After leaving the cathedral, I go to the boy and girl's house for the night.

　Then I use the magic of the wind to wake the girl alone and call her outside.
　The girl comes outside rubbing her sleepy eyes and asks me a question with a strange look on her face.

''Huh. ....... Mr. Hein, what do you want at this late hour of the night?
No, it's two days away and time is running out, so I just wanted to see how you were doing.

　I try my best to speak calmly.

'Oh, is it that time already? But you don't need to check on me. I can keep time at least.
That's good to hear.

　It's hard to see a girl who says she's punctual as a matter of course.
　I want to drag all the people who make me say that out and kill them.

'If you have nothing else to do--'
No, I just want to check something.

　I ask.
　Did my plan have any effect at all? Or did it make no sense at all?
　I check.

'I saw you from a distance, Miss. You looked happy with him. Can I leave him like this ......?　Do you have any regrets about taking the ritual and never seeing him again?
...... I'm sorry, that was sudden.

　The girl looks more than a little confused.
　Just a little (・・・・・・).

'Please, please respond.'

　I ask, with the last of my hopes on board.
　The girl, on the other hand, dismisses a bit of confusion and replies with a determined look on her face.

''No matter. Thanks to Mr. Hein, I was able to feel this thing called adventure. Having been exposed to a part of Saint Tiara's life, my admiration has turned into a conviction.''
Don't you want to continue to have adventures with him?
'It will not come true. I dream of becoming a hero - a saintly Tiara, because that's what I was born to do at the same time.

　There was no hesitation.

　I bite my teeth at that lack of hesitation.
　I willfully try to deny the girl.

'Even if it's an imposter, ......?　Even if to this day you are just a 'fictional', imposter, deceived and used to this day: ......!

　A desperate thought, he told the girl the truth.

　For the sake of future happiness, I knew the girl would suffer.
　I knew that she would be angry and despise me--

'Made up' ....... Even if it is, I don't mind.

　But the girl answered quietly, without wavering.
　No signs of distress, anger, or contempt were there.

　When she heard 'made up', she didn't ask back and said she didn't care if she was being used.

　He spoke as if he knew everything.
　And he had a look of readiness on his face as if he was finished.

　Oh .......
　I mean, I was wrong again .......
　It means that I didn't understand the mind of a girl who was less than three years old .......

　The girl long ago understood the truth about the created "Rustyala". It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're going to do with your life without anyone telling you.

　Regardless of whether this was the end of external factors or internal factors - it was all over.
　It was all over long ago.

　I had no choice but to say goodbye to the girl in a distracted voice.

'Oh, I see, I see. ...... Then I'll go back to the cathedral .......
'......?　Huh, okay.

　I leave.
　I walk on, mourning the thinness of my remaining hopes.

　How far can the pawn, Hein Helvirshain, really go?
　That's all I could think about as I walked back to my room in the cathedral.

　--And the next day.

　I took all the magic tools in my room and left the cathedral.

　After thinking about it all night, I narrowed down the viable means.

　In short, I have two choices: defeat a single country, or defeat a single girl.
　From the looks of it, the girl would not be convinced to defect, no matter how much persuasion I had to do. It's because it's been adjusted and completed that way.

　If that's the case, there's nothing to do but to force the girl into a coma and take her away.
　I can do that now. I got that resolve thanks to Palinkron.

　On the way, a subordinate who passed me on the way asked, "What kind of monster are you going to exterminate? He walked around with a heavy gear that surprised me. I chuckled at that and said, "It's a bit of a wild thing. But it's similar," and I fooled myself by saying, "But it's similar.

　I head to layer 20 and wait for the boys and girls.
　I continue to wait and thank them as they appear.

'--We've been waiting for you ....... Miss .......

　The girl looks a little surprised - but quickly answers with an act.

'Hello, Miss Hein. Are you alone today?

　Perhaps they think it's an extension of their previous arrangement to act each other out. Convenient.

'Yes, I'm the only one here today,'
"Are you here today to challenge my knight, Christ the Redeemer, to a duel?

　A duel?
　Oh. Come to think of it, there was a procedure for that.
　I was going to capture the two of them at any moment, but that kind of thing wasn't so bad.

'Yes, I will challenge you to a duel. But first, there's something I want to talk to you about.
Story?
"Yes, with your knight Christ.

　Then I turn to the boy.

'What's the story, Mr. Hein?'
'No, it's not all about fighting. For example, I can even get you to admit defeat by providing you with what you want. That's what I'm talking about.

　I'm going to attempt to see if I can't talk the boy down for a final time.
　If I can get him to go away, it will simplify the process from here on out.

　What would be difficult for me to do on my own might be easier for you and the boy.

'Surely not,'
So tell me what you want.
What you want, sir? ......?
'I will provide you with as much as you desire, whether it be money or honor. If you're looking for fun like the lady, I'll provide you with any pleasure you want. ...... so will you lose the duel?

　If the boy wants it, he is determined to prepare it with his life.
　Fortunately or unfortunately, he is not as timid as he was before.

What I want ...... I can't provide for you, Mr. Hein.
Can't you get it?
What I want is in the 'deepest' part of the labyrinth. So I can't prepare for you, Mr. Hein.

