“If this continues to be the topic, then there’s no way that we can resume our serious atmosphere anymore, so just take it that I’m pleading for you guys to stop it!”
*Pak!* Kuro Usagi seemed weary as she lifted her paper fan to slap another time.
Perhaps the atmosphere wasn’t high enough for Faceless rekindled her spirit---
“……[(Shameful)Highborn of Little Garden].”
“Didn’t I say to stop it? BAKAAAAAAAaaaaa!”
*Swish!*Kuro Usagi swung her paper fan with a loud sound that wasn’t heard off before to launch her strongest strike.
After that, Faceless took on an attitude like as though nothing had happened as she continued the topic.
“……As a [Highborn of Little Garden], you actually do not know of the story behind the [Knights of Little Garden]?”
“Start…Starting from that same place again sure causes Kuro Usagi to not know how to respond…… Though it’s really embarrassing, it is the first time that these rabbit ears of Kuro Usagi have heard of such a thing. Because of how it might give some leads on the current game and the mastermind behind the plot, please tell us all the details you know without holding back any reports.”
Kuro Usagi controlled her urge to give her normal tsukomi[9] as she seriously pushed for the continuation of the previous topic.
It would also seem that Faceless had her fill of fun and she replied solemnly:
“What I do know isn’t very detailed. So I will just be skipping the details…I’ve heard that Leticia Draculea who had ascended to the [Overall Floor Master] had wanted to use the Authority and the special rights to launch a war against the upper echelons of demigods, gods and Buddhas.”
“Le…Leticia-sama wanting to start a war……?”
The [No Name]s had all looked at each other. That sort of violent description made it difficult to link it to the docile temperament Leticia who was like a big sister character in the Community.
“That war…… caused her to become a Demon Lord?”
“That, I’m not too sure either. I’ve only heard that to stop this war from happening, the vampires of the same race had started a revolution and from there, they slowly headed for destruction due to the infighting that hacked away at each other’s lives.”
“Killing…Killing each other within the same race…… Leticia-sama?”
“Yes. This was told to me by my Queen who knew of the situation then, so I’m quite sure that it won’t be wrong.”
*Uu…* Kuro Usagi gave a little sound, clearly frightened and robbed of her courage.
Killing each other within their own species---In other words, it was the killings between the comrades of the same Community. Being a part of [No Name], they knew Leticia’s character very well and hence it was very difficult to believe that to be true. But Sala who was silently listening to the conversation all this while took out the Geass Roll and seemed to nod in understanding.
“I see……The fourth condition to win:[ Following the proper procedure and using the zodiacs that have been restored to the throne as a guide, strike the heart of the revolutionist who is bounded in chains.] Meaning that we have to find and kill the leader of the Revolution of that time right?”
“Is…Is that so?”
“Otherwise, how else can we make head or tail of it? Compared to the terms of [Zodiac] and [broken fragments of the constellations] that are so abstract, these words are much easier to understand. The Vampires of that time were really pushed into a corner due to the punishments met out to them and hence decided to hunt down for the leader of the revolution---”
“---but in the end, the game was still left without being cleared. In other words, the [Leader of the Revolution] may just be a misleading clue left to bait us in the wrong direction.”
*Uu* Though Sala made that small sound, she stared at Izayoi as she retorted:
“No, that’s difficult to say. That Leader of the Revolution might still be living in Little Garden somewhere. The Vampire species have quite a long lifespan and it is said that the purebloods of their race will never grow old or die---”
“Then you mean to find that fellow and kill him? In this exaggeratingly big Little Garden, how much time would we waste to find a Vampire that we don’t even know if it exists?”
Sala shut her mouth mournfully.
Seeming to say that it was the end of the discussion, Izayoi stood up.
“No matter how you look at it, we can’t deny the fact that we do not have enough information. So I’ve a proposal. Form a defense squad that will stay in this place to defend [Underwood] from the Titan invasion attempts and a squad that will infiltrate the Citadel of the enemy with the purpose to clear the game. There should be many winged Eudemons in [Draco Greif] Alliance right?”
Izayoi gave Jin a pointed look on the sly when he ended his barrage.
