Chapter 459

For some reason, I heard something explode outside.

‘Is that the sound of a fight?’

I looked toward the windows of the mansion. At that moment, an answer came from Einsiedel, whose collar I still had in my grip.

“You’re asking what my plan is.”

Einsiedel threw his head back and laughed, looking satisfied.

“Is this really the time to discuss plans? Once I tell you my plan, you’ll probably say something like this… You’ll help me achieve what I want, and once it’s all done, you’ll ask me to remove Heike Einsiedel’s soul from my body.”

“…….”

“You might even be waiting for an opportunity to remove the soul from my body yourselves before then.”

He’s got me figured out. I stared silently at Einsiedel.

“I know why you tried to kill me, even setting aside what happened this time. I live as a member of Pleroma. If I’m not Pleroma, then who is? But you were right about one thing. I’m not loyal to Pleroma.”

Einsiedel’s blue eyes met mine. The boundary between his irises and pupils was unsettling. For a moment, looking at his face gave me the strange illusion that there was nothing left inside him. I felt as though I were being sucked into his eyes, only to find an empty universe beyond them. It felt as if the void itself radiated from him.

“I’ve lived until this day for the sake of bringing this world down.”

To bring Pleroma down. I knew exactly what he meant. Just like in the Extra Chapter, there wasn’t a trace of emotion in his voice. Einsiedel continued.

“It seems our Sir Ernst isn’t surprised by anything. Either way, nothing has changed. I have to eliminate Pleroma. Completely. Without leaving a single thing behind.”

Of course he did. That was why he never told anyone that I was Sir Nikolaus Ernst. He had absolutely no reason to do anything that would benefit Pleroma. If Pleroma prospered, it would only work against him.

In the Extra Chapter, he had told me to eliminate Pleroma before the next century arrived. He was saying the exact same thing now. Aside from losing his mind after Werner Strauch’s death, he hadn’t changed at all. Perhaps reclaiming the soul that had once entered Mikhail Ismailov had brought him closer to his original goal.

I looked at Einsiedel, who was staring at me with a bleak, empty gaze, without even the slightest hint of a smile.

“Then what about you?”

“Do you think there should be an exception?”

“…….”

Could he really die? Yes. He didn’t seem particularly attached to life. The Einsiedel I met in the Extra Chapter had looked just as empty as the Mikhail Ismailov of today. All that remained of him was his goal concerning Werner Strauch. It felt as though the moment that single goal piercing through his heart was taken away, he would simply turn into a pillar of salt and disappear. Even now, he was just as empty—that was what I thought.

“What a pathetic life.”

“Hahaha… Look who’s talking.”

I raised the corner of my mouth at that. I said nothing. He had spoken as though he could see right through me, and he had. Einsiedel lay there comfortably, as though I wasn’t gripping him by the collar, letting his head fall back until he was staring at the ceiling. Then he whispered in a voice barely louder than a breath.

“That is why Sir Ernst could only be someone I like very much. If you hadn’t done that one thing, I might have loved you. But imagining myself trying to pick up water that has already been spilled seems rather pointless…”

“I meant something a little different. You—”

“So, you wanted me to tell you my plan.”

Einsiedel shook his head as though annoyed. His snow-white eyelashes half veiled his eyes. Even though I was on top of him, he looked down at me as if he were the one looking down from above.

“What would change if I told you?”

“…….”

“I need Heike Einsiedel’s soul until I destroy Pleroma. You intend to retrieve the soul before then, but I can’t go along with that. You don’t have what it takes to protect people. You know how to kill them, but you don’t know how to protect them…”

“…Haha. Like you?”

“Unfortunately, yes. So now I suppose I’ll protect him in my own way.”

“Do you not realize that ‘your own way’ of protecting him is a crime that doesn’t take his wishes into account at all?”

“Doesn’t take them into account at all? Me?”

Einsiedel’s body shook as he burst into laughter. It wasn’t a laugh of mockery or disbelief. The moment I realized he was genuinely laughing, I was the one left dumbfounded.

“Hahahaha…”

“You sound insane.”

I said it flatly, without changing my expression. Einsiedel pressed a finger hard against my chest. Then, glaring fiercely, he bit off each word with deliberate pauses.

