by Yuu Miyazaki
“I see… But I thought your dreams mostly faded away when you wake up?”
“Indeed, they do. Which is why my knowledge is only fragmentary at best.”
“…Even so, this child knows things that she shouldn’t possibly be able to know,” Isabella said, following on from her daughter. “You can think of that as being of particular value to us at Galaxy.”
Based on their way of speaking, Ayato could guess where this was going.
“Yes, it’s as you’ve no doubt guessed. Galaxy has agreed to let me off for that little incident so long as I provide them with this kind of information,” Claudia said in response to his unasked question, her shoulders trembling with amusement.
This time, it was Sylvia’s turn to ask: “So, you heard something about the Golden Bough Alliance, then?”
“Before I answer that… You’ll have to make a decision,” Claudia said, glancing toward Isabella.
“As Claudia just said, this information belongs to Galaxy. Under any normal circumstances, we would never let it fall into the hands of an outsider…let alone the student council president of another school.”
“Of course not.”
“However… Right now, there probably isn’t anyone in Asterisk who has come closer to this Golden Bough Alliance and their members than you. Which is, of course, why W&W are opposed to you having anything further to do with this matter…perhaps why they’ve chosen to take a neutral position regarding it. That’s how it seems to us.”
“Well, that isn’t a bad guess, I suppose.”
Throughout their exchange, neither Isabella nor Sylvia allowed their composed smiles to falter, but it was clear enough that there was an air of tension simmering beneath the surface. They were no doubt trying to probe each other’s weaknesses.
“…Very well. In any event, assuming that your ultimate goal is to capture Varda, then our interests are aligned. We’re ready to build a cooperative relationship with you. Of course, this would remain secret from both Queenvale and W&W.”
“In other words, you want me to join Galaxy?”
“That isn’t what we’re offering. This offer isn’t for Sylvia Lyyneheym, Queenvale’s student council president and a globally popular diva; it’s for Sylvia Lyyneheym, student and friend of Ursula Svend.”
“—!” At the sound of that name, Sylvia’s amicable countenance completely vanished. “I see… Yes… Very well. I’m listening.”
“I’ll say this once more, just in case. If anything about this falls into anyone else’s hands, W&W’s especially, we won’t look very kindly on it, irrespective of whether or not you were to blame. That being the case—”
“All right, I understand,” Sylvia interrupted. “Tell me about Varda.”
Sylvia was beginning to let her emotions show. At this rate, it was Isabella who would be in control of the discussion. Her forceful personality was, it seemed, a step above.
“Very well. In that case, Claudia?”
“First of all, the thing that you called Varda…is an Orga Lux known as the Varda-Vaos, created by Professor Ladislav Bartošik. Its ability is mental interference…tampering with people’s memories and their sense of recognition.”
“And the cost of using it is that you lose control over your body, right?”
“My, how impressive, Ayato. So you noticed that, did you?”
Having encountered it in person, both Ayato and Sylvia had already been able to surmise some of the details.
“So, this Orga Lux, this Varda-Vaos—you’re saying that it’s controlling Ursula’s body all by itself?”
It was widely known that Orga Luxes possessed something similar to a sense of will—Ayato himself had felt as much from the Ser Veresta on numerous occasions. But even so, it was only natural to have doubts about the extent of their sense of selfhood.
“Indeed. The first person to fall victim to it was its creator, Professor Bartošik himself. And then…it used its ability to brainwash countless students, and brought about the Jade Twilight Incident.”
“—!” Ayato gasped at this new revelation. He knew, of course, that Ladislav was the ideological mastermind behind the Jade Twilight Incident, but this was the first time he was hearing that it had all been due to Varda’s manipulation.
What Claudia was describing was on a completely different level.
He found himself shuddering. Sylvia, when he checked, was having a similar reaction.
“You both have a remarkable sense of discernment,” Isabella said, nodding.
“…I’m starting to understand why you pushed Galaxy so far, Claudia,” Ayato murmured.
“Yes. And now, Galaxy has come to me with a proposal.”
The general public had been led to think of the Jade Twilight Incident as an attempt by a group of Genestella supremacists to expand their rights. If, however, the Varda-Vaos could produce terrorists of that kind, it would be capable of bringing about destruction on a global scale.
Moreover, if the world knew that it was Galaxy that had set such a calamity loose, the damage that would do to the organization would be immeasurable. It could very possibly mean the end of Galaxy itself. Not even the integrated enterprise foundations were immortal. After all, there had once been eight, but now they were down to six.
“I hope you understand the risks involved just in telling you all this?” Isabella said with a sigh.
“It seems that Varda found Ursula Svend after going through several different users. I’m afraid I don’t know the particulars…but Ayato’s report a while back, that it was working with Lamina Mortis, well…that was enough to instill a sense of crisis at Galaxy, it seems… Isn’t that right, Mother?”
