In the end, most people decide he’s probably on the weaker end among the combatants scheduled to appear in the primaries.
Considering his lack of history, that’s to be expected.
Everyone else has earned his or her reputation in tournaments or on the battlefield, but Mundane has no notches in his belt to compare against theirs.
Objectively speaking, Mundane has nothing that proves his worth.
So, of course, expectations for him are low.
Still, a couple of the fanatics think he’s a dark horse.
Given the list of contestants this time around, it’s pretty much a guarantee that Iris is going to take the Bushin Festival this year, but if anyone can upset her…it’s probably the miracle boy whose strength is yet unknown.
Such are the expectations being foisted upon Mundane as he leaves the arena.
The primaries start the following week.
Round one is Mundane Mann versus Annerose.
Ninety percent of people expect Annerose to take the match.
As I leave the stage, I think how the older guy I fought today seemed oddly feisty. His name was Qui…something or other. I could literally feel the hostility emanating from him. It was kinda invigorating.
Now I’ve qualified for the primary rounds that start next week.
The crowd’s been pretty unimpressed with me so far, but next week is when I’m gonna show off my true strength, so I need to run through some scenarios in the interim.
As I walk down the long hallway to the players’ entrance and think about my regimen for the coming week, a woman with pale-blue hair steps in front of me. I’m pretty sure she’s named Annerose.
“Can I help you…?”
“I never imagined you’d make it to the primaries. Good work.”
Her firm gaze bores into me.
“It was a foregone conclusion.”
“Uh-huh. I see I misjudged your strength, but that’s it. I have one warning for you.”
“Yeah…?”
“I’ve seen through your movements. Don’t expect to be able to beat me the same way.” A confident smile crosses Annerose’s face.
“Heh…”
The corner of my mouth curls upward, and I pass by her indifferently, as though to say There’s nothing more to discuss.
I scream internally. Please call after me!
“What’s so funny?” Annerose glares at me.
You’re the best!
I look back over my shoulder and cast a glance at her. “I’ve got a warning for you, too…”
With that, I take off the wristband I’ve been wearing in the hopes that something like this would happen. I toss it at Annerose’s feet.
Thud.
The band makes a hefty noise as it crashes to the floor.
“Th-those are… No way. You mean you had all these weights on you when you were fighting…?!”
“These were the chains holding me back… But now, playtime is over…”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
I remove the weights from my other wrist and both ankles, then start walking off again.
“Wh—…? W-wait!”
This time, I don’t stop.
“Wait, I said!”
Annerose frantically rushes in front of me.
“Don’t think this means you’ve won. See, look…”
She cracks her neck.
And for whatever reason, she does it super-fast.
“I can do this, too, you know…”
“…I see.”
Not at all following, I pass by Annerose and her triumphant expression.
I wonder what she was trying to do just now.
Chapter 6
A Mastermind Always Plays Piano Under Moonlight!
It’s a brisk summer morning.
As I gaze out my window at the clear blue sky, I stretch my arms wide.
Then, I flop down on my bed with plans to idle away my day.
There isn’t much summer vacation left.
Also, the Bushin Festival primaries start next week, so I gotta run through some scenarios at some point.
However, the fact remains that people can’t go on living if they don’t carve out time for lazing.
Okay, I might have just made that up.
It’s still true for me, though.
“Hey, Cid! I’ve got big news, so open up!”
Suddenly, Skel starts banging on my door and shouting.
As two people grow familiar with each other, they will inevitably end up annoying each other. Why is it that people seek out the company of others, knowing it brings such grief? These are the kinds of questions I’m forced to confront during one of the few summer vacation mornings I have left.
Honestly, I’m kinda digging it. It feels like I’m one of those masterminds who always keep others at arm’s length.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”
I unlock the door and greet Skel.
“Look, it’s a wanted poster for President Rose. Ten million zeni if she’s captured alive and half a million for useful information on her.”
“Huh.” I take the poster from Skel and glance at it.
“Let’s go catch her.”
“Wait, why?”
“’Cause I’m broke.” Skel’s expression is one of abject desperation.
“Didn’t you say you had some match that was guaranteed to go a certain way?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Weren’t you gonna make bank off that?”
“Shut up. Look, I don’t wanna get into the details, but I’m broke. Which means I need money.”
“I see.”
“C’mon, man. You gotta help me.”
“I don’t wanna. Do it yourself.”
“Wait. Think about it. It’s way better for two people to search than just one. Our odds of finding her will double.”
“I mean…”
As Skel shakes me by the collar, I rapidly lose interest.
After all, I already decided I supported Rose embracing her rebellious spirit and stabbing her fiancé. Always nice to see some enthusiasm, that’s what I say.
In other words, I’m pretty much rooting for Rose to escape.
“I’m begging you here!”
Skel is bowing his head in a rare display of supplication.
