The Grand Duchy of Yuren.
Recently dubbed the "Reign of Maho," that nation—continuing its dazzling development—is home to five count houses in total. As the country is small, so too is its number of nobles.
Sion, Para, Belik…… Well, none of that is important, so let's move on.
Anyway.
Rose, the eldest daughter of House Sion, fixes her sky-blue bob this Sunday, equipping herself with a staff, magic handcuffs, and a self-defense revolver.
"Hey. Working on a holiday?"
Her mother, enjoying teatime on the balcony, tilts her head and asks, and Rose answers with a stiff expression.
"Yes. The expo is soon, so I'm busy."
As a daughter of a count's family, she has a sense of duty. However, she has no intention of following rigid formalities or the intellectual vanity unique to nobles.
Yuren is fated to become a republic; nobility is a bad custom destined to disappear someday.
The class system itself is a vestige.
"Your younger sibling hasn't come home yet. What in the world is that child up to……"
"Really? I haven't heard from them either."
"I know. Go along now. Don't get hurt. And don't cause me worry like your sibling does."
With an elegant gesture, her mother sets down her teacup with a clack. Without a word, Rose goes out and mounts the motorcycle parked in front of the house.
Vroooom──!
Driving as if airborne, she pastes and distributes wanted posters on walls. With the expo less than a week away, Rose is dedicating herself to her duties as a "Magical Prosecutor."
That is to say, a prosecutor who chants law books, not one who wields a sword.
"……."
After distributing every last wanted poster, she reaches her workplace.
[Yuren Magic Grand Prosecutors' Office]
The moment she opens the door, an unusually large number of people are bustling about despite it being a holiday.
"Good morning. Good morning."
Rose walks along, greeting her seniors.
None of them look particularly glad to see her; rather, they avert their gazes…… but it's all because of the class system.
"Um, Miss Rose."
"Yes?"
She quickly answers a senior calling her name.
He has a slightly uncomfortable expression, yet he hands her some work documents.
"This."
"Yes. What is it?"
"It's a complaint."
"A complaint?"
"Well…… Miss Rose. You are a prosecutor, correct?"
The senior scratches the back of his neck and asks. Rose nods.
"Of course. I'm a prosecutor. What else would I be?"
"Right. Of course. Please don't go around interrogating people outside on your own like a detective, or arresting wanted criminals. And don't distribute wanted posters like that. That's why complaints come in like this."
"……."
Only now does she look at the subjects of the complaints.
Every single one is "Prosecutor Rose."
"……Ah~ yes. I…… yes. I won't do it again."
"And this is actual work."
Then the senior shows her a document bearing that important "red label."
Rose's eyes go wide.
"What is it?"
"Professor Deculain. You know of him?"
"……."
Her expression instantly hardens.
Of course, she knows.
Deculain, the villain of an era.
"I…… know him. Of course I do."
Most citizens of Yuren hold considerable resentment toward the Red Palace Massacre.
To begin with, how could annihilating people simply because of the bloodline they were born into even be feasible?
"He's coming for the expo, so please escort him well during the schedule."
"……."
"I'm counting on you. He's a man who values courtesy, so you'll be a good match. Fitting, very fitting. There's no one else for the job but you, Miss Rose."
The senior speaks as if mocking her, and Rose nods.
"……Yes."
"Go on now."
"I will."
She pouts and walks down the hallway.
"……."
As she walks, she furtively surveys her surroundings.
Almost everyone in this prosecutors' office hallway is stealing glances at her and whispering.
—As expected, Miss Rose is taking that assignment.
—Well, if guys like us went, our perspectives wouldn't even match. We wouldn't be able to communicate.
—True, there is a difference. Both Miss Rose and Professor Deculain are tremendous nobles, after all.
Because Professor Deculain is an extremely important figure.
Even simply "protecting" him, to use the official term, would be an enormous credit.
In truth, she loathes Deculain's actions, and her parents' faces come to mind, making her irritation flare.
"……They must have pulled strings again."
Plop—
Having returned to her office, Rose drops into her chair and mutters weakly.
Pulling strings.
This is another instance of pulling strings.
Her parents always push her into places everyone else desires, yet she wants none of them.
No matter how much she rages and tells them to stop, they never change.
……Still, when she gets home today, she'll have to throw another fit.
Crackle—
At that moment, static crackles over the radio. Rose starts and answers.
"This is Prosecutor Sion."
