Chapter 5: Makoto Takatsuki Is Called to Highland Castle
The Room of Silver Wings was not on the top floor of Highland Castle, but the one just below it. The highest floor was reserved only for royalty, so this room was the best place for non-royal people of high status to gather.
"Uh, Princess Sophia, who is everyone again?" I asked in a whisper.
"I will say this once more, Hero Makoto," she replied equally quietly, murmuring a list of names to me:
The first prince of Highland, Gaius Highland. The second prince, Juliano Highland.
The second princess, Cardinal in the Church of the Sun Goddess, Noelle Althena Highland.
Pope Roma Bolgia of the Church of the Sun Goddess. Head of the Eastern Domain, Archduke Micheal Roland.
Head of the Western Domain, Archduke Marco Whitehouse. Head of the Southern Domain, Archduke Lorenzo Baileys.
Head of the Northern Domain, Archduke Bartolomeo Ballantine. Prime Minister Vittorio Whiteheather.
Commander in chief of the Soleil Knights, Owain Bladnoch.
Those were all the leaders of Highland, and everyone was gathered around a massive round table.
"Have you got it?" she asked quietly. "Sorry...not a chance, Princess."
"Very well," she replied with a sigh, then giggled slightly. "I will tell you again later."
I'd never be able to remember all of them. I glanced over the assembly again, and the nobles didn't look in the greatest of moods.
"Where is His Majesty?" asked Archduke something-or-other as he rested his chin on a hand.
"His Majesty is not well, so he will be absent from today's meeting," the prime minister guy answered.
"Again? That is a concern, king or not."
"The only other person missing is...the Grandsage. As ever, I suppose."
Apparently, the Grandsage was constantly playing hooky.
"Did you have something to say that warranted taking up our
precious time, Noelle?" asked the first prince. There was an implicit "get started" in his tone that went unspoken, but not unheard.
Honestly, though, that felt like a harsh thing to say to his own sister. "I would have Princess Sophia explain," Princess Noelle replied.
"Ah, I had wondered who was sitting off to the side over there," one of the archdukes commented disinterestedly. "Now I see it is a pretty little princess from some minor state."
"You mustn't be so disdainful. That minor nation's State-Authorized Hero defeated a hero of Highland, after all," another person added with a chuckle.
"Do you wish to say something, Lord Marco?"
"Not at all, Lord Bartolomeo. How is your son, incidentally?" "Tch..."
Lord Ballantine was glaring our way. Princess Sophia kept a completely blank and composed expression, which was pretty impressive. On the other hand, I could practically feel an ulcer
coming on, and frankly, I just wanted to go home. How'd this end up happening?
đ Several Hours Earlier đ
Fujiyan, Nina, and Princess Sophia were at the inn when we got back. Lucy was probably with the Grandsage...? Either way, Fujiyan rushed over to Sasa and me.
"Hi again, Fujiyan."
"My esteemed Tackie!" he exclaimed. "We have found the ringleader of the rebellion."
"Already?!" Sasa exclaimed in shock.
Yeah, it was pretty fast. I'd heard from Noah, but Fujiyan's information gathering capabilities were impressive.
"Lord Fujiwara is a capable man," Princess Sophia added. "How come you're here, Princess?" I asked.
"My attendance was requested at Highland Castle later, and I decided it would be worth confirming the latest information in regards to the rebellion. However, Lord Fujiwara has gathered far more information than my sources have managed to collect.
Incidentally, Hero Makoto, Aya Sasaki, I was told that you had both ventured into the ninth district. Were you in danger?"
She'd been worried... I could tell from her tone. "Nothing realâ"
"It was awful!" Sasa cut across me. "We got chased by guys from the slums, then attacked underground by the undead! And then there
was the mafia! Takatsuki wanted to check it out right away!!! Hmph!"
Huh? Actually, we went through quite a bit of trouble, didn't we?
"What did you just say?" Fujiyan asked. "The undead?!"
"Really'h?!"
Everyone had something to say about that.
"There were a bunch of skeletons and zombies in the underground
water tunnels," I said, and then I gave a simple explanation of what'd happened.
"To think that the tunnels were in such a state..." "You met the Castor family capo'h?!"
"If the spread of weed is so vast..."
Princess Sophia, Nina, and Fujiyan each had different points from my story that'd shocked them, and Princess Sophia's facial expression was the most severe.
"Hero Makoto, please accompany me to Highland Castle," she said. "What? But I wanted to get something to eat..."
"This information is something that Lady Noelle should hear as soon as possible."
"R-Right..."
And so, I was dragged along to the castle. Everyone else stayed back as we went to the castle to see Princess Noelle.
...I'm hungry, I thought to myself.
Back in the present, Princess Sophia had finished giving an overview to all the nobles at the table.
"The beastmen and demi-humans are rebelling? Those ignorant animals."
"We have been too lax. We should put them all back into slavery at once."
"I cannot counsel that, considering the Great Demon Lord's revival is imminent. There are a great many beastmen and demi-humans in both Springrogue and Great Keith and enslavement will invite objections from them."
"It would also have an effect on our Northern Front Plan."
So far, I hadn't said a word, but just vaguely listened to the conversation.
"The details can be dealt with laterâwe just need to capture the ringleader and put them to the sword." That extreme suggestion had come from...Gerald's father! Like son, like father... They're both hotheaded. Actually, I guess it's like father, like son.
"Whatever their plan, it has yet to be carried out. We have to consider other countries, so perhaps the agitators should instead be indefinitely imprisoned." The one who'd spoken was a seemingly mild man...the pope. He argued against execution.
