It may be described as a castle.
　Of course, it's not too big. Still, it can accommodate 200 people. The number of rooms is said to be 30.
　Like Babel, it's a chalk castle.
That's because the only thing we can compare it to is what we call a castle. The silhouette itself looks like a square pyramid.
　In one of the rooms, the heads of seven nations meet every year.
　For something that was built just for that purpose, it seems like a waste of money, and by extension, taxpayers' money.
　We arrived at the time when the sun was about to rise. I scrutinize the pseudo-sun rising from the horizon with my hand, as I knew it was annoying.

　I immediately went to sleep in the room I had been assigned. The meeting was to take place around noon today, so I decided to let him sleep until then.

　And he woke up just a few minutes ago, probably about four hours of sleep.
　The reason Ars woke up was because the castle was in a hurry.
　He woke up early for the scheduled time, but better late than never, because if it was early, the heads of state would start gathering an hour before.

　I finish getting ready and take out my black clothes from the closet. Even though he is an honor guard, he is not required to wear anything formal. It may be that they are flexible enough to bear the name of a single.
　He rolled up his sleeves on his white shirt and dressed in well-tailored black top and bottom clothes.

(Looks like a butler.)

　And so on and so forth, emptying one of the buttons on his shirt.
　Als had heard the arrangements from Linnea in the carriage all through.

　It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal of information on this.
　It's an opportunity to reaffirm that humanity is working together in the face of a common problem, since it's the only time we get together. You said it was on the surface.
　Basically, he said, it's a gut-wrenching battle.

　Last night, Lynne turned back to Alpha as soon as she sent Ars back to him. Next, she had to attend to Cicernia.

　As soon as he left the room, he met eyes with one of the servants.

''Good morning, Arus-sama.''
Morning. I just wanted to ask you something. Can we have breakfast?
Of course, sir.

　The servant then leads me to the dining room. It's currently in the corner of the third floor, and when I walked past a number of rooms from there and down to the first floor, I saw a double-opened door on my right.
　At a cursory glance, it could hold a hundred people.
　I turn my attention to the young man sitting there, taking a meal.
　He is the only one in the cafeteria.
　The long desks and countless chairs are lined up in an orderly fashion, and Ars follows the servant as he is led along, thinking that he wouldn't be able to eat in a place like this and not be able to go through his throat.

　The servant then pulls a chair behind the man who is eating....
　But as he went to the side, Ars noticed that the man's back looked very similar to his acquaintance.

'So it's Jean,'

　Ars throws that out with conviction, and the spoonful of soup goes back to its original plate without being carried to his mouth.
　The man, or rather the young man, slowly turns around. With a certain smile on his face--.

''It's rare to see you here, Ars.''

　His short blonde hair is twisted and wavy in random waves. The young man of medium build is in his mid-twenties or so, and his name is Jean Rumbles. He is the third-ranked wizard in Alpha's neighboring country of Rusalka.
　He's the only single wizard, except for Letty, who is the only one I know.
　At first glance, he gives the impression of being a good young man with a dawning sense of humor. Ars and Jean were together only once, on a joint mission with Rusalka.
　It's not so much that they are good friends as they are that they are not strangers, but Jean, a man of people-mindedness or maybe just a once-in-a-lifetime meeting, we used to talk about it.
　He is a young man who remains innocent to the point of being friendly.

　Of course, Ars doesn't dislike him. Or rather, he's a person who isn't very backwards...it's just that his bland personality makes him easy to get along with.
　For the same reason, I don't dislike a similar magician, Letty Kultunka, either. She's a bit depressing though because she's a bit of a mess.

''What's wrong with you, Letty-san?''
Yeah, that's the mission.

　Ars tells the servant to sit over here, and he smiles and pulls out a chair. In addition, he indicates Jean's food, "Same thing," he says.

'I see, but if it were Ars, he'd give you double digits.
That would have been fine, but this time I'm out too.
What?

　Jean was dumbfounded by what?　I turn my head to look at him.

'Magic competition. I'm a student now.
Really?
"Seriously.

　Kaa~" he groaned and let out a "foul".

'Well, if you don't have to answer it, I'm fine with that one. Besides, didn't Jean get out when he was a student too?
No, well ... yeah.

