Chapter 257

No matter how great a commander Hannibal was, this could be considered his second mistake.

……  

I exhaled slowly, pressing my brow bone. The dawn sunlight streaming through the window stung my eyes. Through the strands of hair falling over my face, the serious expression of the Archbishop flickered.

“They want you in Osnabrück. The leadership is trying to use you as bait to lure out the Bishop of Osnabrück. Of course, they’ll make it so no one realizes it’s bait.”

His thin, calm voice echoed in the room.

In contrast, I responded in a rather rough tone. My head ached, and I had no intention of fabricating anything.

“I see.”

“You have Heike Ainsidel on your team, don’t you?”

I only raised my eyes to look at him.

Talking about Bishop Ainsidel of Osnabrück and bringing up someone from the same family?

Whatever comes next won’t be pleasant. I had a bad feeling about it.

“Are you close?”

……

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but our Pleroma doesn’t know how the principle of resurrection works. Beyond the fact that blood is involved in our resurrection and powers, we know nothing. We don’t understand the true principle of reviving a skeleton or turning an old person young again. We simply chant spells and borrow power.”

“Hm, I see.”

He shouldn’t take my response at face value. This was something Abraham had already told me. I pretend to agree even if I don’t, act like I know even if I don’t, and act like I don’t know even if I do. In front of Pleroma, that’s necessary. Especially since he abruptly changed the subject, I need to be even more cautious with my responses to prepare for what’s coming.

“For I will surely require your blood, the blood of your lives; from every beast I will require it, and from man, from every man’s brother, I will require the life of man.”

“Genesis.”

“Yes. Leviticus also says this: For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”

……

“Blood is an element directly tied to the story of our life and origin, and the ability to manipulate blood is the power to govern life and death.”

“So?”

The Archbishop didn’t seem offended by my curt response. He gave a slight smile, then erased it and continued.

“The leadership has techniques we don’t possess. To be precise, the unique abilities of individuals exceed our expectations. There’s someone in our Pleroma leadership with the ability to manipulate blood.”

“Are you sure?”

“There has to be. Otherwise, resurrecting people would be impossible.”

I nodded readily.

“The unique ability of the Bishop of Osnabrück is the same as the ability Heike Ainsidel possesses. Their facial features, height, aura… they’re completely different, with no resemblance whatsoever, but at least their surname and unique ability prove they’re related. As you know, unique abilities are hereditary.”

They are completely different.

Just looking at them, you wouldn’t think they’re family. Their eye color, hair color, the nature of their Magic Power, facial features, and physique are all different. Even if they claimed to be blood relatives, you’d be hard-pressed to believe it.

If Bishop Ainsidel is from a distant branch of the family, it makes sense that he’s not in the Ainsidel main family’s photo album and doesn’t resemble Heike at all. The vast amount of Magic Power he possesses is a bit concerning, but even among distant branches, talented individuals can emerge.

Come to think of it, there’s quite a gap in Magic Power between Heike and him.

“Upon investigation, it seems the Ainsidel family itself uses mental magic as their unique ability. If we dig deeper, we’ll likely find more mages with abilities similar to the Bishop’s. But we don’t have time for that now.”

“So?”

“What about bringing Heike Ainsidel’s blood?”

What about bringing Heike’s blood?

Abraham’s words came to mind. The suggestions and things she said to me after the Eszett inauguration ceremony.

‘…Is this how I get dragged into it?’

Whether by choice or not, a future where Heike falls into Pleroma’s path might begin like this.

I’m fortunate to have heard this now, but I can’t let my guard down. According to Abraham, her ability is exactly what Pleroma needs. Just because their unique abilities are the same, someone somewhere is probably scheming like this.

I asked my friends to protect Heike’s safety before coming here, but I don’t know if that will hold up past a year or even longer.

I kept my expression neutral and continued to look at him. He continued earnestly.

“If we hand it over to the leadership, they might be able to do more with the blood. Like sensing the life force of someone with the same unique ability, for example.”

“No.”

I shook my head and continued.

“Let’s not drag others into something uncertain.”

“…We need to try everything we can. If we don’t catch Bishop Ainsidel now, you’ll be the one taken.”

“Then I’d rather let that happen.”

