Black haired wise man Chiyuki

'So you didn't find it after all. Sir Decius.

　The next day comes and I hear from Decius in the guest room in the theater.
　Marcius or something like that hasn't come back to the theater company yet.
　After that, Nao and I met up with Rage and the others and stayed at the theater company's quarters.
　At noon, Decius came to the theater and I was in the middle of interviewing him.
　He said that Decius had been searching for him until late at night. It seems that this is why he was late getting up, and he has just arrived.

'Yes, Chiyuki-dono. I wish I had been able to get into the back of the store: ......

　Decius says apologetically.
　Well, it can't be helped.
　That area is especially unsafe. If I had tried to do a forced search, Decius would have been killed.
　By the way, even if it's not that area, the security of the Republic of Ariadia is very bad, because the Republic of Ariadia is not a safe place to live.
　This is because the Republic of Ariadia is more open than other countries.
　Because it is easier for people to come and go, people with bad behavior also come in.
　Since we are strong, we can easily fight off anyone who misbehaves, so we don't mind, but the average woman in this world would be in danger of walking down the street at night, even within the city walls.
　However, despite such a state of affairs, the generals who should maintain security are slow to move.
　The reason is that he has little police powers.
　Citizens' rights may be protected from state power, but this will only increase crime.
　The police system in the Republic of Ariadia is immature, despite the fact that it has such a large population.
　Something should be done about it, in my opinion. But there are some powerful senators who see the danger of giving the generals too much power, and they say there's nothing they can do about it.
　Using our power might help, but interfering in internal affairs by force would invite other problems.
　Besides, if we interfere in this matter poorly, we will be drawn into the political struggle of this country.
　So we can't do anything about it either.

"Maybe they've escaped altogether?

　I let out a sigh.
　Maybe Marcias is not in the Republic of Ariadia, fleeing as quickly as he can when he has an incident.

''There doesn't seem to be any movement on Ainoe-san's part either. What do we do, Chiyuki-san?

　Reno says, sounding like a bother.
　Ainoe is practicing the play with Silone.
　That's why Sirone is not here.
　Sahoko isn't here either, but that's because she's prepared a cup of tea.

'What do we do?　I don't think it's a good idea to force it, but do you want to use Reno's magic to get it out of Ainoe?

　Rage is right, it's not a good idea to force your way into people's minds. But now that Marcius is gone, she's the only clue.

''We might have to do that for sure. ...... And we don't have any other clues.

　You can use Reno's magic to make him spit out everything he knows. I don't want to use it too much, but if I don't have any other clues, I don't have a choice.

''Um~. Chiyuki-san, if it's a clue, isn't there another message left by Shenna-san?

　Nao says to me timidly.

'Oh, that too. We'll have to find the Moonlight Goddess.'

　I remember the message Shenna left for me.

'Moonlight goddess?　What's that?
'That's what was written in the message Shenna left for me,'

　I explain to Raige what happened last night.

'I see. Is there such an amazing beauty?

　He nodded at Rage's words.

'Well, I haven't seen it myself, so I can't say for sure, but Sir Decius knows the details.

　When I say this, all eyes turn to Decius.

'You mean the Goddess of Moonlight? She is ......

　Decius begins to explain.
　All of them look surprised at the way the man who is usually serious and seems to have nothing to do with s*x appeal explains with a lot of emotion.

''Heh. Decius-san, was that silver-haired beauty more beautiful than us?

　Reno asks nastily.

'What?'　It's ......

　Decius looks like he has a hard time saying it.
　He's a man who can't lie and say that Reno is more beautiful than he is.
　Well, it's bad enough that Reno knows that and listens.

'Already, Reno. You shouldn't be asking me that.''
Yes. But it's a bit frustrating. What kind of person is he?

　Reno says jokingly. But I think there's a little bit of truth mixed in.

'I'm certainly curious. And this beautiful woman said she was here to see me, right? I'd love to meet him.

　Rage says with a laugh.
　She says that the servant of the Goddess of Moonlight said that she came to see the brave man. I can see how happy Rage is to hear that.

'Already, Rage-kun. Judging by the circumstances, that moonlight goddess could be our enemy. She might even come to see you to kill you!

　I say what I'm thinking.
　There is no doubt that the silver-haired beauty that Decius calls the Goddess of Moonlight is involved in the case.
　Perhaps she could be an enemy.

