Editing Sorcery Hacker:Volume4 Phase02 (section)

===Part 6===

“…”

Maid Micha Angelos did not speak a word.

Angela Messenger, a young maid with silver ringlets, was clinging to the side of Ayato’s hip.

“Ah ha ha. The 5th Prince’s sword owed me big after what happened at Laguntreat. There really is nothing quite as useful as connections. Even with a big event happening, I doubt that traveler of a prince would stay cooped up in the cramped confines of the palace for long and his maid would of course accompany him. Then I only had to surreptitiously ask for her help to acquire a way of opening the palace door without alerting security and without having to sorcery hack any-”

“Oh, I see. Guards!”

“Let’s not be hasty!!” Ayato didn’t even have time for his complaint.

Micha Angelos snapped her fingers right as Ayato drew the linkage plug sword from his hip and distributed the crystal tarot cards into the air.

Angela Messenger was still glued to his hip, but she was only providing him some assistance while she had nothing better to do. Or to put it another way, she would only act when she thought it would be fun. He knew better than to expect her to battle Micha or an army of Royal Guards.

“Rachel Seraphim!! You circle around that way! You’re on the vanguard, so get a move on!!”

“Dammit, what a pain. Maybe I should just help the Sorcery Hackers this time…”

Ayato heard those voices while fleeing through the halls.

A moment later, the hallway was filled with figures made from balled-up steel wool and strange masks. Each of them was equal in strength to a soldier.

With enough numbers, they would be trouble.

“Printer soldiers!? The guards can produce as many as they like, so defeating them is only a waste of time!”

“We don’t want to end up in a battle at all when Micha Angelos and all her firepower are on the same field, Miss Teleria. Come this way if you don’t want to be shot full of holes!”

While guiding the others away from that danger, Ayato sensed they had the advantage.

This was the royal palace, so expensive artwork was on display everywhere you looked. At the very least, the guards wouldn’t be blasting amplified fire magic from a heavy machine sorcery gun or riding around on a giant dragon. His group had an advantage with the guards’ equipment restricted in that way.

Or so he thought.

He heard a sound. A heavy, dull one a lot like a pestle grinding inside a mortar.

Something lumbered around a hallway corner. The giant mana-conducting silver orb barely fit in the hallway. It towered over them…and it was an explosive.

Ayato groaned.

“Well, this I didn’t expect… They’re actually using indiscriminate self-destructing weapons!?”

The only option left was to jump outside from a 1st floor window.

This was a challenge without accurate plans of the building.

While fleeing, Ayato’s group used their momentum to jump out into the courtyard garden.

This was part of the royal palace on the top level. The people lounging in the garden and enjoying the scent of the flowers included plenty of royals, such as 8th Princess Anley. And they were all high up in the line of succession.

Ayato spotted something unusual in the palace garden hosting the ultimate tea party. Five small gravestones were lined up in one corner. They looked older than the palace walls, but he doubted those graves contained royals. The gravestones were crudely made. No professional craftsmen had worked on them. Then again, it was possible a royal had carved them by hand.

A deep metallic sound interrupted Ayato’s thoughts.

Countless alarms blared from the backs of the maids guarding the princes and princesses and just as many sorcery guns were aimed his way.

If those maids were like Micha Angelos, then entering their fan-shaped zone of fire would be suicidal.

Ayato clicked his tongue and altered the direction of his flight. For some reason, he wanted to avoid the gravestones.

“Fire.”

Several dull explosions followed.

He didn’t want to know how much tax money had been pumped into the large garden, one side of which was being reduced to a pile of rubble.

Seemingly pushed on by the gunfire, Ayato’s group ran full speed and dove through another window to reenter the palace.

Mamilis held her full-auto shotgun in both hands as she ran, so it kept throwing off her balance. That was common for rookies who had both hands taken up by their sorcery gun.

“Pant, gasp. Coach, I can’t keep this up. Pant.”

“Whoops.”

Ayato’s hand shot out to the side to tell the girls to be careful.

Something was moving around the hallway corner up ahead.

“Attention Emperor Milbert Compo Philosommelier. Just to be safe, I would like to invite you to visit our secure palace chapel.”

“Fortifying ourselves in this consul guest room seems safer to me than trying to move through the halls, but we cannot turn down your kind offer. This way please, emperor.”

(That’s not the usual routine for the Royal Guards. It sounds like a security team with a separate chain of command is working here.)

Ayato pulled out one of the crystal tarot cards and sent it around the hallway corner.

Some people were clustered together far down the hallway.

“Hey, Hemylina? Do I have to stay in this room the whole time? We traveled all the way across the ocean to visit the Static Continent. And this is their capital. I want to see the city myself.”

“You mustn’t, emperor. Did you think any assassins after your noble life would wear masks and attack with deadly blades or sorcery guns? The streets you walk, the sights you see, and the foods you eat must all be checked for safety in advance. A single teaspoon of a true assassin’s poison can kill a thousand. And it is entirely flavorless and scentless.”

“You’re being paranoid. Besides, how would you detect a poison like that?”

