A hush fell over the room.
No, the world outside was still loud with news of war, but here, in this space we were in, it was quiet.
“Johan.”
Vidar broke the silence.
With a casual smile, he asked,
“Do you know when people are most off guard?”
“……?”
“It’s right when they think they need to prepare. That little crack in their focus….that’s when they’re the most vulnerable.”
“……”
“I gave the order to advance before I even reached the capital. And through you, I let the Empire think it had time to prepare.”
But there was never any time.
The point was to make them believe they did.
A brilliant outcome achieved with a single lie.
That’s when I realized…Vidar was just as much a strategist as Kult.
“Well then, Mr. Johan, if you’re as wise as I believe, I’m sure you already know what I’ll do next.”
“……”
He should’ve been on the battlefield.
But the northern gate had already fallen, and the great warrior of the barbarians was standing here, in front of me.
That alone told me he wasn’t just here to relax.
He must’ve been waiting for this moment all along.
The moment the Empire’s frontlines gave way.
It’s only once the rumor spreads that the barbarians, disguised as ordinary beastkin, can move freely within the Empire.
And Vidar was no exception.
“Are you planning to strike the capital immediately?”
Vidar smiled.
But it wasn’t a gentle smile. It was the savage grin of a barbarian.
“I hope Princess Ariel becomes the great adversary who defeats the barbarians and changes how people see the beastkin. But I too have my sights set on victory.”
“So you’re going all in.”
“Hehehehe.”
Maybe that too was a lie.
But whether it’s true or not, he has nothing to lose.
The northern gate has already fallen, and the barbarians have set foot in the Empire.
To take down the scattered barbarian forces, the Empire will have to go all out.
Powerful figures like Tronius Ether and the Black Knight Lanius will inevitably be spread thin across the land.
So then who will protect the capital? The Empire had many strong warriors.
But only one was strong enough to defeat Vidar.
“Of course, I do intend to honor our agreement. I should at least consider what happens if I fail.”
“……”
“That’s why I planned to give it a bit of time. If I show up in the capital the moment news of the breached gate spreads, it’ll surely raise suspicion.”
The barbarian’s disguise.
It meant they were capable of acting just like ordinary people.
Because of that, I’d been able to stay off the Empire’s intelligence network until now.
Who would believe that those half-naked, primitive savages suddenly knew how to invest in stocks or run businesses?
So far, that belief had worked in our favor.
The Empire had always been in a state of chaos anyway, and the barbarians used for terror operations were few and elite to begin with.
A gap had accidentally opened in the defensive line, and a group of barbarians had just happened to slip through and make their way here by chance.
That was how people saw it until now. They hadn’t had the time or breathing room to suspect anything more.
And even now, with the final battle drawing near, Vidar intended to keep up the disguise.
Because that was his goal.
Barbarians and beastkin were different.
It was the Speartip of Snow Blossoms that drew that line. To make sure that, if they failed, their own kind wouldn’t suffer for it.
That was the promise and that was why they needed an adversary.
“So I have to admit, meeting like this caught me off guard.”
Today’s meeting had truly been a coincidence.
And it wasn’t a welcome one.
“Mr. Johan, if you’re as wise as I believe, I’m sure you understand what I mean.”
The war had already begun.
Taking advantage of that chaos, Vidar must have planned to strike at the heart of the Empire.
But after running into me today, that plan was ruined. Because now I knew he was still here.
So then, why was he spelling out his entire plan like this?
Vidar must have assumed that even without an explanation, I’d reach the same conclusion on my own. That’s why he was deliberately buying time by explaining it all.
“You don’t plan on letting me go, do you?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
I looked down at the back of my hand.
The spell Vidar had engraved on me was glowing red.
This was the price. A price for what was about to happen.
It also meant he didn’t intend to kill me… at least, not yet.
“Since I’m still wearing human skin, I suppose I should be treated accordingly.”
He was planning to take me with him. To keep me from doing anything.
It wasn’t part of anyone’s larger plan. It was just a spontaneous decision.
Unlike with Kult or Tillis, this was an organic, instinct-driven action.
The Great Warrior Vidar was a beast.
He moved with the instincts of one.
“Yuna.”
“…Mhmm.”
There was no real chance of winning.
Yuna was a poor match against the Great Warrior to begin with, and I’d only get in the way.
Honestly, even if I surrendered quietly here, it wouldn’t really be a problem for me.
Just like he said, he probably wouldn’t kill me….just lock me away somewhere.
“You know what you have to do, right?”
I drew my sword.
The opponent was the Great Warrior Vidar.
His goal was to stop me from acting and to keep me imprisoned until everything was over.
He would ensure my safety.
For someone like me, who never wanted to be in the middle of all this to begin with, surrendering and going along with it might’ve been the smart choice.
But I was also bait.
Vidar was planning to use me to lure Ariel in.
That’s why I couldn’t be caught here.
No…even if I was caught, I had to at least let them know he was in the capital.
Which meant…
“Mind if I resist a little?”
“By all means.”
I had to buy time if only to help Yuna escape.
***
The Babel Gear and Spur Gear.
Mr. Georg’s cursed sword, and my specialty of illusion magic.
I threw everything I had at him. I planned to shake things up as loudly as possible.
But Vidar was far stronger than I’d expected.
“There wasn’t even any commotion…”
I muttered, struggling as I lay sprawled on the floor.
Even with us tearing through this tiny shop, there hadn’t been a stir.