　The boy insists.
　He wants the legend of the legend in the "deepest part" of the labyrinth.

　The boy is holding something in his arms that can only be accomplished by relying on it. I don't think my life alone can provide that.

　After all, it's a starring role that seems to be a starring role.
　I gave up on the idea of nostalgia early on.

"You want that 'miracle' ......, the deepest 'miracle' ......?
Yes, sir.
That's certainly not something I can prepare for: ......

　I turn my face down, slightly disappointed.

　From the beginning, I've come this far in an attempt to capture both of them.
　But it's true that I had hoped for the boy's cooperation as well.

'This sucks: ......'

　In the end, it remains the worst.
　I can only appeal to the last resort.

　But my pieces can only go so far.
　I can't go anywhere, so I can only go there.

　I would have liked to have had a piece, a boy, if I could, but--

'It sucks. What you want is 'the worst' for me. ...... It's fine to hope for a miracle. But this labyrinth. It's the only place I can't. Oh, how--the place is bad (・・・・・).
What is that ......

　I spun the words without waiting for the boy's response.

'It can't be helped. Let's have a duel.'
I don't mind that, but I'm going to ......
As always, if you win, does that mean I'll never see your face again?
'Yes, that's of course. But--

　What I want is simple.

'Then, if I win, you and your daughter will leave the Confederacy.
What?

　With this, the battle begins.
　He unleashes his magic with the intention of deciding everything in his first move. However, I can't kill him, so it's difficult to adjust my strength.

Zeer Wand.

　The girl was first made to fall into a coma by the wind magic released by the force of the meeting.
　However, the boy was extraordinarily stubborn. The position was also good. He received the magic of the wind with an excellent passive voice.

　After all, he is the star of the film.
　I'm frustrated that things didn't go the way I wanted them to, but at the same time, I'm somewhat happy about it.

　He also damaged a number of magic tools, but not enough to knock the boy into a coma.

　They shoot magic at each other and cross swords, but they are both lacking in decisive action.
　No, they are too good at taking it easy on each other - or perhaps that's more accurate.

　Neither of us wanted to fight, even if it meant killing.
　From my point of view, it was too good to kill the boy. That's how useful he is. He has the potential to fulfill any role.

　As I am unsure about whether the boy is alive or dead, I catch the girl trying to regain her mind out of the corner of my eye. Realizing that my time is up, I relax from my body.

'I didn't expect you to go this far, Christ, ....... My plan has gone awry. ......

　When the boy didn't faint at the first surprise attack, it was probably impossible to capture him anymore.

　The boy now has that much fighting ability.
　More preparations and personnel are needed.
　In some cases, we may have to resort to cowardice.

Why are you doing this ......?

　The boy doesn't seem to understand what he's saying.
　To that I answer honestly.

I guess it's because I saw the young lady playing happily with ...... you.
'A fun-loving Rustyala playing ......?　So why do you want to go to ......?
I was wrong.

　Looking back, it was all a mistake from the moment I met her.
　After another three years, I still had no idea what was going on in the girl's mind, and I made a mistake in my plan.

　Let's just drive a wedge into the boy this time and be done with it.
　He's one of the most important of the means left.

'If we don't, the young lady will die. Please, Mr. Christ. Let her go. ......
What?

　The boy opens his mouth and is surprised.

'You can't get my words to the young lady anymore, so I'm going to have to force you to take her out ......!　Christ, Mr. Christ, you're absolutely right: ......!　Don't ever listen to your daughter's words: ......!　The lady's words are like a dawn, and in fact, they are all 'made up (・・・・)'. Her facial expressions, her emotions, and her way of thinking are all 'fiction'. I was a part of it, so I'm sure of it. Please listen to the real heart of the 'girl there', not that distorted, unstable, impersonal 'Rustyala' being: ......!

　That's where my time is running out.
　I watch the girl get up and turn every bit of determination I can have into words.

'No matter what, I will take her out ....... Somewhere far away, not here .......

　So I withdrew from the labyrinth.

　This will give the boy a general idea of what's going on.
　Hopefully, the boy will question the girl. If that happens, there's even a chance that the girl will be swayed.

　However, I can't rely on that alone.

　I retreat to the cathedral at a quick pace and prepare for my next mission.

　I'm going to instigate and equip my men and scrape up the necessary forces to capture them.
　It was time to abandon my position in the Hoosiers. I'm going to use all the help I can get, gather all the strength I can find, and take them on. The quickest way to do that is to use a mass strategy.

　--But the reality is, it's not going to work out that way.

　The plan will fail halfway through.
　It's time to gather up some trustworthy men and women for a manpower mission.
　A knight in black armor appears in front of me.

'Hein Helvirshain ....... What the hell is this all about?

　Persiona Quager, the president of the Celestial Knights, rode in with her men to me.
　I am surrounded by knights in a pompous atmosphere.

　It's too early to be detected.
　Or so I thought.

　It has not even been three hours since morning.

　The only people in trouble for carrying out this plan are the top guys. And those guys on top of me were holed up in the back of the stage, so there was no way they could know what was going on in the field. Nevertheless, the president appeared as if he had expected me to act.

