The residential district in the center of Aureatia had been readjusted into a regulated grid through a massive-scale city-planning project. This plan had continued from the time of the Central Kingdom.
This uptown, high-class residential area was relatively close to the palace, and many of the Twenty-Nine Officials of Aureatia set up their manors here. However, the residence of Dant the Heath Furrow was a humble one.
The apartment building where he lived was distinctly faded compared with the surrounding homes; his own apartment was equipped with the bare minimum required for a dwelling. It was only big enough to fit a room for his aging mother and his study.
While he understood the opinion that, as one of the Twenty-Nine Officials, he should be living somewhere that reflected his station, Dant had been staying here since long before he made a name for himself as a general.
This wasn't because Dant lacked ambition. He merely had a faint aversion to something beyond his station ballooning further and further. It may have been a result of the education his mother had given him.
However, at this point, Dant the Heath Furrow needed to deal with something that had swelled to a size far too large for his hands to grasp.
One small month before the beginning of the Sixways Exhibition.
When Dant visited the room, Hiroto the Paradox was having a late lunch. "Have you gotten used to life in Aureatia, Hiroto?"
"If I had just a bit more freedom to come and go as I pleased, then there'd be nothing to want for."
His appearance placed his age at thirteen or fourteen years old. He had gray, almost white hair. Hiroto was an extremely light eater, and that sole aspect of his was even more childish than his looks would suggest.
The apartment building's third floor, which had once been totally vacant, was presently in Dant's possession. It had become necessary to place the Gray- Haired Child in the same building as himself and keep him under observation.
"After all, this is a great chance to see and learn about Aureatia's culture with my own eyes. Did you know? Simple pictures and symbols are used to some extent as a replacement for written words even in this world, but when you look at the regional differences in them, you can see, for example, what sort of progress and development that city was able to accompl—"
"That's not necessary." Dant spat out crossly, sitting down in a chair.
It was fair to describe Hiroto the Paradox as the type of person he personally found the most unpleasant of all. Shrewdly maneuvering and conspiring, Hiroto believed that words spoke far louder than actions.
"I only want one thing from you. Crush the designs of the reformation faction and the other ragtag rabble and protect the Queen."
The Sixways Exhibition. An idiotic national undertaking meant to decide on who the Hero was through true duel matches between sixteen candidates. Behind the scenes, there were the plans of Aureatia's Third Minister Jel and Second General Rosclay to establish a symbol of authority and power to replace Queen Sephite. As part of the Queen's faction, it was something Dant absolutely could not afford to overlook.
"If you're saying that this cultural understanding, or what have you, is needed to plan out a battle strategy, then Zigita Zogi can handle it, right? You're not going to be the one coming up with the strategy yourself anyway."
"True."
Hiroto calmly nodded.
"When it comes to this battle, neither my skills nor my intellect will prove useful in the slightest. If anything, being under surveillance like this is the more reassuring option. The reformation faction won't cast any half-baked suspicions at us this way, either."
"..."
Even Hiroto the Paradox was not a true ally to the Queen's faction.
Though Dant had joined forces with him for the time being to oppose the reformation faction and their majority position, Hiroto had the Free City of Okafu at his back. Okafu was a nation of elite mercenaries led by the visitor and self-proclaimed demon king Morio the Sentinel. In fact, attracting them to the Sixways Exhibition stage may have been equivalent to selling out Dant's own country to protect it.
If by any chance this man looks to harm Aureatia…I'll kill him on the spot before the reformation faction can do it themselves. Then I'll take responsibility… I'll pay with my life. A hero candidate sponsor should have at
least that much resolve.
"Regarding Ozonezma…" Hiroto suddenly began, as if the thought had just come to him. "Are there any signs that some of the other camps are looking into him at all?"
Hiroto the Paradox had dispatched two of his men to participate in the Sixways Exhibition: Zigita Zogi the Thousandth and Ozonezma the Capricious. On top of that, Ozonezma was a candidate he had made Fourteenth General Yuca sponsor to ensure he wouldn't be traced back to Hiroto.
"…As far as I was able to see, Rosclay and Haade only took a cursory look into his background. Ozonezma's sponsor, Yuca, isn't very skilled at subterfuge to begin with, after all. He's always getting pulled into counterinsurgency work all over and doesn't have the spare time to enact some large-scale operation… They likely don't have any reason to be wary of his camp's movements."
"Fair enough. To put it another way, it's nigh certain that someone will eventually try to use some roundabout means to attack him."
"I'm thinking the same thing… How do you plan to deal with it?" "That won't be necessary," said Zigita Zogi.
