It was a room ...... in a military facility, a space that was more than just a room.


　The room was large enough for several dozen people to gather at once.
　The high ceiling was supported by a number of thick pillars.
　At the back of the room were two large fireplaces.
　At the four corners of the room are engraved metal fixtures to maintain the temperature of the room.
　From the ceiling hangs a chandelier made of glittering glass imported from the kingdom.


　From the walls, sculptures resembling monsters from the Book of Chronicles poke their heads out.
　The banners hanging from the walls are black, and the tapestries are also black.
　In the center of the room, three steps up, a throne is placed.
　Behind it is a crossed banner with a three-headed serpent with purple eyes.


　--The Throne Room, in the center of the complex fortress city of Erdain, in the Darnenez territory of the Northern Alliance.


　Now here was a woman and a man.
　The woman is sitting on the throne with her cheek resting on her elbow.
　On the other hand, the man is standing at the bottom of the steps, holding a document.
　Their attitudes and positions alone reveal the relationship between the two men.


　The woman is Maifa Darnenez, the Lord of Eldain Fortress and known both at home and abroad as the Iron Rose.
　She is just twenty years old, with an innocent face.
　Her hair is a gently wavy dark blonde that reaches below her shoulders.
　Her purple eyes are either glowing amethysts or the eyes of the three-necked snake behind her.
　Her skin is so fine that even the freshest snow deceives her, and she wears black gathered gloves and a black dress.
　At the moment, her eyelids are closed as if she is asleep, and she is sitting calmly on her throne as if she is thinking about something.


　The man on the other side is one of her subordinates, the man who organizes information.
　He is in charge of gathering all kinds of information, both domestic and international.
　He looks somewhat frivolous for a ventriloquist, his face is stubbled and languid, and his lower eyelids are lightly darkened from fatigue.
　His face was stubbled and languid, and his lower eyelids were lightly darkened from fatigue. In some places, he looked as if he might be thrown out for lacking motivation or energy.
　As he waited for Maifa to speak, he was still scratching his head languidly, and dandruff was spilling out.


"Hmm, I see that your plan failed after all.


　It was the woman on the throne, Maifa, who uttered these formal words.
　As her husky voice reached him, his subordinate man replied, flipping through his documents with a sullen expression.


"Yes, it is. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea. After that, he went to ............ and, well, wait for it. After that, he clashed with the uprising Nadar army on the Mildur Plains, and won the battle. ............ That's how this whole thing ended.

"Hmm.

"Well, it's a very good story. Either Ceylan is very lucky, or there is some unknown force at work, or the victory was prepared in advance. ............ It is a very good victory. I'd like to commend you on how you were able to come back from that situation.


　The man who worked for him chuckled, and Meifa drew a breath of disgust, as if she had been told the same story over and over again.


Well, I suppose we've settled on ...... as a natural outcome.

"So, Maifa-sama, did you expect this result?

Yes, she did. It was unexpected that he realized the plot in advance and turned back, but there is no way that a person who is only capable of petty tricks such as diversion and embezzlement can take the lead in defeating the Crosselords. If it weren't for that, both Lichartio and Barbaros wouldn't have had such a hard time conquering the kingdom.

"Even if a lion is mixed in with the herd of pigs?

"Unless all the men you're leading are from the Empire, most of them are probably from Nadar. The majority of them are probably Nadar's. Then they won't be able to exert their full strength even with a lion at their command. A pig is a pig. A lion can't defeat a dragon.

"I see. I've been outwitted.


　And so on. To such a man, Meifa turns a cold gaze.


Is that it?　If that's all, then I don't think you needed to take any time at all.


　When she said that, the subordinate man's demeanor changed to one of frivolity.


"No, not yet. I have some other information I'd like to share with you.

Is there something else?

I'd rather talk about this. There was some kind of magic used in the crash on the plains.

What?　Magic. Magic is a specialty of the Kingdom. It's not particularly surprising.

It's said that the magic easily broke through the Empire's most advanced defensive magic and wiped out the mage troops with their cavalry.

You think that's amazing?

I'm not sure what to make of this.　I heard that it shot out magical debris and tore holes in people, horses and armor.

From what I've heard, it's a likely magic.


