Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 14 Episode 2 (section)

===Part 2===

A few hours after parting from Celis.

Lux was walking inside a corridor with a conflicted look.

Celis’s tension seemed to be cleared already nicely, but a complicated atmosphere was left between the two of them.

It was the truth that there was no chance to say about the mirror, but it was Lux’s bad for looking, so he had to apologize to her when this battle was over.

Lux sighed ‘fuu’ lightly, then a small footsteps came to his side.

「Good afternoon Lux-kun. Is your body’s condition all right?」

「Ye, yes. Today I’m really in a good condition.」

Aeril had been released from the dungeon thanks to Magialca. Lux also returned a greeting meeting her like this.

But Lux tilted his head when she peered into his face wonderingly.

「Isn’t that right? It looked like this morning you also had done something really enjoyable after all. By the way what happened with the pact again?」

「A, ahahaha……. I don’t really know much about this pact after all.」

Lux responded with a dry smile at Aeril’s suggestive smile.

It seemed she knew about that case with Celis this morning. Perhaps she heard it from Magialca.

This was Aeril, so surely she wouldn’t speak about it to Lisha and others, but having a secret of his taken hold like this was scary in a different meaning.

While thinking of such thing during his walk, the door of the war council room that was at the end of the passage came into view.

When he opened that door, a man was sitting right at the front.

「……-!」

「What’s the matter? How about giving a greeting at least? Or perhaps even you also have a vanity as former royalty in you?」

The figure in coat sitting deeply on a chair with his legs folded was the Blue Tyrant, Singlen Shelbrit.

It was unexpected that he was the first one to come. It caused Lux to be spontaneously surprised, but the reason why Lux fell silent wasn’t just that.

「Please excuse our impoliteness Sir Singlen. But, I think wearing a hood even inside a room is even more impolite you know?」

Aeril turned aside Singlen’s bold provocation with cheerful smile.

「Hou, the speed of your change in attitude is admirable. Are you thinking that you have been forgiven just because your shackles were taken off?」

But, the opponent also was a man who wouldn’t keep quiet just from that much.

He attacked further with a tone that was mixed with sarcasm.

「I don’t even have any defense in regard to that point, but I intend to proof myself by responding to everyone’s kindness toward me.」

「I see, only the thickness of your face’s skin is really something. Still, I don’t know about that blockhead companion of your over there, but don’t think that a lip service of someone of your level will work against me.」

When Singlen grinned scornfully while saying that, Lux objected in Aeril’s place.

「Please watch your words Sir Singlen. I want you to take back your insult toward her.」

「Insult you said? Now this is strange, even though she had tricked us once already, but even now she is still hiding something. How is she planning to make excuse about that?」

Singlen’s sharp gaze stabbed toward Aeril.

「-……?」

What was this about hiding something?

When Aeril looked slightly shaken toward that, the door of the war council room was opened hard.

「You already got into argument in broad daylight huh, Blue Tyrant. You are a nagging man as usual.」

The one who entered inside the room was Magialca and her aide Lolotte.

Moreover even the remaining members of Seven Dragon Paladins also arrived.

「I’m only probing some to kill time. I think it’s only natural to be wary toward this stubborn traitor though?」

「Aaa, enough with that. The war council is starting so you just shut up.」

After Magialca said that in irritation, Lisha and others, the members of Syvalles also gathered.

Inside the war council room where more than ten people in total had gathered, Magialca first raised her voice.

「Ladies and gentlemen. Looks like you all have taken the minimum rest. I know it’s severe but this the last battle to save the world. I’ll have all of you fights hard without exception. You all have resolved yourself haven’t you?」

「There ain’t no need to ask that at this point right? The resolve of the bunch who held banquet in this kind of dangerous place is obvious.」

Greifer said that with a negligent tone. Everyone also nodded wordlessly at that.

One month remaining until the predicted world destruction. If they didn’t reach the central of Avalon ahead of Listelka and stopped Sacred Eclipse, they wouldn’t have any future.

Lux also returned a confirming gaze as though it was only natural. Magialca nodded in satisfaction.

「Nice reply. Then, we will hold the strategy meeting to take away Avalon from now. Aeril, I’ll leave the explanation regarding that to you.」

「Yes.」

First Aeril who was called by name stood up and she lightly looked around.

After her eyes met Lux at the end, she took a deep breath and formed her words.

「After this, Avalon’s deep level floor will appear nearby the site of the old castle in this abandoned capital Guernica. But, even me who is an imperial family of the Lord doesn’t know its true shape.」

「What do you mean? Isn’t that strangee?」

The Seven Dragon Paladins who represented Heiburg Republic, Rosa turned a dubious face at Aeril’s words.