　I guess I'm not going to be able to gulp it down.
　But Ars asks, remembering what the Governor had said in his response.

'Is there anyone that good?'
'Well - hey, if it's just the rankings, it's triple digits, but our Hope is as good as double digits.
That's great.
You don't think so.

　As Ars, it's a flattering exchange, but Jean can easily see through it. Or rather, from the first place, it would all sound sarcastic.

'Naturally. You're not going to be of any use to me in Rusalka.''
Always the same, Ars.

　Hahaha, Jean laughs in a really happy way and continues with a face that doesn't have an external flavor.

But we'll take the championship again this year. It's a tournament where one person's efforts don't matter.
We get paid for our services.
Hey!　You've been bought.

　As for Ars, the convention is also a bundle of work.
　Jean clasps his hands in front of his face as he knows the face of Ars's mission.

'Please be gentle with our mage.

　As expected, Jean is also concerned about no small number of accidents at the tournament. Because of the practice format, if the difference in ability is too great, or if you are hit by powerful magic, the valuable talent of magic may be spoiled by the damage to your brain.
　And it's not hard to imagine that when you're dealing with the number one magician.

'I know. Who the hell do you think I am?
I'm glad to hear that. Yeah, I don't care if he's from another country.

　He smiles a bad human smile and makes statements that could not be taken as treason against humanity. I can't decide if he's joking or serious.

'Joking aside,'

　Ars let out a sigh of relief that it was a joke.

'Did you hear about Barmes?'

　Instantly, Jean asks in a whisper, as if he's in the public eye.
　You don't have to be Ars to know Barmes; it's a country in the northeast of the seven countries.
　But Jean's question was one that Ars, a student, could not know.
　Shaking his head lightly from side to side, he denies it.
　He moves his face even closer.

''It seems that they've forced a large scale retaking operation. Naturally, ah........what was it called?　That man.
Gilead?

　Speaking of that person, are you talking about Balmes' single wizard?
　I've only seen it in the data, but I'm pretty sure that the single wizard that Barmes has is a woman named Gilida, who is ranked 9th.

''No, I heard that Ms. Gilida is about 20th now.

　Yes, the fact that Jean doesn't remember is that 9th place is also highly variable. The rumor that's been said is that Balmes is being forced to screw it up for the singles holding slot.
　However, there is no smoke where there is no fire.
　Every time a Balmes wizard is replaced, he takes the ninth spot. So much so that his ability is said to be in doubt.

''That's right!　It's called Duncal.
That guy?
'I heard they've mobilized all their forces, starting with Duncal, who was ninth, and I'm told it's pretty much a work in progress.

　Ars cowered his shoulders, "What?

'It's a common story, isn't it? You weren't good enough for a single, were you?

　Jean snorted lightly in agreement with that.

'I suppose. But I'm sure you're capable of double digits, as expected.'

　There's no way you can screw a small fry, even if you're going to screw them in, but anyone can see how a mere demonstration can cause great embarrassment.

'If he's here today, you can ask him and see. They won't tell you, though.
Yeah.

　This is probably the difference between Ars and the other magicians.　
　To be honest, Ars doesn't want to get involved in the affairs of other countries in order to save himself no matter what happens to humanity, but those who fight for humanity, like Jean, can't just focus on their own country.
　If even one country is overtaken by a demon, it will target the Tower of Babel. If that happens, humanity will be hunted down even more.
　However, the top is not necessarily a monolith.
　On the other hand, the idea that we can't show our weaknesses to other countries is everywhere.

By the way, Jean, grimoire-type AWRs seem to be very popular in Rusalka right now.
That's it...

　Jean's cheeks twitch in a slightly troubled way.
　Since Jean's AWR uses a myriad of small balls called rage balls, inevitably the one who uses the magic book will be another person - another single in Rusalka - a woman named Hispida.

'Hispida-san is a gold-digger, you know.

　As a brand, the single name is perfect for the brand. I even thought Ars was so good at it to be honest.
　However, I also think it could lead to a decline in national power. It seems that the magic book type AWR is not a user-friendly AWR as Budna's grandfather said.