A goblin poked his head out from the neighboring room. He was the hero candidate Zigita Zogi the Thousandth.
"Master Ozonezma is bait. It will take a fair amount of preparation and a considerable number of men to investigate a hero candidate in Gimeena City, as it's removed from Aureatia. Be it General Rosclay or General Haade, if they attempt to meddle with Ozonezma, we should be able to detect it from here in Aureatia. The investigation will become a burden, but they won't be able to leave him alone, either. The plan is for this, as a result, to chip away at their reserve forces that are keeping us in check."
"Is it really going to go that smoothly? Doesn't seem like there'll be any noticeable effect."
"I am saying that there are things to glean from how each camp deals with this situation. Not allowing Master Ozonezma to enter Aureatia is his own personal wish, yes, but it won't prove disadvantageous to us, either."
"…So then which camp are you going to look into?" "The ones we're investigating are…"
Zigita Zogi unreservedly rolled out the map of Aureatia in his hands onto the floor.
He slapped a finger on a spot in this city.
"Last night, there was a violent incident involving gunfire at the Blue Beetle
tavern. Two of the people who happened to be present were Shalk the Sound Slicer and Tu the Magic. They are both hero candidates. This means there are some who immediately stepped forward after the sixteen candidates were announced to perform a forceful bit of reconnaissance."
"Last night—really? That's far too fast." "You're thinking the same thing, then, Dant?"
There was someone who'd immediately moved to investigate their enemies as soon as the hero candidates' names were announced. That itself wasn't anything abnormal. In fact, there were likely still competitors whose combat abilities remained a total mystery, even to Rosclay the Absolute, who was working on the side of the tournament organizers.
Additionally, for any of the different camps, investigating the other competitors would only happen after the public announcement of the hero candidates. If they didn't, the timing of their attack would then make it clear to everyone whose information they had their hands on.
Still, to go into action on the very first day… That's practically admitting that they had information on who they were ambushing from before the public announcement, isn't it? Once the names were publicized, it wouldn't be completely impossible to get a hold on where throughout Aureatia's vast borders they were located and find a chance to ambush them, but…
At the very least, there had to be some purpose behind these movements. To those most engaged in intrigue and schemes, this purpose was an enigma that couldn't be overlooked—much like how Ozonezma's existence appeared to the other camps.
"On the very day the hero candidates were announced, the hunt for particular individuals began: someone who was able to attack individuals with the skills and expertise to appear in the Sixways Exhibition, then draw out the slightest amount of that person's power; Someone who could be tasked with a mission and faithfully carry it out; Someone who gathered power and influence, formed a plan, and immediately put it into action; Finally, someone who could be used and tossed aside without issue should the situation call for it. Assuming the Aureatia military wasn't a part of it, the pool of individuals who could be obtained through ordinary personal connections would be rather limited."
"But if the Twenty-Nine Officials openly used Aureatia's regular soldiers to look into their opponents, that would instead reveal their own moves to everyone else. Right?"
"That is why I agree it was far too fast. The attackers at the Blue Beetle were
mostly like not Aureatia soldiers."
"…Not necessarily. Even so, there's another way. Outside mercenaries could
— Wait."
Dant realized: This Sixways Exhibition had begun long before the start of the first match.
…Zigita Zogi. Hiroto's adviser whom he had raised from a young age. A goblin, a race existing in this very world. Dant had recognized Hiroto the Paradox as a true monster, but Zigita Zogi was a similarly terrifying being.
"Okafu! So that's why!"
"Well, that was my intention, yes. Winning over the Free City of Okafu to our side first was, in addition to securing a fighting force we could freely utilize for ourselves, to make it so other powers couldn't freely utilize the Free City's mercenaries for themselves. To attract mercenaries in a large quantity, and of better quality than Okafu's—that would be a considerably difficult task. However, the other party in the Blue Beetle attack did just that."
"Milord Dant, do you have any ideas as to who may possess a powerful private army?" asked Hiroto as he silently chewed on the scraps of meat still left on his plate.
"Assuming, then, that this excludes any regular Aureatia soldiers… Among the Twenty-Nine Officials, it would be Haade the Flashpoint, since he presides over the military…or Kaete the Round Table, presiding over Aureatia's industry. He's Mestelexil's sponsor. You need a fair amount of power and authority to secretly have your own private army, after all. That, and those two could mobilize any force well, whether it was their own army or not."
"What about the Fifth Minister, then?" "..."
Dant silently glared at Hiroto the Paradox.
This man was serious about approaching the fight with a complete understanding of Aureatia's political situation. Not only that, but his understanding was also far deeper than the Aureatia side had anticipated.
