A group of black men cut through the wind and expertly pushed their way through the forest. They were heading to cross the Barmes border in a straight line first, not returning to the city center. Perhaps it was the halfway point between the wealthy and the Tower of Babel.
　We drove through the untouched forest without slowing down as we flew from the branches to a foothold.
　After checking everyone's numbers, Ars took a big leap, adjusting his speed.
　And then Letty came up to him to get next to him.

'What did the Governor say?

　As expected, it would not be a good idea to keep the information about the squad's survival rate secret.

It seems there's a mineral deposit in the vicinity. Probably they've run into each other searching for the deposit or something. If we hadn't been there, we would have been outnumbered.
It's true that mineral deposits and caves are sometimes used as strongholds by demons, but is that enough?
'No, the problem is that you can get mithril.

　Linne also listens awkwardly behind Letty's questioning.
　Normally, he wouldn't be that much of a threat as Letty said, but this time was an exception.
　It can't be helped because there were no mineral deposits - especially those that would be used as materials for AWR - in the land that Alpha had recaptured.

'The minerals used in AWR are good conductors of magic. It's not just the magic that diffuses in such a dense place, it's also impossible to detect the inside with magic-based detection magic. Mithril is the pinnacle of that, it's unlikely to be able to use magic without a considerable amount of shape maintenance technology. In that sense, it was the right decision to have Lynne-san come along.
Really?　The Eye of Providence wasn't magic, was it?
'No, Lady Letty, the use of the eye requires a great deal of magical energy, so I thought it would fall under the category of magic.
That's right. It is indeed consuming magic and manifesting itself as magic.
And there's no way to detect the deposit, is there?

　Lynne couldn't answer that question with confidence either, and she waited silently for Ars's answer.

''No, it's possible. I've only seen a little bit of it too, so I don't know the details, but since the magic is exercised on the eyeballs, there's no trace of magic left in the area you're looking at.
Wow, that's amazing. We can't meet secretly, can we?
Lady Letty, I'm not so versatile.
What do you mean?

　Linne thought that hiding it would be detrimental. Even though it was precisely Cicernian's instructions, it was probably at least atonement since she kept quiet about the existence of the mineral deposit.

''Since you're looking at it with hundreds of vision, it's magically impossible to use it for a long period of time, and most importantly, if they realize you're looking at it, your magic will disappear and your vision won't be restored until you recoil and use it again.''

　Ars groaned as he remembered, "Ahhhh," from the passage that came to mind.
　When Lynne came to call him for the meeting, Ars noticed the gaze. At the time, it was as if she was being watched from directly above. Later, another vision revealed it to be her, but the gaze she felt she was being watched must have disappeared since then.
　Could it be that that was what it meant to notice?

'You mean, if we can pinpoint the fact that we're being watched, whether by sense or by pinpointing it?
'Yes, it's not so vague as detection. The condition for failure is eye contact with the target. The recoil depends on the degree of certainty.
Does that mean...?　I think they've been watching you for some reason.　If our eyes meet to the extent that they do, does that mean that magic is blocked, but not much damage to the surgeon?

　There was a bit of bitterness mixed in with the nod of affirmation. It would mean that the mood of unraveling an extraordinary magic is not a very good one.

I'd like to ask you both to keep this a secret...
I know.
Of course. I'm not that mean.

　Lynne let out a breath of relief as Letty replied with a big smile as she turned around.
　The squad members who had overheard Letty's decision nearby also shook their heads.
　If possible, Ars would also like to take the direction of no prying into each other's affairs, but it would be a godsend just because it's not just a different ability to be useful like Linne's magic eye. Probably because this time it is likely to be troublesome for you.