……

The Archbishop’s face darkened.

After a long staring contest, I sighed heavily and spoke first.

“I don’t want to harm anyone. What you’re saying is essentially suggesting we swap Pleroma’s primary target from me to Heike Ainsidel. You’re saying to use her as bait.”

“Yes. Is now the time to worry about harming others?”

“Then you’re not worried about it? This is ridiculous. I mean, just recently, when I saw you get injured because of me…”

I shook my head with a fed-up expression, signaling I didn’t want to continue.

Sooner than expected, his interest was starting to shift elsewhere.

“When you saw me?”

……

Seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes, I knew I couldn’t let him down.

No, this was an opportunity.

I answered nonverbally instead. I don’t particularly want to know how I did it. The fact that my career is being used like this just hits me with an indescribable wave of reality.

I ran my cold hand over the back of my neck to cool off. I didn’t look at him directly, so I’m not sure, but his face seemed to take on a subtle smile. He quickly composed himself and waited for me.

I looked at the floor, then took his hand.

“Don’t use methods like that. Surviving by using methods that make me uncomfortable wouldn’t make me happy.”

……

‘Maybe I should ask for more medicine…’

I had to convince myself that a camera was rolling and that I was on my fifth NG take. I’ve never had five NGs due to my own mistakes in my life, but I had to believe it.

“How did you feel when you saw me get injured?”

“Still on that topic? You’re persistent.”

“Come on, tell me.”

“No way.”

“Why not~”

‘This guy…’

He half-rose from his chair, leaning closer to me. Instead of saying something rude, I pulled my chair back and shook my head.

“I’ll tell you later.”

But he didn’t give up, and eventually, he stood up and approached me.

It took twenty minutes to escape that situation.

……

The problem was, while I escaped that topic, the atmosphere somehow turned less than ideal. No, it wasn’t ideal for me, but it was probably great for the Archbishop. I looked at him, silently standing close by. Just moments ago, we were both raising our voices, arguing back and forth, but now an incredibly awkward silence hung between us.

This is why I don’t want to be in the same space as him.

Who decided to create this kind of atmosphere? I pushed him aside, stood up, and bolted out.

“Hey?! W-Wait, why?”

A confused laugh came from behind. Like a mage, he chased after me at a ridiculous speed and grabbed me.

“Hold on! You don’t have to hate it *that* much, do you? What did I do?”

“You didn’t know? I’m a bit of a germaphobe, so being close to people…”

“You don’t have that.”

“Then just assume I do.”

He let out a hollow laugh and shrugged at my response. Gradually, his gaze turned serious again.

“This isn’t the time for this. What are you going to do?”

“About what?”

“If not that method, we don’t have any other options right now.”

……

“You know that the leadership looking for you means your chances of moving around outside are even more limited than before—completely cut off, in fact. If we’re going to take down the Bishop of Osnabrück together, the only way is to lure him here, but that’s too risky. You can tell by the timing, but this coordinate system is unstable as it is.”

I kept looking at him silently.

He let out a hollow laugh.

“…Looks like you’re not changing your mind.”

“Nope. You got that right.”

“Then we’ll stick to the original plan. I’ll figure it out myself. I’ll come back for your advice, but for now, I’ll use my own power to pull some strings. Starting with diverting the leadership’s attention.”

Before I could say anything, he quickly added,

“I’m not taking any other answers.”

“So you’re saying I should just stay home?”

“Yes.”

He answered firmly.

“This isn’t your time to step in. While I work on changing the leadership’s focus, you stay here. I’ll say this upfront, but what might take me a day or two—or even just a few hours—will feel like a long time for you.”

“What am I supposed to do the whole time? This is ridiculous.”

“I’d love to move around with you too. But you know what’ll happen if you go outside. You see it too, don’t you? There’s no other way.”

I didn’t respond. He spoke in a subdued voice.

“If we’re not going to use Heike Ainsidel’s blood to shift the target, then this time…”

……

“Listen to me.”

Stay in this stalemate. In a situation where I can’t do anything? Left alone in this empty estate, no better than a haunted mansion, with just a library, alongside that suspicious servant ‘Lu Barre’?

Of course, it’s as expected. I knew he’d say something like this.

