Editing The Unexplored Summon Blood Sign:Volume1 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 9===

Toy Dream 35 was a metropolis bordering the ocean. Its nightscape encroached on the dark sea as well as the land. This was due to the many ships. The small ones were boats meant to transport personnel and equipment or cruisers used as villas. The large ones were tankers and luxury cruise ships that could circumnavigate the globe.

One of the ships was especially large.

It was the Princess Azalea.

It was said the capacity of a CD had been decided because it could hold the entirety of one of Beethoven’s symphonies, but something similar could be said about this cruise ship. The bridges of major port cities around the world – New York, Shanghai, Sydney, Copenhagen, Kobe, Singapore, etc. – had been modified so this ship could just barely pass through. It had begun operation ten years before to celebrate the high society debut of a single mysterious girl, but it was well known that even the water gates of the Panama Canal had been widened for the appearance of the ship.

That legend summed up the influence of the world-famous American defense contractor Quad Motors.

However…

“Milady,” said the gentle voice of an old butler.

Azalea Magentarain sat next to a convenience store trashcan munching on Whitefish Night’s Fried Fish, a popular hot snack. With the exception of the character illustration on the cardboard packaging, there was no creativity whatsoever in the product. If the maids waiting back on the cruise ship had seen this, they might have fainted.

“If you are hungry, shouldn’t we return to the ship?”

“No, thanks. Everyone’s too strict there.”

She tossed the cardboard packaging in the plastic bag and pulled out a cheap spring roll instead.

“Seventy-eight yen each and made with entirely unknown ingredients. No lengthy menu and no bragging chef. Ahh, now this is the ultimate thrill. I could never eat something like this back home.”

“You are incorrigible, milady.”

“Just to make sure, you are going to keep this a secret, aren’t you? If my family found out about this, they’d punish me with a detailed medical examination that very day,” said Azalea as her small tongue licked up the grease on her thumb. “Any word on Freedom Award 902?”

“I apologize. We are putting in every possible effort to gather information, but…”

“Well, yelling at you isn’t going to make them appear.”

Even the old butler’s eyes sharpened when he saw Azalea’s slender hand reach for the plastic bottle of soda sitting directly on the ground, but Azalea was clearly enjoying that reaction as she gulped down the drink.

“Rather than chasing after them, we should chase after what they want. I received a report on Meinokawa Higan when she was brought under Government’s protection.”

“It seems Guard of Honor is also taking action concerning them…”

“Then this is business as usual. Either way, a summoner can’t reveal their true value without beginning a battle. As I defeat enemy after enemy after enemy after enemy after enemy, I’ll come across Alice (with) Rabbit eventually.”

She held the fizzing bottle up in front of her eyes and pictured an imaginary image inside the translucent liquid.

“Doesn’t that seem like the first worthwhile target in a while?”

She desired a powerful target, but she gave no real thought to the target itself.

There was something else that excited her.

“The peak of the Unexplored-class…the White Queen. It’s been so long since I came across a delicious target that won’t ''be crushed'' before I can summon her.”

Beyond the Regulation-class and Divine-class was the Unexplored-class.

A certain Material was said to be the most powerful of that class and thus her popularity approached the level of worship.

She was known as the White Queen.

As the summoners of Government, Illegal, and Freedom honed their skills to crush each other, they had ironically cast aside the Three at the peaks of the low, middle, and high sounds and instead named her the most powerful.

When it came down to it, a battle was not a one-on-one affair to Azalea.

It was a stage on which she alone would shine.

And the most wonderful performance of all was to dance with the beautiful White Queen.

That inhuman beauty would complete that one-night-only performance in a way that could never be captured by a painting or sculpture. That was Golden Luxury’s reason for existing in this world.

“Really, that is your biggest bad habit.”

“Call it the true essence of the summoning ceremony. It’s obvious why our combat-focused techniques can summon the gods and the Unexplored-class beyond them: combat is beautiful enough to draw them to us. Isn’t that right?”

That was why she spent so much money and used so many personnel and yet never left the conclusion to her subordinates. In a game of chess, she would have been the king, but she would charge right into the enemy lines.

It was all to stage the most beautiful battle.

No matter how much risk it entailed, she would choose to stand before an enemy powerful enough to rival her.

“I am truly, truly hoping you can last long enough for me to reach the White Queen, Alice (with) Rabbit.”