''Even so, the more I learn about it, the more interested I become in that magic eye.
Is that so? There's more than just the Eye of Providence, though there's something called the Devil's Eye.
'As I recall, the eye of Provillebens, who sees all truths, and the blue eye of Hequatra, who rewrites all magic, and the ship's eye of Salem, who governs life........'
The lacquered eyes of Isefolue, the eyes of death.
I thought they were all eyebrows. But if you look at Linne-san's magical eye, it's not so easy to make fun of her.
''I believe that's true. It's true that the evil eye exists, but since it's said that no one is still alive after the eye is opened, the military at the time seems to have made that decision. I've heard that the eye of Providence is relatively easy to control. So I'm a little reluctant to call it the magic eye. The Salem's ship's eye survives for a few days, so it's funny to say that it controls life. It's not like he could use the magic eye. As for Yisefolue's lacquer eye, it was named after the fact that it died immediately after opening its eyes.
You're in the know.
''Yes, as expected, I did a lot of research to control the eye, and I was able to check it out. It seems that the military at that time was either trying to rubbish the past failures, or perhaps as a warning to the magic eye holders in the future, or they were planning to make the term "magic eye" itself a mere figment. Since there's no way to do that, it's probably inevitable, but...

　With a somber look on her face, Linne's speech was reduced to a sullen look. After all, they hadn't been able to figure out the magic eye, and there was no way to stop the cause of death from eye opening.
　If they couldn't save even a single specimen that they had protected in their past magical eye research, then there was no way to deal with them by opening their eyes. If that is the case, there is no need to cause unnecessary confusion.
　However, since there were not a few people who knew of the unusual ability of the magic eye, it was implicitly understood that if any signs of it were seen, they would immediately report it to the military. However, nowadays, the number of people who know about the magic eye would be even fewer.

'I see. But if you want to correct one thing, it is true that Salem's ship's eye, which governs life, has a near-unique ability. Even though it can't be confirmed, it seems that Salem's magic eye holder has reached the point of going out of control. It is said that life was created as a phenomenon at that time. I wasn't able to get any specific information, so I don't know what happened until we know what happened.

　Rinne's eyes widened to the limit. It wouldn't be noticed behind Ars, either, but he couldn't keep his composure until the words were spoken.

''Well, where on earth did you get that from!　I've gone quite deep into it myself, but I've never heard of anything like that.

　Lynne is surprised because collecting these research data is difficult, even for the military. Because of the top-secret and confidential nature of the data, it was unlikely that any research or other records would have survived in the first place, and there would be no such information in Alpha's records.
　There is no doubt that after controlling the eye, he went through Cicerunia and asked for the Governor's help. If that is the case, is it another country? But that's exactly what's funny. It's not just a matter of time before you go to a different country.
　And moreover, he is a wizard who, until recently, was always out in the outside world.
　Such a thought was soon to be dissolved, rewritten with further astonishment.

'So be it. I learned that information while on an outside mission. I found it when I got quite far away from the mission because I finished early. It was in a building that looked like a facility, but the battle has now destroyed it, so I'm the only one who knows about it.
The "Hail Mary　The outside world!　That means that the first onset of the demon eye was long ago...
'You will. That was at least 50 years ago.
"From that time on? If it went out of control, wouldn't the magic technology of the time have been able to stop it?
I don't know. Whatever the origin. I think it's more constructive to assume that the evil eye has its own origin in being called that.

　Linne clenched her fists without knowing it.
　If this information had been known sooner, the research on the Demonic Eye might have progressed and fewer people might have lost their lives. It might have helped with control.

''We're almost at the Barmes border. Let's pick up the speed a bit.

　The speed increased a notch at Ars's command, causing a gust of wind.

　In one fell swoop, Rinne, who leapt up next to Ars, had to ask him something. Her expression of anger is hard, and she chooses her words carefully, looking at Ars with a sidelong glance to prevent him from realizing her emotions.

Master Ars, may I ask you why you keep this information to yourself?
Hmm?　I didn't keep it a secret. I'm interested in it now, but at the time I immediately reported it to senior management. The result was concealed. I don't have any proof, so it's not hard to see why, but you understand why?