"Does it matter?" The second prince still seemed utterly bored.
"In either case, we shall use the list Lady Sophia has gathered to apprehend those behind the rebellion so we can interrogate them. Is this acceptable?" There was silence from all, and no one objected to Princess Noelle's proposal. With a smile, she said, "Then let us
continue to the next topic."
It seemed like she was chairing the meeting.
"Undead in the water tunnels...it's a real nuisance."
"Could this perhaps be negligence on the Temple Knights' part as they protect our capital, Pope Roma?" The unpleasant archduke grinned toward the pope. It was the same one that had provoked Gerald's dad earlier.
"I will issue an emergency order for the Temple Knights to survey the tunnels. However, nothing of the like has happened beyond the barrier before. Would you not agree that the root cause is more
important?"
"It will never be discovered so easily."
"Not at allâit is simple. Undead are created through necromancy, and necromancy is aligned with the accursed moon. That reminds me...was someone not responsible for allowing the Priestess of the Moon to escape recently?"
"That would imply a connection between the priestess and the Snake Sect andâ" The first prince had lost his composure. Was it his fault then? "âher escape means a loss of everything."
"A Temple Knight has given a report that they had contact with her the other day in the sixth district. It seems unlikely that she is
connected with the events in the tunnels."
"I wonder about that. Incidentally, how is said Temple Knight?" "The curse cannot be broken. They are currently being treated." "Lady Sophia," I murmured, "what does she mean?"
"The Priestess of the Moon," she replied, "is proficient in darkness and curse magic. I will explain the details later."
Hmm, dark magic. I'm kinda interested... It's so cool.
"Now, now, the undead are not necessarily related to her. The issue, however, is how strong those undead are."
"For that, I would ask Hero Makoto here to explain," said Princess Sophia.
Wait, you're bringing me into this?
For the first time, everyone turned to look at me.
"Uh, an adventurer companion and I went into the tunnels in the ninth district. We thought there might be some clues there about the Snake Sect, but we only found undead. We defeated fifteen or so, and that was all we encountered."
"Fifteen is a lot..." someone commented.
"And yet two adventurers defeated them, so they must not be a massive problem."
"How can you say that?! The hero over there is a strong fighter that defeated even our Hero of Lightning! Any monster would be nothing to him!" proclaimed an archduke.
Come on... Every time Gerald gets brought up his dad glares at me! Can you not? Seriously, could this man be less pleasant?!
"A thousand Temple Knights are currently exterminating the undead within the tunnels. I imagine that they will be defeated imminently." The pope smiled. He seemed pretty chill.
"Then all that remains is to capture the priestess."
"It is only a matter of time. If we keep up with the inspections, she will be unable to escape the capital."
"The weakening of the barrier within the water tunnels is a blind spot we missed. However, we will have to improve it."
They'd all gone into chatter mode, so I guessed that my time in the spotlight was finally over.
"Finally," Princess Noelle announced, surveying everyone.
"There's still more?" the second prince interrupted. "Forget it, just do what you like." Guess he wanted to go home.
"There have been reports that the number of monsters in the forest near the capital has increased significantly as of late. Using monsters to attack towns and villages is a favored tactic of the Snake Sect, and one they have recently used in Roses's capital."
"The Snake Sect doesn't have superior manpower or weapons, so all they can do is use monsters."
"That doesn't make it a bad tactic. Particularly, their recent attacks have used stronger monsters."
"Hmph, there is no comparison between the defensive capabilities of Symphonia and Roses's capital! We currently have the Soleil Knights, the Temple Knights, and the Four Cardinal Knights here. A demon lord is nothing to fear!"
The second prince sure was confident. Then again, Highland's combat potential was definitely reassuring.
"It is unclear whether this plot is connected with the Snake Sect, but we are aware that the group which caused chaos in Horn has pinpointed Symphonia as their next target. Optimism is dangerous." Princess Noelle turned to face the commander in chief. "Lord Owain, please see to the protection of the capital." He had thus far remained silent and listening, and only just now offered a word of acknowledgment to the princess's order.
"Then I declare this meeting concluded. We offer our thanks to Althena."
The meeting was over...and I was exhausted.
"We will part here, then," Princess Sophia said with her usual aloof expression. "I must speak with Lady Noelle."
But...She looks kinda tired as well...
I remembered Prince Leonardo asking me to help her. Was there anything I could do to get her some energy back?
"Princess Sophia?"
"Yes? What is it?" she asked, turning back to face me. She was gorgeous.
"Would you like to go out for dinner at some point?" "Wha?!"
"Ah, just if you wanâ" I started, trying to placate her, but she immediately grabbed my hand and shushed me.
"It is a promise."
 "R-Right..."
Well, that was certainly a vigorous commitment. Maybe eating some good food would perk her up? I'd have to ask Fujiyan for a good place. She stepped up to the royal level where Princess Noelle was waiting, and then I made my way down the stairs.
Oh yeah, isn't Lucy training with the Grandsage? I asked myself.
I'd kept my distance from the Grandsage recently because I didn't want to end up getting my blood sucked, but maybe I should check that training out.
"Actually, Lucy probably hasn't eaten dinner yet..."
Maybe I could invite her to a tavern somewhere. With a hand on my stomach, I made my way to the Grandsage's estate. I pushed open the glistening doors of ice and walked into the darkness.
"Excuuuse me..." I called out.
