
1535. “N-no, it’s not like that, it’s  because Kanade is pushing me…”
1536.  
1537. “Hurry hurry hurry hurry…”
1538.  
1539. With Kanade pushing them from behind, the three of them crawled to the other side of the wall.
1540.  
1541. “We’re here~ Really, what kind of place is this?”
1542.  
1543. It was a dark, dome-shaped area.
1544.  
1545. “Alexia-sama, look over there…!”
1546.  
1547. The Night Swords were gathered at the place where Christina was pointing. SInce the area was dark and they were some distance away, it would seem they had not noticed the girls’ arrival.
1548.  
1549. “It’s the Night Swords, six of them… What on earth is going on here?”
1550.  
1551. “Gulp…”
1552.  
1553. The three of them tried to hide their presences as best as they could and looked around, which was when they discovered that they were in the audience seats.”
1554.  
1555. “Is this a colosseum? …I guess this really is under the White House.”
1556.  
1557. “I’ve heard some bad rumors about the Count. They say he has slaves fight each other and opens bets on them… Could it be true?”
1558.  
1559. “Gulp…”
1560.  
1561. As they peeked around, the colosseum suddenly glowed with a faint light.
1562.  
1563. “Is it me, or is something about to begin…”
1564.  
1565. With that, the three of them turned their gaze to the center of the light.
1566.  
1567.  
1568.  
1569.