The Vortex

The special mission.

T-minus one day before the participating unit would commence their training.

Sector Three of the Imperial capital, Yunmelngen.

It was five thirty in the morning. The sky was dim in color with the horizon burning

red in the early hours. Iska was walking through the courtyard of the fourth base,

woken up by Captain Mismis summoning him for an emergency meeting.

"Weird. I don't remember there being a meeting today."

Their mission training wasn't to start until the next morning. They were to prepare for

it today, but that was it. There were no other plans on the schedule.

He couldn't even think of a reason for a meeting. What was going on?

Iska reached the second floor of the fourth base. "Good morning."

"…Yaaaaaaaawn. Goo… good mor… mmmmm… Nene...," murmured the captain,

greeting Iska as he entered the meeting room. She was nodding off, trying to dispel

her fatigue with sips of coffee.

When he'd gotten her call, she'd been half-asleep, and even now, she was still halfsubmerged in her sweet dreams.

"Good morning, Captain. It's Iska."

"…Uh… yes… Ne-ska…?"

"Captain?! Wake up. You're fusing me with Nene!"

"…I'm… ugh, bad with getting up early… Worse than normal people… I'm gonna… sleep

for another hour. Leave the rest up to that black cat in the neighborhood."

"Please don't go back to sleep, Captain—!"

But she'd collapsed directly on top of the long desk.

As Iska tried to shake his captain awake, the door to the meeting room swung open

behind him.

"Oh, you're early, Iska! Morning!"

"Guess Nene and I are last."

It was Nene and Jhin.

In her hand, Nene was holding a hot dog, which was probably her breakfast. Jhin

arrived chewing gum to wake himself up.

"Hey-o, Nene and Jhin… Sorry, but could you help me wake up Captain Mismis?"

"Huh? Hey, boss, seriously? Up and at 'em." Jhin rattled her body rather violently.

Nene came closer with a transparent plastic canister in her hand.

"Jhin, pin her arm down. Just like that. Okay, time for an injection!"

"Yowwwwwwwwwwww?!" Captain Mismis jumped out of her chair when the multineedle syringe broke skin. "Nene, what is that?!"

"A sodium benzoate caffeine injection straight into your bloodstream. Wide-awake

now, right? It's a lot more effective to shoot it into your veins than taking a pill,

apparently. I got it from a medical officer I happen to know."

Nene seemed giddy as she put away the disposable syringe.

"And? Is it working?"

"Yeah… but it was the pain more than anything that woke me."

"Oh, huh. I'll make sure to mention that in the report. There's a lot of room for

improvement. Perfect."

"Didn't I beg you to stop experimenting on your own captain?!"

"Hey, boss, if you're awake, hurry up and take a seat." Jhin hunkered down in a chair

in the back, taking the initiative to grab a sheaf of documents piled on a table against

a wall and thumb through the pages.

"Wait, Jhin. Are those for Risya's special mission…?"

"Right-o. Their contents are blacked out, which I assume they'll fill us in at the training

session tomorrow. Hmm. This page is a list of the selected units. Our names are here,

too."

Iska took hold of the same stack of documents. It couldn't be more than twenty pages.

Jhin was right. All hint of confidential information about the special mission had been

censored. Iska zeroed in on the list of selected units that Jhin had mentioned.

"…This is…"

The commanding officer was the Saint Disciple Risya.

He had already heard about it from Risya herself. Iska was focused on the names

underneath—the names of the assassination units that served the Empire.

"They've listed the Sixth Division. Look under the selected units."

"Oh… yeeeeah…" The captain replied without giving a real answer, picking up on Iska's

nonverbal cues. She wrapped her wavy blue hair around her finger. "As the captain,

I'm in a position where I shouldn't say this aloud, but I'm not sure I can come around

to participating in a mission with the Sixth Division."

"I mean, it's the assassination unit."

Mismis was under the Third Division, which was made up of dispatch troops. In other

words, they didn't have a permanent posting and acted as support for any battles that

occurred in Imperial territory.

On the other hand, the Sixth Division contained assassins and intelligence units.

They deployed intelligence personnel all over the world and gathered intel about any

hostile activity aimed at the Empire. And they carried out missions to eliminate

purebreds in Nebulis… at least, according to rumors.

The truth was enshrouded in shadow.

Even Iska, an ex–Saint Disciple, hadn't gotten a chance to find out how the Sixth

Division actually functioned.

"They're units that can't shake off dark rumors. I wonder what they're scheming by

tossing us into the mix."

"…It makes me nervous." Mismis returned the papers to the desk, letting out a long

sigh. "I know Risya trusted me with this mission, but I wonder if I'm the right fit."

"Testing, one, two, three... Can you hear me over the mic?"

That seemed to drive away Mismis's sigh as the familiar voice of a woman rang down

from the ceiling.

