Chapter 232: Voice Island (3)
“This object is a magic brainwave explorer.”
Coastal Theater.
I showed the adventurers the cylindrical machine and helmet.
“This explorer has a test I made. Your mana and blood will drive the magic circle, and if you successfully explore here, you will pass. If you fail, you won’t be allowed on the island.”
This brainwave explorer was a high-quality object, but now that I applied Midas’ Hand, it was sufficient to create a completely new world from one’s unconscious.
“It’s simple.”
Therefore, the test of mental power was straightforward. Participants entrusted their consciousness to this machine. When the test subject internally consented to their mana and signed the magic circle with blood, a phenomenon similar to Carla’s Authority would occur. To be precise, it was an imitation of Carla’s authority, but, well, anyway.
“A total of 433 adventurers are gathered here. You can try it any time you want. Of course, it is possible to give up partway.”
I looked around the adventurers. Many famous adventure groups such as the Red Garnet, Blue Hair, Marlin, and more were there. For reference, if the name of the adventure group had a color in it, it meant that it wasn’t common.
“…But I’m allergic to needles!”
At that moment, a man in a warrior’s outfit chattered and waved his hands.
“Kuhuhuhu. What should I do?”
Carla’s younger brother, Jackal. With a smirk, he quickly drew the attention of those around him.
“I’m not very fond of blood, you know~.”
Yet his unique aura was even bloodier than before, and the stench of iron practically wafted from him. It appeared he was nearly twice as strong as before.
“Then get out.”
Ganesha intervened. Jackal grinned and stood, balancing his blade against his shoulder.
“I don’t want to?”
“…If you don’t.”
Ganesha glared at Jackal, meeting his gaze.
“Do you want to die?”
For a moment, Jackal’s smile stiffened. Ganesha’s pigtails fluttered sharply in response.
“…Fine. Do you want to fight? I needed to stretch my body anyway.”
Fragments of mana shimmered like rain off them. At that time, their auras, the proof of mastery, spread throughout the theater, and the adventurers turned to watch them with great interest.
“Jackal.”
I called out, drawing the man’s attention. I beckoned from my seat.
“Sit down.”
“Haha. I can’t sit. This madwoman provoked me—”
“Is Carla dead?”
“…”
Jackal stopped moving. I smirked. Carla and Jackal always moved as one body, but now with only him here, the situation was very clear.
I continued.
“Or is she dying?”
His hand holding the sword tightened.
“I won’t say it a third time.”
I smiled.
“Sit down.”
“…”
A death variable spread from Jackal at that moment, a red air stream that dissolved like mist across the room. It came slowly, like a leech, wriggling to my feet.
“If you want to save your sister.”
At that moment, it stopped. Jackal’s half-opened eyes trembled.
“…Hey. Professor.”
Jackal spoke, his tone holding back murderous intent.
“Do you know?”
A short and simple question.
“Jackal.”
I shook my head.
“Know your place.”
“…My place.”
“It’s not that I don’t understand you, who has been living like a worm.”
Tap-
I touched the podium with my cane. A small gust of wind blew up and spread like a wave, rustling Jackal’s long hair.
“You should know how to distinguish people.”
“…”
He shut his mouth for a moment and stared at me with empty pupils. Then, what he finally said:
“Professor.”
He sat down.
“If you don’t know, you’ll die.”
His entire eyes were dyed black, and he was staring at me like he was going to kill me. I responded:
“Correct your tone in the future. Before I rip that jaw off.”
“…”
“For adventurers who will participate in the test, submit your blood and wait.”
* * *
…Lately, the atmosphere of the Imperial Knights had been growing dark and bloody. Of course, externally, the Empire was becoming stronger day by day. Even the citizens of the Empire could feel their progress. However, this was because the Imperial Knights’ ‘Skills First’ value was being shaken.
-Skill? That’s bullshit. If you stand out in the professor’s eyes, you will succeed, and if he doesn’t like you, you will fail. The person in charge of the external audit committee for the senior knight review is also the royal guard captain, Deculein. They say that if the professor doesn’t like you, you won’t become a senior knight, and you’ll be kicked out.
In an eerily quiet hallway of the Knights Order Annex. There, the deputy commander Isaac was desperate.