　After finishing breakfast, Ars and Jean left the cafeteria while making such small talk - how famous of the magicians who are talked about, and these two are even more awesome than that - and left the cafeteria, like a waiting room. I sat back in one corner.

　Forgetting the passage of time, he listened. As expected, I don't care what happens to the rest of the country, but knowing would help me avoid the fire that is coming down.
　I fully understand the importance of information. If it's the word of a single mage, whether it's the extent of the chit-chat or the word of a single mage, you can get more information - especially the behind-the-scenes stuff - than you can hear in the world.

　Well, most of it was really just chit chat.
　The two stopped talking when they saw the servants hurrying out.

''It's about time.''

　Jean shifted his gaze to the watch made of crystal behind Ars, who was sitting across from him.

'Isn't it a little early?'
No, you and my head of state are special.

　Ars followed Jean as he stood up to gain momentum. He has more experience here, so it would be better to follow him blindly as a person who doesn't know what to do.

　At the front, in front of the large door, Ars and Jean looked ahead, leaning against the wall.
　Two carriages there.
　And servants greeted them in an orderly fashion on both sides of the passage.
　At the same time, the door was opened and two shadows descended from a ramp-like ladder.
　One of them was someone Ars knew as well. I wondered if this was the third time we had met. They had only met at an ordination ceremony. The only conversational conversation we had was a simple greeting at the victory party afterwards. At that time, we explored each other's intentions to some extent.
　It's still different from the foolish heads of state of successive generations, as I thought, is Ars's impression. At the same time, I categorized him in the disliked category.

　To the left, walking gracefully with a parasol held up by Linne, is Cicernian Il Arzeit, who at twenty years of age has only been a former head of state for two years and is still in her early days.
　Her bluish, jet-black hair flows smoothly down to her waist, and her skin is so translucent that it seems to bounce back from the sunlight. She was wearing a black dress, and her ankles, which peeked out slightly, were emphasized in contrast to her dress.
　It gives a flattering impression. The feminine bulge is sufficiently attractive, and everything is proportioned well-proportioned.
　Her transcendent beauty was probably partly responsible for her immense support from the public.

'Oh, it's disturbing. It's depressing. I wish you would stop sprinkling that unrefined meth smell next to me, Ms. Lithia.
'You don't have to be so backward, Cicernia. It's the bare minimum of grooming for a woman, and for that matter, I can't help but envy the herbs available at Rusalka.

　The faint scent that reached far away was certainly one of the best scents he had ever smelled.

'Well, well, you can't do that on Alpha, can you?　In a country that smells like iron and oil, hey?　Mr. Cicernia.

　A woman walking on the right. Lithia Toof Infratta. She is the same age as Sisernia.
　Her golden hair, which seems to possess grace, curls gently around her chest and lands on her ample breasts.
　She was clad in a dress with wide lace, in contrast to the tight dress that Cicernias wore.
　The one thing they both had in common would be the face veil hiding their faces. Of course, it was for this occasion only.
　When Ars saw Lithia in the photo, the azure eyes, the victorious eyes, and the neatness of the face, combined with the hair color, give the viewer a fantastic impression. It is easy to see why she is called a fairy in Rusalka, and she has a fascinating beauty. That's exactly what a princess in a fairy tale would look like.

''Of course not!　Evidence of a complete lack of feminine confidence. The stench is so lewd and lascivious that it suits a slut like Ms. Lithia, who is in heat for her age.
"....!　Who's a flunky?　Mr. Cicernia. Please don't be jealous of me because of my poor body.

　Cisernia's eyebrows twitched and lifted, so much so that even through the veil, she could see it.

　Ars watches the two of them bickering like that in a daze. He turned his gaze to Jean to see if that was the case, but the blonde young man was not there.
　In other words, they don't get along. It's not just the Governor, but also the head of the state. It's not just the Governor, but even the head of the state does not get along with each other.
　When I returned my gaze, I saw Jean, who couldn't bear to look at me, quietly walking up to me - his shoulders were slightly slumped - and he said, "You're both in that area.



　He indicates the servants who keep their eyes down.
　They know their place as servants, and although it may be disappointing, it is a plausible way to end the day.

