“……It failed?”
The First Young Master, Schubert, fell silent for a moment after hearing the report.
Number Two, who had been reporting to him, quickly lowered his head.
“Y-Yes. The black magician is presumed dead, and his research materials as well…….”
“What—what kind of bullshit is that?! Fifth Circle! He was a Fifth Circle black magician, and you’re telling me he died that easily?!”
“……Yes.”
At those words, Schubert’s face twisted horribly.
‘……Was there a third party in the Sanctuary besides Arwin?’
No matter how many possibilities he considered, there was no way Arwin could have killed a Fifth Circle black magician.
But what if there had been a third party?
“Could it be…….”
He thought of the unidentified figure who had been interfering with his plans.
Someone who employed methods similar to the Shadow and had toyed with Number Eight and Number Nine before eliminating them one-sidedly.
“Any clues on the one who recently killed Number Eight and Number Nine?”
“None have been confirmed.”
“Then I will ask you something else.”
Schubert glared at Number Two and asked again.
“What is the possibility that the assassin in question was involved in killing the black magician?”
“Th-That is…….”
Number Two hesitated at Schubert’s question, trailing off.
It wasn’t as though he had never considered the possibility.
However.
“There is no physical evidence. The only factor linking the two incidents is their stealth…….”
“Find out starting now.”
Schubert cut him off and gave the order.
There was nothing he could do about what had already happened anyway.
‘It’s fine. There’s nothing connecting me to that black magician. They may have suspicions, but suspicions alone can’t do anything to me.’
The moment the black magician died and Arwin successfully completed the Trial unharmed, this plan had failed.
But failure was failure, and the next plan was another matter.
“I will give you one week. Bring me at least a single clue.”
“B-But, young master. Just one week is…….”
“Shut up!”
Schubert glared at his subordinate with bloodshot eyes.
“Do you have any idea how much money I spent raising you bastards? And now you are telling me you cannot even find a single clue?!”
“I-I apologize.”
“One week. If you produce no results within one week, I will dispose of you.”
At those words, Number Two repeatedly nodded, his face deathly pale.
He knew his master was not the sort of man to make such threats idly.
“You should know well enough. I have already obtained a ‘talent’ I would not mind replacing you with.”
“……I will keep that in mind.”
Number Two answered in a trembling voice.
What Schubert said was true.
At the training camp was a monster who had yet to officially become a Shadow agent, but had been different from birth.
Someone currently said to be the closest to ‘Number One.’
“I will complete the task. No matter what.”
Number Two squeezed his eyes shut and answered.
***
The closing of the Trial Ceremony.
If a member of the direct bloodline completed a Trial with distinction, its conclusion was celebrated in spectacular fashion.
Just like now.
“I hereby declare that Arwin Messiah has successfully completed her Trial.”
Members of both the direct line and the branch families had gathered in one place.
There was only one purpose.
To congratulate a member of the Messiah bloodline who had completed a Trial.
Father made the proclamation before them.
My sister had completed her Trial admirably and deserved their congratulations.
“Congratulations, my daughter.”
“WAAAAAAH!”
And with that, my sister’s Trial concluded amid cheers.
Before everyone’s eyes, my sister displayed her pure white Sacred Flame.
She had proven that she possessed the qualifications to become an heir.
I quietly watched the scene from beneath the shade.
“How do you feel, young master?”
“How do I feel?”
“This is a sight that you protected. If I were in your position, I imagine I would be quite moved.”
“If this were the end, I probably would be.”
I gave a bitter smile as I recalled my previous life.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end.
As long as the First Wife and Schubert remained untouched, this incident would only be the beginning.
“You know it too, Sir Deckard. This is only the beginning.”
“That is…….”
Deckard could not refute me and trailed off.
“Haa, you are right. It is not as though I am unaware of the atmosphere within the family.”
“Mother and Sis both know there’s a problem to some extent and are on guard, but they don’t think it’s that serious.”
“I doubt anything would change even if the two of them did consider it that serious.”
“That’s true.”
Deckard was right.
Even if Mother and my sister knew everything the First Wife had done, nothing would change.
Behind them stood the Ducal House of Ralke, one of the Four Great Houses and equal in standing to our own.
Simply put, we were in a lower weight class.
“But young master, aside from this Trial, the First Wife’s side has not made any major moves yet, has it?”
“Ha ha.”
At that, all I could do was laugh.
Deckard seemed to sense something from my laughter, because his expression stiffened.
“……Has something already happened to you?”
“The black magic was vicious.”
“Fucking hell…….”
Deckard’s face contorted at once.
Of course, there was no chance of our conversation leaking out.
We were keeping a considerable distance from everyone else, and both Deckard and I were on guard.
After hearing what I said, Deckard launched enthusiastically into a string of insults about the First Wife and Schubert.
His vocabulary sounded far more suited to a back alley than a knight.
“You probably shouldn’t get that angry already.”
“……What do you mean?”
Deckard’s face immediately stiffened.
“Could this be related to the reward you mentioned before?”
“I’ll tell you the details tonight. It isn’t a topic we should discuss here.”
“……Understood.”
Deckard did not ask anything further.
Because he was a knight.
“This is Sis’s time. There’s no reason to keep talking about unpleasant things, is there?”
“That is true.”
