A revolutionary who raised a rebellion against the Empire for a new era.
Hysteria de Strange.
In my previous life, I thought of him as a madman.
Just because he found peace boring, he killed our father and declared war on the entire family. If we hadn't joined forces to kill him, who knows how far his madness would have spread?
He was someone who would have plunged the entire continent into chaos if left alive.
Such a Hysteria looked at me with a ridiculous expression.
"You're a funny one. Do you know who I am?"
"You're my second brother."
"And do you know why I'm here today?"
"It's because of the assassins who infiltrated the castle-"
Swish!
Hysteria's sword stopped right next to my neck.
I could have blocked or dodged it, but I didn't move a finger.
How I responded now would determine the flow of our conversation.
He looked into my eyes with a cold gaze.
"Hey, little brother. I'm here today not because of the assassins, but because of you."
I looked down at the blade and replied.
"Is that so."
"Yes, Father told me to return to the castle today no matter what. Because of you, I missed an interesting fight."
"..."
"If you weren't here, we wouldn't have had this useless meeting. Not only did I miss an interesting fight, but I also had to meet those disgusting branch family members."
Hysteria let out a long sigh and glared at the plump branch family member in rags behind him.
He must have had his reasons for capturing him, but his appearance was pitiful.
He was treated like a toy, with a collar around his neck and shackles on his arms and legs.
But I felt no particular emotion about it.
"Enough. I have something to show you, brother."
"...What?"
"That."
Hysteria looked momentarily taken aback by my bluntness.
He turned his head to the yellow cloth on the table that I pointed at and sheathed his sword.
"...What's that?"
"You'll know when you see it."
"When I see it?"
"Yes."
That was the end of our conversation.
With a curious expression, he signaled the branch family member to open it.
The plump man stood up and removed the cloth.
Swish.
"Aaahhh!"
He screamed and staggered back upon seeing the contents.
It was the arm of the assassin who had tried to kill me.
Hysteria frowned deeply and asked.
"Is that...what I think it is?"
"Yes. It's the arm of the assassin who targeted me. It's evidence to find the mastermind and a justification for you to fight Gunter."
A long silence followed.
We looked into each other's eyes. He seemed to be pondering something, occasionally glancing up and down.
"...You're not just any ordinary kid, are you?"
No explanation was needed.
We both understood the situation.
"This is basic."
"Who told you? That I'm targeting Gunter."
"No one told me. It's just the conclusion I came to."
"You figured it out yourself?"
"Yes, I'm a Strange too."
I smiled brightly.
Hysteria's face twisted, then he burst into laughter.
-Kahaha!
"This kid is only five, but he's quite sly. No wonder Father is making such a fuss over one assassin."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"A compliment, huh? Yeah, it could be a compliment. But, little brother, what should I do about this? I need to take back the gift."
"Why?"
"Because I don't need it. I can find enough justification to fight him without it."
It's true.
Hysteria can always create a reason to fight Gunter.
But he will never initiate the fight. Or rather, he can't.
Hysteria's sword can never reach Gunter.
But that's why I can make a proposal to Hysteria.
Something no one else can offer, only I can.
I glanced at the family photo hanging above the meeting room door and spoke.
"That's right. Even without this arm, you can create justification. But you won't be able to create a chance to fight Gunter one-on-one."
"...What?"
"I know you're waiting for the right moment. But there are always two strong knights guarding Gunter, right? Gerno and Giselle. I hear they're formidable fighters from the branch family."
For a brief moment, Hysteria's forehead twitched.
It's the only part of his body that reveals his true feelings.
I continued the conversation without stopping.
"You can't take on all three at once, so you're planning to deal with them one by one, right? But the situation never plays out as you intend."
Hysteria glared at me with a hardened expression. Another silence followed.
The plump branch family member looked nervously between us.
This time, I spoke first.
"If you help me deal with the assassins and reveal the mastermind to Father, I will create an opportunity for you to fight Gunter one-on-one."
"Is that possible?"
"Yes, for me."
"How?"
"I'll tell you once you bring me the assassin's head."
"Are you proposing a deal with me?"
I smiled brightly and answered.
"Yes, brother. I came here to make a deal with you today. A very important deal that will benefit us both."