I walked into a room and was met by a load of flickering flames, along with flame-colored hair that I could recognize even from
behind. I saw that the flames around her weren't magic, but were candles. There was a puff as a spark flew through the air, causing a new candle to flicker into life.
"Hmm, around a minute. Not bad," the Grandsage said in satisfaction. Lucy must have noticed my presence because she turned toward me.
"Makoto! Did you see?!" "Whoa!"
She'd grabbed onto me. She was as warm as ever. "I lit them all without a chant!!!"
I looked at Lucy's smiling face and then at the more than twenty candles around us. She'd done that in a minute?!
"Oh, so you can use chantless spells now, then?" A mage needed over level fifty magic mastery to do that.
"Barely," the Grandsage interrupted in exasperation. "We need to do something about using her king rank fire magic at such a low
proficiency level."
As a skill got stronger, higher proficiency got more important. It made senseâstronger weapons were more difficult to use, after all.
"Well done, Lucy," I congratulated her. That had to have taken a lot of effort.
"Thanks! What're you doing here, though? Did you come to see me?"
"Yeah. I thought I'd see the Grandsage about training as well." After all, she was the strongest mage on the continent, so it would be a waste not to use her talent.
"Very well," chuckled the woman in question. "You know what comes first though, don't you?"
She dragged her finger through the air, beckoning me.
Yeah...
"Here," I said after a sigh, offering my neck to her. She latched on and her sharp fangs gave me a dull ache. I could feel my body getting hotter as she took my blood.
"How does it taste, Grandsage?" I asked.
There was no reply, at least verbally. Instead, she lightly smacked the back of my head. Did that mean I tasted good? Another ten seconds or so passed.
She let out a satisfied sigh before licking her reddened lips. There was an obscenity to the act that didn't match her young
appearance... Actually, it was kinda hot. My heart racing, I faced her again.
"So, you want some training as well, Elementalist?"
"Yes, please." Lucy had gotten way better in just a few days, so I was pretty hopeful.
"Show me your magic, then. Put out the candles she lit without using an incantation."
"Makoto's magic is so fast, Grandsage!" Lucy exclaimed. "Oh? Then I'll look forward to it," she replied with a grin.
Lucy, you don't need to up the difficulty...
"On my mark then. Now."
As she gave the signal, I froze the wicks of all the candles. As they went out, the room was plunged into darkness. Hmm, it took around a second?
"How'd I do?" I asked.
"Aww, same as always with your stupid fast magic," Lucy whined. She was used to seeing my magic.
I glanced toward the Grandsage and saw that she was giving me a puzzled look.
"You... How did you do that?"
"Uh? I just cast without chanting."
"Did he do something strange, Grandsage?" Lucy asked. Neither of us knew why she was surprised.
"Redheaded elf," said the Grandsage, "how did you pick your targets when you cast without the chant?"
"What? Well, I just looked at each one...hang on! Makoto, you..."
"Elementalist, you extinguished the candles behind you all at once, without focusing on them."
Oh, that's what caused their shock.
"It's just a skill," I explained. "I can alter my perspective as I like." I went on to explain the details of my RPG Player skill. It wasn't particularly suited for combat, but it was convenient because I could avoid blind spots.
"I see...you used your water magic by channeling it through that skill. Clever. Your precision is also incredible."
As she spoke, she snapped her fingers and the candles burst back to life, illuminating the room once more.
"They don't call you Grandsage for nothing," I commented. The magic that I could do seemed like nothing to her.
"Awww...and it took me more than a minute."
Lucy was still feeling down, but her magic used to take longer than three minutes to cast, so she had already made impressive strides in her training.
"Don't get discouraged, Redhead. It took me a hundred years to get there," said the Grandsage.
Lucy and I both let out noises of confusion.
"How long have you been learning magic, Elementalist?" asked the Grandsage.
"Uh, about two years."
Her exasperated look and Lucy's stare seemed to pin me in place.
What?
"I mean, I only have Water Magic (Low Rank)." I couldn't use any other elements, and I couldn't increase the rank of my power either, so all I could increase was my proficiency.
"There should still be a limit... Your mastery right now is...two hundred?"
"What?! But before, you said it was only one-fifty!" Lucy exclaimed. The Grandsage had used her Appraisal to reveal my stat.
"It went up again," I argued, defending myself. "I-I'll never catch up..."
"This is bad. You have already exceeded my mastery level," griped the Grandsage. "If anything, I want you to teach me how you got it that high."
"What?! Teach me something at least!" After all, I'd already lost my blood.
"Don't be like that. Do you want some kind of weapon? I cannot give you a national treasure, but I have plenty of valuable weapons lying around."
"Hmm, I'm not that strong, so I can only use a dagger."
I showed her the dagger that Noah had given me. Fujiyan had told
me that it was on par with a national treasure, so she probably didn't have anything better.
"This...is a divine weapon. I have nothing which would compete." The Grandsage folded her arms and thought. I must have bothered her. She was actually surprisingly conscientious.
"I'll ask you for help if I need it," I suggested. "Sorry," she answered. "Come for help any time." We gave our farewells and then Lucy and I left.
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As we were on our way back to the inn, my stomach started protesting.
"Hey, Lucy, let's get some food," I suggested. "Sure, where from?"
Hmm, where indeed? We ended up in a chic bar in the sixth district. I ordered a mutton and vegetable sandwich along with a seafood pasta dish.
"It's rare to see you eat this much," Lucy commented. "A lot happened today, and I'm tired."