So far, I haven’t exactly been friendly toward him.

Of course, I’ve been trying my hardest, putting my all into acting affectionate, but it probably came off as stiff to him.

If things are heading this way, I’ll change my strategy from now on.

I’ll act more convincingly than ever. So much so that even I might start to believe I’m confused about what I want or know.

“Fine.”

*  *  *

A day passed.

Outside, maybe two hours have passed.

‘…Four hours now, huh?’

I’ve spent 48 hours here, while others have only gone through four hours.

If the Archbishop’s words are true, the aftermath of the terror attack hasn’t even been resolved yet.

No, even if I roll around here for a week, it’ll still be chaos out there. Less than a day would have passed. The disconnect feels strange.

This place is too peaceful. Sunlight streams into the stark white hall. The Archbishop, sitting on a sofa by the window with his back to the light, looked at me and asked,

“Does the food here suit your taste?”

“Yes.”

“Anything uncomfortable?”

“No.”

“Not bored?”

“Well.”

“You look better in a necktie, so why did you wear a bow tie at school?”

Why is he bringing this up out of nowhere?

Because he called someone from a clothing shop in the Pleroma world. True to the closed-off nature of the Pleroma world, the tailor and salesperson who brought the clothes are in the same space but can’t see us. They’re blocked by a special barrier. Only the Archbishop’s servant moves between the two barriers, relaying requests.

Anyway, I’m wearing the clothes the Archbishop picked out. He said he’d spend some time with me before heading out for today’s investigation, and as I resolved yesterday, I’m playing along more diligently. I adjusted the navy necktie he pointed to and answered,

“It’s my preference.”

At school, you’d notice I wore a bow tie while Elias wore a necktie, but our school allows anything as long as it covers the neck.

To be honest, the bow tie was Luka’s taste, not mine. More precisely, it was probably a choice Luka made because he didn’t know how to tie a necktie properly. Teaching Luka something like that patiently wasn’t worth it when a few servants could quickly handle it when necessary. Outside of those essential moments, no one wanted to spend long conversations with Luka or stick around him, and Luka never asked anyone to teach him.

I know how to tie a necktie, but I didn’t want to erase Luka’s traces.

When the Archbishop gestured, a servant brought another set of clothes to me. The Archbishop watched me change the tie and shook his head.

“No, a cravat looks much better than a necktie. Your long neck suits a standing collar.”

“I see.”

“Maybe one with a brooch would be better… You always dress so plainly.”

“Hm.”

“The checkered vest was a good choice. Patterns suit you better, don’t they?”

“Well.”

“Are you listening?”

I shook my head.

Then I spoke to the Archbishop, who had somehow come up to me.

“Talking to me about this is pointless… I don’t care what looks good on me or anyone else. I’m not curious about how I look to myself or others.”

“So you only care about looking good to me?”

“How does it turn into that?”

When I got serious, the Archbishop laughed and asked,

“So, you don’t like it?”

“…No.”

“Then?”

“Keep going. It’s nice to get a sense of your taste.”

I’m glad it’s winter. If it were summer, he’d have noticed the goosebumps on my arm.

He grinned brightly at my words. Then he went back to the sofa, propped his chin, and said,

“Actually, I don’t dress flashy when I wear suits either. Always a plain tie… and a silk hat when I go out. Too conventional, right? At least, that’s what I ‘know.’ But you can pull off something more vibrant, and I like that.”

……

I almost grabbed the back of my neck. It’s all fine, but I wish he’d stop saying things that make it sound like he has multiple bodies. I already know he has a New Human body, and New Humans are culturally accustomed to suits. Even setting aside that “know” comment… it’s only natural, so I need to practice not being shocked.

Anyway, I managed to speak just before throwing everything aside and leaving.

“You’re dressed pretty vibrantly yourself.”

“I left it all to my secretary.”

“You left it to them?”

“Yes.”

I held out my hand to the servant.

“Can you give me the catalog?”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

As I looked through the booklet, the Archbishop’s eyes widened. When I showed the servant a suitable outfit, the Archbishop seemed to realize something and suppressed a laugh.

He’s misunderstanding something, but it’s not jealousy. It’s just my rebellion against being the only one doing this.