“I will eat some first to check, so you needn’t worry.”

(An emperor, huh?)

That single point of power was a rank not found on the Static Continent.

Here power was held by the Combined Royal Family, formed by different royal families working together and marrying together until they ruled the entire continent.

(In that case…)

Emperor Milbert looked like any other boy of around 10. The red cape, white tights, and crown made him look like he was playing the part in a play.

The outfit didn’t suit him at all. It also sounded like the Static Continent wasn’t the only place that posed threats to the powerful. What kind of succession conflicts did they have to deal with on their continent?

But more than that, Mamilis’s attention was instantly drawn to the tall woman standing by the emperor’s side. Hadn’t he referred to her as Hemylina?

She had long silver hair, a large chest, and brown skin.

And she didn’t even try to hide her pointed ears.

Her intellectual glasses appeared designed for use with her inhuman ears. She wore a blue leather outfit with a tight miniskirt and appeared to be the emperor’s aide. She had the air of someone who acted as both tutor and military strategist.

“(Coach, look.)”

“(Yeah.)”

Ayato shoved Mamilis back behind the corner and nodded while focusing on the foreign group.

“(She’s a ''dark elf''.)”

And unlike Mamilis, she didn’t seem to be using any Mimic Options.

She was aide to the emperor who ruled an entire continent. She would be greatly involved in that land’s politics, both directly and indirectly. All demons were viewed as enemies on the Static Continent, but were things different on other continents?

The guards positioned around the little emperor were pointy-eared half elves.

A still-young human emperor was served by a dark elf who could set an entire empire in motion by providing advice as his aide. And their soldiers were a new form of life created by humans and elves working together…

This felt like a look at the Collaborative Continent’s Philosommelier Personal Empire in miniature.

“But on the other hand…” Ayato muttered to himself.

Their rules were noticeably different and they had enough power to prevent any protest even in the palace at the very center of this kingdom. Did power structures and social assumptions change that much between continents?

Ayato’s group was already being pursued by the elite Royal Guards, so he wasn’t delighted about the possibility of making enemies of these Collaborative Continent bodyguards whose basic strategies and movement patterns he couldn’t predict.

(Then again, the different chains of command and different top priorities could leave room for me to trip them up by feigning some errors in communication between them.)

If he were alone, he may have done that.

But those girls had accompanied him to this strictly-guarded area because they trusted him, so he would not make any gamble he wasn’t 100% sure he would win.

However, if they stayed here at this hallway corner, the Combined Royal Family’s Royal Guards would find them.

They needed somewhere to hide until their pursuers had passed through.

And this wonderful palace boasted all sorts of important facilities and equipment.

Ayato glanced over at a thick door made of oxidized mana-conducting silver.

“Yeah, it’s time we took a quick detour.”

“Do not use this national crisis as an excuse to commit unnecessary sorcery crimes, dangerous individual. Such as pilfering a noblewoman’s underwear.”

“I hadn’t thought of that!!”

“Do not give me that ‘thanks for the idea’ look, dangerous individual! Damn, does this mean I guided that bastard to this new possibility!?”

Anyway, that wasn’t the purpose of this detour.

He was interested in the server room where the Royal Guards used long, thin mana circuits to gather information.

Cautious of the footsteps thundering down the hallway, the Sorcery Hacker grinned at the giant equipment in front of him. This killed two birds with one stone.

“Now, then.”

“Ayato?”

Ayato spread his crystal tarot cards out in midair and poked them with his fingers to rearrange their positions.

A lot like a small child pulling a prank.

But he had already fully erased the record of Teleria’s arrest at the front gate.

“I knew we would be sneaking into the palace. Did you really think I wouldn’t provide this kind of support?”

“No comment. I will note that we have been doing nothing but run away.” Henrietta rubbed exhausted Mamilis’s back. “It doesn’t sound like messing with that server has turned up the 9th Prince’s supposed wrongdoing, so shouldn’t we consider this a failure, dangerous individual? He might be suspicious, but this place is strictly guarded. I doubt you will be able to arrange a meeting with him to investigate the matter.”

“What are you talking about? As long as I know the target, there’s plenty I can do. For example, I can approach his room from above the ceiling, hack a sorcery device I can use to record his conversations, and then leave the palace.”

“You always have some plot up your sleeve,” complained Henrietta, looking exasperated.

That was high praise for a Sorcery Hacker or scammer.

This meant he was interested in the space above. The four of them had to climb up above the ceiling.

“Okay, everyone, ladies first! Ah ha ha! Don’t worry about that short skirt! Feel free to use me as a footstool and climb on up! Wah hah hah!!”

“Once more word and I’ll knock you out with a punch to the gut and throw you up there.”

In the end, Ayato went first, demonstrating how to climb up using the console used to operate the server and the server itself, which was larger than a refrigerator. What a shame.

Once above the ceiling, the division between rooms vanished. There wasn’t much room overhead, but a dark space with no rooms or hallways stretched out in all directions. And since this was the royal palace, there were no mice or spiders in evidence. Although that wasn’t great news for him since that meant the place was periodically cleaned or inspected.