'Well, yeah, but even Chiyuki must be curious, right?'
'Well, I'm certainly curious to see what he's like,'

　It's enough to make me fawn over Decius when he says she's beautiful. I'd like to see his face once.
　But I wonder if Decius has noticed? That she might be the cause of her sister's disappearance.

'I don't know if she's an enemy or not, but we'll find out when we find that beauty.

　Rage said and Reno and Nao nodded.
　'Well, it's true.

'It is after all, but how do we find them? I don't have a clue.

　I say to them all.
　'I have no clue where to find that moonlight goddess.

'I don't know if it's a clue or not, but there's an upscale residential area near where I met her. And the clothes she was wearing were quite high class. Based on that, I'm guessing she's somewhere in that residential area.

　It was Decius who said that.
　The residential area that Decius indicates is a little hilly and sunny. That's why the rich are building houses there, he said.
　And Decius must have done his research beforehand. He describes the location of the residential area and how many mansions there are in the area. He also seems to have even researched the owners of the mansions.
　Perhaps the reason they came late is because they were looking into it.
　I'm a little scared by their preparedness.

''Huh?　Isn't that residential area, as I recall, where Regena is?

　Rage responds to Decius' explanation.
　Rejena is a former princess from the Kingdom of Algore, and she's now under Kyouka's command.
　I'm told that she was given one of Trumarkis' mansions, as I recall.
　The residential area that Decius indicated is where that Trumarkis' mansion was located.
　Rage must have only talked to Regina for a little while, but he remembered it well.

''Indeed I do. One of the mansions in this residential area is owned by your sister. It seems that Lord Regena-dono is living here.'

　Ligeena has been attending banquets and greeting influential people to work on behalf of Kyouka and Kaya in this country. It seems that she had met with Decius at that time as well.
　Decius also knew Regena.

''You remembered it well, Rage-kun. But as expected, I don't think there's a moonlight goddess there.'
'I know that. I just thought I'd better go check on Regina after the case is over. Besides, Kyoka might be asking me to do something reckless. If so, I'd like to help her.

　Rage says with a serious face.
　Rage doesn't lie when it comes to helping women. He really wants to help Regena.
　But something is not amusing.

'Yes, yes, that's after we're done. Let's all go check on the situation. For that matter, let's go find the Moonlight Goddess now. Nao-san, it's the residential area Sir Decius mentioned, do you think you can check it out?

　I ask Nao as I let Rage's words flow lightly.

''There don't seem to be many houses, so it's easy to find out.

　Nao laughs and replies.
　It seems that with the help of Nao's power, it is possible to examine this many houses quickly.

''Please wait. In fact, one of the owners of the residence is even more suspicious. The residence of Ainoe's patron, Senator Cornes, is located there.

　We are amazed.
　Work is fast. Once again, we confirm Decius' excellence.

'That's great ....... You might not have a chance to get out of there, Nao-san.''

　Both Nao and Reno praise Decius.

'No. ....... Actually, that's as far as I can go. I can't do much more than this when my opponent is a senator.

　Decius looks down and says.
　The senator is a powerful man in this country. If we investigate them poorly, it will become a political issue.
　Also, a vote of the Senate is needed to arrest, judge or investigate a Senator.
　It is said that such a law was made because in the past, powerful generals had punished their political rivals in the Senate for minor offenses and removed them from office.
　Therefore, even if powerful senators committed a crime, it was difficult to judge them by law.
　Some of them seem to be using their position to do things that are illegal.
　Of course, if it's too much, they will be judged, but on the other hand, if it's not too much, they won't be judged.
　No matter how good the knights of the law are, they can't do anything in the face of immense power.
　If we were to judge them, it would be in an unlawful manner.
　It's a problem when there are evil people who can't be brought to justice by law, only the unlawful way can solve the problem.
　From what I've heard, assassinations of powerful kings are not uncommon.
　I heard that the Republic of Ariadia has also experienced bloody things over power many times in the past.
　Surely the anecdotes of the Sword of Damocles may have originated from these stories of power.
　A senator named Kornes is said to be a man of ill repute.
　But he is a senator nonetheless. We can't investigate this any further.

Then I guess we'll have to take it from here.

　Rage smiles wryly.
　I don't like it, but I guess I can't blame her.

'You will eventually, I suppose: ....... But you'll have to find out first, Rage. It might be irrelevant.'

　But with all this circumstantial evidence, I'm pretty sure he's black.

Hey, guys, I made you some tea.