"Oh, what? Come on, tell me," Lucy wheedled, scooching nearer to my side from her own seat at the bar. She was close...
I evenly told her about what had happened as if it wasn't bothering me.
"That's about it," I finished up.
"Wait... You went to Jean and Emily's orphanage in the ninth district, searched the underground tunnels, fought the undead, met a mafia capo, and then went to a meeting of the leaders of the country?"
"Yeah. Now that I think about it, even more happened..." It'd been a busy day.
"Y-You and Aya did so much adventuring while I was gone..." "But it was Fujiyan that found the culprit," I said.
"He really is incredible..." Lucy murmured. Yep, that's my friendâOP skill and all. "Training's going well for you though, right?"
"Yeah! The Grandsage knows so much about magic. She's good at teaching too!"
"Hmm..."
That was nice. Lucy had the High Wizard skill, as well as Fire Magic (King Rank), and the best mage on the continent was teaching her.
"Looks like it was a good idea to learn Serenity and Concentration like you suggested." she added.
"That's good," I said, listening as I munched on my sandwich.
She'd spent most of the time practicing casting without an incantation. Apparently, in the dark ages of the Great Demon Lord, there hadn't been a single mage that took time to chant out spells. Sounds like what you'd expect from someone like the Grandsage with experience from a millennium ago.
There was a traveling band playing in the bar, and we enjoyed our meal together while listening to them.
"It feels like it's been too long since we did this," Lucy commented with a meaningful look.
"Why? We see each other every day."
"Hmm, well, we do, but it's been a while since we've had drinks with just the two of us, hasn't it?"
"Ah, maybe."
Recently, there had been a lot of times we'd had Sasa, Fujiyan, or someone else with us. The last night out between just Lucy and I had probably been before we'd first formed the party with Fujiyan, Sasa, and Nina. Thinking about it made me feel all nostalgic.
Back when Lucy and I had first teamed up, I hadn't known what to talk about and I'd been nervous about how beautiful she was. But now, she was a friend that I could talk with really easily. Although...
"Say, Lucy, it feels like you're pretty close to me today."
It almost felt like her shoulder was always against mine, and she'd been running a finger up and down my arm for a while now. It kinda tickled. Plus, her face was close, although not so close that I could feel her breath on my face.
"Are you turned on?" she asked.
"Not really," I lied after a minute. If I was being honest with myself, I hadn't been able to calm down for a while.
"Ohhh, that's weird. I learned this from those Highland noblewomen."
"Learned...what?"
"That this'll wrap any guy around your little finger." She giggled.
So the nobility did use their feminine wiles like that? Fujiyan had said that Chris'd been pretty aggressive before they got engaged. Noble society was scary...
A bell tolled four times in the distance. "What was that?" I asked.
"The bells of peace," Lucy replied. "The watch at each of the four gates ring bells to say that there's nothing wrong."
"Oh." I hadn't known that.
"It's also a signal for shift change for the Temple Knights." "I see."
So it was to mark the difference between the day and night shifts as well. That was practical. The sun had already set, but the capital was still well-lit and not at all dark.
"Hey, let's drink some more!" Lucy demanded with a competitive look. She clinked our glasses together.
I averted my gaze from her cleavage as it entered my eyeline. When I looked back, I offered a warning. "We won't be able to get up if we drink too much."
"It's fine," she replied. "I've gotten better at holding my drink recently."
"Reeeally?" I asked doubtfully. Well, I had done a whole bunch of work today... It couldn't hurt to let our hair down once in a while.
"Let's toast to a day's hard work," I said eventually. "Right!" She nodded with a smile.
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Several hours later, Lucy was complaining that she couldn't walk.Come on, you're wasted!
"We're staying in the third district, so we need to keep going... Want some water?"
I would've liked to do the manly thing and carry her back, but I was tired too, and honestly, I didn't have the stamina.
"Heyyy, Makoto... We're tiredâlet's go there." "Where?"
I followed her pointing finger to see a gaudy sign in front of an inn.
"Two hours: 4,000 G. The night: 10,000 G." was written on it.
Wait...this might be... Well, there was no "might" about it.
It's a love hotel! Noah cheered.
So she'd been watching.
Chop chop, time to accept, she answered.
"Let's go inside, Makoto," urged Lucy. "Don't worry, I won't do anything."
"I'm pretty sure that's meant to be my line!" I balked.
"Come on, come on," she chanted, pulling me along by force. "Wait!"
I couldn't resist her strength with my own. Gradually, she managed to pull me inside.
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"And now you've just gone to sleep!" A soft snore was my only answer.
No sooner had we paid and stepped into the room than she'd cheered at the sight of the bed, jumped into it, and then promptly passed out.
I might've been able to wake her up, but there was one problem: "Why'd she have to strip?"
Lucy was currently in bed without a stitch of clothing on her. Sasa had said that she tossed and turned a lot and soon ended up undressed... But now that it'd happened, I couldn't look.
Of course you can, hell, you can make a move as well, Noah insisted wickedly.
That's enough of that, goddess. Calm Mind.
It seemed like the final trial of my busy day was going to be lustful temptation coming from my teammate.
In the end, I spent the night on the sofa in the room.
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"We're back," I called. "Gah, my head."
"Oh, Takatsuki, Lu, you're both back bright and early," Sasa remarked from where she'd come to greet us. Her voice was cheerful, but I
didn't like that look in her eye. Also, the hammer in her hand wasn't easing my mind much either.
"It seems like you had fun, Hero Makoto," came the cold voice of Princess Sophia.
