Sophien's life was concentrated on a specific section. It was the time of her poisoning, repeating infinite death. However, the truth at that time and the anger at the person who poisoned her weren't that great. She didn't have much interest either. Perhaps this was also a kind of defense mechanism, thanks to the Professor who shared those memories with her.
In her mind, those days had been purified to some extent, and even if she killed and destroyed everyone behind it, nothing would come back to her.
"The reason you hate the… Demon Blood?"
However, Sophien harbored a strangely passionate hostility towards only the Demon Blood.
"Right."
At Ahan's question, Sophien leaned back and let out a warm breath.
"The citizens of the Empire hate the Demon Blood. The reason is that they make money with the powers of a demon and enjoy a better quality of life than them."
A very small amount of dark energy flowed through the veins of the Demon Blood. Because of that, each of their clans possessed demonic powers. Reading other people's thoughts, psychometry for extracting memories and sensations from specific objects, magic eyes that evoked emotions through eye contact…
The power of a demon, distinct from magic, didn't require any special learning or training. Many Demon Blood succeeded with their innate superpowers among those in the Empire.
"But my reason is different from theirs."
Gulp-
Ahan swallowed. Then, Sophien grinned, looking at the sky outside the window, and muttered softly.
"I have no reason to ostracize the Demon Blood."
"…What?"
"I hate the Demon Blood for no reason."
"…"
Ahan blinked a few times as Sophien's lips twisted into a sneer.
"That feeling is getting stronger day by day, and now it is an impulse and a desire. As if I were born to hate them…"
As such, the Demon Blood was a race that highlighted Sophien's flaws. The Demon Blood proved that she was not perfect but filled with deficiencies. However, what about it? In the first place, an emperor wasn't supposed to be a perfect human. It was just one of the statuses that humans born with a certain bloodline could aspire to.
"Of course, some of them have also plotted to assassinate Kreto and me. And, when I was a child, there was a time when I mistakenly thought that my curse was due to them."
Sophien took a drag off her pipe.
"It doesn't matter now."
Blowing out blue smoke, she looked down at Ahan and met her gaze.
"…Ahan. Didn't I tell you?"
Instantly, the air in the bedroom grew sticky.
"That maybe I could be a monster."
Sophien's crimson pupils narrowed like a bird of prey's. Her smile resembling a snake's wrapped around Ahan.
"No, no, no, Your Majesty-"
It became hard to breathe, and her skin grew damp. It seemed as if the blood was being drained from her. Sitting on the bare ground, Ahan felt as if she were drowning.
"…Hmph. Forget it. Whatever it is, I will crush the Demon Blood."
Tap-!
She knocked her smoking pipe against the table. The sound brought the bedroom back to its original state as the overpowering pressure subsided. Ahan sighed and lowered her face.
Sophien continued.
"Even the Professor won't be able to disobey my will."
Like a blade, her eerie voice cut through the air. This was Her Majesty's warning to Deculein.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll keep that in mind…"
Ahan now had an obligation to convey these words to the Professor.
* * *
Late at night, with the full moon rising outside the tower's window, Epherene had an all-night meeting on the 30th floor.
—This is the Imperial Knights Order.
I was listening to the radio line from the Imperial Knights of the Islands to Reccordak.
—Knight Deya. What's the situation there?
—Reccordak is at peace. Monsters approaching the wall are the same as usual, and the collision cost isn't that great, so there is no threat.
Julie's voice was as clear as her beliefs. I listened quietly, fiddling with the bracelet.
──「Burnt Bracelet」──
◆ Information
: Burnt bracelet
◆ Category
: Damaged
◆ Special Effects
: The engraving for position tracking remains.
─────────
It was an insignificant object of no value to my Vision but the most precious treasure to Julie…
-Yes. How is your condition, Knight Deya?
"…"
However, the content coming in over the radio was a bit annoying. Without realizing it, I furrowed my brow.
-My… condition?
-Yes. I'm curious about your condition, as the one who is in charge of Reccordak.