People outside still seemed completely unfazed.
Well, maybe a bit unsettled. Probably because they’d heard news of the war.
But that had nothing to do with what was happening here.
“Trying to cause a scene was a naive plan. If anyone else had seen this, we would’ve had to kill them all to keep it quiet.”
That’s true. I know that.
What I did was basically trying to drag innocent people into this.
But I also know—
“You stopped that from happening, didn’t you?”
He had the strength to prevent it.
Of course, that meant he had to suppress his overwhelming power and react to every little move I made.
“You were impressive, Johan. You’re much stronger than I expected.”
I really did throw everything I had at him.
And even though I couldn’t leave a single scratch on Vidar… I succeeded in buying time.
“In the end, we lost one. I didn’t expect that level of skill.”
And I got Yuna out.
Yuna would now go to find Lobelia and tell her about Vidar’s presence and that I’d been captured. If that happened, Vidar would be pressed for time.
He’d have to accelerate his plans or take an even more difficult path.
“Well, it’s fine. I never expected everything to go perfectly anyway.”
Still, this is only a partial victory.
In the end, I was caught by Vidar, so Ariel would have to stop him if only to save me.
“Ha… I had plans today.”
We just happened to step into the honey ice cream shop for a date, and this is what we got.
Not that it’s Yuna’s fault. She didn’t know, after all…
And honestly, it’s better to take a hit knowing why than get blindsided.
“Really… it was an unfortunate surprise for both of us.”
Vidar let out a sigh.
I sighed too.
Our accidental meeting had turned into a deadly blade for us both.
***
Yuna had taken advantage of Vidar’s opening and successfully escaped.
If she could now blend into the crowd and trail Vidar, there was a chance she might even be able to snatch Johan back.
But the odds were low.
So, as always, she decided to trust and follow Johan.
Yuna set out swiftly yet calmly to find Lobelia.
She headed toward the Cradle, toward the Imperial Palace, and then searched the places Lobelia was known to frequent.
And after half a day of searching for her…
“Yuna? What happened? Your face is a mess.”
“W-Well…”
She had found Lobelia and at the same time, realized she hadn’t been as calm as she thought.
Half in tears, Yuna told Lobelia everything.
Because that was all she could do right now.
***
I was being held captive in a certain mansion.
Though it was captivity, I had a bed and was served meals regularly.
Honestly, I was living better than I had back home.
Even if my movements were restricted, it wasn’t all that bad.
“Is there anything you need?”
A beastkin dressed as a butler asked me.
Through the neat lines of his uniform and his gentle expression, I could see the well-toned body of a wolf beastkin.
He was one of the barbarians. Probably everyone in this mansion was. It was their way of saying, “Don’t even think about escaping.”
“Could I request some alchemy books? I won’t need any materials.”
“……”
The butler stared at me for a moment, then smiled softly.
“Of course. If you let me know which books you’d like, I’ll have them copied from the Imperial Academy.”
It was a good thing I’d mentioned I didn’t need any materials.
If I’d said I wanted to conduct alchemy experiments, they would’ve gotten suspicious right away.
And so, I passed the time reading books.
Three days went by.
It was quiet outside. Vidar was probably still waiting for the right moment.
Had Yuna managed to deliver the current situation to Lobelia?
I was worried.
“Could you get me a newspaper?”
“I thought you might need one, so I brought it.”
I looked at today’s paper.
There was an article about the barbarians who had passed through the northern gate and were now spreading throughout the empire.
And among them, a line noting that the whereabouts of the Great Warrior Vidar remained unknown.
“What’s the Great Warrior up to?”
“He’s preparing. It’s not something you need to concern yourself with, honored guest.”
“……”
A clear line being drawn.
In the end, all I could do was sit with my frustration and kill more time.
Another week passed.
The newspaper now reported that imperial knights were mobilizing to drive out the barbarians.
Among the articles was a mention of Tronius Ether and Lanius.
It said Tronius Ether had left for the north to hold back the barbarian army.
But Lanius had yet to move.
“I see.”
That took a bit of pressure off.
If Lanius wasn’t moving, that likely meant my message had been received.
He was probably waiting and searching for the Great Warrior to defend the capital.
“Honored guest.”
“Yes?”
“I think it would be best for you to go to bed early today.”
“Why?”
“Things may get a little noisy outside starting at dawn tomorrow.”
“……”
And at last, Vidar began to move. A bloodstorm was about to sweep through.
I was still trapped here, unable to do anything.
***
Boooooooom!!
Early dawn. I woke to a deafening roar. Had the invasion begun?
I had heard in advance that they would attack early, but the sound came from much closer than expected, and I couldn’t help but jump in shock.
This was my chance.
With the invasion underway, the people guarding the mansion would be busy.
I had to use this moment to escape.
Even if I escaped now, there were only a handful of things I could actually do.
But at the very least, I shouldn’t become a burden to Ariel.
“Pulse.”
Up until now, I had remained completely inactive. I made sure to act that way.
I spent my time reading books and newspapers, looking nothing but helpless.
But they didn’t know.
I am an Ex Machina member.
So I don’t need materials. I don’t need any other tools.
“Babel Gear.”
Screeeeeech!!
The sound of interlocking gears echoed out.
Soon my right arm swelled, devouring the books around it.
Tearing, rejoining, transforming.
Books alone were more than enough as raw material.
If it was paper fiber, I could make plenty out of it.
Now, it was time to escape.
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