　Mayfa dismissed it as commonplace, but her subordinate shook his head.


I've heard it said that if such a terrible spell were used on a troop scale, it would immediately destroy the army. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.

"......?


　My subordinate man tried to somehow convey the extent of the threat.
　But Meifa can't quite grasp the magnificence of it.
　The standard for the power of magic is how flashy and large it is.
　From what I've heard, it's not impossible if the magic is powerful.
　The Northern Alliance has enough mages who can do that.
　Since we don't know how much protection the new type of defensive magic has, we can't say for sure.
　If the kingdom has a national mage, it would be natural for them to be able to use that level of magic.


　That's why I can't grasp the true nature of this sense of crisis.




　On the other hand, the subordinate man may have sensed Meifa's confusion.


"It's all right, sir. I've brought the mage who was hiding in Nadar's side.


　With that, his subordinate sent out a call to the outside of the room.
　Eventually, a mage entered the throne room.
　When the mage reaches his subordinate, he kneels down and bows deeply to Maifa.


"Hey, mage. What kind of magic was used in the battle?

"Ha!　The offensive magic was to shoot out a continuous stream of fist-sized black debris. You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life.

I'm not sure what to make of that. It's a threat, that's for sure.


　Is Maifa referring to the anti-magic, or the magic that penetrated it? Or both?
　The Flamelune is the kingdom's main magic. It is used uniformly by the mages of the kingdom on the battlefield, so if you have a spell that can defend against it, you will have an advantage in the war against the kingdom.
　However, what this story is about is that there is a spell that can overturn the result of not being able to penetrate with [Flamrune].


　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.


I'm sure the National Mage's magic is stronger in terms of power. And yet you can't help but be afraid of it. That means the rest of it was phenomenal, right?

"Yes. You're right, sir. I don't know the details, but it didn't seem like he used that much magic. I think that the amount of magic power used by an ordinary mage is probably enough to cover it.

"...... Were you able to get that magic spell?　Or can you recreate it?

I'm sorry, sir. We couldn't hear the spell, and we couldn't even recreate the black magical debris.

"...... I see.


　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that.


I'm not sure what to make of it. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

Yes. In the event that you're looking for the best way to get the most out of your business, you'll want to look at the following tips.


　The subordinate man said and let out a big sigh filled with fatigue.
　Then I'll have to gather more information to create a new magic.
　That's why his head is heavy.


Do you still think it's a new spell?

I'm guessing it's some kind of magic. Other reports have said that the spell was only used by that person, so it's not something that's been officially adopted.

Have you identified the person who used the spell?

I'm sure of it. The name is ......, and here it is. Arx Raytheft.

Raytheft ...... of the eastern Raytheft family?　I believe that's a noble family under the Cimmerian umbrella?

Yes. Yes, that's right, but I wonder... I'm not sure why he joined the strike force, but he had silver hair and red eyes, so I'm pretty sure it's him.

"Are you a legitimate member of the main family?　Or that molten iron?

I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure he had silver hair and red eyes. His age is ...... a whopping twelve.


　Maifa's upper eyelids fluttered in surprise when she heard Arx's age.
　She then looked at the mage who had been watching the spell, as if to inquire about its authenticity.


Yes, I'm sure. He was young, and looked even smaller than a child of his age.

Young. It's common for children of nobles and monarchs to fight before adulthood, but I've never heard of them using magic of their own creation.

It's a formidable talent. Just .......

Just?

I don't know what's going on, but it seems that this Arx Raytheft has been disinherited by the original family. I really don't know what's going on here.

"...... such a great talent?　Why on earth?

It's because his magic wasn't up to Raytheft's standards. ......

That's ridiculous.

It seems that there really is such a thing as a story. ...... I don't understand it at all.

Is this disinformation ...... to hide as much information as possible until adulthood?

I thought so, so I did some research, but the more I looked, the more I found only information that proved to be true.


　The subordinate man then raised his hands in surrender, as if to say, "I'm done with this.
　Then, as if he had one more thing to say.


The reason why you were the first to notice Nadar's uprising was because of the actions of Arx Raytheft," he said.　It is said that Ceylan himself expressed his gratitude for it at the meeting of the lords, and as a result, he kept it with him at all times while he was in the war zone.