Deckard smirked and turned his gaze toward my sister, who was still being showered with cheers.
“By the way, young master. ‘Sis,’ you say? It seems you have had a change of heart.”
“What?”
“Until now, you always called her ‘Elder Sister’ and kept this strange wall between the two of you. But not anymore, it seems.”
“…….”
“I suppose siblings really do need to fight a little before they grow closer. I am the elder here, after all. According to my many years of life experience…….”
“Sir Deckard.”
“Yes?”
“When other people realize you’re about to start talking, do they happen to leave?”
“…….”
“So they do. I knew it.”
At that, Deckard dejectedly averted his gaze.
“No, well…… you see, this is, in its own way, my conversational skill…….”
“That’s enough.”
I smirked, gave him a sidelong glance, then looked at my sister standing proudly before everyone.
“……Not bad.”
“Young master, at least hear me out. I am not saying this simply because I am old. I am speaking as your elder and as a guardian who has watched over you all this time. It is not as though I am some preachy old geezer or anyth…….”
Deckard continued making pathetic excuses, apparently unwilling to give up.
I let his words pass in one ear and out the other as old memories surfaced.
In my previous life, the Commander’s Trial had not been recognized as properly completed.
She had dealt with her target, but because she had been afflicted by a terrible curse, she had never been able to finish it like this, surrounded by everyone’s cheers.
But now it was different.
Unlike my previous life, today would remain with my sister as a bright, shining memory.
‘One thing at a time.’
One by one, I would change things.
If there was a reason I had turned back time and been given another chance, surely this was it.
Around the time the celebration came to an end, I hauled myself to my feet.
Because of the message that had been secretly delivered to me earlier.
[Come to the usual place.]
Father, the Grand Duke of Messiah.
As always, he had summoned me again today.
***
“You came.”
When I entered the room, Father slowly turned toward me.
Father stood beneath the moonlight.
As though that were where he had always belonged, the sight of him standing beneath the moonlight felt strangely familiar.
“Yes. You summoned me.”
“I will get straight to the point.”
Father looked directly at me and spoke.
“How much do you know about Blue Flame?”
“Almost nothing.”
Only that Blue Flame had been the Sacred Flame that symbolized the Commander in my previous life, and that its color had belonged to her alone.
“All I know is that it’s the Sacred Flame I manifested today. Is there something special about it?”
“There is only one ‘Blue Flame’ recorded in the history of Messiah.”
I remained silent and listened, and Father continued.
“The <First Sacred Flame>.”
“……!”
“Before our progenitor, ‘Messiah,’ accepted the Sacred Flame, they say the Sacred Flame that belonged to no one was originally blue.”
It was the first time I had heard that.
Of course it was.
If what Father said was true, Blue Flame was practically part of the family’s secret history.
There was no way someone who had once been nothing more than a Shadow could have known such a thing.
I calmed my pounding heart and asked,
“Then is the Sacred Flame I manifested special?”
“Even I cannot be certain of that. But judging from the circumstances, there is a high probability that it is no ordinary Sacred Flame.”
“…….”
“You were born with the Ember of Ruin, yet you have survived until now. You possess exceptional innate talent, and you can even see ‘him.’”
The ‘him’ Father referred to must have been Noise.
“Moreover, your Blue Flame manifested far too early.”
“That’s true.”
“It is certainly not a normal process. But if your Blue Flame truly is a special Sacred Flame, then perhaps this is the normal process for it.”
Father’s words made me fall into thought for a moment.
‘Come to think of it…… after the Commander manifested Blue Flame in my previous life, Schubert seemed to become even more frantic.’
Schubert must have known as well.
What Blue Flame meant to Messiah.
On top of that, the Commander’s talent had been exceptional.
No wonder Schubert had grown desperate.
“If what you said is true, then has no one else ever manifested Blue Flame?”
“To be precise, there was one person between you and our progenitor. However, it was never made known to others or left in the records.”
“Why?”
At my question, Father’s expression darkened slightly.
“My eldest brother. In other words, your uncle.”
“……!”
“I believe I mentioned him before. There was someone who suffered from the same heavenly affliction as you, but ultimately failed to endure it and was consumed by the Sacred Flame.”
Yes.
I remembered.
Father had said that was why he paid particular attention to me.
“My eldest brother was certainly talented, but his talent was not overwhelming enough to overcome the Ember of Ruin.”
“Then was my…… uncle’s Sacred Flame Blue Flame?”
“Not at first.”
Father continued with a bitter expression.
“I saw that Blue Flame only once. The Sacred Flame swallowed my brother before my very eyes. He was consumed by it in an instant and died on the spot.”
“…….”
“At that moment, the Sacred Flame that swallowed him was blue.”
I closed my mouth.
There was no possible way to interpret Father’s story as a positive sign for Blue Flame.
Didn’t that mean it was incredibly dangerous?
First the Ember of Ruin, and now Blue Flame.
It was almost as though fate itself were warning me to prepare for death.
“I have not finished speaking yet, Sigmund.”
Suddenly, a smile appeared on Father’s lips.
Damn it.
That smile……
Whenever he smiled like that, he always did something insane.
“Raise your sword, Sigmund.”
“……What?”
Father’s smile deepened.
“From this moment on, we are going to test the limits of your Blue Flame.”
“…….”
Ah, damn it.