Right as I start to say, “Yeah, but…,” the dorm supervisor’s head pops in. “Cid, your sister is here to see you.”
“My who?”
“Your sister. She’s waiting out front for you, so you’d best not keep her there long.”
After relaying the information, the supervisor leaves.
“Claire, huh…? I guess she’s back.”
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
In the space of an instant, I weigh which of my two options sounds like a bigger pain.
“All right, let’s begin Operation: Capture Rose!”
“I knew I could count on you, Cid! This is why you’re such a great friend!”
I grab Skel by the scruff of the neck and open the window.
“Wait, Cid! What are you doing?”
“There’s no time. We gotta take the window.”
“Huh? Wait, what are you talking about?! Wait! No! Hey!!”
“Onward!”
And with that, I leap.
“Iris says she’s grateful for your information and she looks forward to working with you again.”
“It’s an honor,” says Beta as she watches Alexia walk in front of her.
Alexia carries a magic lamp, and the two of them descend a dark set of spiral stairs.
They’ve already come a decent way down. The air is damp and nippy, reminding them that they’re underground.
“It’s probably safe to assume that Perv Asshat is connected to the Cult,” says Alexia.
“Agreed,” replies Beta.
“The problem is we don’t have any proof.”
“That it is. And this is a matter of national and religious significance, so normal evi
dence won’t be enough.”
“Don’t I know it. My father made it abundantly clear—if we want to link the Cult of Diablos to the Holy Teachings, we need something that’ll convince both the masses and our neighboring countries.”
“And if we’re pegged as heretics, we’re done for.”
“It’s not like every follower of the Holy Teachings is involved with the Cult. It’s probably just a few members of their top brass.”
“That’s what makes this such a mess.”
“Preach.”
Their footsteps echo through the stairwell.
“My father has a long-standing policy of not getting into fights with the Holy Teachings. I wonder what he plans to do about the Cult of Diablos.”
“He’s going to keep ignoring them, I suspect.”
“Keep ignoring them…?”
The sound of Alexia’s footsteps skips a beat.
“Just a baseless theory of mine. Please forget I said anything.”
“…Well, I can let it drop for now. My sister said something that caught my attention, by the way. She said that King Oriana seemed kind of hollow.”
“Hollow, huh…?”
“It was my first time meeting him, so I wouldn’t know the difference. He also smelled sort of sweet, though.”
A sweet aroma—Beta knows exactly what drug can cause that.
“It seems we might already be too late…”
“The Cult’s definitely making their move, and given the way my father is handling things, our country is bound to be next…”
The two go silent as they continue their descent.
“We’re here.” There’s a large pit with a ladder right in front of where Alexia’s stopped. “It’s one of the subterranean tunnels that run beneath the capital. You’ve heard of these, right?”
“I have, in fact. The tunnels were built beneath the entire capital so the royal family could escape in a pinch.”
“Exactly. Many of the maps, keys, and ciphers went missing, so now it’s basically just a labyrinth.”
“So why come here?”
“To get rid of you.” Alexia grabs the sword hanging from her waist and…laughs. “Just kidding. Nothing shakes you, does it?”
“Eep! Please don’t kill me…!”
“There’s a good chance Rose used these tunnels to make her escape.”
Beta feels a little upset at having her brilliant performance ignored.
“I’m going to go look for her.” Alexia grabs the ladder, prepared to immediately head down.
“Um, would you mind waiting a moment?”
“Why?”
“Have you told anyone where you’re going?”
“Of course not. They would have tried to stop me.”
“You say it’s like a labyrinth down there. Are you confident you’ll be able to find your way back out?”
“Oh, that’s easy. I’ll just come back the way I came.”
“Um, I’m not quite sure how to put this politely, but could you find it in yourself not to drag me into danger on ill-conceived whims?”
“Nope.”
The two of them glare at each other for a few beats.
“If you have complaints, you’re free to leave.”
With that, Alexia leaves Beta there and begins descending the ladder on her own.
Beta strongly considers taking her up on that offer, but she can’t let Alexia die just yet.
“Protecting her is part of your job, too, Beta,” she mutters quietly, then follows the princess down.
It’s early in the morning, and I’m walking around the capital.
Skel ran off somewhere, saying he was gonna gather information.
In this world, people get to work as soon as the sun rises.
The main drag is already up and at ’em.
I said I’d help him search for Rose, but I’m not planning on taking this very seriously. I still want her to make it out safely, but pretending to look for her seems like a decent way to idle the day away.
I do kinda want to find out what provoked her rebellious spirit enough to end up stabbing her fiancé, though. If possible, I’d like to ask her about it in person.
One way or another, I’ll be happy as long as I can kill some time.
Rage tends to dwindle as the hours and days wear on, and my sister definitely needs some time to cool off.
As those thoughts float through my mind, I hear the sound of a piano coming from somewhere.
“Mmm…”
To tell you the truth, I’m pretty decent at playing the piano.
