Chapter 75: Communication (1)
"This concludes the report on the Joint Mission."
Teano finished her report crisply. Silence fell over Grantel's office at the top of the vast Elsyde Fortress.
"Frankly, it is surprising."
The one who broke the silence first was the Elsyde Executive Officer sitting before her, Grantel. A vast glass window overlooked the dense high-rise buildings and asphalt-paved city landscape of the modern Magic Empire. With the view of the Elsyde territory's downtown behind him, Grantel reviewed the report once more and commented.
"Everyone who participated in the Joint Mission has worked very hard. The mission was extremely successful."
He summarized in his usual calm tone.
"The mages of the Elsyde Family who were attacked and confined have been rescued. Along with the death of a high-ranking Vendetta mage, the possibility of a Beast-kin rebellion has also been concluded for now."
"...Is that so?"
Teano replied with a slightly ambiguous expression. Grantel glanced at her and asked again.
"Your tone is not as usual, Commander. Is there anything in the report that troubles you?"
"No, sir. The mission details are not a problem. However..."
Teano's gaze shifted to Grantel's desk. Her eyes fell upon the picture of Enoch Elsyde attached to the top of the report on the desk.
"It was, a little unexpected."
Teano's gaze softened as she said that.
Enoch was a direct descendant who had been confined until he was seventeen. He was nothing more than a boy who had never been deployed on a Joint Mission before. Therefore, she thought the reason he showed such excessive eagerness to participate in a large-scale mission he had never taken part in before was obvious. There was no other plausible reason than that he was trying to quickly build merit and solidify his position after successfully completing his Exemption Mission.
However, if that were truly the case, he could have simply stayed back under the pretext of commanding the operation, securing merits from a suitably safe position and returning. That would have been the most rational action for Enoch, who didn't even have a Follower Family during the Joint Mission. Naturally, everyone had expected him to do so. Even Teano herself.
But the actions Enoch showed were the exact opposite.
["─I will infiltrate alone to stop Tantalus, the spellcaster constructing the magic."]
He did not spare himself at all in this mission. He even went so far as to undertake a solo operation, going into the enemy's lair alone to strike the commander.
'But the most unexpected part was...'
Memories of the Joint Mission flashed through Teano's mind. After the battle ended, the final negotiation with the Beast-kin. There, she saw an unexpected side of Enoch. If he had merely intended to subdue and subjugate the Beast-kin, there were many easier and less risky methods available. Regardless, Enoch was a direct descendant of the Elsyde Family. He could have used the power and authority of the Main House to force the Beast-kin into submission.
However, that person did not do that. But having said that, he also did not try to offer a compromise by awkwardly sympathizing with the Beast-kin. Instead, Enoch respected the dignity of the Beast-kin and did his best to allow them to decide their future through a method they could accept.
Teano bowed her head slightly for a moment. She couldn't be certain of anything yet. But if there was a reason for Enoch to act so irrationally as a direct descendant...
'...Consideration?'
Teano quietly pondered.
Suddenly, a single phrase Enoch had said during the previous Joint Mission flashed through her mind.
["─I want to stop the atrocities of the Black Mage."]
Swish.
She bowed her head slightly for a moment and habitually touched the brim of her military cap, which she had taken off. Her long hair obscured Teano's expression. Of course, everything was merely speculation. But it was true that this story was far from the image of Enoch she had speculated about until now. Regardless of the unresolved questions about him, she felt a very slight concern.
Teano stood up from her seat.
"If there are no further special notes, I will take my leave now."
Seeing her bow, Grantel spoke to Teano in a lower voice.
"Speaking of which."
Grantel moved his deep-set eyes slightly and said.
"What do you think of Lord Enoch, whom you observed?"
Enoch Elsyde was currently the subject of gossip both within and outside the family regarding how he had manifested magic. To the Executive Officer's question asking if anything had been ascertained about him, Teano lightly shook her head and said.
"Although the Joint Mission has ended, there are still tasks we must carry out regarding that person."
"What do you mean by that?"
"As Nemesis, Lord Enoch Elsyde remains a key individual requiring continued observation."
Nothing had been revealed about what kind of magic he used in this mission either. Whether that was due to his thorough calculation or merely a coincidence. Ultimately, as Nemesis, guarding the family's rules and absolute neutrality, their stance towards him would remain the same going forward.