"Okay, Unit 907. Morning! Sorry for calling on you this early."

"Risya?!" Mismis jumped to her feet. With one hand planted firmly on her hip, the captain

uncharacteristically chastised, "You're unbelievable, making us hold the briefing so

early in the morning! Cutting down my beauty sleep…"

"Ah-ha-ha, sorry, sorry," the Saint Disciple apologized with a light tone. "Let's start

things off. Did you read the reports in the room?"

"These things? Yeah. They're on our training session for the special mission tomorrow,

right?"

"You can forget all that."

"…What?" Mismis's mouth was agape.

Her expression said: What is my classmate and friend spewing from her lips?

"And to be frank, I didn't call you because of the special mission—"

"It's to talk about another one," Jhin finished in a muted tone, leaning way back in his

chair. "Am I wrong, Miss Saint Disciple?"

"…Not at all. You're right on the mark. How did you come to that conclusion?" she finally

asked, as though she was amused to find him one step ahead.

Jhin's eyes bore into the ceiling. "If you're making us hold a briefing, that means you've

got something you want from us."

"Right."

"And there were no scheduled plans for this meeting. I knew right off the bat that this

had nothing to do with the special mission. After all, I know you've labored over the

smallest of details for this mission as an adviser for the Lord. At this point in the game,

there's no way any unexpected situations would be cropping up. In other words, you

wouldn't call us to discuss the special mission, which can only mean it's for another

reason."

"..." Complete silence for a few seconds. "Wow. I shouldn't have expected anything less

from you, Jhin-Jhin. You're completely right up to this point." A faint applause emanated

from the ceiling.

Jhin showed no visible signs of happiness, of course.

"Follow-up question: What am I here for?"

"There are three possibilities," the sniper continued dispassionately. "The first is the

vortex, and the second—"

"That's good. You've got it right." Her voice was straightforward, unassuming, as it

echoed through the assembly room. "Hmm. Jhin-Jhin, you're amazing."

But they could almost see her giggling at them behind her praise. "How would you feel

about working for me in the future? I promise it'll be twice as fun as this."

"No way. I can already see me having to suffer through three times as much pain."

"…Your loss." Her sigh came through to them. "If you're with me, I'll protect you."

"…What are you trying to say?"

"I'll tell you if you join me."

"..."

"Well, whatever. Mismis, did you pick up everything Jhin-Jhin was saying?"

"Ye-yesh?!" The captain jolted up, nervous.

"About the vortex. It's under the jurisdiction of the Third Division, so I'm assuming they

told all the captains about it already. And even if they haven't, I'm sure you know, Isk and

Nens."

"Yeah. When it's this big a deal…"

"I've heard about it, too."

Iska looked at Nene and nodded.

They'd heard there had been enormous amounts of astral energy bubbling to the

surface of ownerless lands that weren't a part of the Empire or the Nebulis Sovereignty.

Within a few days, the latent energy would erupt into a vortex.

"As you may know, the war started because a vortex appeared in the Imperial capital one

hundred years ago. If not for astral energy, neither the Grand Witch Nebulis nor the

Sovereignty would have ever existed."

"Right…"

"Put simply, the planet is close to forming another one. If the Nebulis Sovereignty gets to

it first, things'll get pretty bad."

The Empire was scrambling to uncover what would happen if the possessed were

exposed to more astral energy from this new vortex. The hypothesis was that it'd

increase their strength. There were even reports of a member of the astral corps

becoming as strong as a purebred.

"When it comes to the power of a purebred, well, you know all about that, Isk."

"…Yes."

"The Empire is fretting that a purebred might become more powerful. I mean, if that

happened, they'd become actual beasts. It'd basically be like having another Grand Witch

Nebulis. I'm sure you can imagine the Imperial capital becoming a sea of flames, right?"

It would be even worse than a tug-of-war between countries for any other natural

resource.

"That's why I'd like to ask all of you in Unit 907 to put your all into this. I mean, you've

already shown the world that you battled the Ice Calamity Witch and stopped her from

advancing. I'm counting on you, all right?"

Iska thought to himself, The Ice Calamity Witch… Is Alice commanding the astral corps

storming the vortex?

Of course, the chances were low. The battlegrounds between the two countries

popped up all over the world. The probability that Alice and Iska would be dispatched

to the same location was incredibly low.

Although he couldn't say it was impossible, seeing as how they'd become reunited

with each other—as if called by destiny.

"Um…"

"What is it, Isk?"

"Did you get any intel that a purebred would be coming?"

"Of course. It's precisely why we're having this division make an appearance."

And the Ice Calamity Witch?

Did they have information that Alice would be coming?

"Um—"

"I've got to go handle business elsewhere, unfortunately. We'll have to cut this short."

