SH slash!

Rose swung her sword hard. The instant its edge touched a shadow monster, the creature split to either side as though cleaving itself in two.

Three, four, five, six.

One dodged her blade and lunged at her flank. Another leaped over a fallen companion. One extended its tentacles from afar, while another fired slime.

There was not a trace of intelligence in their haphazard rush, no tactics or strategy. Ferocity filled that void instead. The sight of the shadow monsters charging madly, heedless of their companions' deaths, sent an instinctive chill through anyone watching.

'Three, four.'

But Rose was not intimidated. She cut down the one lunging at her flank and impaled the one leaping overhead. At the same time, she lightly swept one hand toward the incoming tentacles and slime. The fog twisted with the motion, deflecting both to the side as she swung her sword again.

SLICE!

'... As I thought.'

Rose murmured inwardly. She had managed to cut through part of the fog, but not the shadow monsters that had launched the tentacles and slime—her actual targets.

It was a truly dismal result for the Blue Dragon Princess, especially after using the Space-Cleaving Sword Style. Yet while she was disappointed, she was not surprised.

These were the Misty hours—the only time when the Blue Dragon Clan's psionics, which let them manipulate space as easily as breathing, were restricted. That was why she had failed to reach Jessica in time before, and why she could not simply teleport away with Limon now.

Of course, none of that gave Rose any reason to fear mere monsters like these. She was the Blue Dragon Princess, the strongest knight of the Blue Dragon Clan.

'Five.'

THUD!

Rose clenched one hand, then flicked the droplet of water that formed in her palm with a finger. Taking her eyes off the tentacled shadow monster, now shattered as though struck by a cannonball, she charged the last remaining creature—the one spitting slime.

Perhaps in a final desperate struggle, the shadow monster spewed slime like a fountain. But rather than dodge it, Rose charged straight through and cut the creature down.

'Six.'

SPLASH!

Blood and slime rained down. But all that filth glanced aside as though stopped by invisible armor, failing to wet even the hem of Rose's clothes.

Only her sword was stained. Rose flicked the blood from its blade and sheathed it, then sighed as she watched the shadow monsters' remains melt away.

'The same again.'

If only they left bodies, she could investigate them. Her frustration at the uncanny creatures, which vanished without leaving a scrap as though truly made of shadow, lasted only a moment. Worried that the spectacle might have sent Limon into a panic, Rose looked back.

And was taken aback.

"Hmm. This is pretty unusual."

His tongue flicked out. Limon was looking between the empty spot where a shadow monster's body had melted away and the blood on his trousers, comparing something. His composure alone was absurd enough. But when he actually wiped a finger across the bloodstain and tasted it, Rose could only stare in disbelief.

"... What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? Checking."

"Checking what?"

"You said these monsters killed Jessica, didn't you? Then of course I need to find out what they are."

Limon answered as though she had asked something painfully obvious. His utterly matter-of-fact manner briefly made Rose wonder whether she had asked the wrong question. Uneasily, she tried again.

"Can you identify a monster by tasting its blood?"

"No, I can't."

"..."

"But I can tell this isn't a proper living creature."

How could he possibly do that? It wasn't as though his tongue came equipped with a DNA analyzer. Having once again left Rose dumbfounded with his shameless reply, Limon continued quietly.

"At least as far as I know, there's no creature anywhere in the world with blood this sweet."

"Sweet? You mean the blood?"

"Yes. Looks like they've mixed all sorts of things together... In my experience, that usually means something pretty obvious."

Limon spat out the blood left in his mouth. As he watched it bubble and vanish as though evaporating, just as the bodies had, a sneer touched his lips.

"These monsters were artificially created."

"... How do you know that?"

"Let's call it experience and the wisdom of age."

"..."

Rose fell silent. It wasn't merely because she had received such an absurd answer from Limon, who looked at most her own age or a little older. Despite the complete lack of evidence, his words carried a powerful conviction. Just who was this young man, to make such outrageous claims so convincingly?

Limon calmly addressed Rose, whose expression had grown complicated.

"From this, it seems clear someone is behind the witch murders. Is there anything else you know?"

"..."

"Hmm. Looks like you have your suspicions, but no solid leads or evidence."

Limon chuckled, folded his arms, and continued.

"Let me make a proposal."

"What sort of proposal?"

"Nothing much. Let's share information until we catch the culprit."

"..."

"What do you say? It looks like your people still haven't found any solid leads either. Wouldn't joining forces with us be better?"

Rose fell silent at the unexpected proposal. It was an attractive offer. Working with Limon would secure the cooperation of the witch from the twenty-seven magical lineages who was presumably backing him.

No, judging by what she had seen so far, even Limon's personal cooperation might be a great help, quite apart from the witch. All the more so now, when interference from the Magus Guild was hampering their investigation.

"I must decline."