"It's good to see you. Good to see you again, Miss Cicerunia.
Yes, Jean Rumbles.
'Jean, you don't have to bow to such a vile woman.

　Across from a twitching Cicernia, Jean, who is smiling bitterly, turns his gaze to Ars, who is still leaning against the door, "There's someone I'd like to introduce to you, Lithia-sama," so that he doesn't look at her.

　But faster than that. Cicernia, who was speeding up briskly, approached with her black hair dominating.

''You're finally here, Ars.
How long has it been a while, Miss Cicerunia?
'I forget. More importantly, while you weren't here I was being talked about behind my back a lot, about how the first place was making things up because they never showed up.

　Huh, and Bale fluttered into a sigh.

'Doesn't it matter either way?'
No way. Alpha doesn't get licked.

　When lined up like this, Ars and Cicernia have almost no difference in height, so I wonder if they are one of the tallest women in the world.
　I felt that the eyes behind Cicernia's veil moved slightly as if they were peering behind her.

'Let's go in, Ars, since this is what it is in a place like this.
Hey!　Wait and see.

　Lithia, accompanied by Jean, raised her voice. Jean interrupted the thorny words and took over the rest of the conversation.

'Master Cicernia, may I introduce him to you?'

　A perfect smile.

'Jean Rumbles. I wonder if you need to ask my permission to do that.

　It's a composition that feels condescending, perhaps because it's at the top of three flights of stairs.
　It's not a friendly tone of voice by mistake. It's not so much that you have to go to the trouble of introducing them to Jean, but rather that you have to go to the trouble of introducing them to Lithia, and this is what is being said.

''Then.........''
Make it quick.

　Jean doesn't crack a smile.
　Ars advances out, thinking that this is the place to return the thanks for the information he just received.
　As expected, he couldn't do the impolite thing of coming from the top of the stairs.
　On the other hand, Ars felt the need to unleash a check and balance. Not to Lithia, but to his own head of state.
　He couldn't read the bottom, for better or worse. What was he thinking? Even the current exchange would be a false face. Even if they aren't close enough to each other to be true, there is a section where Cicernias use such faces in their calculations.

　Ars descended the stairs to Lithia's front and got down on one knee.

''-------!''
Nice to meet you. Ms. Lithia Toof Infratta. My name is Ars Regin.
'Greetings, Lord Ars, I am sorry to bring you, the current highest ranking mage, to your knees. No one here can force a single to kneel.

　Lithia reached out her hand in annoyance.
　Ars took the offered hand to accompany it.
　Then, in a whisper that only she could hear, which made her look a little childish behind the veil.

'I know you are uncomfortable, but will you please excuse me and forgive me for my earlier rudeness?

　Lithia knew immediately that it was referring to Sisernia.
　Then once Lithia turned her head to Cicernia on the stairs and said, "Of course. It's a trivial matter if Lord Ars asks you to do it," probably feeling superior under the face veil.

　The act of a single mage poking his knee into the head of another country who is not even the head of his own country.
　This is a sign of respect of the highest order. And it is not surprising that it is the first place, and yet it is astonishing for someone who knows the person of Ars.
　In fact, in two ordination ceremonies, Ars took a knee to Cicernias, but not any other. On the contrary, he is a man of repeated disrespect who has been absent from the third and subsequent ordination ceremonies.

'Ars, that's enough. Let's go.

　I couldn't see the expression under the veil.
　Ars bows once to Lithia and follows Cicernias.

　Why did he hit this little play? It's probably for countermeasures.
　The earlier conversation.
　It's to prevent Sisernia from including the person called Ars as a trump card in her hand.
　Of course, it might be useful to have the head of Rusalka named Lithia recognize something similar to that.
　As soon as I thought about it.

'Lord Ars, one of these days you will come to Rusarka. There are many things you won't find in the Alpha, and I'm sure you'll like them.
I understand. I look forward to seeing you then.

　Ars wondered if he could have made a smile without feeling uncomfortable, but he was affectionate.
　Jean froze in silence at these words and actions.
　Cisernia couldn't guess the expression on her face veil.
　But who would have noticed the sound of a clucking tongue somewhere?