'The surveillance of Enoch Elsyde must continue.'
Teano concluded as such. Ultimately, her relationship with him would continue in the future. At least until they discovered conclusive evidence that Enoch Elsyde had no connection to Black Mages.
Just then.
Suddenly, an urgent knocking sound was heard outside the office door, along with a presence. Then, Grantel's personal butler, Bartlec, opened the door and entered.
"Excuse me for the urgency, Executive Officer!"
"Bartlec. What is it?"
"A request for approval for a support mission has arrived."
The butler called out as he passed by Teano.
"It is concerning the 「Imperial Academia Expedition Team」 whose schedule is planned for the Lake Submerged Area Ruin Site..."
***
Immediately after returning from the mission.
Enoch, who was walking down the vast corridor of the family fortress with an expression that others might have seen as his usual one, was, however, smiling inwardly, filled with considerable happiness. The reason was simply too clear. He had gotten everything he could from this Joint Mission.
The plan was a great success. He had gained more than one or two things. He had visited the Emperor's Supreme Sword's Ruin and unlocked a Hidden Ability, and the proficiency of the Swordsmanship he had inherited so far had sharply increased. He had even progressed to the point where he could project the unique mana in the form of fire that he had used during his lifetime onto the sword.
Of course, the usage time was short, and he had to accept the risk of exhaustion, so he couldn't overuse it in combat. But it was certainly a technique powerful enough to compensate for all of that.
'And above all, the biggest spec up is...'
Meanwhile, Enoch's excellent hearing missed none of the small whispers around the corridor from a moment ago.
- Did you see? Lord Enoch's first Follower Family...
- It's true what they say, real beast ears and a tail! But other than that, she's just like a human.
- Is that girl really a Rank 10 mage? All Beast-kin are dangerous folk...
- The media who heard the news are already making a fuss. It might get noisy for a while again.
The Elsyde-affiliated mages passing by the fortress corridor. All of them were glancing over and observing him. The object of interest for the entire crowd was one.
Enoch turned to look beside him. A pair of red wolf ears perked up on top of her head. A tail with a luscious, glossy sheen. A young and beautiful girl walking in light clothing that revealed her bare feet and legs, not even wearing shoes.
Sirocco Lycaon.
The original story's undisputed tier 1 dealer character, a powerful mage who had now surpassed the Rank 10 barrier. And a genius who would grow into a 'game-ending performance' character in the future, five years from now.
He had recruited her as a Follower Family.
The Beast-kin, who had been separated from the society of the Magic Empire and about whom only rumors were rife. It seemed that even the Elsyde-affiliated mages were no different in feeling curiosity.
"Woahhh!"
Meanwhile, the girl who was receiving everyone's attention was looking beside Enoch with sparkling eyes. Sirocco herself didn't seem to care about the surrounding gazes at all. She was simply absorbed in looking around the vast Elsyde Fortress.
"Look! Look over there! The buildings are tall! And there are so many people!"
Watching her, completely engrossed in freely looking around the sophisticated and spacious fortress, Enoch smiled inwardly with satisfaction. Now that she had joined his Follower Family, Sirocco would surely become a reliable fighting force in the future. He was becoming increasingly confident that he would be able to survive in this harsh Magic Empire in the future.
Just as Enoch was thinking that far.
"Hey!"
In the lower corner of his vision, a pair of twitching wolf ears popped up. It was Sirocco.
"Wow, the house your family lives in is huge!"
She, who had been busy looking around the inside of the Elsyde Family's fortress, pulled at the hem of Enoch's shirt, who was walking beside her, and asked cheerfully.
"Hey, is this size not enough for all our tribe members to fit in and still have lots of space?"
"Probably."
"Wow, it's really big. And there are so many peopleooooouch!"
Sirocco, who had been walking around entranced by the sights, bumped hard into a corridor pillar, covered her nose, and stumbled. Watching her, I felt a strange feeling for a moment. The Sirocco I saw in the original story had been overshadowed and precarious due to the destruction of the Beast-kin. But the Sirocco in front of me, far from being fazed by bumping into a pillar, was diligently running around.
Seeing her, much more lively than I had expected, Enoch muttered inwardly with a slightly wry expression.
'...The child looks too healthy.'