“Indeed. I’ve heard a little about this Lamina Mortis myself. He was an executioner who often participated in the Eclipse. Although, even I was surprised to hear that he’s still holding onto the Raksha-Nada…”
“Right! That Orga Lux is supposed to belong to Le Wolfe, right?” Ayato asked. “But I thought it was sealed away… So why does he…?”
Isabella slowly shook her head. “He’s had it since his time at the Eclipse. Danilo belonged to Solnage, so he must have worked something out behind the scenes.”
Danilo Bertoni—the previous Festa Executive Committee Chairman, and the likely mastermind behind the illegal tournament.
Ayato had heard about him from Helga Lindwall.
“Now that you mention it, the commander of the city guard did say there was a possibility that Danilo was being manipulated by some kind of mind control…”
“Right! And when Petra told me about Lamina Mortis—I wondered how he was able to hide his identity with nothing but a mask…”
There could only be one possible conclusion:
“Indeed, it’s very likely he was working with Varda even then.”
No one would have been able to reach this conclusion without knowing about the Orga Lux’s ability.
“Moreover, our intelligence networks have recently heard mention of this Golden Bough Alliance organization’s activities here in Rikka. While they haven’t been able to learn anything specific, it does seem that Lamina Mortis is involved with them. Which means, of course, that—”
“—Varda is part of it, too,” Sylvia murmured, clenching her hands tightly.
“The Golden Bough Alliance seems to have caused little real harm yet, so the foundations have had no reason to set about taking care of them in earnest. The only ones who appear particularly concerned are Galaxy…and Queenvale. Apparently Benetnasch has lost several operatives.”
“Yes… I heard about that,” Sylvia said pointedly.
Isabella met her gaze with an impenetrable smile. “However, because of that, we can’t make any large-scale moves by ourselves. If Galaxy was to mobilize its own units, the other foundations would soon catch wind, exactly as they did last time. That wouldn’t be good. It would risk tipping off Varda, Lamina Mortis, and any of their associates. When we do make a move, it has to be with the utmost secrec
y.”
“…That’s where I come in, then?”
“More like, that’s where we come in, Sylvie,” Ayato added.
Sylvia startled, turning toward him. For a long moment, her expression remained grave, but it eventually relented. “Right. Thanks, Ayato.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it was Lamina Mortis who did that to Haruka… But I still don’t know why he attacked me during the tournament.”
Now that he thought back on it, it was almost as if Lamina Mortis had only meant to engage in a practice duel.
Ayato just couldn’t understand it.
“We’ll keep looking into what he wants with you, Ayato, as well,” Claudia continued. “But we need to prioritize working out this Golden Bough Alliance’s objectives. Everything else depends on that.”
Ayato and Sylvia exchanged nods.
“We will not contact you directly after this meeting. You should communicate and share information through Amagiri. And do not trust your communication networks—you will discuss this matter only in person. Sinodomius’s information gathering resources in particular are both thorough and extensive.” With that, Isabella rose to her feet, before turning her gaze toward Claudia. “We have another engagement, so we’re going to have to leave things there. Let’s go, Claudia.”
“Ah, Ayato, Sylvia. I’m sure you know this, but please make sure that you both leave separately,” Claudia added on her way out.
After the two Enfields had departed, Sylvia and Ayato both let out long, weary sighs.
“That was exhausting…” Sylvia yawned. “I’m not good with these IEF higher-ups…”
“Claudia really is a lot like her mother… But it looks like we’re well and truly caught up in the middle of things now. Are you really okay with this, Sylvie?”
It was complicated enough for Ayato, but Sylvia had essentially made a secret agreement with a foundation in charge of a rival school. Not only that, but the contents of that agreement were on an entirely different scale than the kinds of things that she had been involved in up till now.
“Thanks for worrying about me, Ayato. But if it helps me save Ursula, then I’m okay with it.” She flashed him a firm smile. “Anyway, it’s been a while since we’ve been alone together like this.”
“Ah, now that you mention it…”
He had spoken to her briefly after the opening ceremony of the Gryps, but since then, they had communicated only through air-windows.
“He-he… We don’t get many chances like this, do we now?” She narrowed her eyes like a cat, carefully drawing closer to him on the sofa.
“Um… Sylvie?”
“You should let me congratulate you properly, Ayato, for winning the Gryps. You were so cool in the final. You made me fall in love with you all over again.”
“Ha-ha… It wasn’t the most dignified of matches, though.”
He had had to get down into the mud in his fierce duel against Ernest, and it had come to the verge of a bloodletting by the time the match reached its end.
Everyone had their own tastes when it came to battles, but Sylvia was the kind of person who preferred to fight with style and technique—in other words, the exact opposite of how the championship had played out. At the very least, she couldn’t have found it particularly pleasant to watch. And yet—
“Not at all! I mean, sure, my heart must have skipped a few beats watching it, but you were amazing. I think you impressed Ernest as well,” Sylvia replied, smiling up at him as her face drew still closer to his own. “How are your injuries? Have they all healed by now?”