“You’re the one who knows absolutely nothing about what he wants.”

“…….”

“So if you truly want your friend to be happy, I’d like you to support what he wants.”

What he wants, huh.

I couldn’t help but find that strange. Did that mean the two of them could somehow communicate telepathically because their souls were so remarkably similar? Or was Heike doing something behind our backs…?

I thrust divine power forward with my hand. I had to make him answer.

At that moment, Einsiedel slowly turned his head. His pale lips moved without a trace of emotion.

“This is becoming troublesome.”

BOOOOM—!

The door was blown off its hinges. I squinted and quickly looked up. A mage stood behind the fallen door, breathing heavily. The moment I recognized him, my mouth fell open.

‘Ulrike?’

Why was Ulrike here?

He swept back the hair that had fallen over his forehead from running so hard and adjusted his hat, his lips pressed into a firm line. His resolute, grass-green eyes moved from Elias to me.

“…….”

Ulrike’s eyes wavered.

I would have reacted the same way if I had been in his place. I was glad to see him. More than glad. I had no idea how he had ended up here or what had happened, but seeing him standing there on his own two feet, safe and sound, brought me an undeniable sense of relief. And then I—

“…Luise.”

I realized that he had changed.

He had always been the most student-like of our team. Someone who made me feel particularly fond of him—that was the first thing that came to mind whenever I thought of Ulrike. Just as I had wanted to preserve Leo’s innocence, with all his still-immature ways, for as long as I could, I had felt the same way about Ulrike. And Heike, too.

For a Junker from a military family, he wasn’t conservative or militaristic enough to have serious disagreements with us—those tendencies were common among Junkers, after all. And judging by the way he spoke positively of his mother, there didn’t seem to be any major discord in his family. The Ulrike I knew was someone who had grown up in an environment that was favorable to him in many ways, learning to return that kindness to others. I thought he might have been an ideal example of what happened when someone with a naturally kind heart was raised in a well-off family that taught him to give kindness and love to others.

Ulrike was bright and intelligent, as befitted a top student, but he didn’t know much beyond his school subjects. He wasn’t conservative, but he wasn’t progressive or moderate, either. He had never wondered what society was, what a nation was, or what justice meant. Like the other kids, he liked playing board games and running around. Whenever we talked about society, politics, or life, he would simply listen with his eyes wide, never offering much beyond a response like, Oh, so that’s how it is. Then, before long, he would pat us on the back and suggest we play a board game. That was all.

Ulrike’s world had never extended beyond school, friends, and entrance exams, just as was typical for someone his age. He seemed unaware that there was a world outside the walls that had sheltered and raised him. That was why he was so innocent, and that was why Ulrike had always been the ideal high school student on our team.

But not anymore.

For the first time, I looked into Ulrike’s calm eyes. I watched the corners of his eyes and his cheeks settle into an expression so unfamiliar on him. Ulrike had seen what lay beyond his world. Today was the day that happened. Pentathlon and Heike had shaken him, and Stadelheim Prison incident had finally cracked his shell.

My heart pounded. I knew he had come all this way to rescue us. I couldn’t even imagine how much he must have worried, how nervous he must have been, or how much courage it must have taken for him to make it here.

‘…But.’

I slowly closed and opened my eyes, looking once again at Ulrike, who had become a different person from the one he had been before coming to Giesing. He looked down at my hands, then glanced around the room. As if he had just realized something, he let out a quiet, “…Ah.” Then he smiled at me.

Unlike me, who had forgotten myself since a time I could no longer remember, he was, strangely enough, still Luise. There was no trace of exhaustion in him.

Ulrike smiled as he slowly approached me, spread his arms wide, and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around his back and frowned. His mana was unstable.

“I’m okay.”

Ulrike said it calmly, as though he knew what I’d been thinking all this time.

“But you don’t look okay.”

“…….”

How could I not be okay? I was perfectly healthy—healthy enough to have the strength to grab someone by the collar. It was just…

I was afraid that, starting today, he might come to see life as nothing but one long stretch of exhaustion. But unlike me, he doesn’t seem to have started that way. And I’m glad. That was what I had been thinking.