　It was as if this was the way it was supposed to be done in the first place.
　If I was being monitored, I could understand this quickness. But I'm not so incompetent as to be unable to notice the surveillance. -- but there's a chance that even I can't notice it.

　It's sensory magic.
　It's not something that even I, a stone's throw away, would be able to notice if I was being watched from far away.

　Right now, there is indeed an expert in sensing magic here at the Hoosiers.
　It's Palinkron. However, his goal seemed to be 'my runaway'. It's hard to imagine him cooperating.

　I don't know what the truth is, but ...... either way, it doesn't change the fact that some of the means I can take have been crushed now that I have a warlike president in front of me.

　Quickly, I move my thoughts to the next.
　At this early stage, reinforcements would be coming soon. It's only a matter of time before even the knights of my family's Helvilleshain are driven out. If that happens, even if it's me, the chances of me being unconscious will increase.

''--Zeer-Wind!

　I didn't argue and chose to flee.

　It helped that the wind's magic was geared toward disturbance and escape.
　I blew the Patriarch away by surprise, and along with the storm, we successfully escaped the siege.

　Perhaps the Patriarch still trusted me, his subordinate, somewhere in his heart. It is very likely that this slackness allowed me to escape.

　I run away from the cathedral and think about it as I run through the back alleys of Hoozeyards.

　If possible, I would have wanted to talk to Sera Raydiant and Ragne Kaikwola.
　The two of them are not only easy to pigeonhole, they are also perfect as a fighting force. I regret that I misjudged my priorities.

　However, I don't have time for regrets.

　The pursuit of the Hoozeyers' knights after that was apt.
　The Knights of Hoozeyards, who had been augmented for the Nativity, were deployed in the city to capture me under the guise of patrolling.

　Frustrated by the vividness of the enemy's siege, I move away from the cathedral.

'Ha, ha, ha ....... Hahaha ......'

　I laugh with a shortness of breath.
　It doesn't work out that way, even if I try to make a resolution or two.
　Somewhere along the line, it's not convenient.

　I'm just a pawn on the edge, after all.
　I'm not the star of the show.

　Chewing on that fact, I continue to hide out in Hoosiers.
　Any contact with the boy and girl here could have unwanted consequences for both of us. Right now, I need the boy to shake the girl. It would be bad enough if the Hoosiers were to be forced to pick up Rastiara early.

　My escape battle is going to be a long day's work.
　It was unfortunate for me that it was the Chancellor who was in command. Because the Chancellor gave the order, even Monet of the "Celestial Knights", who had no hands free, joined the search and was unable to do anything.

　With the top two of the Seven Celestial Knights in the Sky, they were in a bad position.

　The time is just passing by as they act and avoid fighting with the Seven Celestial Knights.
　It's frustrating to see the capture of the boys and girls becoming less and less realistic.

　--and the next day.

　It was morning, when I was thinking about how I could somehow shake off the knights.
　The knights pulled away.

　I realized that the girl had returned to the cathedral.
　Now the knights are after me to capture the girl. If the girl fell into their hands, there would be no reason for them to chase me forcibly.

　If only the girl is there, Hein Helvirshain will have no choice but to appear at the cathedral. We can intercept there with a well-prepared body. I guess that's what they've decided.

　There are few ways left for me to do this.
　One of the most realistic of them is to strike hard in the middle of the ritual. Only at that moment, there is a chance that the magic on the girl has been broken. They need to pay attention to the ritual as well.

　-- but that's exactly what the other side has in mind, no doubt.

　I see that the knights have pulled back and I drag my injured body to the boys and girls' house.

　I use the magic of the wind to see what's inside the house.
　The boy is there.
　But the girl is gone.

　I calmly accept that the girl has returned to the cathedral and carefully observe the boy inside the house.
　I can't figure out the details inside.
　The magic of the wind is not that much of a panacea. But I can see that the boy inside the house is controlling the magic power in an unusual way.

　From the rush of his magical power, we understand that it is a magic for dealing with the majority of people.
　The boy is practicing a new magic. He is sharpening his fangs to fight with some purpose, honing his every nerve.

　Perhaps it's because the boy's expression seems to dovetail with his own, but the new board is becoming faintly visible.
　I'm beginning to understand the placement of the pieces around tomorrow's nativity.

　The boy is the star of the show, after all.
　The only piece to check on the girl is the boy.
　Then the role of the pawn, me, must be--

Ha, ha, ha ......

　He smiles thinly at the fact that he hasn't yet recovered from his altruism, and immediately begins to act.
　Turning on his heel, he moves to a point where he can see the cathedral of the Hoozeyards in the distance and gather as much information as he can. All of this is to make the most of the boy.

　Perhaps the boy will make a raid tomorrow morning during the ritual.
　I don't know who put him up to it, but he's probably aiming for the moment when the girl's magic is broken.

　If so, I'll go along for the ride.

　--I will blend in with the darkness of Hoosiers.

　All for the sake of a boy and girl's story.
　That's all I think about, and I'll keep moving forward.

　Even if at the end of it, the piece called Hein Helvirshine falls - I don't care anymore.