"Catch them! Seize those bastards!"
"Damn it! Assassins! How dare they, right in the heart of the Empire...!"
"What is the Guard even doing!?"
Professors are, each of them, high-level martial experts. Mages and assassins rushed in. But Senior Professor Ryan, already stabbed, rolled across the floor, blood spilling.
Amid this, for some reason, the assassin kept vanishing and reappearing in midair; only a few, including Dante, realized it.
"That’s...!"
『Space Leap』—a top-tier movement art, a full Level 9.
Several assassin names flashed through the professors’ minds, but the masked face did not overlap with any of them.
An unidentified Challenger-class assassin...
"Guard! Damn it, the Guard!"
"Just nab him first!"
"You professors up front! Protect Senior Ryan!"
When the professors rushed in, the assassin vanished like lightning and was spotted atop the chandelier.
A few rounds of pursuit followed, yet even so, he didn’t flee the venue.
"......."
Amid the commotion, Rebecca turned to Dante beside her.
At this moment, Dante Hiakapo sat quietly.
If he wanted to move, he could; if he wanted to catch the assassin, he could. Yet he did not move.
He simply kept checking something, as if reading letters in midair.
"Hey."
"It’s fine."
It’s fine.
A single word rippled outward. Rebecca damped down the surge of urgency in her chest.
Somehow, it felt like it would be fine.
Along with that, what surfaced now was the thought that this was the ‘Imperial check’ he had mentioned beforehand.
— The Hero Party and the ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) professor. That will be you and me.
Back when they’d spent time alone at the mansion, Dante had said that to Rebecca—about the flow the world would take from here, and about its end.
— We’re already on the same boat. If we’re pushed by the currents and wash up on an island, that place is the war against the Demon King.
— To get there, there are several tasks we absolutely must overcome.
Dante named three, broadly.
— Completing the proper Hero Party.
— Finding the Demon King’s location.
— Gaining freedom from the Empire’s checks.
Of those, the last had now arrived at their feet.
"We’ve almost got him—drive him into a corner!"
"Cut his flow! Keep him from leaping!"
At this, several senior professors drew out [Stigmata] abilities and designated national treasures from various countries, hemming the assassin in.
"Got—!"
At last, some professor’s 「Restraining Rope」 flew out and looped around the assassin’s neck.
...Or so it seemed, when the assassin yanked the rope, gave a snap of his wrist, and reversed it around the professor’s neck.
"Professor Valder!"
"Kh... I’m fine!"
The professor with his neck caught grinned.
"Did you think you had me?"
At the same time, current blasted out of his body.
Bzzzzzzzt!!
A violent surge ran along the rope. It scorched the assassin’s hands and locked up his body.
"Now!"
But the professors had to halt mid-charge. Four more assassins had taken position at the first assassin’s side.
Until now Dante had watched the situation; seeing them, he narrowed his eyes.
"......."
They infiltrate the glorious Obel Prize award ceremony,
ambush the honoree,
and five assassins with swords shout:
"Long live Dominion❆!!"
"Our god, Dante Hiakapo, long live!!"
"May that name live forever, beyond the Empire and up to the heavens!"
"Adnet—!!"
Shock rippled across the hall.
The faculty, the Obel Prize Council, the press—everyone’s gaze turned to one man.
Bearing a multitude of stares all at once,
Dante closed his eyes.
‘What. Is this?’
In Rebecca’s mind, this framing was idiotic.
Wouldn’t this make it look like Dante Hiakapo, failing to receive the Obel Prize, had sicced his own assassins to ambush Senior Professor Ryan?
But that was preposterous—if he’d actually been robbed of the award, a surprise attack would be a self-inflicted wound. And shouting the client’s name on top of that? Even a dumbass moron wouldn’t do that.
"Adnet! Adnet!"
"Adnet! Adnet!!!"
Obviously, Dante wasn’t the type to pull such a cheap, low-rent ploy.
Yet Rebecca bared her fangs, remembering—belatedly—that to the general public, an act like this can, surprisingly, land.