“And…”

Ulrike slowly let go of me and looked toward Einsiedel, who had somehow already gotten to his feet and was looking at us as though we were pathetic. Before I could even introduce him, Ulrike suddenly grabbed Einsiedel by the collar.

Grab—

He pulled Einsiedel down to eye level and spoke each word clearly.

“You must feel pretty good after doing that to Heike. Why did you do it?”

“You’re rather aggressive for someone I’ve just met.”

“Tell me!”

A vein stood out on Ulrike’s neck. Even if it had been anyone other than Heike, Ulrike probably would have reacted this way, but seeing him like this was so unfamiliar that it sent a chill down my spine. I slowly got to my feet, ready to use magic if things got out of hand, and took a couple of steps back.

‘…Something’s strange.’

Even with an Imperial mage being openly aggressive toward him despite this being their first meeting, Einsiedel remained calm. He wasn’t angry, nor did he resort to force. I had no idea how I was supposed to understand someone who did whatever he pleased, but this was almost like… the Einsiedel I had met in the Extra Chapter.

‘…Is he normally like this? Then… there must be some other reason he treats me so poorly.’

Perhaps Einsiedel found Ulrike just as strange as I found him. He lowered his gaze and stared at Ulrike before speaking in his usual dry tone.

“Is it because you’re still a student? I don’t understand why you’re being so emotional over what happened to Heike Einsiedel.”

“What…?”

“Did you get along well? Were your personalities compatible? That seems unlikely. Is it because he’s your teammate? Or perhaps a sense of duty?”

“Why should I tell you that?!”

“So you’re not particularly calm-tempered either…”

I had expected Einsiedel to say something like, Then I don’t see why I should explain myself to you either. But once again, his answer was completely unexpected. Einsiedel grabbed Ulrike by the wrist—the same hand that was clutching his collar.

“I don’t understand.”

Snap—

The moment Einsiedel seized his wrist, green mana sparked from Ulrike’s hand. I spread my hand and gathered mana, pointing my fingertips at them. Einsiedel was still staring at Ulrike. It was as though he had been given the chance to study a person, and he kept asking questions.

“Is it because you’re overflowing with a sense of justice? A competitive spirit? Or do you simply want to hold on to something you stubbornly fought to obtain?”

“Heike doesn’t want to be trapped by someone like you!”

“…….”

Ulrike shouted back. His eyes were bloodshot with anger as he continued pouring out his words.

“I heard that even though the two of you look completely different, your constitutions are very similar. Is that why? When you see your nephew who looks like you, does it really feel like he’s a child born from your mana? Even if you’re family, this isn’t right. Have you ever listened to a single thing my friend said?! If you had, you couldn’t possibly do this!”

“…….”

“He said we should go take pictures together when the magnolias bloomed. How could someone like that ever want to be trapped inside someone like you?! You—!”

Ulrike was too overcome with anger to continue. Einsiedel was still silent, looking down at him. He stared into Ulrike’s eyes as if trying to see right through him, then violently knocked his hand away.

Bang—!

Thrown back, Ulrike kicked off the floor. The wand spinning in his hand transformed into a sword. It happened in an instant. When I opened my eyes again, I found the tip of a pure white blade pressed against Einsiedel’s throat.

“…….”

The smell of blood brushed the tip of my nose. Einsiedel still only tilted his head, his expression blank.

“Are you thinking of attacking me?”

“…….”

“Go ahead. I’m curious.”

“Luise.”

When I called Ulrike’s name, he clenched his teeth. This wasn’t someone he could fight. I checked Einsiedel’s status window, and every stat was already far higher than it should have been. Besides, as long as Heike’s soul was inside him, Ulrike knew better than to act recklessly unless he was prepared to kill Heike as well. Einsiedel knew that too. When the blade stopped advancing, Einsiedel remained where he was and simply flicked the sword away with his hand.

“I was mistaken.”

Rumble—… KRA-KOOOM—!!

“Troublesome as you are, I’ve finally encountered someone worth talking to.”

The world brightened, then immediately darkened. Thunder and lightning flashed outside the window. The moment I whipped my head around to look at Ulrike, Einsiedel stamped his foot.

The room changed. We were suddenly in a dark dining room lit by yellow lamps. A long table, with plates and forks set at every seat, stood waiting for us.

“Sit.”