　Linne nodded, feeling a chill.
　''There is only a small amount of research on the Devil's Eye. All of them have failed to produce results and have left their subjects dead. The outside world is the worst. Since it was originally intended to obtain the power that is considered to be a foreign power, it can't be blamed, but it wasn't worth talking about if the results were as if there were no results. Even if you hollow out the eyeball, you lose your xenophobia. Those who open their eyes will die out in less than a few days. The human race was trapped at a tenth of the population, and they couldn't wait for the opener to appear any time soon. Until now, there were only about a dozen people who had opened their eyes. It was more practical to contribute to the development of the existing magic in a cost-effective manner.
　The most important reason for this is the unbreakable magic formula. Not a single letter could be deciphered, and no letter in human history could be approximated in any way.

And the eye-opener could not even come forward, given the atrocities of research at the time.
It's...

　Lynne is about to speak out and swallow it. After all, if the mortality rate is almost 100%, it's the same thing. There's a few rare beings, myself, because I was picked up by the Alpha Army after my research ended, and because I won the favor of Cicernian. And, as Ars said earlier, outside information remains to be passed on. It happened in a research facility, it couldn't have sounded good.
　If it had gotten through to the city, it would definitely be acknowledged that inhumane research had taken place.

''In that sense, if Linne-san cooperates in the research, it might lead to some progress.

　She said this with a carefree expression, and Lynne closed her eyelids in a slight levitation, as if it were sly.


　♢ ♢ ♢


　The headquarters of the Balmes Army.
　A strong defensive wall has been built just outside of the Babel defensive wall, with a 20-meter high sentry standing at the top of the wall. They are always on alert.
　Even though high-rate demons can be detected by detection equipment, they seemed to be always on the lookout for danger. This is even more so if you know that the high-ranking mages in the country will not return.
　I'm not sure how many troops are currently left inside Barmes, they don't think to turn away from it, if it's an A rate, will they be able to manage it? No, if it's a B rate. You don't even have to look at each other to see that this kind of thinking is so widespread.
　Who would be able to go out to defeat a high-rate demon even if the detection device had a reaction from a high-rate demon? Of course, they know that they can't call themselves wizards, so they can't stand on high ground.

I'd like to see them come back soon. 'I'd like to see you back soon, Master Duncal, or even Lady Gilida.'

　It was even painful to hear the words dissolve into the air as if they were floating in the sky in vain.
　The reason no one opens their mouths about it is because the topic is a second-guessing that is repeated daily. Most of them have a loving family inside this protective wall. That's why they have to shield themselves from it.
　I am prepared to do that. If I could protect them with that, I would be proud of myself, even if I had regrets. However, under the current circumstances, he didn't have the confidence to say that he could protect them, even if he had to risk his life.
　I'm not going to be able to blame it on the fact that the people I'm fighting with have changed. If it was only a change, we might have been able to talk ourselves out of it. But with so few people, the heartbreak always begins to create an image of concern for the family.

　The double-edged AWR he had used for years hanging on his hip felt unreliable. He looked around and saw a few people who didn't even have an AWR plugged in.
　They were the kind of guys who had given up on fighting in the outside world and were tapping virtual keys on their desks, monitoring, communicating, and analyzing various information about their missions.

'Since we lost contact with the first group, it's been...'
No, no. Just talking to myself.

　He controlled the unexpected reply with a hand gesture. His slightly awkward appearance was undignified, but it was probably inevitable. Although he was essentially a sentinel, he was not in a position to unite the mages. On the contrary, he was a lowly member of the unit tasked with cleaning the low rates around the defensive walls.
　The captains were incorporated into the first squad, and he was the only one left, and the sight of him imitating the captain with his hand groping was hilarious and uncomfortable, but he hurriedly shut his mouth at the fact that he had been weak in front of the squad before he knew it.