An absurd ambush with overacting. Even so, the assassins’ combat power was high. And the fact that a senior professor had been struck was a cold fact.
She glanced at the rotating 「Camera Orb」. This scene was being broadcast as-is to Imperial citizens...
‘Why are you just sitting there?’
Growing impatient as she looked at Professor Dante, Rebecca sprang to her feet and shouted first.
"Hey, hold on! Who the hell are you?"
In a hall shocked into silence,
Rebecca stood and shouted at the assassins.
"Adnet! Future queen!! Saint of Peace and Love!!"
"What? What saint, what insane crap are you babbling?"
At the deranged honorifics, Rebecca’s face flushed; realizing the 「Camera Orb」 that had turned to Dante was now aimed entirely at her, she hardened her expression.
"We don’t know scum like you! Who are you to suddenly—"
She didn’t finish.
Because a hand had seized her shoulder.
At some point, Dante had risen. He set Rebecca aside and began walking forward.
When a silent lion in the wild starts to move, the yapping hyenas close their mouths. As Dante took a step, the assassins shut up.
"Dante Hiakapo will issue an order."
At that moment, Dante said one thing.
"Lay down your weapons and surrender."
The assassins hesitated for a split second.
And the next moment—
wrapped in light, they leaped like arrows.
"......!"
Rebecca’s eyes went wide.
It was just a simple exchange, yet it told everyone quite a lot.
They claimed to revere Dante, but the instant an order fell, they fled. The thread of their shabby performance snapped. And all of it was captured by the 「Camera Orb」.
"Where are the assassins!?"
Around then, high officials of the Imperial Security Bureau’s Guard arrived. Dante shouted:
"They’re fleeing with 『Space Leap』. They’re heading north—pursue them."
"Ah, understood!"
Thus the incident was, for the moment, wrapped up.
Senior Professor Ryan was borne out on a stretcher.
The Council hurried to contain the situation, blocking the charging Camera Orbs.
"Professor Dante! Just one word, please!"
"Do you see this as a backlash to not winning the Obel Prize?"
"Are those assassins affiliated with Dominion❆? Professor Dante, are you aware of the new religious group Dominion❆? Are you acting as its leader yourself?"
Questions continued to pour down.
"Was this assassination under your orders!?"
To that, Dante answered lightly.
"Does it look like it?"
With a knit brow.
All of those exchanges were once again captured by the 「Camera Orb」. ‘Out! Get out!’ Council staff shoved and struck reporters, forcing them back.
It felt like there might be a breath of respite.
But Dante’s expression still wasn’t good. From far off, a Security Bureau elder appeared and stopped before him.
A towering height of something like 2.2 meters. A white beard hanging to his waist. Narrowing his eyes, the old man approached the professor.
"You will cooperate with the investigation. Professor Dante of Hiaka."
Dante Hiakapo did not answer easily.
He simply stared up at him.
"......."
***
As a result, after checking all the 【Script】 logs and ●Name Tags, I realized it: they were the assassination squad of Sashin Society Ω.
The same bastards who’d come to ambush Wolfgang and me earlier, faces altered and back again.
They were the Imperial assassination squad directly run by the Emperor—an imperial household unit.
‘Despicable.’
The Empire is a nation that revolves around the imperial house, yet the Emperor always seeks a pretext from Imperial citizens.
Because that leaves no loose ends.
And Imperial citizens... citizens by nature can be easily tantalized and set ablaze by something very simple.
This incident too was an act meant to drive a wedge between Hiaka and the Empire and to keep me in check.
"It would be best if you came along quietly."
Thus, to hold me down, a high elder of the Security Bureau had personally shown himself.
● Security Bureau Elder Ikmumba
This man was a very famous assassination-type mage, a [Challenger].
At last, the Empire’s check had taken a tangible form.
"Professor Dante Hiakapo. Why no answer?"
"......."
In that moment, I understood exactly why this event had popped right now.
Because a single line of a status window floated before my eyes.
「 ⧉ [Main Story] No.5 Hero Party Decision Match 」
Main Story, the fifth.
