* * *

After that bout of “sightseeing,” the two returned to the countess's estate, where their behavior inevitably changed somewhat.

Rose did not put Limon under surveillance, but she stopped approaching him altogether and kept her distance.

Limon, meanwhile, continued practicing with Julia while conducting his investigation openly. Meeting Wei Ling to hear several reports was part of that effort.

“Still no word from Ainsha?”

“According to the White Dragon Clan, the Temple of Muse has been so uncooperative that the White Dragon Princess went to settle matters in person.”

“... Does the Church of Muse have that much influence in the Holy Alliance?”

“With Tiamat headquartered there, religions associated with culture and the arts do enjoy relatively strong support.”

“Doesn't that mean the White Dragon Clan is the Church of Muse's biggest patron? What makes them think they can hold out like that?”

“How could I know something even the White Dragon Clan doesn't?”

“Don't compare yourself to them.”

Limon clicked his tongue. It was obvious that unless they had foreseen something unusual, the White Dragon Clan would simply have taken it in stride and moved on.

'Hmm. Looks like there really is something going on.'

After considering it briefly, Limon shook his head. No matter how stubbornly the Temple of Muse resisted, with Ainsha personally involved, they would eventually have to spill everything. He turned his attention elsewhere.

“How's our tail doing?”

“No change.”

“Still hasn't made a move? No suspicious communications either?”

“Correct. All she does is tour London and occasionally visit a rehearsal room to practice singing.”

“... Could she have caught on to the surveillance?”

“According to the intelligence team leader's report, she has shown no sign whatsoever of noticing it.”

“Really?”

'If they knew we'd identified their tail, they'd have disposed of her already. Are they avoiding contact just as a precaution? That's one cautious bastard.'

He had gone to the trouble of leaving Claire free as bait, yet her activities remained utterly uneventful. Limon clicked his tongue.

Ryu Gang-cheol, Bellows, or Eugene would have made contact as soon as Claire arrived in London, or within a few days at most. This one was so thorough that, if not for the series of incidents unfolding in London, Limon would have questioned whether a ghost of the Liberation Brigade was really here at all.

“Looks like it'll take a while to follow this tail back to the body.”

“We could arrest her now and try torture.”

“No, keep that as a last resort for now. Those methods don't work well on Liberation Brigade officers anyway.”

Liberation Brigade officers never talked. Plea bargains, torture, even death threats failed to sway them. As a result, government agencies around the world already regarded it as an established fact that some prohibition or restriction had been placed on them.

That was why Limon had put off arresting Claire for as long as possible. If they could not extract any information from her, arresting her would only put the ghost on alert.

“Let's leave the tail aside for now. What about the other investigation? Find anything?”

“Fortunately, we have a few findings on that front.”

Perhaps because she had delivered nothing but reports of no progress until now, Wei Ling continued with a little more confidence this time.

“First, our investigation into London's current situation confirmed a sharp increase in disappearances over the past few months.”

“London seems awfully quiet for that to be the case.”

“The Blue Dragon Clan's control of information likely plays a part, but the main reason seems to be that the disappearances occur around the Misty hours.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Limon furrowed his brow. During the Misty hours, London became a ghost town without witnesses, where even cameras were useless. Moreover, every Londoner regarded people disappearing during the Misty hours as perfectly normal. It was the ideal environment for committing murder in secret.

“Still, after a few months, you'd think they'd start finding it strange.”

“Yes. It appears that suspicious rumors have indeed begun circulating recently.”

As she answered, Wei Ling laid out several magazines and newspapers. [Shocking Sighting of London's Ghosts!], [Seven-Minute Audio Recording Left by a Missing Person.], [R. of the Magic Hall Saw It.], and so on.

Most were cheap gossip magazines and third-rate newspapers. But Limon narrowed his eyes at several of the articles—particularly a blurry photograph of a monster's silhouette beyond the fog.

“Looks like the Blue Dragon Clan's information control is reaching its limits.”

“That is part of it, but the Magus Guild's efforts to dig up the information the Blue Dragon Clan is concealing seem to have played a significant role.”

“The Magus Guild again?”

“Yes. They are reportedly opposing the Blue Dragon Clan's activities on several other fronts as well.”

“... So they're pressuring them to cooperate in eliminating the Misty hours?”

“If the Blue Dragon Clan is opposing that project as you said, sir, that is probably their objective.”

“That's what bothers me. What reason does that Monarch of Magic bastard have to be so hell-bent on eliminating the Misty hours?”

Limon looked doubtful. However dominant the ten great guilds might be in this age, the real power in the British Empire was the Blue Dragon Clan. If they went to all-out war, both sides would inevitably suffer devastating losses, regardless of who won. Karl was already an absolute being with nothing more to gain. Limon could not fathom why he was going so far despite those risks.

Were there circumstances behind it? Or did he have a hidden objective? Perhaps that very reason lay at the heart of this case.

“I have an idea about that.”

“You have an idea why he's doing this?”

“It isn't certain yet. But according to my investigation, the Monarch of Magic...”

* * *

“A fine painting.”

“Save that flattery for my nephew. Praise for his meager talent might give him a little confidence.”

“Aren't you being too harsh on His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Hmph. My judgment isn't harsh. My nephew is the problem.”