The Archbishop came out wearing the clothes I picked and stood in front of the mirror.

“It’s simple. Is this your taste?”

“It suits you.”

I gave a different response and sat on the sofa.

I don’t care about what I’m wearing, just as I don’t care about what others wear. There’s no room for taste to form. All I notice now is that his clothes are light blue and, unlike the burdensome clothing of this era, they’re quite modern.

The Archbishop seemed satisfied enough. He stepped aside slightly so we could both be seen in the mirror.

Then, thankfully, he wasn’t too interested in changing clothes, so he wrapped up the purchase and sent the salesperson away. With a proud look, he said,

“Let’s get bespoke clothes next time.”

Buying new clothes again soon? And custom-made? Of course, nobles almost always wear tailored clothes…

I know why he’s saying this. It’s probably for the engagement ceremony Lu Barre mentioned. While I managed my expression and chose my words, he grabbed my arm and said,

“We got new clothes, so let’s take a break.”

“Again? Aren’t you going to investigate?”

“Resting here for three or four hours is only a few dozen minutes outside. We can enjoy this much time.”

“The outside isn’t in this kind of mood, and you’re in the mood to rest?”

The outside must feel like it’s in the middle of a storm. Whether it’s the Pleroma world or where my friends are, it’s like the calm before the end. In this stretched-out time, only we’re at peace.

More precisely, only the Archbishop.

I could tell clearly from earlier. He’s making full use of this time.

That said, it’s not entirely unbearable. I chose to go along with him for certain reasons.

He grinned at me.

“That’s why we should enjoy it.”

Then he led me out of the mansion to a small building on the grounds. It was easy to tell its purpose. I looked at the sign above it and said,

“A theater…”

“Don’t you like plays? You’ve been on stage yourself several times.”

I looked down at him silently, mixing a deliberate smile into my expressionless face.

“Yeah, you know that. I was just talking to myself.”

I just remembered being alone with an enemy in a theater.

Back then, I watched *Macbeth* with my brother, but this time it’s *Iphigenia in Aulis*. A tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides.

The curtain hasn’t risen yet, and since it’s a private theater, there’s no showtime schedule, but I know because the Archbishop just whispered it to me.

“Iphigenia in Aulis… I’ve read it, but this is my first time seeing it as a play.”

“Really? Ancient Greek plays aren’t that popular, but if you look, they’re performed quite a bit.”

“I see. Do you like tragedies? I thought you’d prefer comedies.”

At my question, he stared at the stage as the lights came on and muttered,

“Yes. The fun of this tragedy is wondering how it could become a comedy.”

I nodded.

A drum sounded, and the curtain rose. Actors dressed as Greek soldiers appeared under the spotlight.

We’re sitting in the middle of the audience in front of the stage, but like before, they can’t see us.

A few minutes into the play, the Archbishop leaned his head on my shoulder. I wanted to ask what he was doing, but that would go against my earlier resolve, so I didn’t.

As the play started to feel tedious, I quietly spoke.

“You know, you really look like a Wittelsbach.”

“I know.”

As if he knew what I’d say next, he sat up and continued.

“You probably want to ask why, but I don’t have much to say. I don’t know.”

Yeah, sure. Someone who’s never eager to share information with me wouldn’t just spill it easily.

But this isn’t a topic to back off from. Taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere, I needed to dig a bit more.

“I remember you saying something about your ‘original form’ before.”

“Oh, right. I can change my face to look like someone else. I don’t know why, though.”

Nice way to dodge.

I leaned toward him. The actors’ loud voices echoed from the stage.

I quietly asked,

“Then show me another form.”

“Now? …No way. I only want to show you my best self.”

“Really? We’re a bit different then. I want to know every side of you.”

……

He stared at me without blinking, a smile on his face.

Doesn’t his eyes get dry? How can a human not blink for so long? I was about to close his eyes for him, but thankfully, he spoke before I acted on it.

“Some of my other selves probably don’t know you well. I’d rather stay as ‘me’ and keep meeting you.”

“Why wouldn’t they know me? They’re all you, aren’t they?”

That wolf-like senior at our school recognized me in any form.

Instead of answering, he laughed. Then he gently held my face with both hands and turned my head. It was absurd, but the message came through loud and clear.

