Under the blue sky, a flash of light exploded in the center of the plaza.
On the top floor of a clock tower is located at a considerable distance from the plaza... a man holding a thin long-range ejection magic tool had a smile on his mouth.
[...Finally done...]
He was commissioned to "attack" the Symphonia Kingdom's Second Princess, or perhaps, the one who holds the role of Hero... Yes, not to assassinate them, but to attack them.
From his client's point of view, his target shouldn't die... He can achieve his goal of diminishing the authority of Symphonia's royal family and give himself the upper hand.
The summoning of Heroes at the Festival of Heroes are carried out by the Human Realm in shifts, and the summoning nation will provide guards for the pilgrimage, while a member of the royal family with high authority is in charge of his guards... If the person in charge of playing the role of Hero or anyone accompanying him was injured during the pilgrimage, it would be too much of a blunder for the summoning nation and would lead to distrust to the royal family.
For this reason, the royal family guarding the person with the role of Hero with the best of their elites, and in fact, the past Heroes had completed their pilgrimage without any serious injuries.
It doesn't matter which one of them gets hurt, whether it's the second princess who's in charge of the guards or the leading actor of the festival, the one who holds the role of Hero... Whichever one of them is injured, the faith in Symphonia's royal family will collapse and his employer will be able to suck the sweet juice of the results.
He has been staying in this city for two months now to do some preliminary research. He had prepared for every situation he needed as a sniper.
After the one who had the role of Hero visited the city, he didn't act quickly and waited for his opportunity... He kept waiting for the right moment when the guards were no longer in the sniper's line of fire.
He thought that maybe the opportunity would never come and the mission would fail... "Fortunately" for the man, his targets appeared in the plaza to meet with the acquaintance of the one who held the role of Hero... The acquaintance's visit made the guards give a slight opening to let this person through.
That's the best time he could hope for, and his magic bullet definitely slipped through the guard's vigilance... It's no exaggeration to say that it was a combination of various miracles, and the man felt that he may have been lucky... Therefore, he has committed "the worst mistake he can make".
Yes, he should not have shot at this time today... Not only should he have looked into the princess and the one who has the role of Hero, he should have investigated who the acquaintance who visited them as well.
If he had investigated, he would have realized that attacking this acquaintance... that an attack involving Kaito is an act "that is tantamount to suicide"...
As the man smiled and looked through the scope of his sniper to check the results, the explosive smoke that had enveloped the plaza cleared out on his gaze.
[....Wha... Wha... Wh... y...]
The people who emerged from it weren't harmed at all... And not only that even a speck of dust wasn't on the second princess, the one who played the role of Hero, and on Kaito's clothes, there appeared a figure wearing a black robe riddled with chains... But in the eyes of that man, it's as if he had seen the Incarnation of Despair.
[...No way... P- Phantasmal King...]
[Let me explain one thing to you...]
[!? Ahh, ahhhhh...]
Faster than he could mutter, the Phantasmal King's figure disappeared from his vision, and soon after, a high-pitched voice came from beside him.
[Whether the princess of Symphonia Kingdom dies or that guy holding the role of Hero dies... I don't really care about that.]
[...Ahh, hyiiihh...]
With her high-pitched voice echoing around, the Phantasmal King No Face was there.
She was leaning out of the window of the clocktower, beside him... Standing perpendicular to the wall of the clock tower, as if to say that gravity doesn't matter...
[However, if those two got injured... Kaito-san will probably get sad. His emotions will get hurt... That is to say, isn't it that? You just tried to "hurt Kaito-san's heart" right in front of me"... Isn't that what it means?]
[!?!?]
Her voice was so cold and intimidating that one would think that their head had been cut off just by her killing intent alone.
Just like a criminal waiting for the death sentence that he couldn't escape from, as if the right of life and death is already out of his hands...The man understood that in an instant.
[...It's just, well, my master is very kind and sweet... I'm sure that if I kill you, he will feel responsible for that... That's why I won't kill you.]
[...Eh?]
[I'll give you two options.]
[...Op... tions?]
As if there was no longer anything but fear in his heart, the man only parroted No Face's words, but his face was so pale... He was so terrified that he couldn't even sweat.
However, when he heard the words No Face muttered about how she won't kill him, he felt as if a faint glimmer of hope appeared... He looked just slightly better.
However, those fleeting hopes were shattered by the words that followed.
[...If you obediently speak out who is the one who commissioned you to do this... "I'll forgive you that I would let you off only after turning you into someone who can satisfactorily conduct your daily life again".]
[!?]