Duke Robert, a massive middle-aged man, snorted at Karl, who was chuckling as he admired a painting hanging on one wall. Then he spoke with a cold expression.

“He ought to be above level 60, at least. What can you expect from a painting by a player merely in the forties?”

“Ha ha. Most people consider that level quite sufficient for an established player.”

“That applies only to ordinary people. It is disgraceful for someone born royal to be compared to mere commoners at all.”

It was an extraordinarily arrogant remark. Yet Karl did not bother pointing out Robert's arrogance. As a royal who had become a duke-class player and sustained the royalist faction all this time, he did have some right to say it. Of course, the most important reason was simply that Karl had no reason to object.

“More importantly, Lord Karl, how are the preparations coming?”

“Everything is ready.”

“You're certain?”

“Of course.”

Karl nodded without the slightest hesitation. Looking Robert straight in the eye with an intensity that belied his age, he continued.

“Whatever anyone may say, this is my lifelong ambition.”

“Your lifelong ambition... merely to get rid of the mist?”

Karl smiled as Robert mulled over his words with an odd expression, as though he had heard something truly unexpected.

“Why? Does an old man who still hasn't let go of his ambition at this age seem strange to you?”

“I don't find it particularly laughable. I'm merely curious why you made it your ambition.”

“There was no particularly momentous occasion. I simply happened to discover the truth.”

“What truth?”

“The truth about the Great Barrier of London.”

Karl spoke softly. Then, to Robert, who looked puzzled by the unexpected remark, he spoke in a voice burning hot as the heat pouring from a furnace.

“London's citizens fear the Misty hours, yet they take pride in the Great Barrier of London, the very thing that caused them.”

“Naturally. It is the barrier that stopped that Demon God, after all.”

“Yes, I acknowledge that achievement myself.”

Karl readily nodded, then lowered his voice almost to a whisper, as though discussing some secret conspiracy.

“But doesn't it strike you as strange?”

“What does?”

“That a single barrier could stop the Demon God who laid waste to Europe, however venerable a spell handed down from the Silver Age it might be.”

“... Surely you don't think the whole thing was fabricated?”

“No. Even I don't entertain such delusions.”

So stop looking at me like an old man with dementia. Karl conveyed that pressure through his smile, correcting Robert's gaze before continuing in an even lower voice.

“But there are three things we know for certain.”

“What things?”

“First, magic always comes at a price.”

“That's common knowledge.”

“Indeed. Then what price did the witches of the twenty-seven magical lineages pay to cast the Great Barrier of London?”

“...”

“That is the second point. The price, which ought to be common knowledge, remains unknown.”

Magic always came at a price. In fact, that was the chief reason magic, which had dominated the Silver Age, had been reduced to little more than a traditional craft. It was far too inefficient compared to psionics or skills, which could be used freely according to one's training or level.

And if that magic had been used to erect a barrier powerful enough to protect all of London from the Demon God? The price must have been immense. Ordinarily, concealing it would have been harder than revealing it.

“That was how I discovered the third truth.”

Why, despite that, had the price of the Great Barrier of London alone remained so carefully concealed? With a chilling smile, Karl stated the conclusion he had reached after examining every possibility.

“That the witches of the twenty-seven magical lineages, hailed as London's heroes, were in fact wicked, shameless frauds.”

* * *

“You're saying Lord Karl has contacted Duke Robert again?”

“Yes.”

“... Then it seems Duke Robert has indeed joined hands with Lord Karl.”

“We have no conclusive evidence yet, but judging by Duke Robert's movements, it is almost certain.”

Rose pondered this with a grave expression for a moment, then asked Lucas a question as though something had just occurred to her.

“Have you received His Highness Edward's answer?”

“He hesitated considerably, but ultimately agreed to support us.”

“I see.”

Rose sighed. Although his weak character left him with little support, Edward was still the legitimate Crown Prince. If he sided with the Blue Dragon Clan, at least the royalist faction would not go over to Karl entirely.

“Please do not worry too much. Even if Lord Karl wins over the entire royalist faction, he cannot tamper with the Great Barrier without your consent, Your Highness.”

In the British Empire, the balance of power between the aristocratic faction led by the Blue Dragon Clan, the commoner faction of the Magus Guild, and the royalist faction led by Duke Robert was roughly 5:4:1. Even in the worst case, if Karl and the royalists joined forces, they could still maintain a stalemate. That was especially true considering how many members of the commoner faction secretly supported House Seaserpent because of its many good deeds.

“We cannot let our guard down nonetheless. Our opponent is Lord Karl.”

Rose, however, could not feel reassured. The Monarch of Magic she knew was not a man who would chuckle and back down merely because he was slightly outmatched in influence.

“So please ensure the event preparations are flawless as well. This Walpurgis Night will surely be where we settle matters with Lord Karl.”

Perhaps because she had already gone several days without sleep, fatigue surged afresh despite her efforts to keep herself in the best possible condition with psionics. Forcing it down, Rose continued with a solemn expression.

“We must prevent the truth about the Great Barrier of London from coming to light, no matter what.”

Some harbored suspicion. Others, longing. Others still, worry.

As each spent their days busily, carrying their own different emotions, Walpurgis Night—the British Empire's greatest festival—was announcing its beginning.