　As expected, Maifa looked stunned.


In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to get the best results, you can contact us at our website.

I'm sure you've heard of it. I'm not sure what to make of that. It's a common story among those who worship only the amount of magic power.




　The subordinate man said, and turned around.
　Then he glared at the pillar closest to the door.


...... Hey, who's that?


　A sharp, blade-like energy is directed at the back of the pillar.


　Eventually, a shadow appears from behind the pillar.
　A young man wearing a tulip hat appeared from behind the pillar.
　He wears a cloak, a curved sword at his waist, and a backpack on his back.
　His eyes were as thin as threads, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking at first glance, which added to his stench.


　This man is just as smug as Meifa's subordinate.


　It was Gills, a man whom Arx and his men had met in a village in the Rustinelle territory.
　Maifa looked at Gills with a purple gaze.


"Gills.

"Thanks again, Maifa. Are you getting paid?　What do you say?

"As usual, you're everywhere.

I'm hoping you'll get back to me sooner rather than later. Also, when I tell you to get out of my way. ......


　I'm not sure what to make of that.


"Enough of this nonsense.

I'm scared. I'm afraid my balls are going to shrink.


　Gills hugged his shoulders and shook himself, making a gesture of fear.
　Maifa's purple eyes flashed as he ignored the scene and began to make fun of her.
　And right after Gills' face tightened and he jumped as if in a hurry.


"Whoa!


　The floor beneath Gills' feet turned black like oxidized iron.
　The hardened floor made a crunching sound and rose slightly.
　It was as if it had been frozen black.
　On the other hand, Gills, who narrowly avoided it, looked down at the hardened floor as if peering into it.


"Huh. This is the [iron bound eyes] spoken of in the scrolls. It's an amazing technique.


　He poked the floor with his toe, as if checking the condition of the floor, but he had no sense of danger. He just growls in admiration of Maifa's power.


　Maifa asked Gills, "Gills, what are you doing today?


What do you want today, Gils?

No, I didn't have anything special to do, but since you seemed to be talking about Mr. Arx, I couldn't help but listen and lost my chance to leave.

I don't like it when people come in without permission.


　A subordinate of mine scratched his head in annoyance at Gills' unwanted intrusion.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.


Do you know who this Arx Raytheft is?

"Well, I met him on my next trip.

"Huh?


　When Maifa voiced her interest, Giles began to growl.


"Oh?　Are you curious?　I'm curious. Of course I am. You're so funny, Arx.

Just tell me.

Meifa, you know that the quality of mages in the kingdom has gone up a lot lately, right?

Of course I do. Of course. That's why we've brought in a spies from Nadar's side to confirm it.

I see. So?


　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.


I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm sure you'll agree.

That's true.

So what does this have to do with Arx Raytheft?

The story goes that he was the one who made the improvement. Well, I couldn't get the proof.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

"Well, you know. My secrets cost more than what I'm bringing in to sell.

I'd like to know more about that. How much?

I'm sorry, but it's not for sale.

Huh?　That's a lot of money for a lot of things, don't you think?

Yeah. But you and I, Mr. Arx, are in love.　Wai's heart is as pure as melted snow in the Cross Mountains, so I can't betray Shinyu.

I think it's quite a betrayal for you to be talking like that, don't you?

No way. Don't sell out the identity of the factor, okay?

"............


　This guy knows what it's all about.
　While Maifa was thinking about it, Giles sensed Maifa's inner thoughts.


I'm not going to say that I'm not a fan of your work, but I'm not a fan of your work. The rest you can get by yourself through diplomacy or whatever. I have an exciting business meeting with Mr. Arx to attend to.




　With that, Gills took a leap, as if he were re-carrying a backpack on his back.
　With a flutter of his hand, he opened the door to the throne room and walked out.


　...... Maifa tells her men.


I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

"Yes, sir.

"The rest can wait. Approach Cinl Crothersroad for a meeting. Don't let anyone in the North know you're coming.

Yes, sir, but ......, what about our cards?

Well, what do you want? I don't know.


　Maifaa then rested her head on her cheekbones and closed her eyes again, as if she had fallen asleep.