Furthermore Celis who was sitting also tilted her head and spoke a question.

「It’s also baffling for me. Weren’t all of you Lords living in Avalon?」

「For us, Avalon is treated like a sacred place. Even though my elder sister Listelka can receive revelation of oracle, fundamentally she won’t enter inside. In the first place the imperial capital and the Ruins served the role as our living place already.」

「But, you are an imperial family member right? Then you should have entered some holy ground like a temple once or twice.」

When the youngest person there, Mel pointed that out frankly, Aeril shook her head.

「In the first place it was forbidden to enter Avalon. Even an imperial princess couldn’t enter it so easily. It was only my elder sister Listelka who has experience of entering, but the way to enter inside should be already different from the past.」

「What do you mean by that yeah?」

Greifer immediately retorted. Aeril formed her words after hesitating slightly.

「To open the path toward the central of deep level floor──so to speak the control room, there are several requirements. In order to clear those, a blood relative of us Arcadia Empire is necessary.」

「You mean the three names here huh.」

When Magialca said that as though to remember something, everyone there looked around.

「──Yes. In our camp, there is me, Lux-kun, and Airi-san. These three people are the one with the authority that can interfere with the mechanism at central. To fulfill the requirements, we have to follow the instructions of Avalon’s Gear Leader──Arshalia.」

「There is also an Automaton in Avalon?」

Aeril nodded at Lux’s question.

Then, Lisha leaked out a sigh in tired exasperation.

「So we will have to let an Automata guide us again? Will that girl appear nearby that old castle?」

「Yes. Perhaps the Gear Leader herself will become the key of the central.」

Everyone’s gaze gathered the additional comment of Soffice who was a Key’s Supervisor.

「I also pretty much has read the books in the seventh Ruin Moon. We will have to find that Gear Leader, follow her instructions and make the preparation. If we do that then the control room will come into view. ──But, there is one more strange information that I don’t know about. The foundation of Avalon, the Ruin’s Zero, an existence that is called as transformation Drag-Ride.」

「Transformation, Drag-Ride……?」

──Lux wondered why. He strangely felt that he had heard those words before.

But, he couldn’t recall.

The more he thought about it, his memory was vanishing like mist.

「Lu-chan. Are you sleepy?」

「No. I’m fine, Phi-chan.」

Lux returned to his senses when Philuffy who was sitting beside him talked to him. Aeril continued her story.

In the end first they had to discover Avalon’s Gear Leader, then one person among Lux, Aeril, or Airi would have to perform the protocol into the mechanism as instructed. That was the requirement.

「Looks like we won’t understand the requirements until that Automata come out. Then in order to raise the chance of us encountering her, we should split into team.」

There was no one who raised objection at Magialca’s proposal. Like that they formed four teams.

–

First team was Lolotte, Zweigbergk, White Ridge knight order, the Triad.

The second team was Aeril, Greifer, Mel, Soffice, Rosa, Magialca.

The third team was Airi, Lisha, Krulcifer, Philuffy, Celis, Yoruka.

The fourth team was Lux, Singlen.

–

「The objective of the first team is to defend this fortress. The weakness is the few number of Divine Drag-Ride user in this team, but surely the enemy also won’t have any leeway to attack here. Therefore we are going to leave the minimum battle force here.」

After that, Magialca began to explain about the role of each team in order.

She deliberately omitted a part, but the three people with Arcadia bloodline were separated from each other in order to clear the requirement of getting instruction from the Gear Leader.

The Key’s Supervisor might also be able to at least talk with Automata, so Krulcifer and Soffice were also in separate team.

「Next the second team and the third team, well, these two teams are the main for conquering Avalon. It will be easier if the teammates has trusting relationship with each other, so I split the members like that.」

「I wish to accompany Aruji-sama though?」

Yoruka smiled brightly and casually insisted that.

She was a girl who wouldn’t read the atmosphere like usual, but this time even Lisha joined her.

「Well, this ero woman is extreme but……, why is it only the fourth team that has only two people in it? I think the combat force should be divided equally here.」

Lux was also in agreement regarding that, but Magialca responded with a wry smile.

「That’s a good question princess. But I won’t accept any selfishness here. Those two are different from the second and third team, their role isn’t just to search for the deep level floor, they are also charged with an important role.」

「Don’t tell me──」

The moment Celis made a dubious face, the answer came.