When I listened closely to the male voice, I recognized it as Lawaine, Julie's junior and a famous senior knight on the islands.
-I'm fine.
—Are you eating well?
—…Yes.
My stomach twisted at that everyday conversation. Was this also a function of Deculein's personality? Was this why Deculein tormented Julie and those around her?
—That's good. The Islands haven't yet forgotten Knight Deya. When the Annihilation expedition is confirmed, we will be able to meet again there.
As I listened to Lawaine's voice, I thought I felt some cancerous emotion seeping in from the bottom.
"…Should I kill him?"
It was a business-only communication, but listening to how he talked, was that Lawaine guy a bad sign? I did well at pushing Delric.
-Yes. In case of any other special emergencies, please call us.
When Julie was about to hang up the radio-
Click-!
Suddenly, the door to my office opened. I looked over.
"Oh?"
The short chairman, Adrienne, stood with a staff larger than her in one hand.
"Professor Deculein! You were still here!"
"…"
I nodded, looking at her.
"Are you the recent criminal that broke into my office?"
"What?! A criminal?! This is also the authority of the chairman!"
Adrienne proudly held out the master key to open all floors from the 1st to the 98th at will. I shook my head.
"…Do you have a reason for your visit?"
"Well! I'm just bored!"
Adrienne approached and sat across from me. Then she grinned.
"Oh, right! I heard you picked on every word Her Majesty said!"
"…"
When did she hear that rumor? No, how did it already spread? Adrienne raised her eyebrows slyly as I wore a frown.
"Who is the source of the rumors?"
"Fufufu. I guess it's true then! It is also important to test the rumors rather than understanding them!"
"…Test them?"
"Yes! The news itself is from the Imperial Palace! Her Majesty has been in a bad mood all day today! The palace has been walking on thin ice! Maybe the reason is you! That's what I was thinking!"
"…"
Adrienne was the best at judging and acting on rumors. Her everyday smile was the perfect poker face. I was caught by surprise.
"And the reason for your fight was probably the Demon Blood, right~?!"
"It is a secret. Keep it as secret, too, chairman."
Adrienne wore a strange expression.
"You are asking me to keep a secret! Isn't that too naive?!"
"…"
"Anyway! You didn't like Her Majesty's Demon Blood policy, right?! Was that policy too weak?!"
…The policy wasn't strong enough. Fortunately, Adrienne seemed to have misunderstood the most important point.
"But what the hell did you not like?! Listening to Her Majesty's policy, it sounds like she was planning to kill all the old Demon Blood and capture the rest of their villages and put them in a camp!"
"How could I explain it to someone who I can't ask to keep a secret?"
Adrienne narrowed her eyes.
"Hmph! Then I'll think as I please!"
"Yes. Do that. You may be taken in for treason."
"Me? Treason? Pfft. She's afraid of me going to another country, so she treats me very well! No, more importantly, isn't it strange?! Why does Her Majesty hate the Demon Blood so much?! She's rather gentle with other minorities!"
As she said, Sophien hated the Demon Blood. However, the reason was unknown. Rather, the setting itself was unknown.
"I can understand why you hate them! You're part of the Yukline family!"
At the moment when Adrienne's chatter left out my other ear-
Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind.
"Yukline can use the excuse of demons and dark energy! If you kill someone, you can still say he was a demon! Everyone would believe you!"
I watched Adrienne as she muttered. As if she felt my gaze, she paused for a moment.
"What?"
"…Tell them, the world."
"What?!"
"That Deculein insisted on a stricter policy than that."
Adrienne had a big mouth, but her reliability was surprisingly high. Because of her position as chairman, she heard the Empire's secrets; less than half of what she conveyed were false rumors.
"Deculein insisted on the so-called extermination, which was crueler and more frightening than the policy proposed by Her Majesty, but Her Majesty rejected it… so they quarreled over that. That much wouldn't be a bad rumor."
"…"
Adrienne glanced at me and nodded.
"…Really?"
"Pass it on like that."