"Whaaat? Wait, Risya!" Mismis was the one to speak. "Give us the details of our mission…"

"Come to the usual departure lobby in two hours. It'll take fifteen hours by car to reach

the destination. I'll have one of my subordinates fill you in."

"You're not coming, Risya?"

"Me? Ah-ha-ha. No way." She cackled as though the very idea was hilarious. "Did you

forget? I'm the commanding officer for the special mission. Training starts tomorrow,

and I need to oversee it. I've got my hands full."

"…And what about us? We won't be able to go to the training sessions."

"I'll take care of it later. I suggest you think about the new mission for now," Risya

advised, her voice laden with pressure and weight that had been absent until now.

"I told you to forget about the reports in this room. Focus on defending the vortex till the

bitter end—or I won't be able to guarantee that you'll be able to return to the Imperial

capital."

The Nebulis Sovereignty.

Fearfully called the "Paradise of Witches" by the Imperial populace, this country was

ruled by the descendants of the Grand Witch Nebulis.

Only one king had been born in the hundred-year span of the country. All the other

rulers had been queens. There was a higher probability for potent astral energy to

dwell in women.

That might have been the nature of the mysterious energy or simply a coincidence.

Either way, no one had divined a reason for this phenomenon yet.

"…I'm so bored."

The Star Spire of the Nebulis Sovereignty was the closest garden in the world to the

sky, a place brimming with the wafting scent of dewy flowers and grass. Upon

watering the plants as her daily chore, Alice reclined on a pure-white bench in the

hanging garden.

"With mass done before noon at the church and my instructor for royal studies

postponing our lessons due to illness… and Mother working, and Rin cleaning my

room…"

She had no one to keep her company. When she was a child, Alice would have played

with her sisters, Elletear and Sisbell.

But somewhere along the way, she'd started to fear Elletear and get unnerved by

Sisbell's presence.

…To become a candidate for the next queen.

…A battle among flesh and blood… I don't want that. I just want Mother to continue to

be the queen forever and ever and ever.

Of course, that was nothing but a passing dream.

It was custom for the queen to pass down the throne to the next generation while they

were young.

Would it be in ten years? Or five? It was only a matter of time before Alice would need

to fight in the struggle for the throne against her blood sisters. It was exhausting even

thinking about it.

"…Maybe that's why."

Maybe that's why she started to think about the face of a certain Imperial soldier—of

Iska—when she fretted over her relationship with her own blood.

She thought about the first time she had fought Iska in the Nelka forest.

It had been a fierce battle. He'd managed to deflect her best astral attacks with his

marvelous swordsmanship, pursuing her with the rabid ferocity of a wild animal. That

was why she had even forgotten her position as a princess, concentrating to the fullest

on fighting for her life.

She had looked only at Iska.

She had focused everything on Iska.

She had forgotten all her troubles and woes, panting out of breath, aware of the heat

in her body, and detached from her physical form as though she'd been left floating,

liberated from being the princess.

She didn't enjoy fighting, but she knew there was something unique about her fight

with Iska.

"…And I still haven't returned this."

She surveyed the empty garden before secretly tugging a handkerchief out of her pocket.

"Um, here you go."

The opera house in the neutral city of Ain.

Hearing her heaving sobs, Iska had offered his handkerchief, as he happened to be

sitting next to her. She had done her due diligence by washing and folding it neatly,

keeping it close to her, but she kept missing her chance to give it back.

…I wonder if he remembers…

…or if he's already forgotten all about this handkerchief.

She had to give it back.

After all, she'd already told Rin that she had thrown it away. If she kept carrying it

around, her mother might find out, which would be bad news.

"Oh, but the perfume…"

Because Alice had been hiding it in her pocket, it may have left a scent. She knew it

wasn't in either of their best interests for a man's handkerchief to smell like a woman.

"…I think I can smell it. Maybe I should wash it again." She brought her nose close to

the handkerchief, as Alice couldn't help but find this whole thing very weird. "…Ha-ha,

if Rin sees me, I'll be in so much trouble."

She was sniffing a handkerchief she had received from a boy—and an Imperial soldier,

at that. If Rin witnessed this…

"Excuse me, Lady Alice."

"Eep?!" Alice leaped up from the bench, letting out a yelp that sounded weird even to

her.

In the heat of the moment, she accidentally scrunched the handkerchief, ruining the

neatly folded square.

"R-Rin? No, this isn't what you think—" She whipped around to find an attendant in a

black butler's suit.

It wasn't Rin but an elderly man. He lowered his combed pepper-gray head in her

presence.

"Apologies for bothering you. I was informed I would find you here."

"…You're…"

There were easily over a hundred attendants serving the royal palace in Nebulis. Alice

was an outlier for having only one person serve and guard her. The other royal family

members had multiple people attend to them.

"Nice to see you, Shuvalts. What business does Sisbell's retainer have with me today?"