—Her Majesty, too, took the professor’s side. And, more than an Imperial Knight, these days, the guard knights are the best. We have to stick with the professor somehow. Delric isn’t the same as before-
“Let’s get going. The guest is waiting.”
Lawaine responded. Nodding, Isaac opened the door to the secret room of the annex.
Creak-
Into a separate drawing room prepared for the Voice. Inside, a blonde wizard sat with his arms crossed.
“…Ihelm. Long time no see.”
The court wizard Ihelm. After receiving Isaac’s greeting, he pointed at the door.
“Forget about the greetings. Is that why you called me? Deculein wants to devour the Imperial Knights?”
“…”
Isaac nodded silently while Lawaine closed the backroom.
“Yes.”
“Well then, is that true? You want me to fight back against Deculein? Don’t you know that I completely lost in the chairman’s exam?”
“…I intend to hold a hearing.”
Isaac spoke gloomily, and Ihelm wore a perplexed look.
“What hearing?”
“Every spring, audits and hearings are held for businesses, nobles, and noble families. There are a lot of old people resisting the growth of Deculein’s power, so if there is a proper check, he won’t be as reckless as he is now—”
“I can’t. I can’t do anything related to him, so why not call the Round Table?”
“…The Round Table must not come to the Imperial Palace. Their relationship with Her Majesty is not good.”
“Really?”
Ihelm looked at Isaac with narrowed eyes. Isaac appeared to have mixed feelings.
“So… that is to say, are you trying to recruit such a noble wizard who is well aware of Deculein’s mistakes but also has the strength to fight against him?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Lawaine answered instead.
“The situation for the Imperial Knights is serious right now. Everything is being judged based on connections, not skill.”
“…Is it that serious?”
“Yes!”
As soon as Ihelm asked, Lawaine banged the table.
“Now the Knights Templar is divided into the Delric side and the Not-Delric side. However, this isn’t a faction split; it is a hierarchical relationship. The Delric side despises the Not-Delric side… and all-important missions and positions are now occupied only by the personnel under Delric, or Deculein.”
“…Really?”
“Yes! In this way, we will be reduced to Deculein’s private knights, not the Imperial Knights.”
“…”
Ihelm nodded with a slightly distant look on his face.
“Yeah, well, that could be. But I won’t do that.”
“Sir Ihelm. The fate of the knights is at stake. I’ll retire anyway, but the Imperial Knights is an institution for the Imperial Family, Her Majesty, and the Empire. If it is swallowed up by Deculein, the future will be dark, Ihelm. Aren’t we all this palace’s servants?”
Isaac’s eyes grew teary.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s disgusting.”
Ihelm waved him away. Of course, he also knew that Isaac was a good man. He was a savvy person who prioritized justice, the Empire, and the Knights over his safety.
“Anyway, I won’t.”
“Sir Ihelm!”
“Since we are both from the Imperial Palace, I will keep what you said here a secret to Deculein.”
“Ihelm!”
“Gosh. And, if you want it that much, there’s one other person besides me. Of a family with the prestige to bring Deculein to a hearing.”
“…A family? Who?”
Isaac’s eyes grew large. Ihelm answered with a slightly reluctant tone.
“Iliade.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
The trio went silent. After exchanging glances with each other, in the end, Ihelm spoke again.
“Still, you don’t like Iliade, do you?”
“…Ahem.”
They were reluctant about Iliade. Iliade’s actions in Bercht before, and the madness of Glitheon, were famous.
“Glitheon could be harmful.”
“Then call his daughter.”
“…Daughter?”
“Sylvia.”
Sylvia from Iliade. The knights didn’t know the details about her, but she was said to have the qualities of a great wizard. The knights weren’t quick to hear rumors or news, especially of the magical world, where betrayal was common. They didn’t even want to look at it as it was too disgusting.
“Is the child named Sylvia very promising?”
“Very?”
At Lawaine’s question, Ihelm frowned.
“Very~?”
He repeated the word, perplexed. Lawaine and Isaac cleared their throats in embarrassment.
“Kuhuhuhu. That’s why you’ve been pushed this far. You lack information and cannot manage politics. After all, the knights are all like that.”
Ihelm said with a big laugh.
“Do you know what is being said at the Round Table about Sylvia?”
Isaac and Lawaine quietly listened.
“…Sylvia’s talent may be divinity.”
