Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 12 Episode 5 (section)

===Part 8===
「Today we were able to make really good memories. Then, all the students, let’s begin cleaning up.」

The time of dusk that was slightly faster in the midwinter.

After Relie gave her speech from the stage in the courtyard, a wave of cheers was spreading out.

Deeply religious students would head to the monastery at Cross Field after this to offer prayers before quietly passing the night in the girl’s dormitory. That was the custom.

Lux also received a lot of presents from the female students, but he stored them in the warehouse.

He also received presents from Lisha and the others, along with their respective feelings, but due to the urgency of the matter with Soffice, he planned to open them at another time.

「Nii-san. Cleaning up the Academy is also important, but please help out with here.」

After helping out with several physical tasks, he was called by Airi.

Lux parted with the female students and changed into his uniform, then he headed towards the basement of the Drag-Ride hangar.

The party had ended safely, but in a sense the fight of the two would enter the main part from here.

Soffice and Re Plica.

The duo of the Ruin who proclaimed war on the world. They had to persuade them after this.

「Even so, are you serious Nii-san?」

Airi was uneasy while preparing for the talk.

Before coming here, she stopped by at the library within the Academy’s ground and took something.

Airi was scared to use it for the negotiation material.

「Yes. It can’t be helped……. But, I think she isn’t a bad person. In order to make her understand, I also have to resolve myself. If she wouldn’t respond with this, at that time──」

When Lux said that, he tightly grasped the sheath of his Wyvern’s Sword Device.

He would have to hold back Soffice, a powerful person who was a member of the Seven Dragon Paladins by himself.

Hangar basement──when they entered the prison through the hidden passage, Soffice was standing there with a rope fastened on her.

She was waiting for Lux and Airi along with Re Plica who was in the same state like her.

「I’m sorry to have made you wait. Then, will you talk? About what the two of you know──」

「……If you give back my Vritra, then I won’t mind talking.」

Seeing Soffice talking brusquely, Lux smiled wryly.

「In this situation, my life is being held in your hands. Like this it’s impossible to talk as equals, am I wrong?」

「You are saying that desu, Soffice……? Even though you were the one who first threatened them using Moon…… ouch!?」

While still being tied with rope, Soffice stepped on the foot of the Automata who was retorting from the side.

Soffice took a deep breath, then she faced Lux and Airi with her usual indifferent serious look.

「I’ll say this first, I have no intention to cooperate and hand over the Ruin to you. I just won’t attack the New Kingdom, is that fine with you?」

No change in emotion could be sensed from there, but it was enough with just her responding to his talk like this.

「Of course. For now, I want to hear your story. Did something happen in the past between you and the Old Empire?」

「No, in the first place, are you two living in the same time period as us?」

Airi matched Lux and added a further question.

Soffice fell silent for a while seemingly in hesitation, then before long she began to form her words.

「Conversely, there is one thing that we want to ask you first. You two, the descendants of the empire family really don’t know anything? About what the Old Empire did ten years ago too. And also about the matter of the family of traitors.」

「We too wish you will quickly teach us about why you are calling us the family of traitors though. Even though we have no recollection of betraying anything, being called like that continuously is also vexing.」

Airi said that with a bit of dissatisfaction, then Lux continued after her.

「When we were children, we were distanced from the center of government, so we weren’t that knowledgeable about the Old Empire’s wrongdoings. Especially about the matter with you that seemed to be done in secret, it’s not even remaining in records.」

「…………」

「Soffice. I think these people aren’t lying desu. They don’t even have any need to do that.」

When Soffice who kept looking at Lux’s eyes was keeping silent, Re Plica beside her prompted her.

「Understood」 saying that as the beginning, Soffice began to talk bit by bit.

About her first half of her life since she was awakened in the Moon as a Xfer.

「I woke up inside a hibernation pod in the Moon and passed several years inside the Ruin. The way to use Drag-Rides, how to control the Abyss, how to use the Moon’s functions, I learned those from the Automata Re Plica. It seemed that I was awakened because my state of preservation was getting worse, but other than that it was also for carrying out my most important mission.」

「The mission of the {{furigana|Key’s Supervisor|Xfer}}──the one who manages the Ruins. Essentially what kind of mission is it?」

Airi asked in the place of Krulcifer who wasn’t here.

Soffice closed her eyes as though recalling it keenly, then she continued her words.

「The Lords, are those who were entrusted with the Ruins. The Key’s Supervisor, is the ancient race that brought about the Ruins. Those people who created the Ruins themselves were the clan of {{furigana|Xfer|Key’s Supervisor}} of the far ancient era. The clan called Xfer isn’t blessed with many offspring and they were few in number, but they possessed extraordinary talent and knowledge. In addition to that, they also further received special education growing up.」

「But, Soffice didn’t receive that education desu. That’s why despite being a Xfer, she is a bit disappointing like this──ouch ouch ouch-! Wait, stop stepping on my foot from the side with that serious look desu!」

With unchanging serious look, Soffice stepped on Re Plica’s foot with all her might from the side. Lux and Airi smiled wryly.