"Of course. I carry a message from Lady Sisbell for you."

A word from her younger sister. Alice internally narrowed her eyes.

Sisbell Lou Nebulis IX.

Sisbell was sixteen, two years younger than Alice. Of course, she was undoubtedly of

Nebulis's bloodline as a mage who hosted potent astral energy. She was Alice's

younger sister—and one of her most formidable rivals to the queen's throne.

"…From Sisbell, I see."

Her sister was an eccentric: In the last few years, she had kept herself caged up in her

own room, seldom sharing meals with anyone except for their mother. If she had

business with anyone, she would leave a message with an attendant. Like now.

…A message? Even that's rare.

…I think the last one must have been a year ago.

The message's contents hardly mattered. Alice was dubious it would be good news.

"And what is it?"

"Lady Alice, are you aware of the vortex?"

"…What?"

"At Mudor Canyon to the southwest of the Sovereignty. We detected a disturbance that

appears to be astral energy. We're almost certain that a vortex will form in the next

few days. We received intelligence that the troops are heading there from the

Empire—"

"W-wait!" She thrust a hand out in front of her, stopping him.

She'd mentally prepared for a message from her younger sister and gotten a slew of

unexpected information instead.

"A vortex? I haven't received that report."

"Yes. Others have just informed the queen and your elder sister, Elletear, in secret."

That meant this wasn't even known in the royal palace.

To astral mages, a vortex was a vital resource. For that information to be concealed…

What could that mean?

"Zoa."

"..."

"The House of Zoa purposefully delayed the report, according to Sisbell."

Alice wordlessly bit her lip. She couldn't even sigh. Alice could only shake her head

weakly.

…My head hurts… To think it's not just my relationship with my sister that's strained.

This apparently extends to my other relatives, too.

In the distant past, when the Grand Witch Nebulis suffered injuries in a fight against

the Empire, her younger twin sister, the founder Nebulis, had taken her place to

command and construct the Sovereignty.

Years later, she was been blessed with three daughters.

"The House of Lou, the House of Zoa, the House of Hydra… I'm just baffled by it. Why

is everyone conspiring against one another when we should be united in fighting the

Empire?"

These were the three Nebulis bloodlines.

Like the current queen, Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX was from the House of Lou, which

protected their country from the Empire while successfully keeping casualties to a

minimum within the astral corps—their kindred.

On the other hand, the House of Zoa was made up of extremists.

They were willing to make any and all sacrifices if it meant they had a chance to

obliterate the Empire.

And last, the House of Hydra were the moderates. They might have been yanked into

the fight for the throne between the Houses of Lou and Zoa, but they were flexible,

serving the queen in any age.

"…Well, whatever. And where's this vortex?"

"Mudor Canyon isn't technically in our territory, but it's close to our borders. In the

past, we've positioned our astral troops there to watch for the enemy."

"And I take it that whole region is under the jurisdiction of the House of Zoa?"

If that was the case, their house would have the final word—no exceptions. Except

when it came to handling a vortex. That was a totally different story.

…The powers of anyone exposed to that energy will multiply… including Rin, the mages

in the corps, and me.

The discovery of a vortex should have been immediately reported to the queen.

"And it wasn't reported because…" Alice put her hand to her mouth in contemplation,

even though there was only one lead. "…Because the House of Zoa is trying to monopolize

this energy for themselves?"

"That was Lady Sisbell's guess." The specialist retainer nodded with a bitter

expression clouding his face. "I am not in a position to comment as a mere attendant,

but if you would humor me, I would say that the House of Zoa represents the greatest

source of opposition to the rule of House of Lou, which includes Lady Sisbell and you."

"…Agreed."

"If we allow them to monopolize the vortex, the royal family members of Zoa and their

astral corps could surge in strength. In other words—"

—It would ultimately affect the consecration ceremony for the queen, known as the

conclave.

The Zoa would be put in a position where they would have an advantage at the next

meeting to decide the successor to the throne.

This was not something Alice could overlook as a member of the House of Lou.

"Of course. I should have known she would be watching their movements."

"According to her vision, the Zoa are already working to secure the vortex."

Sisbell Lou Nebulis IX the purebred possessed the astral power of burning light, which

meant she could reproduce things that happened, almost like a mirage or vision.

She could trace back and re-create events up to twenty years in the past. Nothing

happened within the royal palace without Sisbell finding out about it. This time, she

had probably stolen a glance at House of Zoa's activities.

"I wonder which one of them is headed over?"

"It's Kissing."

"—" Alice gulped down her breath subconsciously when she heard the name.

So that Kissing has finally made a move.

"I see. The favorite of their house. The details of Kissing's astral power have been kept

secret, but according to rumors, I've heard that it's a strong one."