Divinity. In other words, divine-like power. Goosebumps rose on Isaac and Lawaine’s arms.
“A lot of people say that Sylvia is a fragment of the Holy Age. Perhaps Deculein knew about it and threw Sylvia out.”
“…Threw her out?”
“Right. The intelligence service is monitoring Sylvia right now, and Deculein is in charge of her.”
“Ha.”
Isaac snorted. Deculein… how far ahead was this creepy and thorough man?
“Then…”
“If Sylvia is also an Iliade, then she must have bad feelings for Deculein. I’ll just tell you this much. I don’t hate, nor do I like, Deculein. Our old grudges, our old friendship, have already been offset to zero. So you do the rest.”
“…Okay. Thank you, Ihelm.”
“Let’s disperse for now.”
The three nodded to each other and stood up. And, when they opened the door to the backroom-
Their hearts exploded.
“…”
“…”
“…”
They almost literally exploded. They were so startled that they stiffened in place, and they couldn’t breathe. There was only one reason.
“…Well. I see. I didn’t imagine you’d be thinking like that.”
The noblest being on this continent was patting her chin right in front of the door to the backroom, murmuring.
“…Y-Your Majesty.”
Emperor Sophien. Isaac muttered blankly and knelt. He didn’t kneel voluntarily but lost all the strength in his legs, as had the other two, Lawaine and Ihelm.
“W-Why are you here…?”
“I’m inspecting the grounds. I didn’t want to stay still today.”
“Oh…”
“Right, so you’re going to get Deculein at a hearing?”
At that moment, their minds went blank. Their eyes turned black, and they couldn’t see or hear anything.
“Answer me.”
At the emperor’s insistence, Isaac returned to his senses.
“Yes, yes. Deculein, I mean, Professor Deculein is about to devour the Imperial Knights. At this rate, it will certainly be harmful to Your Majesty as well…”
“Hmm. Is it?”
“Yes.”
“And the reason is?”
Just as Isaac was swallowing his words, Lawaine stepped forward.
“The highest values of the Imperial Knights are skill and chivalry. Belief and conviction, justice and competence. Only a knight who has all these evenly would have been able to rise to the ranks. However, this is not what Deculein’s intervention is causing. Many knights only want to look good to Deculein. This is not healthy for the Order.”
Lawaine’s words sort of jumbled out. But in such a tense situation, there was no way he could care.
“…Did Deculein transform the Imperial Knights?”
“Yes, yes. That’s right.”
“Hmm.”
Sophien nodded. Even then, the three of them had a hard time understanding what she thought.
“It makes sense.”
“…?”
A question mark appeared over each of their heads as Emperor Sophien grinned.
“This is interesting. First, find Iliade’s daughter. If you do, I’ll consider a hearing.”
* * *
In a theater along the coast were a total of 433 adventurers gathered. In that quiet atmosphere, each of them was wearing helmets.
“All 433 people entered the exam.”
Epherene spoke. The girl, who came here while preparing for the contest, was with her teammates.
“But…”
Epherene looked around the adventurers seated as if sleeping quietly.
“Is this exam hard?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
I nodded.
“It’s a test that I made as impossible to pass as I could.”
“…What?”
“Even I don’t know the specifics of what’s inside this.”
I tapped the helmet worn by the adventurers. Midas’ Hand was applied to the world of the unconscious that unfolded within. In other words, they were no longer under my influence but of the characteristic.
“Get ready, Epherene,”
I looked to Epherene.
“Ready for what?”
“Ready to go to Voice Island.”
Epherene’s eyes widened. Then, she cleared her throat and pointed into the audience.
“…What about these people?”
“Leave them to Julia, Drent, and Maho.”
Julia, Drent, and Maho. The three of them were walking around the theater, checking on the adventurers. Their task was to cut off the connection in case something dangerous happened.
“Julia is a commoner, but Drent is a smart guy, so he’ll do well.”
“Julia is good too, you know? It doesn’t matter if they’re a commoner or noble.”
“Hmm.”
I responded as I adjusted my tie.
“Be prepared. You will go with me to the Voice Island.”
“…Yes, well. I’m fine.”
“It might be pretty dangerous, so be a bit nervous.”
“…”
Gulp-
Epherene swallowed. She had a face as frightened as a rabbit’s at that comment alone.