"Fun's not the word..." Lucy had a hangover, so I'd needed to carry her back.
Suddenly, Fujiyan and Chris came rushing in. "This is urgent!" Fujiyan exclaimed.
"Look at this!" Chris followed up, handing me a letter.
It was an invitation from the Castor family of the ninth district...from one of their capo, Peter Castor, to be precise. The Castors were a famous mafia family, known as one of the three main families of Highland.
Though I only just found that out... I thought.
Peter's family was a big player in the undercity. I'd imagined him as part of a more minor family since he hadn't seemed all that strong in the tunnels.
"The Castor, Shaula, and Denebola families run the underworld in the city," Fujiyan explained, along with telling me about their subordinate organizations that were spread across the continent.
"The Castor family are the mafia that runs gambling rings...right'h?" Nina looked like she'd bitten into a lemon. What was wrong?
"Nina owed her debt to the mafia in Great Keith. I bought her out of it after she'd become a slave."
"Ahhhh'h! Don't bring it up again'h!" Nina cried. "It's bringing the memories all back'h!" Nina was flapping her long ears, and the motion was kinda cute. So Nina had owed a debt because of gambling?
"Out of interest, how much was she?" I asked Fujiyan.
"I believe it was a million on the nose. I bought her on the spot!"
"Oh, a reasonable price?" I said that, but I had no idea what the slave market was like.
"Husband'h! Mister Takatsuki'h! Don't talk like that'h!" "Nina... You're never gambling again."
While Fujiyan and I got carried away, Chris was looking aghast at Nina.
Sasa had taken Lucy up to her room, so neither of them was here presently.
"Hero Makoto, will you be accepting the mafia's invitation?" Princess Sophia asked.
"Hmm, well, what's it say, Fujiyan?"
"I shall read it aloud," he announced, before doing exactly that.
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Dearest Brother,
We have prepared a party and banquet to celebrate our friendship. We would like nothing more than to demonstrate our thanks. Naturally, the strong young lady with you is also welcome.
It will be held in the VIP penthouse on the top floor of the Grand Highland Casino.
P.S. If you show the badge I gave you, then the casino will let you in for free. You can have your fill of the casino too, and if you mention my name, you'll get some on the house.
Â
âPeter Castor
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Silence reigned for a while once Fujiyan was finished reading.
Uh...
"What'll happen if I go...?" I asked
"You'll probably get the wining and dining of a lifetime'h," Nina answered after a moment.
"And you'll likely be dragged in past the point of no return," Chris added.
Looking at their expressions, they probably didn't want me to go. "My esteemed Tackie, what is this badge the invitation mentioned?" "Probably...this?"
"May I see?" Fujiyan asked, and I passed it to him. He looked steadily at it, probably using Appraisal on it.
"A twin crest. This is definitely the Castor family's," he judged. "Peter is the fifth son of Don Genoa, an important person..." Fujiyan and the princess both sighed.
"Actually, the letter didn't say when to show up," I realized. The invitation had only mentioned the location. Did they forget the date?
"This is the mafia's way of saying you may come when you please," Fujiyan explained. "It means that their own preparations are in place and you should make your own."
Uh, preparations? I didn't have any intention of joining the mafia. "My biggest concern is the nobles backing them," Chris said.
"The mafia has connections with nobility?" I asked in shock. "This is part of how Highland functions...unfortunately'h."
"The three main mafia families each have a noble family supporting them from the shadows. The Castors...have connections to the
Ballantines."
"Geh!" For real?! That was Gerald's family, right? No way. "They're not going to kidnap me if I turn up, are they...?"
"The relationship between the mafia and nobility is fundamentally all businessâthe Ballantines should just act as influential backup and a source of money...so I doubt they are attempting to get revenge for Lord Gerald's defeat," Chris thought aloud.
"You did save one of their son's lives..." Fujiyan added. Both of them made reassuring points.
"Hero Makoto, you are a representative of Roses, so you need not worry."
"Princess Sophia..." Her strong voice had managed to reassure me a bit.
"Well, I don't want to keep them waiting too long, so I guess I'll go now."
"Where are you going, Takatsuki?" Sasa asked, returning from tucking Lucy into bed. I grabbed her hand.
"Come with, Sasa," I said to her. "What? S-Sure. Where to?"
Sasa hadn't heard the conversation, but I pulled her in anyway.
Ha ha, you agreed now, so you can't get out of it! Sorry, you're amazing when it comes to a fight, and I'm not letting you go.
"I shall also accompany you," proclaimed Fujiyan. "You will need someone that can negotiate if an argument breaks out."
"Thanks, Fujiyan." And sorry, as well.
"I-If you're going, then I'll come too'h," Nina added. I was so glad to hear it.
"Then I shall provide several knights from Roses anâ"
"No, Lady Sophia, they'll be important if trouble breaks out. I think we should leave the diplomacy to Sir Fujiwara. Look after them,
Nina," Chris added.
"Right, leave it to me'h!"
Things had been decided. Sasa, Fujiyan, Nina, and I were headed to a mafia's HQ.
I was so nervous...
The Grand Highland Casino was the largest of its kind in Symphonia. The building emanated a bizarre presenceâit looked around ten stories in height, which probably counted as tall in this world, but was far shorter than skyscrapers back in Japan. It even seemed fairly restrained compared to the castle and cathedral. So what stood out about it, you ask?
The whole building shone in gold. Sasa and I stared up in shock.
"This is one of the places in Symphonia where the most money changes hands," Fujiyan offered.
