"Well then, Teruche, I’m leaving things here in your hands."
"Yes, please leave everything to me. Lady Shion, I hope you are able to act to your heart's content."
"Mm. I’m off."
A bit of time had passed since I’d fought alongside Orun and Felix to wipe out the dragons in the Regrif Territory. I’d since returned to the Hitia Duchy, home to the Amunzaas headquarters.
On the journey back, my new collaborator, the Fairy Queen Titania, had shared the locations of the Cyclamen Cult’s bases and their respective military strengths. Upon my return, I spent several days focused entirely on verifying that intel.
Once we confirmed Titania’s information was accurate, we finalized our roster of members to dismantle those facilities and finally began to move.
As a side note, Amunzaas possesses two other Seirei Eyes besides the one in my right socket. One had been processed into lenses for several pairs of glasses, allowing others to communicate with the fairies even in my absence. The other had recently been moved elsewhere, though I hadn't been told where.
Currently, I was boarding a carriage headed for my own target—one of the Cult’s bases—after being seen off by Teruche.
Our organization and the Cult had clashed several times in the past, but this operation would be on a different scale entirely—a coordinated, simultaneous strike across various locations on the continent.
Until now, we’d been able to hush up our skirmishes by framing them as accidents or unrelated incidents, largely because both our public faces were organizations with significant influence across the continent. This time, however, I didn't think we’d be able to hide the fallout.
Given that the Cult has begun to seize control of the Empire and successfully conquered the Great Labyrinth of the West, there was no doubt they were finally moving in earnest. It wouldn't be long before the shadow war between Amunzaas and the Cyclamen Cult erupted into a full-scale conflict.
In fact, I expected this battle to serve as the opening skirmish for that very war.
"Well then, let's do a final check."
Once the carriage began to move and I was certain no one else was nearby, I spoke to Titania, who was drifting through the air beside me. I could see her through the Seirei Eye assimilated into my right eye.
『Very well.』
"Our target is a vassal state bordering the northeastern Saubel Empire—the Minagania Kingdom. We’re going to crush the base located there, the one they call the Farm."
According to Titania, the Farm was the most critical of all the Cult bases she knew of. The name itself left a bad taste in my mouth, and after hearing what actually transpired there, my frank assessment was that the place was the definition of the Cult’s concentrated madness.
『As I mentioned before, ever since the Doctor—Ozwell McCloud—began frequenting the Farm, its deepest reaches have become an unknown territory. I know your strength, and I’m sure you can handle most situations, but do not let your guard down.』
"I know. If it's a place even you can't see despite your Future Sight, that’s reason enough to be on maximum alert."
『There are many things even I do not understand. And while I say I see the future, I am merely seeing possibilities. Besides, I cannot see the future of someone like you, Shion—not when you possess an Ability that interferes with time.』
"Heh-heh♪ My future is something I'll seize with my own two hands, so I don't need your advice anyway!"
I acted more cheerful than I felt, hoping to blow away my own lingering anxiety.
『You are as reliable as ever. Honestly.』
That’s right. I would seize the future I desired for myself. The possibility of truly fighting alongside Orun was finally within sight. I had no intention of dying in a place like this.
...But even if Orun did regain everything, would he ever take this blood-stained hand? The hand of someone who has ended so many lives?
No, stop it.
There was no point in dwelling on that now. I had walked this path by my own choice, fully aware of the consequences. If Orun rejected me in the end, that was simply how it had to be. I wouldn't deny my past.
...Even if I did have more than a few regrets.
A few days passed. On the day before the operation, I was inside a building in the royal capital of the Minagania Kingdom that served as our local base, reviewing the terrain and the situation around the Farm with my subordinates.
"So, the Kingdom's army is permanently stationed around the Farm, huh? That's not suspicious at all."
I muttered my thoughts while popping a bite-sized pastry into my mouth. Oh, this was delicious. Our organization made its living selling magic tools, but these sweets were shelf-stable enough that we could probably sell them too. Wait—now wasn't the time for that.