Back in my previous world, I practiced it so I could become a better shadowbroker. Okay, sorry, that’s a lie. My parents forced me to learn as part of my educational regimen.
My motivation was pretty much nil, as I would have much rather been spending my time training to become a mastermind than practicing the piano. That desire, however, was no match for the almighty educational regimen.
Even so, while my piano lessons may have commenced under protest, I started hating it less and less as I kept it up.
After all, just knowing you’re good at piano fills people’s heads with all sorts of preconceived notions.
When he gets home, he’ll be super-busy practicing, they all think.
I kept my social commitments to an absolute minimum so I could become a shadowbroker, so that false assumption came in real handy.
Also, I realized that piano fit the aesthetic.
A mastermind playing piano under the moonlight… Sounds nice, right?
You make them think you aren’t just strong but cultured, too.
It’s so good…
When I realized that, I started taking my practice seriously.
My top priority was still my training, but I just couldn’t get the image out of my mind of me playing the piano to set the mood before a big battle.
Because of that, I ended up getting pretty decent at it, if I do say so myself.
“Not bad, not bad…,” I murmur.
Whoever’s playing right now is pretty decent themselves.
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata no. 14, the “Moonlight Sonata,” huh…?
I’m a big fan of this piece. In fact, it’s my favorite—the composition gives off the best vibe for a budding mastermind.
Even though I’m pretty sure I could take them in a “Moonlight Sonata” contest, the current instrumentalist’s rendition has a unique flair.
“This is pretty good… It’s like I can see the moonbeams in my mind… Even though it’s morning…”
As I do my whole shtick to get myself in the mood, I finally realize something.
Isn’t it weird for someone in this world to be playing one of Beethoven’s pieces?
A serious look crosses my face as I wade through the crowd and head in the direction of the music.
I’m gonna be honest.
I have a pretty good idea of what’s going on.
I’m not an idiot, after all.
I can hear the tune coming from the café on the first floor of one of the capital’s foremost hotels.
Security is so strict, the riffraff can’t so much as get in the door, but they recognize me and wave me through.
I step inside just as the woman with hair the color of a clear lake is finishing her performance.
“Epsilon…”
She’s wearing a sleeveless dress, but it covers just enough of her chest to hide the slime. As expected.
Her legs are clad in tights to avoid showing her skin, and the fact that her shoes have insoles to make her taller is well concealed.
Her work is perfect.
When I approach her, she seems to notice me.
Epsilon bows to the customers, then leads me into a side room.
She closes the door and smiles.
“Did you listen to my performance, my lord? How embarrassing…”
Her face reddens a little, and she looks at me with puppy-dog eyes. That isn’t enough to fool me.
“
Epsilon, that was the ‘Moonlight Sonata,’ right?”
“Yes, it’s my favorite out of all the many pieces you taught me.”
“Really? It’s my favorite, too.”
It’s not like I meant to teach her, but it’s always kind of gratifying when you discover someone else likes the same things as you.
“Thanks to you, my lord, I’ve been able to develop a number of powerful connections as both a pianist and a composer.”
“Wait, a composer…?”
“Of course. ‘Moonlight Sonata,’ ‘Turkish March,’ ‘Minute Waltz’…”
Epsilon goes on to boast about how she put out a number of famous modern and historic pieces, gained popularity among the aristocratic class, won various awards, and was invited to migrate to some artistic-minded nation.
Sorry, Beethoven, Chopin…and all you other famous composers.
In this world, all the credit for your work went to Epsilon.
“…And my last concert was received wonderfully. The next job I’m heading for is in the Oriana Kingdom. As you’re well aware, there’s a lot to be done there…”
“Right, ’cause they value the arts.”
“That they do… And this time, in particular, there’s a very important job I have to take care of there.” Epsilon smiles bewitchingly.
“Well, go break a leg.”
“I’ll try my best to complete my job successfully and give a performance worthy of your sublime compositions, my lord.”
Epsilon gives me a graceful bow.
“Oh, right, apropos of nothing, but do you have any idea where Princess Rose is?”
“Princess Rose, you say. Beta was in charge of that incident, but as far as what I know goes…I did hear she’d fled underground, beneath the capital. You could try asking Beta for more specifics…”
“Oh, no worries. That’s plenty to go off of.” If I’m lucky enough to run into Rose, maybe I’ll get a chance to chat with her. “Thanks. Uh…”
As I look at Epsilon’s smile, I try to think of what to say to thank her.
I was super-happy when she said she liked the “Moonlight Sonata,” so she’ll probably feel the same way if I say something she wants to hear, too. “Your figure looks great, as always.”
“O-oh, no—no—no, i-it really doesn’t! I’m still working on it…!”
Unable to keep looking at Epsilon’s face, I turn my attention to the scenery outside the window.
The Eminence in Shadow, Vol. 2 (Light Novel) Page 14