To calm down her high tension, Enoch walked down the corridor and casually asked.
"Is this your first time outside the Beast-kin village?"
"Yes. Everything I know about the outside of our village is what Mom and Dad told me before they passed away!"
"Your parents?"
"Yeah. They were really interested in the outside world." Sirocco looked around and said.
"As expected. There are so many amazing things outside the village! It was really good that we cooperated with you!"
A small smile suddenly spread across Sirocco's cheek, who had been looking around distractedly.
"......Someday, I want to show everyone in the tribe too."
"That's up to you."
At Enoch's words, Sirocco turned to look at him with a haughty gaze and retorted.
"Hmph, I know that too. About me performing as your Follower Family!"
Enoch nodded.
After Sirocco decided to become Enoch's Follower Family. The remaining Beast-kin would first receive essential supplies and other support and remain in the village to observe the situation for a while. Above all, Sirocco, the Chieftain's successor of the Beast-kin, had now become Enoch Elsyde's Follower Family.
If she were to work with Enoch and perform well in the future, the status of the Beast-kin would naturally rise. And that would become a strong backing for the Beast-kin to safely step into the Empire in the future. If that happened, the Beast-kin coming to visit the Elsyde Fortress would not just be a dream.
"......Me being with you is also for the benefit of our entire tribe."
"You understand well."
"Of course! Besides, I have another goal."
Sirocco swept back her long hair once and added with a proud expression.
Enoch asked with a curious look.
"A goal?"
"Hehe, isn't it obvious?"
Saying that, she pointed straight at Enoch.
"You!"
Seeing her finger pointing at his chest, Enoch looked at her with slightly deflated eyes. The loss in the previous spar... she was still dwelling on it? As he looked at her with a slightly annoyed expression, Sirocco put her hands on her hips, as if frustrated.
"I don't know how you did it back then. But I really lost in the spar even though you didn't use a Unique Magic Gear. I can't keep my dignity as the Chieftain's successor like this."
Sirocco was diligently declaring her goal. Watching her, Enoch tried hard to hide his annoyed expression.
'Right, the original story did describe her as having a strong competitive spirit?'
He didn't fully understand it just by hearing about it. To experience it directly felt like this. Moreover, perhaps because she was much more energetic in many ways than in the original story, her tension was also high, making her doubly bothersome.
Meanwhile, whether she knew what he was thinking or not, she wagged her tail once behind her back and grinned.
"Anyway, I'm definitely going to beat you next time!"
Sirocco declared boldly.
"Look forward to it!"
"Uh, good luck."
Enoch replied indifferently. Her ambition was admirable, but it was probably a wish that would never come true. Of course, that was only natural because in the original story, he had always recruited her as a main character in every route. That is, it meant he knew everything about Sirocco because he had raised and operated her to her limits using every possible method. So, no matter how much she declared war like that, it wouldn't matter. After all, it would only sound like impudent talk for a while to come.
Just then, Sirocco suddenly looked around and asked.
"By the way, you said you'd show me where I'll be staying, right? When will we arrive?"
"We're almost there."
Just then, Enoch's room could be seen in a deep corner of the corridor. It felt like it had been quite a while since he returned to the room. As he approached the familiar door, Sirocco, who had been following, popped her head forward and exclaimed with an excited expression.
"Woah, this is where I'm going to stay?"
"For a while."
"Okay!"
Sirocco, with an excited face, dashed past Enoch and reached the door first. Then, with an expectant expression, she grabbed the doorknob. But no matter how much she pulled the doorknob, it just rattled and wouldn't open.
"This, it won't open?"
Enoch took out the key from his pocket and said.
"Of course. It's still locked..."
CRASH!
Before he could even finish speaking. Suddenly, an enormous roar that could burst eardrums rang out. Feeling the gazes of the surrounding crowd in the corridor focus on them, Enoch stiffened and slowly raised his head with a chilling sensation.
"Oh, it opened~!"
Sure enough. Sirocco had completely kicked the large room door off its hinges and sent it flying. And then, she turned to look at him, grinning proudly, and exclaimed.
"How about that, wasn't I good?"
"No."
But as if the answer wasn't important anyway, Sirocco didn't seem to care and looked into the room, then exclaimed abruptly.
"Wow, what's this place? It's really empty?"