"You can gamble with anything and everything'h," Nina added, her ears bouncing. Was that what she was here for?
"It's built in an odd place though, isn't it?" I asked. The golden building was built into the wall between the sixth and seventh districts, almost punching through it.
"The interior is considered extraterritorial," Fujiyan explained.
"While there are different entrances for humans and demi-humans, all races mingle inside. Discriminatory remarks are likewise forbidden. In a certain light, one could see it as the most egalitarian place within the city."
"Oh, that's good." Apparently, enjoying yourself while gambling was unconnected to race.
"Hey, let's head inside, Takatsuki, Fujiwara," Sasa chirped as she ran off. Suddenly, she came to a halt when a bulky black-clad guy caught and stopped her. "Wait, what? No kids? Rude!"
We approached, and I said, "Umm?" before pulling out and showing him the badge I'd been given.
"You what?" the burly guy asked. "Oh, is this kid with you gentlemen?"
"I'm Takatsuki. Peter invited me. Can we go inside?"
"S-Sir Takatsuki! My apologies! Go right on through!" His behavior visibly changed as he opened the heavy doors and showed us in.
"Wow!" we exclaimed in unison.
The carpet was scarlet. There were rows upon rows of slot machines, and I could hear the constant jangle of coins. Dealers were standing in crisp suits at roulette and blackjack tables, and wandering the rest of the floor were...bunny girls...? They were wearing clothes that looked like swimsuits along with garters and fishnet stockings. They were hot! Were their ears real or fake? I glanced at Nina to compare.
"Mister Takatsuki'h?" she asked.
"Ah!" She met my eyes and I hurriedly looked away.
Honestly, Makoto. You can't look at your friend's wife like that!
Goddess?! You're misunderstanding!
Reeeaally?
No, I was...at least a little.
"The bunny girls here are all rabbit beastears," Fujiyan informed me with a rueful grin.
"Oh, they look like Nina!" Sasa exclaimed.
"Lady Nina was in such an outfit when we first met," he reminisced.
"What?" Sasa and I exclaimed in unison. Nina had been a bunny girl... He'd bought a bunny girl? You pig! I'm...so jealous.
"M-My, I had not mentioned as much before?" "Not to me," I told him.
"You perv," Sasa added to the teasing between us classmates.
Nina was looking at the games on display with sparkling eyes. If we let her roam, she'd probably end up at one of the tables. Sasa grabbed hold of her before she could wander and tugged her along with us.
Another suit-wearing member of staff had approached while we'd been chattering. "This way, Sir Takatsuki. I shall guide you to the VIP room."
I'd expected him to lead us up a grand staircase or something, but contrary to those expectations, we instead walked into an atrium. There was a place in the room that was surrounded by an iron fence, and a mage was standing there.
We stepped into the fenced area. "Going up," the mage announced as the floor started to rise.
I-It's an elevator?! They've used Float to lift us!
That's just what I'd expect from a world of swords and magic... It was kinda slow, though.
"Hey, Fujiyan?" I asked quietly. "What is it?"
"Who's important in the Castor family?" It'd be a good idea to know who to look out for.
"Well, of course, there is the head of the family, Sir Genoa Castor," explained Fujiyan. "However, he is likely to be absent today. Due to
his influence in the underworld, he very rarely appears publicly. He is also known as 'Scarface' due to, well, the scar on his face."
"Right, right, who else?" I pressed.
"The next person would be the eldest son, Sir Jack Castor. I would say he is the most likely to be here today. He is a handsome man with blond hair and a large build. Other than him..."
While Fujiyan was explaining more about the power dynamics of the Castor family, we arrived at the top floor. The main casino hall on the first floor had felt pretty luxurious, but this...was on another level. It was decorated in refined blacks, and a huge chandelier glittered above us. There was a group of people wearing black suits underneath it, and one of the men, who seemed a bit more playful than the rest, nimbly came over.
"Hey, Brother!" the man exclaimed. "It's been too long!" "Y-Yeah. Thanks for the invitation, Peter."
He'd come over to us with open arms and his attitude was cheery in the same way that Americans were.
"I'll introduce you. This is my wonderful family." He gestured to a lineup of strong-looking guys.
Whoa...it's a mafia. A real-life mafia...
There were women behind them wearing fancy dresses. Were they like hostesses? The person that drew the most attention was a middle-aged man in the center of the group. He was wearing black clothes alongside expensive-looking accessories. There was a long line of rough skin stretching across his face.
Scarface...? That's the family's don. You said he wouldn't be here, Fujiyan. I glanced at my friend and saw that his expression was frozen.
He hadn't expected it either, then.
With a smile, Peter showed Sasa and me to our seats. Apparently, the "family" that Peter was talking about didn't mean his blood-
related family, but rather the mafia as a whole. I'd heard that mafias formed strong bonds among their followers and that members
wouldn't allow anyone to insult their comrades. I'd need to watch my words.
"So, who are those two, Brother?" Peter asked. "They're my friends, Fujiyan and Nina."
"My name is Fujiwara, it is a pleasure to meet you," Fujiyan greeted. "G-Good to meet you. I'm Nina, yes'h."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Peter Castor. Come on, take a seat over here."
The chairs were just as comfortable as the ones in Highland palace. A friendly blond man who was with the burly mafia guys offered us drinks. Was he the eldest son? To be honest, he just seemed like an amiable person.
After a moment, the don spoke. "I'm Genoa Castor. Hero, I hear you aided my idiot son." His voice was low, but it carried well. A man of culture.