"There's a story of how Kissing slammed an astral guard at the royal palace in a mock

fight and ranked above average or even higher among the three families at age

fourteen…"

This was the superpower that House Zoa had apparently dispatched. There was no

doubt they meant to monopolize the vortex by any means necessary.

"I believe I understand the situation. She's demanding I head to the Zoa palace?"

"…I'm afraid so."

"I never imagined my younger sister would insist I run an errand. But there is no time

for complaints. I suppose I'm more suitable for this than Sisbell."

She was the Ice Calamity Witch.

It vexed her that the Empire called her a monster, but that name came in handy in

situations like this. Alice was the current queen's hidden ace. If she used brute force,

even the House of Zoa wouldn't be able to respond without a plan.

"I bet you're watching my every move right now, Sisbell." Alice turned up to the skies,

hardening her voice as she called the name of her absent sister.

"Honestly, you should come to me yourself sometimes. If you'd like, I'll talk with you

alone as much as you want. I won't run or hide."

Alice turned on her heel, leaving the bowing attendant and the hanging garden behind

her.

The mechanical utopia.

The Imperial cityscape was flushed red, blazing under the setting sun on the horizon.

Going back a hundred years, most of the wooden buildings in the Empire had burned

down in the battle against the Grand Witch Nebulis. To overcome its painful past, the

entire residential zone was now made up of fire-resistant structures.

"A town of steel, huh…?" Iska muttered its nickname, sauntering toward the dozens of

armored cars before him and leaving the city behind.

They were at the military gate of the Imperial city. With the sunset in the background,

the watchtowers were already beginning to shine dazzlingly.

"Iska! Over here, over here."

When he turned, he saw Captain Mismis peeking her petite form out from the shadow

of a utility pole.

"Captain, you're early."

"Hee-hee… Well, there's a reason for that. I mean, with this as our mission… Ha-ha.

Heh-heh-heh?"

"What the—?!"

In front of him, the captain looked far from her adorable self—dejected beyond belief,

exactly like a pessimist who despaired about the future. She had a forced smile

plastered on her face.

"I thought we were going on Risya's mission—and that already had a slim chance of

us coming home in one piece. But instead, here we are. Deployed to the front lines in

the struggle for a vortex… Heh. Hee-hee-hee… I knew we should have focused on

winning money at the casino and buying that darn Merkava. Made in Francesco. Model

MI-62…"

"But that's exactly how we blew through our life savings."

Plus, if they were facing a purebred, jumping into a state-of-the-art anti–astral power

tank wouldn't change anything.

"You saw that Grand Witch Nebulis, Captain."

"Nebulis?! Uh, ahhh, are you telling me that Nebulis is coming back again?!"

"It's just a comparison."

The Grand Witch Nebulis. The first girl to become a witch. The strongest astral mage

in history. She'd been the one to turn the Imperial city into a sea of flames those many

years ago.

Iska had believed the legend of Nebulis forcing back tens of thousands of Imperial

soldiers. He had believed this was a threat of the past.

"I've become a witch—to drive the Empire to extinction."

But the Grand Witch lived—lived in the form of a young girl for a hundred years with

the power of her astral energy.

"…Ahhh. Yup. I remember it. I mean, it was suuuper scary. I could see embers rain

down in Ain when I was taking shelter. It felt like the world was ending."

Captain Mismis trusted her back to the utility pole and smiled wryly.

"But you still won, right, Iska?"

"Well… I was fighting for my life. I'm not sure I'd call that a victory." Iska shook his head.

…If Alice hadn't been there, it would have been impossible… I knew that founder was a

real witch. All I can say is that her power surpassed human comprehension.

With the power of the Ice Calamity Witch Alice, Iska had finally managed to fight her

off. Even then, the Grand Witch had gone back to sleep again, living somewhere in the

Nebulis Sovereignty.

"Come to think of it, what happened to that Grand Witch?"

"Right! I made sure to report her to headquarters. I did my absolute best writing the

report, but headquarters got mad at me for 'not taking a picture'…What do you think,

Iska? Isn't that super unfair?" The captain puffed out her cheeks and continued in a

harder tone.

"Like, how was I supposed to be taking pictures of that Grand Witch when my life was

being threatened?! The only reason they even got this report was because I was alive

to write it! Living was, like, the fundamental condition. How rude!"

"…It was exactly like that."

Captain Mismis had started to make everyone take refuge at the neutral city of Ain. As

for Iska and Alice, the duo hadn't even had a second to spare as their fierce battle

unfolded. There wasn't any way for them to obtain proof of the Grand Witch Nebulis.

"I paid my dues. Headquarters can decide for themselves whether to believe my report

or not!"

"And about the vortex. Even if it's not Nebulis herself, a purebred might make an

appearance."

"Duh, they're gonna go full throttle. Well, if it comes down to a struggle for the vortex."