He heard footsteps from below, but he figured they would be safe up here for a while.

“Don’t get careless, Ayato. Some of the Royal Guards in the hallway were carrying a pair of L-shaped rods.”

“The ones used to detect the noise in the intangible mana mist?”

“If we’re wearing mana-conducting silver, our movements could stir up the air’s mana lines a little bit. There is a chance of their dowsing detecting us.”

Ayato was going to suggest they all strip down to solve that problem, but a preemptive glare from Teleria shut him up. Wasn’t it wonderful how they were on the same wavelength?

So this space was only safe for “a while”.

Something metal creaked.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Your Majesty!”

“King Guardeleo Bran Zorca Totalinus!!”

Up above the ceiling, Henrietta’s eyes widened when she saw the Royal Guards running over in a hurry.

The muscular old man of 60 or 70 had hair somewhere between silver and white plus a bushy beard. His luxurious clothing helped him look like someone who had stepped out of a children’s storybook.

That had to be the king himself.

But…

“''A wheelchair''?”

Ayato understood the reason for Henrietta’s groan. This had surprised him as well. This was the powerful king who formed the foundation of an entire continent. They had heard he had been ill and bedridden, but was he so weakened he couldn’t even stand under his own power?

They hadn’t even considered that possibility.

People believed the king’s sword and military might could easily repel any political foe or external threat.

This suggested that image was in large part propaganda.

“Nothing worth your concern, King Guardeleo. Please, this way. The hallways do not stay warm, so you will catch a chill. You should return to your room and its fireplace.”

Mamilis watched this in puzzlement from the ceiling.

“But, coach, the Combined Royal Family has thousands of people in the line of succession. Like Geranud we just met. If this old king keels over, won’t the next king just step in to take his place?”

“Shush,” cautioned Henrietta.

That must not have been a topic a knight who served the king wanted to hear spoken aloud even in jest.

(So what does happen if Guardeleo dies now?)

“It wouldn’t be that simple in reality.” Ayato breathed a heavy sigh in the same darkness as them. “For example, Miss Mamilis, do you know how many other continents there are?”

“?”

“There are three. And the average person has no idea where they are, how many there are, or what their names are. They think of their own Static Continent as the entirety of the world map and they might as well not even know the word ‘diplomacy’.”

Mamilis (a supposedly long-lived dark elf) nodded repeatedly to show her understanding. Henrietta’s look of mild exasperation suggested those in the knight class were given some political education.

“Guardeleo is a powerful, wise, and popular king. Even the other continents think so. The breadth of his knowledge has allowed him to handle all diplomatic relations on his own without causing any major issues, but it’s questionable if any of the princes or princesses have inherited that mentality. And if they haven’t, the old diplomatic issues could explode back into prominence as soon as one of them takes over. Which would probably mean armed conflict. For example, what if a prince or princess with a human-centric worldview criticized the Philosommelier Personal Empire for allowing humans and demons to coexist? Or what if they offered a handicraft made from demon leather or bones as a gift? In the worst case, they wouldn’t even understand why the empire was upset even as it develops into an actual war.”

Teleria’s face clouded over.

“The king did all that on his own?”

“Yes. He is, after all, the person who single-handedly defeated Earth Lord Terracockatrio Gargoy Rocksky of the Four Lords and bound a personal contract with him.”

Mamilis, a demon, wasn’t the only one dumbfounded by this.

Teleria and Henrietta knew all too well the weight carried by the term “Four Lords”.

“Even the other continents recognize the world-encompassing power of the Four Lords. They know a king who advocates friendly relations isn’t likely to use it in that way, but they must always be conscious of the possibility of it being used for military purposes. However, the Four Lords’ contract is only with the king as an individual. Once Guardeleo retires, the Four Lords will likely leave the Static Continent. Then the military balance of the four continents will collapse.”

The aging king could not be allowed outside where people would see him in a wheelchair.

The succession conflict wouldn’t officially begin until he was gone, but behind the scenes things were clearly strained between the princes and princesses.

Things might look peaceful, but the keyword there was “look”.

The princes and princesses couldn’t be the only ones sensing the tension in the air.

The voices of the butlers and Royal Guards standing at the hallway corners would carry quite well through the solemn and silent palace.

The elderly king was only overlooking it all as a kindness. Ordinarily, talking behind the Combined Royal Family’s backs would get you decapitated for disloyalty.

“Oh, if only the 1st Prince were here…”

“He’s still missing, right? I’ve heard rumors he might not even be alive. There is supposedly some minotaur using his name, though.”

Ayato sighed.

This explained why Micha Angelos had been in such a bad mood in the palace.

Of course, the minotaur himself would probably just laugh it off.

Guardeleo’s wheelchair was enough of a shock, but bugging him wouldn’t reveal Queen Astaroth Revolver’s plot.

Ayato had his own job to complete.

He drew the linkage plug sword from his hip.

“Okay, let’s get as close as we can to 9th Prince Roberat’s room can without making a noise. There should be plenty of sorcery devices I can use to gather information: the lights, the air conditioner…something.”