"I-It was nothing much," I answered. He already knew I was a hero, plus Peter's dad was super intimidating.
"Pooooops... I said sorry," Peter complained, scratching at the back of his head.
"Today, we've tasked our chefs with crafting dinner from the finest ingredients the capital has to offer," said the blond from earlier. "We have also gathered the best women, so please enjoy yourselves." He paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something. "Ah, right, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Jack Castor."
So he was the eldest son. The rest of the men started giving their own easy introductions.
"I'm the best knife guy in the family." "I'm the strongest."
"If you want to spot a cheat, leave it to me." "I've had more than a hundred women."
Their boasts came thick and fast, but I didn't really mind any of it. "I've killed a dozen men in fights."
"I can crush a guy's skull in my bare hands..."
These men were seriously scary. They were definitely the real deal! I hadn't been great with the "bros" back in high school, so how was I supposed to deal with these guys?! I looked over at Fujiyan and Nina to see they'd stopped eating as well.
I felt the need to apologize mentally. Sorry, Sasa, I didn't think I was bringing you somewhere like this...
I used my RPG Player skill to switch perspectives and look her wayâ "Wooow, what's this? Oh! It's great!"
âand she was just enjoying the food like there was no tomorrow. Seriously...she had a stomach of iron, huh?
Jack had seemed to notice that none of us (apart from Sasa) were
eating, so he quickly turned to his family. "You lot! You're scaring our guests! Enough!" he yelled at his subordinates.
"Our apologies!" they all cried in unison.
I guess he's not as friendly as he looks...
"Sorry," he said, switching back to his genial expression. "Our men are just excited to meet the rumored hero."
He sure could change tracks at a moment's notice...
"R-Right..." I nodded quietly, stretching my fork out toward the feast before us.
"Takatsuki, look, look, it's foie gras!"
"Sasa, don't talk with your mouth full," I scolded.
The table was loaded with delicacies like caviar along with drinks that you'd never find in the bars we usually visited. Also, every time I emptied my glass, one of the pretty women would instantly refill it.
I glanced at the girls and got some grins in return. Wow, they showed off even more than Lucy. I just couldn't settle down.
"You look all fidgety," Sasa murmured questioningly. "If anything, you're too calm," I whispered.
"Still, I didn't know you were a hero, Brother!" said Peter, picking up on the trail of conversation. "In the tunnels, you just called yourself an adventurer. You tricked me!"
"Sorry for hiding it," I apologized awkwardly, but Peter didn't seem to mind.
"That's a hero?" asked one of the men. "I can't see it," remarked another.
"Apparently, he beat the Hero of Lightning, though." "Sir Gerald the Wicked Wolf?"
"He's definitely an otherworlder..."
Judging by the whispers I could hear, heroes were a rare sight, even to the mafia.
"You beat that Gerald kid, then?" the don asked in his deep voice.
Whoops, I need to pay attention, I thought. This situation required a careful touchâif I remembered right, Gerald's family, the Ballantines, and the Castor mafia were on good terms.
"I-It was just luck," I sputtered.
"Come on, Brother, you ain't beating Gerry by chance. Right, Jack?"
"Indeed, he was the country's strongest warrior until the Hero of Light came around," Jack confirmed.
That'd just been me losing control of my elemental magic! I wanted to explain what'd actually gone down, but would it be taken poorly?! Plus, Jack and Peter seemed close to him... Almost like family. Were nobles and the mafia just two sides of the same coin?
"We are often consulted when there are those that defy the Ballantine family," Don Genoa offered quietly.
There was silence as I tensed up. W-We shouldn't have come, should we?!
"But Lord Bartolomeo has not said anything on this occasion," he continued.
"I-I see."
Archduke Bartolomeo Ballantine was the father of the Hero of LightningâGeraldâin addition to being one of the five Sacred
Nobles. He'd been glaring at me during the entire meeting yesterday, so I was pretty sure he hated me...
"Pops, the Ballantines are a proud family of knights. I heard that Gerald fought the Hero of Roses in a one-on-one bout. They wouldn't try and get revenge in the shadows like that," Jack said mildly.
"I suppose so," the don answered almost disinterestedly. I just
couldn't relax. His scar was intimidating. Couldn't magic have healed it?
As I considered that idea, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"My esteemed Tackie," Fujiyan murmured to me. "Sir Genoa's scar was something he received in a defeat when he was younger, so it is a taboo topic."
"R-Right, I'll be careful. Thanks, Fujiyan." I might have ended up slipping otherwise. That'd been seriously close.
"Hey, that's some scar you've got," Sasa commented.
Waiâ?! Sasa! Why?!
The air seemed to freeze.
The beautiful women, the black-suited men, and the two Castor sons all clearly twitched. Fujiyan and Nina had both stiffened, and I could only assume I had as well.
"O-Our apologies'h! Miss Sasaki, apologiâ" "Say, little miss," the don said, interrupting Nina. Sasa hummed, tilting her head at him.
"What did you say about my scar?" "It's cool."
"Oh?"
"It's got real 'big boss' vibes!" Sasa grinned among the rest of the stricken faces. Then, as if prompted by that smile, the don grinned as well. It looked terrifying.
"Oh... And what about you, Hero? What do you think?"
He was asking me now! Should I praise it like Sasa? No...I should go for honesty.
"Uh... Personally, I think it's kinda scary."
The don's gaze was intense, made all the more so by the scar in question. "I see... Scary?" Inexplicably, he then burst into laughter. The people around us just watched blankly.