Keep watching the play. After that, we focused on the performance.

The play wasn’t long, and the story was concise.

In the play, Greece is preparing for the Trojan expedition, but for two years, no wind has blown to sail their ships to Troy. The temple delivers an oracle that Agamemnon, the Greek commander, must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis and restore the winds.

Agamemnon struggles between his duty as a leader and his love for his daughter, while his brother Menelaus fiercely criticizes his conflict.

But Iphigenia accepts her fate and goes to the altar to be sacrificed.

[Mycenae, my Mycenae that raised me. You raised me to be the light of Greece! I will not hesitate to die for you!]

[Your glory will never fade.]

[O torch of the gods! Glorious light! I go now to another world, to live another life! Now…! Beloved light, farewell!]

[Behold! The maiden walking to the goddess’s altar! Troy will fall, and the Phrygians will meet their doom! Behold her path!]

From a modern perspective, the story is quite shocking. Of course, there’s a sudden twist where the sacrifice is swapped with a deer, lessening the tragedy, but for the audience, the main story feels like it ends here.

The Archbishop, propping his chin, said,

“How many people would actually accept being a sacrifice? Don’t ancient Greek works make you feel frustrated? Humans can’t escape their fate in them.”

I didn’t respond. He smiled and asked me,

“What do you think? For *Iphigenia in Aulis* to become a comedy, what should Iphigenia do? Not become a sacrifice?”

“Well, escaping would be the best option.”

“And if she can’t escape?”

“That’s tough. Making it a comedy without escaping.”

The Archbishop’s eyes gleamed as he waited for my answer.

I gave a faint smile and replied,

“Then she should willingly become the sacrifice. Until the very last moment.”

*  *  *

Beeeep—

[Grab him!]

[He’s going to the right!]

Thud—

[Aaagh!]

Leo sat at the long conference table, looking down at the artifact held by the Bavaria Foreign Minister. Everyone seated—government and royal officials—listened quietly to the voices coming from the artifact.

Soon, the sound of people collapsing to the ground rang out. The dull thuds of weapons striking people turned into wet, squelching noises. Someone’s flesh must have burst, staining the streets with blood.

Prussia’s security police were beating down protesters demonstrating against the terror attack.

Leo, listening to the sounds, pulled out illegal pamphlets collected by informants in Prussia.

[What is the state doing? What is the imperial family doing? What is the Imperial Diet we elected doing!]

The pamphlet, with such a title, carried an angry voice.

[What has changed since ten years ago?! We remember what happened in the Alsace-Lorraine battle! Was the state planning to sacrifice its subjects again this time? Is this the fate of subjects? Who permitted Friedrich Hohenzollern to treat us free people as subjects?]

Now Leo picked up the Imperial Newspaper. An article issued by the government was plastered across the front page.

[Our enemy is Pleroma. Yet there are those who empower the enemy—radical agitators using the terror attack as an opportunity to cause chaos. Please report anyone engaging in actions that destabilize public order. The curfew does not apply to informants. Righteous subjects, you are the benefactors of our empire.]

“His Majesty the King has arrived.”

At the aide’s voice, Leo put down the materials he was reviewing and stood. The King entered the conference room with three or four aides.

“You’ve arrived, Your Majesty.”

“Let’s begin.”

The King stopped the greetings and took his seat. Leo, still standing, spoke.

“May I speak first?”

“Permitted.”

At the King’s brief response, Leo immediately began.

“Currently, Prussia is blaming Pleroma as the ultimate cause of the terror attack, emphasizing their own victimhood to barely fend off a decline in international reputation. Public opinion on the continent hasn’t hit rock bottom yet, but Prussia is currently isolated.”

Prussia is politically isolated.

Despite saying this, no one from Bavaria looked pleased. Everyone’s faces were grim.

“You all know that being cornered like this is the most dangerous state.”

“Indeed.”

Several officials nodded in agreement.

“To dodge the flood of criticism and responsibility, Hohenzollern will now join hands with Askanian. And they will try to fully bring Lukas Askanian into the Hohenzollern fold.”

Leo continued, looking at the politicians nodding at him.

“We will allow the former but not the latter.”

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