　That's when the story came together. A wooden door is opened and Sahoko enters with a cup of tea.
　The tray she is holding has a large round object on it as well as a tea cup.

'Sahoko-san. What's that?

　I look at the round object and say.

'Oh, it's a cheesecake. I got some ricotta cheese, so I made it.

　Sahoko says with a laugh.
　Ricotta cheese is a cheese made by boiling down whey. It seems to be a thing in this world.

'Ooh, this sounds delicious,'
Right? Here's some of that mentee tea Ms. Regina gave me.

　Menty is a flower that blooms in the Dark Forest of Nargol. The refreshing tea is said to have a stabilizing effect on the mind.
　This tea is said to have been a favorite drink of Sirone's childhood friends.
　When Rižena left Nargol, she received a lot of it as a souvenir.
　You can tell that Sirone's childhood friend is not a bad person, since he gives you such a delicious tea.

'Let's take a break. I'll go get Sirone and get her.''

　I try to stand up and Rage stops me.

'I'll go get Shirone. Chiyuki, sit down.
Yeah?　Thank you.

　Rage leaves the room.
　Sahoko makes a pot of tea. Reno and Nao cut up the cake.
　The delicious scent of mentees wafts into the room.
　As the scent envelops me, I think about the Goddess of Moonlight.
　Who is she?
　There is no doubt that he was involved in this case, but it could be the ringleader.
　Oh, well, that's okay. Let's have a cup of tea and think about the future.




Shirone, the Maiden of Swords

　The play rehearsal is over and we're going to get some rest.
　To be honest, I'm tired.
　Ainoe was tired too, and she took her attendant to the restroom.
　Maybe I should go with her and keep an eye on her, but I can't bring myself to do that.
　By the way, I think this theater's device is amazing.
　There is a crane to make actors appear by hanging in the air, and there is an opening to lift them up from the floor.
　I wonder how much it cost to build it.
　I've seen theatres in other countries before, but nothing like this contraption.
　If you look at the walls, you can see all kinds of masks. A gentle woman, an angry man, and a funny clown. There are various kinds of masks.
　These are all theatrical masks.
　In this world, theatrical performances are usually performed wearing masks. They used to be used for ceremonies, but we don't know much about them.
　However, if we use these masks, the number of actors should be reduced. If we change masks, one person can play multiple roles. Therefore, there's really no need for me to play the role of a substitute.
　But Commander Midas insists on putting on a play without a mask.
　But he insists on doing his plays without masks because he believes that beautiful actors are more beautiful without masks.
　This may be the reason why his plays are so popular, but it also causes me a lot of trouble.

'That's very good of you, Lady Shirone. I can't believe it's your first role.

　I'm resting and Midas comes to me.

'Huh, I see. ......,'

　I reply appropriately.

'It's just like the real Princess Alfelia. I guess I wasn't crazy in my estimation.

　Midas says, wriggling around. It's a little creepy.
　The words just come out naturally when I think of the witch as that girl and say the dialogue.
　So is Kuroki the prince?
　No, no! It's not! Absolutely not! It's too good for you!
　At best, he could only play the role of a dumb ordinary person tricked by a witch.
　But I can't leave him alone. How much does he worry me, that guy.

That's right, Lady Syrone. Master Sirone has a talent.

　Alto, you're a compliment.

'Thank you, Mr. Alto. Mr. Alto.

　Alto-kun dressed as a prince comes by.
　To be honest, I think he looks more like a princess than a prince. His face looks like a woman, and if he dressed up as a woman, he would surely look good.
　Also, he looks very weak. He would be beaten by the average woman in this world.
　I can't tell him this, though.
　I'm sure he wants to be a strong man. That's why he respects Rage, the brave man.
　Come to think of it, Kroki was also very weak in the past. When did he become so strong?

'Mr. Alt. Why don't we take a break? I made you some sweets.

　One woman comes towards Mr. Alto.
　She's the patroness of the company.

'Thank you. Mrs. Seville. I love you, Mrs. Seville, because you've been so nice to me.'

　Mr. Alto smiles innocently and hugs Mrs. Sevillea.
　Mrs. Seville looks happy as she is hugged.
　That's good~.
　Alto-kun is weak, but he seems to know his weapon by heart.
　Mrs. Sevillea is a woman who was the wife of a powerful man in this country.
　Her husband's legacy is huge, and she seems to be donating her assets to a theater company.
　It seems that such patrons are indispensable to the activities of the company, and some of them support not the company but the individual members of the company.
　It seems that Ainoe also has such supporters.
　This reminds me of Ms. Ainoe's performance.
　Her performance was brilliant. Perhaps it wasn't all magic. I'm sure it's a lot of effort on her part.
　Why is she collaborating with our enemies? Is it true, Chiyuki, that there are people backing out behind the scenes?
　That person could be Ainoe's patron. If he's being forced to be complicit, I'd like to help him.