Their figures interacting with each other despite one being an Automata that should be loaded with a pseudo personality seemed like the exchange between real sisters.

「Our talk diverted. However, our clan of Xfer, in contrast with that development of technological strength, our numbers were decreasing and we were getting cornered. Our clan was persecuted and even our own country treated us hostilely.」

「Did they, do something bad? Why did they meet that kind of experience──」

Airi asked with a dubious expression. Soffice answered indifferently without even a twitch in her expression.

「They didn’t do anything. They only improved their technology and earned money from that. And yet the surrounding nations ganged up and cornered the Xfer. That is what is written in the record.」

「…………」

Lux imagined that event.

The reason why those girls who were only developing technology got shunned──

「Could it be, their surroundings were jealous of them?」

*Nod*, Soffice simply nodded wordlessly.

「In short, those people envied their technological strength desu. Both common people and the people in charge attempted to take away their fortune and technology desu. In order to escape from that, the Xfer clan moved from place to place. They continued a long, long travel that felt beyond counting, and then finally──the clan encountered people who recognized them desu.」

「Was that the Holy Arcadia Empire……the clan of the Lords?」

Airi muttered seriously. Silence filled inside the prison.

After everyone there once more mutually recognized the history of the two clans that had been together since ancient times, Soffice resumed the story.

「The Arcadia Empire was a really small and weak island country, but as a result of its royalty welcoming the Xfer and supporting them, their might was increasing. They mined the meteorite from the nearby sea, took out the raw ore of Mithrildite and Force Core, and began to process it. In this world, that kind of huge meteorite wreckages existed in several places.」

Lux thought that perhaps, the Ruins were places to process those huge meteorites.

「Time flowed further from there. Before they knew it, the Arcadia Empire was convinced that they possessed armed might that was unrivaled. They expanded towards the world searching for even better land. At that point in time, several existing Ruins were used as moving fortresses.」

「…………」

「They secured positioning at the center of the vast continent, pushed their way through undeveloped lands using Drag-Rides and cultivated those places. With that──the end.」

「Eh……?」

Lux reflexively raised his voice at the sudden end of the story.

Airi was also agitated. She leaned forward with eagerness.

「The end you said──why did the Holy Arcadia Empire get destroyed? Even though they were monopolizing the technology of the Ruins…」

「I also don’t know the details. It might be a top secret matter even between the Lords and the Key’s Supervisors. But, the available records only go that far. Just, it seems that after that some kind of large revolution occurred. At that time, the Arcadia Empire clearly segregated the class of the nobles and the citizens. Discrimination occurred. And then what happened to those citizens──」

「Was our ancestor, was it……」

Soffice nodded at Lux’s muttering.

At the same time Lux couldn’t help but felt like he had heard something bad.

The segregation that the Arcadia Empire put between the nobles and the citizens, some people then unified the citizens and caused an uprising. Those people were called as the 『Family of Traitors』.

「Nii-san……. Could it be, this is──」

Lux’s thought also concluded the same like Airi’s uneasiness.

He didn’t know the details except from what he heard from Soffice’s story, but that Hayes who was at the Heiburg Republic was having some kind of fixation towards Lux.

And then, from how she was calling him as a false prince, there was a high possibility that she had extraordinary relationship with the ancestors of Lux and Airi.

There was a possibility that a revolution occurred within the Arcadia Empire due to the people’s uprising.

「During that time, we, the survivors of the Xfer, went to sleep for a long time before waking up.」

While Lux and Airi were imagining about their origin, Soffice was slowly continuing her story.

「Ten years ago, I encountered the imperial family of the Old Empire Arcadia that was also the relatives of you two. My little sister was looking for friends. Most likely, the mission of the Xfer that had been reduced to a few remaining numbers was to protect the Ruins, and to increase our numbers again. For that reason, my little sister wished for interaction with other people. She wished for people who will understand and accept us.」

「…………」

Lux who was treated coldly even while being an imperial family member understood well that feeling.

The lonely environment where one couldn’t obtain other people’s understanding despite being in a special position.

He was happy right now being surrounded by everyone in the Academy, but that was exactly why that period where he was starving for such things felt even stronger.

「However, there a fatal breakdown in relationship occurred, didn’t it? The bones of a girl in that Garden, could that be……」

Airi recalled the happening of the other day while muttering.

When they headed to the Ruin Garden to hide the Grand Force by the New Kingdom’s order, they found human bones with a broken skeleton buried under the ground.

「Those guys of the Old Empire Arcadia, they used us to unlock the seal of the Ruins and planned to make the world their own. My little sister who noticed that rejected it──she got killed and I was also injured seriously. I slept inside the hibernation pod in order to hide myself while applying the remodeling called Baptism to my body, changing the color of my skin and hair. After that, I was merely acting in accordance with my mission. I won’t hand over Avalon to the villains that will destroy this world. The family of traitors too, none of them can be trusted. Believing that……」

「────」

It seemed the story was over with that. Silence visited inside the prison.

Soffice woke up inside the Moon as a survivor of the Xfer.