Iska heard footsteps and a new voice behind him.

The sniper with silver hair lugged a case over each of his shoulders as he strolled

toward them. He had the case for his sniper rifle on his right shoulder, which meant

the one on the left was probably for his ammo.

"We're the second group, right, Nene?"

"Yeah! My friend from another unit said they're already heading toward Mudor

Canyon." Nene popped her head out from behind Jhin.

She carried a container on her back, crammed with every set of communications

equipment possible, trying to shove it into the armored car.

"A vortex, huh? I've only seen it on paper, but it's one of those things that looks like a

hole in the ground with light spouting out of it, right? Like, a light fountain."

"Apparently," Jhin agreed as he transferred the case of ammo to the luggage rack.

"A vortex is like a hot spring where astral energy has gathered. If you just jump into

the hole, you'll be bathed in astral energy. You've got to be careful, boss. If you slip near

the vortex, you might just tumble right into the giant hole."

"L-like I would do that!" Captain Mismis cried out, face flushed bright red. "…It's not

like just touching it would poison us or anything."

Astral energy wasn't different from air for humans. It was innocuous to inhale and touch.

Only a small part of the population could be possessed by the astral essence. That

would happen only to those who were predisposed to becoming witches. It was

believed that number was limited to 1 percent of the populace. If all humans could

have been possessed, the Imperial citizens would all indiscriminately have become

mages when the vortex had popped up on Imperial territory in the past.

"But it's said the stronger mages can pass down their powers to their offspring."

The bloodline of Nebulis crossed Iska's mind.

The Ice Calamity Witch Alice, who was related to Nebulis, was a good example. Astral

power could be inherited. If a mage was to become more powerful at the vortex, there

would be a high probability that their descendants would possess the same. Which

would mean the Empire would have to fight against that threat for the rest of time.

…I need to stop them… If the Nebulis Sovereignty becomes more powerful, it will be

impossible to make them negotiate with the Empire for peace.

He absolutely couldn't let them have the vortex.

On top of that, his other concern was the identity of the dispatched purebred.

"Captain, did you get any additional information from Risya?"

"No. Risya is going to be commanding the special-mission training tomorrow. She's

super busy right now." The captain sighed in gloom as she opened the door of the

armored vehicle.

Nene was in the driver's seat, and Mismis's appointed position was the passenger seat.

"A struggle for the vortex, huh? It'll become a full-on clash for sure… Uuugh, I pray we

can get home safely."

"Even if we get home, Risya's special mission will be waiting for us. Which is also life

and death."

"La-la-la, I can't hear you! I can't hear anything!" Captain Mismis plugged her ears.

Iska clambered into the back seat, observing her from behind in his periphery.

…We're pretty sure that a purebred is coming… Is it Alice?

He thought about the earnest blond girl.

"I—"

"I wanted to settle this with you without anyone else getting in our way."

Would the Ice Calamity Witch Alice actually come?

"..." He put his hand to his chest.

Thump, thump. He felt his heart rate increasing just a bit. Iska watched the scenery

pass by him as the vehicle jolted forward.

The Moon Spire of the Nebulis Sovereignty.

It was a two hundred–yard walk down a corridor from the Star Spire, which hosted

Alice and the House of Lou.

It was the royal palace of one of the three Nebulis bloodlines—the House of Zoa.

"It's been three weeks since I was last here, I think. Since our last dinner together?"

"Three weeks and four days, Lady Alice."

Alice came to a halt at the end of the hall, stopping in her tracks to gaze across the

interior of the royal palace decorated with beautiful candelabras.

"…Strange."

Under the light of the chandelier, Alice could see the passageway was completely

devoid of people. She caught sight of a few attendants walking around. Why was it that

she didn't see any retainers or soldiers?

"I wonder if they've been struck by an epidemic. Maybe they're trying to sleep it off in

their rooms. This isn't much of a reception for a visit from the daughter of the current

queen."

"Yes, let's go with that, Lady Alice. A good jab. I stand by it," the attendant with brown

locks next to her said uncharacteristically coldly. "Or maybe we should ask if they're

busy digging up the vortex."

"Too straightforward."

"No, I think it'll do… Even I'm offended by this." Rin glared at the hallway, which was

practically desolate.

And she could glower at them all she wanted, because the space was devoid of a single

soul, but if someone had caught a glimpse of Rin's attitude, they would instantly

assume she was trying to pick a fight with the House of Zoa.

"The gall to secretly monopolize the vortex without telling the queen! Isn't that as

good as treason?"

"We don't know that yet."

"But if this report is from Lady Sisbell, there's no room for doubt. The fact that the

House of Zoa dispatched soldiers to Mudor Canyon is proof enough."