"Yes. Officially, the site is a military training ground, but our infiltrators report that no exercises have ever been conducted there. Furthermore, the soldiers stationed on the perimeter are strictly forbidden from entering the central area. It seems even they don't know what's actually inside."
"So the Cult is likely using the Empire to issue orders to the Kingdom without providing details. The Kingdom's higher-ups might know something, but I suppose we can't be sure about that yet?"
"My apologies, Lady Shion. We haven't been able to penetrate the Kingdom's inner circle yet."
"Oh, I'm not blaming you. I've heard that 'harmful woman' has returned to the Empire, so we can't risk any leaks right now."
"We appreciate your understanding. Even so, Philly Carpenter is a truly vexing individual. The information regarding her is constantly contradictory; we haven't even been able to pin down her location."
"I agree. I feel bad for Oliver, but I really wish the Hero Party had just kept her. Well, no point in complaining now. Let's get back to it."
"Yes, ma'am."
"If it's officially a training ground, then even if the whole area suddenly freezes over, we can probably frame it as a training accident. I'll leave the information suppression to you. If we start the rumor, the Kingdom's officials will probably jump at the chance to play along."
"Understood. Leave it to us, Lady Shion."
"Mm. Well then, serious talk is over for today! I want to take a walk to clear my head. Do you have any recommendations?"
I clapped my hands together to signal the end of the meeting. My subordinates relaxed, their expressions softening as they began to suggest various local spots. I spent the rest of the day visiting the places they suggested, doing my best to settle my nerves.
"We've been waiting for you, Lady Shion. We've secured a route to the target. This way, please."
The next day, as I prepared to infiltrate the Farm, I met with a comrade who had successfully embedded himself in the stationed army. I followed his lead as we hiked into the woods. As we progressed, the vegetation became increasingly dense.
It's supposed to be winter, but the plants here are thriving. Are they cold-resistant species? Or is it...
"Lady Shion, we've arrived."
The man leading me interrupted my thoughts. I looked toward where he was pointing. There, partially hidden by thick overgrowth, was an opening that looked very much like a labyrinth entrance.
"Thank you for the guide. I'll be fine on my own from here. You should head back."
"Understood. Lady Shion, I wish you luck in battle!"
I felt his presence retreat. I took a few steps toward the entrance before coming to a halt.
『Shion, they are nearby.』
Titania’s voice echoed in my mind.
"Yeah, I know. Three... no, four of them."
I sensed eyes watching me from the brush—gazes that were observing rather than attacking. I began constructing a spell formula.
Sorry. You don't seem to have hostile intent, but I can't leave any variables behind.
I apologized to them in my heart as I invoked my Time Rewind. By overwriting the current formula with one that had already completed its mana infusion in the future, I could bypass the process entirely, triggering the magic instantly.
"[Freeze Gale]."
A gust of wind reaching minus several dozen degrees erupted from me. Exposed to a chill that caused instant frostbite, the high-pitched screams of children rang out from four different directions.
I immediately triggered a second spell I had been holding in parallel.
"[Stillness]."
A moment later, the four hidden figures were encased in blocks of ice. This was an original spell I’d developed using my Ability; it pseudo-stopped time within the ice. It was essentially a form of cold sleep. With this, I could neutralize them without taking their lives.
『As always, the flow of your mana is bizarre, Shion. He never used it like that.』
"Humans evolve by building on what the previous generation left behind. It’s only natural I can do things he couldn't."
『Entrusting things to the next generation... that is a concept I doubt I will ever truly understand.』
"We’re different species with different ways of existing. It’s only natural."
Conversing with Titania, I walked toward one of the ice blocks. Trapped inside was a child who couldn't have been more than ten years old.
"...Seriously, this makes me feel like absolute garbage."
The Cyclamen Cult was reviled as one of the world's two greatest criminal organizations for a reason. They were involved in every atrocity imaginable, but they were particularly notorious for kidnapping and human trafficking for the sake of human experimentation.
We in Amunzaas—who had made a habit of assassinating the high-ranking explorers who propped up the economy—hardly had the moral high ground, but even so, the Cult was the lowest of the low.
『Shion...』
"I’m fine. I knew what I was getting into when I came here. Now, let’s go... into this living hell."