She tried to search for comrades who would recognize them due to her little sister’s wish.

She met with the Old Empire’s betrayal and lost her little sister. Now she tried to protect Avalon by herself.

「Nii-san. What are you going to do? With the two of them here, most likely there is nobody who can move the Ruin.」

Lux silently nodded at Airi’s words.

「Perhaps so. I don’t know what will happen if the Lords interfered, but I think that also won’t happen. If they could easily discover Moon, then they should have done so since a long time ago.」

「If you’re going to kill me then do as you like. I too did everything with the resolve to die. Either way it’s impossible that the world alliance will pardon me.」

Soffice talked indifferently with an expressionless look, however Lux shook his head slightly.

「Can I, ask you to promise one thing? After this I’ll go to consult Captain Magialca after the Holy Night Festival is over. If with that I’m able to guarantee your life, will you cooperate then?」

「──!?」

Soffice’s eyes that were tinged with emptiness snapped open in surprise.

「You will help desu!?」

Re Plica who had even more abundant emotion than a human raised her voice. Seeing that Airi was flustered.

「Wait a second Nii-san! Please don’t say anything absurd. Even if it’s Nii-san that’s impossible. That kind of promise without due consideration──」

「That’s obviously impossible. If you are going to lie, then you should make up something more believable.」

Soffice was similarly acting negative, but Lux asserted without any hesitation.

「That’s why I also cannot say anything certain. However, that’s the only option that has possibility. Either way it’s most important that the Ruin moves with the power of you two. There is also the matter of Ragnarok. With that, it might also be possible to curry favor with the world alliance and write off the crime of the war declaration.」

「What does Nii-san, mean?」

Airi tilted her head in puzzlement. Lux took a deep breath and answered.

「In order to take out the remaining Grand Forces, we have to defeat two Ragnarok no matter what. However, originally the damage to do that will be impossible to predict.」

It felt like normal Drag-Knights would be completely useless against them, and even if users of Divine Drag-Rides were gathered, if they made even the slightest mistake then there was a risk of total annihilation.

「But, if you two are able to annihilate the Ragnarok, it will be possible to eliminate almost the whole burden for all the countries.」

「Giving an order to the two Ragnarok to defeat each other……that’s what Nii-san means. Certainly, if that can be done, then the world alliance might be convinced too. And then, if the Abyss in the abandoned capital of the Marcafal Kingdom can also be eliminated without problem like that──」

「We will be able to reach Avalon in the remaining two months time. What do you think?」

「………….」

Soffice was silently listening to Lux’s suggestion for a while, but before long she opened her mouth with a murmur.

「Didn’t you listen to what I first said? I have no intention to trust anyone else anymore. As a survivor of the Xfer, I must not fail. Even so, if you at least would spare my life, I would talk about the facts that I know. I have fulfilled that with this.」

She gazed at Lux with an indifferent gaze that showed no emotion.

If Soffice was executed like this, in the end Avalon would fall into someone else’s hands. She should know that, even so it seemed that she was unable to cooperate even then.

After a moment of pause, Lux silently took a breath.

「I got it. But, before the Holy Night Festival is over, I’ll come again to persuade you. Before that I’ll get an agreement from Lady Magialca.」

「……No matter how many times you come, it will be the same.」

「Even so, I won’t give up.」

Lux smiled at Soffice who was somewhat perplexed.

「I don’t know what I should do to make you trust me, but I’ll try to do what I can do. After all, that’s the only thing I can do.」

「…………」

「Why──are you struggling that much desu? Shouldn’t you ignore the likes of us already and quickly go to search for the Ruin desu?」

In the place of the silent Soffice, Re Plica asked Lux.

In response, the little sister who knew her big brother really well also answered in his place.

「That’s because Nii-san is like this. He is really a difficult person. He is always giving me trouble.」

「……Wait, Airi!?」

「But, if he wasn’t like this, he wouldn’t have tried to change the Old Empire or anything. Whether it was polishing his skills with the Drag-Ride, or advising the emperor at that time, and even destroying the Old Empire── Even if it was a path that was nearly impossible, Nii-san didn’t give up in creating a place for us to belong.」

「…………」

Lux who received Soffice’s gaze thought for a while before telling her.

「Fugil of the Lords told me. I who was ostracized by both the imperial family and the people merely tried to become loved by anyone. He said that I have no caliber as a king with no resolve to abandon or kill anyone.」

Philuffy taught him the answer to that.

His admiration towards the acts of the girls who saved him from isolation even without any authority or strength.

Lux believed that was to be his benchmark in saving the country.

「What my elder brother said might not be wrong. Perhaps the truth is that I merely wanted to escape from the environment where everyone hates me. Even so, right now there are a lot of comrades who I can trust around me. That’s why, I can keep fighting from now on too. Even if it might be mistaken, I can continue to reach out my hand towards someone else.」

「…………」

「Thank you for not harming anyone in the Academy and Airi. I’ll come again later to persuade you.」

「Excuse us.」

Lux finished speaking with that and left. Airi also followed after him.

And then, silence visited the underground prison at the end of the hidden passage.