For Her Majesty's sake, I could become an infinitely evil being. In the first place, adding Sophien's burden would be one of the essential steps in clearing the quest.
"Yes! Well! Indeed, that seems about right even if I think about it!"
Chijijik-
The frequency of the loudly ringing radio filled the office. The chairman and I looked toward it at the same time.
—This is an emergency. An island has arisen in Imperial territorial waters.
"Eh?!"
—There are rumors that someone already dead is alive on the island.
Adrienne turned to me. I answered.
"The Voice has succeeded in its erosion."
The world of the Voice had finally revealed its scenery to the world.
"Erosion?!"
"Yes. It seems that the Voice has become a world."
It wasn't a matter that was originally going to proceed so quickly, but something must have twisted it due to the repeated regressions.
—Now-
I grabbed the microphone.
"This is Deculein of Yukline."
-Oh! Professor! Yes!
"As soon as the rumors spread, adventurers will flock there."
Adventurers were no different from hyenas in this respect.
"Under the order of the Captain of the Royal Guard, I order the prohibition and detention of everyone heading there. There is no proper law yet, but if any adventurers are found, they should all be detained for the crime of invading territorial waters."
-Yes. We'll proceed right away.
"In addition, select only some of them and bring them to the raid."
Saying so, I put on my coat.
"Pass the coordinates onto me."
-Yes.
"I'm leaving for there soon…"
My collar was caught as I was readying to leave.
"Professor Deculein! Can I go too?!"
Adrienne looked up at me with dazzling eyes.
* * *
Swoooosh-!
Countless groups of boats were dividing the territorial waters of the Empire. The number that could be seen with the naked eye was about thirty or more. Quite a few adventurer's groups came running here as soon as they heard the news.
"…That's a lot."
Lia of the Red Garnet Adventure Team muttered with admiration.
"Well, adventurers are like this. There are also those who have experienced the Voice, so the hubbub over there is expected, right? Wherever there is money, there are adventurers. Even in hell."
Ganesha skillfully drove the boat; seawater sprayed onto her hair.
"Hey, how about you, Sylvia? You have a very tense look."
Sylvia, the wizard who formed a party with them from the Voice before the erosion, was wearing a stiffer expression than usual. She didn't even answer Ganesha.
"You seem very nervous… huhu."
She chuckled, finding Sylvia adorable…
"…Oh."
Ganesha's face hardened slightly as she slammed the brakes.
Splaaash-!
Their boat came to a sudden stop. The passengers, including Sylvia and Lia, were violently thrown forward.
"Ouch!"
"Oh!"
"…Leader. What's going on?"
Carlos asked. Ganesha answered by tapping her crystal ball earring.
"Tsk. At the entrance over there, I heard Professor Deculein is doing something."
"…"
Carlos's expression darkened. Lia got back to her feet.
"Professor Deculein?"
"Yeah. Are you saying that if we go now, everyone will be arrested?"
In time with Ganesha's words, shoosh-! The ten boats ahead of them floated into the sky under Professor Deculein's Psychokinesis.
—…We are notifying those who have entered Imperial waters.
Someone's voice resounded over the waves.
─Unauthorized adventurers cannot access any further than this. If you ignore this warning, you will be detained as a violator of Imperial Law.
Professor Deculein's familiar and attractive tone.
—If you feel any dissatisfaction, feel free to come to us anytime if you wish to appeal. I am Deculein of Yukline. The communication line is open.
Despite that, he was clearly saying that he wouldn't communicate.
"Haah. We should have arrived sooner."
Ganesha sighed and sat back down on the boat's deck. Deculein? She didn't know what was going on, but it was better not to mess with him.
"…Let's have a meeting here about what to do."
"Yes!"
Lia answered vigorously. Leo was still sleeping, and Carlos had already hidden under the deck. Only Sylvia remained above deck with them, glaring over the sea.
"Okay. I understand that everyone agrees~."
Ganesha grabbed Sylvia's wrist and dragged her under the deck.