[If your pride as a professional prevents you from revealing your client, that's alright with me... After all, the results won't change. You will eventually speak out who commissioned you with your own mouth. Though, in that situation... You'll probably be saying "Please, just kill me" after you've told me everything... Now then, you can choose either one of the options, you know?]
[Ahh, aaaaaahhhhhhh... Uaaahhh...]
Her words are too cold and ruthless... Moreover, No Face also knows that he had been commissioned as if it was obvious.
Even though she knows all of this, she still made the man pick a choice... Whether he can drop everything and live in misery, or he can keep his pride, and go through hell and die with that pride of his... Having to pick between those two dreadful options...
[Come on, choose... I'll give you a few seconds.]
I didn't immediately know what had just happened.
A sphere of magical power suddenly flew towards Princess Cattleya and seemed to "explode before it hit" Mitsunaga-kun, who was protecting Princess Cattleya with his body.
Immediately after that, Alice appeared in the form of the Phantasmal King, and I had also confirmed that Princess Cattleya and Mitsunaga-kun were safe.
[....!? Seigi! A- Are you alright!? Are you injured? Does it hurt anywhere? I- I'll get a doctor right away... N- No, a healing mage...]
[I- I'm alright, Cathy. I'm not injured anywhere...]
[I- Is that so... Thank goodness. Wait, why the heck did you do that!? I'm more powerful than you! Something of that extent won't deal much damage... Covering me with your body, what would you do if something happened!!!?]
Princess Cattleya looks flustered and confirms Mitsunaga-kun's safety while calling him by his name "Seigi", which is what she probably calls him when they're alone.
Thereupon, after confirming that Mitsunaga-kun was safe, she heaves out a relieved sigh and begins to vigorously scold Mitsunaga-kun.
Hmmm, how should I say this... I think I can understand now why Alice said that Princess Cattleya has a personality similar to Lilia-san's.
Something about how she was really flustered just now looks the same as when Lilia-san was worried about my health.
[I- I'm sorry. However, look, it's alright.]
[You really are... T- Thank you.]
Once again realizing how close Princess Cattleya and Mitsunaga-kun are, just as I felt a small smile appear on my lips despite the situation we're in now, Alice appeared in front of us.
[P- Phantasmal King-sama!? T- That just now was...]
[Kaito-san, I've secured the person who carried out that attack. While I'm at it, I've also investigated who was behind the scenes as well~~]
She just ignored Princess Cattleya.
[T- Thanks... Errr, what about the attacker...]
[It's alright. I didn't kill him.]
[I- I see...]
Should I say that it's to be expected from Alice? She did a really quick job of catching the attacker and investigating their background as well.
After reporting this to me, Alice finally turns to Princess Cattleya and speaks to her in the high-pitched voice she uses when she has the appearance of the Phantasmal King.
[Second Princess of Symphonia Kingdom... You don't mind if we take care of this matter, right?]
[Y- Yes. Of course.]
[Well then, Kaito-san. I will go deal with some fools.]
[Eh? Ah, unnn... but...]
[I know. Don't ever kill, right?]
Alice nods, saying that she knows I was talking about, but that isn't exactly what I was about to say, so I'll correct her.
[No, that's not it.]
[...Eh?]
[Just do that "if it's possible"... If Al—– No Face was about to get hurt, you can just kill them without hesitation.]
[...Kaito-san.]
Yes, just do that if it's possible. It's not that I'm concerned about the life or death of a stranger. I'm just telling her to try not to kill that many people as possible. Even if I'm telling Alice not to kill, it isn't like I'm speaking for her enemies, I just don't want to see Alice kill others.
[Rather than the life or death of a stranger, No Face's safety is much more important to me... Just kill them if it's necessary...]
[I- Is that so... I- I- If you say it like that, I- I would feel embarrassed...]
[Ah, errr... Anyway, I'm counting on you.]
[...Yes. By my lord... by your will.]
When I told her that, Alice gave me an ostentatiously, dramatic bow and disappeared.
If I leave it to Alice, I can be relieved now, or so I was thinking... but I heard a voice from behind me.
[Well, the one going there is just my clone, and this loooooooovely~~ Alice-chan's main body would still be here! It's alright! Your beloved Alice is right here, so it's OK to give her lots of love!]
[...And you had to ruin all of it.]
[...Eh?]
I feel like the slightly cool air she had just now has just turned to nothing.
Why can't this woman just stay cool until the end...
Dear Mom, Dad———- The assailant seems to have been quickly taken care of by Alice and she's dealing with those who were related to it behind the scenes. I'm really grateful for that, and I know that I can rely on Alice, but how should I say this——– In a way, Alice is the only one staying the same as always.