'Captain, why doesn't Governor Gagarid ask for reinforcements from another country?
I don't give a shit. It's our job to follow our superiors' orders without question. I've heard that the Governor is a conservative man. He must have had a good reason for taking such a drastic action, I'm sure. Then the reason for not calling for reinforcements is because the Governor has decided that there is no need for him to do so.

　I tried to tell the younger subordinates, but inwardly I always said, "Hurry up and call for reinforcements! And he was swearing.
　Nevertheless, he was in a position where he couldn't udder himself. Maybe in a few years, just longer than his subordinates, he might be assigned to the command center.
　For a man who dreamed of joining the army with just a little bit of magic, the part of the squad he was ordered to be part of was more than he could handle.
　Maybe it was because he had been standing on this watchtower since last night, but how many times had he rubbed his eyes with no more supremacy in his voice? At that moment, five of his subordinates, spread out beside him, came up to him.

''Captain, it's about time for a change.''
Finally, I'll go home and get some sleep. I'll start watching again in the evening. You should all get a good night's rest. You don't want to miss the monster because you didn't get enough sleep.

　From the stairs and through the passageway, he ducked under Babel's protective barrier and entered the base. Some of the troopers couldn't bite off a lackey and some opened their big mouths, but he didn't deserve to be blamed for that. How many times had this happened to him, too?
　They are addressed to a few rooms as a squad in military quarters a short distance from the base. That's why they go out from the first floor.

'It's very noisy. Captain.
I wonder.
'Let's go and have a look. For a demon discovery, there's no way we're going to have a crowd of people here.
No, no. I'll take that route.

　The main entrance was quite large, even with a rest area on the ground floor. There were guards, but they were towering on either side of the door with no particular movement.
　It's not a place where they would normally gather this much. It's an obstruction to passage.
　At a quick glance, more than fifty people were looking out and spying on the situation. At the end of the staircase stretching from the front desk to both sides of the building, a similar scene stretched out to the second floor, where a crowd of people were clinging to the glass windows.

'What's really going on here?'
It's not just an incident. But it's not a crisis. There are no alarms.
But if you go to the reception desk, what are you going to do when you have a visitor?
Haha, captain, that won't even get our guests in.

'So that's it too?' he glanced at the entrance, his shoulders slumping in dismay.
　Still, you'll have to know what happened. It's a disgraceful promotion, but the duty must be done.
　He calls out to his subordinates to take their men and examine them. After accidentally choosing not to show disrespect to someone higher in rank than himself, he tapped the receptionist, a woman he had seen on several occasions, on the shoulder.

'What's going on here? You're supposed to be on alert right now.'
I'm sorry, sir. It's just that...

　The woman at the reception desk must have been a non-magician. She bowed her head deeply in awe, and I would act pompously, "No problem". I guess she's not quite on the board yet. The woman pointed to a point with a stubby expression.
　A number of blackish things flickered in the gaps between countless heads.
　He made sure no one around him was higher than his rank and then split up, directing his men.

'Sorry, let me through,'

　A subordinate inserted his hand and split the line. With an exasperated stare, the man walked out to the front of the line.

'----!　What was that thing, why didn't anyone raise an alarm when there's a shady guy like that coming towards us?
'Excuse me. Does anyone recognize that gang of black men?

　One of his witty subordinates looks over his face and asks.

'That's why we have someone who says that the brown-haired woman in the front of the room is Letty Kultunka of Alpha.
'What?　Why is Alpha's seventh place here ... no, no, no, we're not sure yet.

　As he raised his voice that way, the eyes of the people around him focused on him.
　I resent myself for knowing what he is trying to say.

(I can't show my disgraceful appearance in front of my men. Why is I the only one with the rank of captain at a time like this?

Follow me.