And Jin frantically chimed in:
“And the safety of those people who have been taken away is also quite worrying. I’ve also heard that the important figure in the Alliance, Garol-sama of [Six Scars] had also been captured while protecting his comrades. Let’s send out a search party and when they return with their report, let’s arrange for another discussion shall we?”
Jin naturally pushed the topic towards the aim of saving Yō, moreover the content of his proposal was also quite reasonable.
Sala did not reject the proposal but had instead, agreed readily to it.
“I got it. Well, I will choose my elites to form the squads by two nights after. When that time comes, I will be requiring the strength of your Communities[looking at the two Communities in turn], so we will be in your care……And another thing , though it is just a small gesture of goodwill, I’ve already prepared the best top classed Guest rooms for your Communities, so please be well rested.”
Under her gesture, all of them stood to leave.
The first day of the meeting that the Participants hosted had come to a close at that.
To get to the [Underwood] Main guest quarters, the group of [No Name]s had taken the water powered elevator to make their gradual descent from the Great Tree’s Tree branch. On the way down, Izayoi abruptly asked in a low voice.
“……Ojou-sama, what do you think?”
“Eh?”
“I meant about the legend that Leticia became a Demon Lord who massacred her comrades.”
The sudden topic of the conversation caused Asuka to freeze momentarily.
Even so, she said it clear and succinctly:
“I don’t know how Leticia was in the past……but she’s our Blond maid currently isn’t she? Then how can we stand by and let someone else snatch her away.”
“……Right. We sure cannot let it pass like that.”
Seeing how Asuka was answering with such a fired up attitude, Izayoi smiled wryly.
---Just saying on the side, Izayoi had not asked that question for that kind of answer……But seeing how her answer was that dependable, he decided to take the optimistic approach and accept his comrade’s energetic response as he gazed up upon the skies.
The swirling dark ominous clouds were still giving off low roars of thunder until now and they continued to surround the Ancient Citadel that floated in the skies.
Just when Izayoi was just thinking whether there’s a chance for the two comrades, who had been caught to that place, to be safe at this moment in time---Asuka seemed like she was trying to lighten up their spirits as she stood with arms akimbo to suggest to Kuro Usagi and the others:
“When we get back to our rooms, let’s get started on solving the mystery. To save Kasukabe and Leticia, we must unravel the mystery during the time of our ceasefire.”
“YES! Although it is a tough one, but as the saying goes, two heads are better than one! With us four together to work on it, we will surely be able to figure it out!”
“Nn. To save Kasukabe-san and Leticia, we must get the mystery…”
“---No. If it’s the part about the mystery, I’ve already solved it.”
“……what?!”The elevator echoed with the same query that came from four different mouths.
Whether it was Asuka, Kuro Usagi who was beside her, Jin who stood in front or even Carol who was responsible for leading the way for them, question marks were visibly floating above their heads as they looked at Izayoi doubtfully.
“……Eh, Okyakusan? Then why did you tell Sala-sama just now something along the lines of ‘Because of the lack in information, we must send a squad into the enemy’s Citadel’?”
“Hm? Why would you understand it in that way? My meaning was [Although the information isn’t much, but the riddle has been solved, so let’s go clear the game!] and conveniently creating a squad to rescue the others as a side task.”
And he did say [a squad that will infiltrate the Citadel of the enemy with the purpose to clear the game], but never did the rest expect that he meant it literally.
“But since you guys here have also mistaken it, then all is well too. If there’s someone who suddenly appears and tries to enslave our fair haired maid without any prior knowledge, I will have to start a brawl with that fella. ~Oh my~ Fortune sure is on my side!”
Izayoi feinted ignorance as he turned his head away.
Carol blinked her eyes before becoming solemn.
“……That’s unfortunate for I need to report to Sala-sama about this.”
“50% off for all products?! You sure are generous aren’t ya?”
“Oi, don’t be like that ne~ Why would I betray you guys right? ♪”
Izayoi’s threat caused Carol to break into cold sweat as she smiled and gave her reply quickly.
On one hand, Kuro Usagi and the others were seeing the true evilness in Izayoi but they also felt that he was very dependable and they could only look at each other while giving a wry laugh.