"There is no Fifth Minister within the Twenty-Nine Officials. That said…"
Just like it had been with Twenty-Third General Taren, among the seats of the Twenty-Nine Officials, there existed a few seats that remained empty without any designated replacement—the fifth seat was one example.
"…the former Fifth Minister, Iriolde the Atypical Tome. Though not a military officer, he could likely gather any number of bureaucrats with superb tactical minds. Not only that, but he would also do it, too… You think there's
someone being backed with his support mixed in among the sponsors?" Zigita Zogi answered Dant's question in Hiroto's stead.
"No. That is not what we're saying… The point is that if there is already a suitable person to suspect, then it was worth it for the other camps to attempt this rushed attack."
"You mean that as long as there's a suspect, they'd be able to disguise themselves as part of their forces?"
"In that sense, this is a slightly unfavorable situation, isn't it? There is a whole small month before the start of the games. Our first trial will likely be to survive until they begin."
"…A small month," Hiroto murmured. He looked to be done eating and was wiping the corners of his mouth. "The reason there's a small month delay between the hero candidate announcement and the first match is because of Rosclay, yes?"
"Ostensibly, it's to give time to acclimate Word Arts to this region. If there are any who fight primarily with Word Arts among the hero candidates, their presumed focal point would be a well-worn vessel, along with the water, wind, and earth on the battlefield. If they're simply coming to an understanding with natural objects of those three elements, then one small month should give them enough time to acclimate. That's the justification," said Dant.
"I see. On the battlefield, you always have to anticipate the use of Word Arts, after all."
Those who utilized Word Arts needed to familiarize themselves with the targets they were applying them to. Even though it may have physically been the exact same water or wind, if they were in a different region, the characteristics of those elements would change slightly, making it possible that they'd be unable to produce the desired effect.
Nevertheless, for those with exceptional aptitude for Word Arts, having an entire small month would make it possible to create for themselves a focal point that was complex enough to go beyond these three elements. Conversely, there were also those whose aptitude for Word Arts wouldn't even let them communicate with a single drop of water if it was on unfamiliar soil, even after spending a whole small month attempting to do so.
Thus, this reasoning, with its vast individual variability, was nothing more than an excuse for the public.
"In truth, it takes time to gather information on the hero candidates. Rosclay has the authority to use the data from their small-month-long investigation to
then decide the tournament bracket. Rosclay, out of all the sixteen candidates, will start from the most advantageous position to advance through to the end."
"That said, as we confirmed moments ago, he can't openly use Aureatia troops to do so. The information gatherer would then need to have a power that possesses soldiers outside the Aureatia framework. In which case, looking at it from our opponent's perspective, there is another suitable suspect, just like the former Fifth Minister, isn't there?"
Zigita Zogi's hypothesis hinged on the presumption that their enemies were properly trained soldiers.
The power, then, that clearly met all these conditions beyond the Aureatia army themselves would be…
"The Free City of Okafu. There's a possibility that our opponent here is trying to force suspicion on us."
"...!"
Someone who was able to attack individuals with the skills and expertise to appear in the Sixways Exhibition, then draw out the slightest amount of that person's power; Someone who could be tasked with a mission and faithfully carry it out; Someone who gathered power and influence, formed a plan, and immediately put it into action; Finally, someone who could be used and tossed aside without issue should the situation call for it.
Zigita Zogi was absolutely right. Given that Hiroto's camp had monopolized the Okafu mercenaries for themselves, from the perspective of the other camps, they would be the first people to suspect.
"…In which case, that discredits your assumptions here. Now there's a meaning to plan this attack for Rosclay, too. You all are going to be the first ones the reformation faction will try to knock out of the Sixways Exhibition before it even begins. They're shining suspicions on the Okafu army and trying to create an excuse to disqualify them," said Dant.
"That's fair. Or perhaps…" Hiroto followed up Dant's words. "…there is the possibility that this is the attempt of an undisclosed third party to sow bad blood between the reformation faction and the Okafu army."
"In which case, it could be Haade, Kaete, Iriolde… Wait. This is getting us nowhere. If we start thinking about who's pulling the strings behind the ones pulling the strings, we'll go around in circles forever. How do you plan to verify this, exactly?" asked Dant.
"..."
Rosclay the Absolute's reformation faction, which was spearheading the
Sixways Exhibition.
Those within Aureatia who opposed the reformation faction, like Haade the Flashpoint and Kaete the Round Table.
Iriolde the Atypical Tome, possessing tremendous influence and power from outside the Twenty-Nine Officials.
Finally, Hiroto the Paradox, backed by the Free City of Okafu.