As Rin was suggesting, their first move was to capture a royal family member from the

House of Zoa and get a confession out of them. Their next step would be to hold them

accountable: having them criticized by the queen and releasing a public statement to

the people. If things went as planned, the House of Zoa would lose the trust of the

people.

…They were probably banking on outwitting the Houses of Lou and Hydra… But this

mistake will cost them.

"I have to talk to a member of their royalty. I wonder who would be best."

"The current head of family. In that case... No." Rin's voice grew thorny.

Her eyes went sharp, wringing out all emotion from them. With the expression of a

guard trained as an assassin, the attendant continued to speak in an unusual tone of

voice.

"That's as far as you go, Lord Mask."

From the corner of her eye, Rin glowered at something just a yard behind them.

It was a man in black wearing a mask.

They'd heard neither his footsteps nor his breaths.

But at some point, the tall man had managed to come stand behind Alice and Rin.

"Oh, spectacular," he commented jovially.

With a dagger still in his right hand, he gave them a round of applause as if purposefully

trying to provoke them.

"A keen nose. I wonder how you noticed me, Rin."

"Anyone would be able to sense the murderous aura around you."

"…Well, I could say the same for you." With his dagger now stowed, the man shrugged

with disinterest.

Rin had apparently sensed the sword aimed at Alice's back. She'd kept him in check.

"What are you trying to do, Lord Mask?" Rin monitored his suspicious behavior.

Alice turned to the man. "I can't believe you would turn a sword on me—the daughter

of the current queen…"

"It's a misunderstanding. Don't look at me like that." He chuckled arrogantly. "It's selfdefense. Because my astral power is weak, remember? If I don't carry this around, I

just can't help but feel anxious."

He was On, the Lord Mask.

He wasn't the head of household, but he was unmistakably part of the Zoa bloodline—

a sorcerer with astral power to create "doors" that traverse space. He must have

created a door to sneak up behind them.

…I've heard he wears a mask to hide a scar… left behind from a burn from an Imperial

firearm.

Not that anyone from the House of Lou had ever been able to confirm it.

"I haven't greeted you properly yet. Good day, Alice and Rin. What can I help you with?"

he asked even though he surely knew the answer.

After all, the fact that there were no attendants or retainers in the hallway practically

screamed the House of Zoa was anticipating their visit.

"Good day, Lord Mask. I haven't seen my relatives lately. I just wanted to see them."

"…Your relatives?"

"May I speak with Kissing?"

"Oh, it's been a while since I've heard you mention Kissing, Alice. I can't remember

anyone in the family saying they wanted to see that child in years. I'm sure Kissing will

be ecstatic," he asserted, upbeat. "…But I regret to tell you that Kissing isn't feeling well.

Come again when she's better."

"Wouldn't that mean she dispatched her troops when she was sick?" Rin pointed out.

As one serving the royal family, Rin had responded in a way just on the cusp of

overstepping her bounds.

"Lord Mask, the queen is aware of what is going on." Alice continued her attendant's

thoughts. "Careful now. Be mindful of what you say."

"Hmm… Oh, I see. This is all Sisbell, isn't it? Her astral power really is something."

"Our source doesn't matter."

No one could hide anything from Sisbell Lou Nebulis IX. Her younger sister had the

power to bring obedience to those in the royal palace.

"I have a question for you. What is the House of Zoa doing with the vort—?"

"It's either a buildup of magma or underground gas. There's no proof that it's a vortex."

He was shameless.

To Alice, this was the most annoying excuse—because as the Lord Mask had said, they

couldn't confirm it was astral energy until it came spouting up to the surface.

"There's liquid underground. All we know is that it's hot. Wouldn't it be best to

dispatch the troops in case it's a vortex?"

"Then, why delay the report?"

"Just now—" With a gloved hand, Lord Mask pointed at the passageway, down the path

that Alice and Rin had taken moments ago. "Just now, the head of our house went to

report it. A vortex is a precious resource, after all. We had to be meticulous in our

research. That's why it took a while to come up with the documents."

"..."

"Well, sorry. Seems we've worried you unnecessarily." The masked man spread out his

hands apologetically.

His behavior, feigning consideration, could be described only as that of a veteran

tactician.

The war with the Empire.

The negotiations with the neutral cities.

The struggle among the three bloodlines for the throne.

This man had dozens of years of experience under his belt. With the vortex incomplete,

they wouldn't get anywhere with verbal warfare.

"Lady Alice…"

"I've come to understand the situation, Lord Mask. Thank you for your explanation,"

Alice said quickly, silently exchanging a meaningful glance with Rin.

If they quarreled here, it would be a waste of time. She bowed and turned her back to

him.

"I would advise you not to act in a way that draws attention."

"..." In her mind, she clucked her tongue.

It seemed he'd seen through Alice's next steps.

"What do you believe I'll be doing?"

"Going to Mudor Canyon. Heading to the expected location of the vortex. Right?"