—Professor Deculain's new theory has been stolen from a Yuren airship. This is an emergency; all available personnel are to assemble.
* * *
The moment the airship landed at the airport, countless reporters swarmed in. Having become a veritable sea of people, I took the back way and arrived at the Yuren palace.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. How could something like this happen, how could it……."
In the palace drawing room that receives national VIPs, Princess Maho repeatedly apologized with a tearful face.
I shook my head.
"It is not Your Highness's fault. Those ruffians would not be able to comprehend that theory even if they saw it with their own eyes."
"Even so…… *sob*…… The prosecutors are investigating now, so please wait just a moment."
"Very well."
Maho leaves with tears welling in her eyes, pitter-patter, while Ipeurin is still fuming.
"Oh, for heaven's sake! What damnable scoundrel!"
"Shut up and rest in your room. I'll give you an assignment."
I handed the suitcase to the girl. Ipeurin blinked at it.
"You tell me to rest, but you're giving me homework."
"There are eight magic stones with conversion formulas applied inside. You know what to do."
"……Yes."
"I'll even permit you to write an experimental paper based on the results. Put yourself down as the author."
Ipeurin's eyes went wide.
In truth, a magic thesis is tantamount to a university mage's career, and if my conversion formula is recognized as an "achievement," the value of that experimental paper will naturally soar as well.
I added in a low voice:
"However, keep quiet about anything related to time. There is still a need to keep it hidden."
……Yes.
Answering in a very small voice, she moves to her own room like some covert agent—shhk, shhk.
Just as I was about to head to my own room as well.
"Professor Deculain."
A voice calling me from the palace hallway.
I recognized the face immediately. One of Yuren's VIPs—Rose.
"The investigation results from the airship are out. As the assistant said, magical components were detected. That—"
"They likely compressed "Summoning" into an extremely narrow range and took nothing more than a single sheet of paper."
"Yes. That's correct. We have a wanted notice out for a mage skilled in the Support and Manipulation systems."
I nodded. I pointed to the cage in her hands.
"More importantly, is the cat all right?"
"Yes. Please take it."
Rose held out the cage.
—Meow.
A cat meowing inside.
Because pets were not allowed to accompany passengers on the airship, it was Sophien, who had been locked in the luggage compartment all this time.
"How unexpected. To think you keep a pet, Professor."
"Keep such thoughts to yourself."
"……."
I lifted the cage and opened the door to my room. Rose followed behind me.
"Please take this radio. I'll relay the progress of the case with it."
"I'll take it, but there is no need to get so worked up. It isn't a theory those idiots could understand anyway."
"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
Rose beams a smile.
The moment I entered the room, I released the cat.
……Wow, what terrible luck. Wow, unbelievable. Ugh, goosebumps from all the stray fur on my arms.
Rose's voice faintly filters in, and the red-furred munchkin narrows its eyes and goes grrr—arching its back.
—They dare say they confined this vessel in the luggage compartment of an airship.
"Did you not temporarily release the possession magic?"
—This is Yuren. The vessel is in the palace. Once released, it cannot be reconnected.
"Hm. I see."
—Professor. Do not pretend ignorance when you know.
I nodded and took off my overcoat. Then I put on a black robe. A robe with no particular distinguishing features.
—Where do you intend to go? Take this vessel with you.
"It is a place a cat cannot enter."
—Hmph. Are you going to Ash Mound?
"Yes. I intend to purchase a few things and conduct some investigation."
Ash Mound holds many of Dikailren's legacies.
Having been a man who would stop at nothing for the glory of his clan, no matter how humble one's status, no matter how repulsive Ash Mound might be, he collaborated with them and left behind his research, as well as his legacy.
—What of your theory?
"It does not matter."
Grr— The cat leaps up in displeasure and curls up on the bed.
—How truly foolish. Had it been this vessel, I would have held Yuren accountable. Was it not an important theory?
"It is a theory I have been immersed in of late."
—Is it your invention?
"It is my invention, but it is meant to complete Dikailren's theory."
At that, the cat fell silent for a moment.
I adjusted my robe's sleeves and looked back. Its face was steeped in unnecessary sentiment.
—You mean your father's magic theory.
"Yes."
—Professor, did you not hate your father?
"He is, of course, a repulsive specter, but he is a Yukraine. I have a duty to carry on the will of the previous family head."
I take three rods of neck-steel, and the snowflower stone is always in my dress shirt pocket.
The cat, which had been glaring vacantly at me, opens its mouth again.