"My room."
Sirocco asked doubtfully.
"...Really?"
Her voice echoed faintly in the empty room. Actually, Sirocco's reaction made sense. Inside the large and sophisticated Elsyde Fortress, Enoch's room was sophisticated, except for the word sophisticated itself. Even the furniture was limited to a wardrobe, a bed, and a bookshelf and desk he used for studying magic. The scene was truly no different from an empty room.
Looking around there, Sirocco asked.
"Then, I'm going to live here from now on?"
Rustle.
Just then, Lien stepped forward in front of Sirocco. She slightly held one side of her maid uniform skirt and bowed respectfully to greet her.
"Lady Sirocco. I am Lien, Lord Enoch Elsyde's personal maid."
"Ah? Ah, uhh..."
Sirocco, slightly flustered, returned the greeting to Lien, who spoke in an ice-cold, transparent tone. Lien guided them with an extremely maid-like demeanor.
"The Elsyde Main House will soon assign you accommodation, Lady Sirocco. Until then, according to the family's rules, please wait in Lord's room for the time being."
"Okay, I will. But..."
At her words, Sirocco tilted her head slightly. And then she looked at him and asked innocently.
"Maid? What's that?"
As if a big question mark had appeared above her head. Sirocco asked with a face full of curiosity. Seeing that, Enoch was speechless for a moment.
Meanwhile, she, who had only tilted her head, glanced at Enoch, who had been speechless for a while.
"What. If you're not going to tell me, I'm going in?"
Despite saying that just now, perhaps she unexpectedly liked the room. Sirocco picked up the door she had kicked off and carefully placed it back in the entrance. Then she disappeared into the room, wagging her tail slowly.
Thump.
And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Sirocco occupied the only bed in the room and immediately lay down on it. She had taken over the bed Enoch usually used. Hugging a soft pillow, Sirocco wagged her tail back and forth with a happy expression.
Lien's eyes, which had been watching her, narrowed slightly.
"......Just so you know, that Beast-kin."
Turning his head slightly, he saw Lien looking at Sirocco, who had taken over Enoch's bed, with an unprecedentedly chilling gaze.
"Even if she has become a Follower Family, she cannot be trusted yet."
"I know. She's self-indulgent, and she lacks knowledge about etiquette to live in a noble family like this."
Lien's vigilance was natural. Sirocco had lived in a Beast-kin village that had been isolated from the Empire's modern society until now. Breaking the door off its hinges and not knowing what a maid is were probably all for that reason. Moreover, let alone the fact that she would attract attention from the family, what if she were to discover that Enoch was possessed? Even if Sirocco had no intention of misusing it, a threat existed as to how she might leak the information.
Lien looked at him with an emotionless gaze and said.
"In the Empire, Follower Families are a shared destiny community. Whatever that child does, the results will come back to Lord's name."
"It's alright. I know that well. Besides..."
Enoch glanced at Sirocco.
"Even aspects like that will all be necessary."
Yes, definitely. This was by no means a lie. As expected, there would definitely come a time when even Sirocco's self-indulgent personality would be necessary.
Lien's narrowed eyes glinted coldly.
"You seem quite confident."
"Yes. For now, as an official Follower Family, she is also an essential talent for combat in future missions."
"......"
Lien watched Sirocco for a while, then turned her head without saying anything further.
"......I'll go request the door to be repaired."
Lien said only that and left.
Enoch put down his cloth bag and sat on the chair.
Thus, one large mission had ended. However, he had no intention of resting yet.
'First, there was something I had to test in the World of Impermanence.'
When he had inherited the Emperor's Supreme Sword's experience in the previous fortress. There was one message he had clearly seen. The memory of that time flashed in his mind.
─ [Communicate with the Sword Saint's Consciousness] unlocked.
Communicate with the Sword Saint's Consciousness, he thought. Come to think of it, he had tried to communicate with the Sword Saint before, when he first obtained the Glass Shard Unique Magic Gear from Persona. At that time, his growth level was low. So, proper communication was impossible, but if his guess was correct...
'I don't know exactly what it means. But maybe now I can 'directly' talk to the Sword Saint?'
He couldn't let this pass. He had to check right away. Enoch slowly closed his eyes with anticipation.
...Was it really possible to converse with the Sword Saint of the past?