「That’s right, I’ll have the fourth team to move with the priority of exterminating the enemy. Well, in case they encountered Listelka’s force, they’ll have to attack proactively.」

「──!」

Silent tension ran through everyone who gathered inside the war council room.

Right after that, Aeri was the first one to react by raising her hand.

「That’s dangerous! You should have known that in the enemy’s camp, the maid Mishis and most likely Fugil Arcadia too are powerful enemies. Having only two people to face them is……」

Krulcifer quickly continued after Airi’s tense voice.

「She is right. It’s certainly dangerous. Both Sir Singlen and Lux-kun are strong but, the remaining enemies should be substantially powerful too. At the very least one Divine Drag-Ride user from each team should be moved to their team.」

「Well, your objection is reasonable.」

But, Magialca responded with an exasperated shrug toward their advice.

「However have you two forgotten? Only in this situation we won’t be able to prioritize safety anymore. After all if the enemy obtains Avalon, it will be our defeat by that time. Since that the case we can only make a gamble.」

「Is there anything that we can obtain by making the fourth team clash against the enemies?」

Lisha flared up. Magialca looked down and nodded in respond.

「Our advantage is our number which is far greater than the enemy. There is no option not to make use of our edge toward the enemy. While the attack of the fourth team will have effect in holding them back, the enemy too won’t be able to ignore them seeing that someone with Arcadia bloodline is attacking them, so they will be held back for certain. During that time, the second and third teams will split to search and our probability in reaching the central will rise.」

「…………」

「The Lord, Listelka who only have two close aides remaining won’t easily let them get too far from her correct? Then this strategy should be the most effective.」

Certainly, Listelka only had Mishis and Fugil to guard her right now, so surely she wouldn’t send them away.

Hayes who was defeated by Aeril the other day shouldn’t have any more spare strength, essentially Mishis and Fugil were the only combat force of the other side.

Furthermore facing the Anti Drag-Knight Mishis who possessed Azi Dahaka, there was the possibility that having her surrounded would only caused her opponents to be defeated altogether.

In that case it would be preferable to just leave her to a small number of elites, Lux and Singlen alone.

It was a battle formation that managed the risk and didn’t let go of the chance of victory.

In that case they had to accept this team division.

「It will be fine Airi. This will be the last time I make you worried.」

「There is also that but……. No, I understand.」

When Lux showed his acceptance, Airi swallowed back the opinion that she was about to say.

What she held back from saying was most likely about Singlen.

There was no doubt that he was powerful, but he possessed an ambition that counterbalanced his strength. Until now he had approached Lux many times to make use of him.

Furthermore, from his battle with Yoruka, it was discovered that there was a sign of Singlen receiving Baptism in the past. Half his body was adapted to Elixir.

She couldn’t speak out that behind the scene circumstance, but because of that too she was really wary of Singlen in a team alone with Lux.

But, Lux had already heard from Magialca that it would become like this.

He had already resolved himself too.

「Then, I will move on to the main subject of the strategy. You all better listen attentively.」

First Magialca gave instruction to everyone about their action’s objective, the members also questioned her about that.

The meeting went for several hours. The members of each team also talked among themselves, but Signlen didn’t say a single word.

「…………」

Lux would dislike it if Singlen was giving order high-handedly, but when this man was staying quiet with that fearless grin on his face, it was scary because it felt like something not decent would happen.

「Sir Singlen, how are you planning to carry out this mission?」

Lux briefly addressed Singlen who was sitting at the corner but,

「Are you that stupid? Looks like you still haven’t come out from the mindset of being hired chore boy huh, hero-dono.」

He responded with familiar tyrannical sarcasm like that.

「What kind of plan you asked? It’s meaningless to just think in this situation. There are too much aspects that we shouldn’t know about, it will be pointless if we just create a strategy. If we drown ourselves in supposition, we won’t be able to respond flexibly instead you know?」

「…………」

「Our mission is to subjugate the first imperial princess Listelka. We just need to focus in accomplishing that by using every method available depending on the situation. That’s all there is to it.」

His tone was arrogant like usual, but what he was saying was right on the mark.

But, Lux wondered why he felt strangeness from the points of his words.

Singlen didn’t say 『don’t know』, but 『shouldn’t know about』.

The way he talk it was like even the things that Lux and others didn’t know about were known by him.

But, Lux too couldn’t carelessly probe deeper here.

Because he had received a secret order from Captain Magialca in regard to Singlen.

Last night, Magialca who sneaked inside Lux’s room unnoticed told him──.

–