The event to fully finalize the Hero Party was beginning.
At a glance it might seem coincidental. Why would it pop up just when I’m unavoidably seized by the Empire?
But no.
This is a Main Story that begins precisely ‘as I’m seized by the Empire.’
"As a high official of the Security Bureau, you must be using 『Visual Sharing』 at an event like this. If you saw the situation with your own eyes, you should know this: there is no relation whatsoever between me and those assassins."
"Well. That’s something we’ll judge after we investigate. Not for you, a party to the incident, to decide."
"If you’re asking for my cooperation, you might want to look a bit more agreeable. I have the legal right to refuse your request."
"You can’t be my opponent anyway. If I drag you in by force, you’ll have no authority to exercise. Stop talking nonsense and come quietly."
"Every law code is written in the name of Emperor Harpehlmang Depenstein Hattengraj. Elder Ikmumba. Did you just call that ‘nonsense’?"
"......."
"And you cannot defeat me. Seems age has clouded your judgment."
"Have you finished? Show respect to the Imperial Security Bureau."
"Show respect to your own imperial house."
"You little bastard...?"
I recited clauses I couldn’t help remembering even if I tried not to, and the elder’s face crumpled.
‘So. What shall I do?’
Legally, I’m spotless.
But the world runs on the logic of force more than law.
Behind the opponent stands the imperial house.
The opponent holds the advantage.
‘But I have no reason to let myself be seized.’
This event presents two choices.
One: shake them off, flee, become an exile, and participate in the Main Story indirectly.
Two: be taken into the Security Bureau and, a step removed from the Main Story, move from within.
‘Either way, it’s a crisis meant to put me in a bind... but at the same time, it can be an opportunity.’
Why?
‘Because Abraxas was the Empire’s Chief of Security.’
And I’m inside that very body now.
Once upon a time, that great monstrous Constellation must have hidden himself with 『World Forgery』, deceiving the whole world as he climbed to the post of Chief of Security.
The Ikmumba before me must have been a man who lived alongside Hattengraj.
This is the only lead to find the Demon King’s location.
‘A perfect chance to learn about Abraxas.’
Besides.
I had already gathered Glory and Eve, those pathetic siblings, and given them this and that instruction beforehand—about the Hero Party Decision Match.
‘I’m counting on you. You two elephants.’
I made my decision.
"Fine. Fine. I’ll come."
"Hm."
When I willingly lowered my front, Ikmumba, who’d been raising killing intent, lowered his as well.
Say what you will, the Guard really is “nice.”
If they’d been asshole assassin punks, the moment I assented they would’ve sprung a surprise attack or pushed for a bigger fight.
"You should have listened from the start. No matter how high you fly and how deep you crawl, you can’t stand against the Security Bureau in the Empire."
"Sure, sure. But there’s a condition. Bring someone higher-ranked than you."
"What? What’s that supposed to mean. Why?"
Unfortunately, something regrettable occurred: my hand drew out the 「Giant Soldier’s Sword○」.
What does it matter if the other side is “nice.”
"I don’t let myself be taken by someone weaker than me."
I’m an assassin.
***
Eve touched the horns on her head. She confirmed they were hidden within an invisible veil. Then she cautiously headed into the building. Climbing the stairs, on the 4th-floor rooftop level, a jet-black assassin lay prone behind a sniper rifle; he was still taking a contracted shot at someone even now.
"......."
She crept closer, carefully. From here on, she had to become friends with that assassin.
And Eve knew the way to give the most comfort when approaching a stranger. Approach with utmost care. Let them notice you. Meet their eyes at a suitable distance.
"......? Ugh!"
The black-clad assassin sprang up and opened distance, aiming the muzzle at Eve. But she did not startle. She did not panic. She knew that if she didn’t panic, the other wouldn’t either.
"Who are you."
Was his name Balmung? The one the human cherished, he’d said. She thought she might have glimpsed him briefly on the airship before...
In any case, person-to-person, this was their first meeting.
Eve slowly raised her hand and gave a gentle wave.
"......."
Just the way ‘the human’ had always done for her.