Einsiedel beckoned with a finger. Elias, who had been lying on the bed, was now asleep with his head resting on the dining table. When Ulrike tried to approach him, Einsiedel spoke in his dry voice.

“He’s being treated. Are you going to wake him?”

“…….”

Ulrike frowned sharply, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Einsiedel offered no explanation, of course, and instead said something else none of us could believe.

“Your other friend should be coming up soon.”

“Julia.”

Ulrike glanced at me as he said it. I nodded. When the rampage incident broke out at Stadelheim Prison, Leo had tied the two of them together and sent them outside so my identity wouldn’t be exposed. So if nothing had happened to Julia, he would have made it this far as all.

“I suppose I’ve proven my generosity by now.”

Einsiedel wasn’t smiling anymore. He tapped the table with a dry expression. A turkey appeared. Einsiedel beckoned for us to eat, but no one picked up a fork, and Einsiedel himself held nothing in his hands. Looking down at us, he said, “I don’t understand why you’re trying to get Heike Einsiedel back. But one thing is clear. You can’t protect Heike Einsiedel.”

“How can you say someth—”

“Pleroma wants the ability I possess. And Heike Einsiedel is their next target.”

Einsiedel cut Ulrike off calmly. Then he looked straight at me.

“I think you should be grateful that I’ve prevented a possible future where they use a living human being as an activation button for a Special Ability. If Pleroma learns the truth, all their pursuit and attacks will be directed at me.”

Ulrike’s face went pale as he frowned. I wanted to react the same way, but Pleroma was perfectly capable of doing something like that. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if Heike ended up following the same path as Ismailov.

‘…Abraham kept saying the same thing, too.’

“If Lord Heike Einsiedel had not been recruited into Eszett, he would have disappeared much sooner.”

Nonsense. It was nonsense, but now two people were saying the exact same thing. I had never ignored what my enemies said in the first place, but this was something I could no longer simply dismiss. If two unrelated people were saying the same thing, there was a real possibility that Pleroma’s leadership had already marked Heike Einsiedel as their next target.

Just then, Einsiedel flicked a finger.

Bang!

At the sound of something exploding in midair, Ulrike flinched. Someone had set up a spell in the air. Einsiedel looked toward the dining room door as it swung open.

“Looks like our clever friend has arrived.”

“A pleasure to meet you.”

Zähringen stood in the distance with a smile. With the darkened hallway behind him, there was not a trace of wariness on his face. His gaze moved from the sleeping Elias, to me, then to Ulrike before sweeping over the turkey and the table. Then, as though he were contemplating a work of art, he spoke thoughtfully.

“You are quite an unusual person.”

“I have a habit of treating my guests exceptionally well.”

“Hmm.”

Clack—!

Zähringen sat opposite Einsiedel, across from the head of the table. Interlocking his fingers, he said, “So it seems, Lord Einsiedel.”

“…….”

Einsiedel stroked his chin with a finger before speaking.

“Neither of us wants to stay here for long, I imagine. You want to return to the surface as quickly as possible, and I don’t want to arouse suspicion from anyone, either. So let’s be honest.”

He meant he wanted to avoid arousing suspicion from both Pleroma and Terminus Eukairia.

‘This should go quickly.’

Just what I was hoping for. Einsiedel looked indifferently at Zähringen before him and spoke.

“I’ll start. My goal is to destroy Pleroma.”

Both Ulrike and Zähringen reacted to those words. Ulrike’s expression grew even more hostile, while Zähringen raised an eyebrow and leaned back against his chair.

“Until that goal is accomplished, I can’t hand over Heike Einsiedel’s soul.”

“……”

“Pleroma wants to destroy Pleroma?”

Zähringen asked, folding his arms. Einsiedel merely stared down at us with half-lidded eyes, as though he didn’t even consider it worth explaining.

He can’t hand over the soul until his goal is accomplished. The reason, as Einsiedel had said earlier, was that he was convinced we wouldn’t be able to prevent a future where Pleroma used Heike as an activation button for his Special Ability. How are we supposed to persuade someone who can’t be reasoned with? I wondered, staring at Einsiedel without expression.

Just then, Zähringen smiled faintly and said, “Then let’s get rid of Pleroma as soon as possible.”