But Rose shook her head.

Limon was not disappointed. Instead, as though he had expected it, he merely asked calmly,

"So it would be dishonorable to solve something that happened in London with outside help?"

"I won't deny that is part of the reason."

"Then what's the other reason?"

"Because it is too dangerous," Rose said firmly.

The shadow monsters they had just encountered were a case in point. She had dispatched them in moments, but that was only possible because she was the Blue Dragon Princess. The creatures were powerful enough to threaten most high-level players, or even experts of the Seven Dragons Society.

Trying to uncover whoever was behind such monsters was far too dangerous. Jessica herself had been killed despite being an accomplished witch. Rose earnestly explained that she certainly could not involve a "frail musician" in such matters.

Limon was dumbfounded.

"... Just to check, you don't mean me by that 'frail musician,' do you?"

"I apologize if I have offended you. But you nearly suffered an assault at the hands of a mere servant. In my judgment, this is far beyond your capabilities."

Rose bowed her head slightly. Her courteous manner and eyes as clear as a lake made it plain that these were not mere platitudes. She had rejected his offer out of genuine concern for him.

Realizing that, Limon let out a hollow laugh.

"I see. That's quite the answer I'd expect from the Blue Dragon Clan."

"What do you mean?"

Rose looked puzzled. She had sensed a subtle, indefinable emotion in his words. Meeting her gaze with cold eyes, Limon asked bluntly,

"Tell me, Countess. Remember forgiving that thief and the street vendor who swindled you earlier?"

"Of course."

"Other people might call that an act of great mercy. But the way I see it, you didn't forgive them because you were merciful."

Limon sneered, his voice turning icy.

"It was because you looked down on them."

"... I find that accusation difficult to accept."

"Do you?"

Even as Rose's face stiffened, Limon's smile did not fade. His mockery only deepened.

"Then, Countess, when you found out they'd swindled you, did you feel even the slightest disappointment?"

"That..."

"Of course not. You can only feel disappointed if you had expectations in the first place."

"..."

Rose closed her mouth. Had he asked whether she pitied them, whether she felt genuine compassion, or whether she had treated them with a sense of responsibility, she could have answered yes without hesitation.

But if he asked whether she had expected anything of them?

She could give no answer. To her, even those two swindlers were vulnerable people she was obliged to protect as a knight and a noble, not people from whom she expected anything.

"You've always been that way. You dispense justice and show mercy, but you expect nothing of other people."

Limon mocked Rose's silence as though he had expected it, then said,

"Do you know what people usually call those they feed, shelter, and raise one-sidedly, without expecting anything, the way you do?"

"..."

"Livestock."

"...!"

"Should I be very generous and call them pets? Well, either way, there's no difference. In the end, you're still not seeing human beings as human beings."

Rose instinctively opened her mouth as though to object. But her red lips merely moved, and no answer came. Limon spoke coldly.

"That's why you were the most terrible rulers even back in the Bronze Age."

The Blue Dragon Clan had always been merciful. They provided food so that no one went hungry, protected people from enemies and threats, and took the lead in everything.

Yet that very kindness made the humans they ruled lazier, weaker, and more foolish than any other clan's subjects. What they offered was the happiness of livestock. Under their rule, people could live happily without any discomfort simply by living like pigs, without growing, becoming stronger, or making any effort.

That was why, among the Seven Dragons Society's seven clans, the Sword Emperor found the Blue Dragon Clan repulsive and scorned the humans who praised their mercy.

"Countess, you're free to choose whatever standards you use to treat other people," Limon said quietly.

Whether she cared for all humans as inferior, weak beings in need of protection was up to Rose. He would not interfere with that.

"But don't presume to measure me by those standards and treat me as some weak, incompetent thing that can't do anything without your help."

That tolerance applied only to how she treated others. If she wanted to treat him that way too, she would first have to prove she had the right. Having told her so coldly, Limon looked Rose straight in the eye and continued.

"Anyway, if you don't want to cooperate, that's fine. I'll carry on investigating on my own."

"..."

"I'll leave your estate too, if you want. Having me around would probably be uncomfortable for you."

Only at those words did Rose snap out of her stone-like stillness. Almost reflexively, she spoke.

"There is no need to go that far."

"Why? Worried I'll wander off on my own and end up like Jessica?"

"... No. Because losing you at this stage would disrupt the preparations for the event."

"I see. That's true enough."

With a short, wry laugh, Limon turned away. As he walked into the still-dense fog, he added quietly,

"Don't worry about the concert. If only for Julia's reputation, I'll give you the finest performance this Walpurgis Night."

"..."

Rose watched his retreating figure with conflicted eyes, then finally followed him in silence. However much Limon disliked it, she could not let a frail musician like him wander alone during the Misty hours.

She was Rose Seaserpent, princess of the just and merciful Blue Dragon Clan.