—……Do not leave me alone for too long.
"I won't."
* * *
—Deculain's thesis has been stolen?!
—They say it's worth a billion Elne.
—If only I could find it…… But what sort of gutsy bastard would do it?
Al Ross is shopping around the Ash Mound market. He is looking for doll-related materials, but the unusual rumors are quite intriguing.
"So Deculain's theory was stolen…… What kind of theory could it be?"
Al Ross mutters and opens the door to "Arms and Legs."
It is a shop that sells animal tendons, organs, and the like.
"Hey. Get anything new in today?"
At Al Ross's question, the shopkeeper shakes his head.
"Afraid not. We had some, but a customer just swept it all up."
"……Swept it all up?"
"Yep."
He shrugs and points to the shelf in the back.
It's empty.
"Every last bit."
"……What kind of bastard."
"Dunno."
Clink—
Al Ross holds out a silver coin.
The shopkeeper spoke.
"A tall man."
Clink—
He holds out another silver coin.
"He wore a black robe. Seemed to be a noble from Yuren."
"A noble from Yuren?"
Clink—
One more silver coin.
"He spoke Yurenian. And he used that characteristic pretentious tone of theirs."
"Hmm……."
A noble of Yuren in Ash Mound.
Yuren and Ash Mound are close yet far. One is above ground and one below, but they are completely blocked by mountain ranges; unless one passes through the "dungeon passage" swarming with thugs and bandits, one must take a long detour.
Squeak—
Just then, the shop door opens again. Al Ross and the shopkeeper turn around simultaneously. The shopkeeper furrows his brow, and Al Ross smirks.
"……What kind of day is it today?"
Click-clack—
A group approaches with somewhat overbearing steps. Beneath their robes, leather armor gleams.
Too flashy to be ordinary "leather armor," and silvery resplendent—the attire of Yuren's authorities.
"Shopkeeper."
Among them, a woman steps forward and places her hand on the counter with a smack.
"We heard the commotion from outside. About Professor Deculain's theory."
"Is that so? I didn't hear anything."
"……."
Al Ross watches them with great interest. The woman with the sky-blue bob shakes her head and pulls gold coins from within her clothes.
"You really didn't hear anything?"
"……Hm."
The shopkeeper still stands with his arms crossed, observing. Then the woman stacks gold coins—one, two, three, four, five……
Al Ross smiles inwardly as well.
She seems to be from Yuren, but she knows a thing or two about Ash Mound. After all, among the merchants of Ash Mound, the shopkeeper of "Arms and Legs" in particular is renowned for his information network.
"I suppose I might have heard something after all."
A deal struck for fifteen gold coins.
The shopkeeper sweeps up the gold and smiles.
"I heard the one who stole Deculain's theory is in Ash Mound."
"Really."
"Yeah. Try the 'Poison Demon Bookstore.'"
"Yes. Thank you."
As the Yuren group is about to leave, the shopkeeper stops them.
"Hey."
"……Yes?"
"Listen to one more piece of information. For fifteen gold coins, there's still some left."
"Ah…… yes."
The merchants of Ash Mound are surprisingly honest. They might crack wealthy islands' intellectual property and sell it for a pittance, but they don't cheat each other.
"Deculain's father is Dikailren."
"……Who doesn't know that?"
"There is a man in Ash Mound pursuing that Dikailren's traces."
The shopkeeper glances at Al Ross. Al Ross smirks, and the woman repeats the question.
"Pursuing Dikailren?"
"Yes. It was exactly thirty minutes ago."
"What kind of information is that supposed to be?"
At that, Al Ross steps in instead.
"You know Deculain and Dikailren weren't exactly a normal father and son, right? And Dikailren's legacy is very dangerous here in Ash Mound."
"……Dangerous?"
"Dikailren once blew up this volcano with a magic experiment. Yuren was in chaos back then, wasn't it?"
"You mean the volcanic explosion from fifteen years ago."
"That's right. This is a dormant volcano, but—"
Squeak—
It was then.
The door opens once more, and three young people enter. They look around nervously, then stand in front of the counter.
"……Excuse me."
The female mage who speaks like that is…… Ipeurin.
She looks up at the shopkeeper with a stiff face and says:
"We heard that Professor Deculain's theory was stolen by someone from Ash Mound. Do you have any information?"
"……."
Al Ross forces a hollow smile with a somewhat vacant expression.
Did all the dungeon bastards drop dead? Why has the entry barrier to Ash Mound gotten so low?