'Silone!

　While I'm thinking about Ainoe-san, Rage-kun comes over.

'Just in time, looks like you're taking a break. Sahoko has made a cup of tea. Would you like to join us?

　Mr. Rage laughs briskly. A girl in the troupe sees this and screams yellow.
　He is really popular. I feel a little superior as he gives me that special treatment.

'Yeah, okay. Let's go.''

　I reply with a smile.
　I'm sure she'll have some sweets ready for us. I look forward to Sahoko-san's sweets because they are delicious.

'Miss Ainoe!　Is Miss Ainoe there?

　I hear a voice calling for Mr. Ainoe.
　It's a man from the theater. Is there something wrong?

What's going on?

　Mr. Rage asks the man from the playhouse. When asked by Rage, the man looks a little scared.
　He is popular with the girls, but not with the same s*x.
　It can't be helped because he is not very nice to the same s*x.
　Rage-kun is very nice to girls, but he is very strict with men.
　But if Kroki comes to us, we want him to get along with us. Would it work?

'Lah!　We have a visitor!　Miss Ainoe has a visitor!　He claims to be a messenger of Master Cornes, but I've never seen his face before, so he's waiting for me at the entrance!

　Me and Rage-kun nodded to each other as we looked at each other.

''Ainoe-san is resting right now, so I'll be answering in her place. So leave the rest to me.

　I say, and the man in the play gives me a troubled look.

'What ......? But...

　Apparently, they wouldn't listen to me when I said it.

'Hey, dude. Sirone is going to look after it for you. What's the problem?

　Mr. Rage, the taller man, says as he looks down at the man in the theater.

'Yes, no!　There's nothing wrong with that!

　The man quickly excused himself when Mr. Rage threatened him.

'I'm sorry. I wish I could have said it better than that. ......'
I don't mind. That's what I do. Then I'll handle the guy who comes to visit. You rest your head, Cyrone.
'What?　But Mr. Rage.
Don't worry about it. You're tired from play rehearsal. Get some rest.

　Rage you say, laughing gently.
　I'm certainly tired of doing things I'm not used to doing. I'll take advantage of the favor here.

'I'm sorry, Rage-kun.'

　I say so and go to Chiyuki and her friends.
　Ainoe has a visitor. What kind of guy is he?
　He went to everyone's place while thinking about that.



Dark Knight Kroki.

　I'm afraid I let Xand get away.
　Last night, I raided the store he was in.
　I ignored them as they fled and went straight to Zand's room.
　But he was blocked by a girl with only her head on the floor and was able to escape.
　His sword dulled in front of the victim girl. Shameful.
　There was nothing I could do about it, as those on the first floor also escaped while I was relative to Xand.
　I'm angry at my own lack of skill at all.
　I don't know where he's gone. I don't even know where Zeal and Talavos are.
　But I do have a clue. It's Ainoe.
　Ainoe is getting his powers from Zeal. So, I'm pretty sure I know where Zeal is.
　That's why we're going to see her.
　I'm going to meet her and find out where Zeal is.
　I should have been able to monitor him without missing him when we met before. But there's no point in saying that now.

''Thank you for taking me with you, Dark Knight-sama.

　Shenna, who is next to me, thanks me. Shenna hides her face and walks with her.
　Shenna is worried about the theater, so when I told her I was going to see Ainoe, she begged me to take her with me.
　So I let her accompany me.
　And I don't know much about the theater myself. Maybe it would help me to meet Ainoe.
　I was actually going to bring Kuna with me. But she didn't like the idea of dressing up in something that was difficult to move around in, so she stayed in the house.
　This is where it's different from Raina. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it.
　Even if the original is the same, I guess not everything is the same.
　That's why I'm working with Shenna alone.

'No, that's fine. I don't know about the theatre, you know. I had no idea that pretending to be a supporter would make it easier for us to meet. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet up.