　I'll also remove the clamps so that I can touch the AWR and pull it out at any time. I've still lived in the outside world for seven years on this one. I'm not going to be easily cut down, bandit or not.
　Four figures and rankings have long since stagnated, but he knows that rankings aren't all about competence.
　Spreading his five men out to the side, he resolutely exited the entrance. Whether he is resolute or not is a self-judgment, so he doesn't know how others will see him. Still, as a captain, it's a feat he wants to raise a flower circle to himself.
　His legs are fixed at shoulder-width to prevent him from swinging.

(Arms ... better crossed.)

　As if on purpose, he placed the sheath of his AWR against his knee, making a metallic sound. He couldn't have been more intimidated. But there is an odd amount of pressure on the pitch-black group that walks in as if nothing is going on.
　Even more tension bubbled up his back as he could clearly see the face of the rumored Letty Kultunka. He has a gait that looks like he's about to skip, but he doesn't have any gaps at all.
　He knows because he too is dealing with demons in the outside world. Carelessness and gaps weren't limited to humans, and that's why he's been able to live until now.

　He has experienced what it is to be afraid. It's the pretense of being on guard. It was better to come to death from the start, so he could create an opening and make a decision to retreat. You can put on your guard with a gap, and if the demon can step on the high ground as a predator, you can put on your guard.
　However, there is nothing more horrifying than those who can't see an opening in their carelessness and letting down their guard.
　Before I knew it, the clattering sound was made by the hand holding the hilt of the AWR. It was unavoidable that he would pull out his AWR in self-defense out of fear, but if he, the captain, pulled it out, he would be in for a world of hurt if he made a mistake.
　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to find a way to make it work. But the reason why he hesitated to pull out was because the young wizard next to him drew his sword first.

'Fool!　Don't pull it out without an order!

　An angry voice brings the young man back to himself and forces him to use the eye power he has developed over the years to sheath it.

(Can't blame the guy, either.)

　I look at my palms, damp with my own sweat, and take a deep breath. I don't feel embarrassed, even if my throat trembles at the breath I exhale.

''Is it correct to say that the person you see over there is the seventh-ranked magician of the Alpha State, Lady Leti Kultunka?

　Then he opens his mouth to indicate that there is no hostile intent. Although there's a little distance between them, it's a measure because it's not certain if the other party also has hostile intentions. If they were bandits at the same time, it would be too late.
　However, it might be possible to buy time with your body.

　With a friendly smile, the woman raised her hand.
　He gasped again with lifeless relief at the clearing beauty. This was the first time he'd seen her, but rumor had it that she was neat and tidy.
　The cloaked mage's face was unmatched in all of them, and none of them were as bendy as she was. But in the midst of it all, only Letty maintained her unbecoming good looks.
　And the fact that she wasn't at the front of the line struck him with terrible discomfort, and he focused on the lone hooded figure with his eyes deep in the air.

'Please forgive my men for their rudeness,'
Oh, yeah, no problem.

　His eyebrows furrowed at the oddly childish voice. However, the fact that he was leading the charge by pointing at the single mage must be such a key figure.
　So it was a real relief to have been granted forgiveness.

''I know it's rude, but may I ask for your name?　I don't want any more disrespect, sir.
Ars Reagin.
........er, yes. You must be Master Ars, right?

　I can't take it back by questioning a name I've never heard of. I had to manage to get through with my poor worldly skills. It should be judged as equivalent to a single magician.
　However, what was amusing about such a reply was the carefree and lustrous laughter next to it.

"Kukukukukuk.........hahaha, what is that, Ar-kun?
That's the only way I can answer that question.

　"You? I can only watch from the sidelines as the single mage calls me by your name in a quizzical manner.

'It's confusing because they don't tell you the order from the beginning. Poor thing.
'It can't be helped. I'm not well known in my own country, not even in other countries.
It's really rough. At times like this it's a pain in the ass.

　Letty stepped forward and pointed her hand at Ars.

''This is our Alpha's pride and joy the number one, Ars Regin.
Ew!