"Did you lot hear that?" the don asked. "The little lady thinks my scar's cool, and the hero thinks it's scary. I got this scar when I lost in a fight with another organization," he explained. "I could've had it healed with magic, but I left the wound alone to make sure I never forgot the regret of failure. Since then, I've wiped out every person that's mocked it, and before I knew it, I was the boss of a huge amount of territory..."
"O-Oh... Th-That's incredible," Sasa said with a chagrined expression.
Too laaate!
"But recently, no one's mentioned it... Subordinates, or my children." Well, yeah, it'd be terrifying to talk about.
"Hero, why did you call it scary? You could have flattered me the same as the little miss."
"Because I'm a coward..." I replied honestly. I didn't know why, but that prompted a happy look from the don.
"A coward despite being a hero... Wonderful. In the end, even we survive due to craven cowardice."
His actual wording felt like mockery, but that wasn't at all the impression I got.
"You're just the sort of people I like to get along with," he continued, pouring alcohol into my glass. Considering it was the don filling my
glass...I couldn't refuse, could I?
"Please wait, Sir Genoa!" Fujiyan interrupted in a fluster.
"You are the otherworlder Fujiwara, are you not? I have heard of you as well. Apparently, you're a capable sort." The don didn't really seem bothered at the sudden interruption. His sons and the various subordinates all looked nervously at us though.
"It is an honor to hear," Fujiyan said after a moment. "Pardon my impertinence, but would partaking of the alcohol you offered mean that my friend would be treated as 'one of the family'?"
"You need not worry about that, Fujiwara. The Castor family requires an oath of blood. Exchanging spirits is not our style," Jack explained.
"Pardon my rudeneâ"
"Though it is sometimes used as an excuse to compel such," said the don with a grin.
Hey!
"Pops, come on!"
"Don't worry, Brother, this ain't that kinda place."
Both Jack and Peter were hurrying to try and reassure me.
"It's a joke, just some harmless fun," the don said before downing his glass of straight spirits. He seemed to be in a good mood.
"Here, here, Boss!" Sasa exclaimed, refilling his glass. I'm not sure whether it was her being quick-witted or just brave.
"The Hero of Roses has been the talk of the town as of late," noted the don. "It is an honor that you would be afraid of me."
Wait, I'm being talked about that much?
"What kind of talk, by the way?" I asked.
"The chaos in Horn, of course. While the public story is that Prince Leonardo, the Hero of Ice and Snow, defeated the blight giant, many rumors say that a new otherworld hero was essential to the victory."
You've got an info leak, Princess Sophia.
"I heard that Roses's heroes get the water goddess Eir's protection. That's gotta earn you some special skills, right?" Jack asked interestedly.
"U-Uh, well..."
All I had was Water Magic (Low Rank). Plus, I wasn't a believer in the water goddess. They sure seemed to think I was, though. It'd be a bother to deny it, so I didn't.
"Don't ask too much," the don instructed his son. "You'll put him off."
So he was a nice guy after all. All right, time to ask about it. "We were actually in the tunnels looking for the Snake Sect. Do you know anything about them?"
"Oh?"
"You were, Brother?"
All of their faces sharpened slightly.
"Allow me to explain," Fujiyan offered, before launching into an explanation of the events in Roses.
"I see, so Symphonia is their next target," the don mused with his hand to his chin.
"I haven't seen them..." Jack began, "but there has been more weed circulating around lately."
"It's not just in the ninth district either," Peter added. "The seventh and eighth are the same. In fact, weed's going for half the normal price. Maybe there's a link."
So there was more weed being tradedâconsidering that it was a source of revenue for the Snake Sect, they were likely pulling the strings somewhere.
"Are they selling it to raise extra funds for the war'h?" Nina asked.
"There's no sign that the Snake Sect is buying weapons though, Lady Nina," Fujiyan answered. "Currently the most predominant buyers of weapons are beastmen."
"Tying into the rumors of rebellion," the don murmured. "You've heard them?" I asked.
"We know all the influentials in the seventh and eighth districts," Jack said with a conflicted look. "We can investigate."
"We'll let you know if we find anything. Though, not for free," Peter grinned at me.
"The Fujiwara Firm will buy any such information, Sir Peter," Fujiyan declared.
"Oh! Then I look forward to your patronage."
After that heavy topic of conversation, there was a period of general chatting, and then the event came to a close.
We all stretched broadly as we left the VIP room and began to head back to the inn.
"That was nerve-racking," I said, sighing out. "A little, yes," Fujiyan replied.
"I've got the shakes'h," Nina added.
Then, Sasa let out a sigh of her own. "The food was great."
The rest of us exchanged glances. Only Sasa seemed to have a different perspective on that dinner...
"So, what are we doing now?" I asked Fujiyan.
"Personally, I will be investigating matters in the capital. The apparent increase in sales of weed is concerning."
Nina would probably aid him. I felt bad about foisting that task off on just the two of them, but Sasa and I were rank amateurs at information gathering, so she and I just headed back to the inn.
The next morning, I checked in with both Princess Sophia and Fujiyan, getting updates on all the latest info.
On Princess Sophia's end, the Temple Knights had eradicated all of the undead from underground, and the apparent ringleaders of the beastman rebellion had been apprehended. There were monsters around the city that the Snake Sect could probably control, but the capital had formidable defenses, so they likely wouldn't be an issue.
The next few days passed peacefully...but then, Sakurai turned up to see us.