Hysteria smirked and, without hesitation, plunged his sword into the plump man's side.
Crunch!
The sound of breaking bones was chilling.
"Aaahhh! Please, spare me. Please...please!"
Hysteria grabbed the man's hair and spoke.
Pahk.
"A deal, huh? Okay, that's interesting. But how do I trust you? How do I know you can really create that situation? Whether it's real or not."
"Believing or not is your choice, brother. But if I'm lying, I could end up dead by your hands. Do you think I'd risk that?"
He smirked and pushed the blade deeper into the plump man's side as he spoke.
Crunch.
"Ahhh!"
"Little brother, you must not know me well. I can make you a cripple like this pig to get the answer, without needing any deal."
This wasn't just a warning.
Hysteria could indeed do it.
So, without hesitation, I gripped the handle of the sword at my waist.
"Then this deal is over?"
Hysteria withdrew the sword from the plump man's side and pointed it at me.
Thunk!
"Yes, the deal is over, and so are you."
"The deal might be over, but I'm not finished today."
"You think you can beat me?"
"No, but..."
I released my aura and spoke to him.
Hisssss—
"If I explode my aura now, sister Valentine will be the first to rush in and smash your head."
Valentine, the Executor, is still in the castle. If the aura explodes, she will be the first to arrive.
Hysteria's eyebrows twitched.
"And if we fight now, who do you think will benefit the most?"
"..."
"It would be brother Gunter. Not only will he pin the assassin incident on you, but he'll also get the chance to deal with his most troublesome foe."
Whoooosh.
Siegfried entered my body. I was ready for battle and threw out my words.
"Brother, I'll make one last proposal. Will you take my hand or grab your sword?"
* * *
The jester, with a tall frame and pale skin, spoke while juggling.
"Why did you let that kid live? You could have killed him before Valentine even noticed."
Hysteria kicked the corpse of the plump branch family member and answered.
Thud!
"Kill him? My little brother?"
"Normally, you'd have beheaded him right away. That smart-aleck face was so annoying!"
"What would happen if I did that? Didn't you hear what he said? If I kill him now, it only benefits Gunter."
It wasn't just Gunter on his mind.
He also thought of Verdin, who had become one with the Sword God Siegfried.
'...Truly impressive. He's indeed worthy of being Father's treasure.'
His mere presence subdued my spirit.
"Is that kid really five years old?"
"Yeah, an incredible five-year-old. I heard our youngest was exceptional, but I didn't expect him to come meet me like this."
"Amazing. How are all your siblings such characters? Within half a day of arriving, one threatens to behead you, and the other risks his life to make a deal. Are they even your siblings?"
"One of them? Ah, you're talking about Valentine."
"Yeah, that executor or whatever. She warned you, didn't she? Not to mess with the kids in the castle."
Hysteria shrugged.
"Leave her be. Valentine doesn't covet the family head position, and she's harder to deal with than Gunter. It's better to keep our distance for now."
"She's stronger than Gunter?"
"Yes, while I may be better with the sword, Valentine's spirit is no joke. We don't have a good match-up. You can't beat her."
The jester puffed into smoke and reformed in front of Hysteria, laughing grotesquely.
-Kyahhahaha!
"You make it sound like I'm useless."
"Enough. Let's stop wasting time. We need to act quickly."
"Hmm? Why? I'm having fun."
"Find your amusement elsewhere. Before Gunter hides that assassin, we need to get to him first."
"The assassin?"
"If he disappears, our little brother's gift becomes useless, and the deal falls apart."
"...Well, if you say so. Shall we begin?"
"Yes, come in."
Hysteria extended his right arm.
The jester's spirit turned into smoke, entered his body, and released countless threads that connected to the assassin's arm.
Pabababack!
"Rise, puppet."
The aura from Hysteria formed into a puppet and connected itself to the assassin's arm.
Thunk.
When the aura puppet was complete, the jester's spirit moved from Hysteria to the puppet.
Hissss.
After checking the joints, it creaked and groaned.
Crack, crack, crack.
Smiling brightly, it handed a sword to Hysteria.
"Target location confirmed! It's the east coast cave, half a day's travel from here! Following the master's command, I will begin the hunt immediately!"