　I answer, looking at the bouquet of mentee flowers on my arm.
　The mentee's bouquet is to be given to Ainoe. It's strange to be empty-handed when you're trying to fool your patron's messenger.
　Shenna says that without the patron's support, it's difficult to run a theater company, and the theater company can't disregard the patron.
　It's a good idea to use magic to get in, but the theater is equipped with a dwarf-made magical device to prevent people from becoming suspicious.
　In the past, wizards have disappeared and trespassed on the premises in search of dancers, so such a device was installed.
　You can do other forced entry, but I want to use a gentle hand first.

'It's all right. If you give us Senator Cornes's name, I'm sure we'll be able to meet him easily.

　Shenna explains about Cornes.
　Kornes is a senator who is sponsoring Ainoe. So it seems that if you pretend to be an errand boy for Kornes, you can meet him right away.
　By the way, he lives in the neighborhood of the mansion where they are staying.
　Shenna explains that patrons sometimes demand their bodies in exchange for patronage.
　But that's what patrons are for, and from what I've seen of Shenna, it's a normal thing. I feel like I was shown the difference in sensibility.
　I've heard of celebrity pillow business in Japan as well, but it's being done openly.

'Does Sienna have a patron?'

　I reply casually.

'No, not yet. I don't have a personal patron. My father and brother are helping me, but I don't think they are my patrons.
Yes.

　Shenna's father is a senator and her brother is a priest of Odis, I'm told.
　If she's the daughter of a senator, she must be a young lady, why is she a dancer?
　Dancers aren't the lowest rung of society, but they're clearly the lowest. Maybe there's a reason for this, but it's not something I'm going to stand in and ask.

'Or would you be willing to be the patron, Dark Knight-sama?

　Shenna says with a superior laugh.

'Fine. I'll be your backer.'

　I readily agree.
　Shenna's dancing was brilliant. If the case is over and Shenna can return to the troupe, I'd be willing to support her financially.
　Of course, you can't use the name of the dark knight, but you can sponsor them through Regina.

'Eh, ....... The ....... That .......

　For some reason, Shenna looks surprised when I say that to her.

'What's wrong?'
I mean, no!　It's nothing!
?

　Shenna is blushing, wondering what's wrong. And she's muttering to herself, "What if it breaks?" or something like that.
　I don't know what that means. I nod my head.
　While exchanging these words, we head to the theater.
　Eventually we arrive at the theater.

Sienna. Can you wait here for me?

　We can't risk anyone knowing about Shenna. You'll have to wait here.

Yes, sir. But if the man who did that to Marcius while you were away attacks him in the manner that he did: ......

　He's probably thinking of Marcias, who lost his head. Shenna says with a shudder in her body.
　Even though Shenna's restraints have already been released, Shenna doesn't run away because she's afraid of Ainoe and the others.
　Shenna looks at herself anxiously.

''Then I'll give you this.

　I hand over the sword I carry.
　The sword was made for me in case I left Nargol. The black blade is filled with my magic. It will at least buy you some time.
　Shenna takes the sword and embraces it.
　Did it stop shaking a little?

Well, I'm off.

　I'm walking alone.
　No matter how many alarm systems there are, you shouldn't be able to refuse anyone coming in front of you with impunity.
　So pretend to be a normal person and there will be no problem.
　I enter the entrance of the theater.
　As I enter, I see two men standing there.

Please wait. From here on out, no one but authorized personnel are allowed to enter.

　One man stands in front of me.

'I have brought a bouquet of flowers for Lady Ainoe from my master, the former Senator Cornes. Please act as an intermediary.

　I say the lines I had prepared.

'Master Cornes'?　But it's not the usual one, is it?

　The man must know the face of Cornes' messenger. This may have been a mistake.

'You may say that, but ....... I was only told to give myself a bouquet of flowers rather than my master.'

　I give myself a troubled look and bow my head.

''Ha ......, well, it can't be helped. Then I'll just keep the bouquet.

　A man tries to accept a bouquet of flowers.

'Hey!　No!　My husband has asked me to give it to you directly from me. Please let Ainoe-sama take care of this for me.

　I stand back and try not to give myself a bouquet of flowers.
　Honestly, this exchange is a pain in the ass.
　Threatening them might be quicker, but they are just doing their job diligently.
　I can't imitate threatening someone who is doing their job seriously.

Ha, I understand. I'll go ask Miss Ainoe, so please wait here for a moment.

　One of the men withdraws to the back.
　You and the other receptionist are left at the entrance.
　Eventually, someone comes from the back.

"Huh?

　I couldn't help but let out a dumb voice when I saw the figure from the back.
　The brave Rage of Light was standing in front of me.