The ambush incident at the Blue Beetle itself was a trivial little skirmish.
However, any one of them could be a possible suspect behind it.
Zigita Zogi murmured, "…Master Dant. It's possible that our enemy may be on the outside of this never-ending circle."
"What do you mean?"
"I imagined, as a camp's motive behind enacting this sort of scheme, what would be the most troublesome possibility for us. In other words, supposing someone somewhere isn't trying to pit one camp against the other for their own benefit but whose goal is purely to make camps fight among themselves—"
It was then that a crackling mechanical static echoed in the room. "Pardon."
It was the communication radzio installed in the neighboring room. Zigita Zogi swiftly stood up and went to pick up the receiver.
Left behind, Dant could only sigh.
"…Hiroto the Paradox. Do you think we can win?"
There were machinations whirling about this battle that even an experienced military officer like Dant the Heath Furrow couldn't fully deal with. The Queen's faction, which placed the royal lineage above all else, had become a minority at this point. This was because the Sixways Exhibition was happening solely so the reformation party, seeking a Hero to replace the Queen, could come to power.
For Dant, his current situation—borrowing powers from outside the kingdom like the Free City of Okafu and the Gray-Haired Child to resist the current tide— was the same as conceding his own defeat. Supposing he did indeed come out victorious in this fight, it was possible that instead of the reformation faction, it would just be the Gray-Haired Child usurping Aureatia's rule instead.
"I don't have much strength to speak of, personally," Hiroto replied. "But I have made the wishes of all who have ever voted for me come true. Without any exceptions."
"…Hmph. You must be lying."
"Is it so difficult to believe the words of a politician?"
Hiroto laughed as well. Perhaps this was the man's attempt at a joke.
Zigita Zogi may have been a freak, equipped with intelligence more outstanding than any minia, but he was still ultimately a goblin. Monstrous races devoured the minian races. In which case, was Hiroto an ally to the monstrous races?
If he insisted he could make everything come true, was it even possible for him to make conflicting forces like the minian races and monstrous races both come out victorious?
Finished with his call in the other room, Zigita Zogi poked back in.
"This is quite troubling. Master Hiroto, we have learned the identity of the ones behind the attack at the Blue Beetle."
"…What happened?"
"They were soldiers from the Free City of Okafu."
"So it really was some of theirs, after all. I don't necessarily believe so myself, but… Did Morio the Sentinel betray us?"
"No. Even if he was going to, he wouldn't yet. Suspecting him would likely be just what our enemy wants."
Zigita Zogi's meticulousness, laying out his information network across all Aureatia, was what saved them. Before anyone else, they, the concerned parties themselves, had been able to sense this disquiet.
The ones who were starting to investigate the hero candidates weren't some unknown soldiers from a third party. It was their own collaborator making inroads into Aureatia. A soldier from the Free City of Okafu. A breakaway? A masquerade? A spy who had slipped into their ranks long before? Somebody was pulling the strings from the shadows. In a worst-case scenario, their camp could very well be destroyed from within.
Then once the origins of the assailants who'd attacked other hero candidates became known, it would be their turn to suffer a fatal blow.
"For the time being, I will try to cover up this latest incident as much as possible. Even assuming we do eventually disclose the information we hold, this is still quite an ill-boding tide. Also, supposing that this Okafu soldier defected and broke away from his city—Master Dant, there is something I would like to ask you," posed Zigita Zogi.
"…What's that?"
"What do you say to the possibility that perhaps a vampire is involved in this case? A former agent of Obsidian Eyes, Zeljirga the Abyss Web, is among the hero candidates, I believe."
Infiltrate an organization and create traitors at will.
That was the most terrifying power of the once-active Obsidian Eyes… However.
"That…can't be possible." "Your basis for that?"
"Obsidian Eyes, led by Rehart the Obsidian, has already been wiped out. Thirteenth Minister Enu undertook an operation to subdue them and is monitoring Zeljirga as her sponsor."
"You're sure that he isn't being manipulated himself, then, yes?"
"It's obvious, isn't it? He was in charge of a vampire-subjugation operation. He assuredly injected himself with the antiserum beforehand. Given that they've already finished inspecting him for any hints of infection following his operation, we can be certain he hasn't been turned into a corpse."
"That's certainly right. Supposing that even then, Obsidian Eyes is continuing their operations…"
Zigita Zogi once again sat down beside the map.
"…it would mean that the Thirteenth Minister was betraying the minian races of his own volition."
In this world, races that brought harm to the minian races were defined as monstrous races.
Having both the minian races and the monstrous races coming out victorious was inconceivable.