“Ah, th-they’re okay! They’re okay, so, um, Sylvie…!”
Her face continued to approach his own, coming keenly, dangerously close, when—
“My apologies,” came Claudia’s voice out of nowhere. “I’m afraid I left something behind.”
At this sudden entrance, Sylvia lost her balance, tumbling forward.
“Oh my, are you all right, Sylvia? You need to take better care of yourself—as a world-renowned songstress of course.”
“…Thank you for your concern.” The expression on Sylvia’s upturned face, however, was the very opposite of gratitude.
“But do you really have time to take things so easily? I was under the impression that you had to weave this meeting into your busy schedule?”
“You look like the one with plenty of time on your hands, coming back here to look for something that may not even exist.”
“Ah-hee-hee…”
“Hee-hee-hee…”
Ayato could do little but let out an awkward chuckle as the two of them glared at each other over their perfect smiles.
“…Sorry to keep you waiting, Mother,” Claudia said when she returned to the car.
Isabella responded without glancing up from the digital documents that she was looking over. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yes, it was right where I thought it would be.”
“Excellent… But for a daughter of mine, you can be rather petty, wouldn’t you say?”
“I don’t know whether or not I should take that as a compliment,” Claudia responded with a light laugh.
She took her seat next to her mother in the rear of the car as it took off, before opening an air-window to take care of her own work.
“Ah, by the way, about that incident…”
“The board of executives has given their permission. Fortunately, they put great stock in the information you provided. They have decided to have me serve as your watchdog, so to speak.”
“Oh my. Is that a problem?”
“To be perfectly frank, it’s a nuisance, having my time taken up by your personal fancies… What on earth kind of business could you have with Professor Bartošik?”
Yes, Claudia had convinced Galaxy to allow her to speak directly with the detained former professor Ladislav Bartošik.
But not as her wish for being part of the winning team at the Gryps. She was simply in a position to meet him without having to rely on means like that now.
In fact, she had yet to even request a wish. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about what she wanted, but she intended to wait right up until the deadline.
“It might help me gain a better understanding of the Pan-Dora and increase the accuracy of my information. So thank you for your assistance, Mother.”
“Hmm…” Isabella let out a deep sigh before returning to her documents.
The information that Claudia had provided Galaxy seemed to have turned out to be remarkably profitable for the foundation. So long as she could keep feeding them more, not even Isabella would complain too much.
And she, after all, was essentially the highest executive at Galaxy.
But will the professor answer my questions…?
As she watched the evening scenery flow past the window, Claudia gently stroked the activation body of the Orga Lux with which she would share her fate.
CHAPTER 2
THE AMAGIRI HOUSEHOLD
The wintry wind blowing off the surface of the lake cut deep into his flesh.
For a brief second, Ayato was reminded of the distant nation that he had visited exactly one year earlier.
There had been a great lake in that snow-covered country, too, and the cold air blowing off the water there had been enough to make him want to curl up with a blanket.
“I can’t help but think about Lieseltania,” Kirin said from his side. Apparently, she was thinking the same thing.
They were standing on the deck of the ferry linking Asterisk to the city on the far shore of the lake.
Behind them, the needlelike high-rise buildings that comprised Asterisk were already fading into the distance.
Ahead of them, on the other hand, waited the lakeside city that essentially served as Asterisk’s front door. There was a high-speed railway station there, which both Ayato and Kirin would use to return to their respective homes.
“Well, it’s still a bit warmer here, though.”
> The wind was undeniably frigid, but the sunlight pouring down from the clear, blue skies made up for it somewhat.
Even so, there was hardly anyone else on the deck. Given that it was the end of the year, there was a considerable number of students making their way home, but most, it seemed, were unwilling to needlessly venture outside during the depths of winter.
“…I suppose so.” Kirin, wrapping herself tightly in her thick coat, let out a weak laugh, but beneath her feigned smile was more than a touch of somberness. Her tone of voice was unusually low as well.
“Kirin… Is everything okay?”
“Huh…?”
“I mean, you’ve been looking a bit down since before we left.”
Or rather, since she had brought up the letter from her father, Seijirou.
No, now that he thought about it, she seemed to have had something on her mind ever since their victory at the Gryps, often letting out what sounded like tired sighs, or looking uncharacteristically sullen.
“You can always talk to me, if something’s bothering you. If you’re comfortable discussing it with me, I mean…”
“No, that isn’t…” Kirin glanced around furtively for a long moment, before finally letting out a resigned sigh and turning to face him. “I know it’s a bit late for this, but the truth is…I’m afraid to go back there.”
“Afraid?”
That wasn’t the kind of answer that he had been expecting.
“But you’ll be able to see your father again for the first time in years, right?”
Ayato knew how much she had been longing to see him.
“Yes, of course, I can’t wait to see him, but…”
“But?” Ayato repeated.
Kirin paused for a moment before answering. “It’s my great-aunt. I’m a bit uneasy about… I mean…”