She paused for a beat.

"Kissing will be more than enough to handle anything that comes our way. That child…

is incredible, the equivalent of your presence in the House of Lou."

There was power behind his words—unwavering conviction, pride, and bottomless

boldness.

"Kissing is still fourteen. I recall she was a cute, small girl when I first met her."

"Indeed. She has the genius to overtake you. That's what I believe."

Rin's eyes narrowed slightly.

He wasn't fooling anyone this time. This was obviously a challenge, daring Alice.

Kissing Zoa Nebulis.

The secret weapon for the House of Zoa. Alice had heard that she was an unparalleled

genius of an astral mage.

"The planet is filled with rage," he let slip out from behind the mask in a voice thick

with emotion. "It wants us to use astral power to destroy the Empire. The current

queen is too soft in her policy."

Yes. This was the biggest political wall between the Houses of Lou and Zoa.

The current queen was proceeding with the war against the Empire with caution.

In contrast, the Zoa would willingly sacrifice everything to eradicate the Empire.

"I don't even have to tell you what the Empire did to us in the past."

"Why, of course."

Alice was the daughter of the queen. Of course she'd been raised listening to "Legend

of the Witch" as though a lullaby since she'd gained self-awareness.

And she had seen depictions of their oppression.

In the war, the Nebulis Sovereignty had stolen the pictures the Empire had taken of

the prisons—of witches and sorcerers chained together with barbed wire. And every

hour, the guards would run an electric current through the wires until they pledged

their absolute surrender.

Their meals would consist of rotting bread and milk so spoiled that it had turned

solid—leftovers from the Imperial soldiers. And the malicious servers preferred the

mages starved.

If the Empire was punishing criminals, there might have been some room for

understanding. But most of the astral mages were innocent. They had never committed

a crime but were captured, tortured, thrown into cold cells only because they

possessed this energy.

"I know well. To the point that I don't even want to think of the pictures."

"Yeah?"

"It was like they were in hell."

Recalling the images that lingered in her memory was enough to make Alice want to

vomit. To think discrimination could go this far. It was inhuman.

"That's nothing." A cold smile inched itself across Lord Mask's face. "Alice, I bet you saw

pictures from Altria Prison in the Empire."

"Yes. And what about…?"

"The Empire purposefully left those behind. Just enough to make us believe their

version of the truth. To trick us into thinking that was the extent of our persecution."

"…What?"

Behind the scenes, there were records of worse things happening. That's what he

seemed to be implying.

"You only know about the lighter stuff. 'Like they're in hell'? That's cute… How about

I give you an example—?"

"I'm good." She interrupted him.

…He's cunning. He almost dragged me in… by the art of his conversation.

If rumors spread that Alice had been offered intelligence from the House of Zoa, she

would be in trouble.

"The Empire acted in an unforgivable way. And whether I know the full extent of it is

trivial, because I know we must fight the Empire regardless."

"And I'm telling you that you're not taking this seriously enough." Oh boy, he seemed

to say, theatrically shaking his head. "You'll 'fight' them? You can't even say you'll

annihilate them! Well, I guess this is falling on deaf ears, since you're only thinking

about it in terms of the current queen's abilities."

"Lord Mask—" Alice continued with a tempered voice. "Are you chastising my mother?

I will report you."

"There's no use in doing that," he replied in a gentlemanly way. "Because I've had this

exact conversation for decades. I've had a very similar discussion with your mother,

Alice… The current queen used to go off in the same way, raving to the Houses of Zoa

and Hydra. She became less extreme when assuming the throne."

"—" She didn't have anything to say back to him. He was probably talking about a time

before Alice had even been born. And though she didn't have memories of it herself,

she didn't think he was lying.

"…If you'll excuse me." This time, she actually turned her back on him with Rin at her

side, marching through the glass hallway.

…This really gets on my nerves.

…Exactly how long will this competition go on?

It wasn't just with her sisters, Elletear and Sisbell, those who shared her blood. There

were representatives from all three houses waiting for the winner of their family feud

at the conclave.

A fight among flesh and blood. No, it was a toxic vessel where poisonous insects and

venomous snakes were thrown in together, doomed to kill one another until only one

was left.

"How pathetic…," Alice rasped, vocalizing her emotions.

She wanted to be a bigger person than that.

Which would be… the queen who united the world. She wanted to embrace everything

and hide nothing about herself and her opponents. She wanted to speak, fight, and

settle things—naked, pure, free.

…Just like…

…Just like when I battled against Iska. The more she thought about him, the more she

couldn't help but worry about that Imperial soldier.

Whatever. She didn't even care if she didn't meet him in battle but saw him in a neutral

city where they had to lay down arms.

"Ahhh, ugh! Seriously, where is Iska?